Vic Fangio Under Pressure: How Hot is the Seat for Broncos' Coaching Staff?
When the Denver Broncos made changes at the top of the personnel department and brought in George Paton to be the GM, the conversation shifted to speculating how long the coaching staff has to prove itself. The speculation is appropriate but the offseason provided some answers, though nothing concrete.
Through free agency and the draft, Paton has given the Broncos coaches everything they need, except for a bonafide quarterback. Maybe Drew Lock takes a step, or maybe Teddy Bridgewater unseats him and is enough to win, but the odds aren't in Denver's favor on either.
Paton continued building the roster around Lock to help carry low-level quarterback play as a contingency. Even if Lock or Bridgewater can approach middle-of-the-pack quarterback play, this is a team that can push for the playoffs.
What does that have to do with the coaches and how hot their seats are? A lot, actually.
Paton listened to the coaches and acquired what they felt was needed to help this team around the quarterback situation. That makes it clear that he doesn't want to fire them, but if they don't reach a certain point, they're going to be fired.
So how hot are the coaches' respective seats? I'll dive in on all three coordinators plus the headman.
As a little bit of spice to the hot-seat situation in Denver, the levels are a reference to certain peppers and where each lands on the Scoville Scale.
Head Coach: Vic Fangio
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From day one, there have been issues with Fangio as a coach that simply haven't improved, including his poor clock management skills. His defense always seems to exceed expectations and Paton gave Fangio some much-needed help to field a top-10 defense at worst.
Will that be enough, though?
The implication for Fangio is to make the playoffs or fired. There won't be excuses made for him with a new general manager like there were for last season. This is his final shot.
The question that will arise is, if the defense is great, and Fangio looks better but the offense still struggles, will he get a fourth year? That query should ring loudly with fans.
Firing Fangio hasn't reached fait accompli as some may suggest, but his seat is rather hot.
Heat level: Fatali
Offensive Coordinator: Pat Shurmur
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All Shurmur wanted this offseason was a running back and a quarterback who can better protect the ball. He may have gotten both.
Shurmur got running back Javonte Williams by way of the second round of the draft, but the quarterback is a little more worrisome. Bridgewater has a history of protecting the ball, though he struggled in that department in Carolina last year.
Were Bridgewater's ball-security issues his own fault or was it the talent around him? The Broncos seem open to the answer being the latter.
With Shurmur's issues of failing to maximize players' skill-sets, his seat is quite hot. He has to do a much better job here in 2021, including as a play-caller.
Shurmur got more heat than deserved in 2020 because of atrocious quarterback play, but he didn't do the best job of helping Lock either.
Heat level: Chocolate Habanero
Defensive Coordinator: Ed Donatell
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This one is hard because it isn't clear how much of the defense's performance is Donatell's responsibility. He and Fangio have been tied at the hip for a while. There could be a situation where Paton wants to keep the defensive scheme and make a change at head coach, but that'd make hiring a new coach problematic.
Most head coaches want to bring in their guys and not get stuck with who the general manager wants. This was an issue under John Elway's front-office purview and I doubt Paton wants to follow those footsteps. Donatell is doing a fine job, but his fate is tied to Fangio's.
Heat level: Jalapeño (tied to Fangio)
Special Teams Coordinator: Tom McMahon
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It was a bit of a shock McMahon was kept as there were rumors he was going to be the only coaching change even after Elway and Matt Russell made their exit. The Broncos' special teams unit has regressed under him, though it wasn't a strong unit prior to his hiring either.
A year ago, the Broncos made moves to better their special teams and still fell short. That's what led to rumors of McMahon getting the boot. It isn't clear whether Fangio went to bat for McMahon or if Paton just decided not to make a change. Whatever the case is, McMahon's seat is the hottest of all the coaches.
Heat level: Carolina Reaper
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