Nobody is ever going to confuse Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio with an all-timer like Bill Belichick, but when it comes to tormenting rookie quarterbacks, there’s more similarities between the two than most may realize.
Fangio, who leads the Broncos (1-0) into TIAA Bank Field, on September 19, to face the Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1), should enter the game with a lot of swagger. The old-school coach won’t, but he’s sporting an impressive 18-9 mark against first-year passers, so one really couldn’t blame the unassuming Fangio if he was full of bravado.
By comparison, Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots (1-0), will lead his team into a similar situation when they take on the New York Jets (0-1) and their own neophyte in Zach Wilson. The man with six Super Bowl rings is an impressive 21-6 against rookie signal callers.
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Such a mark leaves Belichick with a 77% success rate, while Fangio isn’t too far behind at a 67% winning clip.
How It Started vs. How It Ended
Fangio’s dominance against young quarterbacks goes back a long ways — back to the 1980’s when he was the linebackers coach for the New Orleans Saints, and was in charge of the maniacal unit known as “The Dome Patrol.” That foursome was the only quartet to send all four starters to the Pro Bowl (1992) in the same season.
The Saints employed Fangio from 1982 to 1994 and during that time, he had a near-daily viewing party of a young up-and-coming quarterback named Peyton Manning. The connection between Peyton and Fangio’s Saints is that Peyton’s dad, Archie, was the starting quarterback in New Orleans. The elder Manning and Fangio were on the team together from 1982 to 1986, and during those years, the quarterback was known to have his sons tag along at practice.
It was during those years that the younger Manning got an education, going against the Fangio-coached defense in practices. Manning, who was around 14 or 15 years old at the time, according to Fangio, served as a pseudo-practice squad quarterback. He was allowed to run “pass skelly” drills, essentially 7-on-7 sets against defensive backs and linebackers.
Fast forward to 1998 when Manning was a rookie for the Indianapolis Colts. The young signal caller was facing a Fangio-led Carolina Panthers defense and they were about to give Manning’s Colts yet another loss, in the season finale of a miserable 3-13 campaign.
Manning was 17-of-34 for 225 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and was sacked five times. It was the only time a Fangio-led defense beat Manning, but if coach’s scheme could befuddle the ultimate gridiron chess player, there might not be much hope for the Jaguars’ acclaimed rookie Trevor Lawrence.
Keep Him Guessing
Broncos safety Kareem Jackson calls Fangio a “mad scientist” and noted the coach is known for putting in a new coverage, pressure, and disguise every week — sometimes wrinkles that not even the 11th-year veteran has seen up to that point.
“He’ll put in something we haven’t done and I’m like, ‘Damn, where did that come from?’” Jackson said in an interview with The Denver Post. “That’s week in and week out. It’s going to be something new depending on who we play.”
Lawrence, who entered the 2021 NFL draft with a tremendous pedigree, was tabbed as the fourth-greatest quarterback prospect that ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. had ever rated — only behind Broncos’ legend John Elway, former Colts franchise quarterback Andrew Luck, and Manning.
There does seem to be something special about Lawrence, as he’s already garnered respect from Broncos defenders. The rookie wasn’t terrible in his NFL debut, September 12, against the Houston Texans, as he went 28-of-51, with 332 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions, in a 37-21 loss.
“[Lawrence] always seemed like he had this calm, poised demeanor while he’s back there progressing what the defense has given him,” Broncos safety Justin Simmons said. “There’s always a learning curve almost at every single position, especially the quarterback position in the NFL. I’m really excited to play against him and see how we match up going down there in Jacksonville playing their offense.”
Master of Disguise
Fangio started calling plays in 1995, while with the Panthers, and the list is long and decorated with rookie quarterbacks who eventually made something of themselves, but first had a rude awakening against his complex scheme.
Manning will always be the greatest notch, but other rookies who met their demise include Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks), Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles), Andy Dalton (then of the Cincinnati Bengals), Ryan Tannehill (then of the Miami Dolphins), Jameis Wilson (then of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sam Darnold (then of the Jets), and 2020 rookies Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers), and Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins).
The 2012 game against Wilson was perhaps Fangio’s play-calling masterpiece, as the rookie endured a nightmarish outing in a 13-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Wilson, who would earn a trip to the Pro Bowl later that season, had a 38.7 passer rating — still his second-lowest mark of his career. He completed 9-of-23 passes for 122 yards, an interception, and was sacked twice. That game was the only time of his illustrious rookie season that Wilson didn’t lead a touchdown drive.
Overall, quarterbacks have combined for a 73.7 rating (32 touchdowns and 24 interceptions) in those 27 games. Broncos Country certainly hopes — and is probably expecting — Lawrence to be just another notch on Fangio’s belt.
Follow Tony Williams on Twitter: @TBone8
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Denver Broncos Hold Edge in Coach vs. Rookie QB