With this schedule, Vic Fangio has to win at least 10 games in 2021
May 12, 2021, 6:49 PM | Updated: 6:50 pm
During his first two seasons in Denver, Vic Fangio has been a disappointment. His overall record as the Broncos head coach is 12-20, following a 7-9 campaign in his first year and a dismal 5-11 season in 2020.
As a result, Fangio is on the hot seat. His new boss, general manager George Paton, didn’t hire him, so there won’t be any extra patience for the head coach if Denver continues to struggle.
Based on the Broncos schedule, which was officially released on Wednesday night, there is no reason the team should sputter. Things shape up well for Fangio’s squad to put together a nice season.
During his first two years in Denver, Fangio has failed to win a game in the month of September. The Broncos, who normally start off hot, are 0-7 during the opening month of the season under his watch.
That has to change this year. The Broncos open with three very winnable games:
Week 1
Sept. 12
at New York Giants
Week 2
Sept. 19
at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 3
Sept. 26
vs. New York Jets
Those three teams combined to go 9-39 in 2020. Two of them – the Jaguars and Jets – will be breaking in rookie quarterbacks. That’s a recipe for success for the Broncos.
Things get tougher from there, but not much. During the first 10 weeks of the season, prior to Denver’s bye, the Broncos only face three teams – the Ravens in Week 4, Steelers in Week 5 and Browns in Week 7 – who posted a winning record a year ago. As a result, anything short of a .500 record at the break would be a major disappointment.
In the final seven weeks of the season, things also set up nicely for Fangio and Company. Denver has two games against the defending AFC champions, traveling to Kansas City on Dec. 5 and hosting the Chiefs in the season finale on Jan. 9, but don’t play another team who made the playoffs in 2020.
All told, the Broncos play just five teams who finished with a winning record last season. Only six opponents, including the Washington FootbalL Team (7-9 in 2020), made the playoffs a year ago.
Denver plays five games against teams that finished in last place a season ago. That’s the Jaguars (Week 2), Jets (Week 3), Eagles (Week 10), Lions (Week 14) and Bengals (Week 15).
They also have a pair of four-game stretches against teams that weren’t above .500 in 2020. From Week 8 to Week 12, they play the Washington Football Team, Cowboys, Eagles and Chargers, with a bye squeezed in. And from Week 14 to Week 17, the Broncos face off with the Lions, Bengals, Raiders and Chargers.
During a 10-week stretch, Denver plays eight teams that were .500 or below last season, with their bye and a trip to K.C. worked in. That’s where they need to make their hay.
The slate sets up nicely for the Broncos. It’s as easy of a schedule as a team can have, one that doesn’t feature any brutal stretches and has long patches of easier foes.
If Vic Fangio can’t get Denver above .500 this season, he never will. In reality, 10 wins and chasing a playoff berth should be the bar.
The Broncos schedule is just that easy.
