The Broncos correct one misconception, but can’t bail out Fangio

The Broncos were in spin mode on Thursday in Minnesota. Before and after the the team’s final joint practice with the Vikings, they were trying to walk back previous comments by their head coach and general manager, attempting to set the record straight about how the team is looking at the quarterback position.

First, George Paton was trying to clarify comments he made to Peter King last week. During their conversation, the GM seemed to imply that a great cornerback was harder to find than a great cornerback, justifying his selection of Patrick Surtain with the No. 9 overall pick over Justin Fields and Mac Jones.

“I’ve said before that the quarterback position is the most important position in sports, so I hope that didn’t get construed with that comment,” Paton explained on Thursday. “That didn’t have any impact on our decision. We made our decision because we thought Pat Surtain was the best player at that time in the draft. We took him, we’re happy, we’re moving on. We like the other players; we hope they do well. We’re wishing them well, but for our team at that time, it was Pat Surtain.”

Fair enough. Paton understands that a quarterback is vital to winning. He just didn’t think Fields was the guy.

“We all want to get that quarterback,” the general manager added. “Obviously, you need one to get where you want to go, but I don’t look at it as pressure. I look at it as a challenge and we look forward to the challenge.”

How does Paton define “that quarterback.” Well, it’s a bit nebulous.

“Someone that can win games on their own,” he explained. “When things aren’t going right, someone that can take over a game no matter what the o-line is, no matter what the receiver is, and can win games on their own. I could go in depth more, but that’s kind of how I look at it.”

Okay, well, that makes sense. It’s a good, honest answer. It’s true to the way the NFL works in 2021. It’s a comment and viewpoint that should make Broncos Country feel better.

On the second QB-related issue, however, things aren’t as rosy.

Vic Fangio’s fixation on his defense, while ignoring his team’s offense, has been a topic of conversation throughout training camp. Brandon Stokley and Zach Bye have commented on it since the start of training camp.

In recent days, more media members have taken note. On day one against the Vikings, it was painfully obvious that Fangio didn’t watch the offense. He even admitted it.

“I didn’t,” the head coach said after Wednesday’s practice against Minnesota when asked if he took a look at that side of the ball. “That will be the first thing I do when I get inside.”

Then, he offered a really lame explanation.

“They haven’t made a guy that can watch both fields at the same time yet,” Fangio said.

While true, it’s also missing the point. Fangio is the head coach. He’s not the defensive coordinator. His job is to oversee the entire team, so he has to be aware of everything that goes on. It’s a position that requires multitasking, not micromanagement.

On Thursday, Paton tried to back up his head coach.

“You can’t watch everything, especially here. You have two fields going at the same time,” the general manager said. “But we go back and we watch the tape. We do a deep dive on the tape. Then, we meet with our scouts, and then I’ll meet with the coaches. We talk about every practice, every throw, and all the other positions, as well, but definitely with the quarterback.”

Those comments were made before practice. If that was always the plan, and the criticism of Fangio didn’t strike a nerve, the Broncos would’ve treated Thursday like every other day. They didn’t.

Instead, Fangio was focused on the offense, something that the “media” members in attendance were quick to point out. They wanted to shoot down that “narrative,” tweeting right off of the Broncos bullet points for the day.

After practice, Fangio was asked about the change. It was as if he just discovered that the Broncos had an offense.

“I liked watching it today there,” Fangio beamed. “It’s nice being over there with the boys – a little different perspective.”

Um, okay. Sure, coach.

On a day when the Broncos tried to re-direct the narrative, they batted .500. Their spin was only 50/50.

Their repositioning of George Paton’s comments made sense. Clearly, the GM understands the importance of a quarterback.

But the attempt to make Vic Fangio appear engaged with the offense was comical. He’s not. Everyone knows it. Stop trying so hard to change that acutely accurate perception.

Follow @jamesmerilatt