Fangio should take cue from Bridgewater and pull the thumb
Oct 17, 2021, 10:18 PM | Updated: Oct 18, 2021, 6:35 am
When you get a chance, take note of how Teddy Bridgewater starts off his press conferences.
The Denver Broncos quarterback usually makes an opening statement, often a quick summation of the day’s events — and often with a positive spin.
After Sunday’s embarrassing 34-24 loss at home to the Las Vegas Raiders, there wasn’t much positivity to spin.
But a battered and bruised Bridgewater, showing the effects of being roughed up by the Raiders all game, did something all of Broncos Country should find impressive.
Before any media member had a chance to ask a question during his postgame press conference, Bridgewater put the loss Sunday squarely on his shoulders.
“I always tell the guys that when you win, you point the finger at your teammates, and when you lose, you’re pointing the thumb at yourself,” Bridgewater said. “Today was one of those days where I’m definitely pointing the thumb at myself. I take accountability, responsibility for just a lot of things that went wrong, whether it was turnovers — we could have been better in many areas.”
Sure, it’s a common sentiment around the NFL, but Bridgewater’s accountability is refreshing, especially in the wake of his head coach’s lack thereof.
Vic Fangio, after the game, on what happened in the loss:
“We didn’t play well enough, obviously. I think it came down to the deep balls on both sides of the ball. We had our chances to make some, particularly in the first half, and then we didn’t. We came close. When they had their chances to make them, they made them. We’ll work hard to get that rectified.”
We didn’t play well. We had our chances. We’ll work hard.
In that answer, and throughout Fangio’s postgame remarks, you find a lot of “we” and not a lot of self-reflection on the part of the Broncos head coach.
Yes, Bridgewater didn’t have the best day Sunday. And is he the future for the Broncos? Who knows?
But he was far from the reason the Broncos got stomped at home … to their rival … whose head coach was fired mid-week … and who promoted an interim coach with literally zero head coaching experience.
When you lose to a team like that, it’s on the head coach. But the first thing out of Bridgewater’s mouth after the game was accountability.
I’m pointing the thumb at myself. I take accountability.
Who knows how long Fangio will be in a position to “pull the thumb” as the Broncos head coach, but as long as he’s still got a job, maybe he should take some cues from his starting quarterback.
