The Denver Broncos misplaced their season opener towards the Tennessee Titans on Monday by simply two factors. The whole recreation got here right down to a drive by the Titans within the closing minutes, and a Stephen Gostkowski area objective with 17 seconds left gave the Titans a 16-14 win.

Regardless of the Broncos’ meager one-point lead hanging within the stability over the ultimate two minutes of the sport whereas the Titans determinedly drove the ball downfield and ran out the clock, coach Vic Fangio didn’t use a single timeout till there have been simply two seconds left within the recreation. He nonetheless had two timeouts in his pocket when the sport ended.

That’s simply hideous clock administration, plain and easy. However after the sport, Fangio insisted there have been good causes he didn’t use these timeouts.

Oct 13, 2019; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio within the fourth quarter towards the Tennessee Titans at Empower Subject at Mile Excessive. Necessary Credit score: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports activities

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Fangio insists there have been causes

Following the sport, Fangio defended his choice to let the Titans run down the clock within the closing two minutes as a substitute of calling any of his three timeouts.

“It was two-fold. One, their area objective kicker had clearly been having his issues. I didn’t need to prolong the drive so they might get nearer,” Fangio mentioned, through the AP. “No. 2, we’d’ve used the timeout however we acquired the operating again out of bounds. We’d’ve used the second timeout however they threw an incompletion, which might’ve given us one left once we acquired the ball again. That was a part of our pondering there.”

Fangio is technically right, particularly since Gostkowski had missed three area targets and an additional level through the recreation. However the performs he’s speaking about occurred within the closing 30 seconds of the sport, simply earlier than the go-ahead area objective. That ignores the earlier 90 seconds by which the Titans had been lazily operating out the clock. He may have used both of his two timeouts in that span.

Whereas utilizing these timeouts could not have led to a Broncos win, it will have modified the dialog. At the very least we wouldn’t be speaking about how Fangio didn’t use one in every of his most necessary instruments as a coach whereas the opposing staff took its candy time establishing a game-winning area objective. However even utilizing these timeouts can’t change the dialog round this eye-popping stat.

After final night time’s 16-14 loss, the Broncos have now misplaced four video games beneath Vic Fangio the place they held a lead with 30 seconds remaining in regulation.

The Lions are the one different staff for the reason that begin of final season with a number of losses in these conditions (2). pic.twitter.com/KYiN9tIfnA

— ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 15, 2020

Fangio rightly roasted for clock administration

Fangio’s causes for not utilizing his timeouts largely seem to be poor excuses engineered to justify his actually horrible clock administration. Viewers and analysts agreed, and with one mighty voice they roasted Fangio on Twitter till he was burnt to a crisp.

Vic Fangio taking two TO’s to the locker room. Are these price one thing I don’t learn about?

— Randy Mueller (@RandyMueller_) September 15, 2020

Vic Fangio has been on this league for 35 years and that was among the worst clock administration in league historical past. The Broncos depart the sphere with two timeouts remaining, the timeouts he ought to have used when Tennessee was operating down the clock. Sorry however that is inexcusable.

— Cedric Golden (@CedGolden) September 15, 2020

What on the earth is Vic Fangio doing???? Hey GUY, you may’t use them subsequent week

— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) September 15, 2020

Does Fangio know that he’s the pinnacle coach????? Good job FRIEND, you saved all three TO’s for the final :17

Simply absurd

— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) September 15, 2020

Can anybody inform me why Fangio didn’t use these three timeouts? He is aware of they don’t carry over till subsequent gm.

— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) September 15, 2020

Story continues

Many people grew up figuring out methods to handle a clock as a result of we have performed Madden all of our life. I am assured Vic Fangio has by no means heard of Madden

— Kevin Turner (@ktfuntweets) September 15, 2020

Vic Fangio has worse clock administration abilities than pre-2019 Andy Reid.

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 15, 2020

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