Broncos Head Coach Vic Fangio (Conference Call with New York Media)
September 8, 2021
Q: Do you buy this, ‘is (Running Back) Saquon (Barkley) playing or is he not?’ Or are you just preparing for this guy to be full-go because you have to be?
A: Yeah, he’s obviously eligible to play. He’s on the roster. We’re under the assumption that he will play and until we know otherwise, that’s the assumption we’ll take. He’s a hell of a player obviously and I’m sure they’ll play him if he’s ready to go.
Q: What’s most unique about him as a runner and as a player?
A: Well, he’s dual threat back in that he’s really good on the handoffs and he’s a good receiver, both coming out of the backfield and when they split him out from the backfield. For a big guy, he runs with a nimbleness of a much smaller guy, but yet you feel his 230-plus pounds too in his running style. He’s a big guy that runs with a style at times of a much smaller guy. When you put that into a big man’s body that he has, it makes it double tough.
Q: (Head Coach) Joe (Judge) said today about (Broncos Outside Linebacker) Von Miller that it’s good for football that he’s back. Would you say the same for Saquon?
A: Yeah, I mean I never like to see any player, great player or backup player, be hurt. Obviously, the marquee players in the league, which Barkley’s obviously one of those, it’s good for the NFL that he’s back.
Q: What has (Broncos Offensive Coordinator) Pat Shurmur meant to your staff?
A: Pat’s done a good job here with us. He came in last year under tough circumstances once the pandemic hit and it made it hard to install the offense with no offseason, limited meetings, limited training camp, but I thought we improved as the season went on last year and I like where we’re at offensively now. Pat’s brought a good system. He’s got a good offensive staff with him and we’re in much better shape right now than we were last year.
Q: How much do you rely on Pat when you look at (Quarterback) Daniel Jones? Obviously, he had a good relationship or a strong relationship with him.
A: Not too much. Obviously, knowing that this is our first game since early May or whenever they announced the schedule, there’s obviously talk about him in the office and stuff with his knowledge and also from (Broncos Quarterbacks Coach) Mike Shula, who coached him as a position coach. But nothing out of the ordinary. I mean, the tape shows it.
Q: What does the tape show on him? What do you see when you look at Daniel Jones as a starting quarterback in this league?
A: Well, he’s got a big arm. He’s athletic. He can throw from the pocket. He can improvise with his athleticism and speed and get outside the pocket and hurt you with his running and scrambling. I think he’s a tough guy who will hang in the pocket too, which allows things to come open late. I think he’s got it all for the Giants to have their quarterback.
Q: Do you have any injury concerns heading into this week?
A: Nope, nothing major. (Broncos Outside Linebacker) Bradley Chubb may or may not practice today with an ankle and we’ll see where he’s at once we get out there. That’s about the only thing that’s possibly up in the air.
Q: What do you think Pat Shurmur’s offense or what’s favorable about his offense for a quarterback? Like what makes his offense effective and good for explosive plays and why is it good for your team?
A: Well, we have a good mix of run and play action and we’re not afraid to run the ball and get away from it, so that helps the play action game. That’s always a way you can get some shots and yet, when we do open it up and put the three wides (wideouts) out there, we have a good package there and I think Pat has a good feel for calling the game.
Q: How has Von Miller looked this summer?
A: Good. You know the fortunate thing about his unfortunate injury is that once it healed, there’d be no ill effects or some repercussions moving forward. It was one of those types of injuries that once it healed, it’s as good as new. He’s looked fine. He’s looked normal to me.
Q: Joe Judge called him a unicorn, basically. He’s just so rare and unique. How realistic is it in your eyes for him to come back and be the old, dominant Von right away?
A: I think it’s realistic. It’s going to come down to his conditioning level. These camps the way they are these days, they’re not always in the best of shape. But if he can maintain his conditioning, there’s no reason he can’t get back to the way he was.
Q: Neither one of these teams has been to the playoffs for awhile and getting off to quick starts hasn’t been a norm. How important is getting out of the blocks?
A: It’s important. Particularly in light of what you alluded to for both franchises here playing Sunday, it’s big. It helps the confidence. It helps just the whole atmosphere moving forward. But there’s no doubt that it’s important for both teams.
Q: It sounds like (Broncos Cornerback) Patrick Surtain (II) has lived up to everything and more at the corner position. You have a lot of different options and choices there. I know he hasn’t played a game yet, but how happy are you that he’s a Bronco and why has he won over so many coaches and seems like the entire team already?
A: He’s very talented. He’s got good size. He’s got good football sense. We’ve had to teach him three different positions and he’s accepted that challenge and done well with it, which you try not to do that with a rookie, but his make-up allows him to do that. We’re very, very happy, as you said, to have him.
Q: They say it takes receivers sometimes two or three years to really hit their stride. What have you seen from your young guys, (Broncos Wide Receiver) Jerry Jeudy and (Broncos Wide Receiver) KJ Kamler this summer?
A: Yeah, they’re much further along than where they were last year. Obviously, it was a hard year for rookies to come in and play up to their potential early because of the pandemic and the lost offseason and the restricted training camp. Those two guys were affected by that. KJ also was affected by an injury that kept him in and out of the lineup at a couple of different times. They’re both way further ahead than where they were last year at this time.
Q: What separated (Broncos Quarterback) Teddy Bridgewater for you guys this summer because you have all the weapons? Just curious what made Teddy the better choice over (Broncos Quarterback) Drew Lock?
A: Well, it was a really tough decision. They both had good camps. They both played pretty equally well, and it was a very difficult decision. We just went with Teddy. Just felt it was the right fit at this time to put him in there, but we have great confidence in Drew that if and when he has to go in there, we won’t lose anything.
