Tonight’s Thursday night football game marks the official start of the new NFL campaign. Broncos faithful will be looking for a promising start from rookie head coach Vic Fangio. Former Baltimore Ravens head coach and Super Bowl XXXV Champion Brian Billick is someone who is expecting Fangio to impress in his rookie coaching season.
Billick recently joined Ronnie Kohrt on the Ronnie K show on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 to discuss his outlook on the 2019 Broncos team, Fangio’s potential as a head coach, and the toughest obstacle Fangio will have to overcome this season.
Pundits and fans have varying predictions on whether the Broncos will be a good or bad team, however, Billick leans to the side of success.
“I think they are for sure,” Billick said. “Of course, I’m a huge Vic Fangio fan. He was with me in Baltimore. He’s going to do an outstanding job. I think he’s going to take that defense to a level that maybe they haven’t been for a while. I think picking up Joe Flacco is a good fit for them, so I think they have put together a very good team.”
Billick is very familiar with Fangio as Fangio was on the Baltimore Ravens’ staff as a special assistant to head coach and defensive assistant back in 2006. Although their time together was short, Fangio’s coaching football IQ was evident.
“He’s certainly capable,” Billick said. “His institutional knowledge of the game, where he’s been what he’s done. He will be brilliant as a head coach. Obviously, it still comes down to the players and you got to play well. But in terms of the process, whether it’s practical, whether it’s the games, whether it’s game planning, Vic is as good as anybody out there.”
Fangio will have a tough time navigating the Broncos to wins week in and week out as their strength of schedule ranks second in the NFL. Despite the challenge, Billick’s outlook on Denver as a playoff team is positive.
“[The] Broncos have a chance of being right there in the thick of it in the AFC,” Billick said. “I think the AFC is wide open. They’re going to be challenged a little bit early. Chicago seems to be a team everybody’s interested in, things seem going to be pretty good [with them]. Then they got Aaron Rodgers Green Bay, Jacksonville, obviously with Nick Foles, which I think they’re going to rebound a little bit with that running game and the defense, then they play the Chargers. So, the early part of the schedule is going to be a challenge.”
You can listen to the full interview with Brian Billick here, including what he had to say about Fangio’s time in Baltimore, the outlook on the AFC West, coaching Hall of Famer Ed Reed and more.
Catch Ronnie K on the Ronnie K Show every weekday morning from 7a-8a on Mile High Sports FM 104.7 | AM 1340 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup. Download the all-new free Mile High Sports radio mobile app for Apple or Android.