It has been quite the trying season for the Broncos.
On the field, Denver (5-10) has been unable to muster up the consistency to be a playoff-contending team. But off the field, the Broncos have dealt with far more than they likely wanted to.
Aside from the challenges of COVID-19 that Denver faced along with the rest of the NFL, the Broncos were also dealt their own hand of challenges. And it started with a season-ending injury to Von Miller before the season was underway.
“One of the most disappointing things of this season was when he went down,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said.
Miller was not the only major injury suffered in the earlygoing. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton was deemed out for the season after his one appearance in Week 2 against the Steelers. The Broncos were battered and bruised before they had a chance to take that next step.
Like the rest of the league, Denver dealt with an ample amount of weekly injuries. From quarterback Drew Lock to tight end Jake Butt, the Broncos had their fair share of injuries.
But the season took an odd turn in a late November game when the Broncos were left without a quarterback heading into a matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Denver’s rostered QBs had all been placed on the COVID-19 list, giving Fangio no choice but to start a practice squad player, who had not played quarterback since college — Kendall Hinton — against one of the better teams in the league.
Hinton completed 1-of-9 passes for 13 yards, throwing two interceptions in the process.
Denver’s challenging season comes to an end Sunday. But for Fangio, the biggest challenge of them all was the lack of normalcy in coaching a professional football team.
“I miss the day to day interaction with the players and the staff,” Fangio said. “Even when we meet as a staff in here, everybody’s in their office and on Zoom. But unquestionably the day-to-day interaction with the players, not meeting with them physically and having those teaching moments in person has been the toughest part.”
