Fangio Erred on Side of Caution Again When it Came to RT Ja'Wuan James not Suiting up in Week 7
When right tackle Ja'Wuan James was announced as a gameday inactive in the Denver Broncos' Week 6 bout with Tennessee, reports emerged that the team expected him to be good to go in time for Week 7.
However, due to the short turnaround of playing the Titans on Sunday and the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, the Broncos' practice schedule was severely curtailed. James was once again inactive in Week 7, his sixth-straight missed game.
The Broncos badly needed James, as the offensive line relinquished eight sacks on Joe Flacco vs. the Chiefs. Not all of the sacks can be placed on the O-line, but there was no question — the Broncos' tackles, in particular, were atrocious and the primary culprits.
On Friday, following the Broncos' 30-6 loss to the Chiefs, head coach Vic Fangio explained why James ultimately didn't suit up on Thursday and with 10 days off before the team has to travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts, what the near future holds.
“Ja’Wuan, if we had had a normal week, probably could have played last night, but he didn’t feel comfortable nor did I of putting him out there without practice time," Fangio said. "He hadn’t had enough quality practice time and he’d been out six weeks."
So, it wasn't that he was physically unable to go but rather, a matter of James being a little rusty? Okay.
I get that he only played 10 snaps in Week 1 before succumbing to a knee sprain. I get that it's been a while since he's actually practiced in full. But, as the clear beggars that they are, the Broncos can't exactly afford to be choosers.
"I think it’s always a coach’s duty to not put a player out there that’s not ready," Fangio said. "He’s cleared medically, but there’s another part of the equation when it comes to recovery and rehab. I don’t think he had completed that part yet.”
Fangio showed once again that he errs on the ultra-conservative side of caution when it comes to injuries. Some coaches are more prone to push an injured player out onto the field, even when a guy might not quite be 100%, especially when it's a difference-maker. I would argue the majority of NFL coaches approach the management of injured players that way.
Not Fangio. We've seen with multiple injured Broncos this year that unless the player is fully recovered and confident, Fangio is reluctant to play them. It's admirable.
But as we saw with Kareem Jackson in Week 4, and Ja'Wuan James in Week 7, it can come at a significant cost to the team. The Broncos aren't good enough, or deep enough, to get by without their best players. I mean, how many players who will start in Week 7 across the NFL are truly 100%, whether from a health perspective?
And when it comes to being rusty, James has been a limited participant in practice for two-plus weeks now. It's not like he's just been kicking back in the tub. It's hard to believe he would be so uncomfortable that James would be shut down to play a massive Division game despite being fully cleared medically, even on a short week.
Jackson is an obvious difference-maker when he's on the field and considering the $51 million contract the Broncos gave James this past spring, we have to assume that he is, too. Here's to hoping the ensuing 10 days between Weeks 7 and 8 will give James ample opportunity to practice and get 'comfortable' enough to play.
The Broncos are going to need their $51M right tackle when Drew Lock finally gets activated and rolled out onto the field.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
