Vic Fangio on NFL Rescheduling Broncos' Season Amid Outbreak: 'We’re All in This Together'

Vic Fangio, naturally, was none-too-pleased by the NFL's tectonic rescheduling of the Broncos' Week 5 game and remaining schedule. But the head coach still espoused an optimistic outlook on the season.

The Denver Broncos practiced all week long in preparation of taking on the New England Patriots — only to have the NFL reschedule, cancel, then reschedule the game finally. Instead of facing the Patriots in Week 5 on Monday night, the Broncos were informed by the NFL that this past week will serve as the team's bye while the New England game will be re-slotted for Week 6. 

Week 6's originally-scheduled game at home vs. the Miami Dolphins? Rescheduled for Week 11. Well, what about Week 11's originally-scheduled home game vs. the Los Angeles Chargers? That's where the kick in the groin really comes into effect for the Broncos. 

The NFL wiped the Broncos' Week 8 bye off the schedule, replacing it with the Chargers game at Empower Field at Mile High. In essence, the Broncos were robbed of a bye week and not because of anything Vic Fangio or his players did wrong. 

Nevertheless, Coach Fangio still maintained an optimistic outlook and a one-for-all/all-for-one philosophy on the NFL season moving forward, despite the use of some strong language.  

“In a weird way, I’m kind of happy to see some of this stuff happen because you see who the whiners are, who the bitchers are, and who can’t handle adversity,’’ Fangio said on Sunday shortly after the news of the NFL's tectonic rescheduling of the Broncos' season broke. “I’m going to try hard that the Denver Broncos don’t fall into any of those categories.”

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The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Patriots' owner Robert Kraft has often found himself in the crosshairs of the NFL front office over the years, usually due to the rule-breaking shenanigans of head coach Bill Belichick. 

Ain’t no way we practiced all week and they canceled our game

— F L ⚡️ S H (@Melvingordon25) October 11, 2020

Although the Patriots have been sanctioned and punished by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at different times over the past 20 years, the relationship between Kraft and the league front office would seem to be on solid ground still. 

The coronavirus is no respecter of persons and contracting it can be an arbitrary affair. But one can mitigate one's risk of contracting the virus by honoring and following the NFL's new COVID-19 protocols to a 'T'. Just like the Broncos have done. 

The Patriots, obviously, have not been as disciplined as the Broncos, hence the outbreak in New England's ranks. And yet, it's the Broncos who are essentially getting punished for the sins of the Patriots. 

“All of this stuff is going to seem unfair when you’re initially hit with it," Fangio said. "We’ve prepared for a game and the game first got moved for one day but now it’s getting moved totally. So, yeah it’s going to seem unfair and you’re going to ask, ‘Why are we doing this?’ My message to them [locker room] and to anybody is that we were inconvenienced by this—but it easily could have been turned around where we had the positive test and the Patriots were inconvenienced by it."

It wasn't Fangio's team that let the bug into its building. It was their opponent and yet, that same opponent is getting coddled by the NFL front office. Perhaps Fangio's optimistic outlook is the appropriate one, though, as the bug is unbiased and anyone can catch it. Such adversity can bring out the best in a competitor and expose those 'whiners' looking for an excuse to complain or an easy out. 

“I’m really happy it’s happening for our team," Fangio told his coaches on Sunday according to Peter King. "It identifies the whiners—who are the whiners. Who can’t handle adversity? Who gets hijacked by inconveniences? We don’t want those guys. We want people who deal with this without the whining, who take this inconvenience as an opportunity to get better.”

The Broncos have done the right thing, making the necessary sacrifices to keep the virus out of their building, and yet, they're still getting lashed by the NFL. All Fangio and company do is bear down and keep their shoulder to the 2020 wheel. 

"I’m happy that the positive tests weren’t in our building but I’m under no illusion that at some point we might have a positive test or two and be the cause of a game getting moved down the road," Fangio said. "We’re all in this together. The entire league is. We compete like hell on Sundays to beat each other but ultimately we’re all in on this thing together. It doesn’t matter who’s at fault or who has the positive tests, we all just have to deal with it.”

Adding insult to injury is the bitter reality that the Broncos have been inordinately affected by the pandemic. No team has been as decimated by injuries as the Broncos — this team really needed its bye. 

Now, the Broncos are being told that that full week of practice was their bye. Tell that to rookie running back LeVante Bellamy, who suffered a knee injury during practice last week that landed him on injured reserve. Cold comfort. 

Injuries at an all time high and our bye week was burned up with practices. https://t.co/4Z11ZBTi2D

— Justin Simmons (@jsimms1119) October 11, 2020

Of all the teams that really needed that full week of rest and recovery that a traditional bye offers, it was the Broncos. Bye-bye, Bye Week. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.