Kareem Jackson Details how Broncos Defense can Take Next Step in Year 2 of Fangio

Are the Broncos about to take their defense to the next level under Vic Fangio? Kareem Jackson weighed in.

After the Denver Broncos hired Vic Fangio to be the 17th head coach in team history, fans expected the defense, which had floundered somewhat under Vance Joseph's two-year reign, to return to championship-caliber form. After all, Fangio may have been a first-time head coach, but as a decades-long veteran coach of the NFL, he was one of the most respected defensive coordinators of the modern era. 

Jim Harbaugh, Fangio's boss in San Francisco from 2011-14, views Fangio as one of the greats all-time. 

“I think he’s one of the all-time best defensive coordinators in the history of the league,’’ Harbaugh said upon arriving San Francisco. “I think that’s who he is. I think that’s what his legacy will be someday."

When the Broncos limped out to an 0-4 start out of the gates, going the first three weeks without posting a single sack or takeaway, alarm bells began to sing in the fanbase. Although Fangio's defense would eventually galvanize, the Broncos fell short of meeting the expectations defensively that came with the head-coaching hire. 

It didn't help that rush LB Bradley Chubb tore his ACL in Week 4 and was lost for the season, or that prized free-agent CB Bryce Callahan never saw the field in 2019. Von Miller producing his career-low season also came at an extremely inconvenient time if we're being honest. 

Fangio tweaked the starting lineup throughout the season, sometimes due to the injury bug, but the Broncos' defense took a modest leap forward from Week 5 on when the coach decided to bench LB Josey Jewell and DL Adam Gotsis, replacing them with Alexander Johnson and Mike Purcell, respectively. 

Shelby Harris, who'd started the first four games at nose tackle, was kicked out to his more natural position at 5-tech defensive end, which allowed the hefty Purcell to play the nose. Johnson's impact on the defense was immediate, as he wrecked the L.A. Chargers' game-plan on the road in Week 5, helping Fangio get his first career win as a head coach. Johnson would never relinquish his starting job. 

It also didn't help that Kareem Jackson, who'd just signed a three-year, $33 million deal in the spring, was asked to permanently transition from cornerback to strong safety. Jackson had played some safety in Houston but doing so full-time and in Fangio's scheme required something of an acclimation process. 

When things finally clicked for Jackson, they clicked in a big way. He played at a Pro Bowl level from Week 6 on, despite missing the final two games of the season due to a suspension for DUI. Denver finished with momentum as a team and as a defense, which could be a harbinger for 2020. 

In a virtual press conference in early May, Jackson detailed what the Broncos must do to take Fangio's defense to the next level this coming season and why he's optimistic it'll happen. 

“First and foremost, I always think tackling can get better," Jackson said on May 5. "Execution-wise, if you go back and look at some of the games and some of the close games that we lost, it might have been one or two plays here and there. You think about that Minnesota game when the second half defensively we just completely just lost our minds, so always execution, tackling, everybody just kind of on and in and paying attention to the little details and us all being on the same page secondary-wise."

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There were a few games in which Fangio's detail-oriented approach did not come out in the wash in critical situations. Against the Bears in Week 2, the Jaguars in Week 4, the Colts in Week 7, and, as Jackson mentioned, against the Vikings in Week 11, the Broncos buckled under the strain of the clutch. Three of those games came down to the Broncos defending a lead on the final possession, if they could get one stop. 

"I feel as though we had a decent year in out first year in Coach Fangio’s defense, but it’s all about taking that next step," Jackson said. "That’s what I’m looking forward to with the guys that we have. I think we have the right group so it’s up to us to go out and put the work in.”

All told, the Broncos finished as the No. 12 defense in total yards but cracked the top-10 in scoring. Allowing 19.8 points per game, Fangio's defense finished 10th in scoring. 

What really saved Fangio's bacon was the Broncos' performance in the red zone. Exemplifying the bend-don't-break ethos defensively, the Broncos did allow opponents to move the ball between the 20s but in the red zone, no defense was stiffer than Fangio's. 

The Broncos finished ranked No. 1 in red-zone defense, allowing only 39.1% of opponents' possessions inside the 20-yard line to be converted into touchdowns. Scoring and red zone defense — those were the only two statistical categories in which the Broncos finished top-10 in 2019. 

A careful analysis of Fangio's most recent NFL stop reveals that it might take some time for his complex defense to get up to speed. In Fangio's first year in Chicago, the Bears finished No. 16 in total defense. The next year, Chicago improved by one position in total defense getting to a No. 15 ranking. 

In 2017, the Bears jumped to No. 10 in total defense and the next year, Fangio's unit made the jump all the way to No. 1, restoring the Monsters of the Midway and leading to a Division crown and playoff berth. Each year, Chicago made modest improvements defensively under Fangio while the personnel was acquired over time to fit the scheme. 

It all came together in 2018, however, with the Bears leading the NFL in almost every major statistical category including scoring defense (17.7 ppg), rushing (80.0 ypg), yards per play (4.8), takeaways (35), interceptions (27), and three-and-outs (26.8%), while finishing third in sacks (50). 

Whether the Broncos can microwave the results Fangio got in Chicago and take the next step defensively in Year 2, remains to be seen. But with a full year in the scheme for several key players, including Jackson, plus the arrival of a few hand-picked Fangio guys like DL Jurrell Casey, CB A.J. Bouye, and 2020 draftees CB Michael Ojemudia, DL McTelvin Agim, and LB Justin Strnad, I like the Broncos' chances. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.