Fangio Believes Broncos Are a Better Team This Year, Can 'Compensate' for Loss of Von Miller

The Broncos dealt with the loss of one premier edge rusher last year but Vic Fangio believes his squad is in even better position to adjust this year.

The Denver Broncos spent the better part of Thursday reeling from the realization that Von Miller is likely to miss the 2020 season after tearing a ligament in his ankle in practice. The injury happened on Wednesday and early the next day, head coach Vic Fangio called a team meeting to get out in front of what losing Miller will mean for the Broncos. 

It's a crappy development no matter which way you dice it, however, it's Coach Fangio's considered opinion that after seeing how his team responded to the loss of Bradley Chubb last year, the 2020 squad is in a more fortuitous position to compensate for Miller going down this year. 

“Anytime you lose anybody, you’re disappointed," Fangio on Thursday. "But we will move on and we will make it work. We lost Bradley last year, an equal player at the same position, and we played our best football after that. That’s not because we didn’t have Bradley. We just kept developing as a team and we compensated for it. We have a better team this year overall, so I expect us to still be a good team without Von.”

Some might pick a bone with Fangio for qualifying Chubb as an "equal player" to Miller but based on what each player means to the scheme, in his mind, it's true. Both players are premier edge rushers who demand the game-planning attention of opponents. 

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Fangio's other premise — that the Broncos are a better team in 2020 than they were last year — holds water on its face. The Broncos managed to win seven games in 2019 despite a dearth of talent and a revolving door at quarterback. 

Drew Lock entered the equation in Week 13, and at that point, fans began to catch the vision of what the Broncos would become in the very near future. Since the 2019 campaign ended, the Broncos have upgraded multiple positions, including the defensive line, cornerback, wide receiver, running back, tight end, and offensive line. 

About the only place one could argue the Broncos either stayed static or got worse is at offensive tackle and inside linebacker. Otherwise, GM John Elway did a great job of using the team's assets to truly improve the roster. 

With Miller going down, the 2020 season becomes even more about Lock. Thus, Elway's mission to build the nest around Lock this past offseason suddenly takes on a prescient hue. 

One of the keys to managing the loss of Miller will be ensuring that it doesn't affect the team's handling of Chubb, who is himself still working back from a torn ACL suffered in Week 4 of last year. The Broncos have to suppress the urge to rush Chubb out onto the field and that's something Fangio has already addressed with the player. 

Losing Miller will not affect the Broncos' plan for Chubb in Week 1 with the Tennessee Titans coming to town. 

“Absolutely not," Fangio said of Chubb. "I told him that today already.”

The Broncos are expected to sign a veteran pass rusher while Miller gets his second opinion on Thursday. The best-case scenario for Miller's injury would be a three-month timetable to return. At 31, more likely, he's out for the entire season. 

With Monday night's season-opener barreling down, the Broncos will soon put the chips down. Fangio and company will simply have to find ways to win without Miller and as Lock himself said on Thursday, each player will have to dig a little deeper to make "one more play" each game. 

That starts on Monday night in front of a nationally televised audience. If Lock is who the team brass think he is, the Broncos will roll with the punches with aplomb. 

Let the Lock era in Denver begin. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.