Fangio Reveals Reason he Skipped Post-Game Salutations With Jets, Ushering Broncos Straight to Locker Room

Vic Fangio did not allow his team to do the traditional post-game mid-field salutations, skipping the handshake with Adam Gase as he ushered the Broncos straight to the locker room.

The Denver Broncos found a way to win at MetLife Stadium on Thursday Night Football, overcoming three turnovers and fourth-quarter deficit to emerge on top 37-28. Toward the end of the game, the New York Jets got a little chippy with the Broncos in the final two offensive possessions, which came on the heels of several personal fouls from defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' unit. 

After the game, instead of the traditional mid-field pleasantries and handshake with the opposing head coach, in this case, Adam Gase, Vic Fangio ushered the Broncos straight to the locker room with alacrity. 

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We saw Fangio willfully trying to pull left tackle Garett Bolles away from the jawing Jets and waving his players straight into the locker room. It was unclear if Fangio was skipping the post-game salutations simply because of COVID-19 protocols or if it was in response to something the Jets had done. 

We got our answer from Fangio following the game. 

“There were a couple personal fouls and our sideline was getting pissed off," Fangio said via 9NEWS' Mike Klis. "I just wanted to avoid any confrontation and have it get ugly. I tried to get our guys to leave quickly to avoid anything happening.''

There's also the issue of Gase's bad blood with the Broncos, and specifically, GM John Elway. Gase's version of how the Broncos strung him along after John Fox's departure, which he claims cost him a head-coaching gig in 2015, has been disputed elsewhere but Gary Kubiak got the job and Gase had to settle for a coordinator gig under Fox in Chicago. 

Since then, Gase has always coached against the Broncos with a little extra juice and intensity and perhaps that showed on Thursday night, though it was in defeat this time. 

The Jets move to 0-4 while the Broncos finally posted a win in the standings. At 1-3, the Broncos now get a mini-bye as 10 days will transpire between now and the team's Week 5 trip to face the New England Patriots. 

“That was a tough game to finish," Fangio said post-game. "We had to go out there and stop them twice at the end of the game there on defense, once where they go for it on fourth down, which they obviously will, so it’s hard to get that at the end of a game because you have to go four and out. He’s [Jets QB Sam Darnold] a really good quarterback and a great runner so I’m really proud of the defense there. And then just a really great individual run by [RB] Melvin [Gordon III], who I think is a top back and is going to continue to get better and better for us. We love that we have him.”

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.