Fangio Indirectly Blames Drew Lock for Jerry Jeudy's Week 16 Drops: 'Ball Wasn't Just Right'

Frustration has come in many different guises for fans of the Denver Broncos this season, particularly when it comes to the struggles of the passing offense. So many misfiring parts can only lead to consternation, especially with the Broncos' highly-rated group of receivers consistently running their routes short of the required yardage.

Much of the ire has been directed at starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater for all too frequently checking the ball down to receivers short of the sticks. Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has also been on the end of some heavy criticism for calling plays that lack the objective required to move the chains.

Head coach Vic Fangio addressed some of the fans' discontent about the recurring issues when he spoke on Monday. However, many fans will frankly question why after 15 weeks, the Broncos haven't managed to iron out the issues.

“We need to have a good awareness of where the yards-to-gain to get the first down is, make sure we get it, [and] if we are short of it, we’ve got to fight to go get it after the catch,” Fangio said. “That’s something that the players are very aware of. It’s something we emphasize and obviously, we have to do a little bit better there.”

What happens next on the Broncos? Don’t miss out on any news and analysis! Please take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Can you fathom Fangio blaming Teddy, even indirectly as he did here with Lock, for a receiver dropping passes? No chance.

Scheming past the sticks is crucial. Coaching up receivers to ensure they have the presence of mind to always know where the first-down marker is — that's just as important. But the receivers still need to catch the ball.

Drew Lock's numbers in Las Vegas were pedestrian and the Broncos only scored 13 points as a team but the third-year quarterback saw receivers drop multiple passes once again. The accountability issue (or lack thereof) reared its ugly head on Monday when Fangio seemed to almost blame Lock for receivers like Jerry Jeudy dropping passes while passively admonishing the pass-catchers themselves.

"All three of them weren’t routine catches by any means," Fangio said specifically of Jeudy's drops in Week 16. "There were people there [or] the ball wasn’t just right on their body totally unhindered, but those are the kind of plays you have to make to win a close game. Whether it’s a low-scoring close game or a high-scoring close game, we’ve got to be able to find a way to make those plays.”

When it comes to the third-down issues (Denver went 1-of-10 in Vegas), Fangio believes the receivers have to keep their broader objective in mind to keep the offense rolling. The coach is looking for a bit more physical effort and awareness when his pass-catchers eye-ball the marker.

It’s been a constant bugbear with Broncos Country all year as the team is among the NFL leaders in throwing short of the sticks on third down — a tendency opponents have divined and used to their advantage. Fangio also appeared to let slip that with Lock in the line-up, the receivers were content to play it safe against the Raiders.

“Drew was not trying to force the ball into coverage past the sticks there if he thinks it’s a little cloudy,” Fangio said. “There’s a lot of things that go into that. I don’t know the stat if there is one that we lead the league in that but obviously, it’s something that we need to be very cognizant of.”

Putting the clampdown on Lock, who fancies himself a 'gunslinger', can only put hesitancy in the back of his mind when it comes to pulling the trigger on a pass. Looking at the bigger picture, playing it safe in the NFL very rarely pays dividends, and when you are paying receivers as handsomely as the Broncos are, fans will be entitled to ask questions of the coach, who must now be dreading his end-of-season meeting with GM George Paton.

Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL.

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!

Add us as a preferred source on Google