Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco was sacked six times during Sunday’s 27-16 loss to the Packers. Many fans in Denver took to Twitter to lament the state of the team’s offensive line but coach Vic Fangio saw things differently.
“There was definitely a few of those where he [Flacco] held onto it for a long time,” Fangio said after the game. “There’s only so much time you can hold it back there, and Joe’s got to do a better job of getting it out quicker.
“The routes have to be run crisper. Everything’s got to be better — it’s not just that he’s holding it. Maybe he’s holding it for other reasons, too. I thought our line, for how many passes we ended up throwing, blocked pretty good.”
Flacco has completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 773 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions through three games. He has also been sacked 11 times.
Fangio reiterated Monday that the blame should not fall squarely on the offensive line for those sacks.
“We’ve had had a fair amount of sacks, but I don’t think it’s indicative of the way our offensive line has been playing,” the coach said. “Some sacks are caused by routes not being cleanly run or the defense jamming up a route.
“Each and every one has its own story, but overall I think the offensive line has not been perfect, but has done a pretty decent job.”
Up next for Denver is a home game against the Jaguars. Jacksonville’s defense has totaled 13 sacks this year, tied for most in the NFL.
