Thread: Broncos Gameday Thread: Broncos vs Titans 09/14/20

As I understand it the Broncos didn't end their analytics department, they fired/parted ways with the head of it, while the department still exists. As far as I know, Broncos were one of only a handful of clubs that were using analytics in real time for play calling decisions. All clubs, including the Broncos still, using variety of analytics in scouting and other functions (many don't have internal departments, but use outside companies), but that's far different than being involved in game calling.

The timeout situation had nothing to do with firing the head of analytics, since all of us and the announcers knew timeouts needed to be called. If anything contributed to the issue, it was Fangio calling plays and being head coach and in charge of time outs.

This analytics things is much ado about nothing and has zero to do with the ownership situation.

Originally Posted by Buff

I am just applying some common sense here. We have a 60-something old school defensive coach and therefore could probably benefit from a forward-thinking, innovative, analytics dept more than the average team...

He has one. Am I missing something? Was it reported that they shut down the whole department? That's not what happened in Feb when they parted ways with one guy.

Then after the game Fangio basically confirmed they don't have anyone helping them make on-the-fly decisions during the game.

So it stands to reason that firing the analytics guy and not replacing him was a bad decision.

Most teams don't have anyone and that's what the head coach with decades, or half a century, of NFL experience does on the sideline. He blew it, plain and simple.

Are we really saying that before analytics became all the rage over the last five years or so (in the NFL), that not calling TOs there would have been the norm?

Anyone here Watch football in the 80s, 90s, or 00s? Did head coaches need someone to tell them to use their timeouts to conserve time at the end of the half/game?