Dropped passes plague the Broncos during day five of training camp
Jul 22, 2019, 3:43 PM
Pick a name, any name, and they probably dropped a pass at practice on Monday.
A starting wide receiver? Yep, Courtland Sutton had one slip through his fingers.
A wideout down the depth chart trying to make a name for himself? Sure enough, Fred Brown had an opportunity bounce off his hands.
A tight end? Noah Fant got in on the action.
A back? No doubt, as Andy Janovich got in on the action.
The list went on and on. It would probably be easier to outline the list of players who didn’t drop a pass one day five of training camp.
It seemed as though every drill featured footballs hitting the ground. And it repeatedly stalled the offense as they tried to put together a drive during a two-minute drive and other situations.
At some point, it became laughable. Those watching couldn’t help but guffaw in amazement when another throw ricocheted off of the intended target.
Of course, those on the field weren’t chuckling. Joe Flacco was visibly frustrated, as the quarterback couldn’t get anything going because of the drops. And clearly, the coaching staff couldn’t have been happy.
“Not yet,” Vic Fangio said after practice when asked if he was concerned about all the drops.
His words said one thing. His demeanor said another. Through the first four days of camp, Fangio offered lengthy answers to questions. His short, curt response to this one spoke volumes.
And his solution to the problem also suggested he didn’t like what he saw.
“Just keep catching balls from the quarterbacks and the jugs machine and stay focused and not be worried about getting hit,” Fangio said. “Just all the little things.”
In other words, there isn’t a grand solution. There’s no magic wand.
It’s about attention to detail. It’s about staying mentally focused.
On Monday, which was the only time during training camp when the Broncos would be practicing for a fifth-straight day, that was lacking. And it made for a messy, ineffective practice.
