A narrow definition of the Broncos’ season claimed its first victim Monday with the team mutually parting ways with coach John Fox.
General manager John Elway assembled a roster with a singular goal of winning the Super Bowl. After the Broncos’ second divisional round playoff exit in three years, both times as a heavy favorite at home, Elway met with Fox on Monday afternoon and the parties decided it was best to part ways.
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The move, while speculated on in the media after the Colts’ 24-13 smothering of the Broncos on Sunday, caught Broncos players by surprise. It came two hours after they cleaned out their lockers at Dove Valley. Fox, still uncertain about his future, had told the players during a team meeting to be ready for offseason workouts. Fox exited the Dove Valley parking lot at 6:15 p.m.
“Cold World,” tweeted receiver Demaryius Thomas.
“Damn,” said defensive tackle Terrance Knighton on social media.
Fox guided the Broncos to four consecutive AFC West titles, and an NFL record-tying 12 consecutive divisional road victories. Players respected Fox and said they enjoyed playing for him. However, the Broncos failed to deliver in their biggest games over the past three seasons, rarely playing well or winning games they weren’t expected to. After a sobering 43-8 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in last year’s Super Bowl, the Broncos were thumped at New England 43-21 on Nov. 2, a loss that cost them homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, and they proved an easy mark for the visiting Colts on Sunday.
“Part of this is on us players. We didn’t perform for him the way we should have,” running back C.J. Anderson said.
Twitter became an echo chamber of the Broncos who weighed in on Fox’s departure.
“Wow..” said Broncos weakside linebacker Brandon Marshall, who played through a sprained left foot Sunday that will require rest and rehab in the coming weeks.
“Wow…” tweeted Broncos kick returner Omar Bolden.
“(Damn),” wrote Knighton, one of the team’s 12 free agents.
“Sad to see coach Fox go. He was a great coach,” offensive lineman Ben Garland said. “I’m glad I got a chance to play for him.”
It’s unclear how Fox’s exit will affect 38-year-old quarterback Peyton Manning, who would not commit to returning next season after Sunday’s loss despite saying he would on Dec. 24. The landscape has since changed. The quarterback was not present during media availability on Monday.
Linebacker Von Miller expressed confidence in coach Fox on Sunday night, insisting that the season should not be viewed through the prism of the final game.
“There’s a lot of stuff that we have to get better at. I am still comfortable in the team we have, in the team we will have, in the front office with John Elway and coach Fox. They created this for us. I am confident we will get better. I don’t believe this game will define this season and this team,” Miller said.
Monday’s fallout suggests that, at least in part, it did just that.
Troy E. Renck: trenck@denverpost.com or
