The fatal flaw in De’Vante Bausby’s game are his tackling woes. And that flaw is the reason the Denver Broncos cornerback rode the pine in the second half of Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, head coach Vic Fangio bluntly revealed.
Fangio deemed Bausby’s play so poor, the fourth-year pro was sat in favor of undrafted rookie Parnell Motley, who joined the Broncos less than two weeks ago.
He didn’t mince words — nor actions.
“I didn’t like the way Bausby was tackling, or not tackling. I took him out earlier in the game, he begged for another chance, I gave it to him, and then he totally flagged on another tackle in the second half. So, the chance went out,” Fangio said after the 19-16 defeat. “I thought [Parnell] Motley came in and competed—he again played too soft there on the last drive. But for the amount of preparation he had and for where he’s at in his career and just being here a couple days, I thought he went in there and competed and tried his best.”
Perhaps there’s something to Denver’s apparent reticence concerning Bausby, whose 2020 journey included a stint on the practice squad and a cup of coffee with the Arizona Cardinals, after the Broncos initially felt he was replaceable. He doesn’t shine on special teams, which is damaging enough for a bottom-of-the-roster player, but tackling — a “non-negotiable” requirement to Fangio — is shaping up as the final nail in his orange-and-blue coffin.
It speaks volumes that Bausby can’t stay on the field for a Denver secondary missing its top four CBs (AJ Bouye, Bryce Callahan, Essang Bassey, Duke Dawson).
But the tape doesn’t lie; Bausby displayed an inability or unwillingness in multiple tackle opportunities while getting picked on in coverage by Chargers rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. He finished with three solo stops prior to his removal.
Motley made two solo tackles across 15 defensive snaps and generally held his own as the Broncos nearly mounted a second-half comeback victory. The former Buccaneer and 49er should parlay his brief debut into an increased role in Sunday’s regular-season finale versus Las Vegas.
Unsigned beyond 2020, perhaps intentionally, Bausby may have taken his final meaningful snap in a Broncos uniform, meanwhile.
Follow Zack on Twitter @KelbermanNFL and @MileHighHuddle
