Philly Leader

We are still getting to know Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio in every way—what he believes in as a defensive guru, what he likes in his players, how he plans to play the Eagles in this 2024 season, and what nearly 40 years coaching in the NFL ranks, including 25 seasons as a coordinator, has taught him.

He is not one to leap to any conclusions. He isn't prone to blowing smoke in any player's direction, and if that has earned him the label of "old school" or "curmudgeon," well, maybe that's just not fair. Fangio calls it like he sees it. He's demanding. He's fair. And when he is asked a question by a reporter, he answers it honestly and thoughtfully.

Fangio spent time with the Eagles as a consultant as they prepared for the Super Bowl and might have been hired as the team's coordinator for 2023 had the timing been more defined when Jonathan Gannon departed after Super Bowl LVII and went to Arizona as head coach. Fangio was Miami's defensive coordinator in 2023 and worked wonders with a defense that was plagued by injury—Miami ranked 10th in the NFL in overall defense, racked up a franchise-record 56 quarterback sacks (third in the NFL), and tallied four scores.

So now he's here and the Eagles are glad for it. The defense is very much a work in progress and Fangio is still learning what his players can and cannot do while the players are learning how they will be utilized this season.

The guy is very interesting. Every time he speaks it's a lesson in Fangiology. For example, on Sunday, he had comments that offered insight into how he thinks and what he believes in.

Example 1: When talking about the "nickel" position and the "cornerback" position, Fangio made it clear that they are different positions requiring different skill sets.

"It's universal," Fangio said when asked about No. 1 draft pick Quinyon Mitchell and his role either at nickel or outside cornerback. "Nickel essentially is really a linebacker position... So essentially when you pare it down, he's playing linebacker-type zones more involved at the run than a corner is."

Example 2: How much will Fangio blitz? Eagles fans were critical of Gannon even during a successful season until late stages of Super Bowl LVII.

Few teams blitz extensively; most rely on pressure from four-down linemen while keeping seven defenders back. Blitzing carries risk—it can lead to big plays for either side depending on its success.

"Basically, you want to blitz when you want to and you think it's appropriate... So that's the answer," said Fangio. "We'll have games where we hardly do it... based on who we are personnel-wise [and] scheme we're going against."

There is much complexity to Fangio's approach to winning on defense which will continue unfolding over coming weeks as more about his methods becomes apparent.

The Eagles had an encouraging first game against Baltimore with many starters gaining initial experience before reserves took over successfully against Baltimore's reserves.

This week offers further evaluation opportunities during practice at New England ahead of Tuesday’s crucial day for both coaching staff and players alike—Fangio aims toward creating something special step-by-step through imparted wisdom.