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Eagles Defense Shows Difference To True Title Contenders
Eagles Defense Shows Difference To True Title Contenders originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has been around the NFL for a long time.
As a former head coach of the Denver Broncos and defensive coordinator for multiple teams, he has seen changes in the way the game is played, and the way athletes react to certain levels of coaching.
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Sometimes, those changes don't exactly fit with his style.
Take his lone season with the Miami Dolphins as an example. Fangio was brought in to assist a very talented defensive room with All-Pro guys at each level.
But …
Despite some statistical success, his tenure only lasted a single season with many Dolphin players chastising the coach for his "old school" ways of coaching.
Things changed drastically once he was hired by the Eagles last offseason. Instead of having veterans blinded by egos, Fangio joined a defense that was only interested in getting better.
That is exactly what happened, too. And Philadelphia's players, unlike several stars in Miami, have nothing but great things to say about their coach.
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"Whatever was said in Miami, that's their locker room. Our locker room is completely different," starting safety Reed Blankenship said. "We've got guys that liked to be coached and like to be held accountable and obviously that shows on the field. We're a young group, but we understand if we want to win the big things we've got to be coached hard."
Blankenship's comments shouldn't be overlooked. During his time in Miami, Fangio joined a defense with already established stars. His way of coaching and teaching didn't jive with players who did things a certain way to a level of success.
In Philly, they have fielded one of the youngest defensive groups in the league over the last two seasons. They needed that hard coaching.
And along the way, they caught a level of excellence with Fangio that many of Miami's stars could only dream of.
Related: Eagles Running Game Plan Takes New Shape In Roster Move
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
