Can Sean McVay get past Vic Fangio and the Eagles defense?
Since Sean McVay took over as the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, his offense has been among the best in the NFL. That was especially the case in 2017 and 2018 when McVay’s offense with the Rams was nearly unstoppable. No team could find consistent success against McVay from a defensive standpoint. That was until one cold December night in Chicago in 2018 when McVay went up against Vic Fangio.
The Rams offense was held to six points as Jared Goff threw four interceptions and Todd Gurley was held to 28 yards rushing. For the first time, McVay’s offense was held in check against Fangio’s 6-1 defensive front. Utilizing the 6-1 look, the Bears took away the wide zone that the Rams’ offense was designed around. With four down linemen, a linebacker off the edge to one side, and the nickel defensive back aligned off the edge to the other, Fangio left McVay spinning.
That same look was deployed two months later when the Rams took on the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Brian Flores and Bill Belichick stole what Fangio implemented earlier in the season and had success. The Rams offense scored three points.
Prior to this season, McVay had struggled against Flores, also losing to him in Miami against the Dolphins, losing 28-17. Goff once again struggled in that game, turning the ball over four times. That was the beginning of the end of Goff and McVay’s partnership.
With Stafford at the helm, McVay finally got over his struggles against Flores. The Rams beat the Vikings twice, 30-20 and then most recently in the playoffs, 27-9. However, Fangio still remains McVay’s kryptonite.
For the first time since that December night in Chicago, the Rams played the Philadelphia Eagles December. Coincidentally, the Eagles defense is now led by Fangio. In that game, the Rams went 0-for-8 on third down and 132 of their 290 total yards came on the first two drives. Had it not been for a garbage time touchdown, the Rams would have been held to 14 points.
After a rough season as the Dolphins defensive coordinator, Fangio took over a talented group with the Eagles that underperformed in 2023. The Eagles defense ranks first in DVOA and second in EPA per play behind the Denver Broncos. They’ve also allowed the fewest total yards per game this season. Since Week 10, they are first in EPA per play by a wide margin. The gap between the Eagles at one and Ravens at two is the same as the Ravens at two and Dolphins at nine. They’ve given up more than 20 points just once in that same timeframe which included allowing 19 to the Ravens in Week 13.
Fangio has once again taken over the NFL defensively. He transformed Zack Baun into an inside linebacker. Baun leads the NFL in stops which is a tackle that has a negative impact on an opponent’s EPA. His two-high, quarters coverage is back. The Eagles use two-deep safeties at the second-highest rate in the NFL. Fangio even brought back the 6-1 front earlier this season against the Saints.
Despite not playing aggressive up front and rushing with four, the Eagles are giving up the fifth-fewest yards per pass attempt. Fangio forces quarterbacks to get the ball out quickly with short passes. He encourages teams to run the ball with lighter boxes, but this year he has a defensive front and linebackers capable of stopping the run.
The way to beat Fangio is with a ‘death by 1,000 cuts’ approach. The Fangio defense is like a boa constrictor. Teams may move the ball easily at first, but as the game wears on, it starts to constrict and by the end, opposing offenses can barely breathe.
.@RamsNFL @Eagles what are a couple of “staples” to a Vic Fangio defense. He starts most plays in a “2 high shell” and then moves at the snap of the ball. Rams know this; how do they attack? #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/98ZxMGwMSw
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) January 16, 2025
It wasn’t always like this with McVay and Fangio. Back in 2014, Washington played the Bears led by Fangio. Washington’s offense was led by McVay. Quarterback Kirk Cousins had 300 yards passing with a 76.7 QBR in a 24-21 win. The two coached against each other again in 2016. McVay’s offense put up 41 points while Cousins had 270 yards and a 94.3 QBR.
That was McVay’s last win against Fangio. Said McVay earlier this season of Fangio,
“What I have a lot of respect for with Coach Fangio is that he has an adaptability of flexibility and an identity that is whatever suits that game, that game plan or that team that he’s on.”
If the Rams are going to continue their deep playoff run, it’s going to require McVay to get rid of his Vic Fangio demons. He got past Flores this year, but Fangio will be a different test. Can Superman defeat Darkseid to save the planet, or in this case, the Rams’ season? These are the moments that make great coaches. McVay has shown several times this season just how good of a coach that he is, but a win against Fangio would only further that point.
