Vic Fangio is a tremendous defensive coach. He's been that way for over 30 years now. There is a reason he got the head coaching job with the Denver Broncos. He's delivered #1 ranked defenses in multiple locations. Most recently with the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers. A big reason for his success is his old school approach. Fangio wants to stop the run, rush four, and drop seven into coverage. He wants to force the offense to work their way down the field.
It's not a bad strategy by any means. It worked plenty after all. That said, it wasn't perfect. A number of times opposing offense were able to figure it out and do serious damage. How did they manage it? By going old school for old school. They committed to running the football, they threw various short passes for positive yardage, and they made a play or two on special teams. If one looks back on the Bears' three worst defensive games, this same game plan is present.
At Miami
- Dolphins run the ball 31 times
- Slot receivers and running backs are targeted 26 times
- Averaged 40.5 yards per kickoff return
Vs. New England
- Patriots run the ball 27 times
- Slot receivers and running backs are targeted 20 times
- One kickoff return TD and one blocked punt for a TD
At New York
- Giants run the ball 29 times
- Slot receivers and running backs are targeted 19 times
- Averaged 44.4 yards per kickoff return
Vic Fangio defense was exposed this way again in Oakland
That speaks to a trend for Fangio. It proves his defense, as well-coached as they may be, have weaknesses that an offense can exploit if they are able to execute the proper game plan. The Oakland Raiders followed this exact blueprint last week in the opener. They ran the ball 28 times, targeted slot receivers and averaged 50.2 yards per kickoff return. The only slight difference was they chose to attack Denver in the short game with their tight ends instead of the backs and slot receivers.
So the question is will Matt Nagy adhere to this sort of game plan? It certainly sounds like he aims to. He acknowledged the team absolutely has to run the ball more. They also need to get more out of slot receiver Anthony Miller who was invisible last week. Combined with the pass-catching threats of Tarik Cohen and rookie David Montgomery, this offense is equipped to take on Fangio's system.
It won't be easy. Nothing ever is against a coach this good. It's about whether they can stay patient, play tough, and take what the defense gives them. If they do that and hopefully get a positive play from the special teams, they should be able to win this pivotal game in Denver.
