Vic Fangio Discusses Cornerback Depth and the Eagles' Options Moving Forward
Vic Fangio, defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins, recently shared his thoughts on the Philadelphia Eagles' cornerback depth, recognizing it as one of the team's key strengths heading into the season. With the Eagles boasting a deep and talented group of defensive backs, Fangio highlighted how their versatile secondary could present challenges for opposing offenses.
“The Eagles have a solid group of cornerbacks,” Fangio said during a recent interview. “They’ve got guys who can play in multiple schemes, and they’ve got the ability to match up with a variety of offensive styles. The depth they have at cornerback is something that stands out.”
The Eagles’ secondary has been one of the most well-rounded units in the league, featuring Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and Avonte Maddox. Fangio pointed out that this depth allows the team to be more flexible with its defensive playcalling, giving them the ability to adjust to any opponent.
“The ability to rotate and keep fresh legs on the field is important, especially with the way teams are spreading the ball around these days,” Fangio continued. “The Eagles have done a great job of bringing in talent that complements each other. You’ve got Slay and Bradberry who are experienced, and Maddox brings a lot of energy and skill. That’s a dangerous combination.”
Fangio also noted the importance of having cornerbacks who can excel in both man-to-man and zone coverage, something the Eagles’ defense has shown it can do with ease. This flexibility, according to Fangio, is what makes the Eagles' secondary so difficult to exploit.
“With the talent they have, the Eagles can mix up their coverages and create confusion for quarterbacks,” Fangio explained. “That’s what makes them so hard to game-plan for. They can adjust to almost anything an offense throws at them.”
Looking ahead, Fangio mentioned that the Eagles' cornerback depth will be critical as they face high-powered offenses this season. While the Eagles have the personnel to match up with top-tier receivers, their ability to stay fresh and adjust mid-game will be key to their success.
“The Eagles’ defense is built to succeed against the league’s top offenses,” Fangio concluded. “Their cornerbacks are one of the key reasons why. I expect them to be in the mix at the top of the NFC.”
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on the Eagles’ secondary, which continues to be one of the most formidable in the league, and whether their depth will help them stay competitive in a loaded NFC.
Frustrated Packers’ Matt LaFleur Takes Blame for Week 9 Loss
It was late in the third quarter at Lambeau Field in Green Bay and as frustrating as the game against the Panthers in Week 9 had been up to that point, it looked as though the Packers offense was on a path to set things right. The team followed a Panthers scoring drive (putting GB behind, 13-6) with a methodical 13-play effort into the fourth quarter, getting the ball down to the Carolina 8-yard line with a third-and-3 play.
The Panthers blew up that effort, sending Emanuel Wilson back five yards to make it fourth-and-8. Rather than try for a field goal, though, coach Matt LaFleur gambled that his team would convert from the 13-yard line. But the fourth-down play went for an incompletion from Jordan Love to Romeo Doubs and the drive was over, with no points scored.
Given the final tally–the Panthers won, 16-13, on a last-second field goal–LaFleur had plenty to lament in his postgame meeting with the media. But that play call was chief among his woes.
Packers’ LaFleur: ‘It Was a Bad Play Call’
And LaFleur took responsibility.
“It was a bad play call,” he said. “We ran the same play the play before, we went to Rome on the back side and I saw one guy out there, it was (Tre’von), Moehrig and give credit to him, he blew up the play and we loss four yards on the play. So third-and-four went to fourth-and-(eight).”
Packers kicker Brandon McManus had missed a kick earlier in the game, and perhaps gave LaFleur cold feet about calling for another kick into the wind on a blustery day. But either way, the result was nil–the Packers had one of their five trips into the red zone, a healthy number for the offense.
But the fact that only one of those red-zone trips yielded a touchdown was decidedly unhealthy.
“Hindsight is 20-20,” he said. “I wish we had taken the points there. Yeah, bad decision.”
Mistakes Ruled to Day
LaFleur was clearly frustrated in his postgame meeting with the media, both with himself and with the many mistakes his team made on the afternoon. There was a fumble in the red zone on the opening drive by rookie Savion Williams, as well as an ill-advised interception by Love when he tried to force a throw into coverage in the third quarter.
There were also seven penalties whistled on the Packers.
(Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers throws a pass in the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers.
Packers Will Re-Evaluate Game Plan
Most of all, though, there was the game plan, which is still too reliant on big-play gambles and too uncomfortable playing for short chunks when that’s what the defense offers. That’s something that LaFleur said he will have to take a hard look at when it comes to play-calling.
“We thrive on some explosive plays, and when you’re not getting them, you have to move the ball down the field consistently—we had penalties, we obviously had a fumble on the first drive,” he said.
“We had three possessions in the first half, we had a nine-play drive, a nine-play drive and a 10-play drive. And we had six points. It’s gonna be tough if we can’t figure (expletive) out and score in the red area. It’s tough to win football games like that.”
