In football, sometimes change is needed, and innovation has to be put into practice so that one team outsmarts the other. That is exactly what the Eagles’ defensive coordinator did by bringing back his three-man front against the New Orleans Saints.
To try and stop the Eagles from stumbling against the run, Vic Fangio took a page out of his book when coaching with the Chicago Bears, which included playing the 6-1 front. The 6-1 front effectively closed down the Saints’ running game and handed the game to the Eagles at the end. Let’s look at how the strategy played out for Fangio’s team, what it says about the team going forward, and how the players had to execute it.
Eagles Challenge of the Saints’ Offense
The Eagles must have felt the brunt of it as they entered that game. New Orleans averages 185 rushing yards per game, which allowed them to pound away steadily through a well-conceived zone-stretch attack. On average, the Eagles had given up 157.5 yards on the ground—the thing that the defensive coach knew would haunt them if the running game of the Saints was clicking along right. Fangio thus required a plan to cripple the Saints, using every trick in the book to reverse their rampage.
The coordinator opted for his legendary 6-1 front to neutralize the Saints’ devastating running game. The defense has two interior linemen playing in 2-technique, two in five-technique spots, and two edge rushers in wide-nine alignments. His setup behind and with Nakobe Dean lined up to play linebacker, Fangio hoped to clog the lanes through which the Saints ran their offense. This had not been a feature in the Eagles’ game plan of the past few weeks, so it caught the Saints off balance.
Game planning by the players
Players executed Fangio’s game plan very well. They saw the Saints‘ offense caught flat-footed, with only 89 rushing yards and an average of just 3.1 per carry—a better part of the normal Saints level. He had a litany of disguises, such as moving slot corner Avonte Maddox into a wide-nine position, and kept the Saints guessing. Even when Saints’ quarterback, Derek Carr, saw the formation and yelled “6-1” in the line of scrimmage, the Eagles adjusted to take control.
The talented coordinator was able to achieve almost that level of victory. Fangio’s experience lets him keep his cool when pressure is on his head, and he knows the league changes daily. So, his strategies may be copied, and he has some tricks up his sleeves for those who will copy him.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
For Fangio and the Eagles, the challenge is to prepare themselves for the rest of their matches. The players have shown that they can carry through with the coordinator’s plans, and that bodes well for the team’s future. Melding formations and game plans will keep opponents guessing for quite a while. There should be no surprise if the Eagles make a go of it this season. Fangio has a lot to do with that.
Then, when Vic Fangio brought out the 6-1 front to face the Saints, that added another little gem. A response to this from the Eagles’ defense was to curb significantly the run game of the Saints and, much more importantly, to reflect upon their adaptability. The calm strategy of Fangio and also the on-field execution capabilities of the players helped ensure this much-needed victory. Well, as the season progresses, fans would expect more new tactics to surface from Fangio, along with an extremely resilient Eagles team, ready to face any challenge that comes their way.
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