Eagles' DC Downplays Sean McVay Success

Perhaps Vic Fangio doesn't want Sean McVay thinking back to the Los Angeles Rams' 2018 Super Bowl season.

Eagles DC Vic Fangio / John McMullen/SI Eagles

PHILADELPHIA - Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio wasn’t taking the bait when this reporter brought up his then-Chicago Bears defense which solved the Sean McVay puzzle in December of 2018.

During an 11-1 start to that season, McVay’s high-flying Los Angeles Rams scored at least 30 points 10 times, topping out with a 54-spot against Kansas City.

With that looming, Fangio went into his lab with the Bears hosting the Rams in Week 14 and the result was a stunning 15-6 Chicago win where the mighty McVays were held to 214 total yards with only 52 on the ground.

Post-Windy City things went back to normal for the Rams with games of 23 (against the Eagles), 31, 48, 30, and 26 en route to Super Bowl LIII when Bill Belichick and his New England Patriots put McVay back in the blender by Xeroxing Fangio’s plan.

The crux of Fangio’s idea was a six-man front to limit the Rams’ stretch run game, something the veteran DC brought out again this season in Week 3 to stymie New Orleans, along with a laser focus toward eye discipline to limit the effectiveness of McVay’s pre-snap motion tricks, something the Rams coach calls the “illusion of complexity.”

Ever the savvy veteran, Fangio quickly reminded that it’s been a while since the success.

“I haven't gone against him in six or seven years,” Fangio said.

When reminded of not only his success but Belichick’s emphatic win on the biggest stage using the same blueprint, Fangio did relent a bit to speak about the motion and its impact.

“Well, No. 1, we've got to be able to react to it and adjust to it correctly,” said Fangio. “They do motion a lot at various tempos, and they are trying to get you out of position and back on your heels a little bit. We've got to be ready for it and be able to play correctly and not let the motion confuse us at all.”

The curveball this time is the youth of what is currently the No. 1 defense in the NFL. Fangio will be rolling out two rookie cornerbacks, as well as still somewhat inexperienced pieces at linebacker.

The test will be a significant one with a talented quarterback throwing to two proven receivers.

“Two really good receivers,” Fangio said of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. “They really have good [chemistry], both of them, with [Rams QB Matthew] Stafford. They are strong at the catch point. Both of them are strong receivers. Both are excellent runners after the catch. 

“[The Rams] have played, I don't know how many games, but more than a few without either one of them. For them to be at this point in the season with the injuries they have had speaks highly of their players and their coaching staff. Now they are back pretty much to full strength offensively and they will be a tough group to defend.”

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