Rams OC On Eagles' Vic Fangio: 'He’s arguably the best of this generation'

In the battle of the 'best' offensive mind vs. the 'best' defensive one, the Eagles' DC has the talent edge.

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (27). / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Respect has arrived for the Philadelphia Eagles defense.

The plan in Philadelphia coming into the 2024 season after a historic collapse was to build perhaps the NFL’s best offense and complement that with a capable defense after the bottom fell out on that side of the football.

The offense has been good through the Eagles’ 8-2 start, especially in the running game, but the group has been a bit of a letdown in a nitpicking way when measured against perhaps unrealistic expectations. The defense on the other hand has been lights out, No. 1 in the NFL entering Week 12, and a group that hasn’t allowed 300 yards during Philadelphia’s current six-game winning streak. 

The key to it all as the Eagles prepare to visit the 5-5 Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night in a key NFC matchup has been the addition of Vic Fangio and the veteran defensive coordinator’s impact on an influx of young talent who have bought into a system that has flummoxed offensive minds for years, including highly-regarded Rams’ coach Sean McVay and his many disciples.

“He’s arguably the best of this generation,” Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. “His defenses are always elite. They're always really good. They always play really hard. He's about as structured as they come in terms of tendencies and percentages. 

“You just can't pop him on anything. He knows that and we know that. It’s always achallenge going against him. You don't know whatever wrinkle he’s going to have. Tons of respect for Vic.”

The stars on the Philadelphia D are generally young (Jalen Carter and Reed Blankenship), inexperienced (Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean) or even rookies (Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean) yet the communication is what has stood out.

"They're good across the board. Obviously, they're playing at a very high level,” Rams star receiver Cooper Kupp said . “... These guys seem like they've picked up how to play this thing really well and play with each other. 

“Obviously, the front is playing really well. They have some really good football players up there. The back end is playing off each other and communicating well with linebackers flying around. As a defense, they're really sound and it's a scheme that has been proven to be pretty successful in this league.”

The Rams' other top-tier receiver is Puka Nakua, who set the league on fire as a rookie last season. He will get to match up with two of 2024’s top freshmen in Mitchell and DeJean.

“The secondary group is moving in sync,” Nakua said. “They're playing some confident football and then they're playing complimentary football as a whole team right now.”

The perceived top offensive mind vs. the supposed top defensive intellect in any generation is always fun. However, it's always players over plays, and Fangio is on the right side of the talent equation this time.

John McMullen’s Prediction: Eagles 27, Rams 17 

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