Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is very familiar with Patrick Mahomes, but that might not be a good thing heading into Super Bowl LIX.
Mahomes has faced a Fangio defense eight times, and the Chiefs won all eight games.
“He’s won the chess match against me, the final score,” Fangio said this week. “We’ll see if we can come up with something.”
Fangio, like Steve Spagnuolo of the Chiefs, is considered one of the best defensive coordinators in NFL history. He started his NFL career as a linebackers coach for the New Orleans Saints in 1986, and he’s been coaching in the NFL almost every season since. However, he has never won a Super Bowl.
It’s interesting that Fangio now has a chance to complete the missing piece of his coaching career in the city where his NFL journey began, and it’s happening against the quarterback he hasn’t been able to figure out yet.
Patrick Mahomes looking forward to the chess match
This week, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked who his biggest rivals were when it came to calling plays.
“This guy we’re playing this week is a pretty good defensive coordinator,” Reid said, referring to Fangio. “I feel like I can’t get rid of him.”
Many of Fangio’s experiences against Mahomes and Reid came during Fangio’s time as head coach of the Denver Broncos. Fangio could never get a win over Kansas City, but the Broncos never had a team strong enough to compete with the Chiefs during that time.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce arrive for the Super Bowl 50 Opening NightStill, it’s worth noting that Mahomes hasn’t been troubled by Fangio’s defense. In their eight matchups (six with Denver, two with the Miami Dolphins, including a playoff game when Fangio was their defensive coordinator), Mahomes threw 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He posted a passer rating of 100 or higher in four of those games, and a rating of 93.9 or better in two others.
Even though Mahomes has had success against Fangio’s defenses, he knows it’s always a challenge.
“Every time I’ve played Coach Fangio, there has been different changeups and different things that he has thrown at us, and I think that’s what makes him so great,” Mahomes said. “He’s not going to just do exactly what you saw the last time. I’m sure there will be blitzes in the game, I’m sure there will be times when they play coverage.
It’s going to be a chess match. You want to go up against the best and he’s one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL. It’ll be a great challenge for us as an offense, and as a football team.”
Fangio’s defense has been elite
This time, Fangio has a team that can compete with Mahomes. The Eagles have won 15 of their last 16 games since the end of September, and much of that success is because of Fangio’s defense, which allowed the fewest yards in the NFL this season.
The Eagles didn’t start strong, but Fangio was adjusting to his first year with the team, and his defensive scheme takes time to learn. Eventually, it clicked.
“Once we picked it up, we took it and ran with it,” Eagles safety Reed Blankenship said.
The Eagles have performed well against some strong quarterbacks, but Mahomes presents a different challenge. Fangio can try to confuse Mahomes, but he says it’s difficult.
Kansas City Chiefs players celebrate in the 1st half“I think the one thing about Mahomes that gets overlooked and not appreciated because of his great talent and everything he does that’s visible to everybody, his knowledge in pre-snap processing and post-snap processing is elite,” Fangio said. “I don’t think he gets enough credit for the intelligence part of the game that he has mastered.”
Instead, Fangio says the key is focusing on the basics. He must avoid losing a pass-rushing lane that would allow Mahomes to break free for a big run. He has to avoid making mistakes in coverage, and he’ll likely have some well-timed blitzes ready in hopes of getting a big play.
“I’ve always said the definition of a great quarterback, which he obviously is, there is no one way to play him,” Fangio said. “So you’ve got to mix it up, because he’s tremendous and if he can settle in on what you’re doing, he’ll figure it out.”
Fangio has great respect for Mahomes, who has already proven himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and has the championships to back it up. Fangio has a talented defense, and he’s ready to do everything he can to finally beat Mahomes.
“There is no secret,” Fangio said. “This is what, his seventh or eighth year as a starter? Nobody has gotten the formula to beat him one way.”
The Eagles hope that this time, Fangio will have the right answer.
