‘Dudes were just killing each other:’ How Vic Fangio is using vintage NFL film to transform Eagles’ defense

‘Dudes were just killing each other:’ How Vic Fangio is using vintage NFL film to transform Eagles’ defense originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Vic Fangio loves showing his defensive guys videos of old-time football stars playing the game the right way.

And maybe the wrong way, too.

When you hear people talk about how Fangio is “old school,” it’s really true. Fangio coached Sam Mills and Pat Swilling with the Saints, NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis with the 49ers, Ed Reed and Ray Lewis with the Ravens.

Those are all guys who played a certain brand of football, a brand that Fangio wants the 2024 Eagles to play.

That means going hard to whistle. And then maybe a little longer.

“Man, how they was hitting, I love that,” Nolan Smith said after practice Wednesday, his eyes bulging as he discussed the vintage videos Fangio likes to show his players.

“I’d love to be able to just go lay the quarterback out, man, clothesline him when he come through that B gap on that up-pocket escape. You’ve seen all type of bleep back then. It was crazy, and I love it. You know, they played real football. I tell them boys, ‘Nah, we play pitty-pat football.’ We even got these little things on our helmets now that don’t do nothing, really. I feel like that way.

“But, man, them boys was hitting back then. Come across that middle? It’s a lot of guys on shallow routes and stuff right now. But back then? If you were in a shallow route? You had some (guts) to you. So, man, that’s what I see. That’s just real football, and it’s just amazing.”

Fangio, the Eagles’ fourth defensive coordinator in four years under Nick Sirianni, has been installing a new defense in his first year with the Eagles but also instilling a new attitude.

He doesn’t want a defense that gets called for a million personal foul penalties, but he does want a unit that channels some of that old-time edge.

A defense Andre Waters would be proud of.

“He always brings up the good old days, (how) they…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/dudes-were-just-killing-other-223508106.html

Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia

Publish date : 2024-08-21 22:35:08

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