The Cowboys aren’t exactly betting favorites heading into Philadelphia for the NFL’s kickoff game against the reigning Super Bowl champion. They’ve often been a playoff team when Dak Prescott is on the field, but his return from a season-ending injury hasn’t seemed to inspire much confidence. At least some of that has to do with the defense he’s facing in Week 1.
Vic Fangio is entering his second season running the Eagles defense, and the godfather of the most common defense being run in the league today is not daunted by the challenges he faces in 2025. Fangio pioneered the light box defense with two deep safeties that’s become the flavor of the month in recent years.
He’s watched on as many of his acolytes – Brandon Staley, Sean Desai, Ejiro Evero, Joe Barry, Raheem Morris, and others – have risen the coaching ranks rapidly. Other coaches, like Aaron Glenn or Vance Joseph, have tried to simply emulate Fangio despite not having worked directly with him.
Yet, there’s no replicating the original, and Fangio remains the most effective at his particular style of defense. It’s a scheme that makes heavy use of zone coverages, primarily quarters coverage, and is designed to take away big plays and make offenses earn it with dinks and dunks. Fangio also uses light boxes, almost encouraging teams to run on him, and either floods the secondary with extra bodies or stacks the line of scrimmage to confuse pass protection schemes.
It’s a fairly simplistic scheme on its face, similar to a pitcher who only throws a few different pitches but is a master of them all. Of course, it’s hardly simple for a quarterback. Fangio’s defenses will usually look the same before the snap, but defensive backs will drop into different spots of their zone after the snap, based on the call and the offense’s alignment. This is where Fangio’s genius comes in: he’s a master of knowing how to make things difficult for an offense.
Put simply, Fangio’s overarching philosophy is to frustrate an offense so much that they try to force something, at which point they make a big mistake. Fangio has succeeded in this tactic against all the greats, most recently Patrick Mahomes, and he’s done it to Prescott and the Cowboys many times with several different franchises.
That said, Fangio does face a new challenge this year.
Out of the 18 different Eagles defenders who played at least 250 snaps last year – Fangio likes to use deep rotations, especially on the defensive line – 10 of them are no longer in Philadelphia. An 11th player, starting linebacker Nakobe Dean, is starting the season on the PUP list.
The three biggest losses, though, are pass rushers Josh Sweat and Milton Williams and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Sweat led the team in sacks, while Williams was third. Gardner-Johnson, often regarded as the heart and soul of the defense, led the team with six interceptions; the rest of the roster had seven combined picks.
Philadelphia seems to be planning on replacing those impact players from within. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis are both strong players, and both are expected to see more playing time with Williams gone. On the edge, Nolan Smith is joined by Jalyx Hunt and Azeez Ojulari, as well as hybrid player Zack Baun. Third-year safety Sydney Brown seems the most likely successor to Gardner-Johnson, too.
It’s a dangerously cautious approach to replacing three stars, but the Eagles are gambling more so on Fangio than on their ability to draft and develop talent. Fangio has produced elite defenses with less talent in the past, and he seems more than capable of putting these new faces in the right places to succeed.
That’s where the Cowboys offer a unique first test. Prescott got hurt before he could face Fangio last year, and there’s a new play-caller in head coach Brian Schottenheimer. His offensive coordinator, Klayton Adams, helped upset the Eagles two years ago as the Cardinals’ offensive line coach, where he coached under another Fangio disciple in Jonathan Gannon. The Cowboys also added George Pickens, whose vertical threat is perfect for testing this kind of defense.
Simply put, nobody knows what this Cowboys offense will look like. Prescott has always been a productive quarterback, and his connection with CeeDee Lamb is well established by now. With Pickens, Schottenheimer, and other new factors, it’ll be hard for Fangio to know exactly how to attack in Week 1.
The stage is set for a fascinating chess match between Schottenheimer and Fangio. The outside world may be expecting a defensive beatdown from the Eagles, but don’t be surprised if the Cowboys come out with some answers for Fangio’s limited but deadly pitching repertoire.
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