What will Vic Fangio’s Dolphins defense do better than Josh Boyer or Brian Flores’? | Countdown to camp
With the 2023 NFL season fast approaching, the South Florida Sun Sentinel takes a look at 10 storylines to watch for in a 10-part series ahead of the Miami Dolphins’ first day of training camp, which is set for July 26.
The Dolphins needed to make a change at defensive coordinator after a disappointing 2022 season for a unit that is talented on paper.
They swung for the fences by landing the most coveted, veteran defensive mind available in the coach hiring cycle, Vic Fangio.
Fangio offers an experienced voice who can be the head coach of the defense for coach Mike McDaniel. He also differs from previous defensive coordinator Josh Boyer in many of his philosophies for a shift that could make for a more consistent product than what Miami had last season.
After Dolphins players got a taste of Fangio’s scheme through the spring and summer’s organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, the work toward transforming the team’s defense ahead of the 2023 season begins in earnest once veterans report for training camp July 25.
A big change from Boyer — and essentially former coach Brian Flores, as Boyer operated as his understudy running the defense — to Fangio will come in the defense’s blitz dependency.
“As needed, and when I want to — versus having to,” Fangio stated in his introductory press conference about his philosophy on the blitz. “If you have to, that’s not a great feeling. You want to do it when you want to, on your terms.”
The last time Fangio held a defensive coordinator position, when he was AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year with the 2018 Chicago Bears, their 20.3 blitz percentage was 10th-lowest in the NFL, according to Pro Football Reference. His rates were in a similar range with a small uptick in the three following seasons as Denver Broncos head coach: 24.1 in 2019, 27.9 in 2020 and 25.3 in 2021.
The Dolphins, on the other hand, were second in blitz percentage in 2020 (40.8) and 2021 (39.6), Boyer’s first two seasons as defensive coordinator. It worked well for much of that time, but those blitzes lost their luster in 2022 and became more predictable for opponents.
Boyer had to drop that rate to 33.3 percent in 2022, but that still ranked third in the league. Many big plays the Dolphins defense surrendered last season came as a result of a blitz being exposed while Miami had fewer defenders on the back end.
“I’ve been places in the past where we’ve pressured a lot. I’ve been places where we didn’t pressure very much,” Fangio said. “You got to fit the scheme to the players that you have while also factoring in the opponents that you’re playing.”
Boyer’s defenses also mostly played man-to-man coverages. Fangio’s scheme, which has been popularly emulated across league circles, largely implements a variety of zone coverages while giving opposing offenses similar pre-snap looks. He often maintains a strong shell over the top to limit large gains while also giving defensive backs opportunities to aggressively force turnovers.
To fit the scheme, the Dolphins brought in elite cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who played in a similar system with the Los Angeles Rams and can play the versatile “star” role, which moves him around in the secondary. It can also benefit four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard, saving his legs more in zone coverages after he’s battled an injury history while allowing him to get eyes on the quarterback.
Fangio has a history of getting safeties into the Pro Bowl, so that could lead to a breakout season for Jevon Holland in his defense. He also has worked well with a number of edge rushers and defensive tackles, a plus for Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler — and maybe Emmanuel Ogbah, too, in a bounce-back season.
The new defense simplifies matters for defenders and seems to have fewer rules. Take what linebacker Jerome Baker, who has seen his share of different Dolphins defenses since 2018, said during the offseason workout program.
“It gives me some freedom to just go out there and just play ball,” Baker said. “Sometimes I ask, ‘What’s the rule on this?’ And he kind of gives me like, ‘It’s not really a rule; it’s kind of a go play ball.’ ”
Fangio, who will turn 65 before the season, brings an established voice leading the Dolphins defense after, last season, Boyer had to prove he could lead a unit without the backing of a defensive-minded head coach. Fangio has 19 years of NFL defensive coordinator experience and three more as a head coach, with the Broncos from 2019 through 2021.
Under Fangio, the Dolphins look to improve a defense that finished the past regular season 30th in takeaways, 27th in pass defense, 24th in scoring defense and third-down defense and 18th in total defense under Boyer.
Previously addressed
Which areas will we see tangible improvement from second-year Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel?
