Dolphins film study: What to expect from Miami’s defense under Vic Fangio in 2023

The Dolphins’ defense should look dramatically different in 2023.

Vic Fangio, who agreed to terms to be Miami’s next defensive coordinator, is expected to join the Dolphins’ staff after Super Bowl 57. He’s been working as a consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles this season.

When Fangio, one of the NFL’s most respected defensive minds, arrives in Miami, he will bring a philosophy and principles that have been adopted around the league.

Here is what to expect from the Dolphins’ new-look defense.

Coverages

Under Brian Flores and Josh Boyer, the Dolphins primarily lived in single-high coverages, which only put one safety deep in coverage. Over the last four seasons, Miami’s defense has used single-high coverage — either Cover 3 or Cover 1 — on about 70 percent of opposing dropbacks, according to TruMedia. This placed a great strain on the team’s cornerbacks, who were often asked to shadow opposing wide receivers on an island.

But Fangio’s defense spreads the responsibility around and attempts to limit explosive passing plays with two-high coverage shells, which place two defenders deep in coverage. During Fangio’s tenure as Denver Broncos head coach from 2019 to 2021, his defenses were in two-high shells on over one-third of opposing dropbacks. In these zone coverages, defenders are able to keep an eye on the quarterback and read and react to make a play on the ball.

Furthermore, Fangio often disguises his defenses pre-snap — usually in a two-high shell — and then shifts to different looks after the snap. The Dolphins ranked among the lowest rates of pre-snap two-high shells the last two seasons.

Below are the various types of two-high coverages the Dolphins could run at a greater rate with Fangio:

▪ Cover 2: A zone coverage that has two defenders covering half of the deep field and five underneath defenders, two of which are usually cornerbacks covering the flats.

▪ Cover 4: A zone coverage that has four defenders covering a quarter of the deep field and three underneath defenders.

▪ Cover 6: A zone coverage in which one side of the field plays Cover 4 — usually on the strong side of the field — while the other side plays Cover 2. From 2019 to 2021, the Broncos had the highest rate of Cover 6, according to TruMedia. Cover 8 is a variation of Cover 6 in which Cover 4 is played on the weak side of the field, while Cover 2 is played on the strong side of the field.

There are also zone-matching principles that tell a defender to operate in man coverage if an offensive player enters his zone.

Defensive fronts

Fangio uses multiple defensive fronts but with spread offenses taking over in the NFL, more defenses are primarily operating in nickel packages, which substitute a linebacker or lineman for a third cornerback. Fangio’s high usage of pre-snap two-high shells typically has his safeties lining up deep, which leads to a lot of light boxes (six or fewer defenders). This can put a strain on linebackers and can make defenses susceptible to the run because of a numbers disadvantage.

But Fangio counteracts it in multiple ways. First, he asks his defensive linemen to play with a gap-and-a-half technique. This is different from one-gapping, in which a lineman has the responsibility of shooting through one gap between offensive linemen, or two-gapping, in which a lineman must account for two gaps.

With the gap-and-a-half technique, linemen are asked to attack a primary gap aggressively but with enough control to head into a secondary gap. The defensive front is also tasked with funneling the runner to the edge so that the safeties can come up from their depth and make a play in the run game.

Fangio isn’t known for blitzing much. During his time as Broncos coach, Denver ranked 17th in pressure rate, sending extra rushers on 26.2 percent of opposing dropbacks, according to TruMedia. But when Fangio does want to apply pressure, he can lean on exotic calls that don’t put his secondary in a bad spot. An example of this is simulated pressure, in which a linebacker or defensive back rushes the passer, while a lineman drops into coverage. This doesn’t sacrifice a player in coverage but can confuse the offense by bringing a non-traditional rusher into the picture.

“It’s not risky,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said of Fangio in 2018, when he was the Bears’ defensive coordinator. “They keep everything boxed in. They’re very good in their front seven. They have big guys inside who don’t have to move at all because of how well they set the edge on the outside. And they play physical. They’ve always had a pass rush. They have some pressure [schemes], but rarely run pressures that make their coverages vulnerable.”

Conclusion

The Dolphins have pieces in place to run Fangio’s defense, from a talented defensive line to safety Jevon Holland, who has the ability to line up in multiple positions. But with multiple inside linebackers set to become free agents and a cornerback room whose depth dwindled because of injuries, general manager Chris Grier will have to work to add the players to complete Fangio’s vision.