Elite pass rushers are going to get their sacks. That much is a given. They’re just that good. The problem is some of them live on great defenses, some of them don’t. This is because a lot of them didn’t have coordinators who knew how to take advantage of what they could do. Khalil Mack is one of those players. During his four years in Oakland, he was handled by the likes of Jason Tarver, Ken Norton, and John Pagano. Not exactly a who’s who of top defensive minds. That’s going to change with Vic Fangio.
This man has carved a reputation that stretched back over 20 years in the NFL as a coordinator. He’s produced several top 10 defenses during that span for three different franchises. It’s safe to say he knows what he’s doing. The Bears were lucky to get him back after it looked like he might leave following the exit of John Fox.
Players were thrilled over his return, and for good reason. He just got done putting this defense into the top 10 for the first time since 2012. Now with the arrival of Mack, it stands to get better, right? Oh people have no idea. The truth is the Fangio defense is good by itself. When it has an elite pass rusher though? It goes Super Saiyan.
Bears defensive coordinator vic Fangio: "Any time you get a player of his ability it can doing nothing but make you better."
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) September 6, 2018
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Vic Fangio defense is a nightmare when it has a star pass rusher
What constitutes an “elite” pass rusher? To keep it simple, it’s a pass rusher who is good for at least 10 sacks a season and has topped 15 at least once. Fangio has worked with such a player twice in his career as a coordinator before. It first came in 1996 and 1998 when he had eventual Hall of Famer Kevin Greene in Carolina. The second was in San Francisco where he worked with Aldon Smith (before he went crazy).
The stat different between his defenses that had those men on the edge and those that didn’t? Not only is it substantial, it’s downright staggering.
Defense with elite rusher averages:
- 17.56 points allowed per game
- 36.4 takeaways per season
Defense without elite rusher averages:
- 22.81 points allowed per game
- 23.15 takeaways per season
The numbers pretty much say it. When Fangio has had a top pass rusher on his defense, the unit has averaged more than five fewer points allowed and 13 more takeaways per season. That is incredible. It’s proof positive that Fangio has a keen understanding of what great a pass rusher and more importantly, how to use one.
Now here comes Mack. He’s 27-years old. He’s averaged at least 12 sacks the past three seasons. This man is a monster. Not only that, but he joins a defense that is already well-versed in the Fangio system. Akiem Hicks? Leonard Floyd? Danny Trevathan? Kyle Fuller? These are all players who are at a level of quality Mack hasn’t played with before.
As scary as that sounds, it’s not what opponents should really fear. It’s the fact Fangio is a man who knows how to use that.
