How Vic Fangio’s Super defense is imitated in Dennis Allen’s Bears scheme

How Vic Fangio’s Super Defense is Imitated in Dennis Allen’s Bears Scheme

The Chicago Bears have long been known for their formidable defense, with decades of history built on dominant defensive units. While the team has experienced ups and downs on offense, their defense has consistently remained a cornerstone. Over recent years, one of the most influential defensive minds to leave a lasting imprint on the Bears’ defense was Vic Fangio, who served as the defensive coordinator from 2015 to 2018. Under Fangio’s guidance, the Bears’ defense transformed into one of the best in the league, known for its strategic brilliance, meticulous planning, and relentless execution. His departure didn’t extinguish the defensive fire, however. In fact, Dennis Allen, the current defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints, has been credited with continuing to build off the principles established by Fangio.

In this piece, we’ll explore how Vic Fangio’s “Super Defense,” with its emphasis on zone coverage, pass rush, and disciplined player roles, is being emulated and adapted within Dennis Allen’s Bears scheme, even though Allen is now with a different team. The similarities, influences, and strategic alignments between Fangio’s philosophy and Allen’s approach provide a clear picture of how these two defensive minds share a similar football vision, one that the Bears organization continues to reap the benefits of.

Fangio’s Super Defense: A Blueprint for Success

Vic Fangio’s defensive philosophy was groundbreaking during his time with the Bears. Fangio, a defensive mastermind known for his ability to maximize players’ individual talents while running a cohesive, highly disciplined scheme, introduced an aggressive yet controlled defensive system that earned widespread acclaim around the league.

The central pillar of Fangio’s defense was his adoption of a “quarterback-driven” approach, designed to stifle the opposing quarterback’s ability to read the defense. This scheme used a combination of zone coverage and disguised blitzes, creating confusion and uncertainty in the quarterback’s pre-snap decisions. Key characteristics of the Fangio defense included:

1. Cover-2 Zone and Tampa-2 Principles: The Fangio defense utilized a deep zone coverage scheme, often referred to as Cover-2, where two safeties would drop deep to cover the deep halves of the field, while the corners played underneath. The linebackers played zone coverage in the middle of the field, providing a balanced defense that could defend both the run and the pass effectively.
2. Hybrid Linebackers: The linebackers under Fangio’s system had diverse roles. They were expected to perform both as traditional run-stoppers and cover defenders. The versatility of players like Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan allowed the Bears to execute complex defensive schemes without being overly reliant on blitzing.
3. 4-3 Base Defense: Fangio’s defense, which was often run out of a 4-3 base alignment, focused on putting pressure on the quarterback through a combination of good coverage and controlled aggression from the defensive line. The four defensive linemen were responsible for pressuring the quarterback and creating gaps for the linebackers to attack the ball.
4. Pressuring the Quarterback Without Overcommitting: One of the most intriguing aspects of Fangio’s defense was his ability to pressure the quarterback with minimal blitzing. His defensive line often generated pressure with just four players, which allowed the defense to stay strong in coverage and prevent big plays.
5. Communication and Discipline: Fangio emphasized the importance of communication and discipline in his defensive players. Each player was expected to understand their role perfectly, and mistakes in coverage were rarely tolerated.

Dennis Allen: A Student of the Fangio Defense

Dennis Allen, currently the defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints, spent several years under Fangio’s tutelage. From his time as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, where Fangio was the defensive coordinator, to his own head coaching stints, Allen absorbed Fangio’s defensive principles and adapted them to his own coaching philosophy. It is this blend of influence that is most clearly visible in how Allen operates in New Orleans and how the Bears, even after Fangio’s departure, continued to implement elements of his defense under head coach Matt Eberflus.

While Allen’s work with the Saints is a clear extension of Fangio’s teachings, it’s important to recognize how his defensive schemes have continued to build upon the principles established in Chicago. Several facets of Allen’s defensive philosophy are immediately recognizable as derived from Fangio’s “Super Defense,” and these principles continue to be a hallmark of the Bears’ defensive approach, even in the post-Fangio era.

How Dennis Allen Mimics Fangio’s Scheme

1. Zone Coverage Emphasis: Like Fangio, Dennis Allen’s defense is built on the backbone of zone coverage. His secondary frequently operates in a system that focuses on two-deep zone concepts, reminiscent of Fangio’s Cover-2 schemes. This allows the defense to keep everything in front of them while eliminating large chunk plays down the field. Allen’s defense doesn’t take unnecessary risks with cornerbacks playing man-to-man in favorable matchups. Instead, his philosophy revolves around creating a web of coverage across the field, forcing the quarterback to hold onto the ball longer.

   Allen’s influence is particularly noticeable with the Saints’ safeties, who are often deep, mirroring Fangio’s use of the safety position. This allows for tight coverage over the top while the corners handle underneath routes. The design forces quarterbacks into more intermediate throws, reducing the risk of explosive plays and quick scoring drives.

2. Defensive Line Play: Both Fangio and Allen favor using the defensive line to generate pressure without needing to send extra blitzers. The four-man rush is the foundation of their defensive lines. By focusing on controlling the line of scrimmage with their four down linemen, they are able to drop seven players into coverage. This gives the defensive backs more time to react to the quarterback’s decisions and creates a balanced defense. While Fangio was known for a rotation of defensive linemen, Allen has also been praised for utilizing his front four to be disruptive.
3. Disguised Looks and Pre-Snap Movement: Allen, like Fangio, uses a system of disguised looks at the line of scrimmage. Pre-snap movement is used to confuse the quarterback, hiding the defense’s true intentions until the last moment. This is most evident in how Allen shifts his safeties, linebackers, and defensive linemen around the field before the snap. The goal is to force the quarterback to guess, which often leads to inaccurate throws, turnovers, or quick decisions under pressure.
4. Aggressive but Controlled Pass Rush: Fangio’s defense was known for being effective in generating pressure with four players. Similarly, Dennis Allen’s defensive lines under the Saints have been praised for consistently bringing pressure without sending additional blitzers. The idea is to maintain coverage integrity while also creating enough disruption upfront to collapse the pocket. This minimizes the quarterback’s options and forces hurried decisions, a philosophy the Bears maintain in their defensive strategy.
5. Linebacker Versatility: Linebackers in both Fangio and Allen’s systems play multi-dimensional roles. These linebackers are expected to contribute in both coverage and the running game. Under Fangio, players like Roquan Smith thrived because of their ability to adapt. Dennis Allen also uses versatile linebackers in New Orleans who can cover ground quickly and handle both the pass and the run effectively.
6. Adaptation to the Personnel: While Fangio’s system is known for its complexity, it’s also adaptable to the skill sets of the players. Fangio is renowned for tailoring his defensive schemes to highlight the strengths of his personnel, and Allen has followed suit. In Chicago, players like Akiem Hicks and Khalil Mack were able to flourish under this philosophy because it played to their skill sets. Allen has similarly made adjustments in New Orleans to get the most out of his players, and while the personnel may differ, the principles remain the same.

Influence on the Bears: A Lasting Legacy

Though Dennis Allen is currently leading the Saints, the core principles of Vic Fangio’s defense continue to resonate in Chicago’s defensive scheme. After Fangio left the Bears in 2019, the team brought in Chuck Pagano as defensive coordinator, and later, Matt Eberflus became the head coach. While Pagano did not fully adopt Fangio’s system, the foundation Fangio laid out for the Bears’ defense remained. Eberflus, known for his “Cover-2” heavy scheme, and the Bears’ defensive unit, still implement elements that trace directly back to Fangio’s defensive structure. The Bears still maintain a defensive philosophy rooted in strong zone coverage, intelligent linebacker play, and a four-man pass rush.

The philosophy of disguising coverage and manipulating the quarterback’s reads is still visible in the Bears’ defensive scheme. Even as the franchise works to rebuild, they continue to pull from the playbook created under Fangio, with players like Roquan Smith (who now plays a key role in the Bears’ defense) being crucial pieces of this puzzle.