Eagles’ Reed Blankenship weighs in on Vic Fangio-Dolphins drama

Before Vic Fangio transformed the Philadelphia Eagles into an absolute force in 2024, turning the team into a defensive juggernaut capable of winning the Super Bowl, he spent a season with the Miami Dolphins that didn’t quite go as well as anyone had hoped.

Now granted, the Dolphins’ defense wasn’t terrible, as they finished out the year ranked 10th in yards allowed, 15th in passing yards allowed, and seventh in rushing yards allowed, but they gave up 391 points on the season, which ranked 22nd league-wide, and played a major role in the team’s embarassing playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

And yet, the biggest issue wasn’t on the field but instead in the locker room, as the players in Miami didn’t get along with Fangio, leading to his ultimate firing and return to Philadelphia as a full-time defensive coordinator after spending some time as a consultant during the Eagles’ previous Super Bowl run.

Discussing what he’s experienced in Philadelphia and how it compares to what he’s heard from Miami, Eagles safety Reed Blankenship noted on 94 WIP that while the Dolphins may not have liked Fangio’s old-school coaching, the Eagles adapted to it incredibly well.

“Whatever was said in Miami, that’s their locker room. Our locker room is completely different, I believe in my opinion. We’ve got guys that liked to be coached and like to be held accountable, and obviously that shows on the field. We’re a young group, but we understand if we want to win the big things we’ve got to be coached hard.”

Ever since Nick Sirianni was hired to replace Doug Pederson, the Eagles have been playing some version of Fangio’s defense, with Jonathan Gannon borrowing from the former Denver Broncos system, as did Sean Desi upon his departure. Fortunately, even though he’s been coaching football as long as Nick Sirianni has been alive, Fangio has remained as advertised, forging a defensive scheme that was tied with Philadelphia’s rushing offense as the strength of the team. With Blankenship and company locked in, it’s safe to say the Dolphins’ loss is as the Eagles gain, as they’ve now secured their second Super Bowl victory in the last decade.