What happened the last time Patrick Mahomes faced a Vic Fangio defense? Analyzing MVP's record
Vic Fangio was recently hired by the Miami Dolphins to take over as their next defensive coordinator for the upcoming 2023 NFL season.
He took most of the 2022 season off after being fired as the coach of the Denver Broncos, but he recently signed a two-week contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was hired to help them prepare for Super Bowl LVII on Sunday (February 12) against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The short-term hiring of Fangio makes sense for the Eagles, especially considering his familiarity with their next opponent. He has faced off against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs six times while he was with the Broncos, their AFC West division rivals. Fangio knows Mahomes' game as well as just about any other opposing coach, due to their frequency of meetings.
Their most recent battle occurred during a Week 18 matchup during the 2021 NFL season. That was also Fangio's final game with the Broncos. Mahomes put together a solid performance, throwing for 270 passing yards and two touchdowns, while also adding another 54 rushing yards.
Fangio's defense was unable to record an interception and only sacked Mahomes once during the Chiefs' 28-24 win.
Soon-to-be Dolphins’ DC Vic Fangio has been helping the Eagles' Super Bowl prep after he signed a two-week contract with them, per sources:
nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%…
Vic Fangio admittedly has a healthy respect for Mahomes and what he has accomplished on the football field. During a press conference with the Broncos in 2019, the former coach had high praise about the Chiefs quarterback:
"With a guy like this, you have to defend two plays: the one they've called and then the one he might create. That makes it tough .. He's the great passer, the great improviser. He plays with a lot of athletic arrogance, which is a compliment. He's very confident in his ability. He's very poised; he doesn't get rattled and he's got an arm that is really, really good. You can tell he's a gamer. The guy is really, really special."
Vic Fangio compared Patrick Mahomes' abilities to some NFL freaks such as John Elway and Aaron Rodgers.
He clearly knows the importance of properly preparing to play against the reigning NFL MVP, which is why the Eagles likely hired him. The only issue is that his respect and preparation hasn't exactly led to head-to-head success against the Chiefs QB.
What is Patrick Mahomes' record against Vic Fangio?
Vic Fangio's defense with the Broncos has found some statistical success against Patrick Mahomes over the years. The issue is that it never showed up in the win column. Mahomes has faced off against Fangio's Broncos six times during his career, earning a victory every time.
On the positive side for Fangio, his teams have held Mahomes to fewer than 200 passing yards in three of those games and totaled ten sacks along the way.
He seems to have found a blue print to at least slow down the two-time NFL MVP winner. The Eagles will hope to use some of his strategies in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday.
Also Read: 5 NFL HCs who took two different teams to a Super Bowl ft. Andy Reid and Bill Parcells