Vic Fangio about the Dolphins defensive line against the LA Chargers
Miami Dolphins start the NFL season with a good start, beating the LA Chargers 36-34, but defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is not very happy with the performance of his defensive line. During the press conference, he told reporters why the team allowed the Chargers to have that many rushing yards.
Fangio talks about this theme in different scenarios; the first one came from a question about how the players adapt to a new system and how much time the players need to fulfill the adaptation for the team to perform to perfection. The former Dunmore High School safety explains that:
"''That’s a convenient narrative. We should be adjusted. I gotta be adjusted, too, and know what style best fits our players and that could change week-to-week based on the opponent you’re playing''."
- Vic Fangio
Also, he talked about why David Long Jr. only played 17 defensive snaps in week 1, and it was because Long Jr. was the starter in the base package, Andrew Van Ginkel was the starter nickel, and Miami needed the nickel. Therefore, he told the media that Andrew won that place during training camp with his hard work and dedication.
"''He kind of won the job on merit''"
- Vic Fangio
Fangio took responsibility for the Dolphins allowing the La Chargers attack to have 234 rushing yards and said that he didn't have the players to play the game that he thought they were capable of playing.
"''Just didn't have the guys ready to play the type of game that I think they're capable of playing''."
- Vic Fangio
Finally, Victor told the media that the defensive line of the Miami Dolphins had a great game, and their performance was good enough to win a shootout, but not a lot of games.
The Dolphins face the Patriots this Sunday, and Vic will have to decide and let them play the best in their position to win the game. The Patriots are known for being a tough team to beat, in a game that will be a war and will win the team that don't back down. Therefore, Fangio needs to have his defensive players at the top of their capabilities.