Bucky Brooks
NFL.com Analyst
Published: June 23, 2015

Vic Fangio
The best defenses in football are not only fundamentally sound, but they exhibit a collective energy, toughness and physicality that overwhelms opponents over the course of the game. Fangio's defenses in San Francisco consistently exhibited those traits. The 49ers ranked in the top five in total defense in each of his four seasons with the team. Also, San Francisco was one of just three teams to post 25-plus takeaways in each of the last four seasons. From a philosophical standpoint, Fangio eschews tricks and gimmicks in favor of a simple system designed to suffocate running lanes and keep the ball in front of the defense on passes. He routinely puts his guys in the proper position to make plays and allows them to play free of mental clutter. Given his recent track record and esteemed reputation, it's only a matter of time before the Bears' defense returns to the ranks of the elite under his tutelage.