episode

Ben and Steven continue their offseason deep dive into some of the biggest questions around the league.
This week, they take a look at the present and future of defensive schemes in the NFL. They start off by discussing the difficulty in adapting to evolving offenses, and the growing influence of of Vic Fangio’s 2-high defense (01:22). Then, they delve into the lowering blitz rates and the necessity to create pressure in lieu of an elite four-man rush (24:00). After, they look at the new wave of defensive coaches, Brandon Staley, and the prominence of curated game plans (39:44).
The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please check out theringer.com/RG to find out more or listen to the end of the episode for additional details.
Hosts: Ben Solak and Steven Ruiz
Producers: Carlos Chiriboga and Eduardo Ocampo
Additional Production Supervision: Arjuna Ramgopal and Conor Nevins
Musical Elements: Devon Renaldo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Ben Solak

Steven Ruiz has been an NFL analyst and QB ranker at The Ringer since 2021. He’s a D.C. native who roots for all the local teams except for the Commanders. As a child, he knew enough ball to not pick the team owned by Dan Snyder—but not enough to avoid choosing the Panthers.

The Future of NFL Defense

Hosts

About the episode