Vic Fangio

Q. What did you see on Friday night that you liked? (Ed Kracz)

VIC FANGIO: I liked the ending. That was a hell of a play by [OLB] Patrick [Johnson] at the end of the game there to cause that fumble and recover it. We did have a good run kind of in the second quarter through the third quarter where I think we had a bunch of three and outs in a row. That was good. So, there was a lot of good.

Q. What are some things in the evaluation process that you really need a game for that you can’t see in practice? (Dave Zangaro)

VIC FANGIO: A lot because in practice, particularly in pass rush, you don’t finish. You know, we try and stay away from the quarterback, so he doesn’t hit his hand on an offensive lineman or a defensive pass rusher, so a game is where you actually do finish.

A game is where you actually do tackle. A game is when actually everything is at full speed, snap to whistle. The games are very, very valuable in developing players, and also in evaluating players.

Q. Most of your starters played on the defensive side versus the offense. How were you involved in that decision? (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: We are just so new on defense. I think our offense is returning eight of their 11 starters, I believe. Although, albeit [Offensive Coordinator] Kellen [Moore] is new, most of the position coaches are the same on offense whereas everything is new on defense: new players, new coaches, new scheme. You know, we need to play.

Q. What did you think of CB Quinyon Mitchell in his first game? (Brooks Kubena)

VIC FANGIO: I thought he did well. He played both nickel and outside corner. He’s a good player and he’s going to be a good player. We just have to be careful not to overload his plate too much because nickel is a full-time position as well as corner is, and he’s having to learn both right now and they are two drastically different positions.

So, we have to constantly monitor that to make sure he’s capable of doing that.

Q. Is that something you eventually want to pare down for him, let CB Quinyon Mitchell major in one instead of being at both? (EJ Smith)

VIC FANGIO: That would be ideal. It may not be practical. We may have to play him at nickel.

Q. That stretch in the second, third quarter — LB Nakobe Dean, LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB Ben VanSumeren, they seemed to have good games. Is that what you saw? (John McMullen)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I thought those guys played well, all three of them. And it was different. They had their twos and threes in there, too. You always have to temper it to a degree, but I was pleased with the way those three guys played that you mentioned.

Q. You mentioned how they are completely different positions, nickel and corner, in the way that you can, what makes those different? (Brooks Kubena)

VIC FANGIO: Well, corner is corner. I think we all know what corner is.

Q. In your defense. (Brooks Kubena)

VIC FANGIO: Well, in anybody’s defense, not just our defense. It’s universal.

Nickel essentially is really a linebacker position. You know, if you go back to the traditional 4-3, if you stayed in a 4-3, a linebacker would be walked out on that slot. Well the linebacker leaves the game and now you’re in nickel and the nickel is on that slot.

So essentially when you pare it down, he’s playing linebacker-type zones more involved at the run than a corner is. So, it’s a drastically different position.

Q. When you say you might have to play CB Quinyon Mitchell at nickel, it’s because that’s where the need is? (Tim McManus)

VIC FANGIO: Both from a need and maybe just to get our best combination out there.

Q. You talked about the difficulty of transitioning from corner to safety, not everybody can do it. How is CB James Bradberry doing? (Jeff Neiburg)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, he’s doing pretty damn good there. He’s got a good feel for football, which has carried over to the safety position for him. I think he understands the game from a high level through his experience and through his intelligence, and it’s helped him in the transition to safety. He’s been doing a good job.

Q. What were your impressions on CB Isaiah Rodgers? (Jeff Kerr)

VIC FANGIO: Good. He had a handful of plays. He got beat on the one end cut but he was tight. Overall good. He’s had a good camp.

Q. Following up on the transition from corner to safety, I know CB James Bradberry is doing this later in his career, but four of your five top safeties are converted corners right now. (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: I know [S C.J. Gardner-Johnson] Chauncey had corner —

Q. S C.J. Gardner-Johnson was slot for a long time — (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, well that’s not corner. Corner is corner. Nickel is nickel. Drastically different.

Q. You don’t have many guys that just played safety throughout their entire career. Is that an issue? Is that maybe why you brought someone in just now? Depth issues? (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, it’s more depth issues. More depth issues. [CB] Avonte [Maddox] is getting work there. So yeah, it’s a position that’s in transition from a roster standpoint.

Q. What did you like did about S Caden Sterns when you had him that short time in Denver? (John McMullen)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, he was a good player. Moved well. Had good instincts. Good ball skills. Had a good feel for the game. We just need to see where he’s at physically. He’s only played five games in the last two years, I believe.

I don’t believe you’ll see him out here on the practice field at least for a week or so. So, we need to see where he is physically, how he’s moving around and then go from there.

Q. CB Kelee Ringo had some good moments on Friday night. What have you seen from him? (Andrew DiCecco)

VIC FANGIO: I agree. He broke up some balls down around outside the numbers, which is different than playing nickel. I thought he played well and has been doing good.

Q. How would you assess the linebacker play from Friday night with LB Nakobe Dean and LB Zack Baun? (Martin Frank)

VIC FANGIO: I thought Friday night, it was pretty good. It really was.

Q. For LB Zack Baun not having played a lot of linebacker in New Orleans, if it’s such an instincts position, what did you see on tape that made you want to play him? (Bo Wulf)

VIC FANGIO: He had a few plays in New Orleans, where the way they adjusted their defense, he would end up kind of looking like an IL B at times, not a lot. And just from looking at those few plays, thought he had a chance to do it.

Q. And does LB Zack Baun have those instincts? (Bo Wulf)

VIC FANGIO: He does. I believe he does. He’s had a good camp. His first few plays the other night, he didn’t play correctly but overall, he’s had a good camp.

Q. What’s your overall philosophy toward blitzing? Is it based more on personnel, or I guess the scheme and the opponent? (Zach Berman)

VIC FANGIO: All of the above. I mean, basically, you want to blitz when you want to and you think it’s appropriate. You don’t want to blitz because you feel you have to. So that’s the answer.

I mean, we’ll have games where we hardly do it. We’ll have games where we do it a lot. So, it’s based on who we are personnel-wise, the scheme we’re going against, and what do we feel the best way to stop somebody is.

Q. I ask because you have inside linebackers who do have experience with that, whether in college, or in LB Devin White’s case, the NFL. Does that influence the way you do blitzing? (Zach Berman)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah.

Q. How about the defensive tackle rotation, you saw a lot of DT P.J. Mustipher and DT Thomas Booker and DT Gabe Hall. How do you think they did? (Ed Kracz)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I think they did fine. You know, we had a decent game against the run. We didn’t have many plays on defense the other night. You know, it was in the 40s, you know, when you take away the pre-snap stuff.

So, I would have liked to have gotten a longer look at some of them, but you know, we need to develop more pass rush in our interior line, and that’s something that hopefully we’ll get done.

Q. What did you think of OLB Jalyx Hunt and OLB Nolan Smith? (Tim McManus)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I thought Hunt did a little better than I thought he would, just based on practices. I think he’s improving and he’s coming, and I think he’ll continue to improve.

Nolan had some productive snaps there. Saw the one sack off the edge where the tackle was late getting out there and he basically had a free sack, which he converted. A lot of guys would get there and not convert them. He converted it and that was good. They are progressing.

Q. What do you think OLB Nolan Smith does best right now? (Bo Wulf)

VIC FANGIO: He’s fast and athletic. When he gets to use that part of his game, he excels. He’s got to be more physical at the point. When he has to pass rush against tackles and wrestle with them, got to be able to get something done. He’s improving.

Q. We saw OLB Jalyx Hunt make a couple plays either in coverage or out on the perimeter. How much does that background being in the secondary help him` in those situations? (EJ Smith)

VIC FANGIO: It might. It helps him some but not as much as I think you’re trying to allude to.

Q. Where do you stand on nose tackle there? (Zach Berman)

VIC FANGIO: Good. I think obviously we got [DT] Jordan [Davis], I think [DT] Milt [Milton Williams] can probably go in there and play it. You have to have — you probably dress five on game day, interior D-Linemen, and somebody has to be a backup nose.