Vic Fangio

Q. S Tristin McCollum, what have you seen behind the scenes that we might not know about him that helped him to get in position to make that play on fourth down? (Reuben Frank)

VIC FANGIO: [S] Tristin [McCollum] is a guy that I think has good talent, good ability to play the position. He’s young, inexperienced. I believe as he gets more and more reps, he’ll be better and better, which is not rocket science. The more you practice, the more you play, the better you get.

I like his movement. I think he can be a good safety.

Q. You mentioned that youth and inexperience, he’s not the only one in the secondary. When you talk about the communication back there, what do you think the keys are to getting those guys up to speed to be able to function as a unit in the secondary? (John McMullen)

VIC FANGIO: Well, the preparation you put in during the week. I think our secondary coaches, all three of them, do a good job of that. [Inside Linebackers Coach] Bobby [King] is part of that, too. The ILBs are part of that communication. I think they all do a good job of preparing the players during the week.

The more you get to play with one another, the better it gets. It’s just repetitions. Practice, meetings, repetitions.

Q. In terms of your group being physical and playing with fundamentals, was Sunday probably the peak for that this year, would you say? (Brooks Kubena)

VIC FANGIO: I don’t know. We try and play that way each and every week. Baltimore is really good on offense. We had to be physical to hang in there with them.

That’s our goal every week.

Q. You mentioned last week CB Isaiah Rodgers was close with CB Kelee Ringo to being the backup behind CB Darius Slay. What is it about his game that you like? (Ed Kracz)

VIC FANGIO: I think he has good cover ability when he does it right. On occasion, he can get sloppy with his technique, and he pays for it. But I do think he has good talent and good cover ability. For a guy that’s on the small side weight-wise, he tackles pretty good.

Q. It seems like DT Jalen Carter has been getting held quite a bit. Is there anything you guys can do to help him get some calls? (Dave Zangaro)

VIC FANGIO: I don’t know. You got any ideas (smiling)?

There was one play in particular where he was grossly held and pulled to the ground. And there was no call, so…

Yes, and I don’t know what we can do about it.

Q. DT Jordan Davis seems to be playing well when you have him in the five-man front, even in the four-man front, against the run. But he hasn’t been playing as much since earlier in the season. How do you balance what he can do in that regard with giving him more as a pass-rusher? (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: We just try and rotate those guys at that position opposite [DT] Jalen [Carter]. I think [Senior Defensive Assistant/Defensive Line Coach] Clint [Hurtt] does a good job for the most part of doing that.

[DT] Jordan [Davis] is a better run defender than he is a pass-rusher at this moment in time. [I] do think he’s getting better. But we just try and rotate those guys.

Q. What do you think he could do to become a better pass-rusher? (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: Just convert quicker, get into his rush quicker. Tends to get high sometimes.

Q. Who do you think has benefited most from the way DT Jalen Carter has played the past however many weeks? (Bob Brookover)

VIC FANGIO: Our team.

Q. How about player-wise? (Bob Brookover)

VIC FANGIO: [DT Milton Williams] Milt has benefited some. We all have. He’s caused some sacks for other people by applying the early pressure that makes the quarterback move and buys time for somebody else to get there.

Really our team and our defense have prospered because of his play.

Q. What’s the process for in-game adjustments? Because we’ve seen, like the Ravens game this season, teams drive down early, then they’re slow thereafter. (Zach Berman)

VIC FANGIO: A lot of it is [that] we just play better. Are there some adjustments? Yeah. Not adjustments to where we change something schematically. Adjustments in what we call.

Q. The defense has really taken off since the bye. What’s the biggest discovery or adjustment that was made during that time that translates to what we’re seeing now? (Tim McManus)

VIC FANGIO: I don’t think I can put a finger on one thing to answer that question. We’ve just played better.

Q. From what you’ve seen on tape, where has Panthers QB Bryce Young improved? (Merrill Reese)

VIC FANGIO: Just in the full operation of their offense. I think they’ve done a good job of coaching him. They have a really good running back in [Panthers RB Chuba] Hubbard. They feature him. They’re running play-action and boots off of that run game.

I think they’ve done a good job in their entire offense of finding out who they are within his quarterback abilities.

Q. Going back to DT Jalen Carter, are there still moments when you watch him on tape that he does something that surprises you? (EJ Smith)

VIC FANGIO: He has very good balance. He can be losing early, get his body in a bad position, but he can recover.

Q. The open field tackle that DB Cooper DeJean had on Ravens RB Derrick Henry, obviously he’s given up 40, 50 pounds. What does it take to make a play like that? How has he been doing? It seems like he’s been making a lot of those plays this season. (Martin Frank)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, it was good technique. Good job of wrapping up. Good job of targeting where to hit him. It all came together for a really good play.

Q. How do you feel about sticking with a three-man rotation at the edge? Is that sustainable? Are you okay with that? (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, that’s sustainable. Played a whole year in San Francisco with three guys for 16 games. So it’s sustainable.

Q. Last week I talked to you about OLB Jalyx Hunt, if he was ready for those extra reps, and you said ‘We’ll see.’ What did you see? (John McMullen)

VIC FANGIO: Some good. Some not so good. Now he’s at the point where he’s got to improve and build on that. It’s a process. The more you practice, the more you play, you get better. In spite of what [Hall of Fame Philadelphia 76er] Allen Iverson ever said (smiling).

Some guys, personnel guys around the league, they think, ‘Hey, this guy can do it. Just throw him in.’ They expect the finished product. You never have the finished product with a young player until they get enough practice time and playing time.

So the key will be, how does he improve?

Q. On the high throw to Ravens TE Mark Andrews, S Reed Blankenship came in. Turned into a long gain there. Is there a hesitation there for rules? What would you teach in that moment? (Brooks Kubena)

VIC FANGIO: He needs to make that play one way or another. He needs to either pick it off or break it up.

Q. You just made a Philly reference. Has there been any special satisfaction about having success here this year because you’ve always had a special affinity for this place? (Bob Brookover)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I think you guys know, I grew up a Philadelphia big-time sports fan. That was a big part of my motivation to come back here. We tried to do it a couple other times throughout the years, but it never timed out right.

Yeah, it brings back a little satisfaction.

Q. Is that why you favor Kelly Green? (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: Kelly Green? No, it was hanging in my locker, so I put it on [referencing his sweatshirt].

Q. Knowing the history the way you do, DT Jalen Carter, a lot of people that have been around him for a while made a former Eagles All-Pro DT Jerome Brown reference. Is that fair in terms of his ceiling? (Rob Kuestner)

VIC FANGIO: I don’t ever like to compare people because at the end of the day, somebody ends up feeling slighted.

But he’s a damn good player, and he’s improving. Just like I said [OLB] Jalyx [Hunt] has to improve, Jalen is still a young player that needs to improve. He’s been very coachable. [He’s] playing good football.

Q. In the opening press conference, you had that line when people were asking, limiting explosive plays, rushing the quarterback, you said they’re all priorities. As you look at the stat sheet after the game, what’s, for you, the biggest indication of how your team performed? (Zach Berman)

VIC FANGIO: It could look different every game. Clumps of statistics over a 17-game schedule can’t really tell you a whole lot, other than the good highs and the bad lows.

It could be, you don’t give up explosives and you hang in there. You have a good day on third down when you finally get them to third down, even though you’re playing a little so-so. But when you get them to third down, you get off. You have a good day in the red zone, even though they’re moving it on you, so you can keep it down.

I just think every game has its own personality. I can look at a game sheet and give you that answer, but season-long stats can be skewed.

Q. In this Ravens game, which was the number that you’re most proud of? (Zach Berman)

VIC FANGIO: We had a good day going on third down, which was key. We didn’t even get them to third down. Only once on the first two drives, I believe.

We didn’t give up the huge explosive play until that last drive, which was disappointing, that long run by the quarterback. That was part of it.

We hung in there.

Q. You mentioned DT Jalen Carter being coachable. How does that show up? (Dave Zangaro)

VIC FANGIO: In his technique and in his play.