Vic Fangio

Q. First four weeks OLB Nolan Smith had no sacks, no tackles for loss, no quarterback hits. The bye week comes and obviously since then, he’s been a different guy. What have you seen differently from him? What clicked for him? Any sense of where it came from? (Reuben Frank)

VIC FANGIO: Like I said with him, he’s done a great job working and he’s constantly improved. The more you play, the more you practice, and he’s getting more snaps now, too, since [DE Brandon Graham] BG went down. Gets more practice plays, game plays. You get better. That’s the only way you get better is to practice and play.

He was improving in those first four weeks, too. Like you’ve made note, it’s come to fruition here since.

Q. When you have that rotation with three men on the edge, is that typical that you’re short in the rotation or sort of a feeling out process? (John McMullen)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, it’s just where you’re at. I mean, three is fine. You know, we basically have two out there every play and there is anywhere from 60 to 70 plays in a game. That’s anywhere from 120 to 140 and three guys can handle that.

Q. Why did you go with CB Isaiah Rodgers over CB Kelee Ringo on that side, when typically it’s been CB Kelee Ringo? (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: [CB] Isaiah [Rodgers] has been the first in. No matter what side.

Q. DT Jalen Carter’s sack at the end the game when he fakes the stunt, is that something that was called or discussed on the sideline, or is that all him, just feel? (Bo Wulf)

VIC FANGIO: A little bit of everything. During the week we had run the stunt that he was faking in the first game with some success, so I think it worked because of that, what happened in the first game we played.

Q. There’s a chance CB Isaiah Rodgers has a bigger role this week. You get to watch him practice all season. How do you feel like he’s improved throughout the year behind the scenes without getting consistent snaps every week? (Eliot Shorr-Parks)

VIC FANGIO: Well, he was a guy that all during OTAs and training camp was doing very well. Then he broke his hand and was out for a few weeks. Was slow to recover from that, meaning when he came back he wasn’t playing at the same level he was prior.

But now he’s definitely back to where he was, and I have total confidence in him if he plays.

Q. With DT Jalen Carter, how have you seen him grow in maybe the mental side of the game or with some of those finer details like with the fake stunt and stuff like that? (EJ Smith)

VIC FANGIO: He’s grown. You play as much as he plays and he gets practice, he’s growing, you know. He’s a second-year player. He’s getting a lot of playing time. He should improve.

Q. With you and Senior Defensive Assistant/Defensive Line Coach Clint Hurtt, how have you all approached coaching DT Jalen Carter and creating opportunities for him inside? I know you don’t put ceilings on players, but how often do you coach and create schemes around him, know that he could transcend some situations? (Brooks Kubena)

VIC FANGIO: Not as often as you think. Once you do something, it affects everything else. But it’s something that we look to build on.

Q. How much freedom does DT Jalen Carter have when it comes to like some of those moves and faking the stunt? (Dave Zangaro)

VIC FANGIO: Well, when you get in obvious pass it goes up a little bit. In the either/or situations, not so much.

Q. When you have a player on that level who could be potentially what he could potentially be, do you have to hold him down a little bit from a standpoint of not praising him too much so he doesn’t get too big of a head too soon? (Merrill Reese)

VIC FANGIO: (Smiling.) A little bit, but I don’t worry about that because there is plenty to correct, too.

Q. Commanders QB Jayden Daniels is obviously a young quarterback and you saw him just last month. He’s played in his first post-season games. In that small amount of time has he changed? (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: [Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels] He’s a young quarterback by birth certificate, not by the tape. You know, the guy is playing extremely well. You can tell how much they think he’s playing so good-bye the volume of their offense and the things they trust him to do.

He’s come through for them in a big way, and he’s tough to handle.

Q. You mentioned the volume. Aside from the amount of plays that Commanders Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has and goes to, are there a lot of teams around the league that run a lot of what he does? (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: I’m sure there are. You know, he has the added dimension of the gun-run game where he can have design runs for the quarterback or pull it and keep it.

That adds another level to an offense, and [Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels] he excels at that. I assume he was doing it in college and it just comes natural to him.

Q. Is that the best you’ve ever seen a rookie play at that position? (Bob Brookover)

VIC FANGIO: You know, probably, yeah.

Q. What’s the teaching point from the fourth quarter of the last game? (Reuben Frank)

VIC FANGIO: We just got to finish. You know, I think you do have to give them some credit. [Rams QB Matthew Stafford] He made some great throws, made some great catches. Wasn’t like we left somebody wide open.

They’re good. I think you always have to give the other team some credit. When you’re executing, when you’re where supposed to be and they’re just out-executing you and making plays.

But our guys kept going. We had belief that we could come up with a stop and we did.

Q. Is Commanders QB Jayden Daniels the type of guy you have to more mush rush him in terms of way that he runs gun runs or do you feel like you can still go ahead and pressure him more outright? (Chris Franklin)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, it’s always a fine line there. If you’re mush rushing, then he stands forever, too. So we to do a good job of rushing. When we’re rushing four or five, and make sure we don’t give them length.

Q. To get the production you got from young guys like OLB Jalyx Hunt, DT Moro Ojomo, how valuable has that been for you and how much have they improved throughout the course of the year? (Martin Frank)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, it’s been very valuable. They have improved. [DT Moro Ojomo] Mo has really done a nice job with the snaps he’s got over the last few months. We have total confidence in him when we’re in there. Nothing changes. He’s got some athleticism. He seems to show up.

And [OLB] Jalyx [Hunt] is getting better, too.

Q. When there is a team as aggressive and successful on fourth downs as they’ve been does it affect your approach on third downs at all? (Zach Berman)

VIC FANGIO: Sometimes. Depending on what the third down is from a yardage standpoint.

Q. You stuck with LB Oren Burks in that game. Was that the plan going in? (Dave Zangaro)

VIC FANGIO: We had planned to possibly play [LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.] Trot some but Oren was doing okay, things were going okay, so we stuck with it.

Q. When you have a back like Commanders RB Austin Ekeler who can impact the pass game more than most, does that shift your philosophy a little bit at linebacker or not? (John McMullen)

VIC FANGIO: In what way?

Q. From the coverage standpoint. We talk about LB Oren Burks and LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. just whether someone has better coverage ability or not, is that more a part of that when you have a back like Ekeler? (John McMullen)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah could be. Basically Trot and Oren are very similar, so it doesn’t in this case.

Q. How do you think they’re so efficient on fourth down? (Brooks Kubena)

VIC FANGIO: Quarterback and the talent around him.

Q. In CB Darius Slay’s case you don’t see corners at that age very often. What allows him to be effective at age 34? (Zach Berman)

VIC FANGIO: Well, he’s like some good Italian red wine. Gets better with age. He’s still in good shape. Hadn’t lost much of his movement. Still really likes to play and I think that’s a big part of it.

Q. Speaking of the talent around Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, anybody standing out in terms of their growth over the season? (Tim McManus)

VIC FANGIO: Well, [Commanders TE Zach] Ertz and [Commanders WR Terry] McLaurin are two of the best at their positions. [Commanders WR Dyami] Brown has really come on for them of late. Their backs are good now that they got [Commanders RB Austin] Ekeler back. [Commanders RB Brian] Robinson [Jr.] is a good back. They’re really well balanced in their skill positions.

What they can and can’t do.

Q. Have you also gotten better with age? (Bo Wulf)

VIC FANGIO: Me? I’ll leave that up to you guys.

Q. LB Zack Baun and DB Cooper DeJean, when you’re able to bring them down to the front out of nickel, how does that allow you to — I guess the versatility, how does that help you when you don’t have to change personnel when you have different fronts? (Zach Berman)

VIC FANGIO: It helps for sure. When you don’t have to sub to do different stuff, it helps.