Vic Fangio

Q. What do you think flipped for the whole pass rush group? Six sacks the first four games, 13 in the last two. (Reuben Frank)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I think in this past game, it was a good mix of coverage complementing the rush. [Giants QB Daniel Jones] had to hold the ball a little longer than he would have liked to, and it gave our guys a better chance and more time to get there. And I do think that was, in this past game, a big part of it.

Q. You’ve had a lot of success with simulated blitzes. What’s the key to making those work and having them be so effective? (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: Calling them at the right time.

Q. It’s based on timing? (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah. They are only four-man rushes, and normal-type coverages behind them. So, there’s never a guarantee of anything.

But if you can hit them right, they do have a good effect.

Q. What makes LB Nakobe Dean so good as a blitzer? (Dave Zangaro)

VIC FANGIO: He had a good day Sunday, blitzing. [I] was really happy with the way he did do it. He got cut the one time, popped right back up. That’s great effort. Had good timing on the other one where he got the sack early in the game. So it was a combination of everything.

Q. How much do you feel like what has happened in the last two weeks is about the defense getting to understand what you want them to do? How much is that advancing, in your mind? (Bob Brookover)

VIC FANGIO: I think it’s natural and logical that the more you do play in a system, the better you do get at it. But at the same point, I don’t think that had anything to do with our poor play against Tampa and our not being able to play the run better against Atlanta.

So yes, it is part of it, but I don’t think it’s the whole thing.

Q. You mentioned the coverage part of it. How much is DB Cooper DeJean adding from the nickel spot to that? (John McMullen)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, he’s played good. You know, we played a lot of zone the other day. So it wasn’t like he was on a guy and smothering him out or anything. It was a really big, big zone game the other day.

Q. CB Quinyon Mitchell has come close on three different interception possibilities. He seems like a guy that looks to make the big play. I’m just curious what your experience is with rookies and them just trying to survive versus actually trying to make big plays, like he seems to? (Jimmy Kempski)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I do know he wants to get off the schneid and get an NFL interception.

To get to the meat of your question, yeah, it’s both. But he’s played a lot. When I say he’s played a lot, he’s basically been our first-team right corner since early on in camp. So I think he’s passed the point of hanging on, and now he’s being an NFL starting corner.

Q. Getting back to the pass rush, what in particular have you seen from guys like DE Bryce Huff, who had a pretty slow start, and OLB Nolan Smith? What’s been the difference for those two guys? (Martin Frank)

VIC FANGIO: I think [OLB] Nolan [Smith] in particular has continued to improve as the season has gone on. He’s not a big guy as edge players go, per se. But he did win on a rush the other day where it was more of a power-type rush, which he has to incorporate more into his game.  And that was good to see.

And in [DE] Bryce [Huff]’s case, we had some more passing situations in this past game that allowed him to play some more.

Q. Was there significance in OLB Nolan Smith getting the start? Was there any meaning or significance behind that? (Zach Berman)

VIC FANGIO: No, because we were in base the first play. And he’s going to be out there if we are in base.

Q. Given what you’ve said about the importance of practice in the past, how important and valuable was it to see guys like OLB Jalyx Hunt and S Sydney Brown get real reps on defense at the end of the game? (Bo Wulf)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, really important. It’s good for those guys to get a handful of plays. In [S] Sydney [Brown]’s case, he had not played since whenever he got hurt last year. And [OLB] Jalyx [Hunt] had not had defensive snaps since whenever he last played in the preseason.

So it is very important for those guys to get out there, get a feel for what it’s really like. The speed of the game from practice to a real game. So it is good to get that done.

Q. Is there room for OLB Jalyx Hunt to be part of that rotation? (Bo Wulf)

VIC FANGIO: Possibly, yeah.

Q. What stands out to you about the Cincinnati offense? (Eliot Shorr-Parks)

VIC FANGIO: Well, you start with [Bengals QB] Joe Burrow, [Bengals WR Ja’Marr] Chase, and [Bengals WR Tee] Higgins, those are big-time players at their positions. Top of the line. And they have been running the ball better this year. So they are really good. They scored a bunch of points against Baltimore. Lost by one point, I think it was 27-26 against Kansas City.

They are really good.

Q. DT Jordan Davis, the way the game went, he didn’t get a lot of playing time. How is he handling his role? How have you seen him? From your thought process, how is he playing this season? (John McMullen)

VIC FANGIO: I think he’s handling his role good. We roll those guys. As you know, [Senior Defensive Assistant/Defensive Line Coach] Clint [Hurtt] does a good job of rolling those guys based upon the way the game is going and what type of game it is.

And especially once we got the two or three score lead there, at whatever point that was in the second half, we started rolling guys and played the other guys in the nickel stuff.

Q. With S Sydney Brown, what role do you see him carving out over the coming weeks? (Reuben Frank)

VIC FANGIO: We’ll see. Any time you say, ‘Get a role,’ that means somebody comes out.

He still needs to practice more, play a little bit more meaningful snaps in practice. He’s not totally honed up on what to do, but he’s done a great job of paying attention in meetings and being engaged all through his rehab.

I do think, whenever he does get a chance to play, it’ll be a quick transition as far as mentally goes.

Q. Within DE Bryce Huff’s pass rushing situations, are you seeing improvement there? (Brooks Kubena)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, he had some better ones this past week, yes.

Q. What has improved? (Brooks Kubena)

VIC FANGIO: Just getting off better. Not getting stuck early and getting something going early.

Q. Do you worry at all about DB Cooper DeJean returning punts? He has ended up being a big part of the defense. Do you worry about him being on the field for that when you need him defensively as much as you do? (Bob Brookover)

VIC FANGIO: Yes.

Q. How do you address that? (Bob Brookover)

VIC FANGIO: I don’t. [Former 49ers LB] NaVorro Bowman, going back to my San Francisco days, who was an All-Pro there for three straight years, he covered every punt for us for three straight years. And I didn’t like that, either. So, you’ve just got to deal with it.

Q. Speaking of the rush and coverage essentially being married to each other there, what goes into that? How does that work the way you want it to? (Zach Berman)

VIC FANGIO: Well, just executing the coverages. Getting a good mix of coverages, too. Not being in the same coverage all the time. Try and make things look the same early, and make the quarterback decipher it.

Q. You mentioned how much zone you played. With the second-level defenders, how important is it, pass off? And DB Cooper DeJean, it seemed like he had a couple in the first game, but what are keys for a young guy to get used to that? (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: Knowing where the rest of the guys are and how the routes that are developing affect the other guys next to him. And I thought he did a better – he missed one early in the game where he didn’t come off quickly enough. Luckily, they didn’t throw it to where he was late on his responsibility. But I do think our inside backers, too, in this past game, did a good job underneath in those zones.

Q. Following up on DB Cooper DeJean, what is it you like about his mentality, and how coachable is he for you? What about his personality in that regard – (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, he’s very coachable. Got a good demeanor to play. I think that’s a strength of his and will only get better. And I think the more he plays and the more experienced he becomes – you try and expose him to as much stuff as you can in practice, but obviously with the low reps of practice, you don’t get that done always.

But I do think he’ll learn – he won’t be a repeat offender. If he makes a mistake on something new, it will be in his memory bank and not happen again.

Q. What makes Passing Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach Christian Parker an effective communicator, especially with the rookie corners he has? (Dave Zangaro)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, he spends a lot of extra time with them. He’ll meet with them in his office one-on-one a good bit. [He] does a good job putting together teaching hand-outs, teaching cut-ups to do a good job of explaining what we’re expecting.

Q. Two takeaways in six games. Do you feel like you have the group who can get those takeaways? (Reuben Frank)

VIC FANGIO: I do. But at the same time, talk is cheap. We haven’t done it. So we’ve got to get off the schneid there and get some takeaways. We really do.

Q. Do you ever talk to LB Nakobe Dean about Ravens LB Roquan Smith? You obviously had him, and they went to the same school. Do you ever talk about him, and do you see any similarities at all? (Bob Brookover)

VIC FANGIO: No, not really. But when we installed the defense, [Ravens LB] Roquan [Smith] was on a bunch of the teaching cut-ups from the one year we were together in Chicago. So [LB Nakobe Dean] did get to see [Roquan Smith] play, and I’m sure he’s very aware of him from the Georgia connection.

What year was Nakobe a rookie? ‘22? Yeah, Roquan came out in ’18. So I don’t think there was any overlap there, but I’m sure he knows of him.

But what’s disappointing a little bit is these college players come in here, and they don’t know the history of their schools. You ask them, ‘Who is the greatest player at such and such position from Georgia?’ if you’re talking to Nakobe. And they don’t know.

Q. When you look at the fact that CB Darius Slay has had to leave the last couple games for any number of plays, leaving CB Quinyon Mitchell as the top guy, how do you think he’s handled that, and how do you think that prepares him for the future? (Martin Frank)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, to me, it’s of no concern to him. It doesn’t matter who is playing the other corner, he is playing his corner, and whoever is at the other one, doesn’t matter.

But [CB] Quinyon [Mitchell] obviously has gotten a lot of snaps for us, both in camp and in the games. And he’s our starting corner. And he’s getting better and better.

Q. This was a big zone game for you. When you go in and you’re game planning for the Giants, why do you decide this is going to be a big zone game? (John McMullen)

VIC FANGIO: [It’s] not so much that I had that decided going in. Kind of the way it played out and the flow of the game was telling me that. And we had some success with it and stayed with it.

Q. That 2021 Broncos game against Bengals QB Joe Burrow, what do you recall from that game? (Zach Berman)

VIC FANGIO: We lost. I believe it was 15-10. It was a close game, but obviously we didn’t get it done.

I believe that was the year they went to the Super Bowl. They were really good then.

They are really good still. It will be a challenge. They are really good on offense with their skill guys.

Q. Who is the greatest player from East Stroudsburg? (Bo Wulf)

VIC FANGIO: [Former NFL DT] Ray Yakavonis. Or [former NFL/USFL DB] Mike Lush.

Philadelphia Stars. There you go.