Vic Fangio

Q. In terms of your nickel personnel and teams running at you with a light box, what can be done to offset what has clearly been a problem? (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, we’ve obviously played a lot of nickel these first few games because teams are playing a lot of three wides against us, so most teams’ normal reaction is to play a good bit of nickel.

I have to do a better job of coaching the guys on the technique and do the job better. I just haven’t done a good enough job of getting that done.

Q. LB Zack Baun being new inside deals with him handling cut blocks. Are there ways you can schematically support him, or is it something he just has to beat? (Brooks Kubena)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, it was the first time he was exposed to cut blocking, and he learned a valuable lesson, and I think he’s going to be better prepared for it now. But yeah, there are some teams that will climb and cut, some teams don’t. That’s the first time he’s seen it. He needs to react better to it, but we need to get him ready for it, too.

Q. Is LB Devin White any closer to getting on the field? And if not, what are some things he has to do to put him in the position — (Jeff Neiburg)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, he’s practicing and staying attentive and ready to roll. Special teams plays a part of it. But yeah, he’s ready and available.

Q. Do you feel like you’ve reached a point — obviously two teams have gouged you on the run. Problems with pass rush. Do you feel like you’ve reached a point where changes need to be made? I know it’s early. (Bob Brookover)

VIC FANGIO: You know, not wholesale changes, no. We need to do a better job, with me at the lead, of preparing the guys to play with better technique and better discipline.

Q. With that said, do you think you have the talent up front to get that done? (Dave Zangaro)

VIC FANGIO: Yes.

Q. What makes you convinced that you do? (Dave Zangaro)

VIC FANGIO: Because I’ve seen these guys play, and I believe we do.

Q. I wanted to ask you specifically about the three Georgia guys: DT Jalen Carter, DT Jordan Davis, and OLB Nolan Smith. We kind of look at them together because they’re all first-round picks from the same school, they’re friends. That group, their production hasn’t been, I assume, what they were hoping for, what you were hoping for. What have you seen from those three guys as they work through your scheme? (Reuben Frank)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I think when you talk production, correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re talking sacks and pressures and stuff, and until we do a better job of playing the run, those aren’t coming. That’s for sure.

We all have to do a better job, starting with me, of playing the run better.

Q. With DE Bryce Huff, is he going to remain your starter? (Tim McManus)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, he’s still going to be the starter, but we’re mixing those guys in, as I know you know, and we’ll continue to do that.

Q. What have you seen out of him to this point? What’s your evaluation? (Tim McManus)

VIC FANGIO: He’s still learning how to play the total game and not just rush situations. But he’s working hard at it, and we’re going to stick with him.

Q. Atlanta went on a lot of those stretch runs, try to get you outside and flow to the ball and cut back. Do you see some similarities with the Saints in that regard? (Ed Kracz)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, the Saints definitely have that run in their repertoire. They’ve run it a few times this year. And probably after watching our game, they may want to run it some more.

Q. Why do you frame it that these sacks and pressures are dependent upon stopping the run? (Zach Berman)

VIC FANGIO: Well, if you don’t stop the run, you’re not going to get in the obvious pass. The team we’re playing this week, they either run it or max protect play action, run boots. They’re doing a great job offensively, which makes it hard.

Q. From your perspective, what happened on the last drive? (John McMullen)

VIC FANGIO: You know, it started off as what you think of as a two-minute drive, but within two plays, it really wasn’t two-minute anymore. We gave up the big one on the sideline there on the second play, and after that, it became ‘They are in the red zone’ and they got their time and their set of downs to do it.

Again, we just need to coach it better, starting with me, to get them to do it better.

Q. DB Cooper DeJean, he only played one snap on Monday night. What’s going on there? What does he need to do — (Martin Frank)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, right now he’s the backup nickel. We’re trying to focus him on the nickel position. For the first week, he was starting in dime, as the dime DB. So he was having to learn the dime and be the backup nickel. With all the time he’s lost, we’re going to focus him at nickel right now and see if he can make good enough progress there.

Q. How would you evaluate OLB Nolan Smith through two games? (Jeff Kerr)

VIC FANGIO: Good, I think [OLB] Nolan [Smith] has come a ways since his rookie year. I think he’s playing better on the edge than he was last year, all around.

Q. You said in training camp about blitzing, that you want to blitz if you want to, not when you have to. The heavy blitz that came with the touchdown that Falcons QB Kirk Cousins had. Did you feel at that point you were blitzing because you had to? (Brooks Kubena)

VIC FANGIO: It was both. I felt it was a good time and felt — 50 percent thought it was a good time, 50 percent felt like we had to.

Q. You mentioned LB Zack Baun never being exposed to cut blocks, DE Bryce Huff is still learning your scheme, DB Cooper DeJean is another young guy trying to get on the field, CB Quinyon Mitchell is a rookie. You have a lot of young players. Is the personnel as constructed on defense tilted way too young or inexperienced for you to function at a high level? (Jeff McLane)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I don’t think it’s as cut and dry as that. You can be young and still play well, mentally and physically. There’s been a lot of guys that do that.

Are we still in the process of learning how to do everything? Probably. Doing it at a high level of proficiency, especially when the game is on the line.

But yeah, I mean, maybe.

Q. You’ve been with this group for a couple of months. Is this where you felt like you were going to be at this point, or are you behind? (Jeff Neiburg)

VIC FANGIO: No, obviously the run defense, particularly this past game, was nowhere near good enough, and I thought we could do that better.

Q. In light of DT Jalen Carter getting disciplined for the beginning of that game, is he doing the things necessary that you’re looking for? Where do you stand with him? (Tim McManus)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, he had the hiccups last week during the week which caused that. But overall, he is. But like a lot of us, starting with the coaches, he can do better.

Q. CB Quinyon Mitchell was pretty hard on himself on that last drive, saying he needs to get better depth in some of the coverage and play with better leverage. How do you view that, and how is his progress coming along? (Ed Kracz)

VIC FANGIO: I think his progress is good. I think he’s doing a good job as a rookie corner. He alluded to that play. But overall, he’s doing a good job and [I am] very pleased with him.

Q. Considering the pressure that’s coming from just the front itself, do you feel like you’re at the point in the defense where you’re comfortable blitzing when you want to, or do you feel like you have to stimulate more? (Brooks Kubena)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I do. The one thing we have done decently the first two weeks is 3rd down, and we’ve done it without much pressure. So I think it’s there when we need it.

Q. Saints QB Derek Carr has had a ton of success against you. I think he’s 6-2 with 12 TDs in those games. Why, and when you look at the film this week, is he playing better than he’s ever played? (Bob Brookover)

VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I think this offense really suits him. He’s always been one of the most talented passers in the league. He throws it short, intermediate, and deep very, very well. Throws a great deep ball. They’re max protecting a lot, giving him time. They’re running boots. They’ve got the running game going.

I think this offense and him is a really good marriage.

Q. What are some of the keys to unlocking the stunts up front, making them more effective? (Dave Zangaro)

VIC FANGIO: You know, it’s dependent upon what they’re doing. We’ve run some stunts and have moved people in an effort, at times, to help with the run. And sometimes it helps you, and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s kind of like pressuring. You want to stunt when you want to and not because you feel you’ve got to do something different to help you with the run.