Vic Fangio

Q. When you have two rookies starting, do you kind of go into it knowing that there’s going to be bad plays but you’re going to get the good plays too? How do you kind of approach that? (Reuben Frank)

Vic Fangio: [Former NFL player and coach] Bud Grant used to say for every rookie you play you can add one to your loss column. I don’t necessarily agree with that, but that’s what he used to say.

Q. What did you see in the two explosives that you guys gave up? (John McMullen)

Vic Fangio: Bad play.

Q. Any context to it? Any teaching points? (John McMullen)

Vic Fangio: Yeah, a lot of teaching points.

Q. Should S Andrew Mukuba — does he have to play the man there and S Reed Blankenship’s kind of in front, he’s in back, is he the guy that has to play the man there? (Bob Brookover)

Vic Fangio: No, he has to play his deep zone.

Q. What do you attribute right now to the lack of sacks from your edge rushers right now? (Jeff Neiburg)

Vic Fangio: I don’t think our rush has been bad. The ball’s been coming out pretty quick at times. I haven’t felt an epidemic during the games when I’m calling them that our rush isn’t good enough. So sacks are sacks.

Q. Are those simulated pressures with LB Zack Baun, is that in response to OLB Nolan Smith not being available? Was that something you were planning on? (Brooks Kubena)

Vic Fangio: No, that’s just part of what we do.

Q. A couple weeks ago you were talking about LB Jihaad Campbell playing off-ball alone. Letting LB Zack Baun kind of be on the EDGE. It seems like that was something he was able to do this week. What have you made of Campbell’s progression and the trustees earned to be off ball alone? (Brooks Kubena)

Vic Fangio: Yeah, that hadn’t happened.

Q. How do you think CB Kelee Ringo held up? (John McMullen)

Vic Fangio: Good, I thought he did good. I mean he can be better. The true test for him will be to see how he improves, but overall did good.\

Q. Would you like to keep him there even when CB Adoree’ Jackson is healthy? (Reuben Frank)

Vic Fangio: It’s possible.

Q. What did you like about CB Kelee Ringo’s performance? In what areas did you see for improvement? (Tim McManus)

Vic Fangio: He was pretty sticky in man coverage. I like to see his tackling improve. One thing a guy has to learn that has played predominantly special teams is tackling on defense is a lot different than tackling in special teams, but I’m confident he can improve that.

Q. If I can ask a big picture career question the last time the Eagles played the Broncos — You were on the other sideline. How did that experience as a head coach help you as a coordinator in the years after. Just the experience with Denver. How did that help you as a coordinator? (Zach Berman)

Vic Fangio: I was still the coordinator there, so it was just one of 25 or 26 years of being a coordinator.

Q. With another body going down with OLB Ogbo Okoronkwo’s injury. Are you comfortable right now with what you have in the edge rush room? Do you think you need outside upgrades? (Jeff Neiburg)

Vic Fangio: I think we’re good with what we have. The numbers are dwindling and if we need more, I’m sure [Executive Vice President/General Manager] Howie [Roseman] will get something done.

Q. What have you seen from OLB Azeez Ojulari in practice of late? (Andrew DiCecco)

Vic Fangio: Yeah, he’s been practicing good.

Q. Is S Andrew Mukuba playing almost exclusively that safety spot just because of the personnel usage or are you going to stick just with him there? (Jeff Neiburg)

Vic Fangio: Right now he’s playing full-time.

Q. What are the factors that had OLB Azeez Ojulari inactive for the first four games? (Tim McManus)

Vic Fangio: Well, special teams plays a major factor in that when you’re talking about either your fourth or fifth guy if you have five dressed, so that’s a big factor.

Q. What have you seen specifically from OLB Joshua Uche and OLB Za’Darius Smith since he got here? (Reuben Frank)

Vic Fangio: I Thought Za’Darius Smith played his best game since he had been here, which is expected and I think Josh [Uche] is improving too and I’m pleased with where he’s headed.

Q. What have you seen from CB Quinyon Mitchell and in his year two so far? (Dave Zangaro)

Vic Fangio: Good. I thought he played very well the other day. I told him I think it was his best game since he’s been here. He played well.

Q. What will you look for, LB Nakobe Dean’s eligible to come back here [soon]. Is he ready in your mind, what have you seen and how would you describe what he did for this team last year? (Bob Brookover)

Vic Fangio: Well, he played great last year. Besides being the signal caller guy and being a leader, you can’t be a leader if you don’t play good and he played great for us last year. As far as where he is at now, either this week or next week, he’ll start his practice window and then we’ll see where he is at.

Q. What are the challenges that Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix presents? (Merrill Reese)

Vic Fangio: He’s a lot like [Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB] Baker Mayfield. I think he might be Baker’s younger brother. Really good, really, really good.

Q. DB Cooper DeJean, his tackling. What kind of luxury is that? Have you had many corners in your career that can tackle like Cooper? (John McMullen)

Vic Fangio: Well, he’s playing mainly nickel, so that’s an important part of the nickel position because you’re playing so much of it anymore on the early downs, so that’s part of the job description and he does a great job at it. We’re thrilled to have him.

Q. When you say Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield’s brother, what similar skill sets do you see there? (Tim McManus)

Vic Fangio: Well, you just watch [Buccaneers QB Baker] Mayfield. I mean he’s a scrambler, he’s a competitor. He’ll throw the ball in tight places. He runs their offense really well. I think [Denver Broncos Head Coach] Sean’s [Payton] done a great job bringing him along and they got their quarterback for the future. They looked long and hard for many years and they’ve got one.

Q. What kind of role do you see for LB Nakobe Dean with LB Zack Baun and LB Jihaad Campbell? (Reuben Frank)

Vic Fangio: We’ll see when that we get there. I don’t think we’re there yet.

Q. When you were talking about LB Jihaad Campbell, so like a rush at the start of the second half where Baun’s rushing off the edge, is that more Campbell’s getting help inside? If he’s not all alone. (Brooks Kubena)

Vic Fangio: I wouldn’t consider that where he’s off the ball by himself.

Q. Do you think right now LB Jihaad Campbell has the requisite skillset right now to play on the edge more? Is it a possibility? Jihaad plays the edge and LB Nakobe Dean plays linebacker? (Jeff Neiburg)

Vic Fangio: Not right now.

Q. The quarterback aside, a few of the blue-chip players there, you were a big part of bringing there. How much have you paid attention to what Denver’s done in the past few years? (Zach Berman)

Vic Fangio: Not too much. I still have good friends in that organization. I wish them nothing but the best except this week. [Denver Broncos Head Coach] Sean Payton’s a friend of mine. I think there’s only about eight or nine players left from when I was there, and they’re all good players, so really not too much. It’s four years down the road. Those are dog years in this business.

Q. What kind of problems does Denver Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton present? (John McMullen)

Vic Fangio: He’s an excellent play caller. There are very multiple on offense with multiple personnel groups, multiple schemes from the play standpoint, but yet still has a good bit of old school in him and they’ll run the ball. They like the power game and the run game. He’s really good. He’s tough to go against.

Q. It’s clear that DT Jalen Carter has been dealing with that shoulder injury. How do you know how much to play him as he deals with that? (Dave Zangaro)

Vic Fangio: Yeah, I think it’s something that every now and then will really sting him and we got to get him out for a little bit and then I think it calms down and he’s able to go. But yeah, there’s no doubt he’s fighting through an injury and I thought he played well the other day. In spite of that,

Q. Once Denver Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton got there, he tried hiring you or was interested in hiring you – (Zach Berman)

Vic Fangio: You’re like the shit stirrer.

Q. I’m curious how much you paid attention to potentially going back there as coordinator? (Zach Berman)

Vic Fangio: I didn’t.

Vic Fangio: You know what you guys have missed? Not just you but everybody is, we gave up a 65-yard field goal and a 58-yard field goal. These kicking balls that they changed this year have drastically changed the kicking game, field goals in particular. So it’s almost like they need an asterisk here. It was the live ball era or the asterisk for those home runs [Former MLB player Barry] Bonds and [Former MLB player Sammy] Sosa and [Former MLB player Mark] McGwire were hitting. The way they’ve changed the ball. The NFL, the kicking ball has drastically changed the field goals.

Q. Is the shape different? (Merrill Reese)

Vic Fangio: No. The kicking balls, and you can ask [Special Teams Coordinator Michael] Clay about it when he gets in here, but in years past, the officials would rub them down or other people would rub them down and you play with them. Now the balls are in house all week and they kick those balls that they’ve had and nobody else touches them. The guy in Dallas [K Brandon Aubrey] is going to hit a 70-plus yarder this year. You can just book it.

Q. Does it change the way you call? (Dave Zangaro)

Vic Fangio: Yeah. I mean who thought they would hit a 65 yarder the other day? So its drastically changed the game, the kicking game and the field goal. Guys have longer range than they used to. Kind of like [Former MLB Player] Brady Anderson with the Orioles and he went from 15 homers to 50 in one year.