Q. What do you think flipped for the whole pass rush group, six sacks the first four game, 13 the last two?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I think in this past game, it was a good mix of coverage complimenting the rush. He 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?
VIC FANGIO: Calling them at the right time.
Q. It's based on time?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah. You know, they are only four-man rushes, and normal-type coverages behind them. So you know, there's never no guarantee of anything.
But if you can hit them right, they do have good effect.
Q. What makes Nakobe so good as a blitzer?
VIC FANGIO: He had a good day Sunday blitzing. You know, 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 just the defense getting to understand what you want them to do and how much is that advancing in your mind?
VIC FANGIO: I think it's natural and logical that the more you do play in the system, the better you do get at it. But you know, 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.
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 Cooper -- how much is he adding from the nickel spot to that?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, he's played good. You know, we played a lot of zone the other day. You know, 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. Close on three different interception possibilities. He seems like a guy that looks to make the big play. Curious what your experience is with rookies and them just kind of trying to survive versus actually trying to make big plays like he seems to.
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 you know, 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. Now he's being an NFL starting corner.
Q. Getting back to the pass rush, what in particular have you seen from guys like Bryce who had a pretty slow start and Nolan Smith, what's been the different for those two guys?
VIC FANGIO: I think Nolan in particular has continued to improve as the season's gone on. You know, 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 Bryce's case, we had some more passing situations in this pass game that allowed him to play some more.
Q. Was there significance in Nolan getting the start?
VIC FANGIO: No. Because we were in base the first play. You know, and he's going to be out there if we are in base.
Q. Given what you said about the importance of practice in the past, how important and valuable was it to see guys like Jalyx and Sidney get real reps in the end of the game?
VIC FANGIO: Really important. It's good for those guys to get a handful of plays, in Sidney's case, he had not played in over -- since whenever he got hurt last year and Jalyx 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. You know, the speed of the game from practice to a real game. So it is good to get that done.
Q. To be part of that rotation?
VIC FANGIO: Possibly, yeah.
Q. What stands out to you about the Cincinnati offense?
VIC FANGIO: Well, I mean, you start with Joe Burrow, Chase and 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 the one point, I think it was 26 or 27, 26 against Kansas City.
They are really good.
Q. Davis, the way the game went, he didn't get a lot of playing time, how is he handling his role? From your thought process how is he playing this season?
VIC FANGIO: I think he's handling his role good. We roll those guys. As you know, Clint does a good job 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, you know, we started rolling guys and played the other guys in the nickel stuff.
Q. With Sidney, what role did you see him kind of carving out over the coming weeks?
VIC FANGIO: We'll see. You know, 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 gone a great job of paying attention in meetings and being engaged all through his rehab. I think when he does get a chance to play well be a quick transition as far as mentally goes.
Q. The pass rushing situations, are you seeing improvement there?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, he had some better ones this past week, yes.
Q. What has improved?
VIC FANGIO: Just getting off better. Not getting stuck early and getting something going early.
Q. Do you worry at all about Cooper returning punts if he end up -- well, 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?
VIC FANGIO: Yes.
Q. How do you -- how do you address that?
VIC FANGIO: I don't. You know, going back to my San Francisco dates, NaVorro Bowman an all-pro there for three straight years, he covered every punt there for us for three straight years, and I didn't like that, either. So he covered every punt there for us for three straight years, and I didn't like that, either. So just got to deal with it.
Q. Essentially being married to each other there, how does that work?
VIC FANGIO: Well, just executing the coverage. Getting a good mix of coverages, too. Not being in the same coverage all the time. Try and look -- make things look the same early and make the quarterback decipher it.
Q. You mentioned the zone you played, pass off, Cooper, seemed like you will you had a couple in the first game but what are keys for a young guy to get used to that?
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 kind of was late. But I do think our inside backers, too, in this pass game did a good job underneath in those zones.
Q. Following up on Cooper, what is it you like about his mentality and how -- how coachable is he for you?
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 know, you're always going to get -- 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. You know, if he makes a mistake on something new, it will be in his memory bank and not happen again.
Q. What makes Parker an effective communicate tore especially with the rookie corners?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, he spends a lot of extra time with them. You know, he'll meet with them in his office one-on-one a good bit. Does a good job putting together teaching hands-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?
VIC FANGIO: I do. But at the same time, talk is cheap. You know, we haven't done it. So we have to get off the schneid there and get some takeaways, we really do.
Q. Do you ever talk to Nakobe about Roquan Smith? Do you see any similarities at all?
VIC FANGIO: Not really. But when we install the defense, Roquan was on a bunch ever the teaching cut ups from the one year we were together in Chicago. So he did get to see them play and I'm sure he's very aware of him from the Georgia connection. I think there's -- what year was Nakobe a rookie? 2022? 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 there 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, you know, if you're talking to Nakobe and they don't know.
Q. When you look at the fact that Slay has had to leave the last couple games for any number of plays and everything, leaving Quinyon as top guy, how do you think he's handle that had and how does that prepare him for the future?
VIC FANGIO: Quinyon?
Q. Yeah.
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, to me, it's of no concern to him, doesn't matter who is playing the other corner, who is playing his corner and whoever is at the other one, doesn't matter.
But you know, Quinyon obviously has gotten a lot of snaps for us both in camp and in the games. And he's our starting corner. He's getting better and better.
Q. This was a big zone game for you. When you go in, you're game planning for the Giants, why do you decide this is going to be a big zone game?
VIC FANGIO: 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. We had some success with it and stayed with it.
Q. That 2021 Broncos game against Burrow, what do you recall from that game?
VIC FANGIO: We lost. I believe it was 15-10. You know 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 Stroudsburg?
VIC FANGIO: Ray Yakavonis or Mike Lush.
Q. Stars.
VIC FANGIO: Philadelphia Stars. There you go.
DraftScripts by ASAP Sports ....
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports