Q. (In progress.)
VIC FANGIO: Just by committee. Really that's what's going to happen. It's going to be a lot of guys picking up his load that he's been playing. Won't be one guy.
Q. This may sound weird, but because he lines up at various places does it make it easier because you can use D-tackles, et cetera, to fill in for him?
VIC FANGIO: No, it doesn't. Yeah, he has lined up a bunch of spots for us; done a good job. You know, preferably replace him with another outside edge player to do the same job.
Q. What do you know about Charles Harris?
VIC FANGIO: Not a lot. Not a lot. Hoping to find out here soon.
Q. Had a chance to watch him at all?
VIC FANGIO: No, uh-uh.
Q. What is your process when you bring in a player to catch them up as quickly as you can?
VIC FANGIO: Well, you got to cram like some of us used to do for exams. Got to put in a lot of extra time and get them on the practice field and get them rolling and see how quickly he picks things up.
Q. What's Jaren Jackson shown you in the time you've had with him?
VIC FANGIO: Basically the same guy that left here when he came back. He's a possibility too for sure.
Q. What's your level have concern overall having lost BG?
VIC FANGIO: You know, it's part of the game, but I hate losing him for a lot of reasons. One, might be his last year. Two, his leadership. Most importantly, he was playing really good, and guys playing really good are hard to replace.
Q. ...wide outs to the edge. Williams have that skillset to go outside?
VIC FANGIO: He could. Not a steady diet though.
Q. You think Brandon has another year?
VIC FANGIO: I do. He's got -- he can't retire on an incomplete year.
Q. Have you told him?
VIC FANGIO: Not yet, but I will.
Q. How has Lamar Jackson evolved throughout his career?
VIC FANGIO: Just getting better and better at everything that he was already really good at. Without giving it a long dissertation about him, I just think he's a very special player.
Q. He's had great success against your defenses in particular. I think his numbers are off the charts.
VIC FANGIO: Thanks for reminding me.
Q. Well, do you have, for lack of a better term, nightmares about him?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, their whole offense is dynamite. They run it great. They throw it great. Good receivers. Best group they've had in a really long time. Two really good tight ends. Their line is blocking good.
It's no accident they have the No. 1 offense in the league.
Q. When you look at Todd Monken, what does he do that can be frustrating for the defensive coordinators and makes him unique?
VIC FANGIO: Well, he's got a lot of talent and they run it effectively. They play pass it effectively. They drop back effectively. You got the Lamar Jackson gun-run game to defend. Obviously Henry.
You know, they got a lot of weapons in a lot of ways they can hurt you.
Q. With Derrick Henry, what has he done to complement Lamar? A lot of people looked at that before the season. Didn't seem like that gun-type runner. Why do you think it's worked so well?
VIC FANGIO: They don't get in the gun all the time when Henry is in there. They're under center probably more than they were last year. But Henry has done well out of the gun, too, running the ball.
Everybody thought he was descending; they were wrong.
Q. Zack Baun played versatile roles for you in this defense. Does Brandon's injury change anything with the way you would use Baun?
VIC FANGIO: Not really. I don't want to weaken another position. If you can not make too many changes for one guy missing that's better.
Q. Are you comfortable with Josh seeing expanded workload or do you worry it can be too heavy?
VIC FANGIO: No, I see his workload pretty much staying the same that it's been.
Q. With Jalyx, his is going to have to increase. Do you think he's ready for that?
VIC FANGIO: We'll find out.
Q. What have you seen from him behind the scenes though, Jalyx?
VIC FANGIO: He's been getting better. Hurt his ankle two weeks ago against Washington. He wasn't fully healthy last week. He was healthy enough to play, but hopefully he will be better this week because we'll need him to step up.
Q. Having played a Lamar Jackson offense before, anything you can learn from that?
VIC FANGIO: They're just really good, you know. He's really good. They have a more complete offense now than they've ever had and they've always been good on offense since he's been there.
They're really good and really versatile. They're multiple. Run game is multiple. The play-action game off the run game is really good.
They're good.
Q. Do you look forward to these matchups where you're facing the best? I'm sure you'd rather face the worst offense, but how much do you look forward to this matchup and see what the guys can do?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I'd rather play Swarthmore. Yeah, I mean, you look forward to it. Yeah, you look forward to it. It's a test, a challenge. You get all that.
Q. Rushing numbers are up across the league. Any theories on why that is?
VIC FANGIO: I think I told you guys once. Maybe I didn't. That my first three years in the NFL '86, '87, '88, compared to last three years in the NFL, '21, '22, and '23, passing has gone up 4.5%.
The run game is always there. Teams are running it better. Teams are finding out the value in running the ball, you know, to winning. So the run game hasn't ever disappeared really. The fullback disappeared. Ironically, Baltimore has a fullback, so we will see some two-back runs this week.
I don't think the run game has ever gone away. There are more teams majoring in it now.
Q. Is it because there is more two I safety shells?
VIC FANGIO: I think that's part of it. That's probably a little part of it.
Q. Do you think you played a role in that?
VIC FANGIO: I don't know.
Q. The comment you made last year about Lamar was the definition of a good quarterback is there is no one way to defend him. Are there teams who try different things? What's the process like in seeing the way different teams...
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, you'll watch it. Nobody has been really, really successful doing it one way. You know, with quarterbacks like this, like I said -- and I've said that many times, what you said I said.
That's the definition of good quarterbacks. There is no one way to play them.
Q. Why Tristan over Sidney when you needed a safety?
VIC FANGIO: Tristan has had the most reps going all the way back to training camp. I believe he's more ready to play.
Q. Does Jalen Hurts fall into that quarterback of no one real way to defend the quarterback, like Jackson?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, I think he does.
Q. How confident are you in Isaiah if he has to go in?
VIC FANGIO: Good. Yeah, he's done well when he's been in there this year.
Would expect that to continue.
Q. What is it about him over Kelee Ringo, do you think?
VIC FANGIO: They're close. I think Isaiah just his -- from day one of OTAs through training camp has covered a little bit better. But they're close.
Q. When you see Jalen and Saquon in the backfield, you have to account for both of them. Do you see similarities there between Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, how tough they are to play?
VIC FANGIO: Absolutely.
Q. Like how?
VIC FANGIO: How what?
Q. Like how are they so tough together?
VIC FANGIO: Because you can hand it off to a great running back or keep it yourself and get on the edge or run some powers, too.
You know, any time the quarterback can run design runs it adds another level to an offense.
Q. You spoken about Nolan Smith a few times. Is this the role you expected for him this year, and has he exceeded expectations?
VIC FANGIO: I didn't know what my expectations were because he really didn't play a lot last year, but I do think he's played well. Credit to him that he's kept improving, too.
Q. Can he play more snaps?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, probably a little bit more for sure.
Q. Will Jordan Davis be getting more snaps if you move Milton to the outside?
VIC FANGIO: Possibility, yeah. He can organically get more snaps this week just because there is probably a better chance we'll be playing some base defense this week.
Q. Could Nolan work in...(indiscernible.)
VIC FANGIO: Probably not -- on a rare occasion.
Q. Jalen Carter was double teamed a bunch the other day. How do you feel like others maybe benefited, especially Milton Williams, from the fact he was drawing so much attention?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah. You just answered your question. Milt was a benefit of that. And the sack that Nakobe got at the end of the half, you know, they slid it to Jalen and he got the backs blocked.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports