Q. Vic, first four weeks Nolan had no sacks, tackles for loss, no quarterback hits. The bye week comes and obviously since then, he's been a different guy. What have you seen differently from him? What clicked for him? Any sense of where it came from?
VIC FANGIO: Like I said with him, he's done a great job working and he's constantly improved. The more you play, the more you practice, and he's getting more snaps now, too, since BG went down. Gets more practice plays, game plays. You get better. That's the only way you get better is to practice and play.
He was improving in those first four weeks, too. Like you've made note, it's come to fruition here since.
Q. When you have that rotation with three men on the edge, is that typical that you're short in the rotation or sort of a feeling out process?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, it's just where you're at. I mean, three is fine. You know, we basically have two out there every play and there is anywhere from 60 to 70 plays in a game. That's anywhere from 120 to 140 and three guys can handle that.
Q. Why did you go with Rodgers over Ringo on that side?
VIC FANGIO: Isaiah has been the first in.
Q. Okay.
VIC FANGIO: No matter what side.
Q. Okay. Sack at the end the game, is that something that was called or discussed on the sideline, or is that all him, just feel?
VIC FANGIO: A little bit of everything. During the week we had run the stunt that he was faking in the first game with some success, so I think it worked because of that, what happened in the first game we played.
Q. Isaiah Rodgers has a bigger role this week. You get to watch him practice all season. How do you feel like he's improved throughout the year behind the scenes without getting consistent snaps every week?
VIC FANGIO: Well, he was a guy that all during OTAs and training camp was doing very well. Then he broke his hand and was out for a few weeks. Was slow to recover from that, meaning when he came back he wasn't playing at the same level he was prior.
But now he's definitely back to where he was, and I have total confidence in him if he plays.
Q. With Jalen, how have you seen him grow in maybe the mental side of the game or some of those finer details like with the fake stunt and stuff like that?
VIC FANGIO: He's grown. You play as much as he plays and he gets practice, he's growing, you know. He's a second-year player. He's getting a lot of playing time. He should improve.
Q. With you and Clint, how have you approached coaching Jalen and creating opportunities for him inside? I know you don't put ceilings on players, but how often do you coach and create schemes around him, know that he could transcend some situations?
VIC FANGIO: Not as often as you think. Once you do something, it affects everything else. But it's something that we look to build on.
Q. How much freedom does he have when it comes to like some of those moves and faking the stunt?
VIC FANGIO: Well, when you get in obvious pass it goes up a little bit. Either/or situations, not so much.
Q. When you have a player on that level who could be potentially what he could potentially be, do you have to hold him down a little bit from a standpoint of not praising him too much so he doesn't get too big of a head too soon?
VIC FANGIO: (Smiling.) A little bit, but I don't worry about that because there is plenty to correct, too.
Q. Jayden Daniels is obviously a young quarterback and you saw him just last month. Played in his first post-season games. In that small amount of time has he changed?
VIC FANGIO: He's a young quarterback by birth certificate, not by the tape. You know, the guy is playing extremely well. You can tell how much they think he's playing so good-bye the volume of their offense and the things they trust him to do.
He's come through for them in a big way, and he's tough to handle.
Q. You mentioned the volume. Aside from the amount of plays, are there a lot of teams around the league that run a lot of what he does?
VIC FANGIO: I'm sure there are. You know, he has the added dimension of the gun-run game where he can have design runs for the quarterback or pull it and keep it.
That adds another level to an offense, and he excels at that. I assume he was doing it in college and it just comes natural to him.
Q. Is that the best you've ever seen a rookie play at that position?
VIC FANGIO: You know, probably, yeah.
Q. What's the teaching point from the fourth quarter of the last game?
VIC FANGIO: We just got to finish. You know, I think you do have to give them some credit. He made some great throws, made some great catches. Wasn't like we left somebody wide open.
They're good. I think you always have to give the other team some credit. When you're executing, where you're supposed to be and they're just out-executing you and making plays.
But our guys kept going. We had belief that we could come up with a stop and we did.
Q. ...mush rush them in terms of way you gun runs them sore feel like you can still go ahead and pressure them more outright?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, it's always a fine line there. If you're mush rushing, then he stands forever, too. So we to do a good job of rushing. When we're rushing four or five, and make sure we don't give them length.
Q. To get the production you got from young guys like Jalyx, Moro, how valuable has that been for you and how much have they improved throughout the course of the year?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah, it's been very valuable. They have improved. Mo has done a nice job with the snaps he's got over the last few months. We have total confidence in him when we're in there. Nothing changes. He's got some athleticism. He seems to show up.
And Jalyx is getting better, too.
Q. When there is a team as aggressive and successful on fourth downs as they've been does it affect your approach on third downs at all?
VIC FANGIO: Sometimes. Depending on what the third down is from a yardage standpoint.
Q. You stuck with Oren in that game. Was that the plan going in?
VIC FANGIO: We had planned to possibly play Trot some but Oren was going okay, things were going okay, so we stuck with it.
Q. When you have a back like Ekeler who can impact the pass game more than most, does that shift your philosophy a little bit at linebacker or not?
VIC FANGIO: In what way?
Q. From the coverage standpoint. We talk about Oren and Trot just whether someone has better coverage ability or not, is that more a part of that when you have a back like Ekeler?
VIC FANGIO: Yeah could be. Basically Trot and Oren are very similar, so it doesn't in this case.
Q. How do you think they're so efficient on fourth down?
VIC FANGIO: Quarterback and the talent around him.
Q. In Slay's case you don't see corners at that age very often. What allows him to be effective at age 34?
VIC FANGIO: Well, he's like some good Italian dago red wine. Gets better with age. He's still in good shape. Hadn't a lot much of his movement. Still really likes to play and I think that's a big part of it.
Q. Speaking of the talent around Daniels, anybody standing out in terms of their growth over the season?
VIC FANGIO: Well, Ertz and McLaurin are two of the best at their positions. Brown has really come on for them of late. Their backs are good now that they got Ekeler back. Robinson is a good back. They're really well balanced in their skill positions.
What they can and can't do.
Q. Have you also gotten better with age?
VIC FANGIO: Me? I'll leave that up to you guys.
Q. Zack Baun and Cooper DeJean, when you're able to bring them down to the front out of nickel, how does that allow you to -- I guess the versatility, how does that help you when you don't have to change personnel when you have different fronts?
VIC FANGIO: It helps for sure. When you don't have to sub to do different stuff, it helps.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports