The Eagles are having a rough week, and as they prepare for the Jaguars in London, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio spoke to reporters about their late-game struggles against the Rams, what he thinks of the secondary, and about Jalen Carter’s work load with a cast.
As theinjuries continue to stack up
, Fangio was asked how he feels about the depth on defense:“It’s being challenged right now, so we’ll see. But I think in certain places we’re good and others, you cross your fingers.”
When later asked
about which positions lack depth, he coyly replied, “You’ll have to figure that out yourself.”
Here’s what else the DC had to say:
On the late game struggles
Fangio said that they struggled to make a play and he struggled to make the right call late in the game against the Rams, and with a veteran QB like Matthew Stafford, that’s a bad combination.
“We didn’t get it done. You know, we played great for 10 drives, but the last two, we didn’t.”
The DC clarified that the defense played 83 total snaps, including penalties, and while it might have a small affect on things, ultimately, they need to find a way to finish.
On the secondary
Fangio thought that Michael Carter did a good job on Sunday.
He was asked about Jonathan Jones having to come in after Quinyon Mitchell was sidelined, and the DC said he was happy with how the CB stepped up.
“I thought [Jonathan Jones] did good for really his first action in a long time. If you remember, he missed the tail end of training camp and hadn’t had any action since whenever, one of the early preseason games and though he’d come in there and did a good job. He does a good job preparing and he was ready to go.”
The DC said that they are hopeful that Quinyon Mitchell will be available this weekend, but said they’ll find out more as the week goes on.
He was also complimentary of new DB Kenny Moore and how he’s preparing to contribute.
“[Kenny Moore]‘s getting closer. He’s done a great job learning, [we’re] trying to get him to learn two positions to be part of nickel or dime, and safety. But he got in there for a play or two at the end.“
On the pass rush
“I thought it was inconsistent.”
The DC said that they haven’t been consistently really good in one-on-ones, and while they might be affected by chips, when they are getting one-on-ones, they’re not getting it done on a consistent basis.
Ultimately, though, Fangio said that he’s still confident that the pass rush will get to a level that he wants to see.
“I just believe in the guys. A lot of times too, we’ve lost two sacks the last two games due to penalties. Sometimes the ball’s coming out quick, like previous some games. I know you guys have a love affair with the sack stat, but the ball’s coming out quick a lot.”
On playing time for players
- Fangio said that LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. played very well against the Rams, and probably earned some more playing time as a result.
- The DC was also asked about Jordan Davis only taking 35 percent of the defensive snaps, to which Fangio admitted that they probably need to get him on the field more. He explained that it was more of a result of personnel the Rams were in — they had been playing a lot of three tight ends in the weeks before the Eagles game, but then went with more three receiver looks on Sunday, which changed the game.
- He admitted that Jalen Carter’s wrist injury affected him more on Sunday against the Rams than in previous games, and when asked if the DT is playing more than he should be, Fangio replied, “Possibly.”
On the Jaguars offense
“They’re really good on offense. The quarterback is athletic, got a big arm, he’s got a good group of receivers to throw it to. Their running back, 33 [RB Bhayshul Tuten] runs really good, kind of a new guy on the scene and they do a good job. They got a very varied running game, a lot of different types of runs, multiple run game and they’re good at it.”
Other notables
- Fangio said that safety Andrew Mukuba has been playing well all season, and he’s real pleased with where he is in his development.
- He noted that Jalyx Hunt just needs to continue doing the little things consistently.
- The DC said LB Jihaad Campbell has been coming along, and is getting better each game against both the run and pass game.
