Vic Fangio admits the fact that Cooper DeJean is the Eagles' punt returner is a concern

The Eagles' defense looked much better after the bye week, recording a total of eight sacks last Sunday against the Giants. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio spoke to reporters Tuesday about the improved pass rush, addressed Jordan Davis' playing time and admitted Cooper DeJean's return punts concern him.

Here's what the DC had to say:

Here’s to the improved pass rush

Fangio explained that he felt there was a good coverage mix that complemented the rush, forcing Daniel Jones to hold the ball a little longer and giving the Eagles' front more time to get to him.

The DC also spoke about simulated lightning attacks and cited using them at the right time as the key to their success.

“It’s just four-man rushes with normal coverage behind them. So there is never a guarantee for anything.

But if you hit them right, they have a good effect.”

He credited Nakobe Dean for having a good day of blitzing on Sunday and noted that he was really happy with the way the LB went about it.

“(Nakobe Dean) got hurt once and popped right back up. This is a big effort. On the other hand, he had good timing and was dismissed early in the game. So it was a combination of everything.”

Fangio was asked about the development of guys like Nolan Smith and Bryce Huff, and Smith's progress was notable.

“I think Nolan (Smith) in particular has continued to improve over the course of the season. For edge players, he's not a big guy per se. But he won on a rush the other day, which was more of a power rush that he needs to incorporate more into his game. And that was good to see.”

He later explained that there wasn't much reason for Smith to be in the starting lineup on Sunday, pointing out that they were on base in the first game and the sophomore defensive back will be on the field when they play in the Bases are.

Fangio said Bryce Huff was used more on Sunday because they had more passing situations than in previous games. He later said that he saw some development from Huff in pass rush situations, noting that Huff had some better situations against the Giants.

The DC was also pleased that rookie Jalyx Hunt was able to get a handful of snaps in last week's game, saying Hunt hasn't had any playing time since the last preseason game, so those reps at game speed are really valuable. He also acknowledged that Hunt could potentially move into the defensive rotation.

On reducing Jordan Davis' playing time

“I think (Jordan Davis) handles his role well. We roll these guys. As you know, Clint (Hurtt) manages to distribute these guys well depending on the flow of the game and the type of game.

And especially when we got a two or three point lead there, at any point in the second half we started rolling the guys and playing the other guys in the nickel stuff.”

On the development of Cooper DeJean

“Yeah, (DeJean played) well. You know, we played a lot of zone the other day. So it wasn't like he attacked a guy and choked him or anything. It was a really big, big zone game the other day.”

As DeJean gains more experience, Fangio expects he will continue to improve, especially knowing where the other guys are and how certain routes affect those around him in the zone. The DC thought the rookie performed better in the last game against the Giants, but took responsibility early on one play – luckily the WR wasn't in his sights on that play.

“(DeJean is) very coachable. Have a good behavior to play. I think that's a strength of his and it's only going to get better. And I think the more he plays and the more experienced he gets – you try to expose him to as many things as possible in training, but obviously you can't always do that with the low reps in training.

But I think he'll learn – he won't be a repeat offender. If he makes a mistake doing something new, it stays in his memory and won’t happen again.”

Regarding his concern about DeJean returning punts

“Q. Are you at all worried about DB Cooper DeJean returning punts? He ended up being an important part of the defense. Are you worried about him being on the field when you need him defensively as much as you do?

FANGIO: Yes.

Q. How do you deal with it?

FANGIO: I don't. NaVorro Bowman, back when I was in San Francisco, who was an All-Pro there for three years, covered every punt for us for three years. And I didn't like that either. So you just have to deal with it.”

Other personalities

• Fangio shared that he thinks they have the guys on defense to get more takeaways, but so far they haven't been able to do a lot of that so they need to start doing that.
• As for Quinyon Mitchell, the DC admitted that the rookie corner is eager for his first interception. He notes that Mitchell has been playing a lot at this point — he was also the No. 1 starter at the start of training camp — so he's fully up to speed with his role.

“I think (Mitchell) is past the point of holding out and is now an NFL starting corner.”

• Fangio called the Bengals a really good opponent. He named Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as big players to be reckoned with and also pointed out that their running game was better this year as well.
• He was glad Sydney Brown got a few snaps on Sunday and was able to get his feet wet again after so much time away due to injury. It's too early to tell what role he will play, as every time someone is added someone has to step down, so it's a balance.

“He needs to practice even more and play a little more meaningful snaps in practice. He doesn't know exactly what to do yet, but he's been paying attention in meetings and has been well engaged throughout rehab.

I think whenever he gets a chance to play there will be a quick transition mentally.”