Subtle Changes Highlight Vic Fangio's Reputation

Cooper DeJean was the Eagles' obvious change coming out of the bye week but there were also some subtle tweaks by Vic Fangio.

Eagles DC Vic Fangio / John McMullen/Eagles On SI

PHILADELPHIA - All of a sudden the Eagles' defense looks capable and will enter Sunday's game at Cincinnati having not allowed a touchdown over the last nine quarters.

Philadelphia's last two opponents -- the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants -- are the context to that number. If Vic Fangio's unit extends to 13 quarters against Joe Burrow and Co., it will be time to take the Eagles' defense seriously.

Pre-bye week struggles led to post-bye week changes, one significant and obvious but the others more nuanced.

Rookie Cooper DeJean taking over the slot duties from the struggling Avonte Maddox is the headline to the personnel tweaks. Nolan Smith replacing Bryce Huff on the edge is the Eagles' base five-man fronts is a sea change as well, along with Moro Ojomo getting more work in obvious pass-rushing situations over Jordan Davis.

In the Fangio doesn't-give-a-you-know-what category, that's an unproven second-year player taking reps away from the $51 million free-agency signing and a 2023 seventh-round pick taking some reps away from the 13th overall pick in 2022.

"I think Nolan in particular has continued to improve as the season has gone on," Fangio said when asked about the former Georgia star and Huff. "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."

For Huff, it's been scaled back to more pass-rushing reps.

"In Bryce's case, we had some more passing situations in this past game [the 28-3 win over the Giants] that allowed him to play some more."

Davis, meanwhile, was spoken about in more hushed tones as a run-support player.

"I think he's handling his role good," Fangio said of Davis. "We roll those guys. As you know, [Senior Defensive Assistant/Defensive Line Coach] Clint [Hurtt] does a good job of 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, we started rolling guys and played the other guys in the nickel stuff."

The nickel stuff is where Ojomo as shown some juice.

"He's a guy that's made a good improvement from the start," Fangio said. "Works extremely hard on the practice field and in the meetings, and it's been paying off. He's got some good athletic ability. He's on the small side as D-Linemen go, but he does come with the quickness and speed that you would hope a smaller guy would have. And he plays really hard, and he's done a nice job, and he's earned his playing time."

It seems like Fangio took the early bye week to evaluate his personnel and what they do well. And per his hard-scrambled reputation, the veteran DC has neither been afraid of stepping on toes or ignoring financial and pedigree pressures for playing time.

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