PHILADELPHIA -- The snap counts have been decreasing for Bryce Huff in recent weeks. Not all of it is a result of performance.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio discussed Huff's wrist injury (was initially said to be a hand), as the team is finding ways to get third-round rookie linebacker Jalyx Hunt on the field. Hunt did play 25 snaps Sunday compared to Huff's 12, and Hunt played significant snaps in the first half.
"He's done better at practice," Fangio said when asked about Hunt. "And it's kind of a result, too, of Bryce. He has a big cast on his hand. It leaves his thumb totally immobilized and really his palm is immobilized so he just has four fingers just dangling there with no thumb or palm to help.
"On the less-obvious downs, it just makes sense to put a guy in there that's 100 percent."
Hunt played 16 snaps in the first half of Sunday's win, compared to Huff's six. Huff has played just 22 snaps over the last two weeks, while Hunt has played 25 -- all of which were Sunday.
While the snap count has decreased, Huff has been productive in his limited opportunities. He had two pressures and a sack in his 10 pass-rushing snaps against Dallas, a pressure rate of 20.0%. Huff has a 21.4% pressure rate over the last two games in spite of the deduction of snaps.
Is Huff a part-time player? Or is the hand injury making way for Hunt in the rotation? Or both?
"He has something wrong with his wrist," Fangio said.
Injury or not, the Eagles like how Hunt is developing. Hunt will add to a pass rush that has led the NFL in sack rate (11.3%) and is second in the league in sacks (19) since Week 6, along with being an asset in coverage with his athleticism.
The Eagles have significantly improved on defense as a whole, leading the NFL in yards per game allowed (200.8), yards per play allowed (3.7), pass yards per game allowed (122.6), and points per game allowed (13.0) since Week 6.
Philadelphia focused on tackling since the bye week, and it's paying massive dividends.
"We've emphasized it in practice, which is always good," Fangio said. "I had an old coach when I first started in pro ball who said if you emphasize something you have a chance to get it. That's what happened there."
That old coach Fangio admitted was Jim Mora Sr.