S Rodney McLeod (10.16.23)
Hey, Rodney. Coach (Kevin) Stefanski talked about the energy you guys had at practice last Wednesday and credited a lot of that to the defense and Coach (Jim) Schwartz, did you notice that last week?
“Yeah, I did notice our energy level was up, but honestly, that’s been our identity I think throughout the course of Jim Schwartz’s existence here – the things that he’s preached for us as a defense, it’s really just celebrating one another. But obviously, in celebration, you have to make plays. And so, I think what we saw this week was us making a lot of plays throughout practice, us celebrating, enjoying one another, enjoying the game in itself and knowing that energy is contagious. And we talk about it all the time, for us, setting a pace for this team. And so, we have to continue to demonstrate that each and every day. And I think for us, it started out in practice, and it was felt amongst the team, and then it translated well onto Sunday.
Obviously, Jim (Schwartz) is new to us here, at least in this role, but you’ve been around him before. Is there anything new about him this year than when you knew him in the past? As far as the energy or just scheme, anything he’s doing that’s different than who he was?
“No, absolutely not. Jim is the same coach that I remember from meeting him in 2016 when I came to Philly, and I think that’s what makes him who he is. You know exactly what you’re going to get. He doesn’t sugarcoat, he doesn’t hide it. So for us, the toughest challenge when you’re a new coach is how are people going to accept who you are and respond to everything that you kind of demand. And I think that’s what Schwartz does. He demands excellence and he gets the most out of his players. He challenges us and he allows us to be exactly who we are. And so, I think you’ve seen from day one, everybody on this defensive side just fully embraced it and now it’s our identity.”
I have two questions for you, Rodney. How much do you think your experience with Jim (Schwartz), have you helped other players, at least in the beginning, say, hey, this guy is really good, he’s going to be a big help to our defense? Have you had a role in that?
“No, not at all. I think everyone has shown and proven that each piece of our team on this defensive side of the ball has value. And I think you’ve seen countless times different people show up when a play needs to be made. And that’s the special part about it, about this defense. We’re good at every single level, and we not only celebrate, but we continue to encourage it. And I think what we always emphasize is there are no weak links. People take great pride in that, knowing that at any point in time, your name can be called and we’re going to expect you to still play at that high standard. So, I don’t play a part in that. I think it’s just evident based on the players that we have.”
And then I want to ask you, we talked to Denzel (Ward) a moment ago, he said that you in that huddle before that missed field goal were saying, keep the faith. So from your perspective, what was that like?
“Yeah, I think on that drive, obviously we didn’t want them to be in that position. And of course, there were a few plays prior to that, that put them in [it]. Now the situation that we currently were in and then what we saw in the Baltimore game was a lot of plays were self-inflicted and we were continuing to dwell on the previous plays. And so, in that moment, I felt like it was a good moment just to make sure and reassure them that the only thing that matters is this play and that’s the only thing that we can change and effect is right now. And so, when I said that and of course, Ward doing what he always does, he’s an incredible defensive player. But if you see the way that he takes pride in being developed on special teams day in and day out, it shows you everything about Denzel Ward. And on that play, he’s doing what we asked – rush, come off the edge, rush hard. And even though he didn’t necessarily block the field goal, you can tell that it did affect the kicker. And so, when I saw it go wide right, man, I was just ecstatic and celebrating with him.”
Hey Rodney, kind of back to Jim Schwartz and that energy he brings. Ogbo (Okoronkwo) was saying in the locker room last night that after the game, Jim Schwartz ran through it with you guys and was celebrating. He comes off, I think, a lot as stern and kind of serious a lot. But for him to be able to balance that and actually do the celebrating with you guys, how much does that really impact you guys on the defense and that relationship you have with him?
“It means a lot to us when you have someone who, like you said, is so stern as Jim Schwartz and can be overly passionate in a lot of ways and doesn’t hold back on confronting and letting you know how he feels in that moment. But it’s a great balance with a lot of compassion and love for his players willing to do pretty much and almost anything. He has endless stories about guys that he’s coached and I’m sure in the next ten to 15 years he’ll be sharing a lot of stories about the players who are on this Browns team and how he invests time in his players and getting to learn them outside of the game. And so, I think all of that helps make a very healthy relationship and allows for those sorts of things to happen and be a lot easier.”
Rodney, tell me a little bit more about your best defense in the world mantra that the guys are kind of having fun with and getting excited about, maybe how did that get started and are some T shirts in the offing, maybe coming up?
“That’s B (Brandon) Lynch. That’s B Lynch. From day one, I stepped into this locker room. That’s what we break it down on each and every day. You know when we do our job, we win. And then it’s we the best. And those are the two that stay constant within our room as a secondary, because it’s true when we lock in, when we play discipline, complementary football and have a great deal of focus and everything is aligning the way it’s supposed to, we are the best. And I think for anything in life, you have to speak things into existence and you have to manifest it and it’s just a constant reminder about who we are and what we’re striving to be day in and day out. And everybody holds one another to that standard. And I love it.”
Rodney, after that opening drive from San Francisco where they just made quick work and went right down the field real fast, it would have been easy to kind of get caught up in the emotions of, whoa, these guys are for real. What changed after that drive? I think you guys gave up only like, 130 yards after that for the rest of the afternoon.
“That open-end drive was tough. I think every play they ran, they executed at a very high level with positive yardage. And then, of course, we did have a few penalties, which we can’t do, which helped them and set them up for success on that drive. But I think when we went to the sideline, we just took a deep breath. We got to the iPads, took a closer look at some of the things that they were doing, and we just went back out. And we didn’t allow that to discourage us, to change us in any way. It just was, look alright, they gave us a shot. This is what we said. It was going to be a fight. They came out swinging. That probably was one of their better shots. But it’s all about how we respond. And I think we responded the right way by going out there still with our heads held high, confident as ever, and ready to fight and continue on and push through. And it showed throughout that game.”
And in the last 24 hours, the conversation has gone from you guys being big underdogs, going into the game. Now everyone’s just talking about your defense and how outstanding it is. Just as a veteran who has had sustained success at this level. They say it’s easy to play when you got the chip on your shoulder, right. And everyone’s hating on you. But now that you guys are starting to get that love you as a veteran, how can you help guys still maintain that intensity while also at the same time hearing a lot of good things about the way you’re playing?
“Ignore the noise. That’s the biggest thing. Ignore the noise. And we can’t be satisfied with one victory. This wasn’t a championship. This was the next game, right? And every game is important because it’s the next one. So for us, it’s going back to the table, resetting and getting ready to go on the road and win a game versus a tough Indianapolis Colts team that has had great success versus a few teams this year who are playing well. And so, it’s going to be another fight. We’re going to have to bring our best. And so, it starts day one on Wednesday when we come in to work with that same energy, intensity and focus as we did last week.”
Hey, Rodney, you and Denzel (Ward) and the Coach (Kevin) Stefanski talked all week about the fight you were in for on the field, and we know what that means, but then the pregame happened. It sounded like they instigated it. But did you guys have the mindset of going to the park that day and starting something?
“No, not at all. At the end of the day, when we step on that grass, we’re about business. And one thing that we will not tolerate is disrespect. We had to make sure there just was a level of understanding that we respect the fact that you’re five and oh, we respect that you have top offense in the league and one of the best defenses in the league, too. But we’re here to let you know you won’t be the bully today and that we also have a high-powered team as well over here in Cleveland. And that just really just set the stage. We knew what it was going to take, but that got emotions going just a little bit more. And, man, San Fran is a great team, but we got the best of them on Sunday because it doesn’t matter what you say, man. I always say there’s no sound on the tape. So, when they turn on that tape and they see us flying around, the words won’t matter – only thing you could do is back them up with your pads.”
# # #
***Visit the Browns Media Center for materials provided by the Browns communications department, including media schedules, press releases, quotes, photos, media guides, rosters, depth charts and more.***