Assistant offensive line coach Scott Peters (12.15.23)
So you’ve had a bit of a challenging week or two. Can you just address the injuries and how you’re handling all this?
“We just always kind of go about our business the same way on a weekly basis. It’s the nature of the business, the nature of the league. Obviously, guys can get injured and so your job is to try to prepare everyone in the room you the same because there are guys that are new, there are guys that are kind of coming up and people that in transaction you get on the practice squad. So, the key is to try to get those guys ramped up to speed so they have the same mastery of technique and understanding of the offense so they can operate. And that’s the aim.”
How do you manage to do that once you get in season, especially the guys a little farther down the depth chart where you feel like you feel comfortable that you can put them out on game day?
“Sometimes you just have to adjust and then those guys have to step up. But I think in the end, you’re looking at this thing like, okay, there’s a chance, a real chance that anyone on the roster or even guys that are on the practice squad may at some point have to play for you. So you know that going in. And I think that’s just built into the preparation.”
A guy like Geron (Christian) I know he worked with Bill (Callahan) in the past. Before he signs are you guys involved in that process or does he just show up and it’s okay, get him ready to go?
“The guys that they sign, I mean, they’ve done a great job bringing in the right guys. And so you find the guys that are available to you and once they get under our roof, we prepare them. So that’s pretty much that.”
I think it’s five starts now. How do you think he’s Geron Christian done over there?
“Geron’s done well. I mean, coming in from really the street, you know coming off and obviously, he did play for coach (Bill) Callahan in the past in Washington, but that’s been a few years. So, getting him reacquainted and acclimated and I think he’s done a nice job from that perspective.”
Address just how Dawand (Jones) developed from that first day that we watched him in rookie camp until the time he had to lead?
“Dawand, obviously everybody can see the physical talent. And for him to come in from college, and I think the question was always like, for him to come into a professional system in an environment like this where we have a true system, I think was about really ramping him up as professional and his development, we’re proud of that. I mean, he really did come a long way. Obviously, he’s been able to tie in all the physical traits there and improve from a mental perspective, and I think he did a nice job advancing and developing himself that way and becoming a pro.”
What about the fact that he (Dawand Jones) had, I think, in something like 419 pass blocks. Snaps, he only gave up like three sacks and very few pressures. Just his pass blocking just was uncanny how good it wasn’t it?
“We’re always going to want better of course you know, but I think Dawand is a physical specimen. As you can see, he’s a large man, and so getting him in the right positions to utilize his strength, which is his size and length. And he’s athletic and he can move and using his length and trying to really prepare him for the top rushers, which I think again, for a rookie to do that was a good job.”
For a guy like Nick Harris, right. He was supposed to be the starter, then he gets hurt, and now he’s kind of in this hybrid center fullback role. What does it say about him? He’s kind of embraced that opportunity.
“I mean, I couldn’t say enough positive things about Nick Harris. He’s the epitome of the S.T.A.R.T. acronym. He’s smart, he’s tough, accountable, resilient, and such a team player. It’s someone like him, you want a whole roster full of guys like that. He’s done a great job in terms of taking whatever role he has and just maximizing that. And from a technical end, from a mental end and just from his attitude, I mean, to come to work every day with knowing his role can be in limbo. He has different jobs to do, and he does. He’s done such an awesome job. So, we love Nick.”
You guys have run like five different offensive line combinations started this year. I know you talked about getting them reps, but that cohesion, how much of a challenge is it to develop that cohesion kind of on the fly? Because that’s a position group where cohesion seems like it’s such an important piece.
“I think it’s just, I mean, when coaches talk into the group, when I’m talking to the group, you’re talking to everybody. So, the guys that are in there, whether their role that week, you’re on the practice squad or you’re not even active for the game, you’re expected to understand all of this and your number could get called at any point in time. And the way the league is, you know it’s going to happen, you just don’t know when. So, I think the guys all understand the concepts and they’ve done a good job. The question is, it’s easy to sit in the back of the room and hide, but you can’t because you are expected to know everything. You are expected to have mastery of those skills. And so even though you may not be getting all the reps, it’s on the player. And they understand that their job is to be prepared at all times. So, we do focus on some guys obviously more, they get more repetition when they elevate and it’s now it’s a matter of trying to tweak those things and make sure that those guys are really well prepared for everything they see on Sunday.”
What do Joel (Bitonio) and Wyatt (Teller)play a big role in? Whoever is lined up outside know between mean, kind of making sure they know what they’re doing, just kind of making them feel?
“We just asked Joel and Wyatt to do their job, obviously. And I think they know it’s like you can’t take on someone else’s but we’ve got some smart guys that are able to – you know they know that they got to get themselves prepared and obviously it’s good to have those types of players around you. So, you can see an example.”
Have you seen James (Hudson) get better in his three years?
“James, I’ll tell you, James has developed and evolved quite a bit. And the one thing about James that we really like is James knows what to do. He knows how to do it and he does it hard. He wants to play hard and it matters to him. James has taken some positive steps in his game for sure.”
He got called for a couple of those false starts last week and I talked to him yesterday. He said all the tackles try to get that right on those. So is there kind of a gray area there with what’s penalty and what’s not?
“Man, you have to ask the officials on that sometimes. I think it’s clear that if you move before the ball you know, you’re going to get called. So those are things that we’ve been working on.”
Can you envision and I know this would not be your call, but in the event that the coaching staff decided that they want to do this, could you see Dawand (Jones) at some point excelling over at left tackle?
“That’s far from our thoughts right now, but I don’t know the answer to that.”
Fair enough.
“But I think Dawand could probably play both. If you’re asking me, I don’t think that’s in the works, but I think it’s possible.”
He said he wants to kind of follow in the footsteps of Joe Thomas, and he thinks it would be an easy transition if you guys ever went down that road with him.
“Well, we hope our tackles can play both sides. That does happen. It’s possible.”
For Kevin (Stefanski) to navigate this, all the injuries, all the changes in quarterback quote, what is it about him?
“Well, I think it’s been consistency from day one. He’s the S.T.A.R.T. acronym. If you go to that and you look at –he’s living that and that’s the consistency we’ve had. So that’s where really, I think you can point to that and say, hey, that’s real. Because if you focus on your job and you focus on those things, that kind of really make a great player in a really good team, it allows for all guys to understand what they have to do when they show up to work. So I think that’s been a benefit as an identity.”
Wyatt (Teller) is two for one. When he threw the guy into the other guy.
“Well, it wasn’t the technique were looking for, but it was impressive nonetheless.”
What about these Bears and the pass rush they offer? What are you guys thinking about or worrying about?
“Well, the Bears are not much better than their overall record indicates, obviously. I think they’re three and one in the last four games. They’re a very good unit. They’re solid on all three levels of their defense, and they’ve got some excellent rushers. So, yeah, like every week we have our work cut out for us for sure.”
How much did the addition of (Montez) Sweat change, how their defense changed, the way their defenses look?
“Well, they’ve got some other really good players, too, but obviously Sweat is exceptional. He’s a rare talent and outstanding pass rusher, but he’s very good in the run. He’s just long. He’s physical and it’s an element. You got to make sure you account for him.”
Is it a loss lost, for them not to have Yannick (Ngakoue) out there?
“Yeah, I’m sure. But they do have such good depth. They have good players. So it’s really, gosh, I don’t know. I think it’s hard anyway. It’s hard with the other guys who are very good too, so I don’t think they believe it’s a crushing loss. I’m sure they are upset about it, but I would say that they have very capable guys that fill in.”
# # #
***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.***