Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (10.28.24)
Opening Statement:
“Injury front, JOK (Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah) is out of the hospital, so I will update you guys the next few days and see how that progresses but it’s very happy that he’s doing better. And then Denzel (Ward) is in the concussion protocol. After watching the tape, like I talked to you guys yesterday, there was a lot of good on there, there’s plenty that we can do better. But we knew that was a team that was… it was going to be a 60-minute football game. And we used all 60 of those minutes and those seconds and the guys just fought like crazy. So glad to get that one and then we got to move on and worry about the next opponent coming in here. With that, I’ll take any questions.”
With Jeremiah, is he walking and everything? Does he seem to be okay?
“Yes.”
With Denzel, I know he left in the third quarter after one play. Did it happen on that touchdown at the end of the first half?
“I’m not exactly sure, Scott (Petrak), so I don’t want to speculate.”
When you look at the last couple of minutes for you guys, what were you most impressed with offensively and defensively on those two final drives that you guys had?
“Yeah, it’s hard to single just one or two guys out, Scott (Petrak), just because I thought it was a great effort by a bunch of guys. Defensively, that’s a very difficult quarterback (Lamar Jackson) to go against in those moments. He’s just so elusive. He can win in so many different ways. So, I thought the guys executed the plan well, obviously offensively to go down there and score. I thought everybody understood what we were trying to do, were precise in what we were trying to do, and then obviously had the big play to Ced (Cedric Tillman) there. But hard to single one or two guys out for me.”
A day after watching the film, could you shed some light on what you thought of Dawand Jones at left tackle and if he played well enough to merit consideration to keep starting at left tackle going forward.
“Yeah, those type of conversations we’ll talk through the next couple days. But yeah, I thought he did a good job, wasn’t perfect and considering that’s his first time over there, didn’t expect it to be perfect. But by and large, he did a good job.”
In just rewatching the film, can you talk about some of the things that Jameis (Winston) did well, and will he be your starter going forward? I know that might sound crazy after a game like that, but I know you guys have Dorian (Thompson-Robinson) who had been promoted to the number two spot.
“Yeah, Jameis is the starter. You know, I thought he did a nice job with progressions, Mary Kay (Cabot). I thought he saw it clearly and I thought — a big part of that is protection was outstanding. I think we had two sacks, and really the one sack was right before the sack fumble. The sack fumble obviously was a big play in the game. We have to be better there. The one after that wasn’t… it was really taking it to halftime. But protection throughout the day was really, really good. And that allowed Jameis to get through his progressions and even, third, fourth in progressions so that guys could come open. But that was really a large – due in part to the protection.”
We were watching your post-game speech to the players last night and you talked about that you like where this team is at right now. Can you kind of elaborate? I mean, I think from the outside, people would say ‘A 2-6 team, what’s there to like?’ But what do you like about where your team is at right now?
“I like how we work; I like how we come into the building. We own that record, Tom (Withers), but we don’t bring that record with us when we go into meetings, when we go out to the practice field. The way this team works, we understand that it’s not easy. It’s going to be hard. But I like that about this football team.”
Why do you think the protection was so much better yesterday than it has been?
“Yeah, well, I think it’s always a bunch of different reasons, Jeff (Schudel). Obviously, that was the first time we’ve used that lineup I know to date. So, moving some guys around. I thought the tight ends and the running backs did a nice job as part of that protection plan. Some of the tight ends’ chips that they were using before going out in routes, the running backs holding up in protections versus a team that blitzes quite a bit. And I thought, in particular, Nick (Chubb) in that last drive did a nice job versus some pressures. So, I think it was a bunch of guys just executing the protection plan.”
And to follow up then, the fact that Jameis Winston stays in the pocket more. How much, I don’t want to say the word easier, but how much does that contribute to the protection being better?
“Well, yeah, I just think the quarterback and the offensive line, like we’ve talked about, they’re always working in concert when you’re talking about protection. And even the receivers have a piece of this because they need to get open in time. So, it’s really an 11-man protection plan.”
Kevin, what was it like for you to be the CEO type coach and tell me what was the positive of making that play calling move?
“Yeah, I think just yesterday I was really pleased with the communication, really the offense, defense and special teams. I thought the guys did a nice job understanding what we’re trying to get done. For me, I was just there to support Dors (Ken Dorsey) in the play calling on the offensive side of the ball, just like I try to do with Coach (Jim) Schwartz as well. So, I thought Dors did a really nice job getting the plays in, the guys did a nice job getting in and out of the huddle. But for me, the decision, I guess Tony (Grossi), just is whatever I think is best for the football team is what I’ll do.”
This is the height of the scouting season for Andrew Berry. And I’m wondering, on a typical year, and this being whatever, would you have any conversation with Andrew at this point about the scouting process? Like would he say, ‘Hey, this is going to be a great year for defensive ends’ or anything like that?
“I don’t talk to Andrew. Generally, I avoid him around the building [laughing]. But no, that’s stuff that he handles.”
So, you don’t know anything about the draft until the season ends basically?
“That’s correct. Yeah, and I don’t follow the games, I’m sleeping when those games are on Saturday night. So, I catch up in February.”
Kind of back to that protection. When you’re watching the film, are you guys able to quantify how much the success was protection based, the offensive line play versus decisions that Jameis or whoever is at quarterback is making, are you able to quantify that or is it truly a group effort?
“Yeah, I don’t know that you can quantify it other than you can see how much time, literal time, you have to throw. You can see how much space there is in the pocket to throw. You can see are your receivers getting open in. In the time that matches up with the quarterback’s footwork. So, I think you can certainly look at all of that. I just think the biggest thing to understand, when it comes to protection, is it’s not simply does your offensive line block their guy. It’s so much more that goes into that.”
And then with Jeremiah, last night a lot of the guys were saying it was tough to see him go out, not only because he’s playing so well, but because he’s the energizer of the defense. But to see some of his teammates, Mohamoud (Diabate) specifically, stepping up in his place, what does that say about how that defense operates and what Jeremiah means to this team?
“You’re right, Cam (Justice). I mean, Jeremiah is playing at an extremely high level and even in that game, the plays he was making, running around. So, it’s tough when you see a teammate go through that. That’s scary. That’s not fun for anybody involved to watch that. And so, for his teammates to be there and encouraging him in that moment and then understanding that he was getting great care from our medical team, so he was in great hands. And then they understood that we had a job to do. We had to finish that game.”
Another question about Mohamoud for you, it just seemed like he was flying all over, making plays yesterday. Just how have you guys seen him grow these last couple of years here?
“Yeah, I thought Mohamoud played really, really well. He was in a bunch of different spots for us, and he ran it well. He’s very, very violent and active, and he’s been that way, Ashley (Bastock), since we brought him here. I think back to the preseason last year where he was flying around and making plays. So that’s just part of who he is. It’s why we feel like he’s a good DNA fit for our defense.”
And I think a couple guys said when Jeremiah went out, him and Winston Reid were kind of going back and forth with the green dot duty. So just even to be able to take that over mid game, how difficult is that and how did he do with that?
“Yeah, difficult and it’s two young players that you’re talking about. So, I think that’s a credit to the players, I think it’s a credit to their coaches and getting those guys ready to go.”
We talked a lot in the off season about Cedric Tillman and just the leap that you guys were hoping he could make in his second year. Just what can a performance like Sunday where he’s targeted as much as he is and he produced as much as he did, what can that do for him? What can that do for you and Ken as far as really using him going forward now?
“Yeah, it’s interesting having — you’re right, we’ve talked about Ced a lot and didn’t have the opportunities earlier in the season. And it’s nothing that Ced was doing or wasn’t doing. But feel really comfortable with where he is, feel confident with where he is. I thought Ced played really well. I think the entire receiver room played really, really well yesterday. I thought, again, credit to them and credit to their coaches, but I thought those guys not only made plays in the pass game, but they competed like crazy in the run game as well.”
I wanted to ask you about Denzel Ward and another concussion for him. This is the sixth one for him since he’s been drafted. When we’ve talked to him, he’s not really expressed any long-term concerns about it. But my question is, as these are starting to increase now, at what point does the volume of concussions for a specific player become a concern?
“Yeah, I really lean on the medical team, Daryl (Ruiter), in these types of things and I support our players, and I know Denzel’s getting great care.”
Mine’s kind of along the same lines about Denzel and the concussions. And you’re seeing it around the league; you see Tua (Tagovailoa) coming back from another horrible looking concussion. Just what are the conversations within the building amongst, for you with the medical staff? I’m not saying about with individual players, but when it comes to concussions, how much more are you guys talking about it maybe even compared to a couple years ago?
“I think the league has done a great job with their protocol when it comes to concussions. We follow it very closely, just like every team does and I’ll trust in that part of this.”
Based on Jameis’ performance yesterday, is that evidence or data that perhaps you should have benched Deshaun (Watson) at some point earlier in the season and turned things over to Jameis?
“Yeah, I’m not really thinking that way, Mary Kay (Cabot). I thought Jameis did a nice job yesterday, obviously operating in the system. And I know he feels like he can play better, but I’m not thinking about it that way.”
On the David Njoku play on the sideline where they first said completion and then changed it with the replay assist, did you ever get an explanation on that?
“I think that was a first for me because they challenged it, Baltimore challenged it, threw the flag, and then they said replay assist came in to stop the play before it happened. Which I don’t believe they’re supposed to get involved when we’re running a play, when the snap is imminent. And then it goes from them potentially challenging the play to now we’re potentially challenging the play. And I know there were some looks where maybe the ball was coming loose at the end when Dave (Njoku) came to the ground. So, I don’t know what the odds are of getting a play overturned in New York when replay assist has overturned it on the field. But that was definitely a first for me.”
And then on Jeremiah, real quick, do you know if the injury is something that will definitely cause him to miss time?
“Yeah, I’m not ready to go there yet. We’ll just take this one day-by-day.”