Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (12.16.24)

 

Opening Statement:

“Okay, injury update, no real updates from yesterday. Like I told you guys, obviously disappointed for Nick (Chubb), but I know he’ll bounce back and he’ll attack his rehab. With the game, obviously feel the same way as I felt yesterday. Really disappointed in turning the ball over six times. You are not going to beat anybody doing that. So unfortunately, there’s some good things that occurred during that game, particularly our defense, I thought, played really, really good football for the majority of the game. But unfortunately, we just, as a team, didn’t do all those little things that you need to do in order to beat a good team. So that’s where our focus will be. I’ll take any questions you guys got.”

 

What are you going to do at quarterback against the (Cincinnati) Bengals?

“Yeah, we’re still putting this game to bed. So, anything related to Cincinnati I’ll update you guys as we get into the week.”

 

And then with Nick, do you know if he’s going to need surgery?

“I don’t know that just yet. I don’t believe so.”

 

Okay, and recovery time, do you know how long?

“It’s a shorter-term recovery time, but obviously we’re going to lose him for the season.”

 

And just with him, Kevin, did you see, I know it’s such a tough knee injury, but did you see signs of him kind of rounding into the form that we’re so used to seeing as the season went along?

“Yeah, I think certainly you saw Nick had some really big plays for us this season. Think about some of the runs near the goal line where he put his head down and powered through, including in the games where he just got back out there. So, I can’t say it enough how impressive it was to watch him get back for this season. Going all the way back, I still have the video of him running the hills at the Greenbrier and just the guy’s so determined. So, very, very disappointed with yesterday and him having that unfortunate injury. But it can’t take away from what he was able to accomplish this season.”

 

When we talked to Jameis (Winston) after the game, we went over some of the interceptions and the one went off in Nick’s hands, and then he described what happened with the receiver thinking he was throwing it to someone else on the third one. The question is, do some of those things factor into your decision on what you’re going to do? And then also, the fact that a guy like Jerry Jeudy has absolutely flourished and thrived with Jameis, would that be another thing that you would take into consideration?

“I think with any decision, Mary Kay (Cabot), you take everything into consideration, certainly. So, we need to work through all those types of things, but ultimately we want to do what’s best for the team.”

 

But with Jameis’ interceptions, does he have a point? Some of them have gone to Elijah Moore where Elijah really hasn’t done very well on the jump balls this year, per se. I think he’s way up there in terms of passes intended for him. How do you feel about Jameis’ interceptions in total?

“Yeah, I would tell you, Mary Kay (Cabot), and we kind of talked about this last week, you really treat each play as its own entity, if you will, and you make sure that you coach a player up on every single play. So, on plays where you have an interception, or a missed assignment or whatever it may be, you just try to learn from every single one of those, and they’re all different. So that’s what we’re continuing to do. I think just sitting with the quarterbacks and going over those plays, I think it’s good for everybody to learn from them, particularly when you feel like you can maybe make a better decision, have better technique, whatever it may be.”

 

As a coach who’s been around quarterbacks basically your whole career, what teaching points can you give a quarterback to be more careful with the ball?

“I think ultimately, Jeff (Schudel), you certainly are playing in a position where you’re making decisions 70 times a game and you have to trust what you see; you have to trust in your technique. And certainly, we know that a big part of winning and losing in football is taking care of the ball. We get that. We also know that you have to play a style of football that gives yourself a chance to make yards. So, there are times that you’re aggressive, there’s times that you’re not, based on what the situation is, maybe based on what the route concept is and those types of things. So, I think you coach all of that up constantly, Jeff (Schudel), and we’re trying to play that game where we take care of the ball and you find a way to win. But it’s always going to be something that’s important to winning and losing in terms of taking care of the football.”

 

When you say you’re ultimately going to do what’s best for the team, do you mean this week or for the team in general? And I’m talking about the quarterback situation. Isn’t it time for you guys to make some decisions about rebuilding this thing for next year?

“Yeah, I think my focus, Tony (Grossi), whether it’s the quarterback position, it’s really any position. Constantly trying to do what I feel like is best for the team for right now, for this week, for Cincinnati. That’s really where our focus is.”

 

We talked to Chubb last week and he said he’s not close to shutting it down and all that. But was there any conversation that he would have been shut down somewhere in the next three games?

“No.”

 

Why not?

“Am I allowed to answer your question with a question?”

 

Yeah.

“Why?”

 

I mean, he’s been through so much. Wouldn’t just to refresh his knee as long as you could, be in the best interest of him?

“Yeah, I understand what you’re asking, Tony (Grossi), but what I would tell you is our guys are competitors. They’re here to play, they’re here to compete. Nick is an ultimate competitor with how he carries himself in the building, on the practice field, in the game field. That was never under consideration.”

I know Dorian (Thompson-Robinson) last night said that he had a package of plays already kind of planned for him and it just kind of was an expanded role when you guys put him out there. When you guys are determining who’s going to be the starting quarterback this week, is there the possibility of kind of figuring that out along the way while still expanding Dorian’s, I want to say, practice, the things that you’re expecting from him? So that way if he does go out, if it is him, he is more prepared for that. Is that something you can do?

“I think we obviously need to work through all of it, Cam (Justice). Certainly, there’s plays that we have for a lot of guys that sometimes you get to, sometimes you don’t. But in the case of this, I think it’s just something that we just need to work through.”

 

Have you guys been able to do that at any point in Dorian’s time here? Kind of think about how you would use him in a long term role?

“Yes. I think all of our guys are really working towards that. Whether you’re getting reps with the scout team, with the ones, with the twos, whatever it may be. I think we’re constantly trying to think of our guys’ roles moving forward.”

 

Hey Kevin, again on the quarterback decision situation, do you expect to have a decision next time we talk to you on Wednesday? Or is it something where you’d like to see both guys practice and get practice reps throughout the week before you make a decision?

“I’ll update you guys when appropriate. Again, as you can imagine, Mondays are really about putting the previous game to bed. So, just have some more work to do.”

 

At this point, are you willing and able to rule out JOK (Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah) for the rest of the season and is there any update from you on him?

“Yeah, I don’t have an update just yet on Jeremiah, but I will update you guys when appropriate.”

 

But not expected to play this week, obviously?

“Not expected play this week. That’s right.”

 

You guys have talked a ton, Kevin, this year about the pre-snap penalties and I know that’s been a point of emphasis for you guys. What has prevented that message from getting through or those mistakes sort of still persisting, you think, even this deep into the season?

“Yeah, we need to avoid the avoidable penalties and those pre-snap ones we feel like are avoidable. Are there some things that maybe I take issue with? Yes. And we knew that going into this game that that may happen with that crew, and we’ll get answers to those type of things. But it doesn’t change the fact that you don’t want to put your team in any way, unnecessarily behind the eight ball with something pre-snap. Those are the easy ones that we need to avoid.”

 

And then I guess the silver lining from yesterday, Jerry (Jeudy) getting to 1,000 yards obviously for the first time in his career. I know I asked you a couple of weeks ago just about what you envisioned with him when you got him, if you kind of saw this potential. But as the season winds down, you sort of look ahead to next year and beyond with him. How excited are you guys about the possibilities that he gives you guys as a potentially number one wide receiver and what he’s kind of proven this year for you guys?

“Yeah, he continues to make plays in a variety of ways. He shows the ability to line up everywhere in the formation, which I think, like we’ve spoken about before, speaks to his intelligence. And he’s somebody that we’ll continue to utilize because he’s made a lot of plays with the ball in his hands.”

 

With Nick out, what do you guys hope to see from Jerome (Ford) over these last three weeks and what’s going to be important for him?

“Just continue to build on yesterday. I thought he was really good. Obviously, gave us a spark in the kick return game, gave us a spark on offense. So, it’s just building on that. I thought his pass protection was good as well. So, another young player that will get a few more opportunities.”

 

Going back to the quarterbacks, over the last year you’ve seen Dorian more than we have, just in practices and stuff. How have you kind of seen him grow in those moments where we’re not privy to necessarily?

“I’d tell you, Dorian, like a lot of young players, Ashley (Bastock), continues to use all of his reps that he gets to make himself better. I mean, I think when you’re running the scout team cards, those are great opportunities to get better. You’re not running your plays per se, but these plays are so similar, so you can take yourself through a rep or a concept that you can get better at. And then in terms of just individual, just seeing a guy that takes coaching, takes the individual period into what he’s doing in practice. So, I see a lot of growth from Dorian and from all of our young players.”

 

Yeah, Kevin, I wanted to ask you about the special teams. You’ve had so many issues with that unit this year, not just from a kicking standpoint, but the return game. What has led to the drop off there and how disappointing has that been for you week-to-week to continue to have those struggles?

“Well, obviously, Daryl (Ruiter), you’re trying to affect the game in a positive way on teams. And certainly, our return phases are setting up our offense with good field position. That’s the thing with special teams, is you’re talking about points and field position, two things that are obviously very important to winning and losing. So, disappointed with some of the plays that have happened in our punt return in particular, we need to be better there. Obviously, turning over the ball is really disappointing and not something that we can do when you’re trying to, again, set the offense up.”

 

And I know you want these players to take it one week at a time. Big picture wise for them though, how critical are these final three games before you and Andrew (Berry) have to get in a room and really have an honest conversation about the state of the roster and who fits this team going forward?

“I think every game is important, Daryl (Ruiter). Whether it was game one, game 17, we look at every game as an opportunity for our players, for our coaches. Your tape is your resume. So, these are really important games for all of us.”

 

How are David Njoku and Cedric Tillman coming along? Are you optimistic they’ll be able to play in Cincinnati?

“I’m hopeful, Mary Kay (Cabot). They’re both getting better, but we’ll have to see how this week plays out.”

 

If they can’t play, obviously you guys struggled with getting any production out of most of your receivers except for Jerry Jeudy, yesterday. Do you have other thoughts, plans or ideas on what you can do to generate some more production from some of the other players?

“Certainly, we have to, Mary Kay (Cabot). Obviously, Jerry has been very productive, like we talked about, but we’re at our best when the ball is being spread around and multiple guys are making plays. And we trust all of our guys who have the ability to catch it. So, it’s our job just to put them in position to go make those plays.”

 

Myles (Garrett) said he was going to see the eye doctor today. Do you know what the result was?

“I think he’s still there, so I don’t have an update just yet.”

 

Okay, so you don’t know if it could affect him this week or anything?

“I don’t know just yet, yeah.”