Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (11.30.25)
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski
11-30-25
Opening Statement:
“Injury front, I think you guys have most of these, but Maliek (Collins) has a quad injury. We’ll get imaging on that. You know, we have to play complementary football to have a chance versus a good football team. And they had a drive start on the 16 after a big punt return that led to a touchdown. They had a drive start on the 18 after a muffed punt that led to a touchdown. They had a drive start on the 25 after a failed fourth and inches, led to a touchdown. A fourth and one on the plus 42, led to a field goal. So that’s not the way to play a good team where you’re giving them short fields. That’s not the right, with our defense, we got to make them earn it. And I don’t think we did that today. And that’s on me to get it fixed. Listen, it’s a good football team that you’re facing, and guys fought their butts off, but just not enough, especially with some of the field position that we put them in. But with that, I’ll take any questions.”
Kevin, when you had the fourth and one from your own 33, 10-8 in the third with the defense playing as well as it has in the elements and all that, why go for it in that moment?
“Felt good, Daniel (Oyefusi). I think, you know, there’s always the obvious risk when you go for it in those situations, but if you feel good about the plays you have and your players, you feel good about converting on those distances.”
Why specifically did you go with, I guess the timing, why specifically did you go with the sneak with Harold (Fannin Jr.) when you’ve been running the wildcat to jumbo packages as much as you have?
“Yeah, just felt good about the call. Didn’t get it done.”
Was there any confusion leading up to it? It seemed rushed.
“We had a couple guys in and out of the lineup due to injuries, so that caused it. But we obviously lined up. It was a quick count, so I knew that the play would get off.”
Kevin, did you think that Shedeur (Sanders) built on his first start last week against the (Las Vegas) Raiders?
“Yeah, I’d have to look at it, Mary Kay (Cabot). Obviously he’s battling like all of our guys are battling. I know there’s plays he wants back, but we’ll look at it, we’ll correct it.”
Will you start him next week?
“Yes.”
So many injuries on the offensive line, guys in and out. How did that affect today?
“It’s just part of it, Jeff (Schudel) with injuries. Don’t like it, but it’s just part of it.”
Kevin, it felt like you had success running the ball, but then on the short yardage, even before the fourth and one, it was second and two or whatever. How disappointing, and why do you think it didn’t work on the fourth and one?
“Yeah, I’d have to look at it to give you a good answer, Scott (Petrak), other than to say that they made a play, felt good about the concepts that we had up, but they did a better job.”
Was Wyatt (Teller) dealing with an injury? If not, why did you guys rotate Teven (Jenkins)?
“Yeah, I rotated Teven throughout the game. I wanted to see Teven in this game, but, you know, obviously want to always get our guys as many reps as we can.”
With the jumbo package that Teven is usually in as the sixth offensive linemen, do you think that led to some confusion, because it looked like Wyatt kinda…
“No, it was really due to the injury that we had previously.”
Just one more on that Fannin play, you know, the Wildcat has done so well with Q (Quinshon Judkins). Why did it not work?
“Well, it was fourth and inside of one, I think, so it was inches. So as you guys know, quarterback sneaks, the most effective play in that situation, we did not execute. That’s on me. We’ll get it fixed.”
When you say that Shedeur will start next week, are you still taking this week by week or are you prepared to say that he’s kind of your guy?
“Yeah, I’m not going to get into all that, Mary Kay, other than to say we all have to just play better.”
You mentioned the mistakes on special teams, and we’ve asked you throughout the season about the job Bubba Ventrone is doing; I say that all to ask, why do you think that major changes are required?
“Yeah, we’ll just make sure that we keep coaching our guys, Daniel. We had some young guys make some young mistakes today.”
On a positive note, what did you think of the touchdown throw Shedeur had to Harold?
“Yeah, I thought that was really well executed. Thought it was a good call by Tommy (Rees) in that situation. Felt really strongly about that call, that play. We’ve kind of have been waiting to get to it for a couple weeks. Had the right time for it.”
On the long punt return, it felt like Grant (Delpit) maybe ran by it? Did you get a sense of that?
“I don’t know. Yeah, I’d have to look at it. I’m not sure.”
You guys are going to have a losing season, how disappointing is that to you to know that’s going to be the case?
“All of it, losing is always disappointing, Mary Kay. It’s frustrating and for your players that work so hard and put so much into this, you want to be able to put them in positions to succeed. And obviously we didn’t do that today.”
You mentioned Maliek, is there any fear for long-term concern or with any of the other guys like Dylan (Sampson) and Isaiah (McGuire)?
“Absent imaging and testing those type of things, it’s hard to say.”
How do you think the defense did given the fact that they were put in bad spots a lot of the game?
“Yeah. Again, a very good offense, as you know. Battled. Of course there’s going to be things that we can clean up, but you can’t play that way. Putting a good team on a short field that many times.”
Kevin, on the field, was it a difficult day to throw because of the wind?
“It was, yeah. It was definitely going away from the Dawg Pound.”
What kind of offensive adjustments were you trying to make in the second half? It didn’t look like anything was working in the second half offensively.
“Yeah, we just have to find a way to stay on the football field. I thought there were some good things happening in the run game but just not enough really.”
Will you try to get more involved in some of the special teams since that’s been an area of concern?
“I’m responsible for all of it, Mary Kay. I’m involved in all of it. We’ll get it coached up.”
Kevin, you said multiple times that you can’t put the team on a short field like that. So when you decided to go for it on fourth and one, given a two-point game, still a lot of time left. Is that something where like the analytics set to go for? Was it a gut decision for you?
“No, it’s always my decision. Listen, I take in information but it’s always my decision. We’re going against a good team. You’re the underdogs. You’re going to have to play in some situations aggressively. I feel good about those two calls and those two concepts on fourth and short. I have to trust our guys based on the matchup, based on who we have, based on who they have, those type of things.”
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