Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (12.28.25)
Opening Statement:
“Love how this football team fights. Love that we get to even that season-series versus a division rival, get to do it in front of our fans. So I’m just extremely grateful for that group in there, how hard they play for 60 minutes. That’s what they do at practice, shows up in games. So plenty to clean up like there always is. But to beat a good football team says a lot about that locker room. So I’m proud of those guys. But with that, I’ll take any questions.”
What can you say about… would it have been so much nicer obviously for Myles (Garrett) to be able to get the sack record at home today?
“He’s celebrating in there, so he likes to win.”
What do you think his presence, how did that affect the way Aaron Rodgers played today?
“Yeah, I think Myles affects every single game, Jeff (Schudel). Obviously he shows up in the stat sheet in a bunch of different areas, but even the things you don’t see – how they have to play the game, I mean, they have to play an empty the entire game and chip both sides. Those are two eligibles that aren’t getting out on the route immediately. So it affects how teams play us.”
Kevin, you talk about the effort and the way these guys are playing, you know, the way the season has gone, it would have been easy for a lot of people would say to kind of pack things up. What is it about this group that they don’t seem to…?
“Yeah, I know this group too well. I know how important this game is to them, how important it is to me. We only know one way.”
What can you say about Denzel (Ward), there at the end.
“Yeah, he played really well. You know, he’s a great player. Great to have him back out there. You know, that’s a lot of time there for a Hall of Famer. So we knew they were going to make their plays, but our guys made one more than they did.”
What can you say, just in general about this defensive effort to hold them down? And hold Aaron Rodgers down the way they did.
“Yeah, outstanding. And a bunch of individual efforts. Obviously, Myles getting all the attention he got. I thought Tyson (Campbell) was outstanding. I thought Carson (Schwesinger) battled and fought like he always does and ends up tackling the guy to the ground. You know, just a bunch of individual efforts and just that was what was required today.”
You talk about individual efforts – the special teams have been sort of aligned all season, but when you needed the field flipped, how big was that punt that Corey (Bojorquez) got off?
“That was huge. You know, Dre (Andre Szmyt) coming through on his field goal attempts. Corey, when we needed him, doing a great job playing that field position game. Yeah, I thought the guys did a great job.”
How about Shedeur? How do you wrap up Shedeur’s performance today?
“Yeah, obviously he wins, you know, gotta win. So that’s great for the young man. Gets to beat Pittsburgh, gets to beat a division rival. So, they’re not going to be easy, not in this division. So proud of him for that. There are always things he can clean up. I thought we got a little unlucky on that first interception. We can certainly learn from the second one and he will. But, yeah, he continued to battle.”
Kevin, what do you think changed? Because it seemed like Shedeur was really in control, and slowly he got hit on that first interception – it wasn’t really his fault. But after that, just some mistakes maybe he would’ve liked to have back. What do you think changed?
“I don’t think anything changed, Daniel (Oyefusi). I think it’s a good defense. You know, we made a few plays early. We’ll look at the ways that we can make a few plays later, too.”
How hard is it to lose Harold (Fannin Jr.), your top weapon in a game like this?
“Yeah, that was unfortunate. You know, we had the four tight ends up just because of that injury on Friday, so he’s a huge part of what we do. You saw it right away when it happened, but that was an incredible job adjusting to that football. It was a good read by Shedeur, then to get in the end zone was great. But yeah, he was missed, like you can imagine.”
Kevin, did Wyatt (Teller) reaggravate the calf?
“He did.”
It looked like Carson was fighting through something. Did you see that too?
“Yeah, he was fighting through… I’ll update you guys tomorrow, but a bruise.”
And then you mentioned winning at home in your opening. But just how special is it to win the finale this year?
“Yeah, you know, we love playing in front of our fans. We love that they stick with us. We love the energy that they bring to this building. And we wanted to reward them with a win versus a division opponent.”
Is there some satisfaction in preventing the Steelers from clinching today on your grass?
“Honestly, Mary Kay (Cabot), that’s a division game. That’s really all you have to say. I’m aware of all those type of things, but that’s not what’s important to us.”
How much was the wind a factor, and is that why you didn’t go for the one?
“Yeah. Huge factor. Didn’t know that the wind was going to be as significant as it was today. Thought there’d be more precipitation, there was not, at least throughout the game. So, early, just watching through pregame, thought that it would be the best thing to take that football and then get the wind in the fourth.”
Is that why you didn’t try that long field goal?
“Correct.”
I know you talked about this a little bit, but what is it about this football team that they are fighting so hard and they show so much heart and soul, and here they are at the end?
“It’s just our DNA, Mary Kay, obviously. We can talk about the big picture later, but in the meantime, small picture, division opponent in front of us. They love playing together. They love playing next to, you know, their brothers, and that’s just what we’re about.”
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