DC Joe Woods (12.3.20)
Defensive coordinator Joe Woods:
On DE Myles Garrett returning to practice yesterday:
“It was definitely good to have him back. It was good to see his face out on the field, and he looks good.”
On if Garrett looked like himself at practice yesterday:
“He has only been back for one day. We will be smart about what we want to do, but he looked good.”
On how to try and slow down Titans RB Derrick Henry:
“Part of it is their identity as a team is to run the football. We can’t control how many touches he is going to have. Our focus is going to be on playing the best run defense and trying to eliminate the big runs. We acknowledge and realize that he may have a run here or there, but we really just have to eliminate the big ones and get him bottled up before he gets going.”
On S Ronnie Harrison Jr. being placed on IR and Harrison’s contributions to the team:
“First and foremost, the thing that Ronnie brought to the team was he just truly loves to play the game. We all remember when we were little kids running around just playing football. He had that type of energy, and a lot of guys fed off of that. On the football field, just the versatility to move him around and play him in different places and in sub packages and his ability to get the football. It seemed like the football was always around him or he was always touching the football. That part of it we will miss, but we do feel like we have capable guys to step in and play.”
On takeaways from time with Garrett this week that indicate Garrett will be fully himself on Sunday:
“We are talking to him. He feels good. I just think it is the process of bringing him back the right way. We monitor his reps each day at practice and kind of see where he is. We do know that he will be available to play, and we will just to see how many reps we can give him.”
On if the Browns will have a better idea at the end of the week about how much of a workload Garrett can handle this week:
“Oh yeah, I think we will. Again, it is just a daily thing that we check with him, he checks with our training staff and we monitor where he is. There are all types of technological advances where we can see where he is, as well. We will know what he is capable of on Sunday.”
On how unique Henry is at RB:
“He is very unique because he has size, he has speed, he has excellent vision, he can make the cuts, he can hit it outside and he can bounce it outside, he can run by you and he can run over you. I think I named about everything (laughter).”
On if the Browns defense has to have a different mindset playing someone as physical as Henry:
“I am not necessarily saying that we have to have a different mindset. We just have to know what type of runner he is. Each week, we feel like all we can do is go out and play our defense. We always pride ourselves on running to the ball and tackling. With him, he is just a bigger back. He has a different type of style. It is just really making them more aware what type of style runner he is more than it is physically trying to get him down.”
On how Henry affects the Titans’ pass offense and how Henry’s ability opens up opportunities in the passing offense as defenses try to slow Henry:
“I have been trying to solve that question all week (laughter). That is what it is. Him in the running game, just what he is able to do and the yards that he generates, it creates issues for you defensively because you want to do what you can to stop him, but now you are one on one in coverage at times. We have to do a multitude of things, whether it is coverage and whatever we are doing defensively, to give ourselves different options to stop them. It is an issue that you can’t get away from.”
On what Titans QB Ryan Tannehill is doing well to limit interceptions:
“I just think it is their offense. Everything goes through the running back. Right now, they are running the ball very well. They are running it at a high level. When you are worried about stopping the run, you create bigger windows and you create matchups. Just based on their style of offense, he is doing a great job of making the plays that he needs to make when they do decide to throw it. That was something we talked about, as well, but he is playing really well for them.”
On similarities between the Titans offense and Browns offenses and if that helps the Browns defense prepare this week:
“I think the philosophy is very similar, just when you say we want to run the ball to set up the pass and the more effective you are running the ball, the more defenders you commit to the run and then now you get the play action and you are so worried about the run that you are creating windows behind you. Our philosophy is very similar to theirs. We have seen it – not a lot in practice – but we know we have to deal with.”
On Garrett’s ability to defend the run:
“Very good. Myles has great length. He is very powerful. Great flexibility. He has the ability to set edges and take on blockers, whoever they may be – fullbacks and linemen pulling. He is a very good run defender.”
On LB Malcolm Smith’s performance last week:
“I thought he did a good job. You have to give Jacksonville credit. They had a good gameplan. They made some plays on us. Felt like we definitely could have played better. Stepping up without (LB) Sione (Takitaki) being there, I felt like he did a good job.”
On CB Kevin Johnson’s performance last week:
“He did a good job, as well. I think he had four targets and two completions against him. When you watched him technically for him moving outside really for the first time for extended play, felt like he did well. I talked to him about it. As a player, he is very competitive, and he wishes there some things he could have done better more technically, but I thought he did a nice job for us.”
On what makes Titans WRs A.J. Brown and Corey Davis a challenging tandem:
“Across the board, you look at their skill positions, they have it the way they want it. Both of the receivers are great receivers after the catch. When they get the ball, you have to be able to get them on the ground. I just came from upstairs watching some tape and watching Brown breaking multiple tackles. They have hands to catch the ball, they can beat you underneath and they can beat you down the field, but when they do catch the ball, they are very good runners after the catch.”
On if S Tedric Thompson’s experience with the Seahawks defense makes him a more attractive addition and how Thompson can contribute toward the end of the season:
“That was a big part of it because he is a system fit. He understands the system in terms of what we do. There are some other things that we do outside of that system, but we really felt comfortable because of that. Realistically, we will try to get him up to speed, just like when we got Ronnie here. It was the same dynamic. He is going to have to be ready to play for us as soon as next week.”
On S Karl Joseph’s backup at SS:
“Right now, we have obviously (S Andrew) Sendejo, Karl and (S Sheldrick) Redwine and then we have our two young players – (S Jovante) Moffatt and (S Elijah) Benton – who we have activated at times throughout the season. Between those guys and the new guy we signed (Thompson), we will figure out the rotation. It just depends on how fast Tedric can get up to speed on the defense.”
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