Pass game coordinator/WRs coach Chad O’Shea (12.12.20)
Pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea:
On how important WR Rashard Higgins has been to the Browns offense the past few weeks:
“He has been an important part of what we have done offensively, especially in the pass game. He has done a really good job, as he has done all season, of working extremely hard. That is where it starts with Rashard is that he really both on field and in the classroom just works so hard, and our group collectively has done the same. He has put himself in position in his preparation to have success and he continues to work hard and be an important part of what we are doing offensively.”
On QB Baker Mayfield’s willingness to throw to anyone and also come back to Browns players after a drop or mistake, specifically referencing WR Donovan Peoples-Jones last week:
“At the receiver position, it is our job to be very detailed and precise in the pass game and to be exactly where we need to be at all times and have consistency in that area. I think Baker is trusting our guys to do that. He has definitely showed that by his play. I appreciate greatly when Baker has the ability to come back to a receiver after a drop. It really displays the confidence that he has in our guys. A good example of that was when Donovan Peoples-Jones had the early drop in the last game and then Baker had enough confidence to come back to him. That confidence in my opinion is built over time. It is not something that just happens overnight, and it is built on the practice field. These guys have been working together now for some time, and they have really developed chemistry and they have developed confidence in each other. I appreciate Baker’s willingness to come back to a player, especially after you experience an early drop. My hat is also off to Donovan for coming back and having enough mental toughness to move on from that and to be willing to make a great play for us after a drop.”
On how much better he knows the Browns WRs compared to Week 1 and how that has helped preparations for this week’s game:
“Anytime you have been around guys for a long period of time, you definitely have a better feel for what our strengths are as a group. That that is our job as coaches is to play to the strengths of our players, and it takes some time to identify what exactly those are. We definitely have a lot of strengths, especially throughout the entire offense, but we are fortunate to have some strengths at the receiver position. We identified what those are, and our players have worked extremely hard to get on the same page, which the passing game is definitely something that is always a work in progress to be on the same page in regards to timing and the overall execution. Obviously, where we were at the beginning of the season and where we are now are two different places and it is two different times. I look forward to the challenge of playing really an outstanding secondary in the Ravens on Monday night.”
On if he is aware of whether or not TE Austin Hooper will practice today:
“I will leave (Head) Coach (Kevin) Stefanski to answer that. I was with the receivers in the receiver room and getting those guys ready for practice. I will let him answer that question.”
On WR Jarvis Landry highly producing in recent weeks and what that does for the entire Browns offense:
“Jarvis has done an outstanding job for us throughout the season of his preparation, working hard and being a great leader for us offensively and in the receiver room. He has had some production here in the last of couple games. As Jarvis has done throughout the season, he is going out there and he is trying to execute the plan that is in place. He has worked extremely hard on the practice field with Baker to make sure that the timing, the execution and the details of the passes are what they need to be. It has been great to have him be in a position where he has had success because he is definitely one of our strong leaders on the team and guys look to him for his leadership.”
On what makes Peoples-Jones so resilient:
“He has good mental toughness. I think that is where it starts. He has the ability to stay in the moment and move on to the future when he needs to. He has done a really good job of when anything negative has happened – which as a rookie there are going to be a share of things that happen when you are a rookie football player in a negative way – he has had the ability to move on. We have asked Donovan from the day he walked in, as we have asked all over rookie players, to work extremely hard to put the team first in everything they do. Donovan has done that. He has continued, whether it is good or bad, the next thing you are going to get from him is you are going to get hard work and you are going to get him to try to be better at everything he is doing. I certainly have a lot of respect for his ability to deal with adversity and to move on from a negative, which would be a drop in a game, and to put the team first in everything he has done, and that is what he has done.”
On if he has spoken to WR Odell Beckham Jr. about rehab and how Beckham is doing:
“I will leave those conversations private. I am very supportive of Odell and his rehab right now. I have been so consumed with what we are doing here as a group on a daily basis, but I am definitely supportive of all his rehab. As I know Odell, I am sure he is working extremely hard and doing what he needs to do to be back.”
On preparing Browns WRs for the physical nature of playing the Ravens and the Ravens CBs:
“That is a great question because this is a really big challenge for us facing this defense. They have outstanding players throughout their defense, but specifically, the secondary has done such a good job. They have dealt with injuries, and they still manage to really do an outstanding job of playing very good defense. It is going to be a great challenge for our guys. They are very physical. They do a great job in their coverage. They make it really hard to get open. We have really tried to put a big emphasis on them understanding the challenge that is ahead of them, which is a great challenge this week. We have worked hard at practice. Clearly, this opponent is one we have a tremendous amount of respect for, and we know it is going to be hard.”
On why people may say the Browns passing game looks better without Beckham on the field:
“That question is one I have never even thought about. What we have thought about is we try to tell our players and ask our players, ‘Let’s get better.’ The Odell injury happened when it did. Obviously, regardless of if Odell was hurt or not, we are going to ask our players to improve on a daily basis. That is all we ask of them is we need to get better. It is my expectation that this time of the year we should be better than we were at the beginning of the year or midyear. It comes down to progress is made when you go out and you work extremely hard, which this group has done an outstanding job of working. When they put the time in and they invest in the preparation that they have, there is going to be improvement, regardless of who is out there playing. I know we are very fortunate to have the group of players that we have right now that are out there playing for us, and it is a group that I love to coach because they come out every day and they work extremely hard. When you work extremely hard, you take the coaching and you are receptive to doing the things we want to be done and the details, you are going to improve. I think the improvement is based off of them working hard and time.”
On if that explanation would also apply to why Mayfield has not thrown an interception in consecutive weeks:
“Yeah, Baker has certainly done the things I just spoke about. He has worked extremely hard. He is this much further in an offense that was new to all of us when we got started. This offense has really done a great job of following Coach Stefanski and Coach (offensive coordinator Alex) Van Pelt’s lead of we are going to go out there and work hard, and our preparation will make us better in time, and that is what has happened.”
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