Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (11.17.21)
Opening statement:
“At home versus the Lions this week. A big challenge for us. They had some significant changes schematically going into this last ball game. They were coming off of their bye, and you kind of see different things that they are trying to do offensively and defensively. They are well coached. I know a bunch of their coaches. I know they will ready to play. We have to play our best to win, and we have to make sure that we prepare out here starting today and have a great work week.”
On if DE Myles Garrett is expected back later in the week and to be available for Sunday, given Garrett was listed as a DNP for practice due to personal reasons:
“Yes.”
On QB Baker Mayfield saying he is the most beat up he has been in his career and how Mayfield has handled the adversity:
“As you guys know, Baker is a tough as they come. He is sore. He is fighting through it. That is kind of what you expect from him.”
On an update on RB Nick Chubb’s status:
“Nothing new. Just day to day. We will let the protocols play themselves out.”
On if he is optimistic Mayfield will be available to play on Sunday:
“Yes.”
On how much injuries have affected Mayfield’s performance:
“I do not know. I think he can probably answer that better than me. I think he prepares really hard. He makes sure he is ready to go out here on the practice field, but again, he is sore.”
On an update on CB Troy Hill’s status:
“All of the news continues to be good, which is obviously great. We will just keep bringing him along.”
On what the Browns are doing to make corrections from the Patriots game:
“That is kind of what you do as coaches when you do not play as well as you would have liked and do not coach as well as what you would have liked is you spend time looking at it, spend time together as a staff and identify some areas that we feel like we need to improve and do a better job. That is what you do week in and week out.”
On the sense of urgency for the Browns after the loss to the Patriots:
“I feel that sense of urgency every day I walk in the building. That is just how the NFL works. Win, lose or draw, the next game is the biggest game of your life is how I treat it.”
On if the Browns will evaluate the QB position as the week goes on or if it is clear Mayfield will play:
“You have to take it day to day like anything, but I am confident that he will make it.”
On if it difficult not to overreact to one game like last week’s loss:
“You do not want to overreact. You do not want to underreact. You always want to make sure that every game – win, lose or draw – gets your attention. I think that is what we have to do as coaches and players. We have to learn from every game. After a win, those meetings on Monday are really important because it is never perfect, and after a loss, you have to own it and as a team understand that there are areas we can do better.”
On if now is a pivotal point for the team’s focus to be a priority, given external criticism:
“We ignore the noise on the outside with all due respect. That is just the NFL. We have to be ready to go.”
On the first area of focus for the team when making corrections, particularly as it relates to the team’s performance on third down:
“That is a big focal point for us. We have to be better on third and fourth down on both sides of the ball. I want to say we 28th on defense and 22nd on offense – around there, which is not good enough. We spent some time on that this week as a staff. We again are trying to be problem-solvers, find ways that we can improve, find things that we are good at and continue to do them.”
On if getting WR Jarvis Landry the ball more is an area that can be improved:
“I want all of our guys to touch the ball. I think you guys know how I feel about Jarvis and how important he is to us, and definitely want him to be involved.”
On if Landry’s knee is hindering Landry a lot:
“I think I have said it before, he is battling. I do not think he feels great, but he is battling.”
On how close RB Kareem Hunt is to returning:
“Not this week, but he is progressing.”
On if the Browns will elevate a WR from the practice squad prior to Sunday, particularly with WR Anthony Schwartz in concussion protocol and Landry’s knee:
“We will see how the week goes. Especially when guys are working through concussion protocol, you do not really know until you get to Thursday and Friday. I think there is a chance, if we can’t have one of those guys, yes.”
On if the team needs to get WR Rashard Higgins more involved in the offense:
“Rashard is doing a great job. He is doing everything we are asking of him. We may call on him more, to your point, as guys are unavailable. We are just focusing on making sure we are efficient in everything we do – run and pass. We want all of our pass catchers to touch the ball.”
On if Chubb could return by Sunday:
“I do not really have an update. We are just going to follow the protocol.”
On if Hunt is out for Sunday:
“Kareem will not play Sunday.”
On RB D’Ernest Johnson’s performance last week:
“D’Ernest – maybe I sound like a broken record – every time he is out there, he comes through for us. I think that is an indication of the type of teammate he is because he prepares so hard. Whether you want him to play 30 snaps on special teams or carry the ball 30 times, he is going to be ready to go.”
On the Lions commitment to the running game:
“I think it was even more than that. The conditions were not great so that maybe contributed to it, also. They used an extra offensive lineman 28 times or so and multiple tight end groups. The personnel has certainly changed, as well.”
On if Lions QB Jared Goff not practicing today impacts the Browns’ preparation for Sunday:
“I do not think so.”
On the Browns ranking near the bottom of the league in takeaways despite being tied for the NFL lead in sacks and creating good pressure up front:
“That has been an emphasis throughout this season and last season. We want to take that ball away. Typically, when you are applying pressure to the quarterback, those sacks turn into sack fumbles and those pressures turn into interceptions. We just have to make sure that we continue to apply pressure, whether we are rushing four, five or six – it does not matter – and then when we are around that ball, we have to make a play on the ball.”
On the biggest issues in the run defense during the Patriots and Steelers games:
“Any time you are not as efficient as you want to be as a run defense, it is always a combination of things. No. 1, your run fits have to be great, you have to shed blocks and then you have to tackle. It was a little bit of everything, and that is where we are going to work real hard this week to get it fixed.”
On if the Browns DTs are playing as needed:
“Yeah. Again, I think all of us can improve. We can be better as coaches and we can be better as players so I would not single out one position group.”
On what has he seen from the team since Monday and today pertaining to bouncing back from the Patriots loss:
“It is Wednesday. You have to move on. It is Lions week. You have to do the same thing if you win a big game. Two weeks ago, we won a big game, and we turned the page because that is how you have to do it. That is what we are doing as coaches and definitely what we are doing as players, and we are focused on the Lions.”
On confidence the Browns can be more consistent throughout the season:
“For us, it is about being consistent in our preparation and being consistent on Sunday. Talked to the guys this morning about how important your work week is and how important meetings are, the walkthroughs and these practices because ultimately, you can’t wait until Sunday to be ready to play. You have to get ready today.”
On if the Browns coaching staff have talked about changing some operations on gameday:
“No major changes. I think the communication is really good. It has to continue to be good, but it is an all-hands-on-deck effort when it gets to gameday.”
On if the team has discussed whether it would be wise to rest Mayfield this week to allow more time to recover from injuries:
“We always with the medical group make sure that whatever we are doing, we are making decisions in the best interest of the player. We will never put a player out there who is not ready, but if he is ready to go, he will play on Sunday.”
On if he has ever been with a QB this late in the season who has the number of injuries Mayfield does:
“I can’t [tell you] off of the top of my head. I do think if you are look around the league, guys are fighting through injuries. It is November in the NFL. There are 17 games now. I think you feel really good that first day of training camp and then that is it.”
On CB Greg Newsome II’s two defensive pass interference penalties last week:
“It is clean hands. You can’t tug at jerseys. That is the easiest ones for the officials to see. We have to start here on the practice field of making sure that we are not doing it here, and that has to carry over to the game.”
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