Linebackers coach Jason Tarver (11.19.21)
On easing LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah back into the gameplan after returning from injured reserve:
“I think he has gotten better every day this week in practice. We actually spoke about that on the way off the field, and that has been good. His mindset is good. We will see what he does.”
On LB Anthony Walker Jr.’s comments about correcting his own mistakes from last weeks:
“That is one thing we do all of the time. In this league and in this business, you have to take care of yourself first. It is about us, and we stay with that. Anthony is a great example. He is really hard on himself in the right way. He makes corrections. On one screen, he got there so fast and he read it so fast, he just went outside a little quicker when he should have stayed inside. Things like that, that is the first thing we talked about is we have to fix our mistakes first because we know that everybody is looking at that. The coaching phrase for it is we call it a copycat league because they only know what is on our video. We have to fix some of those. Some of the things we worked on this week, of course our screens, reverses and things like that where they are trying to get the ball in certain players’ hands fast. He has made those corrections. He has been pretty good all week and pretty deliberate. I am excited about that.”
On if it will take a while for Owusu-Koramoah to get back being able to play almost every down:
“We talked a little about the injury process, and everything is a process. Getting back your feel, there is something to that. The more reps you have acquired in your career, the quicker than can happen sometimes. He has been better and better with his feel throughout this week of practice so we will see where he goes, but we need everybody. We play all of our linebackers in certain situations and use them for what they can do for the best of their ability. We will keep that going.”
On having Owusu-Koramoah and other Browns LBs cover TEs, given Owusu-Koramoah’s comments about covering TEs earlier this week:
“There are certain formations where our linebackers will be on whoever is aligned at say No. 2 in the formation. It could be a No. 1 and No. 2, and we do not even care who is there. What Jeremiah means is there may not be a call where you have the tight end, but there are a lot of times we have been on them all year. Certain examples, Jeremiah has been on just No. 2 in the formation a bunch of times and covered them in some of the early games in Minnesota and some others. (LB) Malcolm Smith did a good job in Chicago on a wide receiver on a No. 2. Those are just two off of the top of my head but some specific examples. There are times where we train everybody to be able to cover people. We have to know where our leverage is and where our help is, regardless of whether we are a linebacker, safety or whatever. Specific times where, ‘You got him,’ not as much. Although, not going to give away what is coming (laughter).”
On how defensive coordinator Joe Woods has handled this week after last week’s loss:
“I have said this before, but Joe, to quote Stuart Scott, ‘He is cooler than the other side of the pillow.’ Joe is the same guy every day, and he does not change. That is what we love about him. This is my second time being able to work with Coach Woods. We just fix stuff and move on. He really is what he says. That is a credit to him. That is what we love about him.”
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