Pass Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach Jeff Howard (11.11.22)
On if CB Denzel Ward has to be eased into the Browns defense after missing three games or if Ward is ready to take on a normal role:
“We are working through that with Denzel. Just day to day with practice. It has been good to see him back and working with the group. He really seems hungry at practice. Had some good reps in coverage. As far as roles, we are kind of working through that day to day and seeing what it looks like but always want him to be aware of how he is feeling and how he is doing. Very thankful that he is coming back.”
On the Browns secondary’s confidence that they can line up with the Dolphins WRs:
“As competitors, you always want to match up against the best guys and see how you fare against them. I think a lot of that starts with your mentality. It is something that we talked about a lot going into the Cincinnati week. They have a dynamic crew, but we feel like we are good, as well. What was kind of interesting about that is just working through the week of who was going to play and who was not, and it changed a lot so the matchups changed almost daily. I think what really has shown through that process is everybody who we thought was getting ready to play knew that we were going to come out with the right mentality and we were going to attack the receivers. I think that mentality and that confidence, you can see it across the room. That is something I want in them. We put all of this time and effort into it. You want to play against the best and see how you do.”
On CB Martin Emerson Jr. stepping up while Ward was in concussion protocol:
“What stands out to me with MJ really since the day he has been here is his willingness to compete and his competitive fire day to day. I think it rolls into games. I don’t think it is something that he turns off. It doesn’t turn on and off. No, it hasn’t seemed too big for him. It was good for him. Going into that game, I talked to him about I have been around a lot of rookie corners. It is like when you are a rookie corner in this league, they are going to throw the ball at you until you prove that they shouldn’t. It was good to see. I told him before that game against Cincinnati that you need to get them off you, like get them off you. It was cool on some of those money down situations for him to come through and do that. It was good success for him. Something for him to obviously build on. I really appreciate that competitive fire from MJ. I think you guys see it, as well.”
On S John Johnson III saying that Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill is being featured more in Miami’s offense than Kansas City’s:
“I think what really stands out to me with their offense is how they have incorporated him into what they do. Schematically, the (Chiefs Head Coach) Andy Reid offense and we will call it the (49ers Head Coach) Kyle Shanahan offense are pretty different, but what you have seen from their staff is taking what he does well and morphing it into a role for him with their scheme. What I mean by that is, I think in Kansas City everything was very RPO driven, and in the Shanahan offense, you see more run-action passes so play actions, but they are doing it in a way that features the things that Tyreek does well. Now, what I think he does well, he is obviously a thorough receiver. He can run all three levels of the defense. If you track his explosives from year to year, what he does extremely well is break on short end-cuts so slants, we call them drift-routes which are a little bit deeper and then the catch and run opportunities off of that. Really, you go all the way back to the Shanahan offense, they have been doing that forever, but I don’t think I have seen this many end-breaking drift-cuts off of play-actions that I have seen from this team. That is kind of the way they are using him.”
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