Defensive Coordinator Mike Rutenberg (9.24.26)
Bryce Young, what can you say about him and the start that he’s off to so far this season?
“You know, clearly, he’s very in command of the offense. You can see that’s a group that’s been together for a long time and playing very well together. And obviously along with Bryce, they’re doing a great job protecting him. Really, really sound, solid scheme that’s taking advantage of explosives right now. The wideouts, tight end is coming alive. Super efficient run game and really, really good scheme, and excited for that challenge for sure.”
How does he overcome that height disadvantage he has?
“I mean, I don’t think he has to worry about overcoming anything. He’s like a point guard back there. He’s excellent moving around, extending. He’s got full command of what they’re trying to do and he’s a really, really good player.”
Rudy, going back to Sunday, how do you feel about the way your guys handled everything with number one, the situation you were in and that driving win, and two, with the two-hour weather delay?
“Super fired up for them. Guys put in the work, coaches put in the work and we try and do that every week. And it’s not guaranteed that you’re going to be rewarded with a victory, but at least guarantees you a chance. And the players finished after a crazy rain delay. They handled that really well, the coaches handled that well, and we’re able to do enough to win. And credit to the offense for scoring the touchdown, and then the defense for the finish. It was really cool for those guys.”
Mike, is it as simple as from week one to week two that the improvement was just guys did their jobs?
“You overthink it? No. I think everybody’s got to have a foundation, right? And for us, our defensive foundation is heart, mind, fist. And I’ve talked about it, and the heart and the fist was there, and we made a commitment to constantly improving the mind, coaches and players. And when you can look in the mirror and say, I can do better, it’s week to week, whether you get you’re a– kicked or whether you have a win. It’s every single week the grind of the NFL. And can you out grind the grind mentally? Can you out grind the grind physically, and can you out grind the grind emotionally? And we were able to do it last week. Well, now here we go again for another week.”
What’s your take on (Jared) Verse not having a sack for two games?
“I mean, I’m really excited about the way he’s approaching the game. He’s trying his butt off. He’s doing a lot of really good things. On the play at the end of the game where the ball went up and we had the huge play in the back of the end zone, towards the end of the game, credit to Jared Verse chasing Baker (Mayfield) from the backside. So, Jared’s production has been good. I’m excited for him, and I know it will continue to get better. And he’s working really hard at it.”
Would you log that as a pressure? The play you’re talking about.
“I’d be lying if I told you, Tony (Grossi), exactly where it happened, but I log it as a hell of a bad— play for sure.”
Somewhere on the internet, it said he has no pressures through two games.
“Got you. It’s a hell of a play by him. I certainly don’t read the internet, but I’m really proud of his approach. He’s got a plan. He prepares really, really hard. He’s working on his rush plan. And like I mentioned, that play is as bad— of a play as I’ve seen.”
How rewarding was it for you, with Myles (Harden), in the first game he got picked on a little bit early by the Jaguars, then sort of settled in. But then to get the pick in week two and make that play, what did that mean to you?
“Well, it’s not rewarding to me. It’s rewarding to him, and it’s a credit to him. He’s a guy who is self-made. He’s everything you want in a person and a player. And like we were just talking, it’s week to week, right? No matter what happens the previous week, can you find the next inches in your game? And he did that this week, leading up to the Tampa game. And he had a great pick on an excellent play. And then moving forward, him as well as everybody else, how can we figure out what we didn’t do well, get it better, and really build on things we did. It was a really cool play for him, though, wasn’t it? Also, the play I was referencing, that is a bad– play that he made falling back in the back of the end zone, and we’re just going to all keep doing it together.”
Back to Jared, he said that sacks specifically don’t matter to him. It’s about the impact he has on the defense, the pressures, and how it translates to rest and elevating. Have you been able to see that kind of trickling across the line, or even back into the back of the defense, from what Jared is doing specifically?
“Absolutely. I mean, we have a saying, and we’re not the only defense who has a saying, rush and coverage work together. And sometimes the rush just getting the quarterback off the spot, or impacting, possibly forcing a holding penalty, can give the secondary in the back seven a chance to gain their footing in the coverage. It can even go the other way, where it’s locked down on the back end and it gives the rush a hitch, and gives the quarterback a hitch off the mark, and then the rush becomes impactful. But he’s had a huge part of that so far.”
Jared talked today about how much of an adjustment is it for him to be playing in this kind of scheme, which he’s never really done before. How is he making that adjustment, and what can you do to make him more comfortable?
“It’s a credit to him, Mary Kay (Cabot), trying to find his inches, trying to find his different ways within this scheme. And he’s doing it, and he’s working on it individually, he’s working on it on his own. And we see it every day in practice, and we’re going to continue to see it in the games.”
What’s Mason Graham doing so well?
“A lot. A lot. I pause just to take a second, because he’s unbelievable with his preparation. He’s incredible. Run pass, situational. He’s a high-level communicator within the defensive line and for the defense. And he’s putting it together with his footwork, his hands and his mind and we’re seeing the production. It’s really cool, and it’s only going to continue to get better.”
You probably never use the same game plan two games in a row at that. But will the same thing be applied to Bryce Young that applied to Baker Mayfield? Pressure up front and man coverage?
“You want to come up to the staff meeting?”
They see it too, right? They see what you did to Mayfield. So how do you tweak it without going away from what you did?
“Tony, the truth is, and I learned this from Coach (Joe) Gibbs, it is a week to week. The game plan, the scheme, it’s about all of us working our asses off each week out, grinding, making this Thursday better than last Thursday, making this meeting that we’re coming up to better than the last meeting, getting this game better than the last game. Whatever the game plan is and what are the executions? Getting that better than last week. And it’s about our style of play and the level of execution. That’s the truth to the way this league goes. It’s such a marathon, and we’re in week three of that marathon right now, and our whole goal is to play better than we did last week and hopefully do enough to help the Browns win.”
(Mekhi) Blackmon. Just the way he stepped in when Tyson (Campbell) was in and out of the lineup. The guy hasn’t been here, he shows up here at the very end of preseason. Just the way he was able to rise up and help and keep you in that game.
“Unbelievable, right? Unbelievable. Doesn’t shock us. He does it every day in practice. He does it every day in meetings. He studies his a– off. He keeps his head down. He works on his craft. Every opportunity he has to go in and practice, he busts his butt to execute at a really high level, and his number was called in the game, and he made the play. And it’s really, really cool. It’s a complete credit to him and all the DB coaches who work with him.”
Talk about Bryce being like a point guard to those guys. What stands out about those two receivers on the outside?
“I mean, they’re obviously making a ton of plays this year. They’re obviously making a lot of explosives. They’re super competitive. You can feel them on the field. They’re obviously bigger guys who go up and get the ball with really, really good speed. And it’s not only them, it’s Darren Waller, it’s the offensive line protecting Bryce, it’s Chuba (Hubbard) getting rolling in the run game. It’s a really, really good offense, man, and it’s going to be a hell of a challenge for us.”
In the last two weeks, are these opponents you feel more comfortable with because of your background last year in Atlanta, seeing them in the division and having seen them twice?
“I mean, every week is a new week. They’re going through their Thursday just like we’re going through our Thursday. Trying to figure out what they can do better, trying to build on what they do well, and we’re doing the same thing. I don’t necessarily see it as a comfort level by opponent. It’s taking it week to week, again, keeping it about us first, like, how can we be better, build on it. And then obviously, within the scheme of what we’re trying to do, how can we put our best foot forward schematically against each opponent?”
What about Carson (Schwesinger) on that third down stop at the end of the game when Mayfield scrambled? Is that the exact kind of play and sideline to sideline speed you want to see from him?
“I think we’ll all remember that play at the Cleveland Browns forever. It’s just a testament to Carson and all of the guys. It’s a testament to the defense coming out of that rain delay and getting us into that situation. I think that was third and long, if I remember correctly. And them executing the call at the highest level and then letting their freak ability take over. And yes, it’s exactly what you want to see, and against a great player in Baker Mayfield as well. So, it’s a really cool play for our defense, and just part of last week’s story, but also, as we move forward, we’ve got to make sure we’re putting our best foot forward this week.”
Ronnie (Hickman) had a sack last week.
“Who did? I’m sorry.”
Ronnie. He could’ve had another one. What do you like about the way he blitzes?
“I mean, really, our back seven, they’re all really, really good blitzers. It’s really cool. You don’t get that a lot. You can see at times we’ve brought a corner, at times we’ve brought a safety, a linebacker, and they’re really good pressure players. It takes a lot to study the pressure plan, and they take that very seriously, and they’ve done a really good job. It was awesome to see Rock (Ronnie Hickman) get in there and get one, among other guys, you know, hitting it and just trying to disrupt the offense to the best of our ability in those situations.”
Seems like the blitzes come from the back seven.
“There’s a feel and there’s a timing to blitzing from the back seven, linebackers and DBs, and trying to hit it from different spots. And we practice that, and the coaches do a great job individually of drilling where you come from that spot. And then it gets grimy in there, and you’ve got to have a grimy, nasty attitude to work through that. And then there’s a finesse, too. That’s what makes those guys really special.”
I think along those lines, you have two corners, Tyson and Denzel (Ward). Tyson especially, has seemed pretty solid in the run game. Is it rare to have two corners that are that good?
“Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, the toughness of your defense is shown by the way your corners tackle, and it shows how tough our defense is there. The fist starts with the engine, but it trickles right back to the back end. And you’ve got those two corners who are willing to sacrifice their body for their teammates like they do. It’s awesome.”
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