G Joel Bitonio (9.29.22)
On the nuances withing the Browns running game this year:
“I think we are very multiple. We start with the wide zone, but we are not afraid to mix in a lot of gap scheme, a lot of misdirection and a lot of outside runs. Really, we try to take advantage of what the defense does. A lot of times, defenses, ‘Oh, stop the outside zone.’ OK, we can go to a gap, a pull scheme or things of that nature. (Head) Coach (Kevin) Stefanski and (offensive line) Coach (Bill) Callahan do a great job of putting together a gameplan each week and coaching it to really highlight strengths of our offense and the weaknesses of the defense. It is a week-to-week thing. We have our core plays in every week, but we always do have a little bit of flare each week.”
On Falcons DT Grady Jarrett:
“He is a great player. He is kind of the heartbeat of their defense right now. You watch the tape, he really does jump off the tape. Sometimes they say that about a guy and ‘Oh, he is a good player,’ but he flashes and makes plays for them. He has had some big sacks for them this season. He is so explosive. He is kind of like the (Rams DT) Aaron Donald build of a little shorter but he very explosive and very strong. Great hands in pass protection. In the run game, you have to stop him from getting those TFLs and disrupting the run game.”
On the Falcons defensive personnel and alignments, including standing up DEs in some situations:
“They are very multiple in their fronts. They start with their base and DP’s (Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees) base 3-4 defense, but they have a lot of fronts and Grady Jarrett is kind of their queen in the sense on a chessboard he can move around anywhere. He has played a lot of nose this year, but he has also been a 3 [technique] and he has lined up on the tackles, as well. They switch it up. Sometimes in passing situations, Grady Jarrett is technically the only defensive lineman on the field, and they have a bunch of outside linebackers and linebackers playing. It is a different front. They are going to show us a lot of looks so we have to communicate well and be ready for their pressures.”
On RB Nick Chubb sharing trust in him to block the right person and follow when pulling and if it is hard at times to identify the right opponent to block on those plays:
“Sometimes it is easy. If there is one guy who is meeting you in the hole, you just have to hit him. Other times there are like two guys over there, and it is like, ‘Alright, Nick is going to have to beat one of these guys.’ You kind of lock onto the first guy who shows up and trust Nick to make a play. He does a great job. He makes us look great. If we have a so-so block, he can make things look a lot better. It is one of those things you get the repetition in practice, you work it and it is years of experience now. We are going on a few years now together so you get a feel of how he is going to run and who he wants to run off of, and it works out pretty well.”
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