HC Freddie Kitchens (10.31.19)
Head Coach Freddie Kitchens:
Opening statement:
“I thought our preparation was good. We had a good day at practice, everybody was focused and concentrating on the job that they had to do their job and everything was good.”
On if the return of running punishments in practice has had an effect:
“We will see. We will find out. It is all about the result. It is always about the result. We did that during training camp, and we will get back to it. It is all about concentration and focus. That is what it is.”
On if TE Pharaoh Brown sustained his concussion during the Patriots game:
“Yes, we believe so but not really certain. I am assuming since the symptoms were there before we went back out onto the field.”
On if Brown reported the concussion symptoms sometime after the game and before midweek practices:
“Yes.”
On S Eric Murray’s absence from practice:
“Eric, we are still waiting for some results for some tests. We will have that. I do not know when we will have that – probably this afternoon or some time.”
On if Murray sustained an injury in practice on Wednesday:
“Yes, it happened yesterday.”
On how to improve the red zone offense:
“I think everybody has to do their job and we have to be consistent so much down there. The windows start getting tighter because you do not have as much field to work with vertically. You have to throw it into tight windows, you have to make tight catches, tough catches and the protection has to hold up. It is a little bit of everything when you start talking about red zone offense. The best red zone offense is to be able to run the ball.”
On QB Baker Mayfield emphasizing a sense of urgency and if he seen any changes in Mayfield:
“I think that should be the case all of the time. We only have but 16 of these games so the sense of urgency should be in how you prepare and how you go out on the field to practice. I think Baker does that for the most part on a consistent basis. I definitely think it is continuing, yes.”
On how WR Jarvis Landry’s role has changed with the addition of WR Odell Beckham Jr. this season:
“I think Odell and Jarvis are doing a good job of deciphering coverage and getting to windows when it is applicable. We just have to continue to try and get better timing, try to get better spacing, all of those sort of things that affect your progress on an everyday basis and an every game basis.”
On if he has noticed the increase in yards per catch for Landry this season:
“A little bit but more so the yards per catch, sometimes when you have good run after catch, that impacts that too and Jarvis has done a good job of running after the catch and gaining additional yards. All of those yards matter and all of them tend to add up at the end of the year. You look to someone’s yard per catch, but you do not know how much of that is after the catch. He has done a good job of getting down the field when he could, catching the ball and getting down the field after the catch.”
On if TE Stephen Carlson may have an opportunity to play with the absence of Brown:
“Yeah, he is in the mix, yes. We do not really know what we are going to do yet there. Definitely a possibility though. I am not trying to hide that.”
On if the Browns would like to have three active tight ends on gameday:
“We would like three, yes.”
On how Landry and Beckham looked in practice coming off limited work on Wednesday:
“Yeah, they looked good today. Even though it is a [Thursday], sometimes it takes your body a little bit of time to recover and different people react differently. We try to take care of our guys from the standpoint of making sure they are healthy when they go out, but there are certain reps that they need to get and they have done a good job of that.”
On if Landry and Beckham were full participants in practice today:
“They got the reps that they needed to get.”
On if Mayfield’s back shoulder throw to Beckham against the Patriots is an example of their chemistry just being a touch off:
“I think we are trying to get better this week of making those throws and catches.”
On facing a team like Denver with multiple RBs:
“Yeah, I think they use them differently for different aspects of their game. They try to play to their strengths, and they do a good job of rotating those guys in and out. It allows them to be successful.”
On certain RBs needing more carries to improve their performance and establish a rhythm:
“We are going to have a plan for (RB) Kareem (Hunt) when he gets back – that is what you are trying to get to, right (laughter)? I think some guys are like that, but I think in today’s football, you have to be willing to put the other guy in whether it is (RBs) Dontrell (Hilliard), D’Ernest (Johnson) or Kareem. Whoever it is, whatever team it is on, usually they have two guys and most of the time three guys that they play on a consistent basis. Those guys get hit every play. Either they are getting hit or they are hitting someone so the contact adds up over the course of the year. You always have to factor that in.”
On the impact Hunt can have when returning:
“Kareem is a good football player, and we are going to have a plan for him. It is always good to have those guys.”
On if Hunt’s skillset allows the offense to run with both Chubb and Hunt on the field together:
“Yeah, the wishbone might make another appearance, right?”
On teams who have used multiple RBs to prolong longevity of their players:
“For the last probably 20 years, that is what has kind of happened. People have increased the longevity of running backs by doing that. Before, running backs’ careers were four, five, six, seven years and now you see guys that are playing into the double digits. I definitely think that is a factor over the long haul. Those carries are cumulative from the standpoint of plays and carries during the course of the year but also during their career. When you get seven years down the road, of course, it is substantial the amount of carries and things they had.”
On Chubb averaging about 19 carries per games and if he looks at those numbers:
“I do, but it fluctuates from player to player. Nick Chubb is in great condition, his body is in great condition. A work horse, and he wants to be. He wants to do everything he can to help the team win the football game.”
On T Drew Forbes’ progress after returning from IR:
“He is coming along good. He stayed involved as far as mentally so he has come off of this IR – really as rookies, they come in and everything is so fast for them. He had the opportunity to use this injury to his advantage from the standpoint of now he can take a step back, take a breath and see what is going on around him so to speak, and I think it has benefitted him.”
On where Forbes fits best on the Browns OL:
“We will see where he is as far as what we are running. Right now, he is running more scout team stuff.”
On what position Forbes has been practicing:
“I do not know – what position do you want him to play (laughter)? Last week you were trying to figure out who we were playing at left tackle, right guard and right tackle. You tried to trick me into several questions last week, and I have no forgotten that. (laughter) Drew does a good job of snapping the ball, he can snap the ball and he can play guard so one of those spots.”
On if this Browns know how to win at a high level:
“I think we have to learn how to consistently do our job and put ourselves in position to win and then we have to go win. Sometimes you just have to go win the game. Sometimes you just have to go win the game, and I think we want to try to continue to put ourselves in those positions to go win the game at the end.
“Sometimes you just have to go make a play. There is always a crucial moment in the game and you have to recognize you are in that moment and go make the play. Sometimes you look back and in hindsight, and you say that was the play. Just play every play the best you can so that you are on the good end of that more so than on the bad end of it. Every game you win or lose, there is always a moment where you look back and say the game was decided right then. If you are playing every play, you end up on the good side of it more often than not. That is what I mean by ‘just go win the game.’ You are really trying to win every play. You are not going to win every play, but if you consistently try to play the best that you can and do your job on that play, then ultimately, you will be in positon to win the game.”
On if the Browns’ preparation has been inconsistent at times:
“I definitely think there are better weeks than others, and that goes back to some of the things we are trying to clean up is work on our preparations, work on our execution during the course of practice so when it gets to Sunday it is not a surprise that we are executing.”
On what makes Broncos OLB Von Miller one of the best:
“Size, speed, strength, just athletic ability, the ability to bend, turn the corner and then transition it over into power. Most of your great defensive rushers are great edge rushers that can transition to power, and he does a great job of that.”
On if DE Olivier Vernon has played his best couple of games the last few weeks:
“He has.”
On why Vernon has had his best games recently:
“I think he has been in position to make some plays and he has made the plays. I think Olivier is just like everybody else – he is continuing to work and trying to get better. We like everybody to have a role and them to do their role to the best of their ability, and that is what he is doing.”
On recalling the Broncos game late last season:
“Yeah, especially when you go back and look at tape during the course of the year, there is a lot of tape watching that goes on during the course of the week. I would like to think my memory is pretty good from the standpoint of what actually happened, critical plays, different coverages, different blitzes, pressures and different situations that those things come up. I like to feel like I have a pretty good memory I think.”
On if there is a huge difference from last year’s Broncos staff and this year’s:
“Yeah, it is not even remotely the same from the standpoint of they are a base 3-4 team, and last year it was four down. It is totally different.”
On if G Wyatt Teller earned more playing time:
“You want me to give you a treat now, don’t you (laughter)? You like to play on words on Halloween? I do not know. We will find out Sunday.”
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