HC Kevin Stefanski (12.4.20)
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski:
Opening statement:
“I know you guys have the injury report there. Ruled a couple of guys out – (WR) Taywan Taylor and (WR) KhaDarel Hodge. Just with injuries, they can’t go.
“Looking forward to the opportunity that we have on Sunday. Really good football team. Really great test for us. The guys put in a good week’s worth of work to get down there and play a great football game. I am looking forward to it.”
On if the Browns will activate a WR from the practice squad with Hodge and Taylor out on Sunday:
“We likely will, but we will see how that plays out in the next 24 hours.”
On if Hodge sustained an injury to the same hamstring as pregame at Dallas:
“I do not think so, but I am not 100 percent sure on that. I do not think so, though.”
On how Taylor sustained his injury and the severity of the injury:
“I do not know how it happened. I can’t comment on how long it will be. I really have no idea. He saw the doctor this morning so we will see how that plays out over the next couple days. Just kind of a fluke thing.”
On if LB Sione Takitaki and DE Joe Jackson will be able to contribute on Sunday after being activated from reserve/COVID-19:
“Yes, potentially.”
On how DE Myles Garrett looked at practice this week and Garrett’s reps on Sunday:
“He looks really good. As you would expect, he is excited. We will just monitor him throughout the game and make sure he is ready to go. If we need to give him a blow, we will give him a blow.”
On if the Browns considered isolating a QB this week following the Denver Broncos’ situation last week:
“We did not consider it. We are not meeting in the building. We have not been meeting in the building for a long time. We follow the protocols to a T. We feel comfortable with what we are doing. In a lot of cases, we go beyond the protocols.”
On if Hodge sustained the hamstring injury in practice yesterday and if the Browns have been unlucky with players sustaining injuries late in the practice week:
“Yes, it happened yesterday in practice. Just felt it on a route there. That happens. You get to the stadium on Sunday, and we have had it happen in pregame warmup so we just have to adapt.”
On how Hodge had been performing in recent weeks:
“Like we have spoken about before, he does give us valuable reps. He makes plays when they come his way, a good special teams player and good in the run game. We are going to need some people to step up.”
On if FB Andy Janovich will be monitored in same way as Garrett in the first game back:
“Yes, correct. He is ready to go. Again, we just have to monitor these guys in their first game action and make sure that they are feeling good.”
On WR Donovan Peoples-Jones’ progress at WR:
“He is doing a nice job. You saw in that game obviously he made plays. In practice, he does a nice job, knows what to do and does it at a high level. He is somebody that we can definitely count on.”
On if the Browns offense has been running more three TEs sets during the past three weeks compared to the first three weeks of the season:
“I do not know. It may be accurate. I do not how much percentage-wise we are up. I am not sure.”
On why the Browns like using three TE sets:
“Every game, we are looking for the right personnel to put out there that we feel gives us a good chance in the run game and the pass game. We have multiple tight ends that are worthy of being out there so that is part of what we do. Week to week, we kind of look at what is the right matchup for that opponent.”
On if Browns players get excited with Garrett retuning this week:
“I think the guys are excited anytime a player comes back from injury, off the COVID list or whatever it is. Especially with the COVID list, you do not really see people in person and you do not see them for a while. It is great to have all of those guys back out there.”
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