HC Kevin Stefanski (12.7.20)
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski:
Opening statement:
“On the injury front, (LB) Mack Wilson does not have a concussion. He was cleared. (WR) KhaDarel Hodge with that hamstring and (CB) Denzel (Ward) with the calf, we will see how this goes this week. Really day to day and do not have an update yet on them. (WR) Taywan Taylor with the neck, he will be out this week, and we are just gathering more information there. (DE) Porter Gustin is making good progress and could have him back this week.
“On the game yesterday, like we talked about after the game, a good team win. In a bunch of areas offense, defense and special teams, the guys that did a great job of executing the gameplan. We can definitely do some things in that second half to close the game out, but I was really proud of the effort and the physicality, particularly on the defensive side was outstanding.”
On teachable moments from the second half of yesterday’s game:
“We have teachable moments really in every game. That is our job to make sure we are making corrections. Definitely in that game, there were things. Right away, they have a three-play drive and then on offense we have a holding penalty first play. Just the attention to detail was not there enough in the second half. Guys made plays. Again, proud of them and how they did respond because we knew Tennessee was going to come back. That is a good football team. We knew they were going to give their best effort in that second half and we got it, but definitely some things I would like to clean up, and we will address those.”
On the performance of the Browns OL and T Jedrick Wills Jr.:
“They are doing a nice job. Anytime you come out of a game with zero sacks and even the pressures, they did a nice job of keeping people out of the pocket and keeping a clean pocket for (QB) Baker (Mayfield). That offensive line, like a lot of units, they have to play together. To have those five guys playing in unison, understanding where they are going to be and communicating is key. With Jedrick, he is a rookie, but we are in December now so he has made strides. He is getting better. Having (G) Joel Bitonio next to him is a big deal from that communication standpoint.”
On what has changed with QB Baker Mayfield over the past six games:
“I do not specifically know what has changed with Baker, but I can tell you as an offense, I think everybody is getting better and getting more comfortable in what we are asking them to do. As coaches, we are trying to adapt what we do to our players’ strengths. I would hope we are playing better ball on offense than we did in the beginning of the season, and we have to continue to do that. Baker fits right in there. He is doing a nice job. Obviously, he is taking care of the ball. He was extremely productive in that game yesterday, found completions to all sorts of guys and had a completion himself. He is doing a nice job, and I think he is comfortable in what we are doing.”
On his confidence that Mayfield will continue to play as well yesterday moving forward:
“He works, just like the rest of the guys. They focus on the work each week. He comes in here and grinds. I have confidence in all those guys that put the work in.”
On how important it has been to go back to players during a game after making a mistake, specifically referencing the TD to WR Donovan Peoples-Jones following the drop:
“We talked a little bit about it yesterday. No one has played the perfect game. No one has called the perfect game. How you respond to those moments is really what matters. You are going to drop a ball. It is going to happen, and then we are going to count on you maybe the next play. That is just kind of the mentality that the guys believe in. The coaches will just coach them up and make sure that they are better the next time. You can chase perfection, but we are really just looking to make sure that the guys are ready to move on if they do have a mistake, a mental error or whatever it may be.”
On how DE Myles Garrett came out of yesterday’s game from a health and conditioning standpoint and if the team submits film to the league about potentially missed penalty calls regarding Garrett:
“He is tired. He was tired yesterday. I think that was a good day’s work for him coming off of the [reserve/COVID-19) list. Got some practice in and then got the first game so I think he will only get better as he gets more comfortable getting back into football shape, if you will. To the second part, Myles gets a lot of attention from the tackle to the guard sliding out to him to the running back chipping him to the tight end chipping him. He fights through that, and it is typically opening up a one on one for one of his teammates.”
On what the Browns defense did to stop Titans RB Derrick Henry and if that formula can work moving forward:
“What we try to do – we alluded to this yesterday – is we try to find a way to win that game that week, and just felt like there were some different things we could do from a front standpoint yesterday. I think it helped us, but to say that we are going to do that again is maybe not the case, but we will see. We will see what is necessary to get the win this week. That is kind of the evolution of our gameplans, making sure that we have enough wrinkles so that we are both difficult to defend and we can go attack the offense.”
On how he, Mayfield and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt have been able to get on the same page and the significance of it, given Mayfield’s postgame comments on the subject:
“We talk about reps with the quarterback, and it is really reps from the coach to the quarterback, too. AVP does an outstanding job with that room, the offense as a whole and that room in particular. They are having a ton of conversations, I will be in a bunch of those meetings and then I will be out on the field and talking to Baker and talking to AVP. We all have the same goal in mind so as long as there is an open line of communication going each way, you can cover a lot of ground. Maybe that is what Baker is alluding to there. We just have to cover a lot of ground in a given week, and we make sure that we try to do that both on the field, on these zoom calls or whatever it may be.”
On if the Browns used the bye week to throw plays out or focus on the plays they liked and if that has made a difference:
“Yeah, I think so. Again, that was the benefit of having a bye after eight games is you had a really good sample size. That is anytime you can get there and you can pull it apart and find out what is working. We did that on the offensive side, on the defensive side and special teams. It was beneficial certainly as we get comfortable with what Baker really owns conceptually.”
On how LB B.J. Goodson has grown in the Browns defensive system and Goodson’s role:
“B.J. does a good job. He is definitely the emotional leader of the defense. You hear him before you see him. He rallies the guys at practice and during the games. He is making big plays in these ball games to help us win. That two-point conversion stop between him and a great running back, that is really an impressive play by B.J.”
On if Goodson has been a ‘rallying guy’ from the beginning or if it has occurred as Goodson has learned more about teammates:
“He has been that guy. That is very natural for him.”
On if he can sense the excitement of Browns fans with the team’s 9-3 record:
“It is a little bit harder without the fans in the building and we did not have fans at training camp, which I have heard all the stories about those packed fields here in Berea. It is unfortunate, but we talked about this yesterday, they are a big part of this. We know they are sharing in it, but we do feel the love. Like I said to you, I see all of the flags when I am driving to work or driving to the stadium so we understand the excitement there. We just have to make sure that we continue to give them something be excited about.”
On how beneficial it was to break down film of Mayfield’s interceptions during the bye week:
“It is not a fun tape to watch for a quarterback when you put on the interception reel or you put on the sack reel for an offensive line coach. They do not like that, but you learn a lot from the tough tape. It is tape that you have already seen once and then you watch it again, and it can be beneficial. I have said it before, Baker is very hard on himself. He is very critical. We try to coach him up. We try and point out the things that he can improve and also double down on things that he is really good at. He is doing a nice job in that area of taking care of the ball.”
On if the Browns asked Mayfield to work on the hard count during the offseason and how much of a weapon that has been for Mayfield this season:
“Cadence is definitely a weapon for us. We work very hard at it during practice. Going all the way back to when we finally got together in July, that was one of the things that was an emphasis for us because that was one of the harder things to do on Zoom. You tried to do some cadence work, but it just is not the same when it is live. He has done a nice job with it. We try to mix it up as much as we can and just give the defense one more thing to think about.”
On how tough it is for the Browns OL to not react to Mayfield’s hard count:
“You can ask the players, we do it every day and we make life hard on them in practice. We mix the cadence up so that they have to lock in and have that laser focus so that it can be a weapon for us.”
On reflecting on the first game against the Ravens and if he now has a better understanding of the team, players and how to use them:
“I would hope so. I think we have learned a lot about ourselves throughout every single one of these games. I think every team in the NFL does that because you are trying to constantly pivot towards what is working and maybe get away from what is not. Early in the season, I am sure as we look back on this tape, schematically we are going be doing some different things and there are some different players in there. Really, I am sure that is true of Baltimore, as well.”
On if Mayfield worked on certain adjustments last week following a few missed passes in the end zone, given Mayfield’s success yesterday:
“We kind of talked about it last week. Anytime you miss a throw or drop a ball, we give the guys constructive criticism on things and techniques that they can do a different way of thinking about that throw or that catch whatever it may be. Like AVP said, sometimes you just have to make sure you do not dwell on it. Baker bounced back with a great week of practice last week, and it showed in that game.”
On his confidence that Browns players will not get ahead of things with the current 9-3 record:
“Every week, we have kind of focused on what is in front of us. Right now, we have a really good football team in our division coming to our place. We know that the work has to be put in and we have our work cut out for us, but I just think these games require so much attention that it is hard to get your focus anywhere else.”
On what the work week looks like prior to a Monday Night Football game:
“Not very different. We have an extra day really Wednesday, but then when the players walk in the building on Thursday, we will start our work week like it is a Sunday game. I told the coaches when they walk in the building on Thursday, it is Wednesday and they can’t convince me of anything otherwise.”
On if the team will have Wednesday off:
“We will be in here Wednesday to get some extra work in. We will start our normal work week on Thursday.”
On how to help nurture and develop Mayfield’s confidence:
“I think confidence comes from demonstrated ability. I think Baker has shown that in practice and he has shown it in games. All of our players when you are having a little bit of success, and I hope all of our players have continued success, I think the confidence certainly comes with that.”
On how to buoy Mayfield’s confidence when there are struggles:
“I think maintaining the attitude that we are going to correct our mistakes, we are going to constantly be looking to get better and teaching off of every play. We have learned a ton about our team coming off of a win and coming off of a loss. We are trying to just make corrections constantly because we are trying very hard to continue to get better. We can’t just stay the same.”
On DE Olivier Vernon’s performance playing every snap on Sunday and nearly every snap the previous week:
“I am glad you brought him up. He played every snap. He has played a lot of snaps for us. We only had three defensive ends up yesterday so we knew and he knew that it was going to be a full day’s effort. I can’t say enough about him from a standpoint of just constantly going. He is out there, and he is going. He is a very, very smart player, probably one of our smartest players. He understands how to rush. He understands what the defense is trying to do. We put him in some different spots yesterday, and he just kept coming and coming. I really think that speaks to obviously he is a pro’s pro, but he takes really good care of his body. He works hard and gets extra in because he knows this is a long season.”
On the Ravens heading into Monday’s game after challenging circumstances during the past few weeks:
“This is a challenge for all of us. I think we have been dealing with some form or fashion of this since April when we got together, whether it was the virtual offseason or some of the protocols that were instituted early and as they have evolved. I think all of us as coaches and players were out of our comfort zone, and that is kind of where we are in 2020. I think it is the teams that are able to thrive in moments of uncertainty have a leg up.”
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