Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (10.16.24)
Opening Statement:
“Okay, excited for this week. Division game at our place. Got to work really hard this week to be on top of it so we can go play fast and free on Sunday. But with that, I’ll take any questions.”
Kevin, obviously you knew that (Amari) Cooper trade was coming before we did. Disappointed or how do you characterize it?
“I think disappointed when you lose any player for injury or otherwise, trade, whatever it is, so, I wish Amari luck. Obviously talked to him yesterday. We’re excited, it opens up opportunities for other guys. But yeah, you obviously become close to your players, and you don’t like to lose anybody for any reason. But we understand the business part of that, and we’re excited what the opportunities will be for some other guys.”
Kevin, how do you, for lack of a better phrase, sell that within the locker room because of the quality of player Amari is, the professional he is off the field. So how do you sell to your team ‘We’re still trying to win. We’re still trying to compete,’ when you trade a player?
“I think our guys get that the number one thing here is to win. Number one thing is to compete. The truth is you do lose guys throughout the course of a season. Sometimes it’s due to injury, sometimes it’s due to trade, whatever it may be, and our guys have to step up when that time comes.”
So, who’s the guy who’s going to step up?
“I think it’s a good question, Tony (Grossi), but I think it’s a bunch of guys. I think as you know, Amari’s volume of targets was a lot. Well, those have to go to other people. So other people in the wide receiver room, the tight end room, the running back room, what have you. But we do have a lot of confidence in our guys.”
Kevin, you’ve had Nick Chubb on kind of a pitch count in the past, even when he’s healthy. Do you have to keep that in mind this week?
“We’ll work through that this week Zac (Jackson). I don’t have a specific number right this minute, but want to see Nick practice this week and then huddle up with Nick, with the coaches, that type of thing.”
After Amari posted ‘Lol, I wouldn’t have minded at all’ about that trade, he went out and really didn’t necessarily have his best first six games of his career. Do you think he, in any way, shape or form, didn’t give his 100% all to this football team?
“I don’t think it’s fair for me, Mary Kay (Cabot), to speculate on that. Amari came to work every single day, did everything that I asked of him. So again, wish Amari luck, but past that I don’t have much to say.”
He did say he didn’t practice hard enough at one point. He said, ‘I have to start practicing like it’s a game’.
“Yeah, I don’t know the specifics of what he meant there, Tony (Grossi). I think he could probably answer that better than I could. I would think if you watched the tape and see him work, he’s a guy that put in extra work post practice, off days, those type of things.”
Now that you’re into the work week, what gives you belief that the offense is going to be better this week?
“Yeah, I think it’s a matter of building off the things that are allowing us to stay on the field. That’s been the biggest issue with our offense is those critical moments of not making a play on a third down in the red zone when we can. So just double down our efforts, really.”
This is uncharted territory, in some respects for you, since you’ve come here. Losing streaks have been very few and far between. Just how are you coping, handling the challenges that you’re facing right now with this team and this offense?
“Yeah, I appreciate the question. As you can imagine, we are full speed ahead on Cincinnati.”
Kevin, you mentioned third down in the red zone. So when you take kind of a big picture look at what’s been troubling this offense through six games, is that what you identify first or what are some of the things that you can go to practice today and say, ‘This is what we’re going to get better at’?
“Yeah, we’ve talked about a bunch of different things with our players, Scott (Petrak), and it’s not just one thing, let me say that. Obviously mentioned third down, mentioned red zone because those are big plays in any game. But we just need to coach better, we need to play better. There are things that we can do better with our technique. There are things that we can do as coaches to put our guys in position to succeed. So, it’s multifaceted.”
Do you see common problems on first and second down, Kevin, because a lot of times it’s third and long?
“Yes. Yeah, that’s a big emphasis for sure, is being in — either avoiding third down or being in manageable third downs is a big part of that. Yes.”
Do you think you guys adapted or adopted the spread game, the RPO game, and all the new things that you guys were trying to implement this year?
“Yeah, I think again, with where we are, Mary Kay (Cabot), there’s not enough that I could say we’re doing well. We need to continue to work at it, whether it’s the run game, pass game, you name it. There are some things that I believe that our guys are comfortable with that we’re doing at a decent clip. We just have to eliminate those bad football plays, eliminate some of those negative football plays.”
When the things you need to clean up are multifaceted, do you balance that throughout the week? Is it one day here, one day there? How do you go about balancing it when it’s multiple issues that you have to clean up?
“Well, I just think with where we are, we need to play sound offensive football to help our team. Sound offensive football, we all know what it looks like. It’s taking care of the ball. It’s being efficient and explosive in first and second down. It’s being good in those critical moments. So that will never change. That’s the story of football and the guys understand that. When I say multifaceted, I want it to be ‘It’s all of us’. We all share in this, so we have to coach better, we have to play better.”
Kevin, in the last few years, when you guys have talked about Amari (Cooper), obviously a big part of what he does is be a mentor in that room. So, with guys like Jerry (Jeudy) and Elijah (Moore), where do they go from here with that leadership gone?
“Yeah, that’s a good question, Ashley (Bastock). I think those guys obviously have been… you mentioned Jerry and Elijah, now going into multiple years for them, so they certainly can provide that for the guys. Chad O’Shea, our wide receiver coach, has been doing this for a very long time with a lot of success in different stops and with different players so he can provide that as well.”
In terms of scheme, though, is it just a natural progression where Jerry slides into Amari’s spot interchangeable?
“Yeah, I think we have options. There are different things that we can do, that we will do. I don’t think that it’s a simple one for one.”
Back to who may step up, (Jamari) Thrash hasn’t been in a game yet. He seemed to have a pretty good preseason. What can you say about him? Does he get the opportunity?
“Potentially. Jamari is potentially a guy that could step up in this. He’s done a very nice job, Tony. I know I haven’t seen him since the preseason, but he works very hard during the week. I think he’s doing a nice job throughout this season. Just continuing to stay on top of what he needs to do.”
Was David (Njoku), still on a little bit of a pitch count?
“Yes, he’s one week better. I think with those injuries, you continue to get better as you get farther away from the initial injury.”
What do you see that you guys can improve on, on these explosive plays that your opponents have had… Because you didn’t have a lot of those last year?
“Yeah, I think the last couple of games there’s been a lot of good defense and then one or two or three plays that we’re giving up a lot of yardage. So that’s something that Jim (Schwartz) and I and the defensive staff we’re working hard at obviously staying consistent throughout the course of a football game, understanding that there’s good players on the other side and they’re going to make their plays. But if we can eliminate a few of those, I think we’ll be right where we need to be.”
You guys haven’t had a play go over 40 yards this year, I think you had four go over 30. In this day and age, that just seems very unusual in this game. Just what needs to happen for you guys to start generating those types of big plays or does it start with the basics of stacking first downs?
“I think it’s playing sound. Those plays, when you’re playing sound and you’re playing with great effort, they come. I don’t think you can go seeking out 40 plus plays every play, but there’s certainly opportunities when we have a look that we’re looking for, we have to capitalize.”
When you end up kicking the field goal that was 20 to 16. Did you consider at all a fake field goal?
“I did not in that moment. We considered going for it there, Tony. Just felt like, where we were from a time and timeout standpoint and how our defense was playing, felt like that was the decision to go there. But those decisions vary by game.”
Is there any change in the play calling? How to structure, who’s going to do it?
“No specific changes other than we’re going to continue to look at everything we do and try to do it better.”
Did you read the Nick Chubb thing?
“I did. He’s a better journalist than all you guys combined. And a better football player, Scott.”
[Laughter]
Has he ever opened up about any of this stuff?
“Yeah, he has. Yeah, I know all about his grandmother. I’m a fan of — I’ll save her name, I’ll let Nick share her name, but I’m a big fan.”
Juan Thornhill is designated for return to practice today. What are you expecting from him when he’s back at practice?
“Yeah, he’ll practice today. Coming off of any injury, Cam (Justice), I think we got to always look at our guys, see what they look like, and then make determinations throughout the week. But excited that he’s back out there.”
Along with Chubb, you have to make a roster decision on (Nyheim) Hines.
“Yes.”
Where is he at?
“Similar conversation. I want to get through today, get through tomorrow, and make a determination towards the end of the week, but he’s doing very well.”
Kevin, that Nick letter, just to go back to that. To see at the end talking about the city of Cleveland, I’m sure you already knew all that, about him and how he felt, but what it says about him and the team and everything.
“Yeah. I mean, Nick’s a pretty special football player. He’s a pretty special person. I think he embodies a lot of what we want to be as Cleveland Browns, and certainly I think our fans feel that from him. And for me, from my chair, I get to watch him work and I get to see the fruits of his labor, if you will. And just I get to peek out of my office window early in the morning, and he’s the only one out there running. So, I’ve gotten to witness this journey, if you will, back to last year and how hard he’s worked. So, I think that just resonates with our fan base.”