Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (10.27.23)
Opening statement:
“Okay. Really good week of practice. Beautiful out there. Guys were crisp. Good finish to that Friday practice and then got some work to do tomorrow with our meetings and our walkthrough, and then we’ll get on the airplane. But we’re very excited about the challenge of going on the road and playing a very good football team. I think they’re well-coached. I think they have players really at every level. So we’re excited about that challenge. So we got to go play our brand of football on the road if you want to go get a win. But with that, I’ll take any questions.”
How realistic is it for Jerome (Ford) to play Sunday?
“It’s questionable. I mean, he practiced, he was limited, so we’ll see.”
What did you see out of him during practice today?
“I saw a limited player. I mean, with all these guys that are working through injuries, we’ll make determinations. We’ll watch this tape, make determinations on how they look in 48 hours and then see where it lands.”
Was it good to see Jed (Wills Jr.) back out there, too?
“Yeah, I think a bunch of guys that get some injuries throughout the course of practice and then you got to fight through it. But good to have him back out there.”
And if James (Hudson II) had to go, how do you feel about James and what you’ve seen from him in practice?
“Yeah, I mean, James took every rep when Jed went down in practice. Also took every scout team rep. He’s a player that’s dependable. He’s done a nice job when called upon.”
If Myles (Garrett) has the game like he did against the Colts, I know he gets a ton of attention anyway, but you figure going into this one he’ll get even more than he usually does?
“I don’t know if it’s possible. I’m trying to think what you could do. Yeah, I mean, every team, that first meeting with the coaches, they talk about Myles and don’t let him wreck the game. And it’s the same stuff we do with elite rushers. So, he’ll have their attention. They may slide to him, they may put tight ends, plural over there, can put the back over there, but he gets their attention.”
What does Frank Clark bring to the table for the Seahawks?
“Yeah, really good rusher. We’ve gone against him before, know how much he can affect the pass game with his rush. Physical football player, great effort. So, he’s a good football player.”
Kevin, with a guy like Amari (Cooper) on Sunday, didn’t get targeted until late. How do you kind of balance as a play caller? Trying to get him some targets, but know, being patient, I guess, and letting it kind of come.
“It’s always part of it. It’s hard to tell. You try, obviously, to get your best players the ball, and then it’s hard to tell sometimes where the reads are going to take the quarterback and what their plan is going to be at times to try to roll a safety over the top or double team them in man coverage or whatever it is. So, you go in with a plan and knowing that ultimately the ball goes where the ball goes based on the coverage.”
Have you seen a decent amount of progress in P.J. (Walker) over these weeks? So much better than he did even two weeks ago.
“Yeah, I think he’s like any player, Mary Kay (Cabot), getting comfortable in the scheme with his teammates, all those things. I mean, it’s not easy for any player, particularly a quarterback, to play catch up and understand different nuances to your scheme, certainly nuances to your teammates. So, he’s worked real hard at that.”
How has your relationship with him through this process also grown, especially when you have, especially this week, just kind of growing comfortable with you and running this offense?
“I think with all of your players, you’re constantly working on relationships and understanding your guys. And I spend a lot of time with the quarterbacks in the quarterback room and extra meeting time with those guys. And you always want to understand, number one, what they’re about off the field, but also what they’re comfortable with when it comes to football.”
Bubba (Ventrone) calls him Philip, is he the only one?
“I’ve heard. I know him as P.J.”
You mentioned Pete a couple of times, Pete Carroll. What stands out about his teams?
“Play with great energy, very physical, very sound. They pride themselves on being about the ball and getting the football on defense and taking the ball away. But you know, you’re in for a battle and he does a great job, has done a great job, really, everywhere he’s been.”
Coach, with all the Deshaun (Watson) news and everything like that. Seems like it’s more of a doom and gloom attitude in Cleveland right now, but you guys are still 4-2, still in the driver’s seat with everything in front of you. What’s been the difference in winning some of those close games this year as opposed to going back last year when you guys’ kind of fell short in that?
“Yeah, I think in the course of an NFL season, you’re going to be in a bunch of close games. That’s how the league is set up. It’s really tight. There are good teams from one through 32. I know this week is a great challenge, two teams with four wins. So, when you get into those games with lead changes and they’re tight, you know it’s going to come down to a few plays. And I think that’s been certainly the case in our history. And you look around the league, it’s going to be a few plays here or there. You hope you make them.”
Jamal Adams, there’s a clear delineation between when he was out and when he’s back. Just what does he mean for that defense when you watch him on tape?
“Very, very physical football player has always been that way, always plays with that style. He’s downhill, great around the ball, good in the pass game, but you definitely see his energy and his physicality on tape.”
Go back to Amari. I mean, besides obviously stuff we talked about with him, he seems like pretty good at drawing contact this year, especially when you guys needed and getting those DPI (defensive pass interference) calls. Just how much of a skill is that almost for receivers?
“Yeah, I don’t know that it’s necessarily a skill. I think Amari has a unique skill set in being so big and physical at the top of routes. And I think defensive backs can be grabby when you have somebody that size. That’s one of the things, at first, not knowing Amari and then first getting to know Amari and getting to see Amari on the football field is –you really do feel him coming off the ball. You feel his size, his forward lean. So, he’s a bigger wide receiver. So, I think that plays into it where there is physicality at the top of routes and sometimes you can’t help it and grab and hold him.”
Do you guys track that stuff internally? And that play if he draws the flag is that like a plus? Do you guys kind of grade that as a positive?
“That’s a good question. We do have a grading system, but yeah, I mean, that’s part of it. Listen, you’re going to run routes. There are times where he gets grabbed and they don’t get called. I mean, that’s part of it as well. That was earlier in the game, felt like he was grabbed and it wasn’t called. You just as a receiver, Coach (Chad) O’Shea does a great job with his receivers to make sure they continue to play through it. You can’t just give up once you’re grabbed. You have to fight through it. That will typically get you the flag as opposed to giving up on the play.”
The Seahawks are getting sacks from eleven different guys. What challenges does that present?
“Yeah, it’s a good point, Mary Kay, because they can pressure with their secondary, they can pressure with the linebackers, obviously, with the front four. And they roll their guys, so they have good rushers on the right, on the left, up the middle. They really have a balanced rush attack. So, we’re aware because it’s all over the tape. I mean, they’re really aggressive rushers.”
(DK) Metcalf, his physicality. Just what does that add to their offense?
“Yeah, rare, size, athleticism, speed, you name it. But just a really big physical wide receiver, has made plays down the field with the ball in his hands, you name it. So, he’s a great, great challenge for our guys.”
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