Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (10.7.24)
Opening Statement:
“Okay, obviously disappointed. You put a lot into these games and you want to go on the road and play well, and we didn’t do that, and that’s ultimately something that we got to get fixed. So disappointed, but nobody’s feeling sorry for us. We got to do our work here during the week, put a plan together and go find a way to win on Sunday. It’s really as simple as that. With that, I’ll take any questions.”
Kevin, another “no quick fixes” here. In terms of priorities, what are you looking at right away especially to get the offense going?
“Yeah, we just haven’t been good enough, Tom (Withers). It’s very disappointing. We’ll look at what we can do to score points, to stay on the field, those type of things, but the truth is we I have to coach better, we have to play better and it’s something that we will fix together.”
Kevin, I know last night was the heat of the moment and you get questions thrown at you right away, but you did say that you’re not going to make a change at quarterback last night. Just wondering, after watching the film and talking things over and having your meetings or whatever, do you still hold to that, that you’re not going to change the quarterback? And if so, can you elaborate on your reasons for doing that?
“Again, it kind of goes back to what I said earlier, Mary Kay (Cabot), I have to coach better as offensive coaches, we have to coach better. As players, we have to play better. Deshaun (Watson) can play better. He will play better. He’s had some obviously good moments and then there’s times that we have to play better around him. But he’s committed to getting better. We’re committed as an offense to putting our guys in position to succeed.”
Why do you think Deshaun gives you the best option to win?
“Yeah, I think I’ve been pretty clear, guys, all along. This is not a one-person type of deal. When we’re playing how we’re playing on offense, we need everybody to do their job and do their job better. And I look at myself and how I can do that, but I believe in Deshaun, I believe in what he brings to this offense, and I believe he will play better.”
And is the decision to stick with him yours exclusively?
“Yeah. I mean, I understand the question. As you guys know, I make decisions for our football team, but I obviously consult with Andrew (Berry). We talk about everything that goes on with our football team, but ultimately, it’s my decision, yes.”
Hey, Kevin, do you have any updates on the injured guys yesterday?
“Kind of still getting back stuff from MRIs right now, Scott (Petrak). Anybody in particular?”
How about David (Njoku) and Ethan (Pocic)?
“Nothing new to report there on either guy. We’ll see.”
Deshaun talked about trying to run the ball and how you have to do that against two-high safeties and you’re seeing a bunch of that. So why do you think that’s been a problem to be able to establish that run game?
“Yeah, again, I think it’s multifaceted and I think we can certainly give the guys a plan to put them in position to make some yards versus those shell looks like you mentioned, Scott (Petrak). But it’s not one thing, it’s not one player, it’s not one scheme. We got to go execute and we have to give the guys something they can execute at a high level. I’m going to work hard at that this week so those guys can play fast on Sunday.”
The disorganization on offense is really hard to miss, especially in that third quarter sequence there. Just what changes are you considering to get this offense going and on track?
“Yeah, I think we have to look at everything, Daryl (Ruiter), how we put it together. Really just take a long, hard look at what we’re doing. And again, I think it goes back to any success on offense comes from giving the guys a plan that they can go execute at a high level. I believe in the coaches we have; I believe in the players we have and we will get it fixed together.”
I certainly understand, we talk about it, that it’s just not one singular player or person or whatever. The supporting cast around Deshaun; blocking, catching passes, being where they’re supposed to be on the field, when they’re supposed to be there and things like that, how do you clean those things up when you’re five weeks into the season and the issue seems to be a repetitive one?
“Yeah, I understand your question, but for us, we really just focus on week-to-week what we feel like we can do better. I know that the guys are working hard. I know that we can give them concepts that they can operate at a high level, those type of things. But it’s a constant thing in the NFL making sure that your guys are in position to go make plays and we’ll work at that this week.”
I know you said that being asked about the decision to stick with Deshaun as the starting quarterback, you mentioned that you obviously have conversations with Andrew Berry, but it also comes down to you. I was curious, I mean, in the midst of just deciding to stick with Deshaun, do you have conversations with the Haslam’s, with Jimmy (Haslam), are they involved with these conversations? Or is it just the football operations in terms of you and Andrew?
“Yeah, as you can imagine, Daniel (Oyefusi), I talk to Andrew, I talk to ownership about our football team. But again, I want to continue to reinforce we have to play better as a football team. I know we have to play better on offense. I need to do my part to make sure that we’re playing better on offense. But this is a football team. This is the greatest team sport there is and we have to play better as a football team.”
So to confirm, ownership isn’t having a say in, whether Deshaun is still sticking as the starting quarterback?
“Yeah, I wouldn’t get into all the specifics. I think you guys know that we make great decisions together. I obviously talked to Andrew about everything we do. We talk to ownership about everything we do. That’s just how we operate.”
In the interest of just shaking things up and trying something different, would you consider turning the play calling over to Ken Dorsey?
“I think there’s a bunch of different things, Mary Kay (Cabot), that we want to look at and see how we’re doing from a operation standpoint on offense. I think Ken’s been an outstanding partner in all this. So those are the type of things that I will always look at. But really, it just gets back to making sure that we’re putting our guys in position, is what we’ll look at ultimately.
I know earlier in the season; you guys weren’t going to use injuries as any kind of excuse or to any of your production on the field. But to this point in the season, with the way the offensive line is shaking out and how guys have gone down, do you feel as though there has been some hindrance, on the offense especially, of what you guys have been trying to install and implement and what we’ve been able to see?
“Yeah, I understand the question, Cam (Justice), but we believe in the guys we have and injuries are a part of this game. I think if you look at every team, they’re dealing with injuries, so we’re certainly not using it as an excuse for anything.”
Do you feel as though there is a lot more that you guys have worked to install through the off-season that is yet to be seen in game day?
“Yeah, I don’t know that that’s fair to characterize it like that. We’ll just always go into these games trying to understand who’s available to us, what kind of plan can we put together with the guys who are available to us and being able to pivot during the week because sometimes you have to wait till Friday or Saturday to know which guys will be out there. And that’s, again, that’s just part of how we operate.”
Kevin, Deshaun talked about figuring out what you guys were good at. So, have you been able to identify maybe some core things that you’re able to lean into?
“Well, again, until we sustain drive, score points, you’re constantly trying to lean into things that you feel like your guys can do. We’re working hard at that. These guys understand that this is a process we’ll work at this week understanding what matches up versus the (Philadelphia) Eagles, obviously, because that factors into when you’re putting these game plans together. But certainly, you want to be able to hang your hat on offense in the run game, in the pass game that you feel confident that your guys can execute.”
And then a couple of those injury guys. Denzel (Ward), any update on him?
“No update yet.”
And do you know if you’re going to get any of the guys that you put on IR after week one? Juan (Thornhill), Tony (Fields), Mohamoud (Diabate), Mo (Maurice Hurst)?
“Yeah, I would say it’s day-to-day. I’ll have a better feel for that going in tomorrow and obviously going into Wednesday.”
The results being what they are with this new offense that’s been incorporated this year, why can’t you go back to what was successful last year? I’m talking like pre-Joe Flacco, the first part of the season with Deshaun, why can’t you just go back to that? It seems like you were more successful or had some success running that versus what you’re trying to accomplish right now with this current offense.
“Yeah, I understand the question, Daryl (Ruiter). And obviously we need to play better. We need to coach better. We’re not getting the results we want as a team, certainly as an offense. So, we look at everything in terms of what we’re doing. I don’t know that it’s fair just to say, ‘Well this is new’ or ‘That’s old’. We don’t necessarily look at it through that lens other than to say, ‘We want to have a productive offense, we want to score points, we want to help this football team’. So, we look at everything when it comes to putting our guys in position to succeed.”
And I want to ask you about the defense real quick, they did make some plays yesterday. Are you at all concerned that even though players after the game talked about, ‘Hey, we just have to worry about our side of the ball and do our jobs’, but are you worried about any negative carryover from what’s going on with the offense, maybe impacting those guys?
“Yeah, I understand that question. I think with our locker room, with the people we have in this building, we understand that everybody has a role to play when you’re trying to win on Sunday. Like I mentioned before, it’s the offense, it’s the defense, it’s the special teams together. So, we win as a team, we lose as a team. That’s just how we operate.”
When you talk about that, Deshaun, like everyone else, can do some things better. At times it looks like he’s got no chance, but does he need to see the field better? Does he need to get the ball out quicker against the blitz? I mean, what kinds of things can he do himself?
“I wouldn’t get into specifics necessarily, Mary Kay, but I would just tell you he’s committed to getting better for this offense, just like myself and the coaches are committed to giving our guys stuff that they can go execute at a high level. I know on offense, a lot gets made of the quarterback play. Certainly, understand that. But we look at this as ‘What can our entire offense do better?’ And it really starts with me. It starts with our coaches making sure that these guys are in position to succeed.”