Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (11.1.23)
Opening statement:
“Okay. Excited for this one. Get back in front of our fans. Should be a great day down there, Sunday. Again, we feel that energy from our crowd every time we’re down there. So, looking forward to getting down on the lake. Excited about the challenge of facing the (Arizona) Cardinals. We know this team well from a coaching perspective. Schematically, I think they do an outstanding job. They have good players really at every level. So, we have to have a great week of practice. But you watch their defense, it’s a challenge. And Coach (Jonathan)Gannon and Coach (Nick) Rallis do a really nice job with that group. You have to be prepared for anything and everything from a front standpoint, from a coverage standpoint. They have good players at every level. 25 (Starling Thomas V) is playing it out at a really high level for them. Budda Baker is playing at a high level. He’s a ball hawk, so have to know where he is at all times. Offensively, I think Drew’s (Petzing) doing a really nice job with that offense. It’s a version of what we’ve run, but they put their own spin on it. I think it’s a very, very physical offensive line. Hjalte (Froholdt) at the heart of that thing as well. So really, really physical group. And they have skill players. I mean, they have speed, they have quickness, they have size. So really have to be about our business. And then Coach (Jeff) Rogers and the special teams, I think he does an outstanding job. They’ve always had good teams out there, and they continue to do so. So, looking forward to that challenge. With today, we have a bunch of guys that we’re resting and or working through injuries, so we adjusted practice a little bit. So, we’ll be out there for a good individual, a good seven on seven, full speed, and then we’ll slow it down to a jog through in our team periods just to take a little bit off some of their legs. Deshaun (Watson) will practice on a limited basis, and then we’ll update you guys throughout the week. But with that, I’ll take any questions.”
So he’ll be on the sideline Sunday?
“He’ll be limited, so we’ll see.”
Are you hoping that he plays Sunday?
“Yeah, as you can imagine, I always just kind of keep it day-to-day, and we’ll focus on today. He’ll be out there, and we’ll see how he does.”
You’re not making any quarterback decisions like you did last week?
“Correct. I’m not making any game day decisions today.”
Who’s number one, full-time practice at quarterback today?
“P.J. (Walker) remains the backup. Yes.”
When you have a young quarterback like P.J., Amari Cooper, does he have sort of like, an influence over him? And I’m asking because there was a play near the goal line, you were breaking the huddle, and Amari said something to P.J., and then P.J. throws a ball to him, and he had Elijah (Moore) open. So, does he have kind of like, that influence over a young guy?
“Well, I would tell you, Amari has seen a lot of football in his career, and he’s got a great insight with the quarterbacks. Those conversations happen in every game on the sideline. Those conversations happen with me. Amari comes up to me every game and tells me what he’s seeing, and I listen because he’s got a great view of it.”
Big difference between Clayton Tune and Kyler Murray. How challenging is it? I imagine you’re preparing for both.
“Yeah. We don’t expect to know until 90 minutes before or if they decide to name somebody. So, you prepare for everybody. You prepare for Jeff Driskel, who’s on their roster now as a practice squad player. So we do our homework on all of them. There’s tape on all of them, obviously understand Kyler Murray is a great football player. I’ve seen him firsthand. He’s great. Tune is a kid that we did a lot of work on coming out. Can make every throw, athletic, good decision maker. So we have to be prepared for all of them.”
Has Drew (Petzing) given you a heads-up?
“I haven’t checked my phone. Not yet.”
Are you saying that P.J. will be the starter this week if Deshaun can’t play?
“Correct.”
The fact is, though, none of those three quarterbacks has played a down this year.
“Correct.”
What about that challenge?
“Well, I think there’s tape on all of them into the preseason, Tony (Grossi). And I think every week, every team in some form or fashion is dealing with injuries. We’re no different than that. So, the other team does their homework. They pull up tape from previous games, if you will, and try to understand what their strengths are. So that’s what we’re doing.”
What’s the nature of Za’Darius (Smith) injury and what’s his status as of right now?
“He’s working through a neck injury, but I’d say we’ll just rest him. But I feel good about Za’Darius.”
How do you feel about not ending up with a veteran quarterback even though I don’t know if you guys really tried to get one. But do you feel comfortable for the rest of the season with what you have?
“Yeah, I think, like I mentioned to you, Mary Kay (Cabot), I like our roster. I like the guys we have.”
Does Cedric Tillman have an opportunity to do more than what we’ve seen?
“He does and, you know, obviously, you guys saw the trade with Donovan (Peoples-Jones), a guy that we all love. Having seen him grow up in this building, had some really great moments for us. So, wishing him the best. But it does open up an avenue towards playing time for Ced and for some other guys as well.”
How did he fit, so to speak, as far as this year, he just didn’t seem to get the targets and the opportunities.
“I wouldn’t read much into that. Small sample size. Obviously had a couple of things going on throughout those games, but I wouldn’t read much into it.”
Do you need to get Austin Watkins off the practice squad or are you all right?
“I think we’ll see. Those are all conversations that you have each week. Austin does a nice job for us throughout the week.”
Did you make that trade with knowledge that you wanted to get Cedric more involved?
“Well, I think, yes, of course, you know, if you do that it does open a pathway to getting Ced more involved.”
We know what Kyler Murray has been in his career, but is he the same quarterback in Drew Petzing’s offense?
“I don’t know if anybody knows that yet until he takes a snap. I know he’s supremely talented, can make every throw, great movement skills. I mean, he’s a great football player.”
Will he be under center more?
“Don’t know. Yeah, good question.”
How can you even prepare for a QB that hasn’t taken a snap yet in their new system
“Yeah, but that’s football. I mean, you go into week one sometimes with a quarterback who’s in a new system. You do your homework based on what the system is, but you have to be prepared to defend it all.”
Is it kind of a week one feel?
“In some ways. Yeah. I mean, they’ll have a quarterback under center that hasn’t been under center for them just yet. We’re in the shotgun.”
With Cedric, in practice, and I guess in this limited time, that makes you think that he’s ready for this bigger role?
“Yeah, I’ve seen it in games. I’ve seen it in practice, preseason games. It is the reason we liked the kid when he was coming out. He’s big, physical, ball skills. So he’s been working very hard, have not to date been able to get him going. And a lot of that becomes roster-based on who’s available. And you can only bring so many to the game. But he’s remained very diligent, works hard at it.”
Kevin, what has been the reason for such success running the ball since the bye?
“Always a combination of things, but I’d give credit to the players first of all. I think the schemes, the technique, those types of things, they’re executing the plan. I think the coaches put together a really good plan. And I really trust our guys. I trust the guys that are blocking, be it the offensive line, tight ends, wide receivers, you name it. I think we have some diversity of skill sets with our runners.”
Kareem (Hunt) said that you two talked, how did that conversation go from your vantage point?
“Yeah, I’m not going to add much to my conversations with our guys. Kareem’s a pro. He’s doing a good job for us.”
In the past when (Nick) Chubb was active, it seems like he could always settle the offense down during a game like going a series, which is him, especially after turnovers. Can you still have the confidence to do that with this committee?
“You know, I just saw Nick, obviously Nick’s a special player. And when we talked about it way back when, you don’t replace him. But I have a ton of confidence with our mean all three of them, with Jerome (Ford) and with Kareem and with Pierre (Strong Jr.). I have a lot of confidence in them.”
When you say we have to eliminate those turnovers, wouldn’t that be a way of doing it?
“Yeah, I mean, eliminating interceptions potentially, yes. But we talk a lot about [it] with those giveaways just ball security technique. We just have to be better in our technique.”
On Monday when we talked to you were not ready to commit to P.J. still as a backup, did you go back and study more film and realize that or why did you?
“No. I, again, wouldn’t read much into that. Just every week going to make decisions when I have to and each day.”
Kevin, guys were saying after the game that you guys just work your screen game all the time in practice, but what goes into making it as effective as it was on Sunday?
“It’s always a matchup-based thing for us. Different defenses, allow for different screens, if you will. But then I beat the players and the coaches up just or we beat the players up on the details and the nuance of that game. And I say it all the time, it takes all eleven to get any part of your offense going. Certainly, the screen game, you have to have all eleven guys, and sometimes it’s the receivers running their routes at full speed. Little things like that. I think landmarks and timing, it’s got to be so precise, but it’s really a game-to-game proposition.”
In trying to avoid a repetition of the Indianapolis experience with Watson, have you changed the process at all as you evaluate the quarterback this week?
“Yeah, I think every week’s different when you’re working through an injury, every week is different and how you feel day to day. So, this week’s just completely different in my perspective.”
With Greg (Newsome II) and Dawand (Jones), is there any concern that those are long-term?
“We’ll see. I think this week we’ll see over the next couple of days how they respond.”
Last week you said you really like this group. We asked you about the trade deadline coming up and potentially adding to the roster. There are fans out there, they’re wondering why the roster was not added to. I know you’re not Andrew (Berry), but I know you have those conversations with him. Just what makes you feel so good about this group going forward that you’ve got enough to achieve your goals?
“Yeah, I would tell you, like I mentioned earlier, I like our team, I like our guys, I like our locker room. There are things that I know we all can do better, and we will. Andrew and the personnel department, they work on those things. It’s a 365-day thing that they’re working on, so that doesn’t change. But I would tell you, I do like our roster.”
I know you talk about Ced, obviously, but David Bell seems like another young guy who would be in line to get more touches. Just what have you seen from him so far this year?
“Yeah, it’s a good point, Ashley (Bastock). He’s been very dependable like he is. Does the right thing, and catches the ball when it comes his way. So has proven to be a dependable player for us.”
You lost the one offensive tackle on the practice squad and added another veteran guy. He’s got to get up to speed for this week right?
“Yeah, we have other options there as well with our roster. We’ll talk after.”
Cedric and David Bell make sure they’re physically ready to go in practice. But how do you keep guys like that mentally ready when they’re not getting a lot of in-game activity to be ready for their moment like this?
“Yeah, that’s something we talk about a lot, Cam (Justice), just staying ready, and it happens every position. You don’t expect maybe a guy to have to play in week one or week ten, whatever it may be. And I think you see guys that stay ready. And it may be as simple as when you’re not in on a particular play in practice, you’re paying attention and you’re standing next to your coach, and you’re putting yourself in the game, as we call it, and getting those mental reps and watching the plays unfold. And sometimes you’ll see some of our players stand behind the group and literally go through the play while it’s taking place, even though they’re not in. So, it’s part of being a pro, is getting yourself ready because you just don’t know when that number is going to get called.”
Kenyan Drake is an experienced running back. Your runners seem to be in good health at this point. Why would you bring him in?
“Yeah, I think, as you know, with the practice squad roster, at the size that it is, I think you’re always trying to bring in good football players, guys that may help you down the line, guys that will help you in practice. He’s somebody that has played well in his given moments and opportunities. So just trying to make sure that we’re always looking for ways to add to the roster.”
Have you communicated with Deshaun that the week off, last week, focused on the rehab really helped that shoulder?
“Yeah, I think it all helps. I think, like we mentioned, he’s making progress. He’s working through it, working very hard, both in this building, out of this building, really, around the clock. So, I think all of the time, all of the rehab continues to make a difference.”
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