Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (12.13.22)
Opening statement:
“I know you guys saw the JOK (LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah) injury news. Disappointed for him, but guys have to step up in his absence.
“With this game, it is a big one. It is at home, a division opponent. Guys are excited about this opportunity that we have in front of us. It is a very good football team. Offensively, playing at a high level. Obviously, we will wait and see what quarterback we get. I know this, they are all good. They all can hurt you from the pocket. They can hurt you on the move. They can hurt you in the run game. Really, really good players. Big, physical offensive line coming on. A couple of different receivers coming on. They are doing a nice job. Defensively, have gotten some guys back since the last time we played them – (Ravens LB Tyus) Bowser, obviously the trade with (Ravens LB) Roquan Smith and (Ravens S) Marcus Williams coming back off of the injury. They are all playing at a high level. It is a very good front. It is a good front, and it is a good back end. Then special teams, you know that they have a very good unit so we have to match their intensity. We have to match them on the field on Saturday, but we have to really make sure as a group, as an offense, as a defense and as special teams that we really handle this short week. Part of that short week is taking today and getting a lot of work done in the meeting rooms and getting a lot of work done in the walkthrough. You are not going to physically do much today with it being Tuesday on the calendar, but we have to make sure that we get our Wednesday work done today. That is where our focus is.”
On Owusu-Koramoah’s performance this year and potential heading into next season:
“With JOK, still a young player. Played at a high level for us. Very productive making plays sideline to sideline and those type of things. Always has room to grow. I think he can continue to get better. I think there are areas that he can continue to improve. Disappointed in this case with this injury, but like a lot of guys, I know he will bounce back.”
On if LBs Deion Jones, Jordan Kunaszyk and Tony Fields II are the starters following injuries to the unit:
“Honestly, it is all hands on deck. We have to work a bunch of guys in there. The guys you mentioned all have played and can play well for us, but we are going to make sure that everybody is ready to go.”
On Baltimore’s offensive scheme and the challenge not knowing who will start at QB:
“Like I mentioned, it is a very, very good scheme. They are very fortunate to have the guys they have. (Ravens QB) Lamar (Jackson) as we all know is great. A former MVP, he is great. He is great throwing it and great running it. He is a great, great player. We have played him. We know what he is capable of. We have played No. 2 (Ravens QB Tyler) Huntley. We know what he is capable of. Just a really, really good football player. Hard to get on the ground, whether they run him by design or he is scrambling. Accurate with his throws. Really an impressive quarterback. Then the young kid (Ravens QB Anthony Brown), did a nice job. Got in there, operated, got them into their runs, did a nice job and threw the ball well.”
On how important it is to limit Huntley’s scrambling ability:
“It is very difficult when you have that quarterback who becomes part of that run game. They do a really nice job of varying their run game and can throw a bunch of different looks at you week to week. You are certainly going to see some things that you haven’t seen previously, and I think the quarterbacks factor in as a very large part of that.”
On how Owusu-Koramoah’s injury occurred:
“I know the play it happened, but I don’t know the specifics. I saw it happen, but I don’t know exactly how.”
On if Owusu-Koramoah will need surgery following the injury:
“Working through all of that.”
On if he has ever experienced having four players at the same position sustain season-ending injuries as happened this year with the Browns LBs:
“I don’t know. It is the NFL. Listen, I don’t feel good about any of those guys being injured. On a personal level, you hate to lose any players. It is unfortunate that it is at that one position like you mentioned, but that is the NFL. You have ways to get guys up to the roster, guys who have played and guys who have been here who have gotten a lot of reps and know what we were doing so we are very confident with that group.”
On T Jack Conklin being named the Browns’ 2022 Ed Block Courage Award recipient and Conklin’s toughness to rebound from last year’s season-ending knee injury:
“He is a tough guy, I would agree with you. He gives you everything he has. That award means so much because it is voted on by your teammates and by your peers so the players saw him work like crazy to get back this season. I saw it. He lived here in this building. It is the offseason, it is a weekend and it is odd hours he is in here working trying to get better. I just think it speaks to his personality and it speaks to his determination to help this football team and to play through injury. He provides great leadership for this football team. I thought the guys picked a very, very worthy person in Jack Conklin.”
On if the approach to players battling through injury changes at all due to the fact the Browns could win their final four games and still not be guaranteed a spot in the postseason:
“We are fighting. We are fighting for a win on Saturday. The guys who are able to play are going to play.”
On the emphasis on going 1-0 each week and how the team has responded to that approach entering the final four games of the season:
“Honestly, what you see is really nothing past today. I think that is so important and something we talked about with this being a short week, you really have to convince your body and your mind that it is time to go and you can’t get stuck in you are 48 hours removed or whatever it is from the previous one. You really do have to flip that switch and give everything you have today, which is not a lot physically but it is a lot mentally that we are putting on them.”
On the message sent to the locker room by seeing Browns players seeing Conklin’s hard work to rehab from the season-ending injury, G Joel Bitonio’s consecutive snap streak and WR Amari Cooper and DE Myles Garrett battling through injuries to play each week:
“I think it certainly does. I don’t think it gets lost on your teammates when they know what kind of injury have, they know that you are in the training room and they know that you are out there on the field on Sunday. We have talked about it – I think everybody knows this – nobody is 100 percent on that field for either team. You are always battling through something. I think it does speak to the guys you mentioned, and there are plenty of guys who push through injuries because they want to be out there. They want to fight with their teammates. They want to battle. Even if you are not feeling great, they want to battle. That is what I see from a bunch of those guys.”
On Smith’s impact on the Ravens defense, given Smith did not play in the teams’ first matchup:
“We know and I know him well just having seen him over the years with the Bears. He is excellent sideline to sideline. He is great taking on blocks. He is good in the pass game. He is a very athletic player. I do think now that he has been there for a little while he has a very good feel for what they are doing. I think they are using him in a variety of ways. He fits what they do. He and (Ravens ILB Patrick) Queen play off each other well. He is a very good football player.”
On QB Deshaun Watson facing the Ravens defense for the first time as part of the AFC North:
“It is test for everybody. They just do a very good job. They are well coached. Schematically, they make things difficult on you. They are big up front, as we know. They have really good players in the back end. They have been good at taking the ball away. It is a challenge both in a one-one one matchup sense, but it is also a challenge just from a schematic sense, as well.”
On K York’s reaction shown on TV last Sunday when wanting to attempt a 67-yard FG at the end of the first half:
“I didn’t see that, but it is good that your kicker has confidence and it is good that they don’t lack confidence. It is like anything else, they want the ball in a big moment, just like a point guard wants the ball or a receiver wants the ball. That is the mentality of guys who want to help the team. We will continue to make decisions that are best for the team. If it calls for it, I think Cade will be ready to go.”
On the Ravens FG block team having success, including against the Browns, as well as the Ravens size and length and Ravens DE Calais Campbell’s impact on the unit:
“That is definitely something that you see on tape. With Calais, that is what he has done over his career. You do have to be great in protection versus this team obviously up front and on the perimeter. They really do apply pressure. Then you have to have elevation on your kick because they do a great job on that side.”
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