Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (12.22.23)
Opening statement:
“Good crisp practice inside today. Getting ready to get on the airplane tomorrow. We’re excited for the challenge. AFC opponent, at the top of their division. I have a ton of respect for their team, their coaches, their players. It’s going to be a battle so we will continue our preparation into tomorrow and then we’re ready for Sunday. But with that, I’ll take any questions.”
What happened with Anthony (Walker Jr.)? He practiced on Wednesday but is now out.
“Yeah, unfortunately had something going on with his knee. We’ll continue to work through it with him, but disappointed that he’s not going to make it this week.”
How did Joel (Bitonio) look to you today?
“He’s going to continue to work through that the next 48 hours. I think it’s important to see how he responds. He got a plane ride coming up, but he’s continuing to fight to make it.”
Have you resigned yourself to the fact that C.J. Stroud is out for this game or do you not?
“I’ll wait for the injury report and then maybe wait till game time. With that, Mary Kay (Cabot), I think you just have to – we know that he can make it, if he doesn’t make it, it’s Case (Keenum) and we’ve done our homework on both guys and worked really hard to understand both guys. I know this, either one of those guys is extremely talented and can win football games.”
With Anthony, it’s not trending towards surgery or anything is it?
“We’ll update you over the next couple of days.”
I don’t think we’ve talked about the receivers and tight ends for Houston. What do you see out of those guys?
“Yeah, really good, talented guys. Robert Woods, you could go down the list – (Dalton) Schultz. I think it’s an impressive group. I think they’re really well-coached. You can see there’s a rapport with the quarterbacks and those guys I think very highly of their skill guys.”
With (Ronnie) Hickman and (D’Anthony) Bell back in there this week, just how do you think they played last week?
“Yeah, I think they gave us some good reps and those are young players that I think will continue to get better. All of these practices are so valuable for those guys. They’ve gotten a lot of reps to date, but it’s not like they’ve gotten every rep. So now as those guys get more and more reps, I think you can coach off of them. So, I anticipate that those guys will get better.”
Even without (Will) Anderson, they still have a pretty fearsome pass rush, wouldn’t you say?
“Their front four is very, very good. They can hurt you on the edges. They have excellent guys inside. They get off the ball. I know how they’re being coached and they’re doing a great job. They’re harassing the quarterback, they’re stopping the run. It’s a very formidable front.”
It was said that the goal for the defense is to embody an us against the world mentality to get that road game going a little stronger. Is that the same across the board for the entire team?
“Yeah, I think it is, Cam (Justice). When you go into those hostile environments, you really do go arm in arm and you’re together. It is you versus that entire crowd. Now, hopefully, none of them are coming out of the stands to play, but you have to have that mentality that it is us and it’s just us. And I know we’ll have some Brownies fans down there, which is always nice to see them supporting us. But when you’re on the road, you know that it certainly is your sideline and that’s all you got.”
Amari (Cooper) is on the verge of becoming the first Browns receiver to have back-to-back thousand-yard years. Has he even exceeded your expectations based on what you..?
“Is that accurate? Wow.”
Has he exceeded your expectations even since when he got here?
“I don’t know, Dan (Labbe). I mean, he’s been very productive, really, in all of his previous stops and through high school, college, pros. So, I can’t say that Amari having success is surprising to me. I’ve enjoyed working with Amari these last couple of years. He’s a great person, works really hard at his craft. Obviously, as we’ve talked about before, incredible route runner, but I’m just impressed with how he works and then that translates to the football field.”
Another potential record, Dustin Hopkins, six points away from breaking Jim Brown’s single-season scoring record. I know you’ve thought we’ve asked you a lot about him this year and the impact he’s had, but just the consistency that he’s brought for you.
“Yeah. A guy that has come through for us when we need him, we trust him. He’s been a weapon for us on kickoff as well. And then off the field, I think he just fits in really well into who we are. He’s a really good person, great teammate. Excited to have him.”
Deshaun (Watson) coming back town tomorrow to do a charity event. What kind of reports are you getting on how his rehab is going?
“Yeah, staying in touch with him all week. Excited that he’s going to be back in the building next week with us. He’s living and dying from LA, watching us play, but he’s supporting his teammates every day. So [it will] be good to have him back in person.”
Maybe on the sidelines for the Jets game, possibly?
“We’ll see.”
How important is it to have Ethan (Pocic) back because of the injuries you guys have dealt with, being able to get him back for this game?
“Yeah. As you know, Kelsey (Russo), that center, it’s such an important part of your operation in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage and we don’t miss a beat with Nick (Harris). We’re very fortunate to have Nick in that role, but getting Ethan back there, a guy who’s done it for us at a high level the last couple of years is a big deal.”
Kevin, the play-action game has been such a weapon for you guys, even in games where the run game isn’t really working. Just what is it about the way you guys teach that and prepare for that to allow it to still be effective even when the run game maybe isn’t there?
“Yeah. There’s so much nuance to the play-action game. There’s so much nuance to the screen game, the wide zone game, and any part of your attack, there’s nuance to what you’re doing and what the defense is doing. But play action in particular, it really does take all eleven, and it takes great ball fakes from the quarterback and the running backs. Coach Kub (Gary Kubiak) was always famous for that first rep of training camp play action. Even if it was like a good fake, you just ripped a quarterback and the running back and just tell them it was horrible. Just so that the mentality is it has to be great, it can’t be good. So, I think the guys, the quarterbacks, the running backs, they take great pride in those fakes. And then it’s the line as well. I mean, you can’t just stand straight up on a play-action pass. It’s so obvious to the linebackers that it’s a pass. So there’s just nuance to everything you do. And I think in that game, in the play-action game, I think the players take great pride in those nuances.”
Going back and looking at the run game from Chicago, I think 26 yards, something like that, on the ground. Were there opportunities there? And also, do you feel like you might have to pull some things out to kind of get that going again?
“There are always opportunities. There are always things we could do better. There are always things I could do better when you come up short in that regard. So, we’ll work very hard at that. I’ll tell you, I’ll give them a ton of credit. These coaches are pretty good on the other side. These players are pretty good on the other side. So sometimes you tip your cap, but we’re back to work and finding ways to make sure that we’re efficient and explosive.”
Laremy Tunsil now for several years in a row now, what sets him apart from other left tackles in the game?
“Yeah. Outstanding combination of size and athleticism and length. He’s the prototypical – just when you look at him, left tackle. A guy that can protect, he can run block. But to be that big and to move like he does is really impressive.”
I mean, comparing him to other teams, how much do they help him out when he’s trying to have they helped him out when they’ve tried blocking?
“Yeah. I’d say like normal. But they also have a guy in Laremy who you can leave him on an island at times and that can really free you up to help the other side, potentially working to get to get five out, potentially. So, they understand how talented that kid is.”
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