Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (12.6.24)
Opening Statement:
“Okay, excited about the opportunity this Sunday in Pittsburgh. We’ll get on the bus tomorrow and head that way. But good week of practice. Got to have a good day tomorrow as part of our preparation. But with that, I’ll take any questions.”
Did Ced (Cedric Tillman) get close to coming back at all or is he taking time?
“Not just yet. Yeah, I think with the protocol Mary Kay (Cabot), just take it day-to-day. He’s doing everything he’s supposed to be doing.”
At defensive tackle, I mean with Sam (Kamara) and Mo (Maurice Hurst) both out, are you going to have to probably bring one of those guys that you just signed up?
“Yes. More than likely, yes.”
What’s the crash course like to get in here today in practice and meetings?
“Well, we have experience with Mike (Micahel Dwumfour) before. And these guys, you’re always thinking about players that have experience in your system or a similar cousin of your system, if you will, and then they can acclimate a little bit faster. So that plays into it as well.”
Did Mo just get hurt Monday night?
“Yes.”
I asked you this on Monday about Jed (Jedrick Wills Jr.) and IR. That’s four games. What is the thinking about going week-to-week with him and he’s still not available?
“I think every injury is different, Daryl (Ruiter), and you have to treat them as such. With really any injury, every single day you’re working towards getting better and then sometimes it’s not responding how you want it to, but there’s a chance that it does. So that’s really where we are with it. He’s continuing to work very hard, but we’ll see where it goes.”
You brought Jowon (Briggs) up for the Denver game and he obviously played a lot. What was your sort of takeaways on what you saw from him in his first game out there?
“First game out there so there’s always going to be things that you can clean up. But he’s a guy that we’ve had in our system now going back to the spring; knows what to do, he’s strong, plays really hard. So, we’re excited about him as he gets continues to get more opportunities.”
With Jaelon (Darden) being waived and then picked up by Seattle. Will Kadarius (Toney) be your punt returner?
“Potentially.”
What have you seen from him now that he’s been here a while?
“Yeah, he’s done a nice job. Has a good understanding of what we’re doing, both from a special teams standpoint, offensive standpoint. So, fits in well.”
How have you seen Juan (Thornhill) come back from — I mean, I know he’s practiced the last couple of days. Been pleased with the progress he’s made in terms of that calf?
“Yes, he’s pushing it to make it to Sunday. With any injury, you’re always making sure that you’re going through all the proper steps there to get ready. But he looked good to me today, so we’ll see how he looks and how he feels tomorrow.”
The Trevor Lawrence play last week, not specifically about that, but how do you coach your quarterbacks and your defensive players because it’s such a quick play?
“Obviously, you hate to see that. I mean nobody wants to see any player in that position. It is a teaching moment for our quarterbacks that when you slide feet first, you do expose your upper body and your helmet and neck area. So, we do teach them, obviously, in a crowd to get down headfirst. And I’m not talking about that specific play, just talking about how we’re teaching our guys. Defensively, we know when those players give themselves up and they do go feet first, we have to do everything in our power to avoid any contact towards their head and neck area.”
Are some guys just really good at sliding and some guys need a lot of work?
“Yes. There are some guys that have baseball background and it’s very natural for them. Some it’s not.”
Denzel (Ward) was the Walter Payton Man of the Year nominated for the team. He’s also having arguably his best season on the field. Could you just touch on what he has meant both on the field and off the field to this game?
“Well, he’s been great on the field. I think everybody sees that. What maybe not everybody sees is who he is off the field, and I get to see him every single day in this building; how he leads, how he pushes his teammates, how he goes about his business, and then what he does in the community I think is outstanding. And that’s been something that’s near and dear to his heart. What he does in the community, I think together with his family, with his mom, what they’ve been able to raise awareness with losing his dad is really important to him, and what they’re doing with his foundation, with his charity has been incredible. So, I think it’s a very deserving honor for Denzel.”
George Pickens said that he didn’t even know who Greg Newsome was when he was asked about him going into this game. How do you kind of keep Greg’s head kind of leveled through this and what did you think of the comments?
“Yeah, I have no reaction to the comment. Our guys understand what’s in front of them. It’s a great opportunity.”
Are you mic’d up on the sideline at all for Hard Knocks?
“Yes.”
Are you a fan of it?
“No.”
Do you have any control once you start dropping f-bombs?
“Yes. Yes, we do.”
Was it the play by Patrick Queen on Ced that caused the concussion?
“I think so, yeah. From what I remember.”
You’re coming off a game with 500 yards and Pittsburgh’s coming off a game of 500 yards. When you approach this one, do you go in thinking, “Okay, it’s going to be one of those games,” or, like, how do you kind of balance that?
“I think when it’s divisional football, when it’s us versus them and any of the teams in our division, you go in expecting anything. We know it’s going to be physical; we know it’s going to be 60 minutes but how these games unfold, I don’t think anybody truly knows. I made the point to the team earlier in the week, and this is true, you don’t pick up where you left off. It’s a completely new game, new setting, some new players. They’ll have adjustments, we’ll have adjustments.”
We talked about how important the turnover margin is just in general, but specifically with the Steelers and then being able to force 14 fumbles this season, how important is that in this specific game?
“It’s the most important stat there is, and we had three giveaways in the last time we played this team, and we won and that’s not a formula to win. You can’t turn it over three times versus the Steelers because they do such a nice job of taking care of the ball. So, it’s a huge emphasis for us. That stat is a large part of where they are as a football team with their record, because they’re second in the league in the turnover margin. So that is critical to this game for our team to take care of the ball when we’re on offense, if we’re on special teams, and obviously do our best to take it away when we’re on defense or special teams.”
How helpful was it with Jameis (Winston), we’ve asked you about the interceptions and that, but just how helpful it is to have a guy who even when he makes a mistake, he’s not afraid to go right back out there and still let it rip and he doesn’t allow that to affect him mentally in a negative way?
“I think so much in football you have to have that mentality, really, regardless of the position, certainly at quarterback. But if you’re a corner and they complete one on you, it has to be a next play mentality. It’s really across the board for every position. So, Jameis does a nice job of that. He’s going to try to do his job on every single play to help this football team. And if to play to go our way, we got to have the next play mentality.”
Nick Chubb did finally admit that going back to Pittsburgh, the scene of where he suffered the devastating knee injury, has some extra meaning to him. What are your thoughts as Nick goes back and just what you’ve seen from him be able to make it back this year?
“I think from the beginning, Mary Kay (Cabot), just having watched him throughout this process, throughout the rehab, throughout practice, and then finally getting into games, I mean, it’s been a remarkable thing for me to witness. Obviously, going back to where the injury occurred, I know that’s something that Nick has thought about. But I also know Nick, and when it comes time to the game, he’s just going to do his job to the best of his ability.”