Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (12.8.23)

 

Opening Statement:

“Okay. Very excited about the opportunity we have in front of us. Very good football team like we talked about, playoff team from last year leading their division. Really well coached, a bunch of good players. So we’re excited about the opportunity. We’re very excited to be back on the lake in front of our fans. All of you guys know what that experience is like. I know our players, our coaches feed off the energy from our fans. They make a huge difference in these ball games and we need them this week. That’s the truth. So looking forward to getting down there. Good week of practice and then we’ll put some finishing touches with walk through tomorrow and then great opportunity. With that, I ‘ll take any questions.”

 

You’re starting quarterback Sunday? 

“Yeah. Both guys practiced this week. Both guys practiced well, I got faith in both guys. But not going to name a starter.”

 

Would either one be the backup then? DTR (Dorian Thompson-Robinson) or (Joe) Flacco?

“Yeah. Correct.”

 

Amari (Cooper) has not cleared the protocol?

“Has not cleared just yet.”

 

When do you find out?

“I think tomorrow.”

 

Dorian (Thompson-Robinson) has been cleared?

“Yes.”

 

Not naming a starter because you’re not sure or because you just kind of want to keep that under the radar?

“You don’t have to, I guess is probably the best way of putting it.”

 

Kevin, what happened with Dawand (Jones) the last couple of days? 

“Yeah, tweaked his knee. We’ll see how he does over the next 24 [hours].”

 

Same knee? 

“Same knee from before? I’m not entirely sure.”

 

Would James (Hudson) be the guy?

“We have options. James is one of them. Yes.”

 

What do you sort of lend or do to this game that both teams could be making a game time decision on their quarterback?

“Honestly, Mary Kay (Cabot), you look around the league, that’s the league in general, that’s maybe the league this season. And regardless of who is playing any position, we all have a job to do and there’s uncertainty from both sides to your point and we’ll see 90 minutes before the game.”

 

What is Denzel’s (Ward) chances to play Sunday?

“Questionable.”

 

How would you kind of like chart Dorian’s (Thompson-Robinson) progress in Kevin from even that first game to he was playing pretty well?

“Yeah, I think he continues to ascend. young player—I think he’s gotten better from the moment he stepped foot on campus. I think just understanding this game, this system operating in the huddle, operating at the line of scrimmage. I thought you’ve seen him take significant steps from the spring then to your point—from his first start to his last start—I think he’s taken significant steps.”

 

Kevin, Joe (Flacco) talked yesterday about every week even is super helpful getting comfortable with a new system and your pass catchers and stuff. I guess, how have you guys seen that over this last week from last Sunday to now?

“Yeah, every rep counts. Obviously, it’s nice to get Amari (Cooper) and David (Njoku) back out there because those reps count for today as well. And then I think just there’s nuances to every system. So being around more days and talking through more plays and different adjustments, obviously having PJ (Walker) and Dorian (Thompson-Robinson) in there, guys that have been here, can also accelerate that process.”

 

Is there any merit in using both quarterbacks in some compacity?

“Could be, you know, I think that’s always something that you talk about in game and leading up to a game, what gives you a chance. But we’ll see how that goes.”

 

How much was Amari (Cooper) able to do? 

“He did all of his normal workload.”

 

We’ve seen MJ (Emerson), how he’s kind of grown on the field, but off the field. What have you seen from him in here, too? What do you think has allowed him to sort of grow as he has?

“One more lap around the sun. But he came in here as a very conscientious kid—very hard worker. We loved his mentality, part of the reason we drafted him, so he fit who were right away. So I don’t know that much has changed other than experience.”

 

So what was it about his mentality? 

“Yeah, I think when you play that position, he plays it with a great competitive fire and he’s not afraid to tackle and he’s not afraid to mix it up and he’s got great confidence and aside from all the physical skill sets, I just think he’s got the right mentality.”

 

How do you think your receivers will handle the uncertainty of not knowing who’s starting aT quarterback?

“Yeah, that’s part of their job. Honestly, Mary Kay (Cabot), in practice they catch passes from both guys. They have now built up a bank of reps with both guys, so I don’t know that it makes a significant difference with them.”

 

Do they know who the starting quarterback is? 

“I think we’ll all know when the ball kicks off.”

 

I mean they’re in your building. 

“We didn’t announce a guy, so we’ll see.”

 

Those dropped passes, Kevin. We’ve asked you about this before, but you just practice catching? Is that all it takes? Are you practicing catching when they were being dropped? 

“Yeah. Obviously, what you can’t do in these situations is tell a player to, hey, catch the ball. As coaches, we have to give coaching points and it can be technique and those techniques can be different and there can be different coaching points that go with different types of catches, whether it’s out of the body, inside the body, that type of thing. So, we’ll just continue to work at it and make sure that we drill it IN individual, and we drill it when we do team periods. And I believe that you achieve what you emphasize, and you continue to emphasize having great technique.”

 

Jim Schwartz. He had mentioned that it’s not just Myles (Garrett) that has to create the pass rush. The engine of that defense is with those four guys that are on the field up front. Just what have you seen from them? How contrary they’re going to kind of get back to what they were doing for the first 10, 11 games? 

“Yeah, I think that’s the point, Darryl (Ruiter). We’ve seen it from that group. We as a team want to play better. We as a defense want to play better. We as a defensive line want to play better. That’s obvious. And I think these guys understand that they have a job to do. Their number one job, as Coach Schwartz tells them, and I’m sure has told you, is to mess things up and be disruptive. So that’s what we’re looking to do.”

 

Kevin, along those lines, how big would it be if Denzel (Ward) can play, knowing how physical he is, how well he’s been playing this year, that aspect of marrying rushing coverage like those guys talked about?

“Yeah, as you guys know, Denzel’s a great player for us. If we can get him back there, he gives us a boost in the secondary, but we’ll see how it goes.”

 

I know there’s some waiting to be had still, but what kind of a benefit is it to have guys like Amari Cooper and Dorian and Thompson-Robinson who are in concussion protocol, progress enough that they were able to get back to practice this week? 

“Yeah, I think with those concussion protocols, Cam (Justice), you just have to let it play out and trust the medical staff. And I think both those guys did everything in their power to make it back and sometimes it goes longer than they want it to. But bottom line is you can’t rush that. And getting Dorian back and hopefully getting Amari back would obviously be good for our football team.”

 

When you went to Baltimore, you had two essentially backup tackles starting against those edge rushers, you’re doing possibly the same thing this week against. You know the confidence you have in James (Hudson) and Geron (Christian) and those guys. How has that grown over this season? 

“Yeah, I have confidence in all those guys. Honestly, Chris. I mean, it’s their job to go in there for one play, sometimes ten plays, sometimes a game, sometimes two games, whatever it is. That’s kind of the life of the backup. You have to be ready to go at a moment’s notice. So, I trust all those guys in that room. If any of them are called upon.”

 

What’s your latest weather report? 

“Honestly, I don’t pay too much attention to it because it changes so often. I kind of wait till we get down there on Sunday. That’s my weather report.”

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