Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (9.12.25)

Opening Statement:

“Okay, good week of practice, what you have to have when you’re facing an opponent that we have a ton of respect for. Great team, well coached, good players up and down the roster. So, have to play good football to go on the road and get a win, so that’s our focus. With that, I’ll take any questions.”

 

Do you expect Quinshon (Judkins) to play, and whether or not he does, what have you seen out of him this week in practice to make you feel confident?

“We’ll work through that, Chris (Easterling), over the next 24 hours, I’d say he has done a nice job. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do up to this point.”

 

So, you had mentioned that when he came back that he was in really good shape. Did that bear out this week in practice just how he performed?

“It did. As you know Mary Kay (Cabot), there’s football shape, and once you get in pads and get hit a little bit, that’s different than working out prior. But I do think he’s in good shape. I thought he did a nice job with this week.”

 

With that decision, Kevin (Stefanski), how much of it is the mental part of it that he’s going to be able to handle whatever you need him to do on Sunday?

“He was with us all spring. Smart kid, so he’s picking up quickly.”

 

And what kind of a boost do you think that might give your running game?

“Yeah, need to see Mary Kay, need to get through the next 24 hours. But obviously he’s a player that we think highly of, so we’ll see.”

 

And do you feel like the problems up front have been corrected? Do you feel really confident about how that might look this week?

“Well, obviously we’re one game in, so you don’t want to – we know we have to better in the run game department, and that is everybody. That’s players, coaches, the quarterback getting us in the right play, and then everybody executing and the receivers blocking the perimeter. So, it’s really an all hands-on deck type of thing when you talk about having success in the run game. But we’ll see.”

 

Kevin, with Mike Hall Jr. listed as out. How has he continued to progress and how close would you say he is?

“Yeah, he’s done a really nice job. We were planning on having him not practice today. So, he’s on schedule, doing everything and progressing.”

 

With Jack (Conklin), is it the eye or the elbow that has him questionable?

“Elbow.”

 

Do you have a sense of if he’s able to go?

“50-50.”

 

Was Jack’s elbow, was that during the game as well or during the week?

“During the week, yeah.”

Some of your guys have talked a little bit this week, maybe trying to get their own game faces on or whatnot. I don’t know if you saw, you know, Jerry Jeudy said ‘no challenges’ about their secondary and Grant (Delpit) said ‘not hard’ about taking down Derrick Henry. Just wondering about your thoughts on some of those comments coming out of your locker room?

“It’s how you play on the field. We know that. Everybody knows that. That’s what’s most important. So, you got to play good football as a team.”

 

After the way you guys lost last week, Kevin, what did you see from the guys this week as far as attitude and resilience to see that they’re going to be ready to go Sunday?

“Yeah, it’s football. You have to move on, win, lose or draw. So, we moved on Monday. Obviously, it’s another division opponent, great football team. So, we know what your focus has to be for a week like this.”

 

Coach, a lot has been made about the 30th anniversary celebration going on. What do you make of that? And you have a message that you reverberated to the team, kind of giving them the history?

“We talked about this on Wednesday. Our team is very aware of the rich history of the Cleveland Browns. I make sure to educate our guys on the people that have come before them, the giants that have come before them. So, we’re well aware of that. This game will be based on who plays the best on Sunday.”

 

Kevin, I know that Dawand (Jones) popped up on that injury report this week with the knee. Was that during the game and is that the knee that he had surgery on?

“Yes, that’s both…that was during the week.”

 

When it comes to trying to mimic the speed, shiftiness of Lamar (Jackson) in practice this week, who kind of took on that role?

“We rotated guys in there. But like we talked about that earlier, it’s just…it’s hard. You can’t mimic that. You can give guys a different look and that type of thing, but it’s hard to mimic.”

 

Did you try to put like one of the running backs or receivers up there?

“Historically, we’ve rotated guys. Yes.”

 

What was Joe’s (Flacco) best Baltimore story this week?

“You know, honestly, I didn’t get much into it – listen, I understand that this is a unique situation for Joe and for the fans of their team and that type of thing, but he’s very well aware that he’s got a job to do. And in order to do your job, you really have to put yourself in the mindset of – I got the blinders on, I’m going to do what’s in front of me, and anything else will have to wait for much later.”

 

Kevin, I mean, you were around Minnesota when Brett (Favre) went back to Green Bay. Obviously, circumstances are significantly different with those two. But what do you remember Brett that week, and how much do you see some of that in Joe?

“Circumstances are so different. I would say, Chris (Easterling), like, first and foremost, that was a very electric couple of games in the division. But yeah, again, I totally recognize this, how unique this is. But knowing Joe, I’ve seen him go about his business in a professional way that you would expect from Joe.”

 

 

Did Andre (Szmyt) get through the week nicely, and do you feel really good about him going into this game?

“I do, Mary Kay. He did a nice job on Wednesday, did a nice job today. We put those guys in some very competitive moments every week, and he came through.”

 

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