Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (8.22.22)
Opening statement:
“OK, like we talked about yesterday, I thought that it was a really good week for our football team with those joint practices and then yesterday’s game. Great to be back in front of our fans yesterday afternoon. With that, we transition to Chicago week. Like I mentioned, we are going to go to a regular season schedule and get our team ready for what that means from a gameplan standpoint and from meetings changing a little bit. We will still do some competitive periods at practice, which we would not do during a normal regular season, so it is going to be a hybrid of a regular season schedule while still getting some good work in offense versus defense.”
On injury updates following yesterday’s game:
“(CB) A.J. Green was cleared [from concussion protocol]. (WR) Daylen Baldwin is in the concussion protocol. (DT) Perrion (Winfrey) is working through a couple things, but he will be OK.”
On balancing QB Joshua Dobbs’ performances in practice and preseason games with limited regular season experience as it relates to Dobbs potentially being the backup QB to start the season:
“For me, it is a body of work so it goes back to the reps he gets in practice, how he does in the meeting room and what he does on the game field obviously. In terms of career, career attempts and those type of things, really just focused on what he has done with us.”
On if he is surprised Dobbs has not gotten more chances to play in the regular season during past NFL seasons:
“I think a lot of times that is circumstance if the starter is playing quite a bit.”
On how important it is for K Cade York to be detailed about working on his craft, given York sometimes is not happy with some kicks even when converting FGs:
“I think it is true that he really does work on his craft. Exactly what he mentioned to you, he mentioned to me and us in terms of how he hits each ball. I think you take each ball into account. He is very conscientious about working at it. It is going to be a process. It is a process out here on the practice field. It is a process in these game settings. Just trying to continue to ascend as a young player.”
On G Michael Dunn’s performance at C and how the C position is unfolding for the Browns:
“I think it definitely is unfolding through practice and games. I think all of these jobs are fluid, and guys are battling for roster positions. We do not have to set the depth chart for a while here. He will continue to compete at that role. I thought he played well yesterday. I thought he plays hard as he always does. He finishes plays with the right amount of tenacity, playing with clean technique and those type of things. He always gives us an honest day’s work.”
On DE Alex Wright’s performance, given the number of reps in practices and preseason games:
“I think he has flashed. I think he has done a nice job in practice. Going back to the last couple of days versus the Eagles versus some really good tackles, he had some good rushes. Then the game, he has done a nice job. He has made play. He is a young man. A lot of this is new to him, just the NFL game, the speed of the NFL game and some of the things we are asking him to do schematically, but he has done a really nice job.”
On Wright’s ability and opportunity to learn from DEs Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney:
“I think any young player is doing himself a disservice if he does not watch the vets in front of him and learn in terms of how they study, how they prepare, how they practice and the different techniques they use. He is fortunate to have a couple of veterans there in Myles and JD who have played the game at a really high level.”
On WR Mike Harley Jr.’s performance in the return game, in addition to at WR:
“Mike is a young man who has again given us some really good reps both at receiver and wanted to see what he could do at returner. That will be continual evaluation with Mike. A very, very competitive player, as you saw that catch yesterday really fighting for that ball and he was not going to be denied, and he had a couple of other nice plays in that game. Doing a nice job.”
On RB John Kelly Jr.’s performance, including running with patience:
“With patience, there are different run schemes and different run types so patience is going to look a little bit different on a wide zone than it is on a gap scheme, like the touchdown run that John had down there. Everybody runs that play. We call it ‘Duo.’ Some people call it ‘Crunch.’ That is the (free agent NFL RB) Le’Veon Bell play over the years where you talk about patience, really biding time behind the line of scrimmage, waiting for your read at the second level to commit and then making your cut. For John, he has had that play in practice and he has had that play in games, and I think it is a continued evolution for him to make sure he is putting the ball in the right spot.”
On balancing QB Jacoby Brissett’s and Browns starters’ playing time in the final preseason game to prepare them for the season while minimizing the potential for injury:
“That is really the balance for every team when you are playing your starters versus not playing your starters in these games. It is something that we talk about every year and we talk about every week and just try to make the right decisions for your team. I do not know that anybody knows exactly what you need week in and week out. It is just you have to kind of go with what is in front of you.”
On the typical NFL preseason plan including teams playing their starters for the first half and typically into the third quarter in the third preseason ‘dress rehearsal’ game when there were four preseason contests and if the Browns’ plan on Saturday in Preseason 3 will be similar:
“We are working through the plan for this game so not ready to say exactly yet, but you are right, in those olden days, this was the game where people played through the first half and maybe into the third quarter, but we are not ready yet to say what our plan will be.”
On if DE Isaiah Thomas will be able to play with a padded and taped hand, given Thomas was recently wearing a cast:
“He should be able to play, yes.”
On if he expects Thomas to return to play this week:
“I do.”
On DT Perrion Winfrey’s performance prior to leaving late in yesterday’s game due to injury and if Winfrey is improving on technique:
“Definitely getting better because he is working at it, but like most rookies, not consistent enough yet, and that only comes with time. It just comes with working at it before practice, during practice and after practice, but certainly seeing flashes of Perrion using his technique. He just has to get more consistent.”
On T Alex Taylor playing every offensive snap yesterday and if that was essentially a ‘last man up’ situation:
“In a lot of ways, yes – Alex did a nice job; a credit to him for playing that whole game – but when you are resting guys, there are limitations to how many guys you have up.”
On CB Martin Emerson Jr. leaving yesterday’s game with an injury:
“It was a finger, but he is OK.”
On if S D’Anthony Bell has made a good impression on the team:
“Yeah, I think you go back to the Jacksonville game and obviously getting the ball out and did a nice job. I would go back to what I said about Perrion. He is a rookie. These young players who have not had a ton of reps to date, they are going to make mistakes, and it is the old they have to make it once and correct it, but he is certainly a guy who is working hard at it.”
On Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni also sharing the teams got a lot of good work during the joint practices last week and if the teams have already booked each other for next preseason:
“We talked about it. You have to see how the schedule shakes out and all of those type of things, but it would not bother me going back to Philly for a few days next year.”
On Carolina naming former Browns and Panthers QB Baker Mayfield the starting QB for Week 1, when Cleveland plays at Carolina:
“I did not see that. We will wait to talk about Carolina until we get there. I am still in Week 3 of the preseason mode.”
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