Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (8.24.25)

Opening Statement:

“Okay, yeah, like I told you guys yesterday, pleased with the effort. Really pleased that you get out of there with a win. I thought the guys understood, really from the jump, that it was going to be a game that we had to play hard. I thought they did. It was not perfect, plenty to clean up, which I’m excited about with our coaches to get some things cleaned up. But I thought it was a good finish to that preseason as a football team, just to make sure that these guys gave that type of effort, so really pleased. Obviously, now that the cut down starts to come over the next couple days, one of the tough parts of this business is just that. So, we’ll work through that over the next 48 hours and then got four good days of work with the team Monday through Thursday and then take that break over Labor Day before we get started the following week versus Cincinnati. So, a lot left to do, a lot of work to be done, and we’re excited to get to that work. But with that, I’ll take any questions.”

 

Kevin, I have an injury question, but then I have a follow up after that, if you don’t mind. The first one would be about both Ethan (Pocic) and Blake (Whiteheart). I mean, I think both guys were headed for the 53 (man roster). Do you know where they stand with their injuries right now?

“Yeah, this week and then over the weekend we’ll know more, Mary Kay (Cabot), how they respond, but I think both will be potentially out there week one.”

 

Can you address this persistent narrative that you’re trying to sabotage Shedeur Sanders, especially after yesterday and not putting him in for the two-minute [drive]?

“Yeah, obviously I don’t concern myself with outside type of things, but I’m committed to his development, just like all of our rookies. So, we’ll continue to focus on getting our guys better, and that’s what we’ll stay committed to, and that’s what’s important to me.”

 

I’m sure you answered this last night, but why didn’t you keep him (Shedeur Sanders) in for the two minute or why did you decide to take him out?

“Yeah, nothing more than decided to give Snoop (Tyler Huntley) some work at the end of the game.”

 

Hey Kevin (Stefanski), if Ethan is not able to go, is it Luke (Wypler)? If it’s Luke, what have you seen from him coming off that injury that cost him all of last year?

“Yeah, Luke’s done a really nice job all of the off season, not just in the games, but he’s done a nice job in the games and we trust him. So, if that is the case, he’ll be ready to go.”

 

With Kenny (Pickett), do you have any idea yet if he will be ready to be available week one?

“Yeah, I think he will be available week one, but he’s getting better every day.”

 

But you’re still working through who will be the number two?

“Correct.”

 

Kevin, just on Snoop, was the plan always to get him some action at the end of the game, or did the situation merit wanting to give him that action?

“No, yeah, we just felt if we could get him some action in that last game, we were going to do that. You know, he’s done a really nice job for us over the last few weeks and just put him out there.”

 

48 hours till cut down, how many roster spots do you think are still up in terms of debate and consideration?

 

“Yeah, we’ve really been talking about our roster throughout this preseason. It’s not as if you get to this moment and you sit down; you talk about each spot. So, we’ve had some really good discussions. As you guys know, there’s some really, really tough decisions to be made, and that’s the hard part that we have to work through. I like all these guys. I wish I could keep all of them, but unfortunately, just the rules don’t allow it.”

 

Hey, Kevin, with Harold (Fannin Jr.) catching that touchdown yesterday, again it seems like he’s come along really nicely at each phase of training camp. Do you guys think he’s ahead of where you even thought he would be when you drafted him? How much can he do here early in his career?

“Yeah, hard to say, Ashley (Bastock), where we thought he was. You know, the guy on tape, it’s hard not to like that player. Just put the tape on of him making plays against really good opponents. Led the nation in receiving for that position. So, it was something that you felt, like you could certainly line him up in different spots, he could do different things. I would tell you the thing that you learned, just being around all of our players, and you certainly have learned about Harold is he’s extremely competitive, has worked very, very hard in all aspects of his craft, even including special teams. So, I think that’s been fun to watch a young player so devoted to his craft.”

 

How did you guys feel about the pressure that second unit D-line was able to create yesterday, especially in the first quarter, and especially knowing you’re not even full strength there yesterday, since Myles (Garrett) didn’t play and Mike Hall’s (Jr.) not back, how did that all look?

“Well, that’s been something, I believe, Ashley, has been a strength of ours this whole off season. I could tell you; our offensive coaches would tell you, it’s been difficult at practice because the first wave and second wave are guys that can really be disruptive. And that’s a credit to Andrew (Berry), credit to our coaches in developing these guys that are really, really good scheme fits in terms of how we like to play.”

 

Hey Kevin, from your perspective, how much did Dillon Gabriel grow from that first game last week to yesterday?

“Yeah, hard to say, Jeff (Schudel), in that, he did a nice job yesterday. There’s plenty, plenty to clean up for our rookies and all of our players. So that’s the fun part, again, like I mentioned, where we can work with these guys and build on the good stuff, help them clean up the stuff that they got to clean up. But really for Dillon, it goes back to the spring. It goes back to all the work that he’s put in with all of these young players they put in from the spring to now and just need to continue to build on that work.”

 

Can you give an example of what he needs to clean up after that game yesterday?

“Well, I think any player, Jeff, I don’t care what the numbers say. You can have a really good numbers line sometimes, and there’s always stuff that you can be better at. I’ve said it to you guys before, but we’re not going to be perfect. We’re all striving for it. It’s not going to happen. But can we identify some things? Can we correct them? So, I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty per se, but there’s plenty from footwork, decision making, all those things you can always get a little bit better at.”

 

Kevin, I know we ask you about him a lot, but Carson Schwesinger early on went untouched, was in that backfield back there. Its kind of felt like he’s translated the things from training camp into the preseason game. So, what have you seen from him that has stood out in terms of his instincts, his athleticism that feels good for the regular season?

“Carson’s been really a guy as advertised, Cam (Justice), where he’s come in and he’s running the show, he’s making plays. I think his athleticism, his length shows up in practice and these games. So, he’s doing in games what I’m seeing him do in practice as well.”

 

Isaiah McGuire had that unsportsmanlike conduct call. I know the NFL said they’re cracking down on even more gestures or things. What did you see in that one? What was the message? How do you address that as a team so that doesn’t carry into the regular season?

 

“Yeah, I’m glad that if it was going to happen, I’m glad it happened in the preseason. We know those rules, and if we don’t know those rules, that’s my responsibility to make sure these guys know what you can and cannot do when it relates to celebrating.”

 

Hey, Kevin, I want to ask you another quick injury question and then just something more general. Julian Okwara left that game. I know he’s had a really nice camp. What’s his update? What’s his status?

“Yeah, dealing with a rib injury. I’ll have more information over the next couple days, and he has had a nice camp.”

 

I know Ashley (Bastock) asked you about the pressure that you guys have created. Guys like him, Cam Thomas, some of those guys, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, some of those guys we haven’t talked about a lot. How valuable has it been to get looks at those guys?

“Yeah, it goes back to the point from earlier, Dan (Labbe), where these are tough decisions to be made. Guys have done a really nice job. They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do, and certainly I’d put that defensive line room in that conversation.”

 

Kevin, I know I asked you yesterday about Shedeur (Sanders) coming up to you on the sidelines to ask if he could go back into the game for the two-minute drive. But then kind of watching him in the aftermath of that, I saw a lot of things on the sideline about him. He was very emotional. Some players had to console him, calm him, things like that. So, my question is, is this a good teaching moment for you with him? I know you want players who are passionate that would want to go in, in that situation, but do you need him to maybe be a little bit more composed or have any different demeanor on the sideline in a situation like that?

“I think all of our guys, Mary Kay (Cabot), as you know, are extremely competitive and want to be out there for every play. So, I never want a player to be less competitive. So, we want the best version of all of our players, and we need to learn from all these games, learn from every play. That’s kind of what we’re in the business of.”

 

Kevin, how is Adin (Huntington) able to make such an impression on you guys and earn those other roles, right, the fullback role and the special teams role?

“Playing physical achieves your goals there, Scott (Petrak). If you show up and you’re playing physical on defense and then you do it on special teams, we have offensive coaches that are going to want to steal that physicality. So, the more you can do, and he’s somebody that has certainly done it on defense, has done it on special teams, and we value physicality.”

 

It feels unusual for a rookie or a young guy to be able to step in and take on all those roles. So, did you just know right away that this guy’s got the intelligence to do that?

“I think this week was part of that, Scott (Petrak), was seeing what he could handle, and he did a nice job.”

 

Are there any takeaways from Isaiah Bond’s nine snaps, since he wasn’t targeted, and what are the next steps for him?

“Yeah, thanks, Daniel (Oyefusi). I think it was a good start for IB (Isaiah Bond) to get out there. You know, he’s just getting back into quote, unquote football shape. Hasn’t been with us for that extended period of time, so thought it was a good start. Obviously, the ball goes where the ball goes. But I’m pleased with his progress, and we got to just continue to build on that.”

 

Kevin, 12 minutes, and you got to avoid it. But when it comes to the kicker competition, what is the deciding factor or just when you weigh everything, what could be the determining case?

“Yeah, we’ll work through all those things, Joe (Reedy), really, at every position. That’s what the next couple days are for.”

 

For this week, with week zero, since we’re five years into it now, how much of it is still training camp mode, working on your own stuff, but also trying to prepare for week one with Cincinnati?

“Yeah, I think you can do both. I do think you want to guard against going too far down into the (Cincinnati) Bengals with your football team until you get later in the week, obviously, because there’s that three-day break, mandatory, so you don’t want to overload your players mentally just yet. So, a lot of what we’ll do this week will be about sharpening our scheme, sharpening our fundamentals and techniques, those types of things. We’ll do a good bit of Browns versus Browns. So, still a good bit of competitive periods out there at the practice fields.”

 

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