Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (9.21.25)

Opening Statement:

“Okay. Obviously really proud of that football team in there. Feeding off of each other, you know, it was not always easy. And listen, that’s a great football team on the other side, I have a ton of respect for Coach (Matt) LaFleur and that group. That’s a great, great team. And we battled to the end and made those plays when we needed to and just fed off of each other and complemented each other. And, you know, we get that big takeaway from Grant (Delpit), sets us up. You know, we get a big play, obviously from Q (Quinshon Judkins) early, we get a stop, we get a block from Shelby (Harris). So, it was just everybody. And then Dre (Andre Szmyt) came through at the end. I’m really proud of that young man. I’m happy for that young man. He’s been through a lot, and he came through. So really happy for him. And, you know, this is the NFL. It’s hard. You’re going to go up against some tough teams and some tough matchups, and you have to fight, scratch and claw. And I thought our team did that today. With that, I’ll take any questions.”

 

Guess all those compliments paid off during the week, huh?

“Apparently. Apparently so. I mean, you know, made a point of it this week but that’s football 101. We know that we have to play that way every single week. But I think you saw there in that fourth quarter, our defense needed to get stops, and they got stops, and that was a huge part of that game.”

 

Coach, can you just talk about the emotions that you had coming off the field? You were fist pumping.

“I don’t remember. I don’t remember. Yeah, you know, for me, I get to watch this team work. I get to watch these coaches work. And when you don’t get the results you want in the first couple, you want it for them. I wanted that ball to go through the uprights for Andre (Szmyt). I wanted that team to fight till the last minute, to the last second in this case, and come away with the win because they deserve it based on how hard they work.”

 

Kevin, how important is it to get a win early? I mean, not let week after week, you talk about the work they were doing…

“Yeah. The thing I would tell you Chris (Easterling), is in the NFL, you better put the blinders on, because this win today won’t matter next week. And whoever we’re playing next week, they don’t care what we just did. It’s just, it’s how the NFL happens every week. It comes at you and you have to move on. You got to put the blinders on. So obviously, we go into this one winless. I know that, but I can’t let that affect how I work. I can’t let that affect how we get this team ready to play. And then ultimately we worry about these one game seasons that we have.”

 

How bad do you think it got for Andre (Szmyt) after that first week? You said he went through a lot. 

“Yeah, he’s been through a lot in his life, I would tell you. And the kid’s come through.”

 

Kevin, how confident were you that you could get the ball to David (Njoku) and get up the line and spike it? 

“Well, pretty confident because we’ve worked it. Now, that’s right at the cusp. We’re going to make it onto a lot of training tapes this week in the NFL because teams are going to say, can you do that in 12? And it’s been done right around there, but you have to be great. Joe (Flacco) knew it, Dave (David Njoku) knew it, all the guys knew it. So, you practice those looks, typically you say 15 seconds. I just had a lot of confidence in that group to get it done.”

 

Kevin, how much what more can you say about this defense? 

“Not much.”

 

Especially kind of holding things down for three quarters. I mean, Joe (Flacco) even said last week, like, he compared this defense to some of these really, really great Ravens’ defenses.

“He would know. Yeah, you know, I think our defense is playing at a high level. And what I love about our defense is how we play as much as what we do and, you know, the schemes we play. Just watch us play, watch our guys come off the ball, watch them run the ball, watch them celebrate with each other. That’s an infectious group over there.”

 

Did you ever come close to pulling (Joe) Flacco?

“No.”

 

With Joe Flacco, would you say that the fact that he was without two starting tackles, did that have something to do… It was tough sledding for him, obviously. 

“Yeah, that’s a great defense. I’m confident in saying that’s a great defense. And those two edge rushers are outstanding. And then we had injuries early to our tackles. We were without Jack (Conklin) going into this game. So, they made life really hard. Our guys battled like crazy. We had to make some adjustments. But to be able to play how we did as a football team I thought was really impressive.”

 

How about the way you guys really did a pretty good job on Micah Parsons. He didn’t seem to make a lot of noise. 

“He was making noise, Jeff (Schudel). He was around the quarterback. If he’s not getting a sack, I get it. But he’s pressuring. He’s a great one.”

 

Especially for your special teams to come through after all the blows that you guys have had, all the injuries that you guys have had. How big was that for everybody? 

“Yeah, that was huge. Really proud of the effort from that group. We want to play well on all three sides of the ball and to come through with a huge block, I think Shelby (Harris) got it, right? Which Shelby (Harris) has about a thousand of those in his career. So, Shelby (Harris) got one, and then to hit that kick at the end, that’s great for that group.”

 

How was it with (Quinshon) Judkins jumpstarting that drive?

“Yeah, it was awesome. You know, he’s a volume runner. Knew that he gets better with touches. He gets his first touchdown, which I’m excited for him, but he’s only going to get better.”

 

How do you explain Shelby (Harris) somehow finding a way to getting his hands on the ball in the way of that field goal?

“He’s always been able to. I mean, bats balls on passes, he blocks field goals. He’s always done it. He has a great feel for it. I want to say, when I was coaching the (Minnesota) Vikings in ’19, he had an interception versus us. Like, he’s just, he’s very aware of that football, and he’s just got great anticipation.”

 

How coachable is that versus just sort of innate sense? 

“It’s innate, yeah. That’s something that he’s been blessed with.”

 

Did you sense on the sidelines that your team, even when you were down, it seemed almost hopeless to be able to come back. Did you sense that they had a resolve? I mean, was there stuff going on? 

“Yeah, you know, we talked about that, Mary Kay (Cabot). We’ve talked about it as a team. We know what these seasons are like. We know there’s ups and downs that you got to navigate. That’s the NFL. And our guys have confidence in each other.”

 

Kevin, I hear you say that it’s on to next week out in Detroit, but can’t this carry some momentum for your players? 

“Yeah, momentum is important, don’t get me wrong. But you have to build off this, and I think for us. Well, trust me, I’ll enjoy it, Jeff (Schudel). Don’t worry. But tomorrow, we got to move on. Tomorrow, you got to watch this tape and find a way to get better, and then you have to move on. You got a big game next week.”

 

No points, one interception. Why did you not consider pulling (Joe) Flacco?

“Yeah, I’m just focused on doing what I think is best for the team.”

 

Did you have any update on Dawand (Jones)? 

“No update. We’ll get an MRI.”

 

Did you get an explanation on the replay fumble?

“Yes. So, I think the big thing there is we need them to call that a fumble recovery by us. They did not feel like there’s enough video information to call the recovery by us. So, it’s clearly a fumble. I need them in the moment to see that it’s a fumble. Give us the football. Because it’s just too hard when the ball’s in a pile to say definitively who comes away with it. It has to be a clear recovery. Anytime it gets in a pile, it’s really hard. So, I prefer if they see the fumble on the front end.”

 

Why was Dawand (Jones) at right tackle to start the game? 

“Yeah. Jack (Conklin) was obviously battling. Just felt like that was what was best for both Dawand (Jones) and Cornelius (Lucas).”

 

And then the chop block, they called when you got in the goal line. 

“I didn’t see it. Was it a good call? Okay. I had some people in my ear saying it was a bad call, but I didn’t see it yet.”

 

They just said it was the right call? 

“Who’s they? He (the official) said it was a good call.”

 

Even though it was a tough game for Joe (Flacco) in the offense. You’re sticking with Joe (Flacco) going forward? 

“Yes.”

 

Kevin, when you don’t score, really move the ball that great until the last four minutes. What changed? I know there were the two Quinshon (Judkins) runs, but what felt like it changed there? 

“The field position, you know, it’s part of playing complementary football, is setting our offense up on short fields by taking it away or making a great play on special teams or you get a long run, like Q (Quinshon Judkins), a couple runs where then you’re moving the ball. But I thought just started to play a little bit more complementary.”

 

Do you think your team can finally kind of take a breath now after winning a game like this?

“Yeah. Listen, again, just to go back. The NFL is…you can’t ride the roller coaster. It’s too long of a season. You can’t ride the ups and downs like that. For us, we focus on what’s in front of us. I know our fans probably ride that roller coaster, and certainly I did when I was a young kid, or a fan, I should say. But for us, it doesn’t serve you well to think about last week or two weeks ago. It doesn’t help us. So we’re so focused in the moment, we put the blinders on and worry about what’s right in front of us.”

 

What about Joel (Bitonio) being able to come back? 

“Yeah. Unbelievable. Yeah. I can’t. I gave Joel (Bitonio) a game ball in there. I can’t say enough about him, the football player, the person he was battling, he was not feeling good. He wasn’t walking real well, but he battled. And that’s Joel Bitonio for you.”

 

When you’re watching him work out, you say, no, he’s okay. I know you talked to him. What does he kind of say? Because you walked in the locker room with him. 

“Yeah, I’ll let him share, probably Scott (Petrak). But he knew he wanted to be out there for his team.”

 

Kevin, how fun was it for you to see how happy and excited the fans were? 40th anniversary of the Dawg Pound.

“Yeah. Well, that was awesome for me just to catch up with Earnest Byner. I didn’t see Bernie (Kosar), but I texted with Bernie (Kosar), had Hanford Dixon break the team down and just tell the team that the history that we have in this place and, you know, I get to use the Dawg mentality so much. It’s really what we branded a lot of what we do is off of our Dawg mentality. And, you know, Coach (Jim) Schwartz has a great line that “Hungry dogs run faster.” And all of that is born right out of Hanford (Dixon). So unbelievable history there, and it was awesome having those guys around.”

 

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