Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (9.9.22)
Opening statement:
“Good day out there. It was crisp, which is what I asked for and the guys really responded. I thought this week has been very impressive from the guys from a practice standpoint. They are locked in and working really hard. As you all know, these Week 1s, it is a long time coming. These feel like very, very long weeks so I know the guys are excited to finish the day here, get in tomorrow, have some meetings and then get on the airplane. Excited about the challenge. We understand that it is going to be a very, very physical football game, it is a really good team and we are looking forward to it.”
On T Jack Conklin being listed as questionable on the injury report and if Conklin will be a game-time decision:
“I think we will see. I want to get through tomorrow, see where Jack is and then make a decision.”
On how Conklin performed in practice this week:
“Good. Really good. Practicing and doing a nice job.”
On if the process of evaluating a player’s availability pregame rather than the days before is different with OL, including as it relates to Conklin:
“We have done that. I think every position at times there is the gameday workout. We will see if that applies in this case. There are certain guys that we have done with over the years.”
On if Conklin has been able to participate in team periods of practice this week:
“Yes.”
On when the Browns will announce if Conklin will or will not play:
“If he doesn’t play, we will obviously announce it gameday.”
On T James Hudson III’s performance and if Hudson is an option at RT if Conklin is unavailable this week:
“Yeah, James is a candidate if Jack weren’t to make it. James has done a nice job all spring and all summer and understanding his role. We are fortunate to have a bunch of guys who have played a lot of football.”
On CB Greedy Williams being ruled out for Sunday’s game and if Williams will need additional time to recover:
“Yeah, he is going to be out for a little while. Unfortunate. Feel bad for Greedy.”
On if CB Martin Emerson Jr. is the next CB in line following Williams’ injury:
“Yes.”
On Emerson’s development and preparedness for Week 1:
“As we have talked about with all rookies, there is a learning curve and those type of things, but he has done everything we have asked him to do out here on the practice fields and in the meeting room. He has performed well in the preseason. Excited about his development.”
On what RB Demetric Felton Jr. offers as a returner:
“Demetric is just a really good football player. We are going to use him in a bunch of different ways. Obviously, the return game is something that he has done for us in the past. Excited about him.”
On if he sees DE Myles Garrett as a different player and really wanting to be a dominant NFL player this year:
“I do. With Myles, obviously, he practices really hard. He makes life very, very difficult in practice for an offense. He has been very locked in.”
On if it is challenging for T Jedrick Wills Jr. to go against Garrett every day in practice:
“Yes, but Myles rushes from all over so everybody unfortunately has to line up against him. I think it is great for development. Iron sharpens iron. You want to go against good players. Fortunately for Jed and a lot of our guys, they get a really good solid day’s work when you have Myles over there, (DE) Jadeveon (Clowney), etc.”
On what is different about Garrett as a leader this year:
“He is a captain, but I always just want Myles to be the best version of Myles and just be who he is and lead in the way that he leads. I think with young players – Myles now is not a young player – but with younger people, what you don’t want to do is be something that you are not. I see leadership comes in all shapes, sizes, styles and those type of things. I have been around great leaders who don’t say a word and they just do their job and people follow because they do their job and they do their job every single time. With Myles and his leadership style, I am just looking for him to be himself.”
On the significance of having players on the Browns defense with the skillsets to matchup against players like Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey:
“He is a very, very difficult matchup – very difficult for safeties, for linebackers and for corners. We talked about him earlier in the week, but he is a guy who really can line up everywhere. He can line up in the backfield and run every type of run – he can run on the perimeter and he can run gap schemes. He can line up in the slot and run all of the route tree from the slot. He can line up outside and run the entire route tree from outside. It is difficult for anybody when you have a player like that. We have to do our job. You have to do your job within the defense and try to as best you can slow him down.”
On Browns teammates loving QB Jacoby Brissett and how his leadership and personality benefits the offense and locker room:
“It is kind of similar to what I was talking about [regarding Myles] is you just want these guys to be themselves. Jacoby from the moment he has been in this building, he is being himself. He is a very genuine person, works very hard and gets in here early. I think the players enjoy being around him. He has a fun personality with the guys, but more than anything, I think he is a great example of a player who just does the right thing every single time.”
On how RB Kareem Hunt looks in practice and if Hunt provides an explosiveness the Browns offense was missing last year when Hunt was injured:
“Never like when you don’t have one of those guys in there. When we were without Kareem, he is a really good player so we want to use him. We can use him in a variety of ways. He looks fresh. Obviously, with him and (RB) Nick (Chubb), I think they are ready to go.”
On how T Joe Haeg and TE Jesse James have picked up the Browns offense after joining the team earlier this week:
“I have been very, very impressed with both of those guys. They are very intelligent so they have picked up the schemes very well.”
On WR Amari Cooper stating he hopes the Browns offense can put up fireworks this season:
“Let’s score more points than the other team.”
On the potential for rainy weather conditions on Sunday and how that impacts the gameplan:
“Again, I would file that under we will see. We have to see what the weather is on gameday. Weather changes. I know it is going to be humid. Likely going to get some rain – how much? Don’t know. Those are things that we just deal with. We don’t control them.”
On how CB Denzel Ward has looked in practice since returning from injury:
“Looks like himself. Has done a really nice job. Moving around well. Making plays on the ball. I think he is excited. He is ready to go.”
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