LG Joel Bitonio (9.7.23)
What has it meant to have Deshaun (Watson) with you guys from the get-go this year? Just how different that is for you.
“It’s been good. Offense has been his from day one, really since he got put in at the end of last year. And we love Jacoby (Brissett), but they run two different offenses and things like that. So we’re kind of working on both last year and this year it’s just our offense, the Cleveland Browns offense, and I think it’s been really good for him. I think he’s building his confidence up and we’re confident in him to go out there and perform.”
We’ve asked you a lot about kind of modifying what you guys do up front to accommodate his skill set. How has that come along as you’ve gotten through the preseason here? And are you guys where you want to be as far as preparing for his mobility behind you?
“Yeah, I think we’ve worked on it a bunch. I think with a mobile quarterback, there’s always a little bit of uncertainty of where they’re going to be and what plays they’re going to make. But I think the offensive line and him are on the same page of what we expect. You know what I mean? Obviously, there’s some creativity that you can’t practice, but we’re going to work. We’re trying, hold our blocks forever, know when to release a block so we don’t get called for holding when he’s leaving the pocket and stuff. But it’s been a lot of work, and I think we’re ready to go out there and see how it goes.”
How do you mentally prepare for that creativity?
“Yeah, I think from a lineman perspective, we want to just block forever. That’s kind of your mindset, which is easier said than done, but just have that mindset of like, he’s going to try and find a big play and he makes people miss in the pocket and does things all the time. So the play is never over and you got to make sure you’re finishing your blocks. Even if you think it’s over, you got to go and try and make a play for them.”
We asked you about the continuity on the offensive line the last few years especially, but having that and you guys all coming back and being familiar with each other, when you have that change at quarterback, how much does that affect you guys as a unit?
“Yeah, it’s been big. Most of us have been here for four years now. I know Po (Ethan Pocic) just got here last year, but he feels like he’s been here for four years now. He’s got a lot of reps in. And so it’s been good. You start to get to know the guy you’re playing next to, how they move, communicate on the field. Some guys you got to communicate more with, but once you start playing with a guy, you kind of understand you have that unwritten rule of what’s going on. So it’s been good to develop, and I think we want to take a big step this year, having the same group there.”
With Bill Callahan, you guys have done a lot of pulling. Getting to the second and the third level of defenses has been a point of emphasis. When you look at some of the tweaks that Coach Stefanski’s made to the offensive playbook this year, how much more important are those schemes, techniques, etc. for you guys up front?
“Yeah, I mean, Coach Callahan, I think finds a way to get pretty much everybody on the O-line involved in a pool or in a different scheme. But we’ve been working on it all, you know, and I think it’s important if we can get guards on corners or guards on safeties. We like that matchup a lot. It’s been good. We have a ton of variation. I don’t even know what you say our offense like base is, but we have a lot of variation in the run game. Some teams only run outside zone, some teams only run gap scheme, and I think we have a great mix of all of it.”
As an offensive lineman, those boxes are a little lighter this year. Do you notice that? Does that impact you?
“Yeah, I mean, when you have like 11 personnel out there compared to 13 personnel, you’re going to get a lighter box most of the time. For us, we like the angles. We like the six-man box versus nine-man box. But I think there’s going to be ways where we can get a bunch of big guys on the field, too. Because we still have three very capable tight ends that are going to do a lot of damage. So it’ll be a good mix. But if you can consistently run against a six-man box, the only problem is when you do that, they’re going to start bringing nickel pressures, they’re going to bring safety pressures. So there are different variables that you have to be ready for going against a six-man box, more of a base defense out there.”
I know you guys face these guys twice a year. So what stands out about that front that the Bengals have? Does it feel like they’re starting to have the same continuity in their front that you guys have with your front?
“Yeah, they’re very good. I don’t think they have a weakness across the board. They have four or five, six guys that play a lot and rotate. I think the thing is they all love ball. They just play hard, they play the right way, they do their assignment, and they’re talented. They got a good group of guys over there. So it’s always a challenge for us to go down there, or here this week, but go against those guys, we play them twice a year. They’re starting to know us, we’re starting to know them. So it’s definitely a little bit more of a chess match.”
We talk about finishing blocks. Does that stand out about their two ends. They feel like those are relentless kind of rushers.
“Yeah, both of them, (Sam) Hubbard and (Trayvon) Henderson, they both go to the end of the whistle. They play hard. They’re both very talented pass rushers, very technical, but they also make a lot of plays on that hustle play. And at the end of the day, if it says sack, you get a sack, you know what I mean? And a lot of them are chase down and finished plays, but their moves are pretty good too.”
Given the expectations for this team, do you think that this is probably the most hyped up everyone has been since your tenure here with Browns?
“I don’t know. For me personally, it’s exciting. We’re excited to go out there and play. It feels like it’s been a long training camp. But our expectations, we have an expectation to be the best version of ourselves that we can be, and I think we’re going to go out there and play good football, but I don’t think there’s overhype or anything like that. I mean, if you look around the world, no one’s saying the Browns, they’re saying we’re coming in fourth place in division, third place in division. So we have our own expectations, but I don’t think the outside world has put those expectations on us. But we have our own personal expectations that we want to live up to.”
Who do you have on your radar?
“I don’t care. I got to go out and play football. They say you’re going 1to win the Super Bowl. You say you’re going to come in last. You got to go out there and block the guy in front of you. For me personally so for me personally, I got to do my best no matter what, and it truly doesn’t matter to me.”
Amari (Cooper) was just saying we’ve got the pieces. With all due respect to your former teammates, is this the most talented roster you’ve seen here?
“Yes, I think so. I think if you look top to bottom, you look at the end of the roster decisions, which are always the worst, you know what I mean? Those are tough spots, and we’re picking our sixth receiver or our sixth linebacker in a lot of those situations, which are important contributors on the team. But it’s a little different than we’ve had in the past.”
We’ve heard about how different this offense is going to be. How different is it for you up front? How different for you in the run game? It seems like you’re doing some different things back there, how does that affect you?
“There’s some differences. There’s some different play calls, different ways we’re kind of framing things. But for me, a lot of it is you got to block certain techniques in the way before. So a lot of the plays are structurally maybe slightly different, but for us o-lineman, we’re kind of blocking it the same way. It just might be a little different angle or different quarterbacks running with the ball or receivers getting the ball instead of necessarily Nick (Chubb).”
How much did those last six games last season help you get ready for how Deshaun (Watson) extended plays?
“Yeah, it’s part of it. I think you learn. I think it’s always going to be a little bit of a question mark. Never know quite when it’s going to happen, but you at least learn how he is in the huddle, how he’s finishing plays, the way he acts on the field. Like all those things. As much as you can play with a guy, I think you learn them better and better.”
How much is in your head that the fact that you play all three divisional opponents in the first four weeks?
“Personally, I know that’s a thing, but, I’ve just been focused on the Bengals right now and so it’s part of the schedule. We know we’re the only team that plays them in the first four weeks, but right now we’re focused on the Bengals, and then we have extra day to get ready for Pit after the game.”
The Browns have used a lot of empty in the preseason games, looks like going to be more than we’ve seen in the past. You know, the ball’s got to get out of the quarterback hands a lot quicker. So is that a little easier, the formation for the lineman?
“It really depends on the look you’re getting. I mean, I think it clears things up a little bit more. There’s not as much disguise they can do when you have the empty because they have to go cover the guys. But teams have gotten better at putting six guys on the line and backing guys out and stuff depending on where you’re sliding. So there’s challenges to it, but it definitely clears the picture, I think pre-snap.”
Going back to that early part of the schedule. How do you balance kind of that sense of urgency with also understanding it is an 18-week season?
“Yeah, it’s definitely long. I think we have urgency, though. I think the guys want to go out there and compete and get ready to go. But we know it’s a long season, 17 games. You don’t want to lose the first few, but I think we’re excited to get out there and play as team to start the year off.”
How good of a witness test is it for you guys for those first two weeks going against a Super Bowl caliber team?
“Yeah, they’re very good. They’ve done a lot of good things. They’ve made it far in the playoffs last couple years. They’re one of the better teams in the league. So for us, it’s a great test.”
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