Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey (9.26.24)
How would you assess just how Deshaun (Watson) played in that game?
“Yeah, I mean, I think like a lot of games, you look at it, you sit down and you evaluate, you grade it, and there’s things that we can improve on. There’s things that we did really well. And I think right now, he’s playing mentally tough. He’s really staying in games and giving us a chance to win and really battling out there for us. So, there’s a lot of good things that you see on the field. There’s a lot of good things that go unnoticed with him right now. But then obviously, like all guys when you evaluate, there’s things we could do better, you know? So that’s whether it’s Deshaun, anybody on our roster and probably just about any person in the NFL after playing in a game.”
Ken, along those lines, Kevin (Stefanski) was saying the other day that protection is on everybody. What kind of role can you have in kind of tightening that up for Deshaun?
“Yeah, I think the big thing for us is just playing decisive and making sure that we’re doing a great job with him understanding exactly why things are in, what the thought process is. All right, if this happens, here’s what we got, and here are our outlets and we talk a lot about having just a really good OST thought process. So, in a situation, things break down or things aren’t there, just outlet scramble, throw away in our minds. So, we want to continue to harp on those things, continue to do whatever we can to make sure that we’re keeping him clean. And to Kevin’s point, it takes all 11 to do that. And obviously, from the quarterback position to everybody on the roster.”
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen this many protection issues. I realize the injuries last week were a factor. Was the blocking scheme kind of overhauled this offseason or is the offensive line being asked to do something different from a schematic standpoint than they were the previous couple of years?
“Yeah, I think when we came in and we evaluated, I think there was a lot of good things that we kept. And I wouldn’t say there was a massive overhaul or anything like that. I think when you look at it at the end of the day, we’ve got to execute better from top to bottom. We got to coach it better, we got to execute better and make sure that we’re doing the things to mix it up on a defense and try to keep them off balance to make sure that they can’t get vertical and keep them guessing as well. So, I think you really saw that in stretches of that game where we got into a rhythm, we got moving the ball, we were protecting and we were doing a lot of good things. It’s just the consistency of doing that and the execution piece from the coaching standpoint all the way down.”
As you guys have dealt with injuries to your offensive line, what have you seen from Zak Zinter as he stepped into his role?
“Yeah, I thought Zak came in and really battled. He fought, he strained. There’s the question with Deshaun, there’s obviously some things that we could look at, improve on, but he’s a young player that every rep he’s going to learn from and every rep he’s going to continue to get better. So, it was great to see him out there battling and doing things to help us out there and he’ll continue to grow and definitely excited about the potential that he gives us coming in and being able to have a guy that we could depend on who now has some game reps under his belt in the regular season.”
Ken, the Browns are averaging about three and a half yards on first down. That’s a really low number. Why is it and how do you fix that?
“I mean, and I hate to be vague and dodge, but it’s an execution and that’s what it comes down to. We just got to make sure we’re coaching it, we got to make sure that we’re putting our guys in the spots and we’re going out there and executing from top to bottom. So, it starts with us as coaches and then in terms of the teaching, it goes all the way through. So, whenever you’re in a situation like that, it’s not one thing. It’s something that we just got to really focus on, really make sure that we’re preaching the execution piece and everybody doing their job and not pressing, not trying to do too much. Just really focused on, ‘hey, everybody, let’s do our job.’ And that’s from us as coaches to all the way down to the players.”
How important is it to change that number?
“Oh yeah, I think first and first and second down production is big and anytime you can produce on first and second down, that’s going to help you sustain drives, it’s going to help you on third down. So it’s something that we’re making sure to continue to focus on, continue to work at. Look, I think the thing that us as coaches and players understand, when you’re in a situation like that coming off a game like that where, yeah, everybody’s p*****, everybody wanted to win that game. You know, the only way to get through it is to put your head down and grind. You got to work, you got to grind through it, you got to figure out ways to just come out and not try to do too much, do our job and go out and execute.”
The fourth down decision Deshaun made to keep the ball where it looks like maybe he could have thrown to Jordan Akins, he said yesterday Akins was the decoy. Can you kind of explain that play to us, kind of what he was supposed to do there?
“Yeah, look, I mean, obviously I don’t want to get into like specifics of reads and how we’re doing things, but it all falls back to just our execution from top to bottom, going out and executing it at a better level in a situation like that. And that’s everybody. Not just Deshaun, that’s all players involved right there. And I think when you look at a lot of plays you could freeze frame something and say, ‘hey, could have done this, could have done that.’ But in that position, in that viewpoint in which the quarterback has, you really have to trust your eyes and trust what you see and trust your progressions. And so that’s something that we will look at and continue to evaluate that play, every play.”
The (New York) Giants’ splits rate was over 50%, I think. Did that surprise you guys and given the success they had; do you guys have to prepare for that going forward?
“Yeah, I mean, obviously it’s one of those things where we got a lot of pressure in that game. And so I think that’s something that, moving forward, yeah, you always want to make sure you are — even if a defense didn’t show it or whatever, it’s something you want to always prepare for and make sure you’re ready for. And that’s what for us as coaches, we want to prepare for all contingencies, whether it’s, pressure, whether it’s a one-high team that all of a sudden comes out and plays a bunch of two-high. So, you don’t want chase ghosts, but you want to make sure you’re handling the different possibilities and you’re able to pivot. And I thought, you kind of saw us there, as the game went on, pivot and do some really good things and get some drives going. We just got to, again, be from an execution standpoint, be more consistent right there.”
When I talked to you at the beginning of the season, I think, Ken, you kind of said it’s going to take a while for this new offense to start clicking. So is that what we’re seeing here?
“I think when you’re looking at the situation we’re in right now, it’s going to be one of those things where there really aren’t any excuses you’re going to make. We’re not in that business. We’re in the business of going out and executing on Sunday. So, no matter what the situation is for us, we got to grind, we got to go out, work our tails off to put us in position to win a game on Sunday, no matter if it’s running the ball, throwing the ball, whatever that is. So, we’re not going to sit and make excuses about should we done this, could we have done that. It’s about going out, executing at a high level that we know we’re capable of doing.”
Ken, a bit of a big picture question. We talked about how passing numbers are down across the league and through the first couple weeks of the season. It seems like rushing numbers are the highest it’s been been since like 2000. Just what do you think about that cycle, that trend and maybe what’s contributing to it?
“I mean, I think the league is evolving every year, every week. There’s such an evolution and I think with the role that quarterbacks are playing now in this league and how good they’re getting and how good the skill guys are getting; you see defenses trying to do things obviously to stop that and it’s opening up other things. I think from our aspect we always want to put our guys in position to go out and be successful and move the football and score points. So, it’s something that based off the week and based off the game plan and what we’re seeing, we’re always going to try to attack those areas. So, I think league wide, you just see that, and you see what teams are trying to do and the adjustments that offenses are making.”
Ken, when the season started, the questions about Deshaun were shoulder, health. He seems to have passed that test, but do you think the mental part of his game is still rusty?
“It’s a good question. I think Deshaun’s played a lot of football and he’s got a ton of experience, and he’s got it in some big-time games and he’s seen a lot of different defenses. So, when I sit and look and evaluate and grade and whatnot after games, there’s a lot of good things. There’s a lot of great decisions and some of them, it might look like a bad decision at times because he’s just throwing the ball away or, or dirting the ball because things are covered, you know what I mean? So I think there’s a lot of good in there that goes noticed, there’s a lot of good that goes unnoticed and then there’s things that we can improve on, and that’s him and that’s everybody. So, we’ll continue to do that. He’s going to continue to grow as a player with what we’re doing and become more and more comfortable. And I think he’s kind of the tip of the spear for us in a lot of ways and he’s going to be somebody who’s going to help us win a lot of games.”
He said yesterday he’s never going to ask for more quarterback runs and he’s a thrower, not a runner. You’ve had quarterbacks that run. Do you need or want that to be a bigger part of your offense, the quarterback run?
“Well, I think at the end of the day, Deshaun does a lot for us to help us win football games and he will do a lot for us to help us win football games. And I think you’ve seen in the first three games; he’s made some great plays with his feet and his ability to extend plays and make plays that way. Obviously, he scored the touchdown in Jacksonville on a designed one. Yeah, there’s things that he’s going to do that’s special and make plays with his feet. But at the same time, we obviously continue to focus on the pocket stuff and whether it’s in the pocket, whether it’s designed, getting outside the pocket and things like that because the improvisions that he makes kind of lead you to some of those runs and whatnot.”
Guys on the offensive line have talked about the navigating the blocking for his gameplay, specifically mentioned and setting those plays. As a coach, though, is that something that you guys focus on for them, not just their individual and scheme techniques, but those techniques for Deshaun specifically in those moments?
“Yeah, no, and I think it’s a great question because when you do have a guy who’s mobile and can make a guy miss in the pocket and extend plays and things like that, the natural — it’s a little different for those guys up front. And so, I know Andy (Dickerson) does a great job working with those guys to understand that ‘Hey, when they do break contain, here’s thoughts, and here’s what you can do. And if you get in a position, where we don’t want to get the holding, sometimes you got to let them go and sometimes you got to make sure that we don’t get called for one because you’re tugging a guy as he’s leaving the pocket and whatnot.’ So, there’s definitely some things that those guys learn and kind of talk through with that playing style. But also, there’s an instinctual level to it that I think those guys up front kind of have a feel for that you’ve seen to kind of help with some of those things as well.”
Mistakes seemed to have had a negative domino effect offensively, blocking; it affects the quarterback, then it affects receivers, then it affects the run game. How do you, three games into the season, stop the domino effect and also at the same time correct or fix all of these issues that you’re having in the middle of the season?
“Yeah, look, I think the natural tendency is like, ‘All right, I want to do more. I need to have the perfect plan, or I need to call the perfect play,’ you know what I mean? In this league, it’s not possible, it’s hard. I mean you will get the right call sometimes, but at the end of the day, it’s about doing your job and going out not trying to do any more or any less than that. Like, go out, let’s all focus on, ‘hey, come in, grind, work our tails off.’ It’s a blue-collar group in there that works. That works incredibly hard, that has a lot of pride and wants to go out and do well for this city and for these fans and that’s where our heart is. That’s what we believe in. So it’s one of those things where we just got to go out, go in here, meeting rooms, practice field, do our jobs, focus on us, focus on our execution at the end of the day and grind and make sure that we’re doing the things to put us, ourselves in position. Because you win games, obviously, on how you play Sunday, but also starts Monday through Saturday. So, I think those steps and just not trying to do too much and continue to focus on all of us doing our job and us as coaches preparing the guys as best we can to make sure they’re ready to go and fly around on Sunday.”
Ken, I know Amari (Cooper) had been a little tough on himself the first two weeks of the season and obviously getting those two touchdowns on Sunday, he talked about, he felt like it was a good starting point. Just what have you seen? He’s talked about that different focus in practice. What have you guys seen from him in that regard?
“Yeah, I think when you watched him last week, it was fun to watch him get out there and make those types of plays. He’s a big part of our offense. He’s a big part of, obviously, what we do in a lot of ways and defenses have to account for him. And when they do account for him, hopefully that we got other guys who are able to make plays if they’re trying to really focus on him and take him away. And that’s where the balance of it — I think we kind of talked about a little bit last week. From a quarterback perspective, you can’t force feed somebody. You got to trust your eyes and trust your progressions. You know, the ball is going to find the open guy. And last week it was Amari in a lot of ways and in big ways for us. So, we’re going to continue to do that and hopefully continue to put Amari and our other playmakers in position to make plays for us and he did a great job of taking advantage of that. And to his point, hopefully, it’s the start of a good run for us.”