Bubba Ventrone Press Conference November 2, 2023
Browns Special Teams Coordinator Bubba Ventrone fields questions from reporters ahead of the teams match-up vs the Arizona Cardinals.
Transcript
00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:10 >> How's it going?
00:14 >> Good, Bubba, how are you?
00:15 >> Good, how are you?
00:16 >> Good.
00:18 >> Bubba, you guys are number one right now in the special teams efficiency.
00:23 What do you make of that and where are some ways that you can get better as good
00:27 as you've been so far?
00:28 >> I think we need to improve in the return game.
00:31 We're missing a few opportunities and we're close, we're definitely close.
00:39 Last year, whenever I was with my old team, we start out a little slow too and
00:44 then we ramped it up the second half of the season,
00:47 end up leading the league and kick return.
00:50 So I'm excited about our group moving forward and
00:53 we're definitely close on those units.
00:55 >> How do you improve that, is it something technical, is it just-
01:01 >> I think it honestly comes down to just
01:03 having time on task, repetition, in game repetition.
01:10 We didn't see a lot of those opportunities with the same group in
01:14 the preseason.
01:16 So I think that once you have that unit built and
01:19 there's continuity within the group, you have more reps with each other.
01:23 You're double teaming with the same player here and there, or over and
01:27 over again, I should say.
01:29 I think that the repetitions is what helps you get better and
01:32 then obviously the practice reps have definitely improved.
01:36 So I think that that's a good thing for us.
01:39 >> DPJ, who are your top candidates with DPJ?
01:45 >> Yeah, I mean, Elijah did it last week, so I thought he did a solid job.
01:49 And then we have some young guys on the practice squad that we'll continue to
01:54 look at, but I thought Elijah did a solid job last week.
01:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]
02:00 >> What ultimately led to that decision?
02:02 I know you've been thinking about it, to put Elijah out there in that game.
02:06 >> Well, he did it in college, and I evaluated him when he was coming out of
02:09 college.
02:10 He's a natural catcher, he has good judgment and
02:15 he obviously has the ability to make you miss.
02:19 So I felt like we just needed a little bit of a spark back there.
02:24 [BLANK_AUDIO]
02:26 >> Yeah, the couple of guys on the practice squad,
02:28 I think they have a good approach and a great day of summer return.
02:33 History, are those the guys you're considering for those couple of spots?
02:37 >> Yeah, and then Jalen Darden also did it for us against San Francisco.
02:41 So we're gonna continue to get all those guys reps and
02:44 making an evaluation, I guess you would say, or a decision at the end of the week.
02:50 And it really plays off of other positions on the team,
02:54 the health of our roster and things like that, so.
02:57 >> Is there any tough parts about being a special team squad or
03:01 when injuries affect each unit, but they could really affect you indirectly when,
03:07 what I'm saying here, when a player is injured from another unit,
03:12 then you have to make an adjustment.
03:14 >> Yeah, so if we sustain an injury to any position group and
03:18 that guy plays offense or defense, right?
03:22 The next guy up is really the guy that I've been using, so
03:26 then we now need to find someone else to be able to play in those roles.
03:30 So yeah, at times it can be challenging, but that's the name of the game,
03:35 that's the job description.
03:37 So you gotta figure it out, find a way,
03:40 do your best to use your personnel as best you can to match up against
03:45 the opponent and give your guys the best chance to make plays.
03:48 So you always have to be able to adapt, especially in game.
03:53 You sustain injuries within a game.
03:54 We had some guys get nicked up in this past game and we had some moving parts,
03:58 so we had to address and we were able to get those adjusted.
04:03 >> What's your kick return average do you want?
04:06 Sorry.
04:08 >> Honestly, the average doesn't matter to me.
04:10 It's more about the drive start, especially in game.
04:14 Over the course of a season, everybody ends up having a very similar drive start.
04:19 It's small in regards to, is it 25.1, 25.2?
04:25 The average is always, because of touchbacks,
04:27 it always just comes back to that number.
04:29 But ideally, you'd like to have the drive start rather than the average,
04:35 because not a lot of people are bringing the ball out from deep in the end zone.
04:38 So if you have a 25 yard return, you bring it out from five deep,
04:42 the ball's at the 20, so.
04:44 >> [INAUDIBLE] >> Yeah, I mean,
04:48 I would say each time we return the ball, the goal is to get it past the 25.
04:55 So I think we have been super close on a number of returns this year,
05:01 and even in the Seattle game, if we make a block,
05:06 we're probably out to the 50, so we're damn close.
05:12 >> You probably work with Pierre as much as anybody in this building,
05:14 and I have seen him make some tackles for you.
05:17 What is it about him that you like?
05:19 I mean, he was so explosive when he saw him play offense on Sunday.
05:23 >> Yeah, so he was drafted to the Patriots.
05:26 In Indy, we liked him a lot, he can run.
05:30 For me, that's one of the traits you obviously covet as a special teams
05:34 coordinator is the ability to run, speed is great.
05:38 And position flexibility, he can do a lot of different things,
05:41 he can play a lot of different positions.
05:43 He even played some interior punt in New England in the preseason.
05:47 He's played gunner for us, obviously can handle the ball as a kicker,
05:50 Turner plays on our kickoff coverage units at times.
05:54 So he's got great ability to do a lot of different things for us.
06:00 So he's been a great addition to the roster,
06:04 it was a great move we made at the end of camp by AB.
06:07 >> Did you notice Seattle's field goal team heads up after what happened in Indy?
06:12 >> Say that again.
06:13 >> When Seattle's field goal team had everybody's eyes up after what happened
06:16 in Indy, did you notice that?
06:18 >> It's probably, I mean, the awareness will be there the rest of the way, so.
06:22 >> [INAUDIBLE]
06:26 >> We'll see, we'll see how it goes.
06:28 >> In terms of Scott here, Joey Blow, a couple weeks in a row,
06:31 has made a big play, forcing the football, recovering it for them.
06:34 When you look at his specific skill set, the way he's impacted plays,
06:38 what stands out to you about him?
06:40 >> Yeah, he runs pretty well.
06:42 He's impacted those plays really from the gunner position.
06:45 He punches at the ball, emphasis on securing the ball,
06:49 especially on that unit with our returners.
06:51 We're always, number one priority is get the ball back to the offense.
06:55 So catch it, secure it, make good decisions, get the ball back to the offense.
07:00 So we'll have, obviously, we're always preaching ball security to our entire
07:05 team, offense, defense, and special teams.
07:08 >> [INAUDIBLE]
07:24 >> Yeah, so there's a number of different ways that you can coach that unit up.
07:29 There's a number of different schemes as far as the recovery aspect of it goes.
07:34 Some teams will play one recovery player to where they think the ball is going,
07:39 which gives you a little bit more security inside.
07:42 Now you're light opposite of that recovery player.
07:46 Some teams will play two recovery players.
07:48 Now you're lighter in some areas inside.
07:50 So yeah, so there's rules based on the types of kicks you're getting,
07:56 that we're trying to educate our guys every week on, okay,
08:01 if we get this kick, this is how we're treating.
08:05 If we get this kick, this is how we wanna handle it.
08:08 And that's obviously with the kick, with the recovery, and
08:11 then obviously with the blocking portion of it as well, so.
08:15 >> [INAUDIBLE]
08:25 >> Yeah. >> What's the goal there for Corey?
08:28 Obviously, I know you wanna avoid the touchback, so.
08:30 >> Yeah. >> Fair pitch to 11,
08:31 is that what you're looking for?
08:33 >> I think anything inside the 10, right at the 10, I'm content with that.
08:38 Don't wanna be, you obviously wanna be aggressive in that situation to get
08:42 the ball in to the 10 at least.
08:45 But then there's that, you don't wanna be too aggressive and get too much on it.
08:50 That's not an easy ball to hit.
08:52 I thought that he played it pretty well.
08:56 Honestly, I thought he did.
08:57 I thought he played it pretty well.
08:58 >> You want your guys to, sometimes you see the ball hit on the floor or
09:03 whatever and they're waiting for it to bounce at the one,
09:07 then it goes to the end zone.
09:10 >> Yeah. >> So
09:11 do you want your guys to make sure that- >> No,
09:13 I would never want my guy to let the ball hit at the four.
09:16 You don't wanna be, how we coach our players is,
09:20 you don't wanna be at the mercy of the bounce in a plus 50 situation.
09:23 So ideally, if you're the gunner and the ball's about to hit, I would say,
09:28 unless you're in truly in position with your butt parallel and
09:32 you're facing the opposite end zone,
09:35 you don't wanna let that thing hit inside the eight yard line.
09:38 If you can make a play on the ball at the eight, then we'd like to catch it in
09:41 the air if we can.
09:42 But yeah, we don't wanna be at the mercy of the bounce.
09:45 We wanna be able to feel the ball in the air if we can.
09:46 I would say, inside the ten, you just don't know which way the ball is gonna
09:52 bounce, even if you're in position.
09:54 So, Good.
10:00 Thanks, guys.
10:00 Yep.
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