Browns Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz Press Conference November 9, 2023
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:10 Okay.
00:13 >> What was your biggest takeaway and
00:15 lesson learned from the first time you guys faced Lamar?
00:19 >> I don't know, I think I'll just leave that for
00:24 the Ravens to figure out.
00:27 There's no sense in me talking about what we did well, what we did poorly, and
00:32 what we're changing.
00:32 >> Kind of a challenge is he though, obviously,
00:35 with his ability to take the smallest play and turn it into a big one.
00:39 >> Yeah, I mean, he made some scramble plays and
00:42 some quarterback run plays in the first game that we played.
00:46 And we'll have to do better on those.
00:48 We did a lot of good things in the first game too.
00:50 Didn't play a consistent game, didn't finish the game well.
00:54 But there's a lot to build on from that game.
00:56 >> What is the dynamic tight end like Mark Andrews
01:02 due to stress at defense specifically?
01:07 >> Well, he's really good at uncovering when the quarterback's scrambling.
01:11 Quarterback has confidence in him.
01:15 And they seem to really have some sort of mental telepathy.
01:18 They always seem to be moving in the same direction when
01:23 the quarterback scrambles.
01:25 So he's a big target.
01:27 He's got really good hands and he's just really
01:32 instinctive to try to break open and make himself friendly to the quarterback.
01:36 >> Having O'Dell, obviously, didn't play that first match.
01:41 How does having him affect the rest of their passing game?
01:44 >> Well, I mean, obviously, it adds another weapon.
01:47 They have a full arsenal of guys who mentioned tight ends.
01:52 They get a couple tight ends that are tough outs, particularly in the passing game.
01:58 But veteran player like Aguilar, veteran player like O'Dell,
02:02 young player like Flowers, and a good running attack, the best running attack in
02:06 the NFL, so they have weapons at a lot of different places and
02:11 we're at the player best on defense.
02:12 >> And you, I know you go against the Ravens offense, but
02:17 do you consider this like a battle between you and Mike McDonough with their defense?
02:23 Both of you guys are rated high in many categories.
02:25 >> Yeah, ratings don't mean anything to this game.
02:28 We have to go out and perform our best and
02:31 not worry about what the other side of the ball is doing or
02:34 what they're doing on defense.
02:35 We have our own challenges.
02:38 We have things that we need to accomplish.
02:41 And worrying about comparing ourselves to somebody else is not gonna
02:46 fulfill any of those objectives that we have.
02:51 >> So I think Mitchell adding to an already really good one game.
02:58 Their rookie- >> Yeah, made some big plays last week.
03:01 And they got a lot of different kind of backs between Hill and Edwards and
03:08 Mitchell, they different sizes, different strengths.
03:13 And I think when they lost their starter at the beginning of the year,
03:18 they were sort of finding it.
03:20 Well, they didn't replace him with just one guy.
03:22 They replaced him with a bunch of different guys.
03:24 And that's sort of the way this league goes.
03:27 You get different players that have different strengths.
03:30 The one thing about playing offense is you're the one that can decide what
03:34 personnel packages you're gonna be in.
03:37 You can decide how you're gonna use a guy, whatever.
03:41 If you don't like him in pass protection, well, free release him.
03:47 If you don't like him in the pass game, well, run the ball.
03:51 I think there's ways that offensive coordinators can
03:56 make use of guys that have very distinctive skill sets.
04:03 And we'll know which running backs in the game, and
04:06 we'll have a plan for each of them.
04:09 >> I asked Greg in the locker room about whether he thought the change in
04:13 scheme or different attitude defensively was a little more impactful for
04:17 them this year.
04:18 He said he really couldn't catch it between the two because he felt that they
04:20 were both equally impactful.
04:22 How do you feel about what you learned about this team for
04:26 the first couple of months here and the attitude in particular?
04:30 >> I know, we're a work in progress.
04:32 We're only halfway through the season.
04:34 We got a long way to go.
04:36 When the season's over, we can talk about what made a difference for us or
04:40 different things like that.
04:42 Our total focus is on the Ravens, and we're worried about that right now as
04:46 opposed to what's transpired over the last eight months or whatever it's been.
04:53 >> What is the defense's catching up to offensively across the league this year?
04:57 >> I don't pay attention to much around the league other than the opponents that
05:00 we're playing.
05:01 So we got our hands full every week, and
05:05 that's what our focus is on is trying to figure that stuff out as opposed to
05:10 trying to figure out greater trends.
05:12 >> Miles said he's always thinking about a shutout.
05:15 Are you the same way?
05:16 And how special was it to get?
05:19 >> What was the first part of your question?
05:20 >> Was always thinking about a shutout.
05:23 >> Yeah, we're just trying to win the next series.
05:26 I think I've been on the record as saying the defensive job is to limit scoring and
05:33 then try to set the offensive up in good field position.
05:37 Which you can do a lot of different ways.
05:39 You can do it like a backed up stop like we did or a turnover, or
05:43 even just a punt with a good return.
05:45 There's a lot of different ways to do that.
05:47 But I mean, every drive we're trying to limit scoring.
05:52 And if you do that well over the course of the game,
05:55 obviously you're gonna keep score down and potentially have a shutout.
05:59 We're trying to win the game.
06:01 Not a lot of style points.
06:03 I think I've said before, how we're doing on defenses five and
06:08 three, how the individual players are doing on defenses five and three.
06:15 It's hard in this league.
06:17 It's hard to stop offenses.
06:19 We have to play our very best every series, every down.
06:23 And if we do that over the course of the game, then we'll get good results.
06:27 And I think the result last week was an indicator of good,
06:32 consistent defense, and that's something that we've
06:37 been struggling the previous two weeks to find.
06:41 >> Yeah.
06:42 >> Well, takeaways, what's been the difference there and
06:47 how do you sustain that now in the meat of the schedule here?
06:50 >> Yeah, well, you guys brought it to our attention.
06:52 So we decided that we were gonna try to get takeaways.
06:56 Yeah, I mean, again, if you concentrate on doing your job,
07:02 being physical when you do it, turnovers come.
07:07 And if you spend your time fretting about turnovers or
07:12 trying to create turnovers, a lot of times you can go down the wrong path.
07:18 And you look at the ones in the game, they came from guys doing their job.
07:24 Guys playing physical,
07:27 Sione's interception was a direct
07:32 result of Isaiah McGuire's first time playing in the NFL.
07:38 And he didn't play great all the time, but he played really good on that play and
07:44 pushed that guy right into the quarterback and had a lot to do with creating that
07:48 turnover. So it's where your physicality and
07:55 your pursuit and your effort sort of meets opportunity.
08:02 And we have to take advantage of them when they come.
08:05 And I think you saw that in this game.
08:08 But we're trying to do our job, trying to play good defense,
08:15 trying to play together, trying to be physical, have some passion for the game and
08:20 play with good effort.
08:21 When we do all those things, the end of that equation is turnovers will come.
08:26 >> And when we just talked to Alex, he said they celebrated no turnover game
08:32 of the party, complete with confetti.
08:35 So my question is, how did you celebrate 58 yards of total offense?
08:41 >> Yeah, I mean, the same as any other win.
08:43 We generally don't look at stats for
08:50 self worth or anything like that.
08:56 Even in that game, there were still little things that we can clean up.
09:01 And we're trying to do whatever we can to get the win.
09:05 And we're gonna celebrate that whether it's a high scoring game like the Colts or
09:10 a game like we just played.
09:12 We'll keep our eyes on those things.
09:15 Obviously, we play, the whole team plays better when you get turnovers and
09:21 don't turn it over.
09:22 There's no offense that goes into a game saying, yeah,
09:26 we're probably gonna turn it over two, three times in this game.
09:30 It's just the way things happen, you can't really plan that stuff.
09:35 But that's a good formula for us, good formula, not turning the ball over and
09:39 getting turnovers and getting stops on third down.
09:43 I mean, they didn't get a first down on third down until late in that game when
09:46 our backups were in the game.
09:48 So those things all add into coming out with a victory.
09:54 And that's the most important thing, how many yards you give up and
09:58 points and everything else.
10:01 When you get the win, you feel good and we'll have confetti for that.
10:05 >> [INAUDIBLE]
10:15 >> Not really, no, not really.
10:20 I mean, they have quality players they put in with backup players and
10:25 we're gonna have guys potentially missing too.
10:29 So their scheme has stayed the same,
10:32 they've evolved a little bit over the course of the season.
10:36 Every team does, we've evolved and
10:38 do things just a little bit different here and there.
10:41 So when it's all said and done, they have a pretty good idea,
10:47 like who we are, we have a pretty good idea who they are.
10:51 Maybe there'll be a couple different faces in there, but
10:55 it'll be a good AFC North battle.
10:58 >> Probably a limited number of extra special athletes in the NFL.
11:04 They're all great, but extra special, Lamar, they have one, you have one.
11:11 Does he need to match the framework of his assignments?
11:15 Does he need to show up big?
11:19 >> Yeah, I mean, he shows up big all the time.
11:22 I would say he just has to concentrate on being the best version of himself and
11:28 again, this game isn't gonna be our defense versus their defense or
11:33 one player versus another player.
11:36 It's gonna be the Ravens versus the Browns and
11:41 we all have our part to play in that.
11:44 In big games like this, you need your big players to come up big and
11:50 Miles will be ready for that.
11:52 >> Can you think about Shelby and Della?
11:56 >> Yeah, all of our tackles played well.
12:00 Those guys stood out a little bit more on the stat sheet, but
12:05 Jordan played very well and as did Mo.
12:09 So we're at our best when we stop the run.
12:14 Those guys have a lot to do with that, being physical, knocking blockers back.
12:18 Being able to turn a game one dimensional is big for us.
12:24 And I just go back and you watch all the games that we've been able to control
12:29 the first and second down run game.
12:32 We've played well on defense and we've been able to get sacks.
12:34 If you don't control the first and second down pass game,
12:38 you're not gonna be able to get after the passer the way that we want it.
12:44 Those guys have a lot to do with it.
12:45 Alvin, it's hard defensive tackles, generally don't get,
12:50 Aaron Donald's aside, generally don't get a lot of sacks.
12:55 But to get two and a half in that game and be around the quarterback and
12:59 make the plays that he did.
13:01 You guys understand how respected and
13:05 how valuable a guy Dalvin is, not just on the field but in the locker room.
13:11 And it was really fun to watch him have success in that game and
13:17 lead us to a win and sort of the unsung heroes of our team.
13:22 I think a couple weeks ago I might have said something to the effect of like
13:25 Dalvin didn't fill up the stat sheet, but he had a lot to do with us having a good
13:29 game, well, this game he was able to fill up the stat sheet still.
13:34 So he's valuable player for us as all those tackles.
13:37 We're getting really good contributions out of all those guys.
13:41 They're not selfish.
13:44 They split reps, but it keeps them fresh and
13:47 production is the only thing that we really worry about.
13:50 >> All right, guys.
13:52 >> Yep, sure.
13:52 [BLANK_AUDIO]