Kevin Stefanski Press Conference November 17, 2023
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski meets with reporters on Friday November 17 as the team prepares to host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon.
Transcript
00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:10 Okay, good finishing touches tomorrow in our meetings and our walkthrough.
00:18 But we had a good week of practice and you have to when you're playing
00:21 the Steelers, we're very excited about the opportunity.
00:24 Six and three Steelers, six and three Browns at our place down there on
00:28 the lake, gonna be a beautiful day I'm told.
00:31 So we're excited to play in front of our fans.
00:34 We're excited to have that atmosphere,
00:37 the energy that they bring has been unbelievable.
00:39 And they gotta do it again.
00:40 It's an all hands on deck week and that includes the fans.
00:43 So somebody set the air horn off in the Muni lot at about 1235.
00:48 Okay, get everybody's butt in that stadium cuz we're gonna need them early.
00:51 We wanna start fast.
00:52 But excited about this opportunity.
00:55 We know what the AFC North type of games entail and we're excited about it.
01:00 With that, I'll take any questions.
01:02 >> Kevin, how's Dorian look the last couple of days and
01:05 you're hoping with the added preparation time that would help?
01:09 >> Yeah, good week of practice.
01:10 Worked very hard both in the meeting room and out there on the practice field.
01:13 And you need to prepare yourself to go do your job on Sunday.
01:19 And that's what we spend a lot of time talking about Wednesday, Thursday,
01:22 Friday and our process and how important meetings are,
01:25 how important walkthrough is.
01:26 All that really lends itself to being able to do your job on Sunday.
01:30 >> Frank, guys, since that start in terms of what you just talked about,
01:34 preparation, study, etc.
01:35 Have you seen that in kind of taking it to another level?
01:37 >> I think you see it with every young player, Tom.
01:39 I think young guys I've been around continue to improve throughout their
01:46 first year is just there's big jumps in that first year from a preparation
01:49 standpoint until you have done it, until you've seen it.
01:53 The whole thing about becoming a pro,
01:55 I mean think about the guys that have come through here that you say that's a pro.
01:59 It's typically not a rookie, those guys need to see it.
02:02 Rookies need to be put in a room with a guy that knows how to prepare.
02:05 And I think we've been very fortunate with Dorian, he's in a great room.
02:09 He sees how those guys prepare.
02:10 So I think he's getting better and better.
02:12 >> Is the improved comfort level something you can see on a day to day basis?
02:16 >> Yeah, and again, you should be.
02:18 With turns, with reps, with practices, that builds confidence.
02:22 >> Kevin, with you guys having Joe Flacco in for a tryout today,
02:26 what are your thoughts on Joe over the years?
02:28 I'm sure you have plenty of experience with him, including last year.
02:31 >> Yeah, I'm not gonna comment on workouts and those type of things, Mary Kay.
02:34 Typically don't do that.
02:35 So we bring a lot of guys in.
02:38 >> What about the notion of though, just in general,
02:41 having a veteran presence in the room for like you just said for preparation?
02:45 >> Yeah, like AB mentioned, we're gonna add a player at some point.
02:48 I like the guys we have in there.
02:51 I think they bring great energy preparation to this sport.
02:54 So whoever we add in that room, obviously will fit well in that.
02:59 >> What did you see out of the one this last couple of days?
03:02 And what are you gonna need to see over the next couple to feel good about
03:06 comfortable putting out a guy?
03:08 >> Yeah, we'll see where it goes.
03:09 Every injury is different.
03:10 It was limited out there the last couple of days and we'll see where it goes.
03:15 >> You wanna keep him on the right side, with Jet out.
03:19 Or have you guys thought about moving him to the left side?
03:22 >> Yeah, we have all sorts of plans.
03:24 >> [LAUGH] >> All right,
03:27 we'll Karen start it right back.
03:29 >> Yes.
03:31 >> Michael, who's designated back from injury reserve, but
03:36 just practicing this week?
03:37 >> Yeah, he looks good.
03:39 He gave us some good reps.
03:41 Again, a very trustworthy, dependable guy, fits well with what we do.
03:46 He's played in games for us and performed well, so
03:48 we'll see where it goes with him.
03:50 >> Kevin, I'm thinking about the earlier games in James Hudson's career,
03:53 like the Steelers games.
03:54 It seems like he's taken a lot of lumps in them and learned from them.
03:57 So just how you've seen him progress when he's had to go against Watt the past
04:01 two years.
04:01 >> Yeah, as everybody knows, that's a great, great player that they have over there.
04:07 He's difficult to block in the run of the pass game.
04:10 I know it's easy to say it's this tackle versus that end or whatever, but
04:15 it's really an 11 versus an 11 type of thing.
04:18 So he'll battle.
04:20 It's a great matchup.
04:21 >> Like DeJuan, when he had to go in last time,
04:24 he talked about when you're going against TJ,
04:26 you can't really prepare for that until you actually do it fully.
04:29 So do you feel like he's translated some things,
04:31 maybe what he learned from that week two game?
04:33 >> I think so.
04:34 I think, again, it's no different than really any player.
04:38 You gain great wisdom with reps, with time.
04:42 Certainly in game reps versus Watt, you're gonna get great rushes.
04:47 You're gonna get effort.
04:49 He's a really, really good player, again, in the run of the pass.
04:53 >> So I'm gonna be on the sideline on the headset.
04:55 >> I think we're working through that.
04:56 >> And you expect to be?
04:58 >> Yeah.
04:59 >> ADP yesterday about Dorian's demeanor.
05:04 Ask you the same thing.
05:05 What about his demeanor that you've noticed makes him able to be so
05:10 confident and to be able to bounce back from that first start that he had?
05:14 >> Yeah, I think when it comes to demeanor, I mean, everybody's just themself.
05:18 I think he's always himself.
05:21 He brings great energy, again, to our meeting room, to the practice field.
05:26 But I think he's a very confident young man, understands his role that he plays.
05:33 But we just want him to be the best version of himself.
05:36 >> Kevin, you guys have been really good in the second half,
05:38 especially in the last few weeks.
05:40 Philosophically, how much are you focused on trying to adjust to somebody as
05:44 opposed to, hey, this is how we wanna play, we're gonna focus on us?
05:49 >> Yeah, I think every game you go into it and you have a plan of attack,
05:53 they have a plan of attack, and you're making adjustments throughout the game.
05:57 I think the whole halftime adjustment thing is overrated.
06:00 I don't know if that happens where you sit down and you change your whole game plan.
06:04 You make adjustments in game, you make adjustments in between series,
06:07 you make adjustments from the first quarter to the third quarter.
06:10 So that's just our job as coaches.
06:13 I think Jim and the defensive staff do an outstanding job.
06:16 Because you go into a game with certain tendencies from the offense and
06:19 then they break those tendencies.
06:20 So that causes you to adjust maybe some of your calls.
06:23 But that's really a 60 minute thing that you're doing.
06:26 >> Like George yesterday talked about feeling the tenacity of the mostly
06:31 defense, but the whole team on the sideline in the fourth quarter.
06:34 Did you get that sense too?
06:37 What does that say about your group?
06:38 >> Well, we talked about it after the game.
06:40 I think you felt it from the sideline early.
06:44 We got down early, very, very locked in group.
06:49 And you felt them encouraging each other for 60 minutes.
06:52 It would have been easy in a bunch of points in that game to maybe keep
06:56 your head down, I didn't get that sense from anybody at any time.
07:01 >> This works so good in the fourth quarter,
07:05 like they're like six and one score games.
07:07 And kind of money for the first three quarters with them offensively,
07:13 but just it seems like in the fourth quarter, they always have that one defining.
07:16 Drive.
07:18 What do you see when you're watching that one film,
07:21 does something change for them in that final quarter?
07:25 >> Obviously they've had success.
07:27 So certainly they're doing a nice job in that quarter.
07:30 We're concerned with them first, second, third and
07:34 fourth quarter trying to stop that offense.
07:37 I think they do a nice job with their run game, with their pass game.
07:41 They put you in conflict quite a bit.
07:43 But as it pertains to the fourth quarter,
07:45 you just know it's a 60 minute football game.
07:48 >> Okay.
07:49 >> Okay, thank you guys.
07:51 [BLANK_AUDIO]