Sione Takitaki Is Focused On Stacking Wins
Browns LB Sione Takitaki talks with reporters before Browns practice on November 22, 2023.
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00:00 You guys, you've been around a long time and you know,
00:02 you've seen teams here that, you know,
00:05 they get those late game situations.
00:08 It hasn't gone the way it's gone for you guys this year.
00:11 What goes, how is that mindset change?
00:13 What goes into that mindset that, you know,
00:16 where you, you see you floor, you put floors instead of,
00:18 you know, kind of folded down the stretch?
00:21 - Yeah. Yeah.
00:22 I feel like just the experience of being in that situation
00:24 before, I feel like early on in the season,
00:26 we were in those situations and we weren't as clean
00:28 as we wanted to be, you know, see how,
00:30 obviously the 49ers could have went, you know,
00:32 kind of wrong too,
00:33 but I feel like just getting that experience,
00:35 being in those situations and learning from them.
00:37 And so when we were in that situation against those guys,
00:42 we were able to execute, go out there, play fast,
00:44 play our techniques.
00:46 - You know how responsible for getting that,
00:48 that coordinator referred to Pittsburgh?
00:50 (laughs)
00:51 - Yeah. You know how the business is, man, you know?
00:54 You know, we just kind of played our ball, man,
00:57 let those guys do their decisions, man.
00:59 It's really how it is.
01:00 - So what do you see when you look at the Broncos,
01:05 having a slow start this season,
01:07 but they start to, what do you see?
01:10 - Yeah, no, I see, I see a really good team.
01:11 They run the ball really well.
01:13 Russell was definitely like, you know, the whole team,
01:15 I feel like these last four or five games have, you know,
01:17 it's kind of like a new team, won their last four.
01:20 You know, I tip our hats to those guys, you know,
01:25 the coaches and the players for turning around.
01:28 But like I said, man, when they got a good running team,
01:30 Russell does a good, great job with the ball,
01:32 doesn't really turn it over.
01:35 So we're going to have to be queued in
01:36 for all the stuff that they're coming through.
01:38 - When you talk about good running teams,
01:40 what is it about you guys defensively
01:43 that has allowed you to elevate the run game?
01:46 Because for years here,
01:48 like that was like top three thing you guys needed to do.
01:50 And you guys just always seemed to struggle against the run,
01:53 but you know, this year you guys have held your own.
01:56 - Yeah, I would say steamwise, you know,
01:58 obviously like you've been talking about, you know,
01:59 this whole year, just kind of that attack front that we have,
02:02 letting those guys hit their spots.
02:04 You know, I say, you know, we got the best front,
02:08 you know, front four guys, man, in the league.
02:10 So, you know, just letting those guys do everything,
02:13 letting us be behind them, clean it up.
02:15 - What about that?
02:15 - Go ahead.
02:16 - Go ahead.
02:17 - Okay, just with AWOC going down,
02:19 I mean, I know last year all the injuries you guys had,
02:21 how quick do you think you are to handle this absence?
02:24 And I guess for you yourself,
02:25 do you feel any pressure at this point
02:27 when one of those other guys in that room goes down
02:29 or anything like that?
02:30 - Yeah, first of all, just, you know,
02:31 it sucks to see Walker go down,
02:33 especially a leader, a captain on the team,
02:36 just a guy that, you know, his presence is felt
02:38 on and off the field, does everything right.
02:40 You know, for us guys behind him,
02:43 definitely learned a lot from him.
02:45 But yeah, you know, it's been playing this game
02:48 for a long time, so, you know, grateful.
02:50 Obviously I never want to see guys go down,
02:52 but I'm ready to play.
02:54 It's kind of how it goes in the rest of the room
02:56 for the same way, you know what I mean?
02:58 - Being a senior, we've been having the number one defense
03:01 now pretty much all year long.
03:03 Do you feel like there's pressure that comes with that
03:06 on a weekly basis?
03:07 - Yeah, we kind of, we don't try to focus on it,
03:11 but obviously, you know, it's there for us
03:13 to kind of, you know, talk about.
03:15 But no pressure, man, you know,
03:17 I feel like if we continue to stay locked in on our cues
03:19 and what we got going for the week,
03:21 we could just go out there and play ball, play free.
03:23 But definitely, man, we hear those things,
03:26 we hear those things.
03:27 It's definitely cool to be in the position we are,
03:29 but just keeping the main thing, the main thing,
03:31 the main thing is the win.
03:32 So that's kind of what keeps us locked in.
03:35 - What's unique about Denver,
03:37 and do they remind you of anybody you've played
03:38 so far this year?
03:40 - Yeah, Denver's a unique team.
03:43 Obviously they have, you know, the altitude stuff that,
03:46 you know, they pride themselves on,
03:47 and, you know, playing difficult in those areas.
03:49 But yeah, I'm trying to think,
03:53 really good running team, man.
03:54 I feel like they started off slow,
03:56 but these last five games, like I said, man,
04:00 especially the last four of them winning,
04:02 they definitely stepped it up.
04:04 They do a lot of similar things to a lot of teams
04:06 that we play, you know what I mean?
04:08 I wouldn't say they're just so, you know,
04:09 kind of like one team.
04:10 You can look, you can nitpick, you know,
04:12 some stuff that, you know,
04:13 other teams that we played earlier in the week,
04:15 earlier in the year, but not one specific team.
04:18 - Can you imagine being on a defense
04:20 that gave up 78 points in the game?
04:22 And now they're playing pretty good?
04:24 - Yeah, no, that's--
04:25 - What does that say about that game?
04:26 - Yeah, it's tip, tip, you know, like I said,
04:28 that's just a testament to the coaches
04:30 and the players that's up there in the building,
04:33 really turning them around and playing good ball.
04:36 These four, you know, four winning streak,
04:38 you know what I mean?
04:39 That's some good football here late, you know,
04:42 the best time to make, you know,
04:43 make a stretch for a run for it.
04:45 So it's good for them.
04:46 - What do you see from Russell during this hot streak,
04:50 and particularly like the fourth quarter comeback?
04:52 - Yeah, he just protects the ball really well,
04:54 you know what I mean?
04:55 They won some close games these last few weeks,
04:58 and he's just a guy that makes smart decisions,
05:01 you know, with the ball, you know,
05:04 and definitely gonna just take what's there for him,
05:07 a lot of check downs, but we just gotta rally
05:09 and just play our cues, play our game.
05:12 - How do you hear it?
05:13 - You guys go against the offense, right,
05:15 in those two-minute drills,
05:16 you see what they've been doing all season long.
05:18 For you guys, what have you seen from that offense?
05:20 How much have they tackled that
05:22 and made that a point of emphasis for them in practice
05:25 so they can execute in these game-winning drives?
05:28 - To our offense, right?
05:29 - Yeah. - Yeah, yeah.
05:30 No, I'm really happy with those guys, man.
05:32 DTR definitely, man, balled out that last drive,
05:35 kind of put us in position to win the game.
05:37 Yeah, I just wanna shed light on him.
05:38 Obviously, he's been getting, you know what I mean?
05:40 You gotta see, you know, his situation.
05:42 Just really happy with them.
05:43 Just a testament to the hard work, you know,
05:45 seeing them day in, day out,
05:46 grinding at the tape practice.
05:50 But I would say just the hard work, you know,
05:52 that they put in every day,
05:54 going through their reads, their cues,
05:56 and then, you know, kind of shows on game time.
05:58 So just really happy with them.
06:00 - How do you prepare for that altitude out there?
06:02 - Yeah, you know, it's just kind of one of those things
06:04 where you just gotta be in shape all year, you know,
06:06 just no matter where you play,
06:07 you're gonna be tired no matter what.
06:09 So, you know, staying in shape, you know, that's the thing.
06:13 You know, hydration, doing all the right things,
06:18 leading up to it.
06:19 I would just say no different than any other game,
06:21 you know, a little bit more altitude,
06:22 but, you know, just being in shape, to be honest.
06:25 - You talk, you guys have been so good on third down.
06:27 What has changed there,
06:28 and how much does Jim focus on that?
06:32 - Yeah, no, I would say just, you know,
06:35 scheming up teams really well.
06:37 I don't wanna get too much into it,
06:38 but I feel like Jim's just been, you know,
06:40 calling a really good game, you know,
06:42 just knowing what offenses are gonna do
06:43 and just being in the right position, to be honest.
06:46 - What's Dellen added to the front,
06:51 and especially in the locker room?
06:53 - Yeah, those big guys, man, like I said,
06:55 I said we got the best front four,
06:57 especially DT just coming over,
06:58 being that stout middle guy that we need,
07:02 especially in the run.
07:03 And then the dude's been getting sacks lately, man.
07:06 You know, he got, a couple of weeks ago,
07:07 he got that three sack game.
07:09 Just really exciting.
07:11 And then in the locker room, man, guys, you know,
07:13 a leader, it's good, you know,
07:14 I feel like we have a lot of leaders on the D line
07:17 that we got this off season.
07:20 So just really happy, I'm happy he's on our team,
07:23 happy to play behind him.
07:24 - So you and a lot of guys,
07:26 all your teammates this season,
07:27 talked about the bond that you guys have as a team.
07:30 Is this the tightest friendship you've been on?
07:32 - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
07:33 You know, obviously, you know,
07:35 you build relationships, you know, over the years,
07:37 but definitely, you know, a lot of things, you know,
07:41 especially that Greenbrier going out there,
07:42 it was a smart, you know, thing that the team did
07:45 for us to kind of bond,
07:47 helps us out later on in the season.
07:48 But yeah, man, this team has definitely been close,
07:50 especially, you know, being resilient, you know,
07:52 these last few games, it's, you know,
07:55 trying to, you know, get a little closer
07:57 and pushing each other along.
07:59 - I mentioned Greenbrier,
08:01 you guys are going to be staying out in LA.
08:03 Do you have a hope that that can be a similar kind of
08:06 experience for you guys?
08:07 - Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:08 Just staying locked in.
08:09 Obviously, it's kind of weird that, you know,
08:12 the first time we're going to do this,
08:13 like, two-week tripping, but just everybody, you know,
08:17 keeping the main thing, the main thing,
08:18 the main thing is to be there to work
08:20 and keeping each other locked in.
08:22 - Senior, are there any challenges
08:23 to kind of going on a long road trip like this
08:25 in the middle of the season?
08:26 Like, you're going to be away from home for nine days,
08:28 you're not going to be in your own beds.
08:29 Like, is that challenging to do in the middle of the year?
08:31 - Yeah, a little different,
08:32 but I can go ahead and do it well.
08:34 You know, we've got a bunch of professionals on the team,
08:36 and, you know, the main thing is to go out there
08:39 and compete and win.
08:40 So, we're going to keep that in mind, you know,
08:42 as the main goal.
08:43 - Appreciate it.
08:45 - Appreciate you guys.