Browns HC Kevin Stefanski talks with the media on December 6, 2023.
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00:00 >> Okay, before we get to the game, I just want to acknowledge Anthony Walker Jr., the
00:14 Cleveland Browns Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee.
00:18 Incredible influence on this football team, in the locker room, on the field, and then
00:23 in our community.
00:24 I think he does an amazing job.
00:26 That's a great example for all of our players on how to be a pro, how to make an impact,
00:32 again, both on your football team and on your community.
00:34 So really proud of A. Walker.
00:37 And then his teammates, which I think is a big deal, voted him the Ed Block Courage Award
00:41 winner, which that's always, you know, when it's voted on by your peers, I think it means
00:47 something really special.
00:49 And for him to come back from the injury that he had, you know, those are hard.
00:56 And to rehab the way he did, and to come back and play well for us, again, huge impact.
01:02 And then, you know, I don't know if you guys know, but he was out of practice last week,
01:06 last Wednesday, and just to overcome ordering oysters on DoorDash.
01:12 Think about how hard that is to overcome, and he did.
01:16 I don't know if that factored into the voting by his teammates, but, you know, I just want
01:21 to acknowledge that fact.
01:24 And the Jaguars, really good football team.
01:27 Playoff team last year.
01:31 Leading their division this year.
01:34 Talented football players, talented coaches.
01:36 I know a lot of their coaches.
01:38 I think Doug does a great job with their team, with their offense.
01:42 Really a huge challenge, just the way they have schemed up their run in their pass, a
01:47 huge challenge.
01:48 Defensively, Coach Caldwell does an awesome job.
01:50 They're playing at a very high level, physical, great players at all levels of the defense,
01:56 an impressive unit.
01:57 So a tough, tough matchup.
01:59 And then special teams, Heath Farwell is their special teams coordinator.
02:01 I know Heath really well.
02:03 Their sound, their physical.
02:05 So it's a huge challenge.
02:06 It's AFC opponent at our place.
02:10 We're excited about that challenge, but this is a really good football team.
02:12 So we have to have a great week of practice, and we've started that with our meetings and
02:15 our preparation today.
02:16 But with that, I'll take any questions.
02:19 Q. Who's going to start a pre-practice session?
02:22 A. We'll see how it goes this week.
02:24 Dorian's still in the protocol, but he's working his way through.
02:26 Q. He wasn't on the pre-practice report, so he's going to practice?
02:30 A. He's going to practice, yes.
02:31 Q. I guess, he was discouraged, got hurt, killed his edge.
02:35 So how do you handle making that decision?
02:37 A. Yeah, we'll make that decision at the appropriate time, but I want to see how this week goes.
02:42 Q. You have Denzel Ward on the pre-practice report.
02:45 How important is it that you're going to get him back?
02:50 A. Yeah, again, with Denzel, he makes a huge impact on our football team.
02:54 So get him back out of practice today, see how he does.
02:58 Q. How about Ricky?
03:01 Is he through the protocol, or is he still in the practice?
03:05 A. Yeah, I don't know that he's all the way through, but he's trending that way, and we'll
03:08 practice today.
03:09 And again, with all these guys, whether it's concussion or otherwise, you really have to
03:14 get them out of the practice field, see how they look, and then make a decision.
03:17 Q. What is A-Walk's leadership style?
03:19 With the team leads, just the locker room, and you obviously need a captain, who's a
03:24 captain, how does he be a leader for this team?
03:28 A. Yeah, that's a good question.
03:29 I think he's very authentic.
03:31 He's the same guy every single day, same guy when we're up, same guy when we're down.
03:38 He's great leadership, just in being that voice in the locker room, does a great job
03:45 of encouraging his teammates one-on-one.
03:47 There's so much of leadership that nobody sees, and I just know that he's in our building
03:53 providing a really positive impact, really, every day.
03:56 Q. You're on your way to the ball on Sunday.
03:59 Everything looks just a little crisper and cleaner in terms of play action, things like that.
04:04 Were you surprised at how all those little nuances of, you know, faking the handoff or
04:10 dropping the shoulder, all that kind of stuff came back to him so naturally?
04:14 A. Yeah, I think he's a pro.
04:16 He's been around, he's been very well coached in his career, so all those nuances, like
04:22 you mentioned, Tom, about the play action game, he's been coached up very hard on those
04:26 things, so no, not surprised, but it's something that he's worked hard at throughout his career.
04:32 Q. Obviously, the injuries have factored into this week-to-week quarterback thing, but do
04:39 you feel like you're going to, at some point here, be able to settle on one guy for this
04:46 team, really gel around here as you go through this stretch run?
04:50 A. Yeah, I think for us, we really have to, as you've seen throughout this season, you
04:55 really have to worry about the week you're in and focus on the week you're in, and that's
04:59 really what we're going to do.
05:01 We talk every week, it's how do you win this game?
05:03 That's what you're focused on.
05:04 Q. Are some of the things that maybe Dorian was starting to show you that, if he is completely
05:10 strong, might make this a little bit of a difficult decision?
05:14 A. Yeah, I think Dorian continues to get better.
05:16 We've talked about him, Mary Kay, just think back to preseason, got better throughout the
05:21 preseason, I think has gotten better throughout this season.
05:25 I think we've all seen his skill set, know what type of player he is, but I think he's
05:29 working very hard to continue to improve as this season wears on.
05:33 Q. Objective goals?
05:34 I think you could start Pratt saying the day, I think, will he be out there?
05:37 A. We'll see.
05:38 We'll update you as more information comes out.
05:41 Q. You guys talk about, it's a part of the game, you guys talk about next man up a lot,
05:48 but how have you seen this team specifically respond this season with all of the injuries
05:52 you've faced and having to take it week by week?
05:54 How has this group actually responded?
05:56 A. I think the guys have done a nice job, Cam, and that's something that is not unique
06:01 to the Cleveland Browns.
06:02 Injuries happen to everybody and it's week to week and our guys understand that because
06:08 that's the reality of the NFL.
06:10 So those are things that we deal with in game and week and like we've talked about, nobody
06:16 likes injuries, nobody wants to see their teammates out for a game or a quarter or a
06:21 season, but they also know that we have a job to do and I think they've recognized
06:25 that when it's time to step up, you have to.
06:28 Q. Speaking of injuries, Jaguars are dealing with a major one there with Trevor.
06:33 How do you balance the potential of him playing but also getting ready for CJ Beathard?
06:40 A. Yeah, he's a great player.
06:41 I will say this, makes every throw athletic.
06:44 I have a ton of respect for him.
06:46 He's played and played hurt before, so we'll see how this week goes and whether or not
06:50 he makes it, but he's a great player.
06:52 There's tape on both guys, with Beathard, there's tape on him as well, so we know what
06:57 his strengths are and he led the team the other night and put him in position, so he's
07:02 a very, very heady football player.
07:04 Q. This is a little bit of an unusual situation, if one of the quarterbacks is still in the
07:09 protocol.
07:10 So can you say that if Dory clears the protocol and is able to practice all week, can you
07:15 say that can be your starter or do you still have a decision?
07:18 A. Yeah, I think we've got to see how it goes.
07:20 I think that's what's important in this situation.
07:23 Dorian obviously hasn't cleared just yet, but he's going to practice, so I want to see
07:27 how it looks.
07:28 Q. I know you talked Sunday and then on Monday about getting clarification on the sort of
07:33 false start, moving the ball.
07:35 Do you get any more clarification on that?
07:38 And I guess, is that just something that's unique to situational league what we're seeing
07:42 with, I know you mentioned the brotherly shot situation.
07:45 A. I talked to the league, I'm not going to get into all the specifics.
07:48 I would tell you, it's definitely a point of emphasis for them right now, whereas it
07:57 wasn't.
07:58 And we've gone many years here with that not being called.
08:02 But now that that's how they're officiating it, we have to obviously abide by the rules
08:06 to the T. And we're not trying to skirt any rules.
08:10 We're certainly in these scenarios, we're not trying at all to gain an advantage, but
08:16 we have to adjust based on how they're calling it.
08:18 Q. They give you a point of emphasis pre-game, right?
08:21 Do they talk you through what they're doing?
08:23 A. There's videos that go out each week, and then you kind of know, kind of through their
08:29 grapevine.
08:30 And then pre-game, yes, I talk to the officials every game about certain things.
08:33 Q. You didn't say you didn't get a warning.
08:35 Would that be correct for them to tell a guy, "Hey, watch this, that"?
08:39 A. They definitely warn you on certain things.
08:42 A lot of times what happens, I think in every single game, they warn your tackle about being
08:45 too deep.
08:46 That happens every week.
08:48 And then you tell the tackle to move up.
08:50 In this case, we did not get a warning.
08:52 I don't know if that's something that moving forward they will do.
08:54 I think that would be fair in this instance.
08:57 If you see it on a second and five, and you see a movement that you would deem illegal
09:03 or false start, whatever it may be, I think that would be fair.
09:07 Ethan's going to work hard to make sure that this doesn't happen, and we're going to coach
09:10 it up as such.
09:12 Q. Can you tell us a little bit about the center, just adjust the ball so the laces
09:16 are where he wants them?
09:18 A. Yeah, it's interesting.
09:20 I've studied more center ball handling than I ever have in my life this week, Jeff.
09:24 I think each guy's a little bit different.
09:26 Some guys take it and roll it.
09:28 Some guys move it back.
09:29 Some guys move it forward.
09:30 Sometimes when you're leaning back to talk to the quarterback or the other players, you
09:33 may move the ball a little bit.
09:35 So there's obviously a little bit of movement that goes on with every single play.
09:39 I think the league is trying to make sure that there's no unfair advantage gained by
09:43 the offense in these situations.
09:46 Q. You're studying that, and you can kind of move it the same way every time.
09:49 Did that feel consistent with how he does it?
09:51 A. Pretty consistent, yeah.
09:53 Q. I know it's only been a couple of days for Amari, but how have you seen him improve?
09:59 Have you seen improvement out of him?
10:01 A. Yeah, when it comes to protocol, you just have to follow it to a T, and that's what
10:05 we'll do.
10:06 Q. What's your door match order?
10:08 A. I don't know.
10:10 I think I have the app, but my wife handles the door dash for us.
10:13 Q. So you installed the RPOs for Flapper this week, then?
10:17 A. Forgot to see, Tom.
10:19 Q. He's the conventional quarterback, right?
10:22 He's the straight drop back, whatever.
10:24 Is there still a place for that in the NFL?
10:27 With all the talk of mobile quarterbacks?
10:30 A. Yeah, I mean, obviously, yes, in his instance.
10:35 I just think, yeah, you certainly have seen, and we've all seen, that this position go
10:40 through different changes.
10:42 I was just talking about Randall Cunningham yesterday, actually, where he was ahead of
10:46 his time.
10:47 Just think about what he would be doing in this league.
10:50 But it's cyclical, maybe.
10:54 But there's multiple ways to play this position.
10:58 There's multiple ways to be impactful for your offense.
11:01 And regardless of who our quarterback is, you have to play through the strength of your
11:05 quarterback.
11:06 Q. One of the great mysteries besides who your quarterback is every week this season
11:10 is that there seems to be a little bit of a disparity in the defense, home, versus road.
11:16 Have you noticed that?
11:18 And what do you think has led to that?
11:22 Is it just the road environment, the advantage you're playing at home?
11:26 A. Yeah, I think you have to be careful with sample size, always.
11:30 I will tell you, we like playing at home.
11:33 We do.
11:34 I like having our crowd into it.
11:36 I like the juice that it gives our defense.
11:38 I like that it makes life hard on the opposing offense.
11:41 Having said that, you still want to play good defense, good offense on the road as well.
11:47 But I do think we have a very distinct home field advantage.
11:51 Q. What is your impression of the shortstop?
11:55 A. He's a premier pass rusher.
11:57 I say pass rusher, but he's good versus the run as well.
12:01 He can win in a variety of ways off the edge, has an unbelievable motor, just doesn't stop.
12:07 And Walker on the other side is a challenge as well.
12:11 They have two really, really good ends and a really good defense.
12:16 It's a top defense for a reason.
12:18 I think it's a really good scheme.
12:20 They can pressure the quarterback.
12:21 They can stop the run.
12:23 I think they're good in the back end.
12:24 They can take the ball away.
12:25 It's a huge challenge.
12:27 Thanks, guys.
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