CLEVELAND, Ohio — Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski took questions from reporters on Wednesday with regard to preparing for the Raiders, starting Shedeur Sanders ahead of Week 12, Myles Garrett, and more.
Below is the transcript as provided by the Browns media relations department:
Opening Statement:
“Okay. Opportunity this week, heading out to (Las) Vegas, obviously getting a lot of work done on their team and their schemes. I think they do a great job. Obviously have a ton of respect for Coach (Pete) Carroll and then what they do offensively, defensively, special teams, really a challenge in a bunch of different areas. Looking at the roster, some really special players. Obviously, Maxx Crosby gets a lot of attention on defense, deservedly-so. Brock Bowers on their offense is outstanding. So really, and then special teams, they got great returners, good core, so it’s going to be quite the challenge, and we got to go to school on this football team and understand their schemes, understand what they’re trying to do on any given down. So that’s where we’re getting started. Shedeur (Sanders) is going to start at quarterback. Dillon (Gabriel) is still in the concussion protocol. He is improving, but obviously we got to put a plan together for all of our players, all of our offense, our defense, our special teams, plan of attack, and give our guys a chance to go execute and play fast. That’s the goal. And with that, I’ll take any questions.”
So, what do you think the outlook will be for Shedeur now that he’s got a whole week of practice to work with everybody and you guys can design a game plan specifically for him?
“Yeah, I think, you’re always trying to do that Mary Kay (Cabot), with all your players, make sure that they’re comfortable, and it’s no different with Shedeur in there. You want to make sure that all the concepts are things that he feels confident in. Obviously, having been around him over the months, you get a good sense of the things that fit his eyes, so to speak. So definitely want to lean into those types of things snd he’s working very hard.”
Have you seen him grow? Coming from that system in Colorado to what you guys run, how have you seen him grow, picking that up?
“Yeah, we’ve talked a lot, over the course of these months, it’s just learning NFL defenses for young players. Learning obviously our system, but I always point out to the quarterbacks that every week you’re facing a defense that has oftentimes has completely different rules than the defense you just played. Whether it’s how they play their cover three or some of your blitz protection calls can vary week to week. So, I just see Shedeur, Dillon, all of our young guys, but in particular that quarterback room, growing a ton, both just with the X’s and O’s and then all the work you do in individual periods. I just think all that work adds up. So, I do see significant growth from Shedeur and all these young guys.”
Is the expectation that Shedeur will get like, pretty much like the vast majority of those reps or are you going to keep splitting it up with Bailey (Zappe) or anything?
“No, he’ll get every rep.”
Also, I saw a quote from Mike Tomlin earlier in the week yesterday that Arthur Smith would talk with Mason Rudolph, the backup, during the week about the weekly game plan and what he was comfortable with if he had to go into the game in the event of an injury. Has the offensive coaching staff done anything like that with Shedeur over the course of the last few games?
“Yeah, you do the same thing. You always do that with your backup. Understand, you get – I don’t know if every team does it this way, but you get your starter’s favorite plays, you get your backup’s favorite plays. You’re well aware of that.”
We talk about the mental reps and stuff in the classroom. How does that, what’s the key to translating that when now he’s getting these physical reps at practice and preparing for it?
“I think it just goes back to, we talk about taking the practice field to the game field, and you try and take the meeting room to the practice field. There’s a, like I told the team this morning, we throw so much at them, so much information, so many details about our opponent and our game plan and those types of things. And I think our players do a really nice job of taking that to heart in the meeting room and then going out on the practice field. And Wednesdays are typically the day where you’re still crystallizing it in your mind, if you will, and still getting some of the details down. But by the end of Wednesday, you feel really good about the base game plan. So, I think that’s just all quarterbacks are like that, where you get the game plan on Tuesday for a quarterback and you start spending some time with it, and then probably the base game plan starts to really cement in your head sometime around Wednesday evening.”
Kevin, what do you think Shedeur did best in his one half against Baltimore?
“Yeah, obviously he battled to the end. We were right there on that final drive, Tony (Grossi). I think there’s so many things that all of us can do better in those moments so we can finish, with a win. But, man, all of our guys and definitely Shedeur, they battled to the end.”
One of the things Shedeur talked about after the game was, he really wants to get to know the receivers and their habits and what they like, and things like that. Just from your experience in the league, how long does that process typically take for any quarterback, not just a young guy, but just any QB, to really develop that inherent knowledge about what the supporting cast likes?
“Yeah, I think – listen, it’s obvious that the more time and the more reps, period, are always better. I do think, as you know, as quarterbacks, they sit in that room, you watch a lot of tape together. So, you watch the receivers and sometimes you don’t get the rep, but you see how those guys come out. So that’s what you have to do as backups that Shedeur does, that all of our guys do. When you’re not getting that rep, you’re just making mental notes to yourself about how guys come out of breaks. And there’s a lot of dialogue around that, certainly with the quarterbacks. And that’s why, I should remark how this group really pushes each other, but they support each other. I think that’s part of what Coach Mus (Bill Musgrave) and Coach (Tommy) Rees do in that meeting room where they really are, it’s a collaborative effort. They work hard together.”
Kind of off of that with the offensive line with Shedeur behind it. How important, you know, how much is that, you know, quarterback has to get more comfortable trusting the guys in front of him so that, you know, he knows to get rid of the ball, that sort of thing, the pocket presence, all of that, how much does that play into it also?
“Yeah, it’s certainly all 11 guys, when you’re talking about protection and being able to be precise in the pass game, you have to have great pocket, you have to have the quarterback working with the offensive line, but it really does include everybody doing their job.”
Considering how much the offense has struggled this year, is there an opportunity for Shedeur, if he plays well, kind of lock down this position moving forward?
“Yeah, I’m obviously focused on this game.”
Obviously, how dismayed were you that, you know, your rookie’s trying to get ready to probably start a game and his house is broken into in the middle of a football game, how tough that must be on him emotionally?
“Yeah. I’m obviously not going to get into specifics. The authorities are on that. Shedeur is very focused on the task at hand.”
Kevin, neither of the offensive tackles are on your pre-practice injury report. Do you think both or one can be available?
“We’ll see. I think both of them are going to practice in a limited fashion today.”
I know you mentioned (Maxx) Crosby, but what kind of challenge does he present, especially for a rookie quarterback?
“Yeah, I have a ton of respect for how he plays the game. He goes 100 miles an hour about 100% of the time. He has the energy and the effort, the finish for a 60-minute football game. It’s really impressive. He can line up on either side, he can really show up anywhere on the field. But the way he plays is truly remarkable.”
With Shedeur’s development, how have you guys seen him handle pressure and how can you simulate that when a guy’s not getting actual game reps, obviously, in getting hit until last week?
“Yeah, I think that’s part of training, part of individual drills, certainly part of team drills and practice. While you know you’re not getting hit by your teammates, it is something that you try to replicate as much as you can. But, as you know, it’s hard.”
Is there something to be said for the fact that he does have such a comfort level with his ‘hungry dawg’ guys? Will you try to give him some things like that to make him feel comfortable during the game or does he just have to figure it out with Jerry (Jeudy) and David (Njoku) and those guys?
“No, I think for sure you constantly are talking about your players, and the skill sets that your players have. That’s a big part of it. Then it’s also part of trusting the schemes, and that goes for the quarterback, for the receivers, for everybody – trusting that you know your guy’s going to be where he’s supposed to be on the prescribed time, and that gives you a ton of comfort, confidence to let it rip.”
When you were in Minnesota (Vikings), it probably wasn’t a big deal going to the west coast or the mountain time zone. In six years here, have you seen it become a bigger deal?
“No, I think the things that allow you to win on the road are the same, regardless of time zone.”
With David not practicing today, is he going to be able to play Sunday? Do you know yet?
“I’d say day to day, but he’s working hard.”
With Shedeur, I mean, this probably goes without saying for anybody, but he was really excited to get his first chance Sunday, right, to even play. Can you see that excitement level as he knows he’s going to get this first start?
“I think he’s excited about the opportunity, but he’s so focused on the work that goes into it. So, as you can imagine, any player, certainly at the quarterback position, there’s a lot that gets put on your plate. So, he’s working hard.”
Kevin, Myles (Garrett) is on this tear. I mean, he’s always been doubled or sometimes tripled. Are teams trying to block him any differently as this continues?
“Not really. I mean, he’s seen it all, and we’ve pointed it out that, obviously the chips by the tight ends, the chips by the running backs, the slide coming to him. I don’t know that teams have done anything differently this year other than to continue to pay him a lot of attention.”
What have you seen that you like most out of Shedeur since he’s gotten here, in terms of just preparation and just day to day practice?
“Yeah, he’s worked extremely hard at his craft. I pointed this out, is that this rookie class, I mean, he fits in with these guys. They love football, they love what they’re doing, they pour themselves into this thing. So, it’s been fun to watch Shedeur, fun to watch a lot of these young guys, because we’ve done so many extra reps, extra individual periods to watch them work at their craft, which is part of, one of the main parts of our job is the development of these players.”
He’s such a high energy, high personality type of a player. Can that translate in a positive way to the rest of the team?
“I think Shedeur is just going to be himself. I think that’s what players appreciate, other players when they’re themselves.”
Myles had mentioned one time that sometimes when he comes in early, Shedeur is in your office with you, just working on things. Can you sort of share – is that something that you guys have worked along together on?
“Yeah, we’ve been doing that throughout the season. Just get to spend extra time with him, just watching a lot of his tape from the previous day.”
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