Browns Offensive Coordinator Alex Van Pelt talks with reporters on November 2, 2023.
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00:09 >> Alex, we're all trying to assess whether we thought Deshaun through with
00:11 better ball than he did yesterday.
00:13 >> What'd you guys think?
00:13 >> I thought a little bit.
00:15 >> Okay, I thought a little bit better too.
00:16 Yeah, he looked better, progressing.
00:19 Yeah.
00:20 Always, always.
00:25 He does look better than he looked last time he threw.
00:29 In a practice, so that's positive.
00:31 >> [INAUDIBLE]
00:34 >> Feels like it, just naked eye, but
00:37 yeah, I think he's feeling better.
00:39 >> After [INAUDIBLE] what are you looking for
00:44 specifically out of him to make the final decision
00:49 that we feel comfortable that we can start?
00:53 >> Yeah, that's probably a question more for Kev, but I think for
00:56 a quarterback, you just wanna be able to make all the throws.
00:59 If there's anything that you still can't do, then, but
01:02 as long as you feel confident that you can make the throws down the field short,
01:05 accurately, that's where we wanna be.
01:09 >> Who's your new starting receiver?
01:11 >> Who is our new starting receiver?
01:12 We're gonna play by committee out there.
01:14 We'll see who lines up out there first, but big shoes to fill.
01:17 I mean, just hats off to Donovan.
01:19 I'm sorry to see him leave, obviously, as a player and a person, but
01:23 excited for his opportunity.
01:25 We'll have to have a couple guys fill those shoes, but-
01:28 >> Is this an opportunity for
01:29 Tillman to see- >> Yeah,
01:31 I think he's one of the guys that definitely will be in the mix there.
01:33 He'll find his way, it'll get him more involved than he has been in the past.
01:39 Marquis will be in there, we'll roll guys through that spot.
01:42 >> You haven't seen Tillman since his first training camp,
01:44 what have you seen in his practices?
01:46 Has he improved in any area or- >> Absolutely,
01:49 he's a guy that we were high on coming out of camp.
01:51 Made a lot of plays in training camp for us, made plays in the preseason.
01:55 And then just really just starting to ease him back into it.
01:58 The last couple weeks, now this is gonna accelerate that maturation for him.
02:02 But big body, big target, brings a lot in the run game as far as a force blocker.
02:07 And then can make plays, contested plays,
02:10 high point the ball, the things that he does well.
02:12 So he'll definitely be more involved.
02:14 >> So after we had a lead yesterday,
02:17 did Sean throw those balls downfield to your satisfaction?
02:24 >> Yes, we pushed some balls down the field for sure.
02:28 >> So what do you expect this to be another situation like
02:33 the Baltimore game where he goes out there before the game and
02:38 then you decide if you can play?
02:39 >> I don't know if it'll come down to that long, but we'll see.
02:42 We're taking it day by day.
02:43 Right now, yesterday, he put a good practice together.
02:45 We'll see how it goes today, how he feels today.
02:47 And we'll do the same with Friday and all the way up to Sunday.
02:50 But feel better about where he is after yesterday's work.
02:55 >> When he gets challenging, this week, six of this,
02:59 day five of week six of human injuries.
03:02 Just how challenging has this been going through weeks where you're not sure who
03:07 your starting quarterback is and you're trying to get this offense?
03:10 >> Yeah, I mean, obviously, we'd love to have him out there.
03:12 We'd love to keep him healthy the whole time and have him out there every game.
03:15 But that's the reality of the NFL.
03:17 It's not just that position.
03:18 Obviously, it's heightened when it's the starting quarterback.
03:22 But we go through that at every other position all the time.
03:25 We're always plugging guys in, next man up mentality.
03:29 And that's across the board, just it gets heightened when it's the QB.
03:32 >> Does the fact that you guys have the Baltimore game and
03:36 Steelers game right after this one factor into your decision to play or
03:41 not play Deshaun?
03:41 >> Yeah, I don't even know if that plays a role in it right now.
03:45 Just we'll put a healthy Deshaun out when he's healthy and ready to go.
03:49 Couldn't tell you when that'll be.
03:51 >> We're looking at the Cardinals.
03:53 They seem to have a lot of different weapons that are productive.
03:56 They are among the league's best at sacks, tackles for loss.
03:59 When you're playing against a team that seems to have bullets flying from lots of
04:04 different areas, does that make it more difficult for you to play?
04:08 >> Yeah, definitely, they're multiple in what they do.
04:10 Multiple personnel groupings, multiple coverages, structures,
04:14 their pressure package is good.
04:15 So yeah, it's definitely a week of preparation for us.
04:18 They present you some different looks that you're not used to seeing.
04:23 So like every other week, you just gotta dump out the bucket of stuff you learned
04:27 a week before and refocus on this defense.
04:30 And they do present you some challenges.
04:32 But I feel good after coming out of Seattle.
04:36 Our communication was superb.
04:39 Our operation was great.
04:40 Had one false start in a bad spot.
04:43 So I feel like we're focused in right now.
04:45 We're doing a great job of preparation during the week and
04:47 we'll be ready on Sunday.
04:49 >> We know how competitive Sean is and how he kind of admitted he might have
04:54 pushed himself a little bit to get back to Indy.
04:56 What is your guys' strategy with him and knowing his personality,
05:01 knowing he wants to be out there to kind of hold him back in and say, hey,
05:06 we gotta take this step by step.
05:07 How do you kind of do that with such a competitive person?
05:09 >> It's tough.
05:09 I mean, it's tough.
05:10 He doesn't wanna hear that, for sure.
05:12 But I think collectively, between AB and Kevin,
05:15 they'll make the right decision with his input, obviously.
05:18 But we'll see how this week goes.
05:20 Every day is a different day, and
05:22 everything's been moving in the right direction this week, so.
05:25 >> Who's the next man up to take back down to one, Jones?
05:29 >> He's dealing with something now, but I think he feels okay right at this point.
05:36 We'll see again day to day with him, but I think he should have a chance.
05:41 >> With PJ, how do you keep the aggressiveness and put down on the intercept?
05:46 >> It's such a fine line.
05:47 It really is.
05:48 The interception at the end there, that's a free deal.
05:52 Hits off a helmet, goes 50 feet in the air.
05:54 The one we had earlier was kind of a combination of three different guys.
05:58 We were a little late on the snap, got edged in protection,
06:01 had to move him off the spot.
06:02 Dave kind of slowed down a hair, the ball flew a little bit.
06:05 So that's a tough one, like to get that back.
06:07 But whatever it is, we talked about it in our team meeting on Wednesday when
06:11 the guys came back, just the importance of the ball.
06:14 We're terrible at it right now.
06:16 I've been on teams where all you do is talk about ball security and
06:19 all you do is turn it over.
06:21 I've been on teams, you never talk about it once,
06:22 never do a drill and you never turn it over.
06:25 It's just that fine line.
06:26 We just have to be hyper focused and when we're in traffic,
06:28 whether it be in the pocket or with the ball in our hand down the field as a runner,
06:32 we have to make sure we're doing everything we can with our fundamentals and
06:35 our techniques to take care of the ball.
06:36 Decision making for the quarterback is a huge part of that as well.
06:39 It's definitely something we've addressed.
06:40 I feel like if we take the turnovers out of the games we've lost,
06:44 we're gonna at least be in a position to have a chance to win them.
06:46 So we gotta find a way to take care of the ball at all costs.
06:50 >> With David Njoko,
06:51 it seems like he's been more involved in the passing game lately.
06:54 Was that like, guys making concerted effort to do that?
06:58 Why has he been able to have that?
06:59 >> Yeah, well, Dave's one of those guys where you want the ball in his hands.
07:02 He's such a violent runner with the speed and the size.
07:05 Any way we could find the ways to get him the ball and
07:09 let him take off is something, yeah, obviously we're gonna highlight our
07:14 marquee players and Dave would be one of those.
07:16 >> You talked about on that interception that he slowed down a little bit,
07:19 PJ, said that after the game.
07:21 Is that the right decision to slow down because the guy's sitting there or
07:24 does he just have to keep running?
07:26 >> Yeah, that's a keep running route for him.
07:28 We stay on the move on that route.
07:30 Again, it was a culmination of a couple of different factors on that play, but
07:33 there's points there in the red zone that we would like to have had.
07:36 So we're just shooting ourselves in the foot.
07:38 We're playing good offensive football.
07:39 I do feel that.
07:40 I do feel like the guys were productive in the run game last week.
07:43 We did a great job with our operation.
07:44 We had a lot of different motions and shifts in a crowded environment, noisy.
07:48 So I'm really proud of the way those guys prepared.
07:51 I think we're close.
07:52 I think we just need a game with a clean slate and a turnover side and
07:56 we'll feel better.
07:58 >> When it comes to that, you guys had such a successful screen game.
08:01 I mean, how much do you guys work that?
08:02 It sounds like you guys work in a ton.
08:04 Is it more than other places you've been?
08:06 >> Absolutely, absolutely.
08:07 I think Coach Callahan's technique and the way he teaches it.
08:10 We practice it every day in a certain segment of practice.
08:15 So it's something that we've been good at here in our four years together.
08:19 And it's a strength of ours.
08:21 The touchdown to Dave really was a design off of our screen games.
08:27 We showed screen to both sides to try to pull the linebackers.
08:29 And it's an old play.
08:30 It's been around forever.
08:31 But when you screen well, you get those kind of responses.
08:34 Then you can counter back with the kind of change up off of your screen game.
08:38 So yeah, we do put time in it.
08:41 We pride ourselves in being a great screen team.
08:43 And it was very productive in Seattle.
08:46 >> I know people always say it takes all 11 on every play.
08:49 But is that truly one of those plays where it really takes all 11?
08:51 >> Absolutely, it's taught that way.
08:53 It's day one since we've been here.
08:55 We've emphasized screens.
08:56 We practice screens and we're pretty good at them.
08:58 And then what else does it do?
09:00 It slows down the pass rush.
09:01 Is this a screen?
09:02 I don't know, it could be.
09:04 So now you're rushing Dave as a blocker and you're not sure if he's gonna screen you
09:07 or block you.
09:08 So it definitely helps.
09:09 It all comes together in the scheme of things.
09:11 >> [INAUDIBLE]
09:16 Just how do you feel that rotation is going with those three?
09:19 I know Kareem was a little frustrated.
09:21 He didn't get any touches there in that fourth quarter.
09:25 But just where are you at with this one?
09:27 >> Really, it's by committee right now.
09:28 Everybody's gonna get their touches.
09:31 I see all those guys as 1A, 1B.
09:34 They can all come in and be productive, which they've shown.
09:37 That was our plan last week going in with Jerome coming off of the injury.
09:42 Not sure he was gonna make it.
09:43 So we just wanted to put him in on third downs early, see how he felt, and
09:47 then know that we could get him the ball in the fourth quarter with fresh legs.
09:50 So that's kinda how that thing unfolded.
09:52 But really impressed with all the guys.
09:55 Kareem right now is running extremely hard.
09:57 He had some great runs that weren't there and
10:00 got three yards and stuff that we had free rushers.
10:03 So really proud of the way he's running with the physicality.
10:07 Pierre has the speed and the vision.
10:09 He can get on the edge.
10:10 Did some good things in the wide zone game as far as the perimeter game as well.
10:14 And then Jerome's just, that's the sweet feat where he can cut on a dime and
10:18 make the move.
10:18 So really, losing Nick was big.
10:21 It took a lot of feet to fill those shoes, his shoes.
10:25 So we're just gonna keep going with the guys and
10:27 really happy with all of them right now.
10:30 >> Some bad luck on that third three call, the third three interception.
10:34 How did you feel about that call?
10:35 What was the discussion there during that timeout?
10:37 And is there anything PJ could have done differently?
10:40 Obviously, to not throw it off.
10:42 >> Yeah, it's tough.
10:43 I mean, they brought the pressure.
10:44 They brought it in the B gap to the throw side.
10:47 And he elevated up and got it.
10:49 It's a day one installation play.
10:51 Oftentimes, you just think of players not at plays in those situations and
10:55 trying to get Amari the ball.
10:57 In that situation on a day one installation,
10:59 double slant with a drag slant to the other sides.
11:02 It's day one install for a million offenses.
11:05 It was just a core play.
11:07 Just unfortunate it happened, but I was totally good with the play call.
11:09 PJ was on board.
11:11 Wouldn't second guess that.
11:13 If that's a completion or an incompletion, it's a different ball game.
11:16 >> MVP, how about Nick Harris' skill set?
11:20 What you must trust about his athleticism to put him out there as a fullback in
11:24 situations that may not necessarily be screaming heavy football here.
11:29 >> Yeah, very talented, very, very athletic.
11:31 Very fleet of foot, get around blocks.
11:35 He can do a lot of things.
11:36 Like his ability to lead coming out of the backfield.
11:40 Can help us in protection as well in certain schemes.
11:44 But he's a guy that can do it all.
11:45 Really can't wait to see him catch a pass soon.
11:47 But he has a really unique skill set, and we're trying to find more ways to use him.
11:53 >> [INAUDIBLE]
11:56 >> It'd be a good one, right?
11:57 Double screen away, then back to Nick late.
11:59 I like that.
12:00 We'll put that in.
12:00 All right, guys, thank you.
12:03 Appreciate it.
12:04 >> Yeah.
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