Browns Special Teams Coordinator Bubba Ventrone Press Conference November 9, 2023
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:10 >> How has James changed the punt return game for you?
00:29 >> James has done a good job the last couple weeks that he's been here.
00:33 And he's got, I liked him when he was coming out of school.
00:37 I thought he did a good job when he was in Baltimore.
00:39 Very good judgment, good hands, smart kid, very hard worker,
00:47 detailed, and is a guy that is gonna get downhill.
00:53 >> When- >> Hey, by the way, you jinxed me.
00:57 You jinxed us on the penalties.
01:00 You jinxed us.
01:01 You jinxed us.
01:03 We'll be cleaner this week.
01:06 We'll be cleaner this week.
01:07 >> Sorry about that.
01:10 When Andrew decides to go after a guy who's cracked his quad and
01:14 you know him, does he come to you?
01:15 Do you contribute to that?
01:18 >> Yeah, I mean, they'll tell me what they're thinking or
01:22 possibility, guys that we could possibly bring in.
01:27 So yeah, they've asked me about a handful of players.
01:30 >> [INAUDIBLE] >> Yeah,
01:33 that was a guy that we had talked about, yep.
01:36 >> Is that someone that can return some kicks to the bench?
01:40 >> He has done some of that for us.
01:42 And we're always looking at the guys on the roster that can do more.
01:47 So I felt like that's a thing that we can look at moving ahead.
01:54 >> Returners, is it sometimes just innate skills?
01:56 Is it just that some guys get it and
01:58 others struggle to kind of figure out the nuance to being a good returner?
02:03 >> Yeah, when it comes to punt return versus kick return,
02:08 you don't see as many guys that are able to track, judge the ball,
02:12 have the hands to be able to catch a punt.
02:14 It's not an easy thing to do.
02:17 There's a lot of variation on it when the ball's coming off the foot.
02:21 So there's really only a handful of those guys on each team that can do it.
02:25 Fortunately, we have a good one right now.
02:28 >> Sort of compared to playing center field in baseball,
02:34 would that be an apt comparison in terms of fielding punts?
02:39 >> Sure, I think so.
02:39 Whenever he, when he first came here, the first day that we went out and
02:42 caught balls off the left foot, he had mentioned that he had played baseball a lot
02:46 and that helped him with his ability to track and judge the ball.
02:50 So yeah, I think that there's definitely some similarities there.
02:53 >> [INAUDIBLE] >> I don't know anything, but
02:58 it seems like Mike Ford is really good at covering.
03:01 >> Mike Ford?
03:02 Yeah, Mike Ford is a good coverage player for us.
03:04 The thing about Mike is he's relentless.
03:09 He's obviously has really good speed and he's tough.
03:12 And when you have those traits at the positions that he plays for us,
03:16 you're gonna have production and he's done a good job.
03:20 And he would have even more, he's missed a couple.
03:23 He missed one at Pittsburgh.
03:26 He's been close on a few others.
03:28 He'd be really at the top of the league, honestly.
03:31 And he's been a disruptive player for us and excited that we have him.
03:35 >> What about the tradition of the Baltimore Ravens special teams and
03:40 just how good they always are and what challenges does that present for you this
03:44 week?
03:45 >> Yeah, I mean, since I was a player here, Coach Harbaugh had been the coach and
03:51 obviously he has a special teams background.
03:54 So they take a lot of pride in their units.
03:57 They're really at the top of the league, near the top of the league every single
04:01 year, they put a lot of time and effort into how they practice and how they prepare.
04:07 I saw that firsthand in a joint practice whenever I was in San Francisco against
04:11 them, they practice hard.
04:14 They've spent a lot of time on it each day.
04:16 I've heard that from a number of players throughout the league and
04:21 it shows up consistently.
04:23 And they've had good specialists over the last however many years.
04:26 Obviously they have an elite kicker, one of the best,
04:28 if not the best ever to do it.
04:31 >> [INAUDIBLE]
04:59 >> Yeah, I think that the groups that have had consistent success over the last
05:05 however many years, you look at the foundation of the unit, right?
05:10 It starts with footwork, the basic fundamentals of blocking,
05:15 protection, all of those things factor into that.
05:20 You see teams like Baltimore, New England, I'm hoping that I can take,
05:26 I feel like I've taken on those types of things with my units where you just
05:31 turn on the film, you're like, yeah, I can see it.
05:33 I can see it in the fundamentals, in the footwork, in the technique.
05:37 And just understanding how to really play the game, being able to use your hands,
05:42 defeat blocks, set up your avoids, things like that.
05:45 So those guys have done a really good job in Baltimore since Coach Harbaugh's been
05:50 there, and yeah, just hoping we can show up on Sunday.
05:56 And then back to your penalty question.
05:58 >> Yeah, I think you have seven past,
06:01 that happens when you're not in position, is that what happened?
06:04 >> Yeah, I think we just gotta do a better job playing a little bit more,
06:08 I would say poised down the field in our technique and
06:13 understanding how to execute a little bit better.
06:16 A couple young guys had just some mishaps that we're gonna get cleaned up.
06:23 It was addressed on Monday, so we're gonna get those cleaned up this week.
06:28 >> 73 yard net, is that the best you've been able to do?
06:34 >> Yeah, and I had asked him what his career long was,
06:38 I think his career long is 82, as far as a gross, no pun intended, Tony.
06:45 [LAUGH] But yeah, no, it was a great play in the game,
06:50 flip the field, Corey's been a weapon for us.
06:55 We've covered pretty good on that unit as well,
06:59 so excited that those guys are stepping up when we need them.
07:05 >> Appreciate it, thanks.
07:14 >> You're welcome.
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