Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski takes the podium after the Browns take down the Jaguars 31-27 at home in Cleveland.
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00:00 Okay, injury front Juan tweaked his hand
00:03 Tweak this cast in a pregame warm-ups was not able to go
00:08 Ethan post it has a stinger grant has a groin injury. I was a good test on all those
00:13 You know, just very proud of that football team knew it was gonna be that type of game
00:18 That's a playoff team coming in here. I have see opponent. It was hard. We knew that
00:23 Really fought to the end and just guys making big plays when we needed them
00:28 Defense taking the ball away four times was outstanding. Obviously, I'm gonna get two of those
00:32 That just again everybody coming through for football team when they needed to the atmosphere was awesome
00:38 Our crowd was into it from the jump. So it was great to be down here
00:42 Obviously, we'll learn from it. There's things that we know we can clean up and then we want to be playing our best football
00:48 In December, so that's our goal. That's what we'll clean up some of those things
00:52 Getting ready to say that Joe is gonna be the starting to be the rest of the year. Yes
00:58 You wouldn't think in today second week here in the films for three times three eleven. Yeah played well, you know, I think
01:05 Expecting to get better as he gets more comfortable in our system with our players those type of things. But we just talked about
01:13 Him and all of our guys doing their job giving us their best
01:17 And which reaction to winning that game for different quarterbacks very unusual
01:25 Not much reaction just it is what it is. Yeah, we play who's ever available
01:28 Can you decisions that don't have to be on all there?
01:32 At the end did you think about it?
01:35 Did we have a guy who is now a free for back there?
01:39 So, you know, you always think about players and think about Dustin and coming through for football teams
01:45 We did what about that fourth and three decision go for it get the touchdown. Yeah, that was a outstanding
01:53 Unbelievable play by the quarterback
01:55 He's not hot. He's hotter than Hades on that play and we did not have that
02:00 Let's pick up. He drifted do is right great field by David Bell
02:05 And then you know
02:08 Yeah, I think focus is a little bit more narrow for us Mary Kay
02:21 Obviously today we knew that today was not quite okay, but it's gonna feel like my own game
02:25 And it was because that's a very good football team. So
02:27 We knew what this game was gonna be about
02:30 We knew what type of matchup it was and what type of fighters gonna be and then to point, you know, Joe's in big games
02:36 So feel comfortable with him
02:48 Yeah, I think a player that's been around and has had the career he's had he can really lean on his experiences late on
02:55 His games that he's played the different systems. He's been and he just told that to the football team
03:01 Just where you know
03:02 So the thing that he's been through and and now we as a team have been through it just it is good for you
03:07 And Kevin you said you wanted to play your best football in the summer. Do you think you want to think your team?
03:12 There again, and that's the goal. We need to get better
03:16 Offense defense specialties we need to get better continue to get better. There's a variety of ways to do that
03:22 And that's a little bit and it's only a time
03:26 or starting quarterbacks
03:29 This season what is it about this team that they've been able to adapt that way the quarterbacks?
03:34 Did you kind of adjust? I think the status of that status about the players
03:38 I mean it tells me that we have a team that is
03:41 Ready to win regardless of playing that position and you know we found this season that we have to deal with injuries
03:47 Just like the rest of the rest of the NFL
03:49 Everybody's going to be using and we always use it as an opportunity
03:53 I think that's what we're doing.
03:55 How proud of you are of your defense considering they were dropping like flies and Benzo wasn't there and Wiley wasn't there?
04:02 Yeah, it was a we had a bunch of guys injured going into the game lost some guys in that game
04:08 As you saw kind of in and out of lineups and I thought coach called a great game coach did a great job
04:13 Those takeaways were absolutely key. I don't know how many points we scored off of that, but those were key
04:19 He was aggressive there a couple sacks there where we knocked him out of field goal range, so I thought
04:23 Coach was outstanding.
04:25 I mean, didn't you involve a game that lasted so long and not go in overtime?
04:30 I'll check and get back to you.
04:32 Off the top of my head I'm not sure but that was a long, that was like an NBA game that lasted five minutes.
04:36 Coach you had rookies that played a vital role today. You had Cameron Mitchell, you had Ronnie Hickman starting the game.
04:44 Talk about their contributions and a lot of times people always say next man up, but your team embodies that. Can you talk about that as well?
04:53 Yeah, well they're not rookies anymore. Sorry, you're too late to see it. They're rookies.
04:57 They're pro now or camp now. That's how it works in this season.
05:01 We've had a lot of rookies play already this season. Guys that we trust.
05:05 They've been through it with us. We're going to need them down the stretch as well.
05:09 Kevin, how close was Denzel to playing today?
05:11 It was questionable, so 50/50.
05:14 I think he's getting better.
05:16 On that fourth and three, did you know the whole time you were going to go for it?
05:19 And then you said you didn't have the blitz picked up, so what are you thinking is that?
05:23 Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you have an opportunity to check into a different protection, if you will.
05:30 They brought a good pressure that we could not pick up with six-man protection.
05:36 Joe recognized that right away. David Bell recognized that.
05:39 I just thought Joe being able to drift, throw off his back foot, that's a very, very heavy play by a veteran.
05:45 Kevin, all your fourth down season has paid off for you.
05:47 So how important was it for you heading in just to be aggressive?
05:50 And how rewarding is it to see the guys in the collection?
05:53 Yeah, it's always about whatever it takes to win that game that you're playing.
05:57 We felt there were going to be opportunities there where we wanted to be smart, aggressive.
06:01 We're not just going to be aggressive for the sake of being aggressive.
06:03 We thought there would be opportunities to keep our offense out there and keep a drive going,
06:09 come away with points against a vertical line.
06:12 I would say it would be hard for Joe to be completely at stake for coming in just three weeks ago.
06:17 But obviously, he's got to stay away from those churnovers.
06:20 Yeah, I put him in some bad spots.
06:22 So, again, that's what I'm talking about learning from some of these.
06:27 There's some concepts maybe that are good, but we've got to do a better job of giving them feedback.
06:33 And all the players, stuff that they got to learn from.
06:35 Kevin, you guys had eight guys involved as pass catchers today.
06:39 Kind of similar to last week, the spread of the ball around.
06:41 How important is that kind of moving forward to involve the pass game?
06:46 We have a lot of guys that we trust.
06:48 There's guys that we know when the ball's in their hands, they light up.
06:52 That's what we're trying to do.
06:54 Obviously, we've got some guys like Amari that's going to be getting a ton of attention from the defense.
06:59 That's a lot of what happened today, a lot of what happens in these games.
07:02 As Amari gets more attention, it opens up opportunities for the other guys.
07:05 What do you see out of David Njoku? He's spending on that third one early.
07:09 Is the hope that nobody runs with him when he moves?
07:12 Yes, yes. It's all the same. Hope nobody runs with you, David.
07:16 [laughter]
07:18 In that personnel grouping, it's a very heavy run, I'm sure.
07:24 That's what they're playing.
07:26 To get a guy open like that, the defense obviously made a mistake.
07:30 Dave's another guy who gets a ton of attention.
07:35 He always comes through and makes plays for us and made a great play.
07:39 I think you guys have lost a turnover battle like nine times.
07:42 You won it today, and that just has to be the way that it goes the rest of the way, right?
07:47 It's so important, Mary Kay.
07:49 Amari can learn from that rep. He knows he's got to have better technique.
07:54 He's got to be better with his technique on that play.
07:58 We will continue to coach it. We'll continue to clean up our technique when it's there.
08:03 Our defense is going to take the ball away four times, harassing the quarterback,
08:08 hitting the quarterback, who's a very, very tough kid. That was a big part of this game.
08:13 When did you know earlier in the week that you'd be defending against Warrens?
08:17 We assumed the whole time that he'd be a guy.
08:20 You said Friday you trusted any of the backups on the O-line,
08:23 but you wind up using three guys that aren't your starting line.
08:25 What's it say about them and just your team in general that you can do what you did?
08:29 That's the name of the game, again, the set of football.
08:33 Number one, all the guys in there are dealing with something that's 100 percent.
08:38 Unfortunately, you're going to have some guys in and out of the lineup.
08:41 I give credit to our players for staying ready all along that front.
08:45 Those guys are ready to jump in at a moment's notice, Nick Harris being a prime example today.
08:50 Then the coaches, the coaches do a great job of making sure all their guys are ready to go.
08:55 Good. Thank you, guys.