Browns Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz speaks at the podium ahead of the teams second home game in a row.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Okay.
00:01 Unfortunately, the injuries losing Mo possibly.
00:07 Yeah.
00:08 Yeah, we've taken our fair share of injuries over the last, you know, few weeks, particularly
00:20 this last game.
00:21 You know, it's the NFL.
00:24 It's a physical game and you know, you gotta, you gotta be able to plug guys in and still
00:31 have good performances.
00:32 And that's what our, what our goal is going to be.
00:35 We'll miss those guys, but we have other players that can pick up that slack and they'll give
00:40 great opportunities for other guys.
00:43 It was, it was a challenge in the game, particularly the safety position.
00:46 We lost long and pregame warmup and then we lose grant.
00:50 We were out of a lot of our sub packages where we play extra safeties and you know, Cam Mitchell
00:57 came in, played really well for us at the nickel, but he left the game.
01:02 You know, and then lost Jordan Elliott early in the game and then lost Mo and also Oboe.
01:08 Oboe came back and played, God bless him.
01:10 He had one arm.
01:11 I mean, I didn't even realize it as the game was going on.
01:14 I watched a film and you know, almost threw up that he was out there and God, I mean,
01:20 he's a tough guy and he actually did his job in this game, but you know, he was out there
01:25 and felt a tremendous responsibility.
01:28 And you know, some of those guys are energy guys for us, Oboe and Mo in particular grant,
01:34 you know, their tempo setters for us.
01:36 And we're going to need to, we're going to need to replace that in our, on our defense
01:42 also.
01:43 I don't know, I'd never really counted them.
01:52 You know, I mean, it's, you know, it's something that we work through every single week.
01:58 You know, early in the year, pretty fortunate to be relatively healthy, you know, been playing
02:05 without that cell for almost a month now.
02:08 So, you know, hopefully we can get him back soon, get him back on the field for us.
02:14 You know, it is what it is, you know, the game doesn't care, you know, obviously the
02:19 opponents don't care, but the game is, you know, the game is Sunday, 60 minutes and it
02:25 doesn't care if you're playing rookies, it doesn't care if you have injuries, it doesn't
02:29 care if you're at full strength, you know, and that's our focus.
02:33 Just knowing what the snap counts have been like for those guys and how you like to rotate
02:37 the eight up front.
02:38 Like, how do you manage that when you have some of these younger guys that are untested
02:41 and not wanting to like up miles or Z-blow too much?
02:44 Well, you know, some of the, some of that, some of the discipline from early in the year,
02:50 we talked about miles on camera for which game it was, but he played a really high number
02:53 of snaps.
02:54 It was before his shoulder was injured, but you know, he said, you can do that if you
03:00 have the discipline to pace yourself at times early in the season.
03:03 So I think we have benefited from that.
03:05 We've tried to keep some reps off of those guys and they should get late into December
03:08 and January football.
03:09 You know, those guys can click up, but we have a lot of confidence in the guys that,
03:16 you know, that'll, that'll get in there and play for us.
03:18 Isaiah McGuire has played, played and, and made plays for us when he played, unfortunately
03:24 that perception.
03:25 Siaki hasn't played yet, but you know, I have great confidence that he'll play well.
03:32 He's, he's really it's really just been, you know, a numbers game for him.
03:39 That's nothing to do with his availability and him being ready because he's ready to
03:45 play.
03:46 He's ready to contribute.
03:47 And you know, that's what this game is.
03:49 Get an opportunity and make the most of it.
03:53 So excited for those guys.
03:55 I was just going to have to deal with the rest of the way that quick releases, chips,
04:00 double teams and all those kinds of things.
04:02 Well, I mean, that's what defensive ends deal with in general anyway.
04:05 I mean, I feel his frustration because, you know, so much of what we do is just trying
04:10 to get miles one on one and can get one on one and you get held and, you know, doesn't
04:19 get called things like that.
04:21 That can be, that can be a frustrating thing for a player.
04:23 It can be a frustrating thing for a play call.
04:27 You know, but that's what our, that's what those guys deal with.
04:31 I used to say it about Calvin Johnson, you know, you can move around, try to get them
04:37 away from jam problem.
04:38 As he's six foot five, you know, 235 pounds and where's number 81.
04:42 You know, it's pretty easy to find and, you know, miles the same way you guys know we
04:46 move miles around a lot.
04:49 I would say this, particularly the last drive of that game.
04:52 I don't know if I've ever seen a brush so well.
04:55 You know, it didn't translate to a sack until the two point play, but his, his wind percentage,
05:01 probably the last two drives was, was unbelievable.
05:04 I mean, it was, it was really inspiring watch and he just kept, you could tell he was mad
05:11 and he was, you know, everything else, but he was more determined, just kept on coming.
05:15 I was really proud of that.
05:17 It didn't translate to a sack, but you know, I think it, it, it really showed his determination
05:26 and we're going to continue to work to try to get him one-on-one.
05:29 You can't get free, but try to create one-on-ones.
05:34 You know, if we can get that cell back, that'll probably have a lot to do with it because
05:38 you know, if we said before, there's some, there's some things you can do with band coverage
05:42 that can, that can free up some running back chips and things.
05:46 He saw running back chips.
05:47 He saw wide receiver chips.
05:48 He saw tight end chips and he saw center slot.
05:53 And he saw the ball coming out quick.
05:54 I mean, Lauren Barnes played him his first couple of years when I was in Tennessee, he's
06:00 really improved player.
06:02 His, his command, his decision-making getting rid of all, you know, he always had good mobility,
06:08 but you know, all that.
06:10 So that was a, that was a tough, that was a tough matchup or it was, it was a tough
06:17 matchup for, for Russian to pass her.
06:20 Still managed to get the sacks.
06:21 You know, I know miles doesn't count because it's a two point play.
06:25 I still don't get that whole thing, but you know, it is what it is.
06:30 But you know, I'm, you know, I think, you know, he'll, he'll carry us down the line
06:35 and you know, find a way to be successful regardless of guys get L or you know, double
06:43 teams and everything else.
06:46 I honestly didn't, didn't say it, but, but again, I can, I can feel that frustration
06:52 because you know, as a pass rusher you know, you relish those one-on-ones and you get one-on-ones.
06:59 NFL officials are very loath to call holding versus double teams, you know, and I've heard
07:05 from officials in the past where they say, well, you've devoted a double team to that
07:10 guy.
07:11 So you know, they, they sort of, I don't want to say turn a blind eye, but they're, it's,
07:18 it's just, just as part of our mechanics, their eyes are supposed to go away from the
07:22 double team.
07:23 Right.
07:24 So they're looking other places and I understand those mechanics and everything else, but you
07:29 know, when you do get one-on-one and you're a premier guy and you feel like you've been
07:35 held, you know, I think that that's, you know, that that's certainly frustrating.
07:39 Here's, here's the thing that had nothing to do with the end of the game, but during
07:44 the game, he did not let that affect his next rush.
07:47 Right.
07:48 And that, that last drive, go back and watch that last drive.
07:50 Like it was, it was pretty impressive to watch him rush the basket.
07:54 You see the two batters against Romaro the second time around in that regard, you feel
08:03 you did rank in that type of board.
08:08 Yeah.
08:09 Obviously the gifted athlete, unbelievable arm, maybe the most arm strength we've seen
08:16 all year.
08:17 I mean, just an absolute cannon for an arm and he can throw those individual routes on
08:21 the outside part of the field.
08:24 And he does have strength and speed to be able to run there.
08:31 They're, they're highly ranked as a run offense.
08:35 But he's dangerous at passing game.
08:39 You know, just because of his mobility and be able to find guys, you know, later down
08:43 the field and stuff like that.
08:46 You know, we have certain schemes that we run against scrambling quarterbacks and, you
08:52 know, we've used those at different times over the course of the year.
08:55 We'll probably break some of those out in this game also.
08:59 You know, just because his legs present such a, such a challenge that defense, it's not
09:05 just about getting them covered through the time he has, it's getting them covered on
09:10 extent plays.
09:11 And, you know, he's near the top of the league as far as, you know, time to throw and it's
09:18 not necessarily protection it's time to throw, it's him buying, it's him buying time with
09:22 his legs.
09:23 So, you know, it puts a little bit more on our coverage and then, you know, different
09:28 ways to rush a passer, maybe with extra guys, maybe second level guys, you know, different
09:34 pressure packages, all that, all that ties together.
09:37 I think your young safety's played when they had to get in there against Jacksonville.
09:42 Does that change anything from your play college perspective when you have new guys?
09:48 You know, the, the only thing, excuse me, the only thing that, um, that really changed
09:54 the game was, um, packages that we used because like all our three safety packages were, you
10:01 know, out the window.
10:02 We used that a lot on the third downs.
10:05 So, you know, that was, that was sort of, um, out.
10:08 Um, but you know, um, Ronnie was different than the bell in that Ronnie knew going into
10:14 the game, he was going to be, he was going to start.
10:18 And I thought you saw some really good things from Ronnie as far as overlapping in coverage.
10:23 He made some plays from the half field, made some plays from the middle.
10:27 Um, he didn't play a perfectly clean game, like see him wrap up on the one, um, ball
10:32 cap play that he came up to make a hit, you know, and I, I really think he thought he
10:38 was closer to the goal line than it was, you know, when you're real close to the goal line
10:42 is just all about taking that big shot.
10:44 You don't have to wrap up because you stop don't, but he had a little bit of space.
10:48 I would like to see him wrap up there, but I thought he did a really good job, execute
10:53 the defense.
10:54 He played a lot of communication and then, you know, deep bell came in and that was tough
11:00 matchup, you know, Evan, Evan Ingram is arguably their best receivers there.
11:06 I think they're number one receiver as far as attempts and targets and things like that.
11:11 Um, gave up on completion to him, but, um, I'd like to see the bell finish that game
11:16 with that interception, you know, and, and those, you know, when you're in those games,
11:20 you're up two scores and you're willing to exchange yards for time off the clock and,
11:25 and things like that.
11:26 Um, you know, when they do get impatient and Lawrence Lawrence was very patient through
11:31 that drive, but when they do get impatient, try to take that shot, you gotta be able to
11:36 finish that game.
11:37 And, you know, he had a couple, one would have won one.
11:39 We had the penalty on, but, um, you know, I thought we saw some good things, you know,
11:44 D bell is a very physical player and, um, you know, that we'll probably have, um, Harmon
11:50 up also.
11:51 He's a veteran player and, and, you know, we'll get all those guys involved.
11:55 How important is having kind of that better in there?
12:00 You know, I know Rodney's been around and helped out, but what can, what can run at
12:05 as well?
12:06 Yeah, that guy's, that guy's done a lot in the league.
12:08 He's played a lot of football.
12:09 He's seen a lot of things.
12:10 His eyes are important to us.
12:12 Um, you know, and then his ability to go in and execute, um, you know, that, that'll,
12:18 I mean, for, you know, he's fairly new to us, but he was able to pick our system up
12:23 and veteran players do.
12:24 It's just a matter of everything that we do.
12:26 He's done at some point in his career, just put new terminology and, um, you know, we'll,
12:33 we'll have him, we'll have him ready.
12:35 And in certain times you'll see him on the field and we'll have a lot of confidence in
12:38 him going out, getting the job done.
12:40 He's a physical player.
12:41 And, um, you know, like you said, that, that leadership, we've, you know, we lost guys
12:46 like Rodney and Grant and then playing without one, um, but these last couple of weeks, not
12:52 having Pennzo.
12:53 There's a lot of leadership that, um, you know, there's, you know, it's harder for those
12:59 younger guys, you know, like, like Hickman and B Bell mentioned, it's, it's a little
13:04 bit more, um, natural for the guys that have been around late 10 years, you know, played
13:10 super bowls and things like that.
13:12 Okay.
13:13 All right, guys.