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Originally Posted By: GratefulDawg


Had to add Myles, I wouldn't wear a shirt either, heck I might not own one.


rofl


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Myles chest soul patch game is strong!


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You know my love will Not Fade Away.........


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Post Game Presser

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski answered questions from reporters following Sunday’s 26-6 win against the Bears at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Here’s a transcript, as provided by the Browns’ media-relations department:

Opening statement:

“Injury front: (CB) Greg Newsome (II) has a calf injury, and we will get an MRI on that in the morning.

“I thought our crowd was outstanding. They make a difference in these home games, and they certainly did today. They made life very hard on the opposing offense today. Hats off to the crowd. They were outstanding.


“Our defense, six points allowed, the nine sacks and one-of-11 on third down, which was a huge emphasis for us. Some unbelievable individual efforts, but I thought the guys played sound, played together, ran to the ball and obviously did a nice job to hold that team to six points and 47 yards. Special teams, (K) Chase (McLaughlin) was outstanding – four-for-four and two 50-plus. Those guys were flying around on kickoff. (RB) Demetric (Felton) was outstanding. Offensively, start with we did not turn the ball over so did not give the ball away, which is a huge emphasis for us. That is a really good front. That is a really good front on their defense, and we knew it was not going to be easy. We knew we were going to have to chip away at it, and eventually did with 215 yards on the ground. (RB) Kareem (Hunt), as you guys know, was outstanding.

“We are a 2-1 football team. It was great to come in here and get a team win in front of our fans and then we will make some corrections tomorrow.”

On Hunt helping change the tone on offense with hard runs, particularly in the second quarter:


“Kareem runs very hard. When it is there, he runs hard and makes great yards. When it is not there, he is still running hard and he is spinning out of it. I have seen it live and in living color with a great seat the last couple of years to see this kid fight for every yard out there. He has a great mentality and is a team guy all of the way. We are certainly were leaning on him there in moments.”

On making adjustments in pass protection after Mayfield was sacked multiple times early in the game:

“Yeah I would tell you first thing is I did not do a good enough job in the pass protection and how I called it, I need to be better. Baker can’t get hit like that so that is on me, and I will be better. I thought the guys understood the challenge. It was a stiff test versus that front, but I can help out there.”

On DE Myles Garrett ‘calling out his teammates to give him some help’ earlier in the week and if it had any effect on his performance today:

“No, I do not think it had any effect. Myles is a great player. He is a team leader. We are going to need him to be great. He was great today.”

On the Browns defense’s performance after tying a franchise record with nine sacks in the game:

“It was great, but what I would tell you is these guys practiced their tails off this week. In particular on Thursday, which is our third down day, we were flying off of the ball and executing the games. I really believe you take the practice field to the games. I would tell you that the guys were outstanding during the week and then they showed up today.”


On four of Garrett’s sacks occurring on third down:

“As we talked about, third down was a huge emphasis for us this week. It will be next week and the week after that. It is just the nature of the game. It is the money down. I thought the guys did a nice job of getting off [of the field] today.”


On WR Odell Beckham, Jr.’s performance in his first game back from injury:


“He did a nice job. He made a couple of nice plays for us. I do not know the exact number of plays he played, but I know he was productive in the pass game. I think it was good for him to get out there and help his team win.”

On if he could sense Beckham’s excitement to be back on the field:

“He worked very hard to get back here. Any guy who is coming off an injury and coming off of an offseason surgery, it is not easy. He pushed very hard and I was proud of him out there.”

On how he would describe Garrett’s performance:

“Good – you guys are the wordsmiths; I do not describe (laughter).”

On Beckham played as much or more than expected:

“We just had a constant dialogue between myself, AVP (offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt) and CO (pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach (Chad O’Shea), just making sure he was good to go. I do not know what the exact number was.”


On if he was surprised Bears QB Justin Fields did not run more and what the Browns did to contain Fields:

“I think that was a big focus for us – his ability to get out of the pocket. Whether we were rushing four, five or six, we had to be true to our rush lanes. I think there were moments where he pulled the ball and tried to run, and the guys did a great job of executing the plan.”

On if this game epitomizes what the Browns are looking to establish as a tough team:

“I think we want to play attacking defense, get that lead and then be able to run the ball like we did in the second half. I think that is not secret that it is a blueprint for success. Now, you have to play great defense, you have to get the lead and you have to be able to run it when they know you are running it so it is way easier said than done.”

On having confidence in McLaughlin to make two 50+yard FGs:


“He was good in warmups. He has been good at practice. I have confidence in the kid.”

On if Mayfield’s left shoulder felt fine after taking a few sacks:

“Yeah, no issues.”

On the two failed fourth down attempts in the first half, including a poor snap on the first and potential miscommunication on the second:

“I do not know about the miscommunication. I do not know why the snap was bad. We have to be better. I have to be better. When we are at home and we are not dealing with the crowd noise, our operation has to be on point, and it was not early. I will get to the bottom of that because you can’t play like that in your own building when crowd noise is not an issue.”

On if the defense needed a dominant day to rebound from the first two weeks:

“Anytime you do not win, you lose Week 1 and everybody is disappointed. After a win, you make corrections. I think about our performance today – it was good, but we have to make corrections and we have to clean things up because whoever we play next week is another big game. That is just the NFL. We have to be ready to go week to week.”


On how crucial it was to end the first half with a long TD drive:

“I thought that was a big deal. We were backed up there, got some breathing room and got into the two-minute. Obviously, Kareem made some plays in there. I thought the communication and the operation was efficient and then got a good look at a play with Hoop (TE Austin Hooper) going down the middle. Baker made a great throw, and Hoop made a great catch. We really did need that to go into the half with seven points.”

On LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s performance:

“I would have to look at it, but I am going to guess he was running around making plays.”


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The offensive key to this game was KS adjusting to what the Bears plan was.

The Bears were locked and loaded on stopping Chubb. They knew his plays. You could see that they took away cutback lanes. They were looking for him.

KS saw this. He inserted Hunt. The plays they ran for Hunt.
They didn't know those plays. Hunt was finding space after slipping out of the backfield into soft zones. Baker was spot on getting him the ball.

The defense was so dominant that KS played the offense off that.

He kept the game short using ball control plays.

Credit to the Bears defense. They made some big stops. If not we would have won by thirty.

KS went into the protect the ball mode. Shorten the game.

Turn the mad dawgs loose on defense.

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I think the real credit for any success the Bears defense had yesterday was their punter dude was consistently kicking us inside the 20. We had the long field all day as a result.

In fact on the half time TD we started at what the 15 that was the story of the day on offense really.


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Good catch, I forgot about him. He was bombing those punts yesterday and was consistently superb.


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He really was. Credit to Felton for making the best out of some of those punts. Need to work with some of our blockers to avoid penalties, though.

Wills also wasn't 100% yesterday and Bitonio was having a rough go of things as well. I think the Bears smelled blood in the water on that side and kept their thumb on the pressure point. It also looks like we had a miscommunication or two on a couple of those 4th down conversions. We also seemed to take sacks at the worst times.

That being said, any time you outmatch your opponent by 20 points, and even left about 6-10 points out on the field, you can't complain too much.


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Presser from today.......

BEREA, Ohio – Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski answered questions from reporters prior to Wednesday’s practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.

Here’s a transcript, as provided by the Browns’ media-relations department:

Opening statement:

“Injury front: (CB) Greg Newsome (II) is out this week. He is dealing with a calf injury. He is week to week. He will not go on IR. Not practicing today: (LT) Jed (Wills) and (C) JC (Tretter).




“A big challenge this week. A really good football team. They very easily could be 3-0. They won on the road and played a good Cincinnati Bengals team and had it at the end – had a fumble almost in field goal territory. Week 2, they go to Arizona, who is undefeated. They had a field goal that they missed late in the game. Then they go home, and in their first game [at home], I thought they played lights out. Big challenge. Really good football players on their roster. Really good coaches. It is a tough place to play. We are going to have to be about our business.”

On when specifically Newsome sustained the calf injury on Sunday:

“I do not know specifically.”

On if CB Greedy Williams will step into the starting CB role:

“Yes.”

On what Williams has shown in limited reps this season:

“He has had limited reps in the games but seeing him a lot in practice, and I think he has done a nice job. Going all the way back to when he first got back out there, worked through it and got his wind back, I think you just see a guy who is continuing to get better.”


On Vikings QB Kirk Cousins:

“A great football player. Has played a lot of football. He has seen it all so he processes really, really quickly. Accurate. A tough competitor. Very smart.”

On his emotions going back to Minnesota, where he spent 14 years as a coach and where his kids were born:

“I would tell you it is obviously a special place. I had a great time there and was treated great by the organization from the ownership to the coaches and staff. Really have good friends there. With that being said, it is a really big game and they are a good team so that has our full attention.”

On who his kids are rooting for in Sunday’s game:

“The Brownies.”

On if the Browns are content with Wills playing through the ankle injury or if Wills needs a break to fully recover:

“I am comfortable with what we are doing. The kid is working really, really hard. He is staying into it. Even if he is not practicing today, he is staying into it. He is dealing with an injury, which is really the nature of the National Football League, often times for a bunch of different players. I think he is doing a nice job.”


On how coaching in Minnesota for so many years molded him into the coach and person he is today:

“You are right, I was fortunate to be there for a long time and saw a bunch of different coaches come through – some really good coaches and varying philosophies. I will tell you that was probably the best thing for me to learn under different systems helped me grow as a coach.”

On if learning different coaching philosophies gave him the ability to pick and choose what he wanted to do as a head coach:

“I think that is ultimately what all coaches do. We kind of sit back when we are the low man on the totem pole, be very quiet and take notes, and ultimately, you try to be a sponge and learn as much as you can in those moments.”


On his responsibilities during his first season with the Vikings:


“Anything and everything. You name it. In a football operation – it is true here for sure – we have a lot of people who do a lot of different jobs, and you do not get much credit for it. Those jobs are as important to any job when you talk about winning on Sundays. That is where I would tell you I am no different than a lot of people in terms of when you get that start, you start at the bottom, and you just have to work really hard.”

On Vikings RB Dalvin Cook:

“He is a great, great player. He can do everything. He can catch the ball out of the backfield. He can run every single type of run there is. He has a homerun threat. The first guy very rarely gets him down. The work is definitely cut out for us. He is a great player.”

On if the Metrodome was a tougher place to play for opposing teams than US Bank Stadium:

“They are both really loud. We talked about it already this morning with the team. [US Bank Stadium] is a glass building, and the noise reverberates in there. It will be the loudest, likely the loudest place, that we play this year.”

On if he believes U.S. Bank Stadium is louder than the Metrodome:

“Yeah, I do.”

On letting players be themselves while serving as a coach with the Vikings, given Cook’s comments about him:


“Just the way we do it. Dalvin in particular – there are a bunch of really great players there, and they are really solid people – is as good as they get.”

On the challenges or benefits of playing a team he is so familiar with:

“I think they know our scheme. I have been around obviously Coach Zim (Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer) and his defensive scheme, but they are evolving. You could probably say the same of us. It is a really, really sound scheme on both sides of the ball. They do a great job. Coach Zim is as good as it gets so we have our work cut out for us.”

On if he feels like he has to come up with something new this week due to the Vikings’ familiarity with him and vice versa for the Browns:




“I do not think so. They have really good football players. I know they have really good coaches. The challenge is just in that. We have to put together a gameplan that our guys can understand, go execute and not think too much.”

On how many Vikings players are still with the team from when he was coaching there:

“They have a lot of new players, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. They bring in (Vikings DT) Michael Pierce and they get him after he opted out from COVID. (Vikings DT) Dalvin Tomlinson up front. The back end, (Vikings CBs) Patrick Peterson, Bashaud Breeland and (Xavier) Woods. There are a bunch of new faces certainly on the defensive side of the ball. Having said that, they have some stalwarts who are great football players – (Vikings S) Harrison Smith, (Vikings LB) Eric Kendricks and (Vikings DE) Danielle Hunter. On the offensive side of the ball, they have really, really explosive playmakers. A lot of guys I have been around, but just making the point that they have good players throughout their roster.

On recalling the Vikings-Browns game at London’s Twickenham Stadium:

“I remember the team I was coaching on won (laughter). Loved the London experience. We were slated to go there last year had not that global pandemic.”




On how much of the lessons about culture he has applied to the Browns after working with Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer:

“A ton. Coach Zim, the way he runs his operation is very similar to the way we do things here. Coach Zim is very, very transparent and very blunt with the players. With the players and coaches, you know where you stand. He is honest. He was certainly helpful to me as a young coach. I owe him a great debt of gratitude for how he No. 1 retained me on the staff when he came in and then moved me through the offensive staff and made me a coordinator. He is somebody who was very instrumental in my development.”

On if he learned any new words from Zimmer:

“One in particular (laughter).”

On being in consideration for the Browns’ head coaching job in 2019 and if things worked out for the best, given the extra time to develop with the Vikings and former NFL coach Gary Kubiak:




“I firmly believe that things work out the way they should. I would speak to my whole time there was very impactful. It is a really well-run organization from top to bottom.”

On the Vikings not ‘having much of a TE presence’ impacts the Browns defense’s preparation:

“They have just had some injuries with (Vikings TE) Irv Smith out. It is a really good scheme. I think (Vikings offensive coordinator) Klint (Kubiak) is doing an outstanding job. I thought he was really good this last game. I got to do some TV watching of it. I thought he was dialing it up. They are versatile. They might not have the tight ends, like you mentioned, from maybe in previous years, but they still have tight ends who they can throw out there, with (Vikings TE) Tyler Conklin being a very good player. They can get into different personnel groupings, and they just have a very balanced attack.”

On his relationship with Klint Kubiak and if he feels like they see the game the same way:

“Klint is a very, very close friend of mine. Obviously, this week nobody is talking to anybody. I think he is doing a really nice job.”

On he and Gary Kubiak have similar personalities:




“Yeah, Gary and I are very similar. I do not think Gary is talking to me either this week (laughter). It was not even a calendar year that I got to spend with Gary but was incredibly impactful to me as a coach and as a person.”

On if he expects to get some grief from Vikings DT Sheldon Richardson this week:

“Yeah, I would expect so.”

On if he expects Vikings RB Dalvin Cook to play:

“We are expecting it, yes.”

On if will get to see friends in Minnesota on Saturday or meet for dinner:


“No, business trip.”

On if there any restaurant recommendations in Minnesota:

“I will hit you offline (laughter).”


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I thought you all might enjoy this piece on Ski...I did?

Reflecting on Kevin Stefanski's rise with Browns, Vikings reunion, Kevin Rogers says boss 'a different breed'
Nate Ulrich
Akron Beacon Journal

BEREA — Kevin Stefanski will be back in Minnesota this weekend as the reigning NFL Coach of the Year but also as someone who has stayed true to himself since he joined the Vikings 15 years ago.

“He was the same guy he is today,” Browns senior offensive assistant Kevin Rogers said Wednesday during an interview with the Beacon Journal.

The Vikings hired Stefanski in 2006 with the title of assistant to the head coach, an administrative role in which he did anything and everything — filling out schedules, informing players they had been fined, you name it — as the right-hand man of coach Brad Childress.

Rogers was the quarterbacks coach of the Vikings from 2006-10, the first five of Stefanski's 14 seasons with the franchise. Childress promoted Stefanski in 2009 to assistant quarterbacks coach.


“He is probably the most unique head coach I've ever worked for in terms of the big picture from A to Z,” Rogers said. “... I think he's totally a different breed.”


For example, Stefanski doesn't yell at his players, something Rogers admitted he wouldn't have been able to fathom as a graduate assistant from 1977-78 at Ohio State under legendary coach Woody Hayes.

“He's unbelievable. He gets his point across, but hollering and screaming, that's not Kevin Stefanski,” Rogers said. “I think he's so dedicated to what he does and has his priorities so straight that he's just respected. He just is. He doesn't need to scream and holler to get his point across.

“I don't have very much to do with the game day goings-on. I do more screaming and hollering than he does.”

Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski looks on before the start of a game against the Denver Broncos at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski promises to not be distracted by Minnesota homecoming
Stefanski, 39, is the epitome of calm, so don't expect him to get fired up for his reunion with the Vikings, who also once employed Browns assistants Joe Woods (defensive coordinator), Mike Priefer (special teams coordinator), Chad O'Shea (wide receivers), Jeff Howard (defensive backs), Brandon Lynch (assistant defensive backs) and Drew Petzing (tight ends).


“You think about some of our players when they go back home or whatever and you have to have a talk with them,” Stefanski said. “You don't have to have a talk with me. I understand what's at stake.

“[Minnesota] is obviously a special place. I had a great time there and was treated great by the organization from the ownership to the coaches and staff. Really have good friends there. With that being said, it's a really big game, and they're a good team, so that has our full attention.”

Stefanski said his three young children who were all born in Minnesota will be rooting for the Browns without he or wife, Michelle, needing to do much convincing.

Rogers, 70, said he had been “sitting on a couch” in his Williamsburg, Virginia, home and out of coaching for three years until Stefanski offered him a job in 2020. Rogers had been trying to get back into football after serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the College of William & Mary, his alma mater, from 2013-16.

“[Coaching is] who you are,” said Rogers, whose son Kevin is director of player personnel for the Indianapolis Colts. “It's a way of life. It gives you relevance, and all of a sudden — nothing. Your excitement for the day is watching 'Family Feud.'

“The longer you're a way from it, the harder it is to get back in it. I was out taking a walk, doing my daily constitutional, and [Stefanski] called me. He said, 'What do you think? Would you want to come to Cleveland.' I said, 'Yeah. Hell, yeah!' That's basically the way it turned out. He didn't forget me.”


Cleveland Browns senior offensive assistant Kevin Rogers.
Kevin Stefanski's attention to detail and sense of humor aided rise to helm of Browns
The coaches who work for Stefanski realize he usually doesn't forget anything. He is meticulous, and everything is planned with a specific purpose in mind.

“You don't waste time. You get things done. It's done exactly the way it is,” Rogers said. “He knows exactly what's going on at every position on both sides of the ball.”

Although Stefanski is incredibly serious about his work, he dabbles in wisecracks.

“He has a sense of humor on the headset during the games — dry as hell,” Rogers said. “He'll ask me, 'OK, Rog, you ready to go?' I'll say, 'Oh, yeah, Coach!' That's one of the first things he says when he gets on the headset. Me, of all people.”

Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski on the sideline in 2008 with the Minnesota Vikings.
Stefanski's sense of humor equipped him for survival as a 27-year-old assistant dealing with Hall of Fame quarterback and all-time character Brett Favre, who signed with the Vikings the same year Stefanski became a position coach. Rogers said Stefanski's pedigree also helped him “without a doubt.” His father is Ed Stefanski, a longtime NBA front-office executive who is the senior adviser to Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores.


“When you're a young coach, you can be intimidated by some of these guys who are legends in the game,” Rogers said. “Even though they're regular people, you might be a little bit delusional about what they'd be like. But I think the exposure to [Favre] and finding out what a real person he was and being around him and seeing how he prepared was a great experience for [Stefanski].”

Members of Minnesota Vikings have fond memories of Kevin Stefanski
A former University of Pennsylvania safety, Stefanski has a long track record of connecting with players.

“I was happy for him to win Coach of the Year,” Vikings running back Dalvin Cook told Minnesota reporters. “Everything that came his way was well deserved. He waited his time. Finally he got the job, and he took over and did what he needed to do. I was happy for him. Once my coach, always my coach. My coach for life, just the way he embraced me as a player and as a kid.”

‘Pressure? Go get a dog’: Kevin Stefanski can handle challenge as Browns coach, longtime NBA executive father says

After the Childress era, the next two Vikings head coaches, Leslie Frazier and Mike Zimmer, retained Stefanski. He coached quarterbacks, tight ends and running backs en route to becoming the offensive coordinator of the Vikings for the final three games of the 2018 season and all of 2019.

“I was fortunate to be there for a long time and saw a bunch of different coaches come through — some really good coaches and varying philosophies,” Stefanski said. “I will tell you that was probably the best thing for me. To learn under different systems helped me grow as a coach.”


Getting to know Browns coach:Kevin Stefanski hopes to tackle Browns’ obstacles through servant leadership

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins said he has had a “really strong” relationship with Stefanski since he coached him in the 2012 Senior Bowl.

“Kevin was younger at that time, but you could see that he was going places,” Cousins told Minnesota reporters. “He knew football, he was a good communicator and so I was really excited [in 2018] when I signed in free agency that he was going to be my quarterback coach. That was a huge plus of coming to Minnesota, and then it was just natural fit to have him as the OC and the play caller in '19, and then he earned the right to be a head coach and has proven that as well.”

The Browns hired Stefanski on Jan. 12, 2020, and he guided them last season to a record of 12-6, including 1-1 in the playoffs. They qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2002 and captured their first playoff victory since Jan. 1, 1995.

Why Cleveland Browns bypassing Kevin Stefanski first time wound up being blessing in disguise
Stefanski actually could have been the head coach of the Browns in 2019, when he became a finalist for the job, but former General Manager John Dorsey hired Freddie Kitchens instead. The Browns fired one-and-done Kitchens after going 6-10. The same season, Stefanski worked with Super Bowl-winning coach Gary Kubiak for the first time and learned the offense he would eventually bring to Cleveland.


“I firmly believe that things work out the way they should,” Stefanski said. “... It wasn't even a calendar year that I got to spend with Gary, but he was incredibly impactful to me as a coach and as a person.”

Seeking advice from Super Bowl winners: Browns coach Kevin Stefanski asks Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy how to follow playoff success

Zimmer said Stefanski was “all for” the Vikings hiring Kubiak as an offensive adviser in 2019.

“[They] meshed together really well,” Zimmer told Minnesota reporters. “Kevin’s never been a big ego guy, and Gary’s not a big ego guy. So I think the combination of Gary helping install some of the offensive things and Kevin listening and being open-minded, I think that was all good.”

The Browns and Vikings coaching staffs have intimate knowledge of each other's schemes. Stefanski is familiar with most of the opposing players. He is also a very close friend of Kubiak's son Klint, the offensive coordinator of the Vikings, but they weren't on speaking terms in the buildup to the game in Minneapolis.

Asked if he'll spend time this weekend with any of his Minnesota friends, Stefanski said, “No, business trip.”

Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski spent 14 seasons working for the Minnesota Vikings.
Human nature suggests Stefanski's return will be more emotional than he'll ever reveal.

“I mean, 14 years is a long time,” Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “I think it would mean a lot to him. He’s not going to tell anyone here that.”

No, Stefanski won't, and Rogers said he's convinced his pupil-turned-boss will be unfazed.

Stefanski wants his team to be focused, and his players have responded well to him ever since he took control of the Browns.


“I'm sure they wanted to test him at first, but they found out who he is,” Rogers said. “He's got great conviction. He believes in things. He stays on top of things. He doesn't let anything get out of control, and he runs the show. I mean, make no mistake about it — he runs the show.”

The task at hand is winning in the city where he evolved into a coach capable of calling the shots.


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Stefanski is awesome. Even if this whole thing doesn’t work out like we all hope, I still think he’s a great coach and guy.


"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
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[video:youtube]https://youtu.be/EWy7U9rHCl0[/video]


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These young men are gonna play they asses off for this man.

I can't wait.


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After so many coaching failures..... finally we have a real one.


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Here's an Athletic article to go with the ABJ one. BTW, this subscription is money well spent.
https://theathletic.com/2857534/2021/09/...ce-the-vikings/

Kevin Stefanski: What do we know about the Browns’ coach of the year as he returns to Minnesota to face the Vikings?

By Chad Graff and Zac Jackson Sep 30, 2021 25
Kevin Stefanski’s first NFL position was as a low-level assistant with the Minnesota Vikings, completing odd jobs and running errands for head coach Brad Childress. He was so low on the coaching ladder that he wasn’t technically a part of the staff, serving merely as an assistant to Childress.

But Stefanski grew up as a coach in Minnesota. He was promoted six times in his 14 years with the Vikings, finally culminating in a successful single season as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2019 before landing the Cleveland Browns’ head-coaching job. A year later, he was named the NFL Coach of the Year.

It was a swift rise for Stefanski, who turns 40 next spring. This week, he’s preparing for his first game back in Minnesota since leaving the Vikings, a matchup against the only other NFL team for which he’s worked. OK, so it may not be the league’s biggest battle this weekend of former friends turned foes, but it should be an intriguing showdown in Minneapolis between Stefanski’s offense and Mike Zimmer’s defense.

To get ready for that, our Browns writer, Zac Jackson, and Vikings writer Chad Graff got together to answer some questions about Stefanski that reveal how he so quickly ascended to this level.

The Browns becoming a force. Stefanski winning NFL Coach of the Year. Did anyone see this coming?

Graff: The Vikings certainly aren’t surprised by the success that has followed Stefanski. Multiple people familiar with the Vikings’ ownership have suggested that had the 2019 season gone poorly and had the Vikings needed to replace Zimmer, Stefanski would have been their top candidate. Ownership wanted to do anything they could to keep Stefanski in Minnesota, but once he had received a head coaching offer, they simply had to choose between Stefanski and Zimmer, and since Zimmer was coming off a playoff win that season, they chose Zimmer.

For his part, Zimmer also saw Stefanski’s potential. In 2018, Stefanski had a job offer to join Pat Shurmur with the New York Giants in what would’ve been a promotion from Vikings quarterbacks coach to Giants offensive coordinator. Stefanski had just been passed over for the vacant offensive coordinator job with the Vikings and was thrilled by the possibility of leading an offense while working with Shurmur. But Zimmer blocked the move, declining to let Stefanski out of his contract. The following year, the league enacted a rule to prevent such decisions, essentially the Stefanski rule.

Lastly, longtime NFL coach Gary Kubiak saw this coming. He and Stefanski worked together for less than a calendar year, yet Kubiak became one of Stefanski’s biggest proponents after seeing the way Stefanski took to his teaching. Kubiak said that he wanted to be able to teach his preferred method of offense as a way of passing the scheme on to the next generation and felt Stefanski was the perfect coach for that.

Jackson: The Browns had been so bad for so long and previous coaching searches had yielded such terrible results that I think an initial negative reaction in Cleveland was understandable. The Browns were starting over AGAIN, and they were hiring someone who wasn’t a household name and was essentially a one-year coordinator. In the fan base as a whole, there was a mix of apathy and almost a resignation to the fact that the Browns would again just follow their pattern: interview Josh McDaniels every January, hire someone else, then blow it up and start over in 11 and a half months. There was no reason to trust that the Haslam family was finally going to get it right because they never had before. And they’d had plenty of chances! Just the year before, they’d interviewed Stefanski but hired Freddie Kitchens.

So Stefanski took over in 2020 under another totally remade front office, then a global pandemic hit and shut the building for months. A whole bunch of weird circumstances robbed the team of practice time in what was already a condensed training camp, and the Browns went to Baltimore and lost their first game 38-6. It could have been 76-6, and it included an awful fake punt that left zero indication that this year would be any different.

From there, though, they ran off four straight wins. They never lost back-to-back games all season. They dealt with crazy and unprecedented circumstances, and it ended with Stefanski being named the NFL’s Coach of the Year and the Browns winning a playoff game for the first time since Stefanski was in middle school. The franchise’s entire approach and mentality changed in a year. By the end of last season, you knew the Browns were going to show up ready and were going to have a smart but aggressive game plan. They went from longtime laughingstocks to a team that was good enough to give anybody fits.

In a story that couldn’t be made up, Stefanski had to spend the whole week of the first playoff game quarantined in his basement due to COVID-19. The game finally started and the coach of the year was watching it on his couch 130 miles away. Upstairs, Stefanski heard his kids shrieking. On the first play, the Steelers snapped the ball 15 yards over Ben Roethlisberger’s head, and the Browns recovered for a touchdown. His kids were seeing it and celebrating, but somehow he’d hit the wrong button on his remote and was still on the opening kickoff. He only knew from the screams. I mean, imagine how good a coach he might be if he actually showed up at the game!


(Jason Getz / USA Today)
What makes this guy so good?

Graff: Let’s start with this: Stefanski has learned so much about football from so many different people with vastly different ideas of how to play the game. A lot of coaches are direct descendants of one coaching tree. Mike Zimmer was directly and profoundly influenced by Bill Parcells. Sean McVay was directly and profoundly influenced by Mike Shanahan. But Stefanski has worked with so many different coaches that he’s been able to pick the aspects of coaching and schemes that he likes from each and discard the rest.

He learned the wide zone rushing scheme from Kubiak. A college safety, he learned how NFL defenses play from Zimmer and Leslie Frazier. He first learned an NFL playbook from Brad Childress, then worked under Darrell Bevell.

The guy has simply seen a lot of different strategies from a lot of different people and has been able to choose what’s going to work in the modern game and what isn’t. He’s also lauded for the way he interacts with players.

“I think Kevin’s got a great rapport with the players,” Zimmer said. “He’s very analytical, knows what he wants to get accomplished. (He’s) very detailed in what he wants to do.”

Dalvin Cook was even more complimentary. Stefanski was never Cook’s position coach and only served as his offensive coordinator for 19 games. But Cook remains impressed by his limited time with Stefanski.

“I was happy for him to win Coach of the Year,” Cook said. “Everything that came his way was well deserved. He waited his time, finally he got the job and he took over and did what he needed to do. I was happy for him. Once my coach, always my coach. My coach for life. Just the way he embraced me as a player and as a kid. I came into this thing and he told me, ‘Thirty-three, we’re going to ride you.'”

Jackson: He strongly believes in his offensive system, but he’s not beholden to any one way to attack defenses. We saw that late last season as the passing game went from shaky and clearly the second offensive option to his preferred way to try to build early leads. He gets lots of players involved. He’s an incredibly gifted designer of plays, and it’s also evident that he isn’t just scripting the first 10 to 15 plays each week. He’s also scripting usage plans and making sure he’s getting different players involved. The Browns always show up with a certain number of fourth-down plays, a certain number of trick plays, and when you see something fancy early, it’s almost always setting something up to go the other direction later in the game.

“What’s the best thing he’s brought here?” Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield asked. “I would say it’s between the consistency, his even-keeled nature and just holding everybody accountable and that standard that we are trying to set. We talk about building a winning culture and making that the new standard. He does a great job of keeping that the main thing and the most important thing every day.”

With Stefanski at the front of the room, the Browns are implementing a culture of work and of not being satisfied. Stefanski takes the lead on going day to day, drill to drill and maintaining composure through it all. He takes blame much more quickly than he accepts any praise, something his players surely appreciate. The Browns handle their business in a calm, measured manner, and that’s a reflection of their head coach.


Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins warms up while former offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski looks on before the start of a 2019 game. (David Berding / USA Today)
What do we really know about him?

Graff: The main thing we know about him is that he’s well-liked. It’s hard to survive more than a few years with one organization these days thanks to how often coaching staffs change. But Stefanski won over new Vikings coach after new Vikings coach, climbing the ladder along the way. He and Klint Kubiak, the Vikings’ current offensive coordinator, are still close.

We also know that he’s very analytical, which is one of the top words colleagues and close friends use to describe him. Early in Stefanski’s days as an offensive coordinator, he referenced a study that showed teams don’t need to establish the run for play-action passes to work, something the analytics community had been preaching for years.

Finally, we know that Stefanski seems to make a strong impression on those he interacts with. Cook still sings his praises. Zimmer applauded his ability to work with Kubiak. Vikings ownership loves him. Kirk Cousins even said Stefanski’s presence was part of why he chose Minnesota when he was the big prize of the 2018 free agency class.

“I actually got to meet him at the Senior Bowl back in 2012,” Cousins said, referencing when Stefanski was on the Senior Bowl staff that coached the team Cousins shared with Russell Wilson and Kellen Moore. “Kevin was younger at that time, but you could see that he was going places, he knew football, he was a good communicator. And so I was really excited when I signed in free agency that he was going to be my quarterback coach. That was a huge plus of coming to Minnesota, and then it was just a natural fit to have him as the OC and the play caller in 2019. Then he earned the right to be a head coach and has proven that as well. (He’s) one of the many people I could point to in my football career that I’ve been very fortunate to get to work alongside, and (I’m) grateful that our paths crossed.”

Jackson: After (a strange) 20 months, this is still a tough one to answer. He’s polite and cordial, but he’s certainly not programmed to give the media any more in his answers than he’s required to give. We know he has commanded respect in the building and now throughout the league. I think we know he’s aggressive with his play calls and his overall football mindset, but he really does treat each situation and each game as its own entity. That’s not just coachspeak. He has no blanket philosophy for how he’s going to handle a fourth-down decision or a time management situation. We just know he’s going to be prepared and his decisions are going to be well thought out, and that’s a major upgrade from the ghosts of Browns teams past.

Coming into this week, we didn’t expect him to say much about his time in Minnesota — that’s just not his style, nor is it like him to openly talk about himself. He just doesn’t do it. But he revealed a little more than I thought he would, and in typical fashion, he gave a bunch of credit to Zimmer and the Vikings organization as a whole.

“I was fortunate to be there for a long time and saw a bunch of different coaches come through — some really good coaches and varying philosophies,” Stefanski said. “I will tell you that was probably the best thing for me to learn under different systems. It helped me grow as a coach.”

Stefanski said he remains “very, very close” to Klint Kubiak, but he also pointed out — with a wry smile — that “nobody’s talking to anybody this week.” He’s busy trying to win a game, one he’ll never admit to treating differently than any other.


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Great read thanks so much for sharing this piece oob.....


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From Yesterday Oct 1.

BEREA, Ohio – Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski answered questions from reporters following Friday’s practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.

Here’s a transcript, as provided by the Browns’ media-relations department:

Opening statement:

“Good week of practice. Just finished up this Friday practice. I thought the guys were locked in. We know it is a huge challenge this week facing a really good football team in a tough environment. We are going to have to really be about our business, and the preparation continues into today and tomorrow.”


On if T Jedrick Wills Jr. is in a similar situation to last week regarding the practice week and potential availability for the game:

“I can’t say that he is exactly where he was last week, but he had good work in his limited work there today.”

On if he is more or less optimistic about Wills playing compared to last week:

“I can’t remember last week. I would just tell you he did nice in his limited work, but it is something that we will monitor over the next 48 hours.”

On if Wills is rusty after limited practice time in recent weeks or is where needed:

“I think he is progressing accordingly and then we will see when he is ready to go.”

On the importance of DE Jadeveon Clowney being a bookend for DE Myles Garrett as Clowney recorded two sacks last week:

“I thought he did a nice job. He has been applying pressure pretty consistently in these first three games. He is a very long player. I thought he has done a nice job. He plays very hard. All of those guys, whether you are playing opposite Myles or next to Myles, you are assuming that Myles is going to get a ton of attention, and that has opened up some opportunities for those guys.”


On Vikings QB Kirk Cousins getting the ball out quickly and avoiding sacks:


“Yeah, he gets the ball out of his hands. He does a nice job of avoiding sacks.”

On what LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah needs to do to receive an expanded role on defense:

“All of these guys earn their role and then their role grows based on what they do on the practice field and do on the game field. I know he did not have a ton of snaps with the defense [last week], but the defense did not have a ton of snaps last week. He is coming along. He is doing a nice job. He is working hard.”

On if the Browns did everything desired with WR Odell Beckham Jr. last week and if there is more the team can do with Beckham as the season progresses:

“Week to week, you are constantly evolving from a schematic standpoint. Definitely with the players, as a guy maybe like Odell, you come off an injury and there is maybe more you can do. There is a rookie and you are growing his role, there is more you can do. I think it is evolving with all of our guys.”


On if has noticed a change in Beckham in practice regarding getting healthier and stronger:

“He has been practicing hard for a long time now. Going back through training camp, I know he was limited a bunch of those days, but he practices very hard.”

On if the Browns increased the level of fake crowd noise even more this week during practice specifically to prepare for US Bank Stadium:

“No, I do not think we dialed it up. We try to turn it all the way up and what we are capable of with those speakers. That is part of life on the road in the NFL. We saw it at Arrowhead. You have to really be on point in your operation offensively, and this place is going to require the same of you, as well.”

On if the Browns are more comfortable kicking FGs from 50+ yards away, given the increased attempts across the NFL this season:

“I do not think we have changed our way of thinking. (K) Chase (McLaughlin), when you hit those 50s and when you have a good warmup and those type of things, if we are in a position where we can’t go for it and it does not make sense to punt, I think Chase has proven to be… He has hit a couple, and he has had a nice week of practice. I think it will be a game by game when you make those decisions.”


On if the strong practice from the Browns defense last week carried over into practice this week:

“The goal is to keep having that best practice every week. I would tell you that we certainly gave them the message on Monday and even after the game that the way you practice is how you play. I thought the guys had a really nice week of practice, and in particular, today I thought was really good.”

On if the Browns gameplan for the week expecting opponents to approach Garrett, Clowney and Beckham a certain way and then adjust during the game if the opponent does something different:

“Yeah, I think we go into it every week, and you play that game out and you say, ‘How do we think they are going to play us?’ and ‘If they do this this, we will do that.’ Take it back to last week, No. 33 (Bears DB Jaylon Johnson) followed Odell around in that game. They could do the same thing this week. They could put (Vikings CB) Patrick Peterson on him throughout the game. We will see early if that is what their plan is, and we have to adjust accordingly.”


On if there has been any contact from the Kubiak family this week:

“Radio silence.”

On if he has received any extra text messages from people in Minnesota this week:

“No. Truly, this is a big game. You have to go on the road and try to win versus a really good football team. That has all of our full attention.”


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Nice having Chris Rock back...



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Thanks for posting those. I heard Stefanski on the radio. It wasn’t his best coached game, but I think we all realize he’s also covering up for Baker .. Baker was BAD today, regardless of what coaching mistakes he thinks he made


"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
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I htijnk the biggest coaching mistake was the number of times we passed the ball in the red zone. Clearly our run game was working. Clearly Baker was having an off day.

1st and goal from the 4 should have been 4 runs. JMO


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I agree. He was trying too much there. The TD run with Hunt could have been done 3-4 times IMO


"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
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Originally Posted By: Jester
I htijnk the biggest coaching mistake was the number of times we passed the ball in the red zone. Clearly our run game was working. Clearly Baker was having an off day.

1st and goal from the 4 should have been 4 runs. JMO


He was trying to get Baker and Obj some confidence. Should have been easy pitch and catches.

I am confused by the critiques of the playcalling when it was the execution that was poor.

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The triple move to OBJ on the goal line was actually a good call IMO and a good move by OBJ … Baker threw it like into the stands LOL

He’s not playing well right now. We need him to be GOOD to win in the playoffs, we need him to be AVERAGE to have another year like last year, but he’s way below that right now


"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
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Quote:
I am confused by the critiques of the playcalling when it was the execution that was poor.


I mostly agree with this, as those receivers were wide open. But there should have been a point where Stefanski recognized that Baker couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and not called those pass plays at such crucial times later in the game.

About the only consolation I took from Baker yesterday was that even with his wild inaccuracy, he was able to throw the ball where it couldn't be picked off.


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And to a point I agree with you as it pertains to running the ball goal to go at the four yard line. I'm not actually trying to beat up on Stefanski though. I mean any way you look at it that would be a very short pass attempt so if your QB can hit anything at all, that would be the situation that he should be able to.

However, I'm not afraid to admit I'm old school. If you have a good running game and you have a first down at the four yard line, I always think you should run the ball four straight times.


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My biggest gripe with Stefanski - and hopefully he changes with the way our defense has performed in the last two games - is his aggression in going for it on those fourth downs vs taking the field goal(s).

I get it when you're doing that against the Chiefs, because you have to punch the metaphorical gorilla in the face. Against most teams, though, you don't want to leave those (almost) sure points out there, especially when your kicker is showing more and more that he's reliable.

I wouldn't have had a near ulcer on the Vikes last drive had it been a 10 point lead vs 7.


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It sounds like you're more old school like I am.

For years on this board I kept reading where analytics said that any time you're inside the 50, the numbers say you should always go for it on fourth down and short. I have no idea how true that is but that was the word on this very board.

While I'm not pointing towards you in particular, for the most part fans go with what works. Had we have been successful on that play and made it into the end zone fans would love it. They would compliment how aggressive Stefanski was. Since it didn't work you see backlash from a lot of people that would have been happy and not questioned the call if it worked.

I tend to lean in your direction. Such a short field goal means almost sure points on the board. I like points. wink

But I have no idea if the actual analytics supports my feelings on the matter.


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Stefanski is the Uber analytics guy, as you said. Old school approach to going for it, taking points, etc isn’t calculated into his decisions. It’s basically all about what the numbers say in situations. Right or wrong, we’re going to almost always go for it in those spots


"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
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I certainly don't have a problem with it. Like I said, if it had worked we would all be hearing about how great it is that Stefanski is so aggressive.


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I think it's more than just a pure numbers thing. It comes down to trust and belief in your offense just as much as what the numbers say to do.

9 times out of 10, I trust our offense to convert those 4th downs. We've just hit a really bad stretch where we're struggling and rolling craps.


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Originally Posted By: PitDAWG
It sounds like you're more old school like I am.

For years on this board I kept reading where analytics said that any time you're inside the 50, the numbers say you should always go for it on fourth down and short. I have no idea how true that is but that was the word on this very board.

While I'm not pointing towards you in particular, for the most part fans go with what works. Had we have been successful on that play and made it into the end zone fans would love it. They would compliment how aggressive Stefanski was. Since it didn't work you see backlash from a lot of people that would have been happy and not questioned the call if it worked.

I tend to lean in your direction. Such a short field goal means almost sure points on the board. I like points. wink

But I have no idea if the actual analytics supports my feelings on the matter.


Yeah, I appreciate analytics, but I'm dumb when it comes to following them and knowing what the numbers say I should do.

That being said, I am definitely more old school. When Stefanski went for 2 after the Sheldon penalty, I was wringing my hands, too, but I was glad that it worked out.


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Originally Posted By: Rishuz
Originally Posted By: Jester
I htijnk the biggest coaching mistake was the number of times we passed the ball in the red zone. Clearly our run game was working. Clearly Baker was having an off day.

1st and goal from the 4 should have been 4 runs. JMO


He was trying to get Baker and Obj some confidence. Should have been easy pitch and catches.

I am confused by the critiques of the playcalling when it was the execution that was poor.


I agree with the idea of trying to get Baker and OBJ some confidence. But you don't do that in the red zone. You do that in the middle of the field. The red zone is classically the toughest place to move the ball.

Others have talked about running the 4 out of 4 times. I am not that old school. I favor a 75% run ratio. I am offended by a 75% passing rate in the red zone.

Last edited by Jester; 10/04/21 03:36 PM.

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I don't buy the "they're trying to get Baker & OBJ confidence" thing. Not for a second.

One, they're both uber-confident in their own right. These aren't wilting wallflowers we're talking about.
Two, they've been working with each other all offseason as soon as OBJ could get on a field again.


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For the record, I don't know if they were planning that or not. But I could understand the concept someone else mentioned.

I think confidence might be the wrong word. I think do something to get them in a rhythm.


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Ski Presser 10/6/21

BEREA, Ohio – Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski answered questions from reporters prior to Wednesday’s practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.

Here’s a transcript, as provided by the Browns’ media-relations department:

Opening statement:

“Going on the road again versus a really good football team. They are 3-1 coming off of two big wins against division opponents. They are doing a really nice job. Offense, defense and special teams, we are going to have our work cut out for us. They are plus-three in turnover margin. They are doing a nice job really on all three sides of the ball with their scheme. They have a bunch of good players. It is going to be a big week of preparation, getting to know these guys and going to school on their schemes and then having some really good days of practice out here.”


On if potential concerns about Browns players who will not participate in practice not being able to play on Sunday:

“With all of those guys, we will see how the week goes. Just being smart about some of those things.”

On if the Browns are ruling out T Jedrick Wills Jr.:

“No.”

On CB Greg Newsome II’s status:

“I think he is the one guy I would rule out – Greg Newsome.”

On if the plan is for LB Anthony Walker Jr. to return on Sunday:

“He is going to practice today. We have to see. With any of these guys coming off of an injury, we just have to see. We have seen them move around in their rehab but definitely want to see the practice football first.”

On the challenges of traveling to the west coast and if that adds extra difficulty to the game:

“I do not think so. It is a nice plane (laughter). It is not like you have someone sitting next to you. We spread out so they do a great job here traveling our guys.”

On describing QB Baker Mayfield’s accuracy drop in the past few weeks:


“You can always point your finger at a few things, but we missed a couple of guys, and we are going to work really hard to make sure we hit them this week. I have seen Baker have great success in games, and I have no doubt that we will work at it this week.”

On if Mayfield is experiencing a mechanical issue:

“All of our guys get graded on their technique every single play. Certainly, at the quarterback position, you want to try and make sure your mechanics are right. Baker does a great job out here working on his technique, and we will just have to continue to do that.”

On if G Joel Bitonio means a lot to the team and Bitonio seeming to be playing well as Bitonio approaches his 100th start:

“Confirmed. All of those things, yes. He is doing a great job. He is playing at a really high level. He is doing a nice job in the run game and the pass game. He is very dependable and playing a very physical brand of football.”


On if he knew Bitonio would be a great fit before being named head coach:

“I went back and watched tape of him when (49ers Head) Coach (Kyle) Shanahan was here with him, and he really fits what we do.”

On potential concerns with WR Odell Beckham Jr. having seven receptions on 16 targets:

“It really is not [a concern] guys. It is a concern any time we do not have a completion, but the amount of balls we are throwing down the field in particular to Odell, I think you have to be realistic about what that completion percentage can be. Now, there are opportunities that we have to do better, and I have to do better. We will work at that, but I feel good about where we are.”


On the Browns should run shorter routes with Beckham to get the ball in Beckham’s hands:


“Ultimately, the answer lies always somewhere in the middle. We are looking to get our good players the ball any which way. We threw Odell a screen. We handed him the ball. Those are always going to be parts of how we think when you are putting together the gameplan.”

On if he is pleased with LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s performance as the role expands:

“Yeah, and I think that is the key there – it is expanding because he is earning that role. He is competing. The more you show our coaches what you can do, the more that we are going to ask you to do. His role will continue to grow.”

On attempting two-point conversions after penalties by the opponent and the benefit of that extra yard:

“It is dependent on a lot of things. It is dependent on the play we have in mind a lot of times. If we do not love the play from the one, we will probably kick it, put it on the kickoff and make sure we kick it nice and high and cover. There will be times – and I think there have already been times – where we have applied it to the kickoff, and there will be times we will go for it because we likely feel good about our play.”


On if there is an advantage to watching an opponent on live TV, referencing the Chargers playing the Raiders on Monday night:

“I do not think so. We prepare based on the tape we have available to us and then we all do some TV scouting and watch it. You get in the office the next morning and watch it again. I thought they played great the other night against a really quality opponent. They played a physical game. For us, we got to see that stadium and find out it is not an indoor stadium – that was news to me (laughter). There is some really good tape on this team, and they have played some really good football. Even the loss that they had was a really close game.”

On his comment about not kicking FGs inside the 30 during the preseason and if that also applies to the regular season:

“All of those instances depend on so many factors. Ultimately, we really, really value seven points versus three. I know that is a difference of four, but we really believe in those sevens because in this game, you typically have to score a bunch of points. We won a game last week 14-7. That is not typical in the NFL. You have to score a bunch of points. It will be dependent on a bunch of factors. If those factors tell us we should take the three points in those instances, we will, but I just think that difference – I know it is four points – it seems is huge.”


On what Chargers OLB Joey Bosa does so well:

“He is very, very slippery and powerful and very good against the run and very good against the pass. His motor never stops. He is an elite player.”

On the Browns protection this season, given the increased number of sacks compared to last season:

“Sack numbers, I need to do a better job. I think three of them have been on fourth down. I need to do a better job there.”

On if T Chris Hubbard may be ready to return this week:

“I think we will see. I think we will see how he does at practice.”

On if Hubbard’s availability impacts the Browns’ decision regarding Wills’ status:

“No.”

On Chargers QB Justin Herbert:

“Great size. Great skillset throwing the ball. Athletic. I think he has good command of what they are doing and what they are asking him to do. He is spreading the ball around to a bunch of their playmakers. He is playing at a really high level.”


On if he has crossed paths with Chargers Head Coach Brandon Staley during his coaching career:

“I have not. I have met him a couple of times, but we did not really cross paths. A great coach obviously.”

On if the Chargers seem to take a similar approach regarding fourth-down attempts:

“I think they are definitely playing aggressive. They are coaching aggressive. They had three fourth down [attempts] this past game. They are converting so they are doing a nice job.”

On if there is any discomfort pointing out QBs errors with the team, given the emphasis on accountability:

“No. No. Never. I think all of our guys at every position, they want transparency from their coaches. We point out the good and point out the bad because we want to correct. That is true for every single one of our players.”

On if the Browns point out positives and negatives with the players on Monday morning:


“We do that with the players Monday at 11 o’clock.”

On the balance between saying he needs to call better plays and Mayfield saying he wants to play better:

“We are trying to find a way to win each game. Ultimately, we found a way to get a win last week, a great team win. We have to go on the road and do it again. I just know there are areas that all of us can do better.”

On if Mayfield can pull from past games with lower performances to call on now:

“I understand that it is the quarterback so he gets a lot of the attention. I just think we need to make sure we work real hard here at practice, and I know that we will do that.”

On how the Browns offense being aggressive on fourth down impacts an opponent’s defense:

“Again, it is not just aggressive for the sake of being aggressive. We are trying to be smart and aggressive in a lot of those areas. Those are things we talk about way in advance so it is not just in the moment that you are making decisions. We try to take as much information as we can prior to those moments, and then when those moments come up, use all of the information that we have learned as the game has unfolded. I think any team and any defense, our defense included, understands that there are a bunch of times that you are going to have to stop a team on four downs nowadays.”


On if the Browns will apply any tips with the team to ease the potential impact of playing on the west coast and the time change:

“We have talked about it as a staff. We have a bunch of coaches who have been on east coast time for a lot of their careers so we kind of came up with a plan and make sure that we get out there and have a great night of meetings and make sure the guys are ready to go on Sunday.”

On determining whether the team will travel on Friday or Saturday for the west coast trip this weekend:

“We will go in Saturday. We are not going to go in on Friday.”

On if the Browns discussed whether or not to travel to Los Angeles on Friday or Saturday:

“We talked about it, yeah. The other thing is with the days of COVID, we do not want to spend too long not in our own homes.”


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From 10/8/21

BEREA, Ohio – Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski answered questions from reporters following Friday’s practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.

Here’s a transcript, as provided by the Browns’ media-relations department:

Opening statement:

“Looking forward to the challenge this week. A really good football team. They are really good on all three sides of the ball and well coached. I know our guys understand the challenge that we have. It has been a good week of practice. We will get out there and look forward to seeing our fans in that building. I know our fans travel well, and we will see them in L.A.”


On DE Myles Garrett’s status:

“Limited yesterday. Did not practice today. We will see how it goes in the next 48 hours.”

On T Jedrick Wills Jr. being listed as questionable:

“Yes.”

On if Wills is doing extra work behind the scenes and if Wills has a chance to play on Sunday:

“Yeah, I think he has a chance to play, but we will continue to evaluate him, and again, use the next 48 hours to make that determination.”

On who would start at LT if Wills is unable to play, given T Chris Hubbard was listed as out:

“I would not say who would be the guy.”

On details on Garrett’s status:

“He is sore.”


On confirming Garrett is dealing with lower body soreness:

“Yes.”

On QB Baker Mayfield playing through a shoulder injury and any potential concerns with the nature of the injury:

“I can’t speculate about what the concern would be. I would just tell you, he has told you guys that it is not a concern of his, and I have watched him practice, and he has done a nice job.”

On if the Browns will activate LB Anthony Walker Jr. from injured reserve prior to Sunday:

“He looked good to me out there. We will see what we do here in the next couple of days.”


On if Mayfield has needed to change throwing mechanics due to the shoulder injury:


“I do not believe so, no.”

On how T James Hudson III performed in practice this week:

“He is working hard. He is a young man who since the day he got here, he works very, very hard, and he has a couple of coaches who want to work with him. He has done a nice job.”

On if Garrett gave him a gift after the Vikings game, given the comments Garrett made in a postgame TV interview:

“He did not.”

On the Chargers defense:


“They do a really nice job. Multiple personnel groupings. Multiple versions of nickel. Multiple versions of their base. They can line up in different fronts. They do a really nice job in coverage. I have seen the coverage elements with (Chargers Head) Coach (Brandon) Staley and with (Broncos Head) Coach (Vic) Fangio and what they did together in Chicago, and of course, it has evolved. They just do a really nice job. They play really sound coverage to match with their really physical front.”

On the Chargers hurrying up to the line on some third or fourth downs and if that presents a challenge to the defense:

“A lot of teams are mixed tempo throughout a series – it is not just it is full speed or up tempo for a series. Sometimes you get in and out of it. They have done a nice job of that. Defensively, we have to get aligned very quickly. You will see them get aligned very quickly, and they are snapping the ball so we have to do the same and use our rules to our advantage.”

On if Walker is good to go:

“He has looked good.”


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His press conferences remind me of a line from a song I really like. "You say it best, when you say nothing at all." To me it's like an art form.


Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.

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I pretty much know exactly what I'm going to get from a Ski presser: enough to keep me interested, but never enough to be satisfied.

It's brilliant and beautiful.


He's probably a ruthless chess player... and I'm pretty sure his poker game has no 'tell.'
If you can't tell- Clemmy's a fan.


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Originally Posted By: PitDAWG
His press conferences remind me of a line from a song I really like. "You say it best, when you say nothing at all." To me it's like an art form.


He's a lot like Belichick.. Direct and short answers to questions, non committal and succinct. All of that but a whole lot less threatening and cryptic.. LOL He's actually pleasant about it...Unlike Belichick. I actually enjoy him not telling me anything....LOL


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“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”
Daniel Patrick Moynahan

"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe."
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