SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR CHRIS HORTON
Opening Statement: "Good to see everyone. I hope you guys are all doing well. Just a quick little recap from the game. [I'm] very pleased with our guys and really just taking advantage of the opportunities that we are getting. Is it always perfect? No. I think there's a lot of things to work on, because we still aren't playing our best football, but we do believe, and we do understand that that's our track, and that's the trajectory that we are on. Our guys are playing hard, [and] they're playing physical. We are blocking people. We're just waiting to get more opportunities and more plays. [I'm] looking forward to this week. We've got a Cleveland Browns team – a division game [and] a team that has a pretty good special teams unit from a personnel standpoint. We've got to go out there; we've got to really focus on us and executing our gameplan, so we can go out there and try to have, again, our best game moving forward. Questions?"
There's only been one team that's allowed an onside kick, and you've done it twice. What's happened, and what can you do about it? (Bo Smolka) "One of the things is we just try to shake up our personnel a little bit. Obviously, it's not a situation where ... It has happened twice, but we get it right the second time. We've got to get it right the first time. I think we know what to do; we just got to execute in that situation. We understand those are high-leverage situations, and I think maybe moving some piece around [and] putting guys in different spots will really give us that ability to take care of that. Other than that, that's really it. I don't think it's a problem where there's like this big old fire. And it's happened twice against us, but there's ways that I truly believe that if we just execute the play like we've done the second time on both of these onside kicks, we'd be fine. We've got to get it done the first time."
Head coach John Harbaugh said the other day talking about the onside kicks that not everybody wants to be on the hands team. What do you look for other than, obviously, guys with good hands? What does that sort of mean to you to want to be on that? (Brian Wacker) "It's probably just one of those situations. Again, I said it's a high-leverage situation. I think you have to just understand the guys that you are putting out there – one, you've got to have guys that can catch the ball, but part of the part is, you've got to have guys that want to go get the football, as well, if the play isn't blocked. And for the most part, guys are out there, [and] they got to block guys. They got to throw their body in front of guys to give their teammates an opportunity to field that ball. Other than that, it's not too much to it. You look across the league – the kicks are the kicks. Whoever's out there – all 10 guys, 11 guys – the job is to field the ball. It doesn't really matter who gets it, just at the end of the play, we have to have the ball."
ILB Josh Ross was waived, then claimed by the Seahawks. He's been a consistent special teams contributor. What's that kind of loss going to be like? (Jeff Zrebiec) "I just think as for Josh [Ross] – you're excited for him, because he's going to get to go and he's going to be on the active roster [for Seattle]; and what he's done for us really over the last three years – he's been a phenomenal player. He's a guy – he's a versatile guy – a guy you can move around and just plug and play. He can play multiple positions across the board on every phase. Looking forward to what we have – we still have players I believe on our team that could fill his role and do the things that he's done. I don't think we're in a situation where we're in panic. Yes, Josh was a good player for us, but we still believe we have good players on our team that can fill that role."
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR TODD MONKEN
You've been successful in putting up points in the first quarter – I think last week was the first time you didn't. As far as scripting, how many plays do you script? And has it changed over the years since you've been an offensive coordinator? (Jamison Hensley) "We script the first 12 [plays]; that's normal bounds. Getting back on track on third downs is going to be a little bit different situationally. [The] red zone would be different. What came up with the Commanders, that would've been different once we got down there."
With QB Lamar Jackson's command over the pre-snap this year, some of the guys have talked really positively about that. What have you seen even since the start of the year from him, in terms of getting better at that ability and making sense of it in the last couple of weeks? (Kyle Goon) "I've said to a lot of people – I thought we did a great job of streamlining who we wanted to be. [It's Lamar Jackson's] second year in the system, [and] I think he's more comfortable with the verbiage. I think we're doing a better job of presenting things to him systemically so, it's a lot of everything. He's always had the keys to what we do, it's just a matter of us doing it better as a staff, doing better as a team, and then him feeling comfortable about whatever he's getting us into. A play, a call, a protection, whatever that might be. To me, that's just an evolution of playing, being together, and a comfort level of just doing it more consistently."
Has it always been like this for you in all of your stops as a coordinator to where the quarterback has as much reign or power on the field as QB Lamar Jackson has right now? (Cordell Woodland) "You'd like it to be. You'd like the center and the quarterback – the epicenter of everything that you do – to have freedom to center in terms of IDs and protection checks, and then quarterback to get us in the right play and protect himself. I think whenever you empower people, you empower coaches – that's what a coordinator does – empower our staff. Everybody is involved in what we do. And then you empower the players and empower the quarterback – I think you just get more out of people. Not everybody wants that, because then you have to own it. When you change something, and it doesn't work, like I've said, now you're me. Now you're upset when the [stuff] doesn't work. So you just have to be ready to do that; you have to own it. When you become involved – in anything in life – when you become more involved, there's a lot more of the good and the bad of it, so that's where we want to go. That's where I think every player wants to be, especially every quarterback."
When you transitioned into more of 12 personnel, a 21-personnel type of offense this offseason, early in the season, did you expect to be this explosive? (Jonas Shaffer) "It's still week to week. We can't carry over points and yards. I say that every week, 'We have to do it this week.' We've even evolved during the season from the beginning of the season until now without a preseason, really with Derrick [Henry] and Lamar [Jackson] ... Some of that's part of it. Maybe that's a little bit of an excuse, but as you get going, you're like, 'Ok, who? Who is it we want to be. Who do we need to be? How do we utilize our personnel?' And that's ever evolving. I don't know in three or four weeks where we'll be at that point, but we do have good players, [and] we have really good coaches that do a great job each week with our gameplans and areas, so that gives us a chance, and [we're] trying to take advantage of – without being too predictable – the skill sets that they have, because all of them have some sort of an elite skill set that you can utilize here and there [in] different parts of your offense."
QB Lamar Jackson got a lot of attention for being a lead blocker on RB Derrick Henry's cutback run there, but also the thing on WR Rashod Bateman's 59-yard catch, he's the first guy there to actually help him up. 60 yards down the field after he threw it, he's the first guy there. When you see that resonate, what does that mean to the rest of the team when players see their star quarterback have the willingness to be like that? (Pete Gilbert) "[Lamar Jackson] just likes to play football. He's like a big kid. He's fun to be around. It's rare that, from my perspective, he has a bad day. I'm sure he does, but you have to love his personality and how much he loves to play football. He loves to compete [and] loves to win, and that's a great start. That's what shows up. At that moment, he's not afraid of getting hurt. He's not afraid of pulling a hamstring. He's happy for his teammates, he's happy for us, he's happy that we're having success, and I think that's an unbelievable attribute."
Over the last three games, there's been some snap issues from C Tyler Linderbaum and QB Lamar Jackson out of the shotgun. I think they've all been kind of different. This week, it seemed like a timing issue with WR Zay Flowers going into motion. Is there a common thread between some of those issues of getting the snap to Lamar Jackson? Or are you just asking Tyler Linderbaum or anybody in the offense to do more? (Kyle Goon) "Not really. The ones in Cincinnati, [Lamar Jackson] dropped it. I'm not trying to put it on him, so I don't want it to sound like that, but the snap was fine. The one in the game the other day, Lamar had signaled for the motion, and unfortunately, Tyler [Linderbaum] had lifted his head to look to make a change, and then Lamar was trying to get the ball. But it really doesn't matter, we can't have it. You can't have the ball on the ground, I don't care who it is – tailback, wideout, quarterback. It puts you in a tough spot; it really does. The anxiety at the end of the game, we added to [it] with the penalties, the ball on the ground – [there's] a lot to clean up, really. There was a lot of good, but there's a lot there to clean up that put us in some really long third downs and got us out of [the] red zone. [It] was like, 'What the heck,' but it is what it is. We have good players that helped us survive that and get us out of that, but that's not a recipe for success as we all know. It hasn't been an issue in the totality of the couple of years that I've been here, but it has been in the last few games, and obviously, we have to get it cleaned up."
You say you had the plays that don't work, but is the lateral something you'd like to have back? What was it about that play? Was it just not executed properly? Other than the obvious end result? (Jeff Zrebiec) "It's bad football. It put them back in the game. There's no other way to put it; it can't happen. Not with me who's running it or us doing it – it's just bad football. That's what gave them life. They may say differently on that side, but if we just took a knee three times and punted it, we would've been better off than that. That's an obvious; it can't happen. It can't be a lateral; [we] can't end up with the ball on the ground, and we have to get him on the ground. Yes, we touched his knee, but for God's sakes, [Zyon McCollum] carried us for 20 yards. We're tougher than that."
So it wasn't a designed lateral? (Pete Gilbert) "No."
You've worked with QB Jameis Winston. Did you get any time this week to talk to defensive coordinator Zach Orr about him, his trends, his tells, or is there just not anything there because he's in a different offense now? (Bo Smolka) "It's different. It's been six years since we've worked with Jameis [Winston], and I was there three years with Jameis, and I love Jameis. He loves football. You have to love guys that love football. He loves football. People say that they love football, but that dude loves football. He loves his teammates; he owns it. When we were at Tampa, he never threw the coaches under the bus, he owned it, he works awfully hard. There's a lot to love about Jameis Winston."
Against the blitz, you've had a lot of success against it. What are some of the things that you guys have done to make that happen, and does QB Lamar Jackson have, in any way, more tools or more talent to deal with it than he has in the past? (Cliff Brown) "All of the above. I mean, I think we're doing a better job schematically. We're doing a better job [in] protection. Lamar [Jackson]'s doing a better job of understanding where to go with the ball [and] how to get it out. It's all of that. He has more at his disposal – it's not usually just one thing. There's a lot of factors that [go] into being successful on any one play that comes up, but especially against pressure – is us consistently doing the same things over and over and over. There was one where they overloaded the back – it might've been in the two-minute where he got it out very quickly with someone in his face. He's getting better at the anticipation of things. So, there's a lot of things that the guys are doing better, and we'll be challenged again this week. That's what we've been getting every week is pressure. Different forms of it; different variations of it. I think that's what we're going to continue to see."
Is the goal to be almost like you welcome teams blitzing, because obviously they're taking a risk when they do it? Is it almost like you kind of relish to go against the blitz now? (Cliff Brown) "Well, I mean, it gives you confidence moving forward to be able to execute when teams are bringing different forms of pressure. To say that I relish that? No, I would rather everybody play us [in] four-down and quarters and just line up. That would be a hell of a lot more fun. We could go home at 8 o'clock at night and not be up all night worrying about every single dang pressure you can see, and the players you go against that are elite, but that is what makes you earn your money – is how you protect, how you handle looks, and then adjusting to how you see it, and our players and our coaches have done a great job of that. Like I said, I'm just the guy that calls it. The guys are the ones that have to get it executed, and the coaches are really the guys that get it done."
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ZACH ORR
Is there an extra layer this week preparing for Cleveland's new quarterback and new play caller? (Morgan Adsit) "We're kind of looking at it as a blessing in disguise, because what we've trying to preach the last couple weeks is we obviously have got to know our opponent, know the personnel to have the best plan to defeat them, but it's really about us and our rules and our fundamentals and playing that. So, obviously, they've got a quarterback who you don't have much film on this year, with these type of players, in this system, and you've got a new play caller, who hasn't called plays with this personnel, so it's definitely going to be a little bit of unknown, but that just makes us focus on our job even more."
Did you guys take your foot off the gas in the fourth quarter last week? What happened in the last seven minutes? (Todd Karpovich) "I don't think we took our foot off the gas, from a physical standpoint, [but] I think we did have a couple mental lapses in that fourth quarter, and that was frustrating. That was frustrating and disappointing. We were happy we won the game, but we kind of felt really bad. And the thing that we've been talking about these last couple days is it's how you finish; we're just talking about just in life, in general. It's now how you start; it's how you finish. And our players did a hell of a job from, really, the second quarter all the way through that fourth quarter, and then the fourth quarter was terrible, and that's what everybody is going to talk about – rightfully so. So, we've definitely got to finish better. It's something that we have to do if we want to be the team that we want to be. We have to finish and close out games on defense. But we'll look at it now – this is, what, Week 8 – and just kind of like I said, it's not how you start; it's how you finish. We're looking [at] finishing strong the rest of the season, especially in the fourth quarter."
How has CB Marlon Humphrey progressed from the start of the season to now? (Sam Cohn) "Man, I just see ... [Marlon Humphrey] has been working hard. We knew in camp ... It was like, 'Man, Marlo is back. He's back to that All-Pro, Pro Bowl level.' And credit to him; he's been in his playbook, he's been out here working, and we've been able to move him from different spots. He played nickel, played at corner, and he's made plays. He's made plays. He's been a big part of our defense. I think he's already got four interceptions. He's been lockdown in coverage. He's been great in the run, great as a blitzer. So, I'm really proud of Marlon – just how he's approached and attacked every single day. I think he sees that and we see that his play got back to a high level. I think he's probably playing [the] highest-level football he's probably ever played in his career."
With the secondary having its struggles, what can a two-interception game do for that entire group (Sam Cohn) "Well, it changed the game, and we talk about it, man. It's like, at the end of the day, if you want to play good defense, yes, you can stop people and get people off the field, but the best way to play good defense is [to] get the ball. The most important thing in football is the football, and our job is to take the ball away and give the ball back to the offense. So, two takeaways like that just shows our guys that [if] you take the ball away, you can change the game. And what we were most proud about is [on] the takeaways Marlon [Humphrey] got, it was simple coverage, him just doing his fundamentals, him doing his technique, and then when the play presented itself to make it, he made it. So, we were happy about that."
In recent weeks, we've seen running backs come out of the backfield, and your defense being late to pick him up or not pick him up at all. Why is that happening, and what do you have to do to kind of fix that? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Yes, we've definitely got to get that fixed, because that's been happening too often. It's been a couple miscommunications, and it's been a couple things that I can help those guys out with. [We're] trying to get to some exotic looks, [but] teams are not letting us try to get into that. [They're] trying to speed brake and get backs out fast to the flat. So, that's an easy fix, and we anticipate [that] teams are going to continue to do that, so great."
With CB Marlon Humphrey's status up in the air this week, how encouraging was it to see CB Nate Wiggins play a career-high number of snaps, make plays on the ball and cover well? Just, what are you seeing from him, as far as his progression now? (Luke Jones) "It's great to see Nate [Wiggins] back out here in practice, man. He needs it, just like any player. Especially a young player, the more they can practice, the more they can get in these games, the more experience they get, the better they're going to be, especially with Nate's talent. So, I think you've been seeing him get better game by game [and] practice by practice. And like we've said, he's really talented. He's one of our most talented guys, especially coming out of the draft, and he's right on par with [where] we expect him to be. So, him being out here at practice, him continuing to play in these games, you're going to continue to see his level of play rise."
Is CB Nate Wiggins a good challenge to coach, in the sense that he's been credited with quite a few passes defensed, but also has had some of the penalties with getting a little too handsy? Is that a fine balance with wanting to coach the proper technique but not wanting to take that aggressiveness away from him? (Luke Jones) "Oh, yes, definitely, definitely. We like our guys playing aggressive, and we always coach them up. We always show them what's going to be called and what's not going to be called, especially in the defensive backfield. After five yards, you can't touch the guy, and any little tug, any little grab, they're going to call it, and you've got to expect them to call it. So, we try to teach our guys to play aggressive but play with our feet and play within the rules."
RB Nick Chubb didn't put a ton on tape last week, but from you did see, did he look like the Nick Chubb you remember? (Pete Gilbert) "Oh, yes. Oh, yes. He's still Nick Chubb. He had a run in the low red zone, probably about the five-yard line; they hit him at the five-yard line, and he ended up getting tackled at the one [-yard line], so the strength is still there. We know [that in his] first game back, they were kind of easing him back into that. We expect a Nick Chubb of old, which is a top running back in the league, and we expect them to give him the ball a lot more than they did last week."
How big of a boost is CB Arthur Maulet coming back for the secondary? (Todd Karpovich) "It's definitely a boost. 'Art' [Arthur Maulet] is a vet. 'Art' knows the system. He played a lot of good football for us last year. He was having a heck of a [training] camp before he had his little injury, so he just adds more depth to our secondary, adds another playmaker [and] adds another chess piece that we can use to help us out."
Last week, you were talking about needing to get 11 hats to the ball. Were you pleased with that part of the effort, and how do you kind of emphasize that out here in practice? (Bo Smolka) "Guys were getting hats to the ball, and credit to them. A lot of what's happening is we got screened a lot last game, and that's what teams are going to do. When teams see you pursuing the ball, they're going to run misdirection plays and screens to try to slow you down. So, I think that [getting] 11 hats to the ball was good. The effort has been fine. We challenged our guys today; 'Let's take it to a whole other level. Let's take it to another level. There is another level we can get to.' So, we've been pleased with the effort, but we know it can go up some more. Out here, you're just always coaching and preaching it; 'Get to the ball. Get to the ball. Get to the ball.' And then when you get into the meeting room, [you're] showing it and showing the good examples and showing the examples [where] they've got to get better."
Your defensive third-down conversion rate is a little bit higher than where you'd want it to be. What's the challenge of stopping a team on third down, as opposed to the first two downs? What goes into that, and where do you have to improve upon? (Kyle Phoenix) "The first thing [is] getting them into more third-and-long situations. [In] this last game, in particular, it was a lot of third-and-1, third-and-2, third-and-3, and obviously, we had to deal with the speed brakes in the backside to the flat. So, we've got to do a better job of stopping teams on third downs. When we stop teams on third down, shoot, we know we're pretty much going to win the game, but I think we help ourselves out by getting them into third-and-longer situations, where we can really tee off and attack quarterbacks and protections."
Two weeks into senior advisor Dean Pees being back and having a gameday role, what has he kind of contributed, and what is that ongoing dialogue like? (Jonas Shaffer) "It's been great. It's been wonderful. I literally just told [senior advisor Dean Pees] today; I said, 'Man, I appreciate you being here. You've helped us out in tremendous ways, and [I'm] glad that you came aboard.' And I think you can ask anybody on our staff about that, and I think you can ask our players. So, he's been a great – just personally, for me – just a great sounding board for me, as far as game planning, different ways to attack offenses that fit within what we do here and what he's done here [and] what he's done in the past at other places. And then [he's] just offering his advice for all the positions. Dean has been a coordinator for – what – 40-something plus years. I mean, he's probably forgotten more football than all of us here know combined. So, he's been great. He's been wonderful. On gameday, he's been great [with] offering suggestions [and] just keeping me updated [with] what the offenses are doing. So, we're very pleased with what he's doing here, and just as we continue to build that connection, I think the results are just going to continue to get better."
Has senior advisor Dean Pees been up in the booth on gameday? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, [senior advisor Dean Pees] has been up in the booth."
CB ARTHUR MAULET
On how it feels to be back: "It feels good. I'm ready. I don't have too many words. I'm ready to play."
On what it was like to watch this defense, particularly the pass defense, have their fair share of struggles: "It was tough, obviously, because I know I can help the guys. I'm big on communicating; that's part of my game. I can help my guys get aligned and confirming formations and all those types of things. So, it was kind of tough, but it's nothing major that they have to work on; it's just communication. We'll be fine. We just all have to play on the same string, have the same communication, and we'll be fine. It's nothing major."
On how frustrating it was to miss time: "It was really frustrating, because when I signed that two-year contract, I told 'Harbs' [head coach John Harbaugh] and the coaching staff [that] I want to make sure that they know that the investment they gave me, that it was worth [it]. So, for me, it kind of frustrated me, because it was my second year in the scheme, and I was ready to play. I was ready to prove myself, and I'm behind the eight ball right now, so I have a lot of stuff I need to make up on."
On what was going through his mind after the setback: "Obviously, it was tough, but for me, hard work prevails. It's just [about] getting back in the lab [and] getting back healthy [as] quickly as possible so I can get back on the field and help my team. So, that's all I was worried about – just how fast could I get back to help everyone."
On if it was helpful to observe what was going on: "A little bit, but honestly, I would rather be out there and going to war with my guys, if I could have it my way. But God has his own plans for everyone, so I'm ready to go out there and help them now."
On if his communication can be a bigger factor than just his play: "Yes, that's one of my niches that I'm really good at – communication, making sure everybody is on the same one accord, on the same string in the secondary. I'm the dirty work guy. I get my nose dirty. I do all the stuff that everybody doesn't want to do, so I'm cool with it."
On how he balances jumping back in but also coming back from an injury: "Honestly, I just pick up where I left off from training camp. I was making plays, [and] the guys were flying around. I can just plug in where I was early on in camp and hopefully help out the guys."
On if it's a challenge that there's no film when they're the first team to play the Browns after so many changes on offense: "Not really. They have [Nick] Chubb back. They're going to want to run the ball. It's AFC North football, and they want to keep the ball out of Lamar [Jackson]'s hands. So, they're going to want to run the ball, and we'll stop that, obviously. So then, we have to get them on third-and-long and stop the pass. That's what we have to do."
On how he feels physically: "I feel great."
On when he turned the corner: "Honestly, today was my first full, full, full practice. I feel really good. The training staff, they did a good job helping me. Everybody from the coaching staff to the [staff] in the weightroom, they did a good job of just keeping me mentally intact – just saying, 'Be patient, don't rush [yourself] back, and when you're ready to get back, just go full speed, and let's go.' So, I'm ready to go. I'm excited. I'm ready to play with my guys. Words can't even explain how excited I am."
On if there was a chance he could have played Monday: "Yes, but it is what it is."
ILB ROQUAN SMITH
On the tackle of Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin: "First and foremost, I just send prayers and a speedy recovery out to Chris [Godwin]. I have a lot of respect for him as a player, what he's accomplished throughout this league and the little I've seen from him, he seems like a good dude, from what I've heard, [and] a good family man. You never want to see anybody go down with any type of injury, but we play a very physical game, and it demands a lot. Bullets are flying pretty fast, but I never go into any game to injure any player. I want every player to go back home safe and sound to their family – maybe a little sore – but other than that, I definitely want you to get back home to your family all safe and sound."
On if he's heard from the NFL about his tackle: "That's not really something to discuss in this moment."
On how he views having a solid performance in Tampa Bay but the fourth quarter going haywire: "You just have to take the positives from it and knowing how many of those [missed opportunities], big opportunities that we did miss out on in a game – and knowing that those things would have happened, how much it would have changed the outcome of the game. When you think about it from that perspective, and then the little things that did come to bite us, just honing in on the small details when it gets late in the game and just having that boa constrictor mindset, like just squeezing the life out of each and every team and individual when they're out on the field against us."
On how he approaches this Cleveland game with a new starting quarterback and a new play caller: "Honestly, I don't think it makes anything tougher. I think it just allows us to just go out and be ourselves, play our defense. Humans are creatures of tendencies and habits and things like that, so a new play caller, things may be a little different in down and distance, but it's more of just coming out and playing our brand of football. We have a lot of respect for [Jameis] Winston and the career he's had. [He was a] Heisman winner [and] done a lot of great things, as well as with [Nick] Chubb coming back – [we're] expecting his [workload] to come a little more – and obviously, I have the utmost respect for a guy like Chubb, because I know how he works and the type of guy that he is."
On the physicality gets turned up more for an AFC North game: "No doubt about it. Truth be told, I think going against Cleveland and Pittsburgh, those are two of the most physical games of the year regardless of who you're playing. I think that's just what AFC North football is all about, so I pride myself on physicality, and I'm sure a lot of those guys do the same. I know for a fact that guys in this locker room pride themselves on physicality, so it's about who's going to be more physical Sunday, and that's who will win the game."
On how the defense is preparing to face RB Nick Chubb: "Like I said, [I have] a lot of respect for [Nick] Chubb and everything he's accomplished throughout his career and what he will accomplish. Yes, knowing last week was his first game back, then [we're] expecting his workload to go up a little bit more this week. With that being said, stopping the run – that's our goal each and every week, making a team one-dimensional. I feel if we do that – take the run away – then we can have some fun."
On how he thinks CB Marlon Humphrey has progressed this season: "They used to say [Marlon Humphrey] had hands like a snake, but now, the guy got on the jugs. He's been catching them. The guy has been busting his tail. The way he's been throughout [training] camp, OTAs and throughout the season, man, the guy is just honed in, focused on the details and just trying to take the team to that next level. I think the way he's been playing has been huge for our defense, and we definitely are going to need him along the stretch."
