Kevin Stefanski’s state of mind; Denzel Ward’s brain; What the Browns Show Us – Terry Pluto’s Postgame Doodles



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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Scribbles in my notebook after the Browns 22-17 win over Philadelphia:

1. “There is no such thing as a lousy win. It was a great victory for the guys. Those words were spoken by Kevin Stefanski after the Browns’ soggy victory. Other coaches said there were “no ugly wins”. But not all coaches are willing to stick with the race to “ugly wins” because the attack can look… well… ugly. And if you lose, everyone guesses, “Why didn’t you throw the ball more?”

2. Every good coach has an ego, but smart coaches know it’s best shown in terms of quiet confidence. The past two weeks, the Browns’ running game has gone almost nowhere in the first three quarters. Against the Eagles, they rushed for 18 rushing yards on 13 halftime carries. I thought, “They’ll have to come out throwing in the second half.” But in the second half, they had 119 yards on 27 carries.

3. Stefanski called a few passing games. Baker Mayfield struggled in the relentless rain, knocking over some open receivers. He also connected on some big passes: 43 yards to Rashard Higgins, 42 yards to KhaDarel Hodge. But for the most part he stuck with the race. In the fourth quarter, the Browns rushed for 77 yards.

4. “It’s who we are,” Nick Chubb said. “We know it will be tough when everyone knows we’re a running team for the most part… that’s who we are. This is what we do. Our team is designed as an attack for the whole game. We wear out the teams. “

5. Some coaches want to show that they are smarter than the other team. They get frustrated when the running game spits out and they start to throw the ball all over the field. Or they dig deep into the bag of tricks games. QBs also like to throw the ball. Fans love a transient offense because a maid is fun to watch.

6. From the moment he spoke for the job, Stefanski stressed that his team would run the ball a lot with an area blocking system. That’s what he used in Minnesota. It goes back to the Shanahan family of trainers (Mike and Kyle) and then to Gary Kubiak. It was Kubiak who taught it to Stefanski. Then the head coach hired famed offensive lineman Bill Callahan to teach him to Browns linemen.

7. A solid racing game does not weigh on the QB. Look at all injured QBs. Part of the reason is that they are asked to pitch so often they get beaten. Some critics noted that the Browns averaged the third fewest passes per game. And they see it as a weakness.

8. I hope they will stay heavy all year round. No one has two better running backs than Kareem Hunt and Chubb. The offensive line is strong to very good. The weather in Cleveland is bad in the second half of the season. Run the ball, win the game. Who cares about style points? This seems to be Stefanski’s unspoken credo.

9. Myles Garrett deserves all the praise he has received this season. But right behind him should be Denzel Ward, who is emerging as an elite cornerback. He’s a very smart player. Most Browns fans know that Ward punched down Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz, leading to a floating pass pulled out and pushed back for a TD by Browns linebacker Sione Takitaki.

10. I thought defensive coordinator Joe Woods called a corner flash for Ward. No. Ward noticed that the man he was tasked with covering “got stuck.” That meant he didn’t go out for a pass. “So I added and started a blitz,” Ward said. “Sione did a great play.”

11. Sounds a lot like Garrett talking about the reading he made in the Houston game, where he stopped quarterback Deshaun Watson before the goal line to save a touchdown. Garrett was supposed to rush towards the end. But he noticed something in the Houston roster, then rushed inside to dash Watson’s TD hopes.

12. Wentz on the interception: “I didn’t want to float it over there. Every time you get hit when you throw it’s a bad feeling. We were trying to do something against specific coverage, but it wasn’t there.

13. The Browns’ defense troubled Wentz much of the afternoon. He looked shocked that Ward hit him from the blind side. “The guy (Ward) had a good game taking the blitz to the limit,” Wentz explained.

14. What I mean is we see the Browns becoming a smart football team. They are also disciplined, for the most part avoiding stupid penalties. They are without drama. They are “smart, strong, responsible,” as Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry challenged them to become when they took over the team in January.

15. Stefanski on Ward: “He was exceptional. He had four PBUs (Passes Broken UP) and an opening pick (Interception). Ward was wrongly called for late-game pass interference. I looked around the room several times, didn’t see much contact. But on the next play, he landed a pass from Wentz.

16. Profootball focus on Ward: “He only allowed four catches from 10 targets for 27 yards – including one on a first down.”

Cleveland Browns vs Philadelphia Eagles, November 22, 2020

The Cleveland Browns defense celebrates after linebacker Sione Takitaki returned an interception for a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in the first period. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

17. In my pre-game scribbles, I wrote about how Olivier Vernon and Adrian Clayborn were “underperforming” this season. Not Sunday. They were impact actors. Vernon had three sacks, including a tackle from Wentz in the end zone for safety. He also hit a pass. Clayborn had two bags. Big day for the two defensive veterans who faced injuries early in the season.

18. Profootballfocus wrote: “Without Myles Garrett (COVID-19) in roster, Clayborn made his best impression of the star edge defender. He accumulated five pressures, including two sacks, on 29 shots of passes. Those five presses matched his total of 110 passing shots over the remainder of the season.

19. Stefanski on Takitaki, who returned his interception for a TD: “He was the match captain today. He plays through injuries … He plays his role … He brings physicality to our team. Seeing him play on the ball and score points was amazing.

20. As I write this last scribble, I find it impossible to believe: Not only are the Browns 7-3, they also have a better record than the 6-4 Ravens. Who knew it would happen after the Browns lost 38-6 in the season opener in Baltimore.

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Official Cleveland Browns face coverings available on FOCO.com. (Photos via FOCO.com)

New Browns Masks for Sale: Here’s where you can buy Cleveland Browns-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection for adults and youth, including a single mask ($ 14.99) and a 3-pack ( $ 24.99). All NFL profits have been donated to the CDC Foundation.

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