OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR PRESS TAYLOR
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023
(On confidence in Head Coach Doug Pederson to deal with multiple team injuries in the past) “Yeah, I
think you certainly earn some credibility when you’ve experienced things that we’re experiencing now.
People can look to that and you can lean on certain experiences and you’ve done it. You’ve proven it and
that you could do in that certain point. At the same time, that situation is different than this situation.
Nothing carries over, especially team to team, different people involved in the situation. There is
precedent that Doug can take a backup quarterback and win games. That’s one of the big parts of it. I
think a lot of it probably comes down to Doug’s history as a backup quarterback, what he’s been
through, what he knows it takes to make that person comfortable and put them in a situation to
succeed.”
(On difficulty of game planning based on uncertainty of who will be starting at quarterback) “Yeah, it’s
probably a little bit more difficult than a normal week. At the same time, no. There’re certain elements
to it where we have a plan that this is what we want to be able to run against this defense that puts our
guys in the best possible position to succeed. Maybe if this is our quarterback, some of these elements
go away or not as emphasized, or some of these elements are more emphasized. For the most part, the
plan will maintain, the plan will be in place, and we can adjust based on who the quarterback is, what
their strengths are or how the course of the game is going.”
(On who will replace OL Walker Little if he cannot play due to injury) “We will continue to evaluate all of
our options in terms of putting the best five out there. There’s a number of different contingency plans
that we could possibly get into based on what gives us the best possibility to go play well.”
(On OL Ezra Cleveland is someone who can switch over to offensive tackle) “That could be one of our
options. Again, there’s a number of things that we could potentially do. Our ultimate goal is to put the
combination of five out there that gives us the best chance to play well.”
(On what the offense loses with WR Christian Kirk not playing) “I think there’s a certain trust that he has
from the quarterbacks. All of the quarterbacks. Obviously, he and Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence] have the
most time on task together. Christian has a certain skillset that we feel like we’ve really identified and
honed in on, things he does well, but things the quarterback can trust. There’s just that certain unknown
element with throwing other people in these positions to do things that he does really well in our
system. We have other guys that have skillsets that we’ll do our best to maximize and utilize those guys
in certain situations, but it’s a big loss for a player with Christian’s caliber physically, but also mentally
what he can do and the flexibility he has within the game and the system to be able to move around a
little bit.”
(On what he saw from WR Parker Washington that showed he was ready to perform on Monday) “Yeah,
Parker is a guy we’ve known from the jump mentally that could handle a lot. It’s different when the
bullets are flying, you’ve got ten seconds in the huddle and you’ve got to get to the line, you’ve got to
execute and things are changing quickly like that. But he handled himself pretty well out there. It helps
having Evan [TE Evan Engram] and Zay [WR Zay Jones], guys that have had experience in the system and
can help you get lined up and move around a little bit, but Parker did a good job for himself.”
(On talents of Browns DE Myles Garrett) “He is a freak show. He looks like the Hulk. We’ve watched the
highlights of him playing basketball, we’ve watched the highlights of him doing the 60-inch box jump. It’s
incredible what he’s able to do. He’s got speed, power, and quickness. They move him around; they do a
good job of not putting him stationery where you know where he’s going to be. You can build a plan just
to emphasize that area, he moves around enough within the system to where you can’t ever settle into if
he’s on the left side, if he’s on the right side, he’s going to be on this side, whatever it is. He’s the total
package of being able to align anywhere, to do anything, to use any sort of move to be able to win a pass
rush potentially. He’s a problem.”
(On if OL Anton Harrison going up against powerful defensive ends helps prepare against Browns DE
Myles Garrett) “Yeah, there’s no breaks in this league. We’ve faced great pass rushers on either side of
the line, so I think that helps that Anton knows he’s been through these types of situations. But, Myles
Garrett is his own beast that presents it’s own certain set of challenges that we’ll continue to deal with
and adapt to as an offense.”
(On if Browns Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz’s defense looks similar to how it was in Philadelphia)
“Yeah, it looks pretty similar. Jim for a long time has operated in his system and kept it the way it is.
You’re kind of just taking a peak at the personnel, utilizing how he uses his personnel, what they do
really well to how it changes. Anytime you’re around somebody, you’re always going to dive into their
history, study where they came from, how they got to where they are, maybe how they’ve operated in
certain situations. Spending five years’ worth of practice time with Jim as well, if that helps us, we’ll see.
You always want to confirm it on the tape before you get going though.”
(On challenge of run game recently) “Yeah, I think it’s been different things throughout the course of the
year. I think there were times where early on, we were struggling and by the fourth quarter, we popped
a couple of big ones when we needed them. Then, the other night, it felt like we got something going
early and then we hit our head a little bit on just some certain looks, potentially, that making sure we
have answers for every possible look we could see. That’s always one of the hard things. I think the run
game is always a challenge, just because they can present things that maybe you haven’t had live reps
on. We’ve talked through every possibility we think we could see, but you can’t give every single rep. You
want to be able to handle everything but it’s really 11 people in sync running the exact same play, the
exact same way doing their job really well, where maybe in the pass game, you get surprised by
something where you got one route that can get you out of the down or you can get the ball out of your
hands. The run game is certainly a different animal than the pass game, but it’s something we will
continue to work with.”
(On how QB C.J. Beathard is different than QB Trevor Lawrence) “I think they have different strengths as
a player. They’re not built the same, the athleticism is different, C.J. is experienced, C.J. has a big arm.
Not to say Trevor doesn’t, but I just think like anybody, player to player there’s a different skillset that
they operate with. Depending on who the quarterback is, the system doesn’t necessarily change, but the
things you’ll emphasize that we know Trevor does well versus what we think C.J. does well, you would
just change within a game of what you call, what you get to, what you try to emphasize.”
(On importance of QB C.J. Beathard to get practice reps this week with the receivers) “Yeah, that’s a big
part of it. That’s certainly a huge element of the pass game and part of that is as Christian [WR Christian
Kirk] goes down, now Parker [WR Parker Washington] gets more reps. Whether it be Trevor or C.J., you
want their chemistry with Parker to catch up to where it is with the other guys. I think you’re starting to
see that with Calvin [WR Calvin Ridley] as it gets going. As the season goes and we bank all these reps,
similar to the way it was last year, where you kind of see a culmination of all the reps starting from April
to now where everybody is on the same page of how we anticipate certain things to happen. Now,
you’re trying to make sure Parker gets up to speed with that, to at least where they trust him to be
where they expect him to be.”
(On if QB Trevor Lawrence will practice today) “Honestly, I don’t know yet at this point. We haven’t
gotten that word yet. We’ll see, whoever is out there will practice.”
(On if he was able to talk to his brother, Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor, after the game Monday) “Not
really, I just said hi and see you later, that was it. No further conversation until we see where we fall out
at the end of the season. We’ll see how it goes.”
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE CALDWELL
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023
(On confidence in the defense bouncing back from Monday’s loss) “Without a doubt. It’s a good thing it’s
a short week, we’re chomping at the bit to get back out there and give it another go.”
(On what he needs to see from the defensive leaders this week) “Really, just everybody. It’s next man up,
if you get an opportunity to play, you’re here for a reason. Let’s go out there and let’s play.”
(On where the confusion and communication issues were coming from in Monday’s game) “I think it’s
the crowd noise. It’s a good thing, as a defensive coach and as a defensive player, you want it to be as
loud as it can be. We just have to do a better job of communicating. Getting tighter in the huddle,
echoing the call, and go from there.”
(On if it’s normal to have crowd noise issues at home) “No, it’s an advantage, believe me. You want the
crowd as loud as it can be. It’s our job to communicate. We have to get in the huddle, get tighter, make
sure we echo the calls and get the call to everybody. It has nothing to do with crowd noise, it’s just us.
We understand that it should be loud at home, it will be loud at home, and we just have to handle it.”
(On if the crowd noise was a situation the players weren’t used to) “Right, anytime things don’t happen
the way you expect them to happen, it throws you off. That’s what happened, we got thrown off by it.
Normally you can hear the call, normally you can understand the call, and in that situation, guys weren’t
able to get the call. You could see them try and get in the huddle tighter, and that’s what we have to do.
Get in the huddle tighter, make sure everybody has the call, get on the same page and let’s go play. But,
we want the crowd as loud as it can be. That’s what you want in the defense, you want them to feed off
the crowd. They did a great job Monday night and we’ll hold up our end of the bargain.”
(On who will play if CB Tre Herndon cannot due to injury) “We have a couple of options. Buster [CB
Montaric Brown] can play, [CB] Greg Junior. We have a couple of guys that can go out there. [S] Antonio
[Johnson] did a good job when he filled in out there the other night. We have options, we have young
guys back there. Again, next man up, let’s get ready to go.”
(On what CB Montaric Brown, CB Greg Junior and S Antonio Johnson do well for the defense) “Well, you
look at it, starting off with Buster [Montaric], he’s coming in and playing really well outside. He got
opportunities making plays on the ball and you go with Buster, he got injured early, now he’s back into
the mix. You can see him getting comfortable out there, he’s playing a little bit more these last couple of
weeks. I’m excited about him. Antonio was injured early, but he has a skillset, he’s long, he’s able to blitz,
he’s able to get his hands on receivers. All three of those guys have a chance to play and they will play.
We’re excited to see them.”
(On challenge against Cleveland this weekend) “Win, that’s it. As a defense, we have to understand that
we get another opportunity to go out there and help this team get the victory. That’s the only thing
we’re focused on. All the other stuff, we’ll let it take care of itself. It’s good that it’s a short week because
it’s time to get back out there. It’s not a good feeling and we’re trying to get rid of it.”
(On being surprised against a rush defense last week) “Big surprise. We get another opportunity to go
back out there and do it. But again, the guys understand what we ask of them, they’re able to do it, it’s
just another opportunity for us to go out there and do it.”
(On growth seen out of OLB Travon Walker and LB Devin Lloyd in their second seasons) “You can see
throughout the year the maturity. They’re able to understand plays, react to things quicker, you see the
pass rush, Travon had a half one [sack] the other night. He’s able to push the pocket. Devin is seeing
things faster, but at the end of the day, they just have to continue to do that. The more they do it, the
better they’ll get, the more plays they’ll make for us and we’re excited for those two guys to continue to
progress the way they have.”
(On what the issue was with the run defense in last week’s game) “We weren’t right. We didn’t get in our
gaps, didn’t tackle as well as we needed to, it’s a bunch of things. It’s our job to get that corrected.”
(On difficulty of what quarterback will play determining how to gameplan as a defense) “It’s difficult but
we go back and we prepare for both. Understand that one guy is a little bit more mobile, the other guys
a veteran and able to throw the ball all over the place. We understand that it’s a challenge, but whoever
they throw out there, we have to be ready for that challenge. It’s more about us. We got to make sure
that we’re ready to do what we need to do and get the job done.”
(On the progression of OLB Josh Allen this season) “He really has, he’s playing at a high level. You look at
the work he put in this offseason and just going back, the focus. The way he’s focused, he’s going in,
coming in and understanding the gameplan, understanding the rush plan, and he’s going out there and
performing. Last year, we had an issue with missed sacks, not getting the guy on the ground. He’s getting
the guy on the ground and his numbers are what they are.”
HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2023
(On if QB Trevor Lawrence will play on Sunday with his ankle injury) “He’s feeling good, we’ll see. He
moved around a little bit yesterday, see how he does today. Kind of base it on medical staff, how Trevor
feels, and if he can go or not.”
(On if QB Trevor Lawrence will be listed as questionable on the injury report) “Yes.”
(On QB Trevor Lawrence will a game day decision to play) “Probably so, yes. Probably so.”
(On if OL Ezra Cleveland will be the starting left tackle this week) “We’ll see, we’re getting him reps out
there. We’re getting [OL] Tyler Shatley inside reps, getting [OL] Blake Hance some reps out there. [OL]
Cole Van Lanen has been getting some reps. A bunch of combinations of guys.”
(On how OL Ezra Cleveland looks at left tackle) “He seems to look fine, he looks comfortable. He’s got
history with Phil [Offensive Line Coach Phil Rauscher]. When he was drafted, tackle was going to be his
spot and then they moved him inside and needed guard help and he’s played guard ever since. Again,
the versatility of the offensive line and the players that we have that can do that just benefits us
obviously, in situations like this.”
(On the weather and field conditions impacting a decision on whether or not to play QB Trevor
Lawrence) “Maybe some, but not a whole lot. It’s much more on Trevor and how he feels, really talking
to the doctors and seeing medically if he’s not in any harm.”
(On how surprised he is to see QB Trevor Lawrence’s injury progression) “We’ve gone through this with
him, we did it last year with the toe and this year with the knee. He’s played, if history suggests, he’s
played the next week. Obviously, a year ago in Detroit, he played the second half on that injury. It just to
me shows his toughness, physical toughness, mental toughness. I believe when your quarterback exudes
that, I think it does send a message to the rest of your team in a good way. I’m still optimistic for this
weekend, but again, the fact that he’s willing and able to put himself out there for his teammates and
his team speaks volumes.”
(On how WR Parker Washington has handled practice this week) “Really good. He’s embraced this role
and this opportunity given to him. It means a lot to him, he takes it to heart. [Wide Receivers Coach]
Chad Hall does a great job of preparing all the guys, but in this case with Parker. We try to not overload
him too much with a lot of different things, put him in positions where he can have some success
hopefully. He’s handled it well.”
(On injury updates across the team) “Strange [TE Brenton Strange] is probably not there yet. Tyson [CB
Tyson Campbell] we will see again today how he does. He has to get through today. There’s always going
to be soreness, but we’ll see where he’s at today. Walker [OL Walker Little] hasn’t practiced the last
couple of days, so probably not. Herndon [CB Tre Herndon] is still in the protocol.”
(On if CB Christian Braswell will have a chance to play Sunday) “Probably not, we just activated his
window yesterday. We just want to get him back out there, get him practice reps. In the near future, we
could definitely maybe see something there.”
(On who could be elevated from the practice squad if starting cornerbacks are injured) “I don’t know
yet. Those are things I’m going to talk with both Press [Offensive Coordinator Press Taylor] and
[Defensive Coordinator] Mike Caldwell, and just get a feel for who we need to activate. We’re giving
guys reps who we think could possibly be in those roles.”
(On how to handle a third quarterback) “Nathan [QB Nathan Rourke] is obviously on practice squad, so
you can’t bring him up on an activation or an elevation. He’d have to come to the 53 in order to be your
49th guy, like we did for New Orleans, something like that. Today is a big day for us, we’ve got to get
through today and we’ll make those decisions probably before we leave tomorrow.”
(On if WR Christian Kirk will go in Injured Reserve at some point) “Yes.”
(On if he sensed motivation from the defense at practice this week) “Yeah, as they should. As the team
should too, not just speaking defensively, but as the team should. They’ve responded well this week in
practice and looking forward to the weekend.”
(On if there’s concern with RB Travis Etienne Jr. and RB D’Ernest Johnson both slightly injured this week)
“Is there a concern? A little bit because each one is a little sore, banged up right now. Tank [RB Tank
Bigsby] is ready to go as well and we’ve got a lot of confidence in him in situations. Those two guys
though, are battling through it and showing their physical and mental toughness as well.”
