3 Browns have been able to navigate a rash of injuries
BEREA, Ohio — The Browns will be in familiar territory this week, attempting to plug holes left by injuries to starters or key players across their roster. The defense got hit the hardest in this recent wave of injuries. Safety Grant Delpit is on IR. Defensive tackle Mo Hurst II is out for the season. Ogbo Okoronkwo, the third edge rusher who has played nearly as many snaps as starter Za’Darius Smith, could be lost for the season.
The common NFL mantra of “next man up” is being put to the test in a big way by this Browns team.
So far, they’ve managed to get to 8-5. Sure, part of why they’ve been successful is adding Joe Flacco via free agency, but they’ve also had to rely on players down their depth chart to step up and fill important roles.
Here are three reasons the Browns have made “next man up” work so far.
Special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone said head coach Kevin Stefanski makes it clear to his assistants that they need to make sure players are ready if they’re called upon.
“When those injuries happen, guys go to IR, but you’re using the practice squad as like an extension of the roster,” Ventrone said. “So (Stefanski)’s communicating with the coaches like that, we need to develop those players that are on the practice squad because they’re really an extension of the roster. Those are the next guys that we’re looking to play and elevate. So his communication to the coaching staff at the beginning of the season, and obviously the players understand that you got to be ready to go, you got to prepare every week like you’re playing in the game. I think our coaching staff has done a really good job of rallying and preparing those players that are having more opportunities now due to injury.”
Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt echoed those sentiments.
“There’s a ton of work that goes on behind the scenes, not on the practice field,” he said. “Our young coaches do a great job of getting the extra work with those guys, whether it’s (assistant offensive line coach) Scott Peters or (offensive assistant) John Decoster working with the younger players off to the side, (assistant wide receivers coach) Callie (Brownson) working with (wide receiver) Ced (Tillman) and some of the younger receivers getting them ready. There’s a lot of work that goes in on the side to get those guys ready, but it is important.”
Even in the small glimpses of practice the media is able to view during the regular season, you see players all over the roster getting reps and getting coached. Brownson, for example, spent part of the open portion of practice on Wednesday working with the backup quarterbacks throwing to the practice squad receivers.
D’Anthony Bell, a safety who signed here in 2022 as an undrafted free agent and could get an opportunity this week with Delpit gone and Juan Thornhill dealing with a calf, credits the coaching staff’s approach.
“It mainly starts with the head guy, Coach Stefanski, and then on down from him, (Defensive coordinator Jim) Schwartz, they just talk about being prepared and being ready when your time comes and when they call you,” Bell said. “So they’re not going to bring the standards down for nobody. So just living up to that standard of what we hold ourselves by as a team and as a coach, hold us by. So just staying on that course.”
Offensive line coach Bill Callahan is a master at getting his whole room of linemen ready.
“I think the way Coach Callahan coaches is so detailed in his process from day one until now that when you plug in a new piece, they kind of have to be caught up to speed to really understand what’s going on,” left guard Joel Bitonio said. “And so his focus every week we have to put someone in like he puts in the extra time, he puts in the extra work. The guys are focused on getting extra work when they need to. And you have however many runs, you could really focus on those runs and the detail behind which formations we’re going to get, which defensive fronts we’re going to get. And it breaks it down for him. I think it just starts with how detailed he is and how focused he is on the little things and that allows guys to go out there and kind of play free.”
The position coaches become very important when players get thrust into a new role because of injury.
“A testament to the coaches, position coaches doing a great job,” linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. said. “The DB coaches, linebacker coaches, D-line coaches, whenever we have somebody step up, there’s no drop off.”
