BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The bye week is upon us which means it’s one of the few times we get to hear from Browns executive vice president of football operations and general manager Andrew Berry.
Here are our Top Takeaways from the multitude of topics Berry was asked to touch on Wednesday morning.
1. No one is happy the Browns are 3-5 but the organization doesn’t have the same feeling of dread and despair that some fans might have.
“Look, the reality of it is the first eight games of the year were not where we want to be,” Berry said. “I think that responsibility really falls on all of us within football operations, but the good thing is we have more than half of our season left, and we have nine more opportunities because ultimately, it is how we end the year. This is a snapshot in time. The reality is we have to improve the consistency of the team from week to week quickly. That is really going to be everybody’s focus during the bye week.”
2. Monday night’s win over Cincinnati might have not only saved the season, but it also altered the overall view of the state of the team. The difference between 2-6 and 3-5 is about a mile wide.
“We had a rough October,” Berry said. “Fortunately, as we look at Monday night and going into this bye, I think it provided a picture of the team that we can be. We were by no means perfect, but we played our most complete game of the season. We are hopeful that that will be a nice springboard going into the second half of the year.”
3. Talent doesn’t guarantee victories. The Browns have lots of talent on both sides of the ball – quality players and people too, but they’re still two games below .500 and have failed to meet expectations.
“The margins in the NFL are so small, right? There are a number of talented players and coaches across all 32 teams, and you never know which play can determine the outcome of the game,” Berry said. “I think probably just the biggest thing from the first half of the season is consistency. Every organization and every team has guys who can make great and can do really good things, but it is the teams that do it consistently and lean in to their strengths, those are the ones that play well week in and week out.”
4. Unlike last year, Berry and the Browns can’t blame this on the quarterback. The Browns are currently seventh in scoring and Jacoby Brissett has played well enough to win every game except one to date.
“I think we are one of the top scoring teams in the NFL, we are one of the most efficient offenses and we have been able to throw the ball and run the ball proficiently,” Berry said. “We obviously have who I think is the best back in football with Nick Chubb and one of the best offensive lines, and Jacoby has played really, really well for us, as have Amari Cooper and David Njoku. I think we can have a well-rounded attack and we can be versatile enough to attack opponents based on their weaknesses from week to week.”
“Jacoby has been everything that we had hoped when we signed him. I think that he has given us an opportunity and more to win the game in every one of his starts with maybe save the exception of one. We knew that he was a special guy in the locker room from particularly his time in Indianapolis navigating the two years with Andrew Luck’s injury and then ultimately his retirement. He has been an excellent addition to our organization, and we couldn’t be happier with what he has provided the team so far.”
5. If you are expecting that Deshaun Watson will save the season – or the franchise – you might want to check those expectations a bit.
“That is not really our mindset,” Berry said. “Our mindset with him is when he is available and back, we will welcome him back and get him ramped up appropriately. Until that point, it is really to focus on the guys who are playing and obviously at the quarterback position getting Jacoby prepared to play and putting our best foot forward against the upcoming opponent.”
“Look, I think everybody realizes that can look a little bit different when Deshaun eventually takes snaps under center. That being said, the core package of the offense will be consistent. That is not to say that there may not be modifications based on his skillset, but I don’t think that transition will be quite as challenging as maybe some are anticipating.”
6. The organization is all in with head coach Kevin Stefanski.
“Kevin has had to navigate some pretty unique circumstances and some pretty difficult circumstances during his tenure as a head coach,” Berry said. “Our belief in Kevin is just as strong as the day that we hired him. He is smart. He is a servant leader. He is creative. We know he has the ability to lead our team to wins. We feel really good. We feel like the locker room is in good hands. We know he pushes our guys. We are looking forward to playing good football in the second half.”
7. And Stefanski calling offensive plays isn’t a problem, either.
“I think that Kevin has shown that he has the ability to both manage the game and call the offense,” Berry said. “I think he has done a nice job under a variety of circumstances as the play caller, and he is organized and bright enough where he can manage the broader aspects of the job.
I think he is acutely aware, as really we all are, that as the head coach it is not just about running the offense or calling the plays; it is about managing the entire team. He takes that responsibility seriously.”
8. They hope the defensive turnaround the last two weeks is a sign of things to come the rest of the way.
“I think what we saw on Monday night is certainly a defense that was really strong at the line of scrimmage. Was really pleased with how our front seven really won the line of scrimmage pretty consistently on Monday night. Then I thought our back end, they really covered their tails off against a really good skill group against Cincinnati,” Berry said. “Look, I mention this pretty much every year that every year is unique. Sometimes, whether it is through personnel, injury or just guys kind of growing and evolving in their career, things can look maybe a little bit different than you think coming into training camp. I think certainly through the back half of this month, our defensive staff has done a nice job of continually leaning into things that we have done well in the early part of the season. I think that will continue to progress as we get into this half.”
9. Not all of the young players are contributing at the level they’re needed to fast enough, but it is understandable. Receiver Anthony Schwartz, left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., safety Grant Delpit, defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah are all being counted on significantly this year.
“You wish the progression was just kind of standardized for every young player. The reality of it is guys mature at different frequencies,” Berry said. “Quite honestly, with any young player, not all of them will necessarily reach their peak. You realize that when you have draft picks or young players across your roster and having kind of reasonable expectations. That being said, I do think we are pleased with the team and we are pleased with what we have. We think we have enough talent in most of the spots to play competitive football and win games.”
10. Special teams turning into a disaster – especially the return game – following Jakeem Grant Sr.’s season-ending training camp injury is understandable.
“I think anytime you acquire an All-Pro returner and you lose him in camp, that obviously changes what you are able to do maybe at that spot in the return game,” Berry said. “That is one of those players where you are not going to necessarily easily replace him. That being said, our responsibility is to adjust accordingly. That is one phase or in Jakeem’s [case], that is two of the six phases on special teams so that certainly is something we have to be able to adjust and adapt for. Look, I think that as we look at special teams, we realize we can play cleaner there. We can play a bit better situationally there. I know that is certainly a focus for Prief [special teams coordinator Mike Priefer] during the bye week, and he has been working tirelessly to make sure that we can play good football in the kicking game. I will give a lot of credit, he has done a really nice job with [rookie kicker] Cade York and [punter] Corey Bojorquez, and we are looking forward to more consistent football there in the second half.”