BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The news that Baker Mayfield would start Week 1 against the Browns spread like wildfire Monday.
Except to Kevin Stefanski’s office.
“I did not see that,” Stefanski said Monday when asked about the news.
If you were expecting a reaction from Stefanski, you would naturally be disappointed.
“We will wait to talk about Carolina until we get there,” Stefanski continued. “I am still in Week 3 of the preseason mode.”
Mayfield beat out Sam Darnold during training camp which adds some immediate heat to the opener.
Deshaun Watson, who the Browns replaced Mayfield with, is not allowed to play until Week 13 when Cleveland travels to Houston as a result of a disciplinary settlement with the NFL reached last week.
Since 1999, the Browns have won just one season opener and tied another. They’ve lost the 21 others.
Game week – Stefanski is moving his team into a game week mode for Saturday’s game against the Bears.
“We are going to go to a regular season schedule and get our team ready for what that means from a gameplan standpoint and from meetings changing a little bit,” Stefanski said. “We will still do some competitive periods at practice, which we would not do during a normal regular season, so it is going to be a hybrid of a regular season schedule while still getting some good work in offense versus defense.”
The Browns will run their typical Wednesday-Thursday-Friday schedule on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week.
As for playing time Saturday night, Stefanski is still working through those plans.
“We are working through the plan for this game so not ready to say exactly yet,” Stefanski said. “In those olden days, this was the game where people played through the first half and maybe into the third quarter, but we are not ready yet to say what our plan will be.”
Wright stuff – Defensive end Alex Wright, selected 78th overall this year, has made a positive impression during his first NFL training camp and preseason.
“I think he has flashed. I think he has done a nice job in practice,” Stefanski said. “Going back to the last couple of days versus the Eagles versus some really good tackles, he had some good rushes. Then the game, he has done a nice job. He has made play. He is a young man. A lot of this is new to him, just the NFL game, the speed of the NFL game and some of the things we are asking him to do schematically, but he has done a really nice job.”
Wright, who had five tackles Sunday against the Eagles, has spent a lot of time talking to and observing Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney.
“I think any young player is doing himself a disservice if he does not watch the vets in front of him and learn in terms of how they study, how they prepare, how they practice and the different techniques they use. He is fortunate to have a couple of veterans there in Myles and JD who have played the game at a really high level.”
Opportunity knocks – Jakeem Grant’s season-ending Achilles injury early in camp has opened the door for at least one roster spot at receiver and Mike Harley Jr. is making his case.
Harley has been thrown into the mix at returner. Sunday Harley had only one opportunity to return a kickoff – the rest were touchbacks – and he brought it out 19 yards to the 17.
“Mike is a young man who has again given us some really good reps both at receiver and wanted to see what he could do at returner. That will be continual evaluation with Mike. A very, very competitive player, as you saw that catch yesterday really fighting for that ball and he was not going to be denied, and he had a couple of other nice plays in that game. Doing a nice job.”
Harley caught three of seven targets for 30 yards against the Eagles, including an 18-yard reception.
Back soon – Defensive end Isaiah Thomas is expected back this week after he suffered a right-hand injury that kept him out last week. He wore a cast while working on the side but is expected to play against Chicago.
Injury updates – Cornerback A.J. Green was cleared from concussion protocol; receiver Daylen Baldwin is in the concussion protocol; defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey “is working through a couple things, but he will be OK;” cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. suffered a finger injury but “he is OK” according to Stefanski.