Welcome to this week five Thursday edition of the From the Podium podcast.

I'm Gabe Kolera.

The Browns spent their first day in London, England today in preparation for the Minnesota Vikings this coming Sunday.

On this episode, you'll hear from offensive coordinator Tommy Reese, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, special teams coordinator Bubba Van Trone, running back Quinn Shawn Judkins, offensive guard Joel Botonio, safety Grant Delpit, and linebacker Carson Swessinger.

We'll start with offensive coordinator Tommy Reese, who discussed his new starting quarterback, Dylan Gabriel.

Can you address the quarterback change and how do you believe that this will give you.

Guys a lift and boost?

Yeah?

No, excited about the opportunity for Dylan and obviously talking with Kevin and throughout the week on it, you know, felt like it was the right time for it.

He's put in a lot of work to put himself ready to play, so guys have rallied around him.

You know, we got to all do our part to make sure that we can elevate the play the quarterback and get the quarterback playing well.

So you know, I know Dylan's chomping at the bed and Joe's been there every step of the way to help support him through this process and you know, get him ready on this on this week here in London and getting ready to play Minnesota.

Pages of the playlook, will be dusted off with.

A different.

You want to build what you do around a certain guy's skill set, make them feel comfortable, put them in, you know, positions that you know gives them a certain level of confidence in what they're operating.

But look, we have enough in our offense that we feel like in Taylor are both guys.

So there's certainly some things that Dylan does that are different.

Certainly things that Joe does are different, and it's our job as coaches put him in that position.

What what was it?

Why was it?

Did you guys feel like this wisdom moment to make this change?

Was it just the turnovers becoming too much?

Was it just a combination of right thing?

But why white now compared to we go or you know, let Joe go.

Get Yeah, Look, we all got to play better at a lot of positions.

This is not singular just to the quarterback position.

You know, we all got to do our part around them, coaches included.

So you know, obviously when we spoke Kevin and I you know, felt like it was it was an opportunity to make the change and you know, really looking at it as a way to spark the offense to get things going.

Was there any consideration given what's the lever to making the back up and what sort of a loss to be to having jumping.

Number two right now?

Yeah, I just feel like, you know, Joe's going to stay the number two right now, and you know has done a lot to prepare and be ready to go, you know, in a pinch.

Just coming over here this week, just a lightner eary week doesn't add any.

Challenges to Yeah.

Sure, I mean I think, look, we have a good plan in place to how we're preparing.

You know, we got a lot of work done on the front end of this trip, got some extra walk through, some extra time to make sure that you know, we did everything we could to treat it as normal as possible, obviously knowing it's not, but don't see any real limitations.

Have a good plan in place as we get here, as we were at back home, so it felt like we had enough time to pour into the game plan.

It was yesterday that he helps and brings some juice to the offense.

How does he do that?

Yeah, I think he just is himself, you know.

I think he's got a calmness to him, a real true confidence to his personality and his ability that I think guys have fed off of since he's been here.

So it doesn't look like he needs to step far outside of who he is to do that for our guys.

What's the biggest biggest made this week?

Yeah, I think just obviously with the travel and finding unique ways to get extra reps, whether it's walkthroughs or different ways to get our guys off their feet and still prepare them in the right way.

But you know, getting here and finding more time.

You know, we got here, we got off the bus, we got moving right away.

I think that's a that puts our guys in a good you know mind, you know mindset coming into a long day.

But we got plenty of work, which feels like they're preparing the right way.

This may seem like a weird question, but is there an advantage of benefit for Dylan making a start on sort of almost a neutral environment compared that, you know, if it was a road and by or you know, even on whole environment where you know you get something, you know, whoever knows, but can it be a benefit?

Yeah, Look, we don't evaluate that stuff as much, maybe as as the outside eye does.

Like we're so in tune to all right, are we going to prepare the right way as our process there in the right way?

You know, Look, if you go play well, it doesn't really matter where you are, So our focuses on making sure that we put ourselves positions to play well.

Do you know, like you guys maybe will be able to utilize more, you know, a fair amount.

Moral quarterback movement.

Way, do you feel like that might be something that could shake up and wake up this offense.

A little bit.

Yeah, we're looking at all avenues right to to wake it up and to get the ball moving and score points.

That's what we're after here.

If we want to play complimentary, we want to score points and do our job.

So I'm certainly going to try to put Dylan in the best positions that make him feel comfortable to do that.

Evaluation of Gabriel, How relevant was the two minute drive in the Rams game?

Did that.

Make you, guys believe that he might be ready sooner than move on.

I think you just look at it as a body of work.

You know, that was a good cap off to that preseason for him, and to go down the field in those circumstances obviously a positive.

But we really evaluated this throughout the entirety of training camp, of the off season program, of preseason, and you're just looking for progression and looking for him to continue to improve.

And certainly that was an opportunity where you saw improvement and you saw growth.

So I think all of those add up to our evaluation of feeling like he's ready to go.

You could get some continuity with the offensive line, how much you Yeah, I think we've talked about that, right.

I mean, those guys need to see it as one passing off games, working in combination.

That's so much easier when when you're working with, you know, a similar player or somebody that you have a lot of reps built up with.

So hopefully we can continue to get guys healthy and build towards that Tony.

He's looking at left ingded quarterback Mark Arnell to those kinds of things.

Anything that you guys see different, whether it's spin on the ball or even how you use your tackles, your going.

Yeah, you're so used to right handed guys, so even think like, all right, we want this going, so you have to flip your mind a little bit on certain calls and certain things.

But we do train our guys to have to do a keeper left, do a keeper right right, do some things that you typically wouldn't ask a righty to do.

We are going to ask him to do that.

So you don't limit what the playbook entails.

So for Dylan, he's done all these things.

Are there certain things here and there that you got to maybe think about, sure, but it really doesn't change a lot in what you're doing.

Brian Flores is already a very challenging and difficult coordinator to go up against.

But when he's facing or rookie, what kinds of things do you guys have to really watch out for with Dylan against that.

Kind of aggressive Yeah, Float does a great job, as everybody knows, presents a lot of challenges.

It's very diverse in a scheme.

Likes to pressure, likes to create havoc, likes to turn the ball over.

That's kind of how he's made his made his hay here.

But that he does that versus everyone, right, and so you know, we just got to you know, focus on our game plan, focus on the tools that we're giving the quarterback to handle some of those things, and allow him to go out there and play fast.

You know, we don't want to slow him down by trying to analyze everything.

We want him to go out there and be able to play fast, to play confident.

With Tilman obviously out do you see Njoku and spending more time kind of without another.

Big receiver out there.

Yeah, I think a lot of guys, you know, are going to be asked to step up in a lot of different roles.

Said plays a lot of roles for us, where's a lot of hats run and passed.

So, you know, challenge the groups to step up in his absence, and I think we have guys ready to do that up.

Next, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz talked about how strong his defensive front has been through four weeks of the season.

Bring energy, energy, Can that helped the defense?

Well?

For sure.

The energy is contagious, you know, and you know, the way we preach, that's one of the things that that we preach.

You know, we preach physical toughness, physicality.

On defense, we preach effort and we preach you know, energy and enthusiasm and those kind of things.

So yeah, certainly that stuff's contagious.

I feel like when we do a good job of that, it can be contagious to the offense, and I would expect the same.

It would be a lyft for us.

To aligned the alignment.

Yeah, they probably don't get a lot of sympathy sympathy from our guys, do they.

Yeah, it is what it is.

I mean, injuries are part of the game, you know, and it's opportunity for some guys to step up and and see what they can do.

It's up to us to try to exploit those those matchups, you know.

So you know that's that that's a big part of the game.

Usually as we as we as our defensive line goes, we go.

They're the tempo center for us.

They're the people that we lean on to, you know, to be our engine.

And you know, if they can capitalize on some of those matchups, all the better for us.

It looks like.

The person to start with those guys.

So what you know, what do.

You see in Curson?

What do you guys have to be accounting for Yeah, veteran quarterback, been around a long time, big arm has good weapons.

You know, getting Addison back last week really helped them.

Obviously Jefferson, but Hawkinson and you know, I mean, Mason's a good running back, you know, so even though they've had some injuries, they still got a lot of talented guys.

And you know, he does a pretty good job of getting the ball in those playmakers' hands.

And you know, we'll have to we'll have to play our best to come out.

With a winm how do you mean jokes?

Well, I think he's been in the league six years.

He's four time All Pro.

Is that you guys have to fact check me on that.

That's pretty unique, you know.

You know, there's some guys that are really good route runners.

There's some guys that just have great hands.

There's some guys that a really good run after the catch.

You know, some guys have speed, some guys have size.

He's checking all those boxes and and then you know the final check is productivity.

And you know, everybody knows he wears number eighteen, and you know it's easy to find him, but he's still able to be productive, you know, particularly when Addison was down early in the season when he was suspended.

You know, Jefferson really carried a load.

So guys that can do that we have a lot of respect for.

But he's just a really, really good all around player and you know we need to know where he.

Is throughout the game, but particularly on third down.

Are you coming into this game pretty confident that you're gonna have Minles.

Student Vabel home?

Yeah?

I like Kevin m talk about injuries.

That's really not my thing.

N N N N nice try though.

Wow.

Uh well yeah, okay, well, uh you'll get it tomorrow, Doune.

It was a injury report will be out and we'll we'll see, we'll see what that looks like.

Well I l hope we yeah, I I don't wanna don't drink my say o if we will have eleven on the field at all times.

So, and uh, just from Miles's standpoint, obviously, you guys were you know, hold without a staff, but you got you know, you got good pressure and everything that last dame.

Uh but just how important obviously is it to have Miles out there doing his thing and how does that trickle down.

Everybody else on their line?

Yeah, I mean it obviously makes everybody better.

It makes our coverage better, it you know, all those different things.

You know, there was a time, I can't remember what point of the game it was, maybe we were down seventeen in the fourth quarter, and Miles was rushing and I was just in my mind I saw him reach sack strip and pick it up and score, and all of a sudden, you know, it's just like the week before.

It's ten point game, and here we go and he was he was literally inches.

Away from that play, you know.

And again he's still played good against Iran.

He was playing banged up a little bit in that game, but still still able to be productive.

But to get those sacks, to get those lost yardage plays, and then also the high percentage of turnovers when you're hitting the quarterback, like the interception that Denzel had was a direct result of.

What the guys did up front.

Shelby cracked a stunt up front, quarterback had guy in his face, he had to elevate the ball high.

Denzel did a really good job in the cover, which we did overlap it and we were rewarded with a turnover.

So it all really goes.

Down to pass rush and even if you're not sacking the quarterback.

If you're affecting the quarterback, making him throw before he wants to, or make him make errant throws, then.

It's you know, it's part of it.

Part of it goes.

Wentz has fumbled a lot in his career, and you know we got to be we got to be you know, aggressive at the ball when we're in the pocket there because there's going to be opportunities there.

How did you grate up?

Yeah, I mean we gave up one hundred yards.

I mean hard to hard to be happy about that if you really sort of fine tune it.

You know, half of the running game came on two plays, but it all you know, it all still counts.

I mean that's that's sort of the flip side of what I always say, Like you get a tackle for a loss for mine five and you a sack from minus five, it's the same thing.

Well, you give up a twenty three yard run or twenty three yard pass, it's still the same thing.

So we weren't happy with that.

We didn't do a good enough job protecting our edges On Gibbs.

I thought we did a good job against Montgomery, but didn't do it good and we were ready for the trick play they tried to reverse and we were able to get that, but we gave Gibbs too many opportunities and he's you know, he's a tough guy to handle in the open field, and you know he's a little bit like a like a like a knockout.

Boxer.

You know, you can be, you can be you know, holding them off, holding them off, and all of a sudden, you know, he hits you with one and it's a knockout.

And that's you know, that's the way that game sort of went.

You know, we were holding him, holding him, and then all of a sudden, you know he's he's hitting us with a couple of haymakers, and I thought that that really flipped it.

So certainly not happy with that.

We got to get back to that good challenge this week.

I'm seeing a lot of wide zone from from Minnesota to so hopefully we can correct some of that stuff from last week and put a put a better performance out this week.

There's nothing lease of having to go to how.

For the defense and knowing that you said how once plays and he's fumbled last week.

So the important for our offense with momentum or Yeah, I mean I that that certainly can can feed.

I mean it that turnovers certainly give you energy.

You know, we obviously made the one interception.

I consider a fourth down stop a turnover also, I mean it's in the definition a turnover on downs, you know, So you know that was a that was a big spot at that point of the game to to to keep it there.

But yeah, there's nothing that gets there's nothing that really gets your your energy going, your momentum going.

Then lost yardage plays, turnovers, big third down stops, big hits, all those things are contagious and have some good carryover force.

What does Adison bring to their their about you guys, what does Addison bring to that that.

Yeah, he's he's got a lot of speed and he's a guy that can win one on one.

He did last week on a couple of plays.

I mean he went right in and one hundred and fourteen I want to say a hundred you guys always get a fact check me.

I think it was one hundred and fourteen.

Yards, so right away was productive young player, but he's got a lot of experience now over the last few years and definitely brings a speed element to him.

I mean, I mean, yeah, I mean in Hockinson has something to do with that.

Inside.

He's a good tight end, you know.

But obviously, you know, you put too much tension on Jefferson, you know, then Addison's a guy that can hit a home run.

If you put too much on him, then Jefferson's there.

So having two guys obviously to be able to play off each other and try to command the coverage that goes a long way.

Special teams coordinator Bobba Van Trone talked about his kick and putt return units just.

I mean that yeah, against Detroit, wouldn't you know.

Grant mentioned something after afterwards that he they thought the ball had got out of bounds and that led to some of them letting up.

What did you see kind of on the film when you went back and watched it.

Yeah, honestly, like as a coach, it's disappointing to see that that effort on the play.

Grant clearly felt like the ball went out of bounds.

He stopped really early in the play.

You could hear the crowd kind of like uproar.

The ball was hit very close to the sideline.

No excuse at all to stop on the play though.

We got to finish that and he understands that.

Just Andre, just since that season over, just how much have you seen his confidence just continue to grow with each kick?

I know you had to long miss, but I mean even that one that was I mean it just sort of veerd looked like weard left.

Uh, just how has his confidence grown with each kick?

I think he's done a good job.

I mean, I think his confidence has definitely grown with each kick.

Like you said, I think in the more experience he gets, he's just going to continue to gain that confidence in game.

That's where That's where it comes, is gaining the confidence in game, having the in game reps, the in game situations, the ending game situation like we had against Green Bay.

So I think that you know, all those things are going to factor for him.

There's been a lot of injuries on the team.

That affects special teams.

In a lot of ways.

What are you seeing differently or what do you have to do differently with all these changes with the roster.

We talk about it all the time.

You have to I mean in advance, you have to plan accordingly.

You have to build on roster depth, starting back and back in the spring through training camp.

We try to get as many guys reps as we can't throughout the week and as many spots as we can.

We try to take advantage of all the walkthroughs and the jog throws available to get those guys extra reps that don't really necessarily get those, you know, in game reps in the event that you were to, you know, have to use them in the game.

Is the ide idea to put him back for punts or is that something you guys are sort of working I know he went back there when when DeAndre went out.

Yeah, maybe he's definitely an option.

We'll have like a real practice tomorrow and we'll work through that, so we'll see who's see who else is available.

How did you see him get better?

Well, you know, again one of those he said he did it once at Texas I think, but or Alabama one of the places.

But just how did you see him just each time, you know, each time he went out there that you know, could you since even in game a little bit of an improvement for him?

Yeah, I think he's starting to.

I think he's starting to track the ball better and he's been catching the ball both off the jugs and off lot foot consistently since he's been there, So he works at it.

He's a he's a very hard worker.

He's a smart kid obviously, has a very good skill set relative to his speed.

So when he gets the ball, he can be dangerous.

Well, the kickers get an opportunity to get over to the stadium before the game to kind of get an idea of what that looks like over there.

No, they won't, but we were informed that the surface is comparable to a few other places that we played, so we should we shouldn't have any issues relative to the to the surface.

Wind wise, how I mean, the design of that stadium, you know, with the roof kind of it's weird.

It doesn't seem to it's not outdoors, it's not indoors.

It's almost Texas Stadium, old Texas Stadium like.

And with the way it's sort of designed with the roof, how does that impact things in terms of.

Yeah, spoke with a few other coaches that have played over there, Rabes and Rich Pasaca, those guys, they I mean, they said that.

They said, first off, they said, the stadiums, you know, immaculate.

They said, it's an incredible stadium, so excited to be able to see that in Tottenham, And they said that the wind could factor or it could not.

You know, I guess with one of the experiences the wind was not that much of a factor.

It's showing like at least the other day was showing like fifteen to sixteen, So I don't know what that means for the stadium.

We'll figure it out when we get there.

Look, we play in a very we I mean we plan it.

We plan a pretty windy stadium, so I'm pretty confident we'll be able to adjust to it.

I was just gonna say it, how much does you know where you guys play and in kind of the kind of notorious reputation it has for the various winds and everything, how much does that in some ways help when you go into sort of an unknown, unknown location like this.

I think every every stadium is different, every every game is different, even like when we go down to our stadium in Cleveland.

It's the winds.

It's blown one way one one day you may go and down on a Thursday kick and the wins coming left to right.

The next day it's coming right at you like it.

You just never know, so I think that that that's also important for Dres to be able to to see these different types of wind patterns and to be able to adjust.

And I would say, yeah, apply the correction to the next kick if there was a mishap.

Dylan and Jerome.

Your your two kickoff guy return guys Deandre's absence.

Yeah, we have I mean we have multiple options back there.

We really do.

Jerome, Sam, we have ib All those guys have done a good job.

So and that's why it's so important to be able to get those guys reps.

You know, like like we talked about.

Have you seen anything obviously a weird travel schedule, how do you feel like the team will do rest time schedule all of that, Like do you have any ideas have you had that experience or how are you feeling.

I was here back in twenty thirteen.

I played in San Francisco.

We played against Jacksonville, but we came out much earlier in the week.

Came out on a Sunday, right after we played in Tennessee.

So we were here the whole week and got acclimated that way.

I think that we did a good job with this trip of educating our players when to not when to go to sleep, when to not go to sleep, do this when you get aired, don't do this.

So I feel like coach, coach and our support team have a have a really good plan for that.

So we'll see, we'll see in time.

Running back quinch Jon Judkins was the first player up, and he discussed the early success of his fellow rookies.

Another rookie comes into the play here with Gabriel.

How do you feel about the quarterback change?

Excited, you know for our whole team.

Uh just with our game plan, how we prepare so far this week, how everybody's focused and determined to do their job.

So I'm excited for us to go out there as a team and try to get a win.

He've been practicing obviously, you know, behind the scenes stuff that we cannot see Dylan do over the last you know, three weeks or so.

Yes, ma'am.

So from the uh so, can you just.

Kind of tell us, you know, how he's look, how is he coming along and what does the offense kind how does.

It operate with him?

Under sent Uh?

I think you know each and every one of our quarterbacks in our room.

They all have great skill sets, but they're different in their own way.

Dylan is a guy who's super mobile.

Uh, he's very smart, obviously talented, and you know, I'm just excited to see how well he goes out there and he plays.

Uh.

We had some uh type of robbery in college.

I seen him play twice when he was at Oregon, so I know his style of play.

Uh.

He's a very fierce competitor.

So I'm excited to see him go out there and tear it up.

And I'm trying you you had your numbers the last few weeks.

How do you think you played coming into this?

You know, no practice and.

Raise praise people for myself ultimately, you know, my mindset is to get a win, and you know, for the past weeks we haven't done that.

So uh, I just gotta go back to, like I said, the drawing board and and try to be, you know, a better all around the board.

I feel like you can always be better as a competitor and improve your game.

So just to go out there and help my team win.

At the end of the day, it's my main focus.

What did you see I from do him in that rolls ball game and that playoff game?

Oh so from the first game we played them, obviously they won.

You know, you see how he's just very even ki even killed.

I would say, so the whole game as I see in him play.

And then we played him at the Rose bro his second time, I would say you more so see the same thing from him, just to even kill guy who's super competitive.

Uh, took his team down the field and tried to help him get touchdowns.

Do you guys feel that.

There will be opportunities for I mean with dealing that you mess w so much more mobile, will there be opportunities for you guys?

Uh?

I think to just quickly get the ball into the hands of of playmakers and the kind of the shorter passing game a little bit, and and you guys kind of do your thing.

After the catch.

Uh.

Yeah, I think that's what all our quarterbacks do.

They do a great job at, you know, getting us the ball, all the playmakers around the field, so we can go out there and just showcase our skill set and also our coaches as well, and just putting us in the best positions and you know, go out there and showcase what we can do and put on our best foot forward.

And I've seen things written about his leadership skills and different things that he does to get his team fired up and motivated and bring everybody together.

Yesterday he said he wants to bring the energy and bring the juice.

Do you see that?

Can you He's gonna do that?

Yes, ma'am.

I feel so, you know, just because I've I've known him since i'd say my freshman year of college of knowing who he is as a competitor, I've seen him throughout his college career as he's seen in mine as well.

So for us to finally, you know, be able to play together, it's a very fun and exciting time, I think for both of us.

And I would say, you know him as a competitor and that uh energy that he brings.

He's like that all the time since the first day we stepped into mini camp when we.

First both I've got drafted here.

So like I said, I'm just excited to see him go out there and uh do his thing.

And do you feel like you guys as as an offense knowing that you have uh a rookie quarterback out there and and like Jim Schwartz, just uh defensively, they have to do whatever they can do is set him up right.

And make things good for Dylan.

Do you guys feel.

Similar that everybody's gotta be like really loved in, really on point, Uh, catching everything and and doing.

Everything possible for Deling.

I think that's what you have to do regardless, And that's what it takes to win football games and be a super you know, high level, high efficient team.

Uh, it's to everybody to do their job, hold each other accountable, and you know, play fast, play hard, no matter if it's Dylan, it's me or any Olaman or any receiver we have on our team.

We believe in each and every one of our guys and we know they'll do their jobs.

So we just all, like I said, put our best foot forward and go out there and play fast and play hard.

And what I think and what can you say about a Brian for defense?

What is what is he showing?

What are those guys bringing to the table on Sunday?

I would say, you know, definitely with their their front, different styles and different techniques to play.

They sometimes they play aggressive, sometimes they're play a little bit more in zone or different different things that they do.

I would say more to speak, but you know they have they're very physical, they play well got a lot of key players on their defense, so we're gonna go.

I have to prepare it this week and continue to do a good job at it.

Offensive guard Joel Botonio talked about the different vibe that quarterback Dalan Gabriel can give to the offense.

Joels each new love to have.

No, I got him down, I got the names down.

You know.

No, it's uh, it's good.

You know, you hear about guys.

You meet guys throughout the league and get a chance to play with a bunch of them.

Can you talk about the the quarterback change and what do you think that this can do for you guys and what do you guys have to do to help this rookie out on Sunday.

Yeah, I've I mean, first off, a ton of respect for Joe and and what he did.

And I still feel like our offense as a whole that you know, do enough for Joe and so we want to be better for Dylan.

But since day one, you know, in OTAs and and off season workouts, I think Dylan's been preparing for this moment.

He takes notes, he handles his business.

If you see him on Fridays and Saturdays after our practice, Like he's always doing that extra walking through the script, walking through the plays, and so I think he has a handle on what we want to do and what we want to accomplish, and and hopefully he can you know, use his mobility and stuff to to open up the offense a little bit for us.

Rookie though, to go to the end of the room, you know, be that guy and kind of earned the respect of the veteran.

Yeah.

I mean, I think our offense allows him to do that.

But he's played so much football, like he's in you know, six year college like most starts or something in FBS history, played in a lot of big games.

And I think he just his confidence in his the way he as himself just gives him that ability to step to the front of the room and and and the work he's put in.

If he hadn't put in the work, you know, then there's like, oh, come on, like what are what are we doing here?

But I mean he's put in the work, and he's he's been focused, and he's he's kind of been ready for this moment.

Like his height has not been a factor, you know, just from what you've been.

Able to use the time that you spend here.

Yeah, I haven't noticed anything about his height.

You know, I know it's been a big talking point, but but from what I've seen in practice and in games, it hasn't really affected him yet.

Because but you why you've been in the middle, because now both sides bot tackles are for wad and see how it plays out.

How are you born is that, especially when you're getting you guys.

Adjusted to those rules and to build that commune.

Yeah, we want to we want to try and stay uh you know, stable in the middle, especially for for Dylan's we can step up and make those plays.

But yeah, it's good.

You know, Poe kind of runs a ship and and me and Whye try and help what we can.

But it's a good group in the middle, and we're just trying to be the best we can so everybody else around us can can be successful.

Well, why I would saying on Mondays and Duo's Dobo, you know, you know, the plays aren't that much different.

So when a night cut like cam comes in and.

Around, Yeah, you know, how how much how difficult is that adjustment really?

And what really was in the kind of that adjustment.

Yeah, there's an adjustment just in like the way he kind of does technique and stuff like that.

Most like you said, most of the plays are are similar across the league, maybe a little bit different terminology or a different code word for things.

But Cam's been in a lot of offenses and he has a lot of experience, so I think him coming in and having me and White there to be able to communicate even if he doesn't quite understand, you know, the terminology, will be like, hey, we're doing this, and he can kind of get a feel for it.

I'll talk about plumbing some plays with a lot to take a quarterback.

What kind of challenge does that happen.

For you guys on the off line, We don't feel it as much because we most of our plays have away go.

You know, Dan can do the math for me here.

But I think this is my twenty first starting quarterback that I've played with.

I don't think I've played with left hand quarterback though in my career or college or high school, so so it's a it's a new thing for all of us.

But no, I think for play wise, like we kind of have most of the things in both ways and things of that nature, so I've you know, it's not a huge deal for us, but it'll be interesting to see how do you.

Take prepare mentally for this game as a team.

Yeah, I think we've really just focused on, like our singular goal is trying to win a game this week.

So there is distractions of traveling to London, you know, we flew overnight, being in a new place, being in a hotel for a few more days.

But the goal is to try and find a way to win, and that's really what we've been focused on.

So we had a good day of you know, walk through practice, little get the body moving, and I think tomorrow we can move into like our normal Friday.

But really just our focus has been on Minnesota and and find a way to win the game.

Wove the first hand he ever seen an interview conducted with no words coming.

Out of Ah of all of the players.

No, I I scrolled past that and I didn't actually watch it yet, but I have I have not not seen that before, and just uh.

If you haven't seen it, maybe you can't kind of less the just worrying is that you could that just be a young guy expressing almost like expressing from some frustration over getting criticized and.

Different things like that.

I'm not sure, you know, I'm not sure what even got asked, you know, so I'm not sure I does it or or why he did it, But you know it, it's probably a question for him to answer, and and it's it's hard for me to speculate on exactly what was kind of going on in his mind.

You're back, Uh, what is how does the how does it across atlantic flight?

What does that do to the back?

I will?

I will.

I slept a little bit on the plane.

We have the you know, lay flats.

I don't quite I don't want to.

You know, we were in first class in the lay flat, but I don't quite fit in those very well.

So I was pretty much just like in a recliner most of the time.

But I woke up and I was pretty good.

I did some mobility, I did some stretching, I moved around, and so far, so good.

Specifically, defensive line challenge for you guys because of just the gluity.

Of right now.

Yeah, I mean, you look at a Flora's defense and they're known for blitzing and exotic looks and different things.

But I think this year they've even taken I mean, you know, we'll see what they do to us.

It's kind of a game plan thing.

But they have Jonathan Allen and Hard Grave now and and some good edge rushers, so I think they've upgraded some of their players on the inside and so they don't have to quite blitz as much.

So you've seen some more four down rushes and and let those guys work a little bit.

But it's a challenge.

I mean, they have great players.

They seem to you know, find your weakness and blitz that way and stuff.

So he'll be it'll be a good.

Challenge for US safety.

Grant delp It talked about what will be a tough matchup with wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

First to trust the quarterback change and how does that affect you and impact you guys over there on the hats.

Yeah, I mean, you know, we got full confidence in Dylan.

I think he's uh done a good job of staying ready, to staying prepared, you know, and you know it it's it's a good opportunity for him to really show, you know, his crafting and really prove people wrong, you know, prove people right that supported him, prove himself right.

You know, he might not have a height he might not have the he's a lefty.

It's different.

So you know, going out their first game international, Man, it's not not a better way he could do it.

What have you seen just watching him on in practice?

You know besides the scenes out of dealing that that tells you that that you, like you said, he is ready, that he has been prepared.

For this moment.

Yeah, I mean, I think it's just the poison the rookie class out of all our rookies right now.

So it's a high standard in that rookie class man.

Uh, from from Harald to q Ju to uh D samp uh Carson general the defense right now.

You know, those guys have been have been rolling.

So hopefully Dylan goes in there and uh takes ahead of it of the rookie class and it really leaves those guys.

A lot of new fans will see you this weekend.

Plays and something I've never seen.

Them very big football and maybe some of them I'm big Uh real football.

Team they would have you want to support?

Why didn't you.

Choose the the Cleveland Browns?

I think we the we, it's a it were a fun team to follow.

I'll say that, Uh, we all hopefully make some friends.

I know you guys don't know much about Cleveland Browns.

Man, we're gonna do what we can do.

Cleveland's a great place.

It's not like like Miami.

If you ever heard of Miami, it's like Miami.

So maybe y'all will come visit, like we will walk me out with open arms.

Great.

When you look at Carson, what's the the first his first two games, but yeah, his career, he's throwing cople interceptions his first two games, takeaways that he goes in tell way he did it.

Yeah, how can you guys capitalize off of those moments and building off of you guys have done in the past three weeks.

Yeah, man, really just attacking.

Uh, you know, money enough, money enough for him.

Just making it hard on 'em.

You know we l we love making it hard on quarterbacks.

You know we had he just knew over there too, so you know, he's got a couple of games under his belt.

But really just playing how we play and uh, not diverting much from that.

You talk about Carson being the general over the defense.

Have a rookie at a corporate how difficult is it for a rookie to come in and sort of team command of a room like that.

Yeah, yeah, cause you know there's a lot of older guys in that room.

I mean a lot of establishment, Uh what what what goes into them kind of taking you know, being able to to earn the trust that Yeah.

Well, I mean the big big thing is is just you known n him, knowing that he don't have to be the that captain the general Like we got a lot of guys that's that's with you.

You know, you not in this by yourself, just being on point, being on que and on that.

We got his back really and he's been playing great, amazing, so he just need to keep doing whatever he's doing.

Do you have a great view of the defensive life from where you're at?

M What do you seem different in that?

From Florida?

Is just the top of the league so far?

The shire.

T I mean, you we all know what the outside of our our d line is, but the in the interior they're, uh, they're causing havoct this year.

You know, the the one two punch from the Ricky inter vent.

On the inside, it's it's pretty much unstoppable right now.

So those guys are doing they thing, doing what we need to do.

We just got a hold up at a back end and it's gonna work out.

You mentioned after the game that it was difficult to not get frustrated by the fact that the offense was unable to generate any points and continuously during the ball over and and whatnot.

M So, h how do you think that you guys have you know, have handled that and how do you think you know, do you feel like this quarterback change could possibly give a lift to the defense?

Yeah, I mean just knowing in that moment, y you know, it's frustrating the moment, cause everybody wants to win, you know, especially we on defense, and you can't control anything on offense.

But you gotta tell yourself that again, like you can't control anything that they're doing.

All you can control is getting them back the balls.

So, like I said, Matt Winn's non last for ever.

You know, the sign gonna come back.

And and you know with this change that quarterback, we got a good thing to rally behind and really just keep doing what we been doing on defense and helping the young rook out.

What uh do the best of the stressed JERFCE.

You gotta be a little bit of personal toga.

Personal.

Nah, it's never that.

It's never that.

It's never personal, but it's always friendly competition.

You know.

I'm'a talk my talk my stuff, as we know, and he gonna do the same.

So you know we from around the same area.

How do you mean just sor uh?

I mean I think just we all know his like catch radius is crazy.

I think that you know, any ball in the facilities, he has a good chance to come down with it.

Gray hands soft and you see the one hand catches.

You know, he had a unique way in running.

It's like it's real.

I can't even explain it.

But it's different than Jamar.

But him and Jamar, I think, you know they talk to an elite.

How's you're gritty?

How what my gritty?

Greedy?

Yeah, I mean it's it's it's f it's it's fire, it's it's elite.

It's elite for real.

So I so I might do it to makea man.

I don't know.

He ain't say nothing.

So but do you guys see uh.

With person once?

Do you see some opportunities there?

We saw all the Pittsburgh.

Game, but do you see some.

Opportunities to maybe strip the ball out of there?

A little bit and also like get some interceptions perhaps.

Yeah, I see, I see those kind of opportunities every week, you know, especially with a you know, non starter.

Uh that's just becoming a starter on a new team and stuff.

And you know he actually have it, has the history of turn the ball over a lot.

So that's something that we gotta exploit, you know, make him uncomfortable and uh go get that thing.

Is there anything on film?

TJ.

Howkinson's a very good type idea?

Yeah, film that stands out to you that you feel like is a unique challenge.

For you this week?

Yeah, I mean, he got he runs pretty much the whole rout tree.

I think that he's a he's a very good weapon for them.

Uh.

You know, he's a at least had like a wild runner type of guy.

He got he gotta, he got some Uh we'll go to him.

So.

Uh you know it's no secret that we play man and man, so we gonna be matched up a lot.

How about the uh the special team situation and what what do you think that you guys can do on special teams to be a real asset to this team the game this week?

Yeah, I mean we just gotta get behind our coach.

Man.

You know, Bubba's doing Uh, he's a great coach and he's doing what he needs to do to put in the positions man.

As players, you know, we just can't take those plays off.

We gotta realize that those a game changing plays that we leave on a table.

So I'm gonna get to fix.

Finally, linebacker Carson Swettinger talked about the defense's approach to Minnesota's strong run game.

Probably cut on your chin.

Uh and opened up at some point, and then when you can put a helmet on every day, it's kind of hard for it to go away.

Just this defense.

You know, how have you gotten more comfortable you know, within it?

And how's the defense?

Did the guys around you, because you've got some a lot of experienced guys around you, gotten you feel like, gotten more comfortable with you?

Yeah, I think just continuing repetition and whether it's in practice or the games, I think that's just what helps you get more comfortable, you know, being able to run stuff out there and more comfortable, you know, calling everything.

I think each game gets get I start feeling more comfortable and and you know that's that's all great because it allows the whole defense.

You know, when everyone's feeling comfortable allows us all to play faster.

Of course, so when you look at this Minnesota offense and Carson Whens turns the ball over, he's had a couple interceptions since he started, what's something that you guys can capitalize on in that front of the way.

You guys have started to get takeaways and build that moment.

I think just continuing to do that, you know, whether it's punching the ball or or you know, getting getting the interceptions, getting getting the tip balls and picking those off and capitalizing on things like that, because that's a huge momentum for the offense.

And you know, when we're able to really flip the field and give them a short field to score, it makes.

It a lot easier.

Granton was talking after the Detroit game.

He goes, Yeah, it's frustrating, you know, being put in positions like you've been put in over the first four games, short fields, you know, having to quick quick changing and all that stuff.

But he said, you know, the easiest turnaround is kind of turn about spare play.

Just how much is that kind of the conversation is just we got to do our part.

We got to you know, when the offensive stress.

It's huge definitely because like you could see it in the games, it gives momentums to to the team that causes.

So when we're able to do that and flip the field and give a short field, I think it's it's really helpful.

And you know for us that's that's a big emphasis and being able to control the game and then you know when we go out there getting our stops regardless of of of where we're at.

Just a little bit more on Minnesota, I mean when you you kind of look at them, I mean, what what what is number the number one thing they do that you guys have to be able to take away or or there.

You know, it could be a big day for them.

Yeah, I think I think they're able to do a lot well, whether it's it's running the ball and pass.

I think for us we really just have to you know, each know our jobs and be able to play fast and for us, that's going to lead to success.

You guys have still have the best run defense in the league through this part.

So what would you look at your the run defense as a whole?

What is really just worked for you guys and clicked and like you see it kind of on game day of being able to drop guys behind line of scrimmage that kind of stuff.

Yeah, well, I mean, first of all, makes it pretty easy when you have the front floor that we have, so playing behind that it's obviously great.

And then similar with the back end when when we're able to play the coverage as we can and be able to stop the run and you know, have more guys in the box but still stop the pass with that, it's definitely helpful too.

And so I think for us, just just continuing.

That and you know that's a big emphasis for us, is just being physical in facts in the right game the.

Change a quarterback is that something from as a defensive player?

Is that something that you guys are looking forward to?

How does the defense respond us to a big move like that on the other side of the ball.

Yeah, I think for us, regardless of what's happening on the offensive side of the ball, it's our job to go out there, get stops and get and get the ball back to the offense.

And that's you know, regardless of whoever is out there, that's that's what we're trying to do.

Dylan.

You know, being a fellow rookie.

You know, I think you played against him, you know last year when he was at arg Just you know, for personally, what are kind of your feelings about the opportunity that he has in front of him.

I'm excited for him.

I'm I'm excited to see what he can do.

I know, you know he's he's been preparing, and you know, I'm just really excited to see what happens.

The Vikings offensive line a lot of injury issues.

I think at least one tackle, maybe both center.

I mean when you as a defense see that, I mean, what what's kind of what's kind of going?

I mean what we're kind of the conversations like in the thought process of.

With that's something you want to go be able to take advantage of.

I think regardless of the offensive line, we're looking to do that.

And you know, with our front four, that's something that they're very good at taking advantage of.

And it's you know, definitely helpful when when they when they try and drop back and don't have a lot of time because you know, we get.

To the quarterback before.

Guys, you'ver been loving before.

What's I mean, I know you just guys just got here, But what's this exerience?

It's it's been cool.

I think it'll be cool to see a little bit more over over the next couple of days and you know, get get to see what it's all about.

At times you're gonna see Jordan Edison, Justin Jefferson, TJ.

Hockinson in a in a trio and a bunch.

What is that like for you as a linebacker and trying to keep everybody on the same page with those three talented players?

Yeah, three three great players there.

But I think it just goes back to making sure you know, we know what defense we're in, what we're trying to do, and where we're supposed to be.

And you know, at the end of the day it works itself out.

Is yes, be.

Speaking moment in the game that you're mentally preparing for.

I think just you know, the whole game is something you mentally prepare for, and really you want to be ready for whatever play we're going to see, whatever formation and being ready to come out and be prepared and play fast.

Were you able to get any rest on that plane, I.

Mean here and there, Yeah, a little rest, had a lot of coffee today.

That'll do it.

For this episode of the From the Podium Podcast.

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I'm Gabe collur Up.

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