Q&A with TODD HALEY - 12/16
Tarkus
Dec 16, 2009, 4:10:44 PM
Highlights
TODD HALEY: �First practice for Cleveland Browns today. I�m optimistic
for all [the injured] guys that they�ll have a chance to play. [Brandon]
Flowers was full [practice].
�Cleveland is coming off arguably its biggest win against a very tough
opponent, the Steelers. I know a bunch of these guys starting with the
head coach. I was quality control on offense [in New York with the Jets]
and Eric was quality control on defense for three years in 97, �98, and
�99. So, Eric and I have spent a lot of hours together in the building
going way back. We were generally the last two in the building for a lot
of years - sat next to each other in special tams meetings every day.
It�s always good to see somebody that you�ve worked with that has made
it to the position he�s made it to. I think he did a great job with the
Jets and I think you�re seeing some of the foundation that he laid while
he was there � you�re seeing some of that now with that Jets team. He�s
got a young team that he�s working to turn in the right direction.
�I know the Browns will be prepared for us. I know the time Eric puts
in. I saw it first hand when we were young coaches together. The extra
couple of days they have they will use to their advantage. They�re
coming off a big win for them.
�I think this Joshua Cribbs is one of the better returners, runners,
wildcat guys in the league. He can throw it, he can run it; he breaks
more tackles than anybody in the league. You see that on tape. I think
their quarterback is getting better every week. He does a good job of
protecting the football - does a good job of getting rid of the football
and not taking sacks.
�Defensively, it�s another true � [alignment] team and have been
creating a bunch of sacks especially of late � 8 against the Steelers.
They do a very good job of disguising pressures and blitzes and creating
different looks. Tape study will be very important.
�Special teams with Cribbs involved make it a dangerous group as I
believe they�re up in kickoff and punt returns. We�ll have to be at our
best but it�s another opportunity for this Kansas City Chiefs team to
continue to try to progress and get better and see some of these good
practices we�ve been having turn into [winning] Sundays.
�I think this team is understanding more, and more and more how
important those little things are that end up being the difference
between winning and losing. There have been 87 games so far in this
league decided by seven points or less and we�ve been involved in a
handful of them. That means little things decide games. What more
evidence do you need to have than late in that second to last possession
for us and Jamaal [Charles] breaks out on a run which we ended up having
a holding call. Jamaal saw the flag thrown and relaxed. He had a chance
to score on that play. We had the ball in our hands down at the one or
two yard line for a potential score. Little things like that are the
difference between winning and losing and you don�t know which play is
going to be the difference in the game.
�But I think our guys are really starting to understand that. We put a
tape on every Monday with all those little difference-making plays and
there are not a ton � there are five, six, seven or eight plays that
could mean the difference in winning and losing in a lot of these games. �
Q: Can you see some progress in making those difference-making plays?
HALEY: �Yeah, now again, two out of these three games got out of hand
once we got into the turnovers. The games got out of hand. But there are
fewer and fewer win-lose plays , in my opinion. Whether it�s keeping
your hands inside on a run block or a yard different in your fit, the
number has gone down. The players understand that that�s what these
games are coming down to. You gotta assume that every play is going to
be the difference. If you play that way you have a chance to succeed.�
HALEY: What are your thoughts on the way Branden Albert has played this
season? Has he regressed?
Q: �No, I would not use that word. I think Branden went through a little
injury spell that probably set him back a little bit. I think he�s
probably feeling the best he�s felt all year. I think he�s understanding
what we�re asking him to do as our offense has continued to evolve and
settle in. That�s allowing him to play a little faster and a little more
aggressively. I think that�s really across the board. There are a lot of
young players that are playing and are learning a new system in all
areas on offense, defense and special teams. It takes time for them to
understand what we want them to do. I�ve talked to you about that. Do
they know what to do is first and then it�s how they�re doing it? It�s
how they�ll be evaluated. The more they get comfortable with what we
want them to do the faster and more aggressive they can play in all areas.
�I think Branden has got more and more comfortable and he�s had a bunch
of big tests. Some of the defenses we�ve played at the position he�s
asked to block have been big tests. But I would not use the word
regressed. He�s been up and down a little bit more than I would like and
he understands that. He just has to continue to be more and more
consistent and eliminate the little penalties. He just came to me right
now upset about the false start because it couldn�t have happened at a
more inopportune time coming off a big touchdown run. If anything I
would say it just has to get more and more consistent.�
Q: He lost a bunch of weight in the off-season. Has comfort with his
body had anything to do with it?
HALEY: �I think the whole thing. When you�re heavier you don�t have to
always use great technique. We want our guys to be in condition and he�s
been a great shining example of that aspect of it but there is an
adjustment period there. As far as where we�re at now, I think we�re far
past that. It�s more schematically and technique-wise what we want him
to do and how we want him to do it. It might be the difference again in
a six-inch step for him, or a drop step or a lead step, little fine
details we want in a certain way.�
Q: Do you believe he got by because of his size and not technique?
Because he lost the weight does he have to work on more of the details?
HALEY: �I think I said that way back in training camp and talked to him
about that being a factor. When you are 340 pounds in some instances you
don�t have to do the little things right. You�re in the way and you�re
heavier. But there are other limitations when you�re in that type of
conditions. But I think we�re far past that. I think we have one of the
best line coaches in the league working with these guys. But there are a
lot of moving parts.�
Q: Are you still happy that he lost that weight given his good play of
last year?
HALEY: �I can only worry about now and, as we go forward, I think a
player will be at his best when he�s in condition that we�re asking him
to be in. We had him pull last week and we need guys who are athletic
who can execute what we need to get done. The arrow is pointing up for
Branden.
Q: What did you see from Dwayne Bowe today on his first day back on the
field?
HALEY: �Dwayne looked like he did a good job while he was away keeping
himself in condition. Really would have liked to have seen where he
would have been had he been here the last four weeks because he was
making so much progress leading up to the suspension. I thought it was
really important that Dwayne worked real hard while he was away. That
sometimes is hard to do when you�re on your own and you�re not able to
practice football. But Dwayne was a breath of fresh air out there. We�ve
continued to evolve offensively and there was a lot to learn there for
him. I thought he picked it up pretty fast and he was here Monday and
Tuesday trying to catch-up and I think he�s done a good job.�
Q: Did you speak to him while he was gone about what he should work on?
HALEY: �No, we weren�t allowed to have any contact. I did have a nice
talk with Dwayne and he had a nice talk with me and he made it very
clear it was important to him. He showed that.�
Q: Cleveland is still last in turnovers but the team is improving. Is it
because of Brady Quinn�s development?
HALEY: �As I said with even our turnovers: there are a lot of factors.
All I can speak on is Quinn has done a good job of protecting the
football and getting it out [of his hand]. They�re a young team and not
a lot different than us going through some changes. But it looks like
they�re improving to me. I know they are because Eric and I probably
have a lot of similarities just by the fact that we learned around the
same type of people and have seen the things that need to be done to
have success in the long term. Eric�s a very smart, very smart guy. Like
I said, you�re seeing some of the foundation he laid in New York pay off
this year there a little bit � taking nothing away from them.�
Q: Why is Cribbs so good breaking tackles?
HALEY: �I think he�s a strong runner. He uses the stiff arm very well
which is an underrated weapon. It�s one we work real hard on and it�s a
natural weapon. I think he just has very good balance, is a strong
runner and keeps the ball in the proper hand which frees up that inside
arm to help shed tackles.�
Q: How has Tyson Jackson�s play been?
HALEY: �As I said in the beginning, at that position it�s no different
than Russell Maryland. It�s not a super sexy position that is
necessarily going to have a lot of stats. Not to say that he can�t have
stats and we expect him to be a productive player, especially as he gets
more and more comfortable. It�s a big job and there have been signs of
progress. In the last game he was active and got into the backfield a
couple of times. He�s doing a better time of chasing on the back side.
There are a lot of things being thrown at him and at the position he�s
playing you don�t always see instantaneous results.
�I think the guy has a tremendous work ethic. He works before practice,
during and after on technique � 24/7. He�s in here watching tape, but,
again, it takes a little time. He�s a young player playing that position.
Q: How about Ryan Succop?
HALEY: �Ryan I like a lot. I think he�s got the demeanor you want from a
kicker. He�s calm, cool and collected and doesn�t seem to get rattled
real easy. An example would be at the end of the half extra point where
we were running out of time and he looked like he was hurried a little
bit. We had to call a time out and I said, �sorry, I didn�t mean to
freeze my own kicker.� But he said he was going to call time out anyway
because he felt hurried. Pretty calm cool collected guy now. He�s got
the right body, is strong and I think he�ll get stronger. I think the
kickoffs have got to continue to improve especially playing here after
the weather gets back.�