Cleveland Browns head coach Pat Shurmur met with the media Thursday morning before practice. This post will only cover what Shurmur said, but as many of you already know, so team team president Mike Holmgren (more on that later). Shurmur primarily talked about the progress of wide receiver Greg Little and how cornerback James Dockery will fill if cornerbacks Joe Haden and Buster Skrine can't play this Sunday.
(Regarding Injuries)- "Scott Fujita is improving, but we did send him home again like we did yesterday. I felt like that was the best course for now. Joe Haden, I would consider him day-to-day. He ran yesterday and he’s going to do the same today. Peyton Hillis is day-to-day, he did not run yesterday and he’s going to run in the pool today so that’s the course that we are going to take with him. Bubba, Ray Ventrone, is day-to-day. I would say he’s improving and unless something changes here I think he’s going to run in the pool also. Buster Skrine was dealing with a hip issue yesterday. He’ll be at practice today, consider him day-to-day as well. Artis Hicks missed practice, he had back spasms and he’s feeling better today, but he’ll be somewhat limited."
(On the cornerback situation is Haden and Skrine are unable to play)- "At this point my feelings are that they’ll both be there and we have contingency plans if they’re not. But, right now (James) Dockery will slide down and play and then you always have contingency plans with the possibility of one of the safety type players having to drop down so we always go into games with that. Some of its strategy I’ll just leave for Sunday."
(On Greg Little saying he could have played better against Oakland and what he thinks Little could have done better)- "Even though he’s played a lot of football, he didn’t play last year. They learn what do to and to the naked eye what they’re doing is generally right. When you know the details of what we’re trying to get done, when he says he needs to play better, he’s talking about is it a 12-yard split when I should’ve been at a 14-yard split. Was the route depth at 12 when I ran 10. Now he may have caught the ball and made a play, but in his mind and in my mind it was kind of good and I think that’s what he’s talking about. As they get more and more playing together, the quarterback and receivers, playing together and they end up coaching themselves and that’s what you want. When the offense becomes theirs and they come back and they’re self-correcting each other, but you can only do that if you keep repping the plays and I think that may be a little bit of what he’s talking about."
(On what he would have liked to have seen on the deep pass during the game from McCoy to Little and who should have made the adjustment on that play)- "It was just called all go and Greg had, it was DVD (Demarcus Van Dyke) right? He had him beat down the sideline and we just missed the throw. My view of it is he was out in front of the defender and he had to dive to catch the football, that’s how I viewed it. Is that the one you’re talking about?"
(On the fourth quarter play between McCoy and Little with the jump ball near the pylon)- "That was a slant and go and he had jumped the slant before and this was a longer yarded situation. He ran a sluggo and he was deep on him and the ball was up in the air and it’s just a matter of him going and getting the ball."
(On if it’s problematic not knowing if Tarvaris Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst will start Sunday for the Seahawks)- "Well we don’t feel like it’s going to be a problem. We know what both quarterbacks are good at and it starts with them being able to execute their offense from the pocket and the no huddle type of system that they have now, which they both do extremely well so we prepare for that. Other than that we’re well aware of the fact that Tarvaris Jackson when he breaks the pocket is a little bit more elusive as a runner, that’s natural. In terms of having two separate game plans, that’s not the case."