Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski addressed the media on Wednesday ahead of Cleveland's Week 3 matchup against the Giants on Sunday.
The Browns will return to Huntington Bank Field Sunday, where they will host the 0-2 Giants at 1 p.m.
Injury updates
Stefanski gave several updates on injured Browns, including TE David Njoku, who is "unlikely" to play on Sunday with an ankle injury.
T Dawand Jones, who has started at right tackle for both of the Browns games so far this season, did not practice Wednesday with a knee injury. Stefanski said that he is "day-to-day" and did not rule him out for Sunday's game.
Tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin practiced Wednesday but are also considered day-to-day going into Week 3.
CB Denzel Ward played just 11 snaps last week against the Jaguars as part of a plan to limit his action due to a shoulder injury. Stefanski said he was "hopeful" Ward would see more action this Sunday.
WR Jerry Jeudy has displayed his pass-catching abilities through the first two games of the season, as he's totaled eight receptions for 98 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars on September 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium. The Browns won 18-13.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars on September 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium. The Browns won 18-13.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars on September 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium. The Browns won 18-13.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy's pads before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars on September 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium. The Browns won 18-13.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars on September 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium. The Browns won 18-13.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars on September 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium. The Browns won 18-13.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) before a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars on September 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium. The Browns won 18-13.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars on September 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium. The Browns won 18-13.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) before a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars on September 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium. The Browns won 18-13.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy's and Quarterback Deshaun Watson's pads before a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) before a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) and Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) after a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) after a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) after a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) before a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) before a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) before a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) before a NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns lost 17-33.
Facing the Giants
Despite the Giants' 0-2 record, Stefanski emphasized the respect he has for head coach Brian Daboll and the Giants.
"That 0-2 is very misleading to me," Stefanski said. "They lost at home in Week 1, which obviously we lost at home in Week 1. And then they go on the road, and they play good enough to win, and had some extenuating circumstances with the kicker."
K Graham Gano was injured at the beginning of the Giants' Week 2 loss to the Commanders, and the Giants went for it on several fourth-down situations that might otherwise have resulted in field goal tries and had two two-point conversion attempts after their initial point after attempt failed.
Stefanski called Giants QB Daniel Jones a "dangerous runner." Jones rushed for a career-high 708 yards in 2022, his last full season after suffering a torn ACL in 2023. Jones rushed for 32 yards on five attempts last week against the Commanders.
"Can hurt you in a bunch of different areas," Stefanski said of the six-year veteran. "Obviously, can make all the throws from the pocket, but he is a very, very dangerous runner. We've all seen it over the course of time that he is a threat with the ball in his hands, and they're utilizing him."
The Giants drafted WR Malik Nabers out of LSU with the sixth-overall pick in the 2024 draft. In his first two games as a pro, Nabers has accumulated the second-most targets in the NFL with 25, only two behind Rams WR Cooper Kupp.
"They use him a lot," Stefanski said. "He's very, very fast, he's explosive. There's a reason he was drafted where he was drafted. He's a very, very, very good young player."
Limiting penalties
One point of emphasis Stefanski mentioned the Browns would focus on this week is penalties. Two weeks into the season, the Browns are the most penalized team in the NFL, with a majority of penalties called against the offense.
The Browns have been flagged 24 times, five more than the Steelers, who have the second-most penalties this season.
"I'm not going to ignore the fact that we have the most called penalties against us in the league," Stefanski said. "We watched every single one of them as a team. We're going to correct the ones that we can correct and we're just going to play really clean with our technique, but it's something that we'll continue to address."
Pre-snap penalties in particular have hurt the Browns at times throughout the season. Stefanski said that, particularly late in the game when both teams are tired, maintaining technique will be vital in correcting penalties.
"We have to be way, way, way better pre-snap," Stefanski said. "There is a difference between pre-snap penalties and post-snap penalties. Obviously, the pre-snap penalties should be easily correctable. The post-snap, there's gonna be some calls that we get called for a holding that we don't feel is a real strong call or those types of things. But when you get into the fourth quarter, both sides are tired, but you can't let your technique lapse."
