Safety Jabrill Peppers
August 19, 2021
Q: How did it feel to be working on the field that you’ve worked on many times?
A: It felt good. It felt good to compete against someone other than our team as well, so I’m glad about that.
Q: How many sacks do you credit yourself with today?
A: I’d say two. One would have been a QB hit, it was a three-step, I dipped under (Browns Tackle Jack) Conklin, I think. Actually, just one because then the other one would’ve been a QB hit. It’s a pretty good O-line, so nice to work against them.
Q: What happened, was that just a cramp or something?
A: Yeah, just a cramp. Trying to figure it out.
Q: Obviously, you guys are football players and you want to play football. You all understand the deal as far as pulling up and not going, but when the juices get going how hard is it to hold back? Especially on run plays, you make the right reads and then the guy is running 30 yards downfield.
A: It’s not really as hard as you think unless you’re falling or something, but I think for the most part we’re some of the top athletes and I think we’ve got pretty good control over our bodies. It’s just about being under control and not being sloppy, playing with your feet under you.
Q: How much of a challenge are those drills when it’s a one-on-one, you against a receiver and you’re covering half the field?
A: It’s an offensive drill, but it makes you better. It makes you focus on your technique. I like the competitive aspect of it, and I think it’s much needed work.
Q: You feel like you could’ve done anything differently on that one to (Browns Tight End David) Njoku or he just made a great play?
A: I probably could’ve jumped a little higher or been a couple more inches taller, but it was a great ball, a great pitch and catch. That’s why we’re here, to get that work.
Q: You guys were drafted together. Did Njoku say anything to you?
A: Yeah, he said, ‘Just like old times.’ That was funny. We were going back and forth, me and (QB) Baker (Mayfield), me and Njoku, so that’s been fun, as well.
Q: What was some of the talk between you and Baker? It looked like there was a lot of chatter.
A: Me and Baker used to always go back and forth, just ball stuff. He tells me he’s going to go 80 percent; I tell him he can’t see over the line, just things like that. It’s all good ball, good talk.
Q: What’d he say after that?
A: I think he said I’m 80 percent, so it’s just good ball. Just good to be on the road with the team, man for man competing against another team and I love it.
Q: What did you think of the two-minute drill there?
A: We’ve got to get better. They made some good plays; we didn’t make enough. I think it was (Browns Wide Receiver Rashard) Higgins who went up there and caught what I guess would be the game winner, so we can’t allow that to happen. But it was great competition, much needed work and we’re looking forward to responding tomorrow.
Q: Would it have been a sack? Was it hard to tell?
A: I was back deep, so I don’t really know what happened up front. But I know we definitely got to not let him come down with that ball.
Q: Even though it’s a practice, you guys reacted to that as if you lost the game.
A: This is as close to a game as we’re going to get until Sunday. It’s us against them, so we treat it as a game, absolutely.
Q: Their offense is different than yours that you go against every day. How beneficial is it to get these types of reps against a totally different kind of scheme?
A: It’s been well. We’ve got a pretty good idea of what those guys like to do, we just got to execute on our side a little better.
Q: Do you have Cleveland flashbacks anymore when you come here?
A: I haven’t been here in quite some time, but just riding through I see some familiar spots. I wouldn’t necessarily say any flashbacks.
Q: Do you have the perspective of the trade like it worked out for the best for you?
A: I’m at peace with it. I love where I’m at. I think we’re building something special here, but I’m thankful for my time here, as well. It taught me a lot of character, learned a lot of ball here, but I’m just focused on the future.
Q: How much did they show you on offense as far as what the Browns ran? You just played them in December. Do you think they opened it up a little bit?
A: I think they do what they do well, and they executed. They’ve got a couple wrinkles in there, but for the most part it was true to who they are.
Q: We know where that team ended last year in the playoffs, we know how your season ended up. Is the standard set by them today kind of raise your level of play on defense?
A: This is a good measuring stick for us coming out here and competing against a formidable foe. AFC North opponent, tough, big, hard-nosed, want to run the ball, so I definitely think it’s a good measuring stick to come out here and compete against these guys, and then put it all together on Sunday, absolutely.
Q: How do you evaluate the run play when you can’t tackle somebody?
A: Setting the edge, extension knocked back, if the line of scrimmage moves their way or our way. There are still ways to tell if people are doing their jobs without going to the ground, but ultimately that’s the main tell is yards after contact when we’re tackling and things like that. We still get good work in and great, teachable moments out here.
Q: Did you see (Browns Wide Receiver) Odell (Beckham Jr.) out here? I know he wasn’t practicing, but were you able to say anything to him at all?
A: I think I saw him a couple of times, but I was mainly dialed on the practice.
Q: Was there a last thing you learned from your time here that sticks with you? Usually sometimes early in your career you take something away.
A: Like I said, I just built a lot of character, learned a lot about myself, things like that, so absolutely.
