Each Browns coordinator has an opportunity to look forward to when going to face the Steelers on Oct. 12.
For offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, it's another week to see how QB Dillon Gabriel plays in the Browns' offense. For defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, there will be a chess match with his attack penetration defense against four-time MVP and Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers. Then for assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone, Pittsburgh is a trip to his hometown and a chance to beat the Steelers.
On Oct. 9, all three talked ahead of the AFC North divisional matchup. Here are the takeaways from what each coordinator said during their press availability.
Tommy Rees
Gabriel made his first NFL start in London in Week 5, four days after he was named the starter. In his first start, he threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns, and avoided turning the ball over. While Gabriel helped move the ball down the field and made sure the Browns didn't give the Vikings any extra possessions, Rees said there are factors of his game that he can clean up. However, he said every quarterback, no matter their experience, can always do better in a game.
"When you look at it, probably in its totality, he took care of the football and did a nice job for us coming out of the half. Did a nice job on the second drive of the game," Rees said. "The third-and-9 play in the red zone was really a good job getting through his progression and then there are some things later that we want to clean up and continue to work on, but there's a positive feeling after his first one."
Gabriel's next test is going to Pittsburgh to help the Browns win. Rees is looking for Gabriel to continue his progress from his first start and build off what he did in London. Against the Vikings, Rees said Gabriel built chemistry with the 10 other players on the field with him, which can prove beneficial in a road environment. While Gabriel can lean on his football experience like playing high-stakes games in college, he will also need to lean on his teammates to have success against Pittsburgh.
"After one start there're going to be things that he's more comfortable doing," Rees said. "There's going to be rhythm there that he can get on the same page with the offensive line and the rest of the skill players. You just look to build continuity with the rest of the group. I think every time he steps out there with those guys, you'll see that can continue to improve, whether it's communication or physical just connecting on things. I think that continuity will continue to improve for him."
Browse photos of the Cleveland Browns practicing at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus as they prepare for their Week 6 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Cornerback Tyson Campbell (7) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Defensive end Cameron Thomas (99) and Defensive lineman Adin Huntington (98) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Cornerback Tyson Campbell (7) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Offensive guard Zak Zinter (70) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) and Cornerback Dom Jones (37) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio (54) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Malachi Corley (83) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Linebacker Jerome Baker (17) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Offensive tackle KT Leveston (72) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Cornerback Dee Williams (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. (51) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Cornerback Dee Williams (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Tight Ends Coach Christian Jones during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Tight end Sal Cannella (87) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) and Tight end David Njoku (85) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (64) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Cornerbacks Coach Brandon Lynch during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (33) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Tight end Blake Whiteheart (86) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Offensive tackle Jack Conklin (78) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Cornerback Myles Harden (26) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Tight end Sal Cannella (87) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Cornerback Dee Williams (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Running back Ahmani Marshall (39) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Bill Willis Coaching Fellow Michael Bearden during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Quarterback Bailey Zappe (11) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Defensive tackle Maliek Collins (96) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Wide receiver Luke Floriea (81) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Jamari Thrash (80) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Offensive Line Coach Mike Bloomgren during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Defensive Assistant Zach Dunn during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Running back Dylan Sampson (22) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Gage Larvadain (84) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) and Cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Running back Quinshon Judkins (10) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Tight end David Njoku (85) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Offensive guard LaDarius Henderson (67) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Safeties Coach Ephraim Banda during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Cornerback Myles Harden (26) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Cornerback Tyson Campbell (7) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Safety Rayshawn Jenkins (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (33) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Running back Raheim Sanders (35) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
A helmet during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Linebacker Jerome Baker (17) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
A helmet during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Running Backs Coach Duce Staley during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Jamari Thrash (80) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Running back Dylan Sampson (22) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Tight end Blake Whiteheart (86) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 8, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 9, 2025.
Jim Schwartz
During practices and walkthroughs to prepare for the Steelers, Schwartz has been imitating Rodgers' hard count. Against the Steelers, Schwartz and the Browns' defense will be in charge of containing Rodgers.
Schwartz stressed that Rodgers likes to catch the defense sleeping and force them to commit a penalty to give Rodgers a free play that could turn into an explosive play. On those free plays, Rodgers will showcase a throwing ability that head coach Kevin Stefanski said was one of the best he has ever seen. Schwartz echoed Stefanski's statement, saying that Rodgers has a big arm with which he can throw the ball.
"It doesn't always look the way that other people's – there's classic throwers and things like that. He's just got such a loose arm where he can throw from six million different angles," Schwartz said. "He's extremely accurate. He's been an outstanding quarterback, been a Super Bowl winner. We certainly have a lot of respect for him and we're going to have to play our best."
Rodgers leads the NFL in time to throw at 2.52 seconds according to NFL Next Gen Stats, getting the ball out quickly. Schwartz attributed the quick throws to short passes to players, but he noted the yards after catch that the Steelers are getting on such plays. This season, Rodgers has put the ball in front of his pass catchers to allow them to run after the catch and make the big play. In Week 4 against the Vikings, Rodgers threw a 15-yard pass in front of WR DK Metcalf on the right hash, allowing him to run following the pass for an 80-yard receiving touchdown.
"I think it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 percent of their passing yards are run after the catch, and that's a ridiculously high number, but that's a tribute to him," Schwartz said. "Number one, he's throwing accurate passes that allow them to run after the catch and just knowing where to go and just putting the ball in your playmaker's hands."
Bubba Ventrone
With the Ohio River just outside Acrisure Stadium, wind comes off the river and into the stadium, making the venue a tough place to kick. For first-year player K Andre Szmyt, it will be his first time at the stadium as a member of the Browns but he's no stranger to the stadium. He played in Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium three times while in college at Syracuse, playing against Pittsburgh. In the three games, Szmyt went 7 of 8 on field goals and 5 of 5 on extra points.
So far this season with Cleveland, Szmyt is 6 of 8 on field goals this season and 7 of 8 on extra points, missing just one kick inside 50 yards. Ventrone said that Szmyt and the kicking unit will get a feel for the wind and the conditions once they get to the stadium.
"The stadium has changed a good bit. I know that the stands on the open side have like closed in a little bit relative to what it used to look like, but we'll figure it out once we get there," Ventrone said.
Special teams has also been a proving ground for Browns rookies like WR Gage Larvadain who is the current punt returner. Ventrone said the South Carolina product is doing a good job at the position, extending that to all the rookies who are contributing on special teams.
"Those guys are improving each week," Ventrone said. "I think we've seen significant improvements in all those areas with the guys we're using on teams and hopefully continue to do that."
