Surge DCs: "Our group is hungry"

The Stuttgart Surge defense prepares for its biggest challenge yet this season this Sunday (15:00 CET). The Stuttgart Surge will face off against the Munich Ravens for the third time this season, this time for the right to play in the championship at home in Stuttgart. 

We sat down with co-defensive coordinators Cody Pastorino and Johannes Brenner, two candidates for assistant coach of the year. 

The Surge defense has been one of the league’s best all season racking up the most sacks by a wide margin. Last week, taking on the ELF’s top offense in the Bravos, the Surge held the red hot Madrid squad to only 17 points, racking up 5 sacks in the process. 

How satisfied are you with your defense’s performance so far this season?

“We are very satisfied with the defense's performance this season. I think we've had our learning moments throughout the year. I feel like we've continued to improve as a defense. I do think our confidence is building, and we're playing our best football at the right time.”

Your defense delivered an outstanding performance in the playoff game against the Madrid Bravos, playing a decisive role in the game, what do you see as the key to that success?

Johannes Brenner: “I think it was important to break the connection between Aron Cruickshank and Reid Sinnett. For the most part, we kept the ball away from Aron. Up front, we put pressure on Reid Sinnett. We kept him uncomfortable. This gave us the opportunity to perform like we did. I also give a lot of credit to the players. They prepared well throughout the week. They really let the game come to life on gameday.”

How important was roster depth in maintaining a high level over 60 minutes against such a strong offense?

Johannes Brenner:  “Over the years, Coach Neuman and Coach Pastorino have done an amazing job putting rosters together. Having depth is crucial, especially at the end of the year. It's a great advantage to use everyone available and different personal groupings to match the strengths of opponents. I thought that was a critical advantage for us.”

Cody Pastorino: “Having depth in the game is definitely important. We were rotating a bunch of guys up front and bringing in fresh bodies, which was a huge reason why we were able to put so much pressure on the quarterback. We had one or two injuries and had to bring in other guys, which shows how deep our roster is. Even when we lost some guys we planned to use, everybody else was ready to go, and we put on a good football game. This shows how important depth is, as well as how talented our roster is from top to bottom.

How much momentum does this defensive success give the entire team heading into the next round against the Munich Ravens?

Johannes Brenner:  “Every week is a new challenge, and the Ravens are going to be completely different from the Bravos. But we feel pretty good about ourselves and our last performance. Now, we can carry some of that good defensive football over to the next round.

The Munich Ravens have a true dual-threat quarterback. How do you prepare your defense for a QB who is dangerous both in the passing game and on the ground?

Cody Pastorino: Yeah, this quarterback is a super talented player and incredibly dangerous in both elements. He is a true dual-threat quarterback. He can really sling and throw, and if you leave guys open, he's gonna make you pay. The hardest part about him is that he can run when things break down. He's probably one of the fastest guys in the league. We've got our hands full. We're going to have to do a great job, and it's going to be a real challenge for us."

How do you share tasks as a coordinator duo in the daily work with the defense?

Cody Pastorino: "During the week, we're in constant communication when it comes to game planning, bouncing ideas off each other, and making sure we're on the same page. It's always great to have two people looking at things, and we're always able to pick up on things that one of us might have missed. As far as game planning goes, we're split up when it comes to the actual defense."

Johannes Brenner: "In general, we split up the defense, fronts, and backs. Coach Pastorino runs the backs. I run the front. We share ideas, and I have to give most of the credit to Coach Pastorino, who puts in a lot of work. He is very well prepared with ideas and the overall schematics. He brings a ton of experience with him, which makes my job a lot easier. There’s not a day when I don't learn something from him, and it’s been a lot of fun working with him to make this happen."

What defines the identity of the Surge defense this season?

Johannes Brenner: "I think our identity comes from what we show on film. When people watch us in the stadium or on film, I think it’s pretty obvious that we’re flying around the field and playing super aggressively. It’s going to be hard to play against us. We're trying to be unpredictable for our opponents. We're trying to keep it simple for our players. We're going to put everyone in a position to succeed by doing what they do best. Our group is hungry this year. If there’s an opportunity, we want to take advantage of it.

What would a win against the Ravens mean in terms of advancing to the Championship Game in Stuttgart?

Cody Pastorino: We understand that we have a tough task ahead of us: going on the road to Munich, where they're playing extremely confidently. They haven't lost a game there, and we've got our hands full. We're excited to see if we've made adjustments and gotten better as a defense and as a team since the last time we played them.

The Surge will take on the Ravens Sunday at 15:00 CET August 31st for a chance to play in the championship game in front of their home fans. 

Get your tickets to the championship game today!