Browns Postgame Quotes (Week Two)
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski
(opening statement)
“We win as a team; we lose as a team. We lost. We got beat. Did not play a 60-minute game. It is really frustrating – frustrating to me, to our players in the locker room and I am sure to our fans. It is not how we play. It is we have to finish and do the things that allow you to win games, and we didn’t do that. Everybody is going to want to point fingers and say, ‘Whose fault was this?’ Put it on everybody. It is all of us, me, coaches and players. It is everybody. What we can’t do is let this linger because we have a game Thursday night against a division opponent right back here. We have to real quickly move on from this one, and that was my message to the team. It is frustrating. I know you guys have to ask the questions and I will try my best to answer them, but it is frustrating for everybody.”
On how NY Jets WR Corey Davis was that open on the 66-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter:
“Obviously, guys not on the same page. It was very, very clear what we were doing. We talked about it on the sideline before everybody went out and talked to the entire defense about what they were about to do, which was try and throw it over our head. We can’t let that happen. We have a young football team, and unfortunately, that youth at times has shown up here, and we have to grow up real fast.”
On the message to the team during the timeout prior to the NY Jets’ onside kick:
“Just wanted to look at how they were setting up with their kicker. Just trying to look at his approach and just confirm with the side that type of kick was coming was what we were trying to do.”
On if the Browns believed the onside kick was going to the NY Jets K Greg Zuerlein’s left:
“Yes.”
On the NY Jets’ fake punt early in the game:
“They made a play. To their credit, they are going to make plays. It was a good call. It was well-executed by them.”
On the mindset with a 30-17 lead late in the game:
“I think like everybody, you want to play a complete game. We have to just go play defense, keep everything in front of us, tackle them in front of us and do our job to go try and get a team win. We didn’t do that and then we just did not close out that game. That is really, really frustrating.”
On accounting for another lapse in coverage that led to a long TD:
“I don’t have a great answer for you. I saw it happen. All of us saw it happen right in front of us. I don’t have a great answer for that.”
On what happened on K Cade York’s missed PAT:
“I don’t know. Yeah, I don’t know.”
On if there was a thought to have RB Nick Chubb stop short of scoring to let more time run off the clock:
“That is a scenario where that is on me to communicate that to the huddle. We have done that before. Having said that, we need to close that game out.”
On what QB Jacoby Brissett’s status is after noticeably limping late in the game:
“I don’t. It was his ankle. I don’t know the prognosis.”
On losing DE Jadeveon Clowney to an ankle injury in the second half:
“He was playing well. Certainly, in that type of game when they are throwing it to try and catch up, you want your best guys on the field, but guys have to step up and young guys have to step up.”
On if he knows the severity of Clowney’s ankle injury:
“I don’t. Yeah, I don’t.”
On if this loss hurts more being in front of the fans in the home opener:
“It all hurts. These games are hard. You are trying to do everything you can to win the game. We didn’t, and that is a ‘We’, capital W. We didn’t win the game. Ultimately, that is my job. I need to win that football game for this football team. For our fans, like you mentioned, it is really tough to watch, and I get that. What is really important though is that we fix this and get back in here Thursday night against a good division opponent.”
On how to get the team to bounce back after this loss:
“Yeah, you have to message it to them.”
On how to help York shake off the missed PAT and refocus for Thursday night:
“He will. Again, I don’t know exactly what happened on that one, but he will be OK.”
On what he would have done differently at the end of the game:
“I think we will talk about it. I say that just because everything that happens on that field is my responsibility. Everything: offense, defense and special teams. I am not going to hide from that, and I am not going to point fingers. I am going to tell you we are going to get it fixed.”
On why the team has surrendered double-digit points in the fourth quarter in consecutive weeks:
“I don’t have an answer for that. Again, we have to get it fixed. I don’t have a good answer.”
On if it was not CB Denzel Ward’s responsibility for the open receiver downfield on the 66-yard TD:
“I am not going to get into the specifics. When we do not do our job as one person, it is a reflection of the entire defense. We just all have to be on the same page and really just all understand the moment of the game, having awareness of what is going on in the game.”
On if the team took their foot off the gas pedal when up 30-17:
“I don’t think so. We had a lot of conversations on the sideline about what was about to occur on that ensuing drive, how we needed to defend what they were about to do and those type of things. No, I did not get that sense.”
On if there was anything strange about the NY Jets’ onside kick or if it was simply an unlucky bounce:
“I didn’t see it so I don’t know.”
On if the loss was any worse given RB Nick Chubb and RB Kareem Hunt performed well, especially in the fourth quarter:
“All of it hurts. Like we talked about, all of it is frustrating. You win as a team in this league. You lose as a team. We are going to own it. We are just going to own it, not going to hide from it.”
Jacoby Brissett
On his ankle and if he will be able to play on Thursday night against the Steelers:
“For sure. I will be fine.”
On if he was experiencing pain with the when returning to play:
“Just a little bit. I should be fine.”
On if there was ever a question about returning for the next offensive series:
“Not a question. No.”
On the loss after establishing a late lead:
“It is tough. This league is funny. This one was tough. It just shows you can’t take anything in this league for granted. Not even talking about the end of the game, a bunch of plays early on, miscues and things of that nature. We have a short week. We have to bounce back fast. I think the guys understand that. I think everybody is up for the task because we have no other choice.”
On his mindset with the NY Jets recovered the onside kick:
“Nothing really. I wish we had recovered it, but hey, we didn’t. (Head) Coach (Kevin Stefanski) puts us through these situations. It is just, ‘Hey, just go respond, respond, respond.’ That was going through my head is when we get out there, we just have to respond.”
On Stefanski stating inexperience on the team has shown up in mistakes in the first two games and if he has made the same observation:
“Yeah, sure, but it is not [just] young guys; it everybody is picking their turns. It is a long season obviously. The mistakes in this game cost us big in every phase of the game. That just can’t happen because if you keep a team in this league around, anything can happen, and today was that day. We just have to regroup. Like I said, we have a short week and a division opponent so we have to be ready to go.”
On understanding the team wins and loses as a team and if the offense progressed better for him this week than last week:
“Yeah, definitely. Like you said, we lost as a team. That is the tough part is that is still on my mind right now that we did lose. Just still going back through the film and being critical of myself in situations because we didn’t score every time we touched the ball. There are obviously things that we can work on or that I can work on. This team can, and I think this team will.”
On if the Browns made a concerted effort to get WR Amari Cooper the ball more this week:
“I think it was just the flow of the game. A lot of the ones that we got PI (defensive pass interference on) last week we didn’t this week, and we actually had a chance to connect. I thought he played well. Yeah, it was just more the flow of the game.”
On if it may eat at Cooper that he was one of the Browns players who was closest to the onside kick that the NY Jets recovered:
“I would have to ask him if it is eating at him. I think we all know there are more plays in the game than the onside kick.”
On if he feels the responsibility as a leader to address the team following the loss, including the defense and special teams:
“Listen, it is the second game of the season. We have 15 now because it is a 17-game season. We have a ways to go. We have a lot of leaders in that room. We have a lot of good players in that room and a lot of good teammates. I understand that me being one of the ‘older guys’ – I am still young but one of the older guys – not to bump our people with words and let guys figure things out. I think we have the right guys, the right men in that room to do that. I think they will. The sun is going to come up tomorrow. I think the guys understand that, and we have to get ready to go on a short week.”
On if the short week is a ‘almost like a blessing in disguise’ following the loss:
“Yeah, for sure. Probably. I definitely think it will help because we have no time to feel sorry for ourselves. I think we understand that we have a big task coming in on Thursday. If we spend any time dwelling on this, that will be a disservice for us on Thursday.”
On playing in front of the home crowd at FirstEnergy Stadium for the first time:
“It was awesome from start to finish. Wish we could have gotten it done, especially on the home opener and being in front of this crowd. They gave us all they had. This one is tough. Hey, we get another chance to go out there in front of them Thursday, and that is the plan.”
On if there was a specific reason Browns players were upset following the interception to end the game, including potentially like some thought there should have been a flag:
“We were upset they got an interception. I didn’t see all of that.”
On if there is anything positive he can say to the fans after the boos at the end of the game:
“I honestly zoned out. I couldn’t hear. I think at all moments, I don’t think I ever really pay attention and I try not to pay attention to outside noise. Listen, it is an emotional game. We have emotions, and they have emotions. Again, like Coach always says, we need to block out the outside noise. I know we will. We have no other choice. Hey, it is part of the NFL. Those things happen, and we just have to get better.”
Joel Bitonio
On the loss:
“We didn’t do enough on offense to get the win.”
On his mindset on the offense’s final drive and if he believed the team could get close enough for K Cade York to kick a FG:
“When there is time on the clock and you are down within a score, you know you have a chance. We saw it last week. We had a little more time last week. First play was a big scramble. Probably only needed 15-20 yards on the next play. We had a timeout so we could throw anywhere on the field so we knew we had a chance. You always have to have a chance. You always have to tell yourself that. The offense was ready to go out there and try to convert. We know Cade has a good leg, and he could have given us a chance there.”
On York’s missed PAT and if he will say anything to help York bounce back:
“No, I think it is a learning moment for him. I think you make a game-winner one week and you miss a PAT the next week, it is just part of the NFL. It is about how consistent you can be from a week-to-week basis. I think he will grow from it and be ready to kick on Thursday.”
On the range of emotion from last week’s win and being up 13 late in this week’s game and losing:
“That is the NFL for you. It is a tough one. Every loss is tough. This one was especially tough. We thought we had it in the bag. We just did not do enough. We did not play 60 minutes. We played 58 minutes and just did not have enough today.”
On how to keep this loss from snowballing, especially given the youth on the Browns roster:
“The good thing is we do have a Thursday game so it is going to be a quick study from what we did this game and pick up from it. I think the biggest thing is you can’t let issues carry over. If we did have some mistakes out there, we have to fix those, nip those and then come out and we have another game Thursday. Pittsburgh does not care if we won or lost this game. They are coming in to win. Our job is to go out there and get a win on Thursday in a division game. It is definitely tough, but I think when you play in the NFL long enough, you realize that is the NFL and crazy things happen sometimes. Obviously, it did not go in our favor this week.”
On how to prevent the team from pointing fingers of blame after the loss:
“I don’t think that is even a question. We know we have good players everywhere. We have a good defense. We have a good offense. We know there are going to be games where we might not score as many points or we might have to score 35. It is just part of the NFL, but no one is pointing fingers. I think everybody looks at the tape, and if they point any fingers, it is at themselves to see what they can do better.”
Amari Cooper
On the message after the game:
“The message was we have to play a 60-minute football game, and we did not do that.”
On the mentality coming off a loss and having to play Thursday:
“We have to stick together. At the end of the day, it is a team sport. We are a football team. We have a lot more games ahead of us. We have to stick together and play ball.”
On how long it will take to get over the loss:
“It is tough, especially when it is a game like this when you should have won and a game that you had in the bag. We have to practice so when the next time we go out and play, we can play a 60-minute game.”
On if it is a good thing having a game on Thursday.
“I can’t tell you if it is good or bad. Obviously if we win, then yes. “
Martin Emerson Jr.
On how tough it is going from last week’s close win to this week’s close loss:
“We have to be better. We have to play better as a team and finish the game out.”
On what happened at the end of the game:
“We beat ourselves.”
On if having a quick turnaround with a game Thursday helps:
“24-hour rule. Watch film and clean up. Just clean up from there. Get ready for Thursday.”
Jordan Elliott
On what the Browns needed to do late in the game to secure a win:
“Honestly, just listen to coaching and be disciplined every down. That is really all it is. It is not rocket science.”
On losing a 13-point lead in 13 minutes:
“It is the NFL. They have some talented guys. At the end of the day, we just have to execute.”
On if the Browns were doing anything different that led to the NY Jets success late in the game:
“No. We just have to execute as a defense.”
On how to bounce back from the tough loss:
“Just go to practice making sure that we pay attention to the details. Just execute at a high level.”
On if playing on Thursday night with a quick turnaround can be a positive this week after the tough loss:
“Anytime you have a game, it is a blessing. This quick turnaround will help us wash this taste out of our mouths.”
Myles Garrett
On how to processes a loss like this week’s game:
“It is tough. We let up on defense and really the whole team let up in the 11th hour. A pick to end it, two long drives allowed by the defense to cap off on a touchdown when we had them down by two scores within two minutes. Something like that you don’t imagine happening to you and then you see the little stuff and the details and technique really get to you. Getting in the huddle and getting the call. Making sure you are working with your guy and communicating. All of that stuff, that continues all through the game, and if you let a slip up or two slip ups then like you saw, there were two touchdowns and they are right back in the game and took the lead, and we weren’t able to get another drive. ”
On how gassed the Browns defense was on the last drive:
“Just as gassed as they were. They were tired, and we fed off of that. We are trying to attack them. I know they had a plan to double us and get us off our game, and to their credit, they were able to make some plays.”
On how he explains and accounts for the lack of communication on defense:
“I can’t explain it. I haven’t watched the film so I couldn’t tell you. Those kinds of plays are unacceptable, that is without a doubt. We just have to be able to communicate with our team about what is going on. We are only as deep as the deepest man. We can’t allow those plays to happen. We will take the penalty there. I know those guys are doing the best they can. It is one of the toughest jobs on the field to be one on one with the guy on the end or on the back end in the safety position. Those guys are doing their best. We have some things to correct, but we have the ability and talent to do so. We just need to sit down and make sure we put a fine point on the details.”
On if he had a sense that the team took their foot off the gas late in the game:
“No. You’re up 30-17. Especially the defense in front, we were rearing to go. We were trying to get another play. We were trying to end the game. Hell, we were all saying that, the front and the back end. You have a little time and lack of communication, and they were able to get open. It was really a lack of communication as far as being tired and wanting to finish those guys off. We wanted to end the game on defense, but we have to know what we are doing and we have to have proper technique or shit like that happens.”
On if he is worried about Browns players potentially pointing fingers at each other:
“If anyone is going to point fingers, I’m going to point one at myself, knowing that I could have done better. Regardless of what we are facing up front, I have to get free and make those kinds of plays. I think every man in the locker room, coaches included, think that way. We have to be able to look at ourselves and think, ‘What could I have done better?’ Safeties, DBs, LBs, there was always one play that we could have made that we missed out on and those accumulate and those things come back to bite you. Unfortunately, this time, it did.”
On how missing DE Jadeveon Clowney with an injury impacted the rest of this game:
“It’s tough. He’s a very tenacious rusher. He plays the run very well. Missing his presence is huge especially when they see that and they attack us differently knowing that they don’t have to worry about both of us coming around the edges. It is tough missing him. I feel like he will be ready to go by Thursday, but it’s tough missing his presence, especially mid-game when we needed him for one of those stops.”
On how he puts a tough loss like this behind him:
“Have dinner with my family, watch film tomorrow, look what I can do, look where I came up short and iron out the details with the D line and with coach. We go on to the next day. I have a 24-hour rule. After that, you just let it roll off your back like water. Those things hurt and they sting, but you have to use it as motivation for the next one. You don’t want the taste in your mouth. Fortunately for us, we get to have a short weekend and go against a division rival. If we go and get them, this one will be a memory.”
On how hard it was to watch Browns fans walk out of FirstEnergy Stadium disappointed:
“The more disappointing thing was the booing at the end. It was not the most optimal ending to have. Of course, we want to win. Of course, we want to play out the game and it ends 30-16 or 30-17 whatever it was. We get a pick or a strip sack and end the game, but that’s not always how it goes. These guys are still putting their asses on the line and playing as hard as they can and they should be respected as such. It’s two games and we have plenty more to play, especially this next one coming up in front of the home crowd. We have a lot of time to correct what we are doing so we don’t want to see this crowd, this stadium give up on us this early. We want to see them completely behind us. It’s disappointing for everybody, but it’s absolutely disappointing as a team knowing that we had them with our foot on their throat and we didn’t finish them. That’s completely on us, and we learn from this, correct it and come back stronger.”
Anthony Walker Jr.
On how to fix the miscommunication on the back end of the defense:
“I’m the communicator. I’m the guy who is supposed to get everyone lined up, and obviously, I didn’t do my job two weeks in a row. I’ll take that one, and we will be back.”
On talking with younger Browns players after the loss:
“One of the best things about taking this one is that we have a divisional opponent on Thursday. You can’t have any layover with this one so we will be back in the building tomorrow going on the first and second down game plan. That’s the best part about it. I wish I could be telling those guys this after a win, but we will be better and learn from it.”
On the difference between the third and fourth quarter of the game:
“We just didn’t finish. That was the difference. We finished drives in the third quarter. We didn’t in the fourth quarter.”
On what he said to K Cade York after the game:
“Cade is a warrior. He is the least of my worries. I’m sure he wishes he could have that one back. You want to say that every play matters or it comes down to one or two plays, but I would never say ‘because Cade missed that extra point.’ The game should have been over if I’m being honest, but we will learn from it.”
On how he gets out of the state of shock mentally, physically and emotionally:
“I’m already on Pittsburgh right now. That’s how I get over it. That’s my message to the team. We have a division opponent coming in who doesn’t care what we just went through. They are coming in here to kick our ass, and we have a responsibility to do on Thursday. We have to respond.”
On QB Jacoby Brissett’s performance:
“He is a warrior. He is a battler. He is always going to go to war. Something has to be falling off of his body to come out. As long as he can walk and throw, he will be out there. I expect that from him. That’s just the standard he holds himself to.”
Cade York
On the missed PAT:
“I thought I hit it good. I looked up and saw it was not going in.”
On the high last week compared to the feeling this week:
“Try not to get complacent, and it is not like I went out there and was not ready. I have to go back and look at it. I thought I hit it well, but it just did not go in.”
On if he was hoping to get another shot at a game-winning FG at the end:
“Definitely.”
On his approach following a game with a missed kick:
“Just get pissed off and go make the next one.”
On if he thought the missed PAT would have such a big factor in the game:
“No, it was not a thought. I was upset that I missed, and I thought I hit it well off the foot. I do not know why it took off right on me. Definitely was not a thought. You just can’t get ahead of yourself in the NFL. Games are so close that you have to make everything that you can.”