(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Rob McBurnett
Director, Community & Corporate Communications
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski:
Opening statement:
“On the injury front, (T) Chris Hubbard has that knee injury. He will miss significant time so he will be out this week and then more updates pending. (DT) Sheldon Richardson with the neck injury should be OK. (S) Andrew Sendejo is progressing through the concussion protocols. (G) Wyatt Teller is really still week to week so we will kind of take it as this week progresses, but I would say he is unlikely for this week.
“Talking about last night, like we talked about last night – maybe it was this morning; I can’t remember – a really good team effort across the board. The guys played really hard. I was proud of them for that. Offensively singling guys out, like we talked about (QB) Baker (Mayfield) was really, really sharp. (C) Nick Harris going in there on the second play and performing at a high level, it is possible I was not surprised by that. Defensively, (S) Karl Joseph really played well, making a lot of tackles. He ran our punt team for the first time with Sendejo being out, and he recovered an onside kick. He made a big impact last night for us to get that victory.”
On if Hubbard will be out for the remainder of the season with the knee injury:
“We will see. I am not ready to go that far, but he will be out this week.”
On if Hubbard will need surgery following the knee injury:
“I do not have the answer to that just yet.”
On if Harris will play RG if Teller is out this week:
“Yes.”
On how Harris played last night:
“Did his job. Played hard. Assignment sound. Got people on the ground. Really pleased with how he performed.”
On confidence the Browns will be focused heading into the NY Jets game, given the team’s record:
“We are just getting started on the preparation for the Jets, but I have watched the game from yesterday, and when our players see that tape, they will understand the challenge that that is in front of us.”
On how focused the Browns have been throughout the year:
“That is part of it. All of that preparation that goes into the workweek, it is important to understand your job, understand your opponent and all of that, and then on top of that, you have to block out anything that is going on around you. The guys have done a nice job of that, and they have to continue to do that.”
On if S Ronnie Harrison Jr. could come off of IR this week:
“We will see. I can’t comment on that yet, but we will see.”
On factors for Mayfield’s increased completion percentage and accuracy:
“Completion percentage is not a perfect stat to tell the whole story. No. 1, we did not have any drops last night and we had some contested catches so that plays into it. Teams playing big zone where you are working the underneath zones at a high clip plays into that. We have seen over the course of a bunch of ballgames he has fit the ball into tight windows – I think of Jarvis’ touchdown last night. It is an all-encompassing stat that really is a team stat between Baker and the guys on the receiving end.”
On if Mayfield is throwing more accurately:
“I would have to really study it over the course of the season. That is one of his strong suits is his accuracy.”
On if Harris has practiced at G this season, given WR Jarvis Landry said postgame that he was unaware if Harris had practiced at G:
“Jarvis does not pay a lot of attention to the interior offensive line’s rotation (laughter). Yeah, we work him in there.”
On if he reviewed the TV copy of Landry’s taunting penalty:
“The TV copy is not in there yet. I will look at it, but I will stick with what I told you guys last night – you can’t hurt the team.”
On LB Jacob Phillips’ performance last night:
“He was active. Physical around the ball. Never perfect. He is a young pup, and he is getting better with each rep.”
On Landry’s ‘resurgence’ in recent weeks with increased production and how much Landry’s health is a factor:
“I do not think there is one answer to that. I think his health certainly plays a factor into it. I just think the games and how they have unfolded have obviously played a factor. He is a very reliable target for the quarterback. Again, I will point to the touchdown catch. He is covered, and Baker makes a great throw and Jarvis makes a great catch, a strong catch. He made a strong catch on the seam route later in the game. I just see a very dependable player, but to comment on a resurgence, I would be giving an incomplete answer without studying the whole thing.”
On NFL Network reporting that Hubbard will have knee surgery this week and the severity of the injury:
“I will wait to give a complete update, but like I said before, significant time. I should mention Hub has given us great reps – not good reps, great reps – as a versatile player. He is an outstanding teammate. We will miss him in the time that he misses, but in terms of the whole picture of the injury, I will wait to put out something official.”
On how important Landry’s versatility is to the Browns offense:
“It is hugely important. To have a versatile player at that position that you can move around speaks to his skillset, but I also think it speaks to his intelligence. He is a guy who can handle that. There are some guys who would not be able to handle moving around the formation, lining them up in the backfield and those type of things. You see a veteran player who is very, very smart and understands the game so he gives me great confidence as we design plays and gameplans to move him around the formation.”
On if he was aware of Landry’s versatility before the season:
“No, I did not have a ton of familiarity with him. You study the tape and you see what you see, but until you are around guys, at practice, talking to them and seeing how they see things, that is so valuable to me and our offensive staff in understanding how we can use them.”
On Joseph’s performance last night:
“He played well last night. Made a lot of tackles. Made plays on the football that we needed him to make. Running the punt team is no small feat. I know it was only three reps, but he had never done it in his career. He took it very seriously and spent extra time with Prief (special teams coordinator Mike Priefer) to make sure he knew the whole operation. To make a play on the hands team, we have had a lot of moments in hands, and to have guys continually coming away with that ball is a very big deal.”
On S Sheldrick Redwine’ performance last night:
“Sheldrick played well, also. Solid tackling. A lot of times at that safety position, you have to be the eraser and get the guy on the ground and let’s not make a bad play worse. Sheldrick did a nice job of that. Had a big play there on that fourth down play hitting the running back with a high-surface tackle and knocking him back.”
On if Richardson will be able to practice this week:
“I do not know that yet, but long term, I think he will be OK.”
On who will be the backup at G moving forward if Teller is unavailable and Harris starts at RG:
“We will work through that. I think (G) Michael Dunn is ready to play a versatile role for us. He does a great job out here at practice. We move him all over the line, as well. He is one guy, but we will work through all of the roster moves this week.”
On DE Myles Garrett talking about the continued impact of the COVID-19 recovery process and if he will ease up on Garrett during the practice week:
“We are mindful of that and have been mindful of that since he has been back. He is cleared to play. He is working through it. He is battling through it. We have been smart about it, and we will continue to be smart to monitor him and make sure that he is at 100 percent.”
On how imperative it is to get off to a fast start against the NY Jets this week:
“We try to get off to a fast start every week. That does not always happen. We turned the ball over on downs on our first drive last night. It is always a focus for us. We try to practice fast and start fast at practice and think that that carries over to the game. It will always be a focus for us. Again, I will talk more about the Jets on Wednesday, but my initial peek at that game from yesterday, that is a team that plays really, really hard.”
On if he will ‘scoreboard watch’ on Sunday with other AFC games having playoff implications:
“No, I will look at the scoreboard of the Browns versus the Jets.”
On if he is having fun and enjoying the ride this season, given the 1-0 mentality each week:
“Yeah, the fun in this business is winning. We enjoy it. I promise you, our staff and our players enjoy it. That feeling in that locker room is hard to replace. Then quickly win, lose, or draw, you have to get over it because there is a lot of work to go into it.”
On if he saw LeBron James’ shout out to him on Twitter:
“I did not.”
On James shouting him out on Twitter last night:
“I appreciate it.”
On the Browns TEs’ contributions last night:
“Those guys were pretty good last night. They all play a role. We are moving them around and putting them in different spots. Obviously, Baker has great trust in all three of those guys. They have proven to give us a bunch of valuable reps here this season.”
On how Landry’s passion affects the rest of the team:
“It can be infectious. His nickname is Juice. Especially in a stadium with no people in there, which is strange, we knew that we were going to have to B.Y.O. Jarvis is a player that they guys feed off of his energy, and we will have to continue to do that this week, as well.”
On if most teams need at least one player like Landry who brings that level of passion:
“You just hope everybody is being themselves. I can promise you, Jarvis is being himself. I think that is what the guys feed off of more than anything.”
On challenges in sustaining an eight-minute offensive drive:
“It is probably hardest on the offensive line because you are subbing in running backs, tight ends and wide receivers and on defense, they are waving in defensive lineman. Those are the guys that do not get subs. On long drives, it is great to see those guys fighting, straining and finishing. For us to finish with a (RB) Nick Chubb touchdown where it was just your basic goal line play and knocking people back, that was really a great reflection on the offensive line.”
On if it difficult as a play caller to ‘throttled down when necessary’ like when building an eight-minute offensive drive:
“I do not think so. I am just trying to put our guys in position to make plays. I am very, very lucky in the offensive staff that we have. We have great dialogue throughout the game and great dialogue throughout the drive so I am fortunate.”
On if he is eager to see which Browns players will be selected to the Pro Bowl tonight:
“I want our guys to have individual success. I want the accolades for all of them. I know we have plenty of guys that are deserving, but at the end of the day, I think those guys understand that those individual accolades really are a reflection of their teammates of this team. Ultimately, that is what we are about here, but it does not mean I do not hope for our guys to be recognized.”
On what LB Mack Wilson needs to do to get back into the LB rotation after being inactive last night:
“We will see how it goes this week. Nothing that anybody else has to do. Practice hard and be ready to go.”
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S Karl Joseph:
On if last night was his best game as a Brown:
“I thought I made some plays to help our team win. Hopefully, it is not my best game as a Brown. My focus and goal is always to continue to get better every week and keep raising the bar for myself and for our team. Hopefully, it is not. I thought I made some plays to help our team win. We walked away with a win, and that is what is most important.”
On his role on the punt team last night:
“I have been the backup on that special teams unit all year. (S) Andrew (Sendejo) went down, and he is usually the starter there. It is next man up mentality. That is what the scheme is about and that is what this team is about. Our coaches and Coach (special teams coordinator Mike) Priefer made sure I was ready and prepared. I was ready to step up. The team needed me to step up, and that is what I did.”
On if he allows himself to think about potential playoff implications with a win this week:
“No, I think our coaches and (Head) Coach (Kevin) Stefanski do a great job of making sure we stay focused on the task at hand. That is just going 1-0 every week. That is what we talk about every week, just going 1-0. Right now, we have earned a 10-4 record, and that is all we have earned. We have to prepare this week and get prepared to go play a good Jets team that just came off a real big win. That is our focus. We are not looking too far ahead. We have to take care of business this week and then the following week, and then see where that gets us at the end of the season.”
On how important it is for the Browns to get off to a fast start against the NY Jets, who earned a significant win yesterday:
“This is the NFL. They have guys that get paid well, as well. Any given Sunday. You can’t take any team lightly. It shows that week in and week out any given Sunday anybody can win. It is the team who is most prepared and who is ready to battle for 60 minutes that is going to come out with a win. We have to prepare this week like we have been in the past, and we can’t look at them as a lesser team or we are going to go in there and get punched in the mouth. We have to get ready and prepared and act like this is a playoff game for us. Just go 1-0.”
On if he believed this type of season was possible when signing with the Browns, given the team’s recent past records:
“I definitely thought so. That is part of the reason I came here. I felt like I saw the potential that we had obviously with the talent we had on the offensive side and I know the talent we had on the defensive side, as well. Obviously, I did not know much about anything else as far as the coaching staff, but I knew that they were putting a good staff together that was going to come in and try to build this thing up the right way. I am happy I made that decision to come here. Like I said, we are 10-4 right now. We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. It is exciting to be where we are, but that is all we have earned. We have not earned anything else. We have to take it one week at a time.”
On why the Browns have been able to have this type of success in 2020:
“Obviously, it starts with us buying in. It starts with the coaching staff. That is where it always starts off from the top to bottom. It starts with the leadership up top and making sure that we are prepared every week and us buying in and doing all of the things we are supposed to do. Obviously, this year is different than a lot of past years. We have to do a lot of more meetings on Zoom. The staff and the coaches, they have been doing a great job of making sure we are prepared every week. Like I said, countless hours of Zoom calls and I am sure guys get tired of it and all that, but we have been buying in. We have been buying in and doing what we are supposed to do, and it is paying off on the field.”
On how defensive coordinator Joe Woods has handled adversity and missing defensive players this season:
“He has been doing great. We preach that. Coach Woods, (pass game coordinator/defensive backs) Coach Jeff Howard, (assistant defensive backs coach) Brandon Lynch and everybody – (defensive line) Coach (Chris) Kiffin on the line, (senior defensive assistant Ben) Bloom and (linebackers coach Jason) Tarver; we have a lot of guys rotating at linebacker, D line and secondary and we have been having to play a lot of people – and I think the coaching staff been doing a great job of just making sure everybody is prepared. It does not matter who goes in there, the level of play should not go down. The standard is the standard. He has been doing a great job of that and making sure we are all prepared and ready, week in and week out.”
On the stop on fourth-and-2 and his pass defensed in the end zone:
“The fourth down, that is a play we actually worked on a lot during the week, and we actually happened to be in the perfect play call, too. That is a play call we worked against, and I just knew it was coming. The running back made a great cut. I tried to get to him. I am glad I was able to kind of get something and trip him up a little bit. (S Sheldrick) Redwine and (DT) Sheldon (Richardson) did their part to stop his momentum. I think that is all part of preparation, like I spoke about earlier. We have been preparing for these moments and these situations. The other play, a play that we also worked during the week. That is all about preparation and execution. Just was able to be aware, had some good awareness on that play and made a good play to take some points off of the board.”
On how much pride he takes in delivering in clutch moments like during last night’s game and if that provides him a confidence boost:
“Not really. You guys do not know me well yet. I am a very humble guy. I do not get too high or too low. I expect those things of myself so I do not get too high on it. It is a big play for us to get points off of the board. That is what is about is keeping points off of the board and getting the win. I do not get too prideful about myself about it, but it is just a good play on my part to be able to help get some points off of the board.”
On if he has seen any aftereffects of COVID-19 for DE Myles Garrett, given Garrett’s recent comments on it:
“No, I have not seen it. Myles obviously is a tough guy. He is not going to be a guy that shows any weaknesses and show if something is bothering him. I am sure if he had broken leg, he probably would not tell anybody and he would probably still try to stay out there and play (laughter). I would not notice it. He was out there, and I thought he was Myles. I did not see any lack or decrease in his play or anything like that. I had no idea about that.”
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C Nick Harris:
On playing RG early in the game and evaluating his performance:
“It was fun. It was good to get back on the field and play in a football game. I have not played an actual game in a while so it felt good to get out there, run around and just try and play my brand of football. I think I did OK. There is a lot to clean up. I want to be the best. I will watch the film and see where I can get better and see where I can help the team, and just go from there. All in all, it was a great experience for the first game.”
On what it meant to have WR Jarvis Landry pull him aside after the game and say how much he appreciated him and his performance:
“It means a lot. I look up to that guy. He comes into the facility every day, and he works. He works hard. That is one of the dudes I look up to on this team. I try to model how I go about my career like him. For him to say that, it just goes to show you the type of leader he is and the type of leadership we have on the team. It means a lot. I am just going to try and build off of what he said and just try and keep it going. Like I said, it means a lot, especially coming from a guy like that.”
On if he felt prepared to play at RG yesterday:
“I go into every game as if I am going to play. That is how you have to do it. You have to go in and prepare throughout the week as if you are going to play because you never know what happens. I make sure I go over center and guard things and just make sure that if my name is called that I am ready to go assignment wise. When it comes to just the technique stuff, I get reps on the scout team at guard so those definitely help. It is different running your offense at guard instead of the scout team. Those reps definitely did pay off during the scout team and the extra stuff I do with (offensive line) Coach (Bill) Callahan and (assistant offensive line) Coach (Scott) Peters definitely pay off. It felt good, though.”
On his reaction and mindset when T Chris Hubbard sustained the injury:
“To be honest with you, there was not enough time to think about it. He went down, and I knew I was the next guy in for the interior. It sucks to see a guy like Hub go down because he is a big part of our team and he is a great pro. When it happened, I did not even have enough time to think because I ran out there, we called the play and we were rolling. I was worrying about what to do on that play rather than, ‘Oh, damn. I am out here now.’ That is kind of how that went.”
On Hubbard as a teammate and what he has learned from Hubbard:
“Like I said about Jarvis, Hub is another guy I try and mimic his tendencies on the field, off the field and in the locker rooms. Just the type of guy he is, he talks to everyone. He is a true pro. He goes out and he executes in practice. He is a hard worker. That is somebody I look up to try and model my career and my game after. He definitely plays a big role in how I have progressed in practice throughout the season. I ask him questions all of the time just about football and just things that he can help me with. He is another great person, a great leader on this team that is huge for us to have.”
On how Hubbard filled in for G Wyatt Teller when Teller was out with a calf injury earlier this season:
“He is a true pro. He prepares for everything. He goes in, he does his job and he does it great. He executes and he gets the job done for sure. Like I said, he is just a pro. That is the difference. That is the thing I have learned just being in the NFL is guys are just ready to go. No matter what happens, you have to prepare as if you are going to play, and Hub does that. That is definitely something I want to mold myself after and try build as it goes by.”
On how comfortable he is at G, given his significant time at C in practice:
“At the end of the day, it is football. I played guard my first two years in college so it is not like it is completely foreign. I started off playing right guard in college. It is just knocking the rust off. When I went in, I had to warm up a little bit. For a couple of plays, I had to get my feet right and get my hands right because it is a different game than playing center. A lot of that goes unnoticed. I just had to get my feet wet a little bit and just play how I play. I felt comfortable, and as the weeks go by and I get more reps and stuff, it will feel even better, just so I can get comfortable.”
On if Sunday felt like his first true NFL experience, given it was his first offensive snaps:
“Yeah, just because I got snaps on offense. I have been in on field goal, but just to be playing offensive line in the NFL and that being my first game, it was crazy. I am just grateful to have this opportunity and just trying to build off of it and try to be the best player and best version of myself that I can be. With that, I have to go in this week and get better and go try and fix what I did wrong and just try and build off of that.”
On how much he embraces the next man up mentality and ensuring there is no drop off on the Browns OL if Teller is unavailable on Sunday and he starts at RG:
“I just have to keep preparing like how I have been preparing. Not trying to switch anything up. Not trying to do too much. Just go in there and play how I play. Throughout this week of practice, whatever the situation may be, I am just going to go about it how I have been going about it, just making sure I get the work I need to get in and the extra stuff I need to do for my body and my mind and make sure that I am ready to go, whatever the situation may be.”
On if he can look back at his situation in college when he played earlier than initially expected to apply it to this situation:
“100 percent. 100 percent. I was having this conversation with my mom last night. It is just like the circle of life. Everything just repeats itself, I swear. Everything happens for a reason. Like you said, I ended up playing earlier than I thought I was in college. Here I am, and I played earlier than I thought I would in my NFL career. I just have to go about it how I did in college. Like I said, just continue to just keep getting better, keep grinding, just keep my focus on the right path, just build off of what I did in this game and keep stacking the days pretty much.”
On what has it been like to mesh with the Browns OL and build chemistry with the unit:
“It is huge. The guys, those are all very good players I am surrounded by so they made sure my head was on straight. We were communicating. They were talking to me and making sure I was good. As the game was going, they were even giving me tips on certain things that they saw and certain things that I saw. Just being around those group of guys with all of that experience, all of the football IQ and just their ability in general helps a lot. Those are all just good dudes, too. Put football aside, they are all good guys who reach out and try and help this team win.”
On if Browns OL members offered words of encouragement when first entering the huddle:
“It all happened so fast. They just said, ‘Alright, here we go. The moment is not too big. You are ready so let’s just go for it.’ There was not really much conversation. It happened so fast. It is what it is. It just happened, and we just kept it rolling.”
On how strange this rookie season been for him, given the virtual aspects of 2020:
“I do not know anything different. That is the crazy part. I do not know what a normal season is like because this is my first year so honestly, I could not tell you. If I wanted to compare it to college, it is a little different not being in that room and learning in the room. It is a little different doing things online. Like (Head) Coach (Kevin) Stefanski always says, we just have to adapt. We just have to keep it rolling and be resilient with adversity that strikes us throughout the weeks with all of this stuff going on in 2020. You just have to keep it rolling, try to put your best foot forward and just be safe most importantly so you do not give anybody a competitive advantage with all of the stuff going on.”
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