Head Coach Freddie Kitchens:
Opening statement:
“We had a good week of preparation. We have to continue to prepare. It is mental from this point on. We will go to New England and put our best foot forward.”
On DE Myles Garrett as a full participant in practice after a knee issue flared up yesterday:
“I never had a doubt. You just have to put things on there when they are is getting treatment and stuff like that. That is the reason he is on there. He will be ready to go.”
On S Jermaine Whitehead stepping into the rotation with S Damarious Randall out and how Whitehead has played this season:
“I think Jermaine has done a good job of making sure everyone is on the same page. He is kind of the quarterback back there. He has played well, defended the ball well and tackled well. I have a lot of confidence in Jermaine.”
On if WR Rashard Higgins is full-go and ready to be incorporated into the offense this week:
“Yes. Yes, he is.”
On if he would like to reveal the Browns starting OL against New England:
“I do not, no. I promise we will have two tackles, two guards and one center. It will be legal.”
On if he likes how the Browns OL practiced this week:
“I like as a group how those guys have practiced all week. Yes, even the down the line guys, I like how they have prepared and how they have practiced. I have a lot of confidence in those guys.”
On if the Browns entered the bye or this week feeling changes may be needed and if there was a chance the team determined it may or may not need to during the course of this week:
“I guess we will find out on Sunday, but anything we do is going to be for the best interest of our team in playing better and playing more consistent. That is how we move forward.”
On Patriots DT Danny Shelton:
“He does a good job of holding the point. He plays with aggression, he does his job for the most part and he is a good player.”
On if the Browns may have an opportunity to exploit the Patriots run defense, given their statistics against the run:
“I think they do a good job of taking away your strength, whatever they view your strength as. We are just going to try to go up and play the best way we can.”
On if he would like to guarantee a win against the Patriots by any chance:
“No, but I would like to address that. I think I do a pretty good job of communicating with you guys and telling you as much as I can from a truth perspective. I would just like the same in return from you guys when you are talking to our players. Everybody in here knows that (WR) Jarvis (Landry) was not guaranteeing a win. He was asked what do you want to accomplish after the bye, and he stated we would like to go win or something in that realm. New England was never mentioned so for you guys to do that, I think it was very unfair.”
On it being unfair to lump the entire media core together:
“Good point then. I just did it, though.”
On if it bothers him that it was presented to Patriots players that way:
“It does because we do not represent that. We do not guarantee anything. These guys have never guaranteed anything. They have guaranteed that they would go out and give their best, and I think that is what they have done.”