Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (Post-Game Transcript)
Opening statement:
“Okay, injury front. [Browns C] Nick Harris has a fractured fibula that’ll require surgery. [Browns RB] Jerome Ford had a hamstring injury there. [Browns CB Martin] Emerson and [Browns WR] Elijah [Moore] have rib injuries. We’ll get more information on that. Very frustrated. Want to close a game out there, and we get down low and go backwards on a couple false starts, which is really, really tough. I know there’s plays to be had, but we have to find a way to close the football games out. Stay competitive there to the end. I know the guys are fighting like crazy, fighting like crazy, and I appreciate that, but we have to find a way to get a win against a good opponent. We had our opportunities, and did not come through. Frustrating, but we have to learn from it. Got another one next week. With that, I’ll take any questions.”
On the Browns’ penalties today compared to the Commanders game last week:
“This was a little bit different, just in that it was false starts, as opposed to procedural. Trust me, it’s self inflicted. It’s nothing that the other team’s doing. It’s what we’re doing. And, you know, not again, not for a lack of effort, we will be better. We have to be better.”
On the field goal in the fourth quarter as opposed to going for it on fourth down:
“With that down and distance, I just feel like you take three and you try to get a stop on the other side. I understand you can try it from there as well. I get that part. And obviously, when you don’t get the ball back, that’s going through your mind.”
On how he thinks Browns QB Deshaun Watson did today:
“I thought there were some good moments. You know, we need to protect. We need to keep him clean when we can. That’s a good front. I thought the guys battled like crazy. Had some decent opportunities there, but got to find a way to be more explosive.”
On the face mask penalty:
“I didn’t see it. You probably saw an angle I didn’t see. So we’ll look at it. I mean, we overcame that. We did get a first down, I believe off of that, but we have to be clean.”
On the blocked field goal that was returned for a touchdown and the spark it needed to give the team:
“Yeah, it should have been. Obviously an incredible play by [Browns DE] Myles [Garrett]. It was the right call for that moment. Great play by [Browns S Rodney McLeod] scooping it up and scoring. Thought [Browns S Rodney McLeod] was all over the field, but as good as that is, you just have to come through at the end. That’s the frustrating part. Frustrating for me, frustrating for our players, frustrating for everybody. That you can do good things, but you have to find a way to close it out.”
On the Browns’ third-down conversions:
“Yeah, that’s that. Put that on me. That’s a little bit of a miscommunication. But bottom line is, we got to be better in that area. We have to be able to turn short yards into first downs.”
On losing Browns C Nick Harris to an injury early in the game:
“Yeah, I hate losing Nick obviously early in the game. He’s really disappointed. He’s a competitor. He loves this game, and he’s been very unlucky, unfortunate with injuries. And you know I just, I feel bad for him, but hard to lose him early.”
On replacing Browns C Nick Harris with G Michael Dunn:
“Yeah. I mean [Browns G] Zak [Zinters], obviously think highly of him. Went with [Browns G Michael Dunn] early in this game, but Zak had to be ready to go right away. And he knew that, and he was ready.”
On running it better in the second half:
“Yeah, I think there were some looks there that were advantageous to us. And I thought the guys, again, the strain and finish was there in the run game for sure.”
On if he noticed a difference in their offense during this game:
“Yeah, I mean, happy for [RT] Jack [Conklin] to make it back. As you guys know how hard he worked through that injury. So, excited to have him back out there. I have to look at the tape, obviously, but I know he battled.”
On the decision at tackle:
“Yeah, [RT] Jack [Conklin] was healthy, ready to come back in the lineup. You know, [RT] Dawand [Jones] needs to continue to get better and be ready to play every week.”
On pass plays:
“Yeah, there’s always things. I think we can, we can do better. Give them credit, they made some plays down the field, but our guys were in good position on a couple of them. I got to find a way to get the ball out, defend the pass.”
On Browns CB Denzel Ward in this game:
“I’d have to look, well, I don’t know the exact number. I had a rotation with the guys, but I thought he battled.”
On Browns QB Jameis Winston coming in for the sneaks:
“Yeah, I don’t want to get too much into specifics, but [QB] Jameis [Winston] has been successful in those.”
On the team right now:
“What are we? We’re one and five. We own it, not going to hide from it. I own it. I’m one and five. The whole locker room. We’re all one and five, but I know what type of group we got. We got fighters and we’ll be back next week ready to fight.”
On Cincinnati being a familiar rival and coming back home after three games:
“Yeah, it’s a division game. We know how important those are.”