RB Kareem Hunt (11.1.23)
When we asked Kevin (Stefanski) on Monday about the fact that you were a little bit frustrated. He’s like, ‘I want somebody that wants the ball in their hands with the game on the line. I like that kind of passion.’ How did you feel about hearing something like that?
“It’s good, definitely. I’m always going to feel that way when the game is on the line. I just want to help contribute and win.”
You said he was going to talk to you. Did you guys have a discussion about your comments?
“Yeah, we talked a little bit and it’s no hard feelings. We both want to win.”
Do you feel, though, that the message was received that, ‘Hey, fourth quarter, you can give me the ball, you can count on me’? You were able to effectively deliver that to him. Not to say that he doesn’t believe in you, but just do you feel like you got to communicate that to him? Maybe next time you’re in the situation, just give me the ball.
“Yeah, man. Definitely. It is what it is. It’s a long season, so we’ll know moving on to the next week, we got to find a way to get a win this week.”
Kareem, what’s it like to have two other running backs to share the ball with? Is it difficult to get into a rhythm or do you kind of like that?
“It’s good. It keeps you fresh. It’s a little different to get into a rhythm, but I’ve been sharing the ball here for a long time with 24 (Nick Chubb), so it’s not that big of a difference.”
Do you know why you didn’t really get the ball in the fourth quarter? Was there any talk about that?
“Yeah. I don’t really know why, but we’re moving on. We’re ready to find a way to win this next game.”
What do you see with that Arizona front seven? What challenges do they present for you?
“They play hard. Good front seven. And we just got to bring our A-game, come ready to play and find a way to move the ball and run the ball.”
How tough is this quarterback situation? The quarterback uncertainty been, right? It’s going on more than a month now, not knowing exactly who’s going to be the guy when you guys show up.
“It’s tough, but we got to play next man up mentality, man. So, we got to find a way to win games with whoever is at quarterback. That’s the biggest thing. And I feel like we just got to rally behind the quarterback and go out there and do our job.”
What’s the morale been in this locker room after that tough loss?
“I mean, it’s been fine. We learned from it and we got to just go out there and fix it and just go out there and find a way to win that game, close it out.”
How is Nick doing and do you still spend a lot of time with Nick and how is his mindset?
“Yeah I mean, Nick is doing real good. You all are actually taking up some of my time to go chill with him right now [joking]. But Nick’s doing real good. He’s keeping his spirits high. He’s working hard in the training room and I know he’s looking forward to getting back.”
So he’s pretty much here every day?
“Pretty much, yeah. He gets his work in.”
This is the best the run game has been, can you tell how much his run game has really grown over the last month and the comradery that you’ve seen within your team?
“Yeah, I mean, first of all, the O line’s been doing a heck of a job going out there and battling for us and as a group, I feel like our running back group has been great. We’ve all been able to rally and do our thing out there and that’s what we got to do. We got to continue to be great and come in and take advantage of situations that we get and opportunities.”
What do you think changed after the bye? Because you guys struggled a little bit those two weeks before the bye and then have been really good.
“I guess we might just be playing harder. I don’t know. But I don’t know really what changed after the bye. But for me, it’s just I’m getting back, so I’m feeling good now and I’m excited about it.”
Did it take you a minute to get back into football shape?
“Yeah, for sure. You know, each week, like I said, it’s going to keep getting better and better. I got to keep going hard and just get used to getting hit again and stuff. You can’t train to get tackled.”
As far as Nick is concerned. How happy, first of all, is he that you’re back here and then also that you were able to score a game-winning touchdown?
“No, he’s very happy. Nick is my boy. He’s probably the first person I texted after the game. So, we have that relationship that we stay in touch and he gives me advice, anything he see or something. We’ll talk about it.”
Did it take longer to get back in football shape than you thought maybe it would after that first game?
“Yeah, it’s just more taking the hits. It isn’t about wind shape. It’s more getting bruised up and stuff like that from getting tackled. Like I said, I wish I could have been getting tackled when I wasn’t on the team and stuff like that, but I’d have to call my cousins and brothers or something like that [laughing].”
When you talk about something like that, might it mean that and I don’t know if you can answer this or not, but like when Deshaun (Watson) gets back, is he going to have to figure out how to take a hit to take a blow again? Do you have to even after a month off?
“Yeah, you got to get back and you know, into that getting tackled a bit. But that’s the quarterback, we can’t let nobody touch him. So he shouldn’t be getting really hit too much. But it happens sometimes.”
Kareem, when Nick was playing, there would be periods and games. Like, if the passing game is not working, Nick would settle everything down with a big series it seemed. Coaches said he settled our offense down, run the ball. Can you guys still do that without him, you think? And did you do that in Seattle, do think?
“Yeah, we can still do that. We just got to lean on the run game. And I know our offensive line likes to run the ball, too.”
Coach would do that after turnovers?
“Yeah, sometimes you do. You got to slow it down and be patient. Let the game come to us. The big play is going to come.”
Kareem, on Sunday the screen game was really a effective tool for you guys offensively. What is it about those plays, specifically, that you guys are able to execute them so well? But also, you specifically, because you tended to have a lot of success on those plays as well?
“Yeah, we spend a lot of time on that. And Kevin does a great job of dialing up those screens and making sure we’re very detailed on them and where we should be at on the field and how long – everything’s a count. So, we got to keep count in our heads. It’s just a good scheme.”
What are your thoughts on Donovan Peoples-Jones getting traded?
“That’s tough. That was one of my favorite people on the team. He’s a hard worker, and he’s just a heck of a football player. I wish him the best. Hope he goes out there in Detroit and balls.”
Why was he your favorite?
“Just, you know, his energy. He’s just a good person, and I like hanging out with him a lot, but he’s just one of those guys who does a lot, but the stats they don’t show up on the stats sheet.”
He had to be happy about going home, right?
“Yeah, he’s back home.”
Did he express that to you?
“I mean, I didn’t really get to talk to him. I know he has a lot going on right now. Probably getting stuff figured out and stuff.”
So you can relate to going home? Playing for your hometown team.
“Yeah, I know. It’s a good feeling being home.”
Would you change anything about what you said after the game in the wake of your conversation with Kevin?
“Would I change anything?”
Yeah. Would you change anything about that, or is that just kind of who you are and you speak your mind?
“Yeah, that’s who I am. Like I said, I just want to help the team win. That’s it. It’s nothing else. It is no shots at nobody. I know what type of player I am, and winning is the only thing I want to do.”
# # #
***Visit the Browns Media Center for materials provided by the Browns communications department, including media schedules, press releases, quotes, photos, media guides, rosters, depth charts and more.***