Select Browns Players (9.7.25)

TE David Njoku

 

What did you think of TE Harold Fannin’s debut?

“(TE) Harold (Fannin) is a beast. He played very well for us, but we didn’t get the job done so we have to worry about next week now. Focus on next week, start one day at a time, get the work in Monday and then go from there.”

 

You guys gave a lot of responsibility to a lot of young guys like Harold and (RB) Dylan (Sampson), what did you see out of them?

“They aren’t young, they are playmakers, if you know what I mean. So we rely on them and rely on the whole team as a unit. Like I said one day at a time and one play at a time and we’ll be okay.”

 

While the ending isn’t what you guys wanted, how do you take this game and bring it into the next one?

“It pissed us off, it got us really mad. That’s the mindset we need to have coming into this next week. Pissed off for greatness. Means we got to work our ass off and get back to it.”

 

TE Harold Fannin Jr.

 

What were your nerves like, obviously leading into your first ever NFL game, and how did you getting the ball so early sort of help ease those nerves and let you play football?

“I have been putting in the work, so no nerves. I felt pretty calm. Just excited to go out there and perform.”

 

After that one drop on third down, on the next drive you come back and make a play, how badly did you want that ball to come back your way?

“Obviously I want to redo that play over again, but I just trust my coaches and trust (QB) Joe (Flacco) and keep working.”

 

(WR) Jerry (Jeudy) said there were some big plays but the drops resulted in an interception, and he was saying how crazy and how rare that is. What do you tell those guys after that happened?

“I mean we are a team, so we win as a team and lose as a team. We just have to learn from it and move on from it. Don’t really think too much about it, it’s football, it happens.”

 

K Andre Szmyt

 

You hit your first field goal attempt and missed that second one, what happened on that one?

“Similar to the extra point, I rushed my approach and pushed the ball. I got to do better and I expect better out of myself. Just try and forget about it and move on to next week.”

 

What was the feedback to you coming off the field?

“Supportive obviously, these guys are here for me. I know I have to do my job and I’m going to do it next time.”

 

I’m sure in your career you’ve had frustrating kicks before right, so what is your process on how you flush that and move onto the next week?

“Watch the film and see what went wrong. That’s kind of what it felt like. Forget about it and give myself 24 hours, analyze what happened and move on.”

 

RB Dylan Sampson

 

What does it mean to you that the Browns did give you so many carries today in your first game?

“Who knows if it was intended to be like that, but I felt blessed to start the game. My old coach used to say ‘the ball finds energy.’ So that’s all I try to do when I get the ball in my hands, to maximize every single play. So as the game went on (QB) Joe (Flacco) and the coaches felt comfortable giving me the ball.”

 

How did you feel you adjusted to the speed of the game, was there any “welcome to the NFL moment”?

“No, not yet. I’m trying to avoid any kind of big hits and stuff like that right now. We practice every day against a very good defense and I treat practice like the game so when it’s game time, it should just be fun.”

 

You finished eight-for-eight on targets and catches, one drive you were four-for-four, how important was it for you to get into a rhythm in the passing game?

“Doing all that I can, first of all chipping the defensive ends they do a good job rushing up the field, giving (QB) Joe (Flacco) time, but also being a playmaker at the same time. Trusting my teammates for allowing me to block and when I get the ball I’m just trying to maximize every single play. That’s my mindset each game. I put the last play that just happened in the back of my mind and I just move forward because that’s what it is about.”

 

WR Cedric Tillman

 

Let’s start with that last play, the interception. Can you walk us through what happened on that play?

“Just a regular hook route and we didn’t connect. It’s as simple as that. We’ll get it next time. Obviously, disappointed as a team, but we’ll learn from it and move on. But for sure we’ll connect and I’ll make the play next time.”

 

How frustrating is it for it to end that way. Obviously, you score the touchdown.

“Yeah, it’s the NFL. I’m learning, it’s just how it goes. Obviously, you don’t want it to happen. But I’m going to keep working hard, keep getting in the lab, as a team keep getting in the lab, and next time the opportunity comes, I will make the play.”

 

Did (QB) Joe (Flacco) or anyone say anything to you on the sideline?

“Just keep your head up. It’s week one. Obviously, we really wanted this one, especially against a division opponent, but it didn’t happen that way.”

 

DE Isaiah McGuire

Talk about getting those sacks in a row towards the end of the game. How did that feel?

“It felt great. Sacks come in bunches. Everyone knows that, so just to go out there and do that and do my part it feels great. It’s a blessing.”

 

How important is it that the defense was able to step up in these big moments, even though you did not get the win down the line you continued to get stops?

“We proved something to ourselves. It is just about being us, we know the standard we have for ourselves and it’s our job to go out there and do it no matter what.” 

 

Was there any sort of adjustment in that second half?

“(Defensive Coordinator Jim) Schwartz just said you got to be us. That’s what it boils down to. Being us. Doing the fundamentals and just having fun.”

 

How do you carry this one over defensively, and hope it carries over to the offense next week?

“See what we did good, but also see what we did bad. It’s just figuring out those details and trying to strive for perfection. Is everything going to be perfect, no, that’s football. But however, we do strive for that.”

 

CB Greg Newsome II 

What’s important in the next 48 or 24 hours, especially for the younger guys, to rebound from something like this?

“Just learn and go into next week. It’s the first week of the season and we’ve got 16 more regular seasons and we’ve got a divisional opponent next week. It wasn’t all bad, there was some good. Learn from those, keep going those things, correct some of the negative things, and keep moving forward.”

 

When I spoke to (TE David) Njoku he seemed pretty animated that you guys are pissed off. How do you take that into next week? 

“He should be pissed off. We had them where we wanted them, and then we didn’t finish. Taking that motivation is easy. Just learn from the bad things and continue to do the good things. And just find a way to win next week.” 

 

What do you say about some of the rookies that were able to step up on the field today. Obviously (RB Dylan) Sampson and (TE Harold) Fannin (Jr.) got a lot of looks today.

“It looked amazing. I was just talking to (RB Dylan) Samp (Sampson) and told him he played a heckuva game and we’re going to need you down the stretch and we’re going to need you next week. It’s good for them to get their first real game under their belt and I think they did a great job.”

 

This game had a couple little things not go your way. Do you chalk that up to the ball not bouncing your way and move forward or are there ways to prevent that?”

“We have to find a way to get turnovers as a defense. I think we did a pretty good job with total yardage against them, but we didn’t have any turnovers, and that’s the biggest way to tell a win from a loss.”

 

Three straight sacks on the goal line, as a defensive back, take me through that whole sequence when you turn around and realize they got him again.

“Oh man, I love it. When I’m in coverage and I see a sack, it’s just like I said, that’s the best defensive line group in the NFL and they showed up when we needed it.”

 

WR Jerry Jeudy

 

So on a day like today when those two things happen, is the feeling of being sick of losing kind of the feeling of the locker room? 

“It is of course, I am pretty sure everybody is sick of losing but it’s one game and we have plenty of games left.”

 

(WR) Jerry (Jeudy), along those lines how do you make sure it doesn’t spiral from just the one game in week one to now going into week 2 and multiple?

“Got to go to practice and look at the film and see what we got to work on and execute that at practice.”

 

For it to be such a close game against a division rival do you hang your hat on that at all?

“No we lost, we don’t hang our hat on nothing about losing, we lost. We have to find a way to finish and find a way to win because if you don’t get the W then it doesn’t matter.”

 

(WR) Jerry (Jeudy) on a positive note (TE) Harold (Fannin) had a big game for you guys as a rookie, (RB) Dylan (Sampson) same thing, they were the two leading receivers on the team today. What did you think of the young guys around you and their efforts today?

“Nah they stepped up big time today, they made big plays like we expected them to do. We’ve seen that through camp and practice and they came out and did it today. You know I’m not surprised at all.”

 

Do you think this game will help define this team for the rest of the season?

“Oh yeah this game will most certainly help define our team, we either bounce back or settle.” 

 

You have become one of the leaders on this team. You have talked about finding a way and continuing to change that culture. How much do you put this on yourself?

“I want to come in and make plays every time. As a leader I want to make plays and that’s how I define myself.”

 

How do you think (QB) (Joe) Flacco did today?

“(QB) (Joe) Flacco did great today, he threw the ball down field and we had chances to get field goals, get points but the two turnovers hit our hands, unfortunate picks but you know I think he did a great job today.”

 

(WR) Jerry (Jeudy) you have been in this league long enough and know to have a short term memory when it comes to drops. What is the key mentally to being able to move past those things and just go to the next play, go to the next game?

“The key message is to just not focus on it. Always go to the next play, don’t really go too much in on it.”

 

LG Joel Bitonio

We were just talking to (WR) Jerry (Jeudy). You see, two interceptions that go off guy’s hands. You don’t see that very often. Two mistakes. I mean, just kinda like bad luck. How hard does that make this to take?

“Yeah, it’s a tough way to start the year. You know, as an offense, I think we tell ourselves, like, score a touchdown in the red zone there. You know we don’t have to take the field goal, and you got a chance to win the game, but those mistakes happen. It’s hard to win when you give the ball away twice and don’t take it away. I think our defense played really, really well against a good offense. I thought we did some good things on offense. Got to run the ball a little bit better. But it’s frustrating.” 

 

Actually, the culture earlier in the week, and you said you haven’t had adversity yet. Does this feel like a good test of adversity for you guys?

“Yeah, it’s our first test of adversity this year. We’ll see how guys bounce back, how guys practice next week. It’s a long season, you know, it’s one sprint and 17 sprints and we’ve got a tough matchup next week, so it will be a good challenge for us. I think I like the character of the guys in this room and we’re gonna get back to it and hopefully fix mistakes.”

 

As a leader on this team, what’s the message to a guy like (K)Andre Szmyt. It was his first NFL and game and had some tough misses out there, but you obviously want him to bounce back. 

“Yeah, we’re a team. We take that loss as a team. I remember how nervous I was, I still get nervous for the first game of the season, so I understand the nerves. I think he’ll bounce back. He has the right mindset. Hopefully, a good week next week will get him back in the flow.”

 

How do you prevent guys in the locker room from developing that woah is me mentality. 

“Its a mindset shift. We already talked about it. We’re not going to let one game turn into two. We have to have our best week of practice, and truthfully you can’t point fingers at other positions. Everyone did enough today to look at it and try to get better from it. If everyone can have that mindset of self improvement, I think we’ll be at a better place next week.” 

 

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