C JC Tretter (9.18.20)
C JC Tretter:
On the Browns offense’s performance last night:
“It was a really clean game. Obviously, 200 yards rushing, no sacks and kept (QB) Baker (Mayfield) clean. Those are one of the better ones we played as a group. (T) Chris (Hubbard) did a really good job of stepping in, and we all continue to grow together and play well together.”
On how much his injury weighed on his mind to be ready for the short week and how was he able to make it work:
“It is always tough. The Thursday games are always tough. You have that battle mentally, trying to get all the information you usually get in a week and you get it cut in half. Then you have that same battle physically of the amount of time it takes your body to get back to 100 percent or as close to 100 percent as you are going to get during the season out of that short week. We knew it was going to be a real tight turnaround with the knee coming off kind of the first really heavy dosage of playing on it. The good thing, though, that we looked at is the benefits of the long break after, kind of that mini bye week, that we think it will be really good for to now stay off it for a bunch of days in a row, just rehab it and kind of get over that hump. Right over five weeks now off of surgery, I think that will be good for it. You have to kind of just get through it, but then after it, you take advantage of that time off.”
On if last night’s effort is how he envisioned Head Coach Kevin Stefanski’s system working with running the ball and play action and if yesterday’s offense felt different that Week 1:
“It is tough because game script always kind of determines how things are called. When you fall down by a few touchdowns, you are not really going to buy the run fake very often so it is tough to stick with those boots deep in the second half when you are down multiple scores. They know you have to pass. That kind of is what it is, but I think this is what we want to do. We want to be able to marry up the run and the pass, make it look the same and catch defenses in that tough decision of playing the run or protecting themselves from the boot. I think we did a really good job of doing that yesterday.”
On the aggressiveness Stefanski showed going for it on fourth down at the goal line:
“Obviously, we have to convert there, but I think that it is always nice to see the faith in the guys up front to get those. We will do better and make sure we make those corrections. Again, I think we are going to continue to attack, continue to try to go after that and not play passive.”
On if he sees Stefanski trying to be smart but also aggressive with his play calls:
“He has talked to us about that and trusting that we can get in there, capitalize and not just take the three [points]. We will have to execute better in the future, but that has kind of been the way we have looked at it since he got here. We just have to finish when we are down at the goal line.”
On if he thinks there is more the Browns can do after FB Andy Janovich said that the offense was a few blocks away from a few long runs or 300 rushing yards total:
“There will always be room to grow. There will always be things that we can correct to get fixed. Yeah, we were close on a couple – one block away from big gains. It is about going back, watching that film and getting corrected for the next time and just continuing to work the scheme and continuing to get holes opened up for (RB) Nick (Chubb) and (RB) Kareem (Hunt). We have two tremendous backs who make us right, as well, if we are not picking everybody up, but we will continue to do our job and open up holes to get them to the second level.”
On T Jedrick Wills Jr.’s development:
“I think for any rookie with the offseason we had with the inability to have offseason workouts, there is so much you have to learn and so much getting used to playing at this level you have that I think you will continue to see the young guys progress throughout the season because you are getting all that experience that you would have already have in a normal year. I think you see that with Jed as he will continue to get better and continue to get more comfortable with everything he is doing. I think that is what you are seeing.”
On G Wyatt Teller’s performance early this season after winning the starting RG position:
“He has always been a physical player, a big, strong guy. He is playing really well right now. It is exciting. Obviously, we played together a little bit last year, but I think really settling in together and getting used to each other and how each other thinks and how we pick up things. That is a relationship and work together we will see to continue to improve.”
On what makes Chubb and Hunt so effective as a tandem:
“I think they are both really patient, and I think they are both very tough to break down with one arm. If we get on our guys and they will always kind of have that reach out and try to grab them, but it is so tough to tackle those guys with just one arm. They are great at making the first guy miss. There were some plays last night where we had a free guy in the hole, and they made that guy miss and that opens up to another 10- or 12-yard gain because of it. I think their patience plays well in our scheme and then their ability to break tackles is another big aspect of how they both play.”
On if players may still plan to travel out of town during the long weekend and if the team reminded players to be cognizant of COVID-19 concerns:
“We have to test every day. We will have to be in here and test every morning still so I guess there is really no opportunity to travel out. You have to be here the next day anyways.”
On if there are any specific COVID-19 protocols that need to be addressed by the NFL or NFLPA:
“I think will continue to evolve where we have to and continue to monitor them and make sure things will continue. I think really the big thing is not falling into the trap of our success leading to future failure, in that we have been extremely successful so far and we are doing everything right but not getting lulled into a false sense of security of this is all figured out, we are good and we do not have to think about it anymore. Nothing we have done in the previous seven or eight weeks means anything in the future. This next week is a week we have to do everything right again in order to stay healthy and to stay virus-free. That will be the continued battle is making sure every week you are doing the right thing and you are following the protocols and this is never becoming something that slips out of the front of your mind. This always has to be top of mind about doing the right thing on and off the field, in the facility and out of the facility. That will be the continued push to make sure everybody – staff and players – continue to think about that.”
On if it is encouraging that teams have begun traveling to games and there has not been a spike in cases across the NFL:
“Absolutely. No doubt. It has been extremely positive so far. Again, one mistake, one lapse can throw a huge wrench in this entire thing. That is really the focus now is making sure everyone understands that we have done great for two-ish months right now, but we have a long way to go, and we have to stay focused and diligent in what we are doing.”
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