TE Harrison Bryant (9.28.20)
TE Harrison Bryant:
On scoring his first NFL touchdown on Sunday:
“Obviously, a big win for the team against a good team and then being able to have that opportunity to score my first NFL touchdown, it was extremely exciting to just go out there, produce and do whatever I can to help the team win.”
On if he kept the ball from his first NFL TD:
“Yeah, I got it. I spiked it and it kind of rolled off so it took me a minute to find it, but I was able to find it.”
On breaking down the TD reception:
“It was 11 personnel play. I was out there split out to the left. I was actually split out a little too wide and was just trying to get inside of the defender and was able to get inside. It took me a minute to get inside, but (QB) Baker (Mayfield) bought time and scrambled to the right, and I was able to get across the field. He made a great throw, and luckily, I was wide open and made the catch.”
On the TV announcers saying they saw the same play in practice on Friday but he dropped the pass and Head Coach Kevin Stefanski’s postgame comment that the play could have been drawn up better:
“I do not really remember running that play in practice and that happening. I think that was my first time running that actually. The read for the quarterback was to read the left side on the slant and the flat, and it took me a minute to get inside because he was buried inside pretty hard. I just fought to get inside and kept working across the field. Like I said, Baker did a great job scrambling off to his right and made a great throw.”
On if the Browns have talked about the significance of having a winning record and being 2-1, despite it being early in the season, as it relates to changing the culture:
“Yeah, I think our mindset is really just a strong win every week. No matter who we are playing, that is the goal every week is to go out and go 1-0. So far this season, we have done a good job. Obviously, a lot of things to improve on, but that is our goal every week is just to go out and go 1-0.”
On rebounding after the Week 1 loss with back-to-back wins:
“Obviously, the first game of the year we played Baltimore, an extremely talented team, and then played two great teams the next two weeks. We just come out every day and go to work. That is really what we are built on is just working and winning before we even play the game. That is one thing we were talking about this week, and I think we did that and went out and we won the game. Obviously, a lot of things to clean up, but a win is a win.”
On the gratification of contributing with key blocks in the run game, given the excitement he showed following a block that helped create a rushing TD in Week 2:
“Yeah, that is obviously something I take pride in is really just helping with my blocking. For me, the biggest thing is you are always usually blocking someone bigger than you or stronger than you, and I think the big thing is just effort and technique. I think so far my technique has been improving, but there are still a lot of things that I can improve on. That play, I was pretty juiced up and excited to get that block on a good defensive end, and it turned into a touchdown so it was obviously a nice feeling. Just going out and just doing my job every play is all I am trying to do.”
On Chief of Staff Callie Brownson and the historical significance of Sunday’s game being the first in the NFL with at least one female coach on each sideline and a female official:
“That is awesome, the first time in history there was a female coach for both teams, as well as a female official. I can’t really speak for the other two people, but I know how good of a job Callie does here. She does a great job with keeping everybody in line and with the schedule and stuff and letting us know what is coming up. She is very personable. She is always out there on the field trying to help, whether that is with logistics or as well in practice throwing balls and helping substitute in when we are doing different personnel. I have not been with her for very long here, but so far, it has been really great, and she helps us out a lot.”
On if Brownson is primarily looked at as just another coach, regardless of her gender:
“Yeah, I look at her the same way as everyone. She comes out and she helps us out a lot. I am just very grateful for her to be here and doing what she is doing.”
On the impact to the Browns special teams with the loss of WR JoJo Natson to injury:
“I knew he got injured. I was not quite sure of how large of a magnitude it was, but that is terrible to hear. Actually, me and JoJo, he was training down in South Florida when I was still down there so he was the first person on the team that I was able to meet. We built a great relationship. He is a great dude, an awesome returner. As you have seen with his past years and then this year, he is great at making people miss and picking up 10-15 yards, which helps a lot with offensive field position. That is just a huge blow for our team.”
On QB Baker Mayfield taking a sack on a play where he was running a stick route:
“I was on the right side of the ball. I had a stick route. I actually should have tight turned it a little more with the coverage that they had. I remember him coming to the sideline and saying he could not really see me too well. Obviously, plays like that happen, and the biggest thing for us is just to go out the next play, do our job and forget those plays.”
On if there was a miscommunication on the third down play when Mayfield threw it to him inside:
“No, that was a great throw by him. I was on the outside under, I stopped running and the ball got out in front of me. I should have just been running through the whole time and caught the ball and converted.”
# # #