S John Johnson III (10.4.21)
On the Browns defense producing dominating performances in back-to-back weeks:
“It just shows that we are moving in the right direction. We want to keep stacking these games on top of each other and keep getting better every week. It is still early in the season, we are still fairly new all together and we are trying to still build that continuity. Two games, the best part about it is you have a chance to stack three on top of each other.”
On the Browns DL being disruptive and how much easier it makes the Browns DBs’ jobs:
“A lot easier. In the game, we definitely felt it. We do not have to cover for long. I felt like we had pretty good coverage all game long, but just watching that tape just now, we see guys just mauling people off of the ball, we are in the backfield and offensive linemen are on the ground. It is just awesome, and there is a lot of trust within the back end and the rush as season long. It is great.”
On the Browns defense rallying after the first drive and DE Myles Garrett saying alignment was the main issue on the first drive and the unit needed to communicate better rather than making major adjustments:
“Right, I think we just had to get settled in. Like you said, just a few small errors. It was not really like it was a schematic thing. It was not like we just got beat. It was a long drive – it was 14 plays – and we really made them earn it. It was just locking in and finishing them off. The rest of the game, we did a good job of that.”
On if the Browns defense is only starting to scratch the surface for its potential this season and how younger Browns defensive players are progressing:
“I think we are just scratching the surface. I said in a previous interview that we really need to hone in on taking the ball away and even scoring on defense. There is a lot to improve on, but when you put up a game like that and hold them to seven points just off of the first drive, it is definitely a great starting point, but there is a lot to get better. The young guys, we have had turnovers taken away two weeks in a row. (S) Grant Delpit got his hands on the ball. (CB) Greedy (Williams) had his first career interception. Guys are just buying into what we are trying to accomplish here, and it is awesome to see.”
On evaluating his performance thus far this season, considering some external rankings have not graded him out as highly as the tape seems to show:
“I think the first few games I had to get my feet underneath me. It is just like a new role and a new position. I am used to playing all over the place. Now, I am solely deep and solely in the post. I am definitely getting a lot more comfortable I am just seeing things a lot faster. I think it just comes with reps and stuff like that. Most of the time, those grades do not really match up to what is actually going on. I am just going to go out there and winning is the most important thing to me so having great team performances on defense and winning is the biggest thing.”
On the biggest differences for the Browns defense in the first two weeks and the past two weeks:
“I think it is just trusting one another to do each’s 1/11th job. The first few weeks, I would not say freestyling, but it was kind of like we were just all out there playing defense and running around like chickens with our heads cut off. Now, we are actually like, ‘OK, I am going to lock in. I am going to do my job and do my assignment,’ and it is really paying off. Hopefully, we can start jumping on people even more, making a lot more plays and taking that ball away. It is really just each individual doing their job, and it is showing up and it is paying off.”
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