LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (12.23.21)
On C JC Tretter being added to the reserve/COVID-19 list:
“It is becoming something you do not really look forward to. More rather, understand we can only control the things we can control. We are just taking our time with certain reports and just taking consideration the things in our hands to be able to pinpoint our focus – focus on the Packers and focus on the things we can control.”
On how the Browns handled Monday’s loss to the Raiders and if the close loss adds any sense of positive heading into Saturday’s game:
“Not necessarily positivity because always our goal is to win and always our goal is to finish out with the upper hand. Nevertheless, it does give us somewhere to go. It gives us somewhere to look at and improve on. We do not look at it as a moral win or something that is absolutely positive, but more so something we can start to improve from.”
On Packers QB Aaron Rodgers:
“He is a patient guy, a smart guy. He has the ability to get into a defense’s head, speak to them and change up his count. Different things that does that make him unique. He extends plays. He can do it all. He is a guy who is very versatile in his ability to look downfield as rushers are coming at him. He does a lot of things, and we will be looking forward to it.”
On DE Myles Garrett being listed as questionable for Saturday’s game after playing through a groin injury on Monday:
“Myles is a strong guy. He understands his body. He understands the things that are going on within the facility. He understands the defense. He has been in this for a little while now, and he is able to make decisions of his own, along with the defense just being able to again control what we can control. There are a lot of things that are going on. It is our responsibility to be able to really narrow our focus on the responsibilities at hand. There are 11 people on the field, and everybody has to focus on their one job to be successful. That is what we are doing, and that is what we are focusing on right now.”
On Packers RB Aaron Jones:
“He is very versatile, as well. He is one of those guys who is one of their target guys to be able to score the ball and to be able to move the ball fluidly. He will be a tough task. Again, we are looking to contain him. We are looking to get to him before he gets started and looking to get to him before he gets his upper hand. Anytime that you can slow a running back like that down, you can be successful, and that is what we are looking to do.”
On if playing in Lambeau Field is viewed as playing at the ‘Holy Grail’ of NFL stadiums:
“I do not know about the ‘Holy Grail’ (laughter). They have a stadium, they have seats, they have a grass field and they have people in them (laughter). It is something we commonly see in the NFL. They have some good fans. They have some good cheese, I am assuming (laughter). We will be ready.”
On if practice was upbeat today:
“Yeah, it was upbeat. I would guess you could say it was upbeat. Again, with some of the stuff that is going on, we are just trying to focus on what we focus on and what we need to focus on at the right time. We are taking it hour by hour, second by second and minute by minute. We are not really focusing on the next thing, tomorrow or the next day. As we always say, today has enough trouble of its own.”
On there seeming to be a miscommunication late in the game on the catch by Raiders TE Foster Moreau:
“Good question. Again, there are 11 players on the field. Everybody has to do their job. It was just miscommunication that can’t happen next time, of course. We will take a look at it, as we have, and we have corrected the mistake already. Not to get into any details, but we corrected the mistake.”
On playing at the iconic Notre Dame Stadium compared to Lambeau Field:
“We will have some Notre Dame fans up there, too. The Cleveland Browns will have some fans, but I will bring some Notre Dame fans, as well.”
On if playing against Rodgers and the Packers offense acts as a personal ‘measuring stick’ during his rookie season:
“Every game is a measuring stick, just to be able to continuously be consistent or to elevate from my last performance. Whatever may last performance was, I want to do better than that. Whatever the best performance is, I want to do better than that. Every game is a measuring stick, just to see how much I can improve and how much we as a defense can improve and we as a team can improve. It is always looking forward to test where we are and looking to get better.”
On the Browns defense’s mentality going into Saturday’s game, despite missing some players:
“Again, it is focusing on the things we can focus on. Literally focus on the things we can focus on. Some things we can’t focus on. Some things we can’t control. It is the same principle with a lot of things in football and a lot of things in life. It is always the same principle. Focus on the things you can focus on. Control the things that you can control. That is the main principle when things are going wrong in life. We all have issues. We all have negative things going on around us, but the principle stays the same.”
On the importance of S John Johnson III as a leader to the Browns defense, given Johnson has been ruled out for Saturday:
“He is very important. He is a very important guy to be able to communicate and get a feel. He is the anchor as we all try to be anchors for the defense. We will definitely miss him as he is not playing this game, but he will still be there in terms of the communication through calls and different things. We will miss him, but the next man has to step up. As (Head Coach) Coach (Kevin Stefanski) says, this is the NFL, and each guy has to do his part. We will try our best to succeed as we always try.”
On the excitement to play against Rodgers, who he has probably watched most of his life:
“Is there excitement? No, I want to say there is not sort of emotion. Again, I am trying to be as consistent as possible. We as a defense are trying to be as consistent as possible. We as a team are trying to do that, as well. Aaron Rodgers is a great quarterback. They have great wide receivers. They have great running backs. They have a great offense. These are the things that we pinpoint. Not to single our anybody or not to double out anybody, it is the Green Bay Packers versus the Cleveland Browns, and that is what we are keying in on right now.”
On if he is taking any extra precautions to help keep him protected from COVID-19:
“First and foremost, it starts with the main thing inside of health is your diet first. I am an alkaline vegan, as some may know. I try to continue to stay on that specific diet to be able to abstain from some of the stuff that may be in certain foods so that is mainly what I do. I kind of get into the holistic health with the herbs and things like that. That is kind of where my aim lies. I have spoken to some of the other guys about it, as well. I have helped some of the guys. As they are sick, I have them tonics, certain tinctures and some sea moss, herbs and things like that, just to be able to help a little bit and apply some of those things I was using. Even when I got COVID, I was asymptomatic, and I was not sick at all in my book. I was feeling OK. Nevertheless, it is just about health first in terms of diet and then we can move onto the extra medicines, the vaccines and the extra stuff that science may apply. First and foremost, we try to push for a good diet.”
On if he is keeping a ‘low profile’ to help protect himself from COVID-19:
“Yeah, if I need to get something to eat, I will probably go out and get something to eat, but after that, I am not going go-karting and I am not out at a jazz club or something like that. If I am going out, I will go eat and sit down, and after that, I will bounce out.”
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