Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (10.9.22)
Opening statement:
“Injury wise, (CB) Denzel (Ward) has a concussion.
“Very frustrating. We come in here to play good football and get a win versus an AFC opponent, and we just did not get it done. We are going to share in this one. All of us had opportunities at the end, and we just didn’t come through. It is really, really hard and frustrating, as I mentioned. We have to figure it out. We have to start playing smarter in certain areas and find ways to get a victory, especially at home [versus an] AFC opponent.”
On the Chargers’ success running the ball today despite not being as productive in the run game earlier this season:
“We gave up way too many yards, including a real big one early in the game. It is always a combination of things, but we have to be better stopping the run. Have to.”
On the mindset when the Chargers went for it on fourth-and-2 late in the fourth quarter and the Browns defense made the stop:
“We are ready for them if they decided to punt or go for it. In that case, they went for it. You are just trying to help the field goal in that case as much as you can. Ultimately, I have to give him better stuff to get down in there and not attempt a 50-plus-yarder. Obviously, we have faith in (K) Cade (York). We expect him to come through. I think he will come through for us in the future. We have to help that field goal.”
On York’s recent misses, including two today:
“With a young player, you kind of just focus on getting better each day. Not losing confidence in him. He is not losing confidence in himself. Not an easy place to kick in. We will be counting on him next week and the week after that type thing.”
On it appearing QB Jacoby Brissett had room to run on the play that ultimately resulted in an interception late in the fourth quarter:
“He didn’t see the linebacker underneath there. Ultimately, just we have to come away with some points there, whether it is a field goal or a touchdown. We just have to make sure that we are operating on a high level and giving those guys plays that they can have success. In that scenario, Jacoby will talk to you, and I know what he will say. He just can’t turn the ball over.”
On if the Browns were planning to go for it on fourth down earlier in the game, including before and after the Chargers called timeout in that circumstance:
“Yeah. With a lot of this, you have to give credit to them. They stopped us. Felt good about the play, but they stopped us.”
On Brissett having hands on hips after failing on the fourth-down attempt:
“I don’t want to get too into it. We didn’t execute, but of course, I could always give him a better play.”
On if the mindset was the Chargers were going to go for it on fourth-and-short in the third quarter, when the Browns accepted a procedural penalty that resulted in third-and-long, which LA ultimately converted:
“I was.”
On how the team can be smarter:
“We had a bunch of 15-yard penalties, and those are killer.”
On what S John Johnson III was upset about prior to drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, given he also appeared frustrated after the play:
“We can’t lose our composure in those moments. Regardless of what we think we saw, what we wanted them to call or those type of things, we can’t lose our composure.”
On defensive struggles during the past couple of weeks:
“I think we didn’t play well enough. That is always the easy answer. The long answer is in a bunch of areas, there are things that we have to do better. Tackling, we have to tackle better. There are a lot of things that if you want to play good defense, we have to start doing.”
On not being able to finish a close game late in the contest again:
“It is very frustrating. We have talked about it, and everybody sees it. These games are close. You have to play 60-minute football. You have to come from behind. You have to put teams away. We haven’t done it and didn’t do it today. Again, credit to them. They did what they needed to do to get a victory, and certainly, we have to look inward and fix some things.”
On the long pass attempt to WR Donovan Peoples-Jones near the end of the game:
“He is one of the options on that play. Felt like he had one on one, but I have to obviously look at the entire play, but if he comes down with it, it is a huge one.”
On if the new concussion protocol’s agreed to by the NFL and NFLPA that were recently applied to this weekend’s game affected CB Denzel Ward’s status:
“I don’t know that. I am not sure.”
On if it was disappointing for Brissett to throw an interception despite making plays running the ball earlier in the game:
“In these games you lose, it is just so frustrating, and it hurts. We didn’t do enough as a team. We didn’t do enough as coaches. Are the guys playing hard? Of course. I am not questioning that at all. Jacoby is making plays, but we have to clean things up. If you want to get a win in the NFL, you can’t do some of the things that we did.”
On hearing boos from Browns fans at the end of today’s game and if it was disappointing to hear the fans boo:
“I think when it comes to fans… I can’t get into that type of thing. They were great today. They support us. I get that that is part of it.”
On Browns fans leaving the stadium after watching another loss:
“It is frustrating. I get it. It is very, very, very frustrating. I go back to ‘What do we need to do to go get a win?’ We have to fix things if you expect to get wins in the NFL.”
On the Browns defense giving up big plays or drives at times due to different reasons in recent games, whether it is in the run or pass game:
“When you are playing good defensive football, you are playing consistent. Obviously, run or pass you name it, we have to play more consistent. We are not playing consistent really right now. We can. There are opportunities to do it. There are opportunities to make some plays and those type of things, but we are just not doing it consistently right now.”
On if he was surprised the Browns run defense did not perform as well today after DE Myles Garrett and DE Jadeveon Clowney returned from injury:
“I just think that they [the Chargers] did a nice job. We have to stop the run, we have to fit the run, tackle and all of those things. We have to get that fixed.”
On CB Martin Emerson Jr.’s pass defensed on the Chargers’ late fourth-down attempt:
“MJ, I know he is a rookie, but we are counting on him a lot. That was a big play to come through, especially with what was at stake there.”
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