QB Jacoby Brissett (10.31.22)
On tonight’s win and playing complementary football:
“A great team win in all three phases. That is what we have been stressing. We have a lot of time left. Just find a way to win to play one good play after one good play in all three phases. I think today we really did that. We played very complimentary. I think the emotions in the locker room after the game were warranted.”
On if tonight’s win makes it feel like everything the team wants to accomplish is still attainable:
“Oh, for sure. Another division win, which is huge. Obviously, that puts everything in front of us still. We understood the ramifications of this game, what we needed to do and what this meant for us. Extremely proud of the guys in the locker room. The coaches did a really good job of preparing and really focusing on the task at hand.”
On the Browns pass and run games being effective tonight:
“That was just our mindset. We really needed to get back to playing our style of football. That is running and throwing it on our terms. Running our plays on our terms. There were a couple of checks in the game we didn’t want to run that play versus a certain look so we got some different calls. I think Kev (Head Coach Kevin Stefanski) did a good job of preparing us, AVP (offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt) and all of our guys of letting us know, ‘Hey, this is what our plan is as far as the whole game mindset.’ I think we executed that well tonight.”
On his TD run:
“Nobody was around me and then I felt somebody around me so I was having to run fast. I thought about the Chargers game and when I threw the pick. I have been beating myself up about that a lot just because that has been like sitting on my heart. I always told myself if I ever get that opportunity again, I am going to make the right decision. I think I half made the right decision – I reached the ball out on second down, which is stupid. It was one of those where I was like, ‘Man, I have to take it.’”
On if he knew for sure that he had scored on the play, given he looked around after the play:
“Oh, for sure. I touched the pylon. I was good.”
On the fun of tonight’s win:
“It is always fun going and playing in the NFL, honestly. The wins and the losses, it is always a lot of fun because that is life. Wins and losses in life, and just find a way to get back up. I was on the sideline thinking we have fallen like four times in a row, but it is like, ‘You know what? You have to find a way to get back up.’ I think that is the Browns’ style of football. You get knocked down, and you just get back up. You get knocked down again, and you just get back up. I think that was really what this game summed up is you give us a chance, and we are going to take it.”
On if there was a sense of resolve from the team tonight to respond with a strong performance, given struggles earlier in the season:
“Listen, everybody wants the perfect thing from the start. Some things take time. Everything in life good takes time. We have a saying, ‘Everything we want is on the other side of hard.’ You have to go through things for you to cherish things like this and a day like tonight. Coaches talk about ‘How do we want to feel at 11:15 p.m.?’ We got in the locker room at 11:14 p.m., and that was the feeling that we wanted. That is when you don’t worry about the past. You worry about the present moment. You worry about the guys in the room, the coaches and how you can come together. Nobody is giving us a chance, and that’s OK. It is perfectly fine. You have to find a way to get the guys understand, ‘Hey, it only takes one. It all starts with one.’ I think the guys did a really good job of that today.
On the Browns offense feeding off the defense’s performance tonight:
“They played lights out. We have been understanding and knowing that one of these days were going to come. They have a lot of good players on that team, a good coach and good coaches. Like I said, it takes time. It takes time. It just sucks in this league that not a lot of people get a lot of time, but you understand with players, with coaches and with humans, everybody has learning curves and every year is different. I think we did a good job of today is the only day we have. Today was one of those days for those guys, and very excited and proud of those guys what they did.”
On DE Myles Garrett setting the tone for tonight’s game:
“Yeah, he is one of those guys who I was talking about who we feed off of. He obviously is a tone-setter for us. We expect him to set the tone for us. He will come up and tell you that he fed off of a lot of those other guys. There were not a lot of places for them to throw the ball tonight, and that was because of the back end but also because of the front end. Our backers are making the right checks and safeties are making the right checks. It is a combination of a great team effort in every facet of the game.”
On the Bengals defense not allowing a TD in the second half this season and if the Browns’ opening TD drive of the second half felt like a breakthrough tonight:
“For sure. Once we got three at the end of the first half, we have always preached double-dipping. We understood if we scored, I think that would have put it at a three-possession game at the time. We understood how important that was. We came out with a plan and then we just lined up and we were like, ‘You know what? This is what we are doing.’ Kev did a good job of putting us in the right position, and I think it was one of those days where we imposed our will. I think that touchdown really was a very critical moment for us.”
On commenting that the interception he threw against the Chargers flashed through his mind as he scrambled for a TD tonight:
“For sure. Honestly, that is how slow like I feel like the game is kind of turning because of me being so present in the game and really enjoying the moment that I can honestly think of things like that. It is not like I am saying I am a psychic-like vision (laughter). Once I was scrambling, I saw No. 30 (Bengals S Jessie Bates III) watching my eyes and I saw Bates watching my eyes and I was like, ‘You know what? Not again.’ Usually, it is either going to be a throwaway or I was going to go for it. Then he scooted a little bit inside more, and I was like, ‘You know what? I am going to try.’”
On how he knew Cooper would run past the double-team on the 53-yard completion:
“Because it was Amari. (QB Joshua) Dobbs came back to the sideline when I came back over, and he was like, it was one of those, ‘Amari is down there somewhere.’ I saw him slow down, and I was like, ‘No, I am throwing it.’ It was third down and we know that, ‘Hey, end it in a kick,’ but I tried to throw it out far enough that if he didn’t get it, nobody got it. He obviously made a great play in going to chase it down.”
On Cooper’s performance tonight:
“He played really well. I honestly think that receiver room really helped each other out a lot. Coming to the sideline and being very transparent with what we were getting out there and what type of defense they were playing to us. I think everybody touched the ball tonight. I think those guys did a great job. Obviously, Amari kind of is our tone-setter as far as in that room, but (WR) Donovan (Peoples-Jones) made a great catch on the first drive that we went. Obviously, Amari played really well, but definitely proud of that room.”
On if he has seen better passes than Cooper’s interception thrown:
“He is coming to school with me tomorrow (laughter). That play is not in [the playbook] no more – I am just letting you know that (laughter).”
On if he told Cooper he will be throwing the ball from now on:
“Yeah, luckily he can run routes, and we will do that.”
On if he feels OK after taking some big hits:
“Oh yeah, I am fine.”
On the team ‘emptying the tank ahead of the bye week’:
“Yeah, and that is the mindset you have to start taking every week because nothing is promised, and every week is so special and you have to cherish those moments. We definitely told each other, ‘Listen, we have nothing next week. Literally nothing. Literally empty everything that you have.’ I think a lot of guys stepped up. Obviously, we had a lot of guys down, and a lot of guys on defense came up. (CB) A.J. Green setting the tone and Tak (LB Sione Takitaki) playing well and Debo’s (LB Deion Jones) first game starting. I think those guys just did a great job stepping up and taking full advantage of this moment and this opportunity. Very happy for those guys, and hopefully, we carry this on.”
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