HC Freddie Kitchens (11.10.19)
Head Coach Freddie Kitchens:
Opening statement:
“It was good to see these guys go out and execute today. We were not perfect by any stretch of imagination, but I thought those guys showed desire, determination and played with passion. Our fans were incredible. We executed in critical moments of the game, which was to our benefit.”
On RB Kareem Hunt in his first game back and his expectation for Hunt’s use compared to how much Hunt played:
“I do not think it changed that much. We played him about the length of time that I thought he would play. I wish that I could have gotten him a few more plays. He is a good football player.”
On what elements Hunt brings to the team:
“Speed, passion, the ability to run the ball, catch the ball. Had a big time third down catch for us. A good player. Blocked well for (RB) Nick (Chubb). Nick blocked well for him. You are talking about two unselfish individuals – unselfish individuals, the two of them.”
On the game-winning drive:
“It was the fact of those guys doing a great job of executing. That is what is came down to.”
On how frustrating it was to have multiple plays on the goal line and only come up with three points:
“I thought those guys did a good job of overcoming that. If we get down there again, I am running it again. I am going to tell them that tomorrow. They know that. (WR) Odell (Beckham Jr.) did a good job of getting two penalties. He gave us four more downs down there, and we were not able to do it. I need to call better plays when we get down there, but I am telling you right now, we are running the ball when we get down there.”
On WR Antonio Callaway being inactive today:
“That is between Antonio and I. That is between Antonio and I.”
On if Callawy being inactive is a disciplinary decision:
“That is between Antonio and I.”
On WR Rashard Higgins scoring the game-winning TD after overcoming adversity during this season:
“Hig just needed to stay the course. I think he is getting back healthy. He has been healthy, but he is getting back to himself per se. He was there where we needed him. He came up big for us. It all comes down to being where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there and how you get there is supposed to be dictated by what they do. We need to be consistent in that, and Hig is getting more and more consistent in doing that. That helps the quarterback out, that helps the offensive line out, that helps the running back out and that helps the offense in general out when you do those kind of things. He is doing a good job. He has been getting better every week. Some of that came to fruition today.”
On what today’s performance says about the team’s resiliency, particularly related to scoring in the red zone on the final possession:
“I think that is the biggest thing to come out of this was we were not very good down there to begin with in the game. We had nine chances inside the 2 and did not get it in. Those guys, they never waived. They never blinked. They continued to fight. There was never a doubt in anybody’s feelings that we could not drive down the field and go score a touchdown. That is what those guys did. I was very impressed with their resiliency to continue just to play the next play. It did not matter. Bad things happen. Bad things are going to happen next week. We just have to keep playing the next play, just one play at a time and just continuing to getting better and better and better during the course of the game, and that is what happened.”
On QB Baker Mayfield on the game-winning drive, specifically when Mayfield took a hit on the long completion to WR Jarvis Landry:
“Baker is tough mentally and physically. His fortitude was tested a little bit from the standpoint of getting hit. I do not know if he got a hit a little lower. I do not really know what the problem was. I expect him to get up, and he does. He did a good job. Jarvis made an outstanding play on the ball. It was a good job of Baker getting it off because he knew what we had, and Jarvis did a great job adjusting to the ball.”
On if Landry said anything to the team after the taunting penalty in the first quarter:
“No, he did not say anything. I have total faith that Jarvis was going to come back from plays like that. He just let the moment get into him a little bit. I am not going to comment on that. It was called and we got backed up on the extra point. We still had a chance to make the kick, and our kicker did a good job. (K) Austin (Seibert) did a great job of coming back after that and making his field goals.”
On his reaction to the Browns ‘getting a dramatic win after not being able to afford another loss’:
“I just want us to keep getting better and the execution to get better. I do not look at it from the standpoint of me personally. I look at it from the standpoint from our team, and I am happy for those guys in there. They put in a lot of work. They were very resilient not only today but this week, and that is who I am happy for. I am happy for our guys to get the results that they have been putting into it. Just staying the course. Just staying the course. We can’t do anything about the past. We can’t do anything about the future. The only thing we can do is right now. We get to play in four days another game. That is it.”
On winning at home for the first time this season:
“It is definitely always good to win at home. We should win our home games. I do not even know what the record at home is… We are 1-3 now so we just want to stay in the moment each week. That is it, whether it is home or away, but of course, it is good for our fans to win at home. We have great fans.”
On if he had any doubts that the fumble returned by the Bills for a TD would be ruled an incomplete pass:
“Yeah, I did not even get upset. It was a lot of wasted energy. The ball, that is why you flip it. Our guys did not leave the field. They know.”
On the performance by the defense and making stops in critical moments:
“The last stop of course was huge to make the field goal be that far. I think it ended up being 53 yards. That was huge not to give up another play. They did a good job of getting a stop on the first drive of the second half. We had struggled a little bit in that area when they get the ball to start the second half of giving up a drive, and we did a good job. They drove it a little bit but we put the stop on it when they crossed the 50. I thought that was huge. The defense did a lot of good things today, and I know that they just want to keep building on that.”
On RB Nick Chubb’s performance and toughness today:
“Yeah, I think Nick is going to be like that. He is resilient in himself. The drive and desire that Nick has to be good and not to say a word about it and just keep working, I am so impressed with. I love the guy.”
On Hunt playing for the first time in nearly a year:
“Kareem has worked tremendously hard as a person and on the football field. I am just as proud of Kareem off the field as I am on it. He knows that. I am glad he is here with us. He is very unselfish. He and Nick get along great together, and he fits in well here.”
On what the win does for the team’s confidence and hope going forward:
“There is time left just because there are more games, but we need to worry about right now. We need to worry about the game we have in four days. As coaches, our attention is going to be turned to Pittsburgh here in a couple of hours. We have to get ready to play in four days, and that is the only thing we are focused on.”
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