HC Freddie Kitchens (12.15.19)
Browns Head Coach Freddie Kitchens
Opening statement:
“Not the result we wanted. I thought our guys kept fighting hard until the very end. We’ll get back to Cleveland and put our head back down, keep working and come out next week and give it our best shot against Baltimore. Have to get to 1-0 this week. That’s the only thing we’re worried about. Can’t do anything about this one. We can only help ourselves moving forward and get better moving forward.”
On why he thinks they did not have their best shot today:
“I thought we were ready to play. I didn’t do a good enough job getting them ready to play. I’ve got to do better during the course of the week of making sure they’re ready to play when we get to gameday. It felt like we were off balance defensively all day. They threw it; they ran it. There were a couple third downs I made some bad calls on offense, and it put us behind the eight ball when we fell down two scores, so we have to make the field goal. It was a group effort today. We didn’t convert some crucial third downs, which I think we were nine out of 14, but we didn’t convert some crucial ones that we needed to extend drives. And we didn’t get off the field. They didn’t have any third downs. They averaged almost eight yards a play, so we have to do a much better job in that area as well. Offensively, defensively, special teams, they made plays and we didn’t.”
On if he is disappointed the team was not ready to play given the team’s playoff hopes depended on a win:
“Our guys have done a good job of keeping their heads down and continuing to work. I think there’s a difference between mentally and physically being ready to play than just getting to the game and making the plays when they’re there to be made. We didn’t make any plays to get them off the field defensively, and like I said, there were two third down drives that I’ve got to do a better job putting our guys in a better situation.”
On if he thinks the team was not ready mentally or physically:
“No, I just think that’s the only thing you can say. Whenever you show up, you’re supposed to perform at a higher level, so I’m assuming I’ve got to go back and revisit what I did during the course of the week to see if I can get them to the game better on Sunday.”
On what factors led him to defer on the coin toss:
“Just trying to get a double score at the end of the half, to be absolutely honest with you. Trying to score before the half and then get the ball to start the second half.”
On what he saw on the replay of S Damarious Randall’s play in the endzone that was called pass interference after official review:
“I’ll look into that. I voiced my opinion out there. I’m not going to talk about it in here though.”
On his exchange with WR Jarvis Landry on the sideline:
“Listen, I love Jarvis Landry. Jarvis is my kind of player as far as (being) fiery, and things happen; and it’s not a big deal. I’m pretty sure it’s not a big deal if you ask him. It’s an emotional game. I love Jarvis.”
On if the third down before K Austin Seibert’s missed field goal is one he wanted back:
“If we didn’t get it. I’d like to have it back if we didn’t pick it up.”
On what he thinks the loss means for his future as the Browns’ coach:
“I don’t care about my future as Browns coach. I’m going to show up Monday, and I’m going to do the best job I can do Monday. And that’s tomorrow. That’s the only thing I can control.”
On if he has received assurance from ownership and General Manager John Dorsey that they support him:
“I’m pretty sure that ownership and John Dorsey would like for me to do my job and keep my head down and keep working. That’s what I’m going to do. I’m not worried about anything else other than that.”
On the national report that ownership and management are in his corner:
“Again, I’m going to work tomorrow to try to get the Browns better. That’s the only thing.”
On WR Larry Fitzgerald and what he has meant to the Cardinals franchise:
“Larry (Fitzgerald) is a tremendous person and an exceptional player, and I feel very fortunate that I was with him for 11 years. I saw him work every day. I saw him grind every day. I saw him get himself ready to play during training camp and show up every Sunday and play. I don’t know the last time he’s missed a game. Just impeccable in everything he does.”
On making a concerted effort to get WR Odell Beckham Jr. the ball:
“I don’t know, we call plays that we think are going to work, and where the ball goes is in his (Baker Mayfield) read. We had a couple opportunities there, and we just keep doing the same thing. I thought we moved the ball fairly well today. We were nine out of 14 on third downs. Nick (Chubb) ran the ball well. Odell (Beckham) made some plays. Jarvis (Landry) made some plays. We just didn’t do enough.”
On what he thinks went wrong defensively:
“Anytime you average almost eight yards a play, there has to be some missed tackles somewhere along the way, and I think we had a lot of missed tackles. I think we had them in the backfield a couple times and didn’t come away with a missed tackle, and it actually ended up being a positive run for them. So, we have to take those opportunities and correct them and get better at them.”
On if the Cardinals offensive style created strategic problems for the Browns:
“No, I don’t think so. I thought we had some people in position to make plays, but we’ll see what we can do differently as coaches. I think in several instances, we had guys there to make the play, we just have to make them. I have to do a better job during the course of the week to get them to the point where they can make that play.”
On what was most challenging about stopping QB Kyler Murray:
“He’s the player we thought he was. He’s a good player. He’s the No. 1 overall pick. He can throw the ball well, he’s pretty accurate, and then if it breaks down, he can run with the ball, so they didn’t surprise us with anything.”
On QB Baker Mayfield’s performance and what happened on his interception:
“I thought Baker was hooked up. He just threw the ball a little high right there that one time. I thought he was pretty accurate for the rest of the day. I thought he was pretty good.”
On the decision to scratch TE David Njoku:
“I put the people out there I think are going to give us the best chance to win, and that’s a week-to-week decision.”
On if they went for Seibert’s missed field goal because it was just a two-score game at that point:
“Yeah. It’s a 45-yard field goal. I expect Austin (Seibert) to make it. He expects to make it. Everybody expects him to make that.”
On if he saw anything out of RB Kenyan Drake that surprised him:
“He’s a very good player.”
On if he has any updates on T Kendall Lamm’s injury:
“I do not yet.”
###