HC Kevin Stefanski (12.14.20)
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski:
Opening statement:
“Injury front, (DE) Myles (Garrett) came out there with an elbow injury and was able to return. (T) Jedrick (Wills Jr.) and (G) Wyatt Teller both had ankle injuries, and they were kind of in and out there, as well. (S Andrew) Sendejo is being evaluated for a concussion. I know you saw that, too.
“Obviously, very disappointed. We came here to get a victory, and we did not. Very hard-fought game on both sides. I appreciate how the guys battled, but we just did not do enough to get a win. We made mistakes, really from myself to the coaches to the players to the offense, defense and special teams. We just were not clean enough to beat a good team, and that is disappointing. It is almost going to be midnight here and it is almost going to be Tuesday, and we have a game coming up on Sunday. We will own this, and we will move on and put all of our efforts into next week.”
On how QB Baker Mayfield battled back tonight after the interception:
“He did battle. On that interception, I will tip my cap to them. That was a good defensive call. It was a great play by [Ravens OLB Tyus Bowser] dropping on a Fire Zone. We got fooled there. I got fooled there. Again, you mentioned it, Baker kept battling and was leading the team, and we were moving the ball.”
On if he was most disappointed by the Browns’ tackling tonight:
“I would have to look at the tape to tell you specifics. Obviously, we did not get them on the ground there a few times. We will look at that, and we have to find a way to be better in a bunch of those situations.”
On Ravens QB Lamar Jackson’s performance tonight:
“He is a great player. Again, reigning MVP. We know he is great. We played him before, and he made a bunch of plays. Again, I give them credit.”
On the Ravens fourth-and-4 conversion after the two-minute warning:
“We blitzed. He made a play. Not exactly sure what happened on that play. We will look at it and get to the bottom of it, but he should not be able to escape the pocket like that. Disappointing. Those are the mistakes that we have to clean up.”
On the Ravens’ final series and Ravens K Justin Tucker’s game-winning kick into the Dawg Pound:
“We knew he is obviously a great player so we knew where his range was. We were trying to keep him out of that range, and they made a couple of nice plays there. We just have to do better.”
On if he allows himself to acknowledge that the team played well at times tonight and Jackson just made some incredible plays at key times:
“No doubt. This is a player’s league, and guys are going to make plays. We knew that going into it that you are not going to pitch a shutout versus Lamar Jackson. He is going to get his. Having said, that there are a bunch of plays I know we can do better. We have to really look at those and make sure that we correct those mistakes.”
On if he was torn deciding between the run and pass tonight:
“No, I would not say we were torn. We went into it with a package of plays that we liked, run and pass. We felt comfortable with what we were doing and felt like we had to score a bunch of points.”
On if the team’s performance tonight is a sign of growth from Week 1:
“I do not want to go down the moral victories [path]. We lost. We got beat. Proud of the guys and how they battled – I really am – but I just look at all the mistakes that we made, and we have to correct them. For us to reflect on Week 1 to Week 13, I do not think we are really in that mind frame.”
On Mayfield’s performance tonight, particularly in the fourth quarter and confidence it provides moving forward:
“I want to look at the tape on all of our players. Obviously, we will get a full evaluation. Baker was battling through that interception – again, that I am going to put on me – but he went right back at it. He was doing a nice job of making plays with his feet a bunch of times, extending plays and making plays late in the down. He did a nice job there.”
On Mayfield bouncing back with a strong performance after the interception on primetime TV:
“That is what I expect of him. He knows that. Playing this position, you are going to have a couple of plays like that that you want back, and you have to flush it very quickly because you are onto the next one.”
On the intentional grounding call and the explanation he received from the official:
“I talked to (referee) Bill (Vinovich) about it. He felt his arm was not hit. I disagreed, but that is how it goes.”
On Jackson coming back from the being in the locker room late in the fourth quarter to finish the game-winning drive:
“That was strange. I knew he was in the locker room. Did not know he was coming back. Unfortunately, their player (Ravens QB Trace McSorley) got an injury there and then [Jackson] was back in and made a play. He is a good player – I know that is not breaking news. We just have to put the focus on us and what we can do better.”
On if K Cody Parkey is healthy and if the wind was a factor on the two missed kicks:
“I do not think wind was a factor. Cody is healthy. I think he is fine. He missed a couple, and he has not done that all year so I do not expect that to carry over. He knows he has to make them.”
On if the Browns went for the two-point conversion due to Parkey’s previous missed kicks:
“We take a lot of things into account, honestly, in those moments. We just felt like we had a play that we liked. There will be times that we kick them and times that we go for two. It just depends on the moment.”
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