Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (11.27.22)
Opening statement:
“Obviously, a great team win. At moments there, the offense came through, the defense came through and special teams came through so that is just a great reflection of the effort the guys put forth. We knew this was going to be a battle. We knew this team doesn’t give up a lot of points. We knew the challenge that they presented so not surprised it was a close game. I really liked how our locker room responded at a bunch of moments in that game because it is hard. Sixty minutes versus a good football team is hard so we played extra. It was a great team win. I am proud of those guys.”
On WR Amari Cooper dropping a pass on fourth down and responding with key catches later in the game:
“As you can imagine, Amari doesn’t drop footballs. He doesn’t drop them in practice. That is uncharacteristic, but he came through like he does. He is a big time football player. He has made big plays in every stage of his life so not surprised to see him do it in overtime.”
On if the Browns considered attempting a two-point conversion after TE David Njoku’s TD:
“I did. I just didn’t love our two-point play, I will be honest, and I designed it so blame me. Just felt like with those body blows going back and forth kind of liked where we were on defense and felt like it was the right thing to take it to overtime.”
On Njoku’s TD catch:
“Unbelievable. Tried a screen to Dave on the play before and thought we might be able to spring one, and it was close. When you are calling those plays – I have said this before – you are thinking about players and not plays. I am calling the play, I am seeing the coverage and I am thinking Dave the whole time, and (QB) Jacoby (Brissett) is thinking the same. Gave a great ball to where that ball has to be, and Dave goes up and does what Dave does.”
On how happy he is for Brissett to win in what might the final start at QB this season:
“I just gave him a game ball. I am really happy for Jacoby. He is a great leader. He is a great teammate. That is why he got a game ball. We are going to need him to continue to be a great teammate and a great leader. That is his role on this football team. He battled like crazy. Again, that is a really good defense. It was a great effort by him.”
On the Browns defense’s performance after struggling the last couple of weeks:
“Yeah, [performed] in big moments. We lose (CB) A.J. Green early. (CB) Thomas Graham (Jr.) is playing a ton. They are going after (CB) MJ (Martin) Emerson (Jr.), the rookie corner, and they are taking shots on him. Those guys battled to get (Buccaneers QB Tom) Brady on the ground a few times, which we know is so difficult. Very proud of the effort of that group. They were relentless. It was fun to watch.”
On DE Myles Garrett’s effort to record two significant sacks, especially since Garrett appeared to be hurting late in the game:
“Yeah, he was a little in pain. Obviously, he plays through injuries all of the time. He is getting a ton of attention with chips and those type of things, but he kept battling.”
On Garrett affecting the end of the game with key plays:
“Again, he affects the game. He affects the passer even when he doesn’t get him on the ground. He is around the quarterback, maybe gets the quarterback off his first read and those type of things. To apply the pressure that he did versus a quarterback doesn’t [take a lot of pressure] and that gets the ball out of his hand I think was really impressive.”
On RB Nick Chubb continuing to push into the end zone despite an offside penalty on the game winning TD:
“He had one thing in his mind. Our whole team quite honestly had one thing in mind in that entire game, but in that moment in that fourth quarter in that overtime, the guys believed. I really do think that is half the battle at times is just believing. I think we had a locker room that believed we were going to pull that out. Then you get down there on an unbelievable play from No. 7 to No. 2 and then you finish it with No. 24.”
On the source of the team’s belief in itself late in the game despite its current record and not scoring since the first quarter:
“There is a lot of adversity in the game of football, and there is opportunity there, too. The guys understand that we have an opportunity in front of us, and they believe in each other. They believe in the guys in that locker room. They believe in the work that they put in. Again, that is part of what makes that locker room great.”
On Emerson’s performance today:
“I think I told you guys this before, I just really, really love that kid’s mentality. Rookie corners, they know the offensive coordinator over there gets off of the bus thinking about going after a rookie corner so the ball is coming, and they may make a play here or there, but he is not afraid of it. It is fun to watch.”
On if Brissett surprised the team with the performance during the first 11 games of the season:
“Not really, and that is the honest answer. We liked a lot of things about Jacoby the player. You watch the tape and you kind of try and picture him in our scheme and some of the success he has had and some of the situations he was in, and just felt like he was the right man for the job. Again, I go back to as impressed as I am of what he has been able to do on the field, it is the work that he has done off the field that has been the most important thing to our team.”
On QB Deshaun Watson returning from suspension after today’s win:
“We do put those blinders on. It was all about this week and finding a way to get a win versus a very good football team any which way, extra football or whatever it is, so we got that done. The focus will go next to Houston, and we will put the blinders on because we can just worry about one week at a time so that is what we will do.”
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