Select Browns Players (11.3.24)
OL JOEL BITONIO
How much is this upcoming Bye Week needed?
“It would have been great if we could have gotten a win going into it, but it’s needed. You play nine straight games, plus training camp, at least me, I’m a little beat up. It comes at a good time for me. Hopefully guys mentally refresh and try to lock in. You never know what is going to happen in this league. Obviously, we’re in a bad spot right now, but if we can win a couple and see what happens down the stretch.”
Realizing when you come back, you’re still in this spot – knowing you don’t have many more chances and that you have to turn this around now…
“It’s a week to week league. This was one of those games that we thought we needed and we didn’t perform. We just have to find a way to come out not as flat.”
CB MJ EMERSON
Is that the process of dealing with so many injuries in that secondary, on those couple long plays?
“I don’t really like to find excuses. We practice things, we go over these things. We just have to be better overall. Just more verbal communication”
You guys seemed to put together a pretty solid game on defense overall. Besides those two lapses, this could’ve been a completely different game. How frustrating is that?
“It is tough. We can barely be beat when we do our job and execute. Just can’t beat ourselves and on those plays we did beat ourselves”
There have been a lot of positive conversations leading up to this point despite the record, how do you keep that going with another loss?
“Keep fighting. Keep coming in. Keep focus on the details, and just find a way to win. Find a way to do our job, each play individually, and help each other on offense, defense, and special teams. Play complimentary football, and go on a streak. That’s what we have to do. There’s no other way.”
How do you think you guys can keep the focus, you are 2-7, how do you not just give up essentially?
“Block out the outside noise and play for each other. Play with heart, play for the organization, play for the ones that believe in you. That’s all we can do.”
DT SHELBY HARRIS
Does this team need the Bye Week?
“Everyone needs the Bye Week. At the end of the day, we just have nine straight games. This a good time for the Bye Week. Go refresh and come back to work. We’re not playing up to our standard. I know we keep saying that week in and week out, but the reality of the National Football League is you do your job, or they’ll find someone else to come do it for you. We’re just not doing our job.”
Is it frustrating when you come off a game like you did against Baltimore?
“Yeah. You see the two spectrums of it. You see what we can do, and you see when we make mistakes, that’s also what happens. In the National Football League, you get punished for those mistakes. No matter what it is, that is your resume. That is who you are. We can sit here and say, ‘oh, we beat the Ravens’ and all that, but we have to be better. They beat us and we beat ourselves at the same time. It’s frustrating but at the end of the day, as a pro, we come back to work on Monday. There is no quit, there is no type of give up – we just go, we go and we go. That’s it.”
WR JERRY JEUDY
Did you think the rhythm and timing with the quarterback was right today? It seemed like there was some miscommunication?
“There were some. We weren’t perfect today but we have to work towards that and get better at that.”
What is the mindset going into the Bye Week?
“Relax the body but still focus on who we have the following week. Stay prepared and just make sure I take care of my body. Go back home and just see what I need to improve on.”
The interception that was intended for you in the corner, what did you see on that play?
“It was a good read by (QB) Jameis (Winston), it was a good play by the corner. He did a good job of recognizing the play, tipped the pass and gave his DB a chance to make a play on it.”
Do you think about the trade deadline when it’s approaching, or just try to keep it out of mind?
“Whatever happens, you can’t control any of that. You control what you can control, and that is preparing yourself throughout the week.”
Why has it been so difficult for you guys to establish any consistent offensive momentum?
The biggest thing is self-inflicted wounds. We’ve had a lot of penalties on crucial moments in games that we can’t have. I think that’s the biggest thing, having penalties in crucial moments.”
T DAWAND JONES
How much trouble did the Chargers defense present today?
“They have some good rushers – Joey Bosa, Kahlil Mack, Bud Dupree, they are pretty solid, but I held my own.”
Do you feel like after your first start at Left Tackle last week, this week was a little easier?
Yes, this man right here (LT Jedrick Wills) helps me out. I just watch his sets, I watch other good left tackle sets and that translates over to the game.”
After that big win, and how you guys played last week, how disappointing was this for you?
“It sucks, but it’s a part of the game. We all know you’re never going to win every one, but we need to clean some things up on both sides of the ball and get better all around.”
WR CEDRIC TILLMAN
Talk about the upcoming Bye Week and what it can do for a team:
“Those nippy injuries, get those 100 percent healed so we can rally on the second half of the season.”
Did the Chargers do anything to you defensively you weren’t expecting?
“They did some stuff that I figured was going to come eventually. They were playing inside of me alot, hard.”
Did you expect to get more targets coming into today’s game?
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it, I’ve been catching a lot of slants and breakers, so it’s simple.”
At 2-7, how do you keep the collective focus?
“Just don’t pay attention to the record and don’t pay attention to the outside noise – good or bad. Put our heads down and try to get some wins.”
CB Denzel Ward
Do you worry about wasting a year of your prime?
“I don’t consider it wasting a year of my prime, I try to be the best I can for this team, and this city, and whatever happens happens”
Just to be clear, you were diagnosed with a concussion last game?
“I was in the protocol. But I feel great, I’m out of the protocol.”
Do you feel like it’s a wasted performance from the pass rusher?
‘Yeah, because the main goal is to get the win. Definitely he (DE Myles Garrett) had a great individual performance. But it’s definitely a sour feeling when you aren’t able to pull the win out at the end.”
There’s been a lot of stuff with the trade deadline coming up on Tuesday centered around your teammate Za’Darius Smith. Can you just speak to what he means to you guys as a teammate here?
“Za’Darius is an amazing teammate. A captain on this team, a leader on this team, and a playmaker out there on the field. Love having Za’Darius out there on the field. One of my favorite additions to the team when he came on. He’s a great player, and a great guy in the locker room. Definitely appreciate Za’Darius. The player he is and the guy he is.”