WR Elijah Moore (12.8.23)
How are those Joe Flacco roll outs looking?
“They look good. Yeah, I think. I think we’re going to see him run a little bit. We need that.”
You know him as well as anyone here, what has he brought to this team since signing three weeks ago?
“Feel like he’s brought a confidence and a swag. We have a little bit of controversy with people getting hurt. So, I think that it brings confidence to know that we have someone in there that has been through it. So, I think that it’s nothing but positive for us.”
You mentioned it seems like every week you’re having do deal with who’s the starting quarterback because of injury. I realize that’s something that you can’t control, but is there a price being paid because of that as well as far as your ability to effectively prepare as well as you want to? Because it seems like every week of going into the game, not sure who’s available.
“I don’t think that we focus on that. Of course, that’s not what we want. But football brings that. As you guys can see in our division right now, a lot of people are hurt. You can’t set your mind on that every week saying like, that’s something that we got to bank on. This person is playing this person now. It’s this next man up.”
Going into this game, Kevin (Stefanski) told us it’s a game time decision between Joe (Flacco) and Dorian (Thompson-Robinson). What’s your mindset approach to that?
“Whoever’s in, I just make sure that the receiver group and myself are ready for whatever and that’s how we approach every single week.”
Who do you expect to start?
“I’m going to find out when you find out.”
What if he decided to use both quarterbacks, play where he could contribute in some way? Give Dorian (Thompson-Robinson) those active plays where he can contribute in some way. How might that impact you guys having a pivot to two different guys?
“Like I said, we won’t focus on that. Whatever helps the game plan to get this job done.”
The Jaguars are juggling injuries at corner too. How do you approach that? I guess when you know that they might be down a guy.
“Yeah, it only helps us. As a receiver group, we do study those guys a lot, so we want to know who’s going to be out there. But either way, if we focus on ourselves, I think we’ll put ourselves in the best position anyway.”
When Amari (Cooper) went down, you had to slide into that role. But he said, you guys practice that so much that everybody knows what they’re doing when they got to adapt. But how hard is that? When you have to go maybe inside or start running routes that you don’t run as much?
“I mean, you just got to be conscious of what the details of that route or that specific concept entails. You have to be adaptable. When you play receiver, you have to know when to slow down and when to speed up and what to see and when not to see. So being inside and outside is a little bit different. When you’re outside, you do speed up most of your routes, and when you’re inside, you do have to be a little more patient. But we all watch each other every single day and we get tips. So, at this point, we should know exactly what we’re doing.”
Without giving anything, any intel away. Are the routes the same regardless of the quarterback? Do you run the same route or same style route for Joe (Flacco) as you would DTR (Dorian Thompson-Robinson) or Deshaun (Watson) or whatever?
“I feel like every week that’s probably the main part. It is a little different. Joe’s 6’6”. Dorian’s what, 6’0. It is different maybe in their steps on what they prefer and what the coaches want as well. So, it’s like more a game time decision.”
So in building off of that, as you’re practicing and prepping throughout the week, it probably doesn’t change for you and the way you do your job much. But when you actually get in the game are those adjustments, stuff like you got to make on the fly.
You just have to know as it’s happening?
“Yeah, definitely on the fly.”
I know you expected him to play, Joe (Flacco) physically the way he did last week. How impressed were you mentally? Sharp little things that maybe would take for granted for a guy that’s been out, hasn’t played in a while?
“Yeah, man, I had to text him after the game. I know we didn’t win, so everyone kind of was like, down and we had our time and we’ve got to throw that away, too, as well, and move on. But for someone who was in no position, in a position now, to be running a team at that position, you already know how mental, how much focus you got to put into it, how much detail you got to go over to get that done. So major respect to Joe, l always say.”
How did Amari (Cooper) look today, and what kind of look would it be if he’s able to come back just a week after going out?
“He looked good today. For him, I think it’s the same thing. It just depends on how he feels. He’s a pro. He’s always going to get it done.”
You guys, not so much you, but there’s been a lot of drop passes back, and Browns are the second most in the league. So, you guys do anything more this week to work on that?
“Yeah, we just caught the ball more.”
It’s as simple as that? You guys are doing that all through the season I imagine.
“I don’t know how to answer that.”
You starting your career as a guy who was on a catching streak at the end of your rookie season with touchdown catches and you really had a nose for the end zone and catching those and then you went out with a quad injury. Do you feel like that? There’s so much in you and that you haven’t been able to catch touchdown passes because the opportunities this year but are you hoping those come and you can contribute?
“Of course. That’s how I post every single week. At the end of the day, it is based off opportunity.”
As you work on those boundary catches. I know that’s a tough play, especially when you’re dealing with tight coverage in that. But what makes for like you, what are you able to do that allows you to find a way to beat a corner on the boundaries and stay in bounds or get the body parts you need inbounds?
“I think it’s something that throughout my career I probably need to pay more attention to, so I just kind of focus on it more whenever I get a chance to play drag. Whatever you got to do to stay in bounds. It’s tight windows, man, they’re good, too, but most of the time we’re looking to kill somebody. So, you’re hoping to be wide open but now, yeah, game of interest for sure.”
Did you laugh after the official mentioned you got the butt cheek in?
“Yeah. I didn’t realize until after the game, I didn’t hear what he said. Yeah, it was funny.”
Seems like Joe’s (Flacco) energy is kind of infectious. Does he kind of have that presence. Just seems like everything’s a little lighter, a little more kind of loose. Is that what he brings to the table
“He definitely has that swag to him. He brings that confidence as an MVP player, man. He’s been in the league a while and you got nothing but confidence when he’s in.”
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