WR Odell Beckham Jr., WR Jarvis Landry, G Joel Bitonio, RB Kareem Hunt, WR Rashard Higgins, DT Larry Ogunjobi and DT Sheldon Richardson

BROWNS PLAYERS

 

WR Odell Beckham Jr.

On the first home win:

“It was amazing.  It was electric. It’s everything they’ve been waiting on.  For this team to not quit, not fold and do that, to get a tough win against a good team, we played a very, very good team.  We did everything we needed to get the win today.”

 

On if the team has hit a turning point:

“Definitely.  I see a lot of good things that we have, introducing (RB) Kareem (Hunt), having different looks for teams, it made it tough to find out exactly what we’re going to do.  I know there were a lot of plays out there from every which way that we can go and look at the film, and this is just a starting point.  Now we can see how to correct those things or what it is that we needed to do.  It’s just an amazing feeling.  We needed that win bad and we needed that lifted off our back.  It sucks to say – we can enjoy right now but it’s just one win.  We play Thursday, and the next thing we know we’ll be lining up against Pittsburgh.  We have to get ready for them at some point.”

 

On the message from Kitchens:

“The same thing he’s been saying all week.  We’re going to win this game and we are going to find a way to win this game.  We’re going to see who’s with us.  We are really going to have to dig deep within ourselves and be 1-0.  All it takes is for us to be 1-0 this week and that’s what happened.”

 

On recapping the game:

“There is so much we can look forward to on the film.  For (QB) Baker (Mayfield) and I just to see, what can I clean up.  What can I do to get better?  To have those opportunities now to know exactly what it’s like and be able to hit them for the rest of the season.”

 

On the struggles in the red zone:

“Just have to come away with the touchdowns. It’s really all you can do is come away with touchdowns.  We didn’t.  We got a couple of pass interferences down there and then they stuffed the run.  Just clean it up.  All we can do right now is be happy with the win and in a blink of an eye we’ll be playing again.”

 

G Joel Bitonio:

On being animated on the sideline after not getting in the end zone:

“I was just angry we didn’t score. You get eight chances from about the 1-yard line to punch that in for a touchdown. It was just the emotions of playing the game. That was tough. Cooler heads prevailed, but I was just angry at the offense for not getting us some points there.”

 

On being frustrated and wanting someone to run behind you to get in:

“It’s hard because they were running a 6-2 defense so there was a guy in every gap. Even if you want to run behind someone, you are running behind someone else, as well. It was tough. I thought the play calling was fine. We just have to execute.”

 

On feeling like the season was hanging in the balance coming into today:

“You don’t think about it in those big terms, but if you get to seven losses, that is usually not very good this early in the year. We fought out of it and there was good energy. Our receivers, our quarterback and our running backs played with such high energy so we had a chance. It wasn’t pretty all the time, but we had a chance to go down there.”

 

WR Rashard Higgins:

On his emotions following the go-ahead touchdown:

“It felt amazing.  I told (WR) Odell (Beckham Jr.) the whole day that I had a dream that I scored.  I didn’t say I scored like that on the game-winner, but I told him I scored.  It felt great.”

 

On the failures in the red zone:

“Going into the red zone, we have to have those.  We have to put up points on the board, even if that’s three.  I feel (Head Coach) Freddie (Kitchens) for what he did. We were trying to get a touchdown. They stopped us, but we did a good job of battling back and getting the win.”

 

On the win:

“It feels great.  We kept telling each other all week that we have to get to 1-0.  We have to do it fast.  What a great way to come out and beat Buffalo at home and get the 1-0.  We have to keep winning and get on a roll fast.”

 

On the perseverance of this team in the win:

“We never gave up.  That’s in our character.  Just keep battling, and although, things might not go our way, its has to turn.”

 

RB Kareem Hunt

On the win:

“I feel like everyone just came together and played like a team at the end.  We fought hard for that win.  That is the way we need to come out and play every time.  There are still little things we can fix, but we’ll go back to the board and fix that.”

 

On his mindset playing for the first time in nearly a year:

“My mindset was that anytime I get the opportunity to play, I’m going to do it.  Anytime I can help out the team whatever it is – blocking, catching passes, running – anytime I can do something to help benefit this team, I’m going to do it.”

 

On his emotions today:

“Honestly, there’s not enough words to describe how I felt.  It was so emotional. Sometimes I was thankful, sad, a couple of times I thought I was going to shed a few [tears].  It felt so good to be back out there.  This is what I love to do.  I couldn’t be happier to be home, too.  It felt good. My first real game playing for the Cleveland Browns we got a W so I’m happy.”

 

WR Jarvis Landry:

On the catch to bring the ball to the 7-yard line:

“It is just something that we’ve worked on, and No. 6 (QB Baker Mayfield) gave me a shot and a chance to make a play. He believed in me to make a play, and I was just doing my best to make sure I made it.”

 

On being frustrated early in the game after not being able to get the ball in after scoring the first touchdown:

“Of course. I still feel like we were running our best plays that we had for the situation. Obviously, we wanted to get points, but the one drive, we didn’t get points. The defense came out there and did a hell of a job and we were able to get the ball back and have another opportunity to score. We played a little bit of complementary football tonight.”

 

On how it felt to have RB Kareem Hunt and RB Nick Chubb in the backfield:

“Great. It feels great. I think we saw how dynamic our offense was when we get those guys the ball. Obviously, with Nick’s touches and Kareem’s effort was amazing. All of his efforts – second, third, fourth efforts were amazing.”

 

On WR Rashard Higgins’ dream that he would score a touchdown:

“Listen, he came in here earlier today and said ‘I had a dream that I scored’. I was like ‘Man, what are you talking about’, and he said ‘I’m telling you I had a dream that I scored’. I’m like alright whatever. I just talked to him. I’m still in awe. He’s a guy that [is a] true testament. He’s been hurt a couple weeks. He’s been battling and getting on the field and makes a hell of a play right there – a game-winning touchdown. What a story.”

 

On the mindset coming into the game and translating it into performance:

“I think it just came with the urgency and the mindset. For me, I really just wanted to come in and do my part and make sure that every ball that was thrown my way, I caught. Everything that I could do to help the team. I kind of flipped my mindset and I found energy from somewhere. I know that a lot of people feed off of that.”

 

On what the mindset was flipped from:

“Not from previous weeks. I just say the outlook of things. Not really pressing. Not really trying to make the play and just letting the play come to me. When they do come to me, just taking advantage of it. I flipped my mindset in that way.”

 

On what needs to be done to be better in the red zone:

“We just have to execute. Obviously, we try to do what we feel is best that week that gives us the best opportunity to score. This week, it was more trying to run the ball in there, trying to figure out a way to get Kareem in the end zone, get Chubb in the end zone.”

 

On the penalty after the first touchdown:

“They threw a flag and said I was taunting or something like that.”

 

On whether there is something to do better to not get the penalty:

“I would do the exact same thing. The exact same thing.”

 

DT Larry Ogunjobi:

On this same feeling like a gut check:

“Yeah, we had to dig deep and find a way to get back on the field. The offense scored and then it gave us a chance to stop them. We got the W and that’s the biggest thing.”

 

On the defense being at its best when Buffalo was in field goal range:

“Just the guys stepping up and making plays. We fed off each other and were making plays on the ball. We found a way to get it done, and that’s the biggest thing.”

 

On the depth of the D line:

“We have a next man up mentality. It doesn’t drop off.”

 

On any explanation for the roughing the passer penalty:

“No, it is what it is. That’s the league right now. I think we have the most penalties in the league, so I’m not tripping about it. I wasn’t trying to hit him. I let up and I put my hands up, too. I feel like it was a bad call. You just appeal it and keep it kicking. I wasn’t trying to hurt anybody so it’s cool.”

 

DT Sheldon Richardson
On the feeling when Buffalo missed the field goal:

“We won, got the W and did enough to win.  We just need Ws at this point.  We have to keep it going and improve.”

 

On if the defense needed motivation on that last drive:

“No rah-rah speeches.  Everybody knew what they had to do.  We all banded together though.  You look in the huddle and see everybody’s eyes. Everybody was focused.”

 

On the crowd:

“It was great.  It was electrifying out there.  Every big play made, you heard the crowd roar.  We’re happy to get them the W as well.

 

# # #