HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2023
What are the analytics and logic behind the decision to go for two when the score is 31-27? “Well the
analytics is basically that it puts you down two and in field goal range to get the onside kick, and a field
goal wins the game.”
Did you just want to avoid any possibility of overtime at that point?
“Yeah. Tried to be aggressive there and just the way the game was going, it felt like we needed to
obviously make something happen. That was a good time. We had them on their heels at that time and
it was a good decision.”
How much does the attrition that you sustained figure into a decision to avoid the possibility of
overtime?
“Well, I think sometimes that is the easiest thing to think about when you’re down there and your team
just scored. We have a little momentum right there and for me, it was kind of an easy decision to go for it
at that time. Because then if you have a chance to get the ball back, you know exactly what you have to
do. So either way, it worked to your advantage.”
Was there a consideration when you were down by seven and had all three of your timeouts to maybe
punt?
“I think if it was fourth and 10, yes. But fourth and three is a better chance for someone to get a first
down and another one that we decided to go for and got it.”
What was your overall feeling about the flow of the game?
“Yeah, I think offensively we were a little disconnected. (Jaguars QB) Trevor (Lawrence) and the receivers
were a little off. We had opportunities to make plays in the first half and didn’t. Obviously, the turnovers
are big and you can’t do that. We had a little success early running the football with some of the things
we did to keep them off balance, but just overall just not enough plays made. Too many self-inflicted
wounds that kept us from sustaining drives or staying on the field.”
Did you feel like Trevor and Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley weren’t on the same page?
“A couple times. And again, without a week of practice together, that affects them a little bit. Obviously,
that’s not an excuse and they would say the same thing. They’ve played a lot of football together and all
that. We just have to evaluate the tape and figure out a way to get back on track.”
Was not having Jaguars WR Christian Kirk for the first time compounded by the fact that Trevor wasn’t
able to practice much all week?
“No, I mean I don’t think so. (Jaguars WR) Parker (Washington), other than the fumble early in the third
quarter there, did some good things. Obviously, the touchdown catch was big, but he’ll continue to
improve, and he and Trevor will continue to work and be on the same page and just give him some more
opportunities.”
Do you feel like it’s going to take the offense a little bit of time to get into a flow without Christian?
“Obviously, we miss Christian. He was a big part of the offense. But where we are in the season, this late,
it’s the next man up mentality, so we’ve got to continue as coaches to prepare our players and get those
guys ready to go regardless of who’s in there. So a lot of confidence and we’ll move forward.”
What do you make of the coaching job Browns HC Kevin Stefanski has done?
“He’s doing a heck of a job.”
On the three interceptions, how many of those were over-aggressive, were miscommunications, what
did you see on those?
“I think the first deep ball was just an overthrow. The one in the red zone, [Trevor] and Calvin need to be
on the same page and they weren’t right there. Then the one in the fourth quarter was a play that you
hope you put it up to one of your better receivers and you hope you come down with it or at least an
incomplete pass. So a little bit of everything there. But plays that we’ve made before and looking
forward, we have to make those.”
With those Browns TE David Njoku touchdowns early on, for the defense, was that just
miscommunication?
“Getting pressured on the first one and they got us. So credit Cleveland there. They did a good job there.
Then the next one, we just misfit a gap and he was open across the middle. The second one really is in
our control, so we have to look at the film there and make that correction. Just check out the
communication at the time and see what was going on.”
Was there any surprise with how Browns QB Joe Flacco performed considering his short time on the
roster, his age, or anything?
“No. Listen, he is a veteran guy. He has played a ton of football. He’s got some really good players to
throw the ball to. He did a nice job today. Their offense did a nice job kind of keeping our guys off
balance a little bit. There’s no surprise that he’s still playing as well as he is this late in his career.”
Why do you say that it’s no surprise that he’s still playing so well?
“He’s a veteran guy. He’s played a ton of football. He’s smart and he is just one of those guys that takes
what the defense gives you. He was accurate today. He threw it away when he needed to throw it away.
He managed the game. He played well. When the opportunities were there, he made the most of them.
He got out of some sacks. He can escape the pocket.”
What can you say about the production you got out of Jaguars LG Ezra Cleveland and Jaguars RG Blake
Hance before the injuries?
“I thought it went well. There was some pressure there. They gave up four sacks I think today, but a lot of
it came at the end of the game when you’re in those passing modes, but today I thought both guys did a
nice job. Obviously we helped them as much as we could with tight ends and backs, but I thought both
guys held up good.”
How about Jaguars FS Andre Cisco and Ezra Cleveland?
“Both of them – we’ll have to see. I have to talk to [inaudible] obviously. We’ll do more evaluation when
we get home tonight.”
QUARTERBACK TREVOR LAWRENCE
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2023
What do you think the issues were on the offense today?
“A lot of things. It was not one of our cleaner games. Too many mistakes, penalties, missed
opportunities, missed throws, drops. Just not playing sound football. I think we were just so inconsistent
it was hard to get in a rhythm. Feels like all the close plays that we didn’t make that you need to get
some momentum back in games, seemed like all those we weren’t able to make today. We have to
watch tape and really learn from it, because there are a lot on there that we have to clean up and get
better from. Walking off the field, I felt like we missed so many opportunities and left a lot out there.
Really just shot ourselves in the foot, over and over. We gave them short fields a bunch. Our defense got
some big turnovers to keep us in the game. We took advantage of one or two of them, but the other
ones, I know on one drive we turned it over and gave it right back to them. Then coming out of halftime
into the third quarter, we turned it over on the first possession, inside our own I think 20 or 25,
something like that. You can’t play that way and win typically. It’s going to be hard. At the end, we still
had a shot and gave ourselves an opportunity, but it was too little too late at that point.”
Did you do everything that you thought you were able to do?
“I felt pretty good, all things considered. That was a positive out of today. I guess that’s the only one. I
didn’t reinjure my ankle, or tweak or anything. I felt pretty good. It held up. I was able to move when
needed. It was good.”
What happened with the interception throw to WR Calvin Ridley in the red zone?
“Too many miscommunications. We’ve been playing together for a while now. That’s on us, so we have
to take some accountability for cleaning that up. That’s’ just stuff that can’t happen for both of us. We
have to be on the same page, and it seems like all those plays that we weren’t, some weeks you are able
to get away with it and it doesn’t bite you, but this week they all did. Turned into turnovers or sacks or
bad plays or whatever. We all have to take accountability, look in the mirror. There’s stuff that I didn’t do
well today, and just in general we have to communicate better, we have to be on the same page, we have
to play together, and just do the little things. I think we are overlooking some of the details, and I think
that’s where some of the stuff has gone wrong.”
Does not having WR Christian Kirk have an impact?
“Definitely. There’s no excuses. Nobody cares. That’s the thing about this league. No one really cares
who you are missing. There are a lot of teams who are missing players at this point in the season, but
100 percent miss Christian. He’s one of our best players. Makes a huge impact on this offense and this
team. Of course you miss him, but Christian is on IR, we have to find a way to still win games without
him. That’s not going to change in the next few weeks. We have to find a way and I have all the
confidence that we will, but this week we have to go to work. We have to get better. We have to
communicate. We have to get on the same page. Too many mistakes.”
How much do you have to get the running game going?
“We have to. Especially when you play a team like Cleveland. That defense that we played, you have to
be able to run the ball. We have to do a better job. We have to find ways to do that. Whatever that is, we
have to watch the tape. I don’t want to speak on it too early. We have to be able to stay consistent with
that. That’s something we talked about, when we are playing well. A couple of weeks ago when we were
playing well as an offense that was something that we were doing well. We have to get back to that and
just find ways to be efficient and stay on track. We weren’t very good on first and second down today.
That gets you behind the sticks. That team has a great pass rush, really good defense, good DBs, they
disguise well, they do a bunch of things. They brought some pressure that was really good. We kind of
got ourselves in bad situations and made it harder for ourselves.”
What was so special with the connection to TE Evan Engram who had a career-high two touchdowns?
“Evan is a great player. I feel like he can do that every week. Some weeks it doesn’t happen that way. The
ball kind of finds itself in other places, but we all know the kind of player Evan is. He can do that every
week. So we have to continue to get him involved, especially since we are a little banged up everywhere
right now, so we have to continue to find ways to let him play because he’s playing really, really well right
now. I love how he’s playing. I feel like we are on the same page, we are doing some things well. We have
to keep expanding on that and continue to get better. But, no moral victories. He had a good game, but
he’s probably the one that is most pissed among guys in that locker room. We understand that stuff
doesn’t matter if you lose.”
On the interceptions, how many were miscommunications?
“I don’t want to get into all of that right now. They made a good play on that one at the end of the game.
We had a plan for the pressure that they brought, the corner just made a good play and didn’t do what
exactly we thought he was going to do. That one is on me. They brought a pressure that we weren’t able
to pick up. They brought too many and I was trying to take a shot outside and the corner did a good job
playing it. I put it out there a little too far and he made a good play. The rest of them, I really don’t want
to get into. It’s on all of us. We have to take accountability and fix it. Starts with me. Starts with my
communication with all the guys. The outside, the front, the backfield. And we will. I am not concerned.
This group is really mature and is willing to go whatever to win and to get better. We’ll fix it.”
Are you getting on your teammates more when needed?
“I think we are at that point in the year where we have all had conversations, just a group. Some of the
leadership guys on the team, there has to be accountability. It’s never pointing the finger. We all have
enough today to look back on and say we didn’t play well individually. Collectively, obviously we didn’t.
We have to do the simple stuff. We have to do the little things. We have to get on the same page. I’m
making some mistakes out there as well, so I’m not just pointing the finger at other people, but there
has to be accountability. Our guys do a good job in responding. If something needs to be said, I’ll say it to
them. Whether that’s on the field. I try to do it in the most respectful way, because I never want to look
like I’m pointing the finger, but also there’s stuff that needs to be fixed and same thing for those guys to
come and talk to me. If I’m not doing something right, if they think that I’m going to put the ball here
and I put the ball there, we have to clean that up. It’s full circle and those guys understand that. That’s
something that we’ve created. We are going to have accountability. If you’re not doing your job, whether
that’s me, whether that’s (WR) Zay (Jones), (WR) Calvin (Ridley), (WR) Christian (Kirk), (TE) Evan
(Engram), anybody. You have to do your job and we understand that and you’re not going to win if you
don’t. We know what we have to do and we have to get better, all of us.”
BROWNS HEAD COACH KEVIN STEFANSKI
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2023
Opening statement:
“Okay. Injury front, Juan (Thornhill) tweaked his hamstring, excuse me, tweaked his calf in pregame
warm-ups, was not able to go. Ethan Pocic has a stinger. Grant (Delpit) has a groin injury. Obviously,
have to do tests on all those. Just very proud of that football team. Knew it was going to be that type of
game. That’s a playoff team coming in here, AFC opponent. It was hard, we knew that. But really fought
to the end and just guys making big plays when we needed them. Defense taking the ball away four
times was outstanding. Obviously, MJ (Martin Emerson Jr.) getting two of those and then just again
everybody coming through for the football team when they needed to. The atmosphere was awesome.
Our crowd was into it from the jump so it was great to be down here and then obviously we’ll learn from
it. There are things that we know we can clean up and then we want to be playing our best football in
December. So that’s our goal. We’ll clean up some of those things. But with that, I’ll take any questions.”
Kevin, you ready to say that Joe (Flacco) is going to be the starting QB the rest of the year?
“Yes.”
What did you think came through today? Second week here and throws for three touchdowns at 311
(yards).
“Yeah, played well. I think you expect him to get better as he gets more comfortable in our system with
our players, those types of things. But we just talked about him and all of our guys doing their job, giving
us their best and I thought that’s what he did.”
What’s your reaction to winning games with four different quarterbacks? It’s very unusual.
“Not much of a reaction. Just it is what it is. We play with who’s ever available.”
Kevin, your decision to go for that field goal there at the end, did you think about punting?
“I did. We have a guy who is now eight-for-eight from back there. So you always think about players and
thinkabout Dustin (Hopkins) and him coming through for the football team, that’s what he did.”
What about that fourth and three decision? Go for it, get the touchdown.
“Yeah. That was outstanding. Unbelievable play by the quarterback. He’s not hot, he’s hotter than Hades
on that play and we did not have that blitz picked up and he drifted to his right. Great field by David Bell
and then an unbelievable play.”
How great is it for you guys to be in this heated AFC race in this stretch and then come up with a
quarterback like Joe who can do big games like this?
“Yeah, I think focus is a little bit more narrow for us, Mary Kay (Cabot). Obviously, today we knew that
today was not a playoff game, but it’s going to feel like a playoff game. And it was because that’s a very
good football team. So we knew what this game was going to be about. We knew what type of matchup
it was, knew what type of fight it was going to be. And then to your point, Joe’s been in big games, so
feel comfortable with him leading the football team.”
What is it about Joe, other than his experience, that has allowed him to come in and be able to be so
effective so fast?
“Yeah, I think a player that’s been around and has had the career that he’s had, he can really lean on his
experiences, lean on his games that he’s played, the different systems he’s been in and he just told that
to the football team. Just some of the things that he’s been through and now we as a team have been
through. It is good for you in the end.”
Kevin, you said you wanted to play your best football in December. Do you think you are? Do you
think your team is at it’s best?
“We’re not there yet. I mean, that’s the goal. We need to get better. Offense, defense, special teams.
We need to get better, continue to get better. There’s a variety of ways to do that, and that’s what it’ll
be.”
Kevin, it’s only the eighth time in NFL history that four starting quarterbacks have won a game in a
season. What is it about this team that they’ve been able to adapt that way to quarterbacks and then
you kind of adjusting the difference?
“No, I think the stats, well, that stat is about the players. I mean, it tells me that we have a team that is
ready to win regardless of who’s playing that position. And we’ve found this season that we have to deal
with injuries just like the rest of the NFL. Everybody’s dealing with injuries and we always use it as an
opportunity. I think that’s what we’re doing.”
How proud are you of your defense, considering they were dropping like flies and Denzel (Ward)
wasn’t there and Juan wasn’t there?
“Yeah, we had a bunch of guys injured going into the game, lost some guys in that game, as you saw,
kind of in and out of the lineup. And I thought Coach (Jim Schwartz) called a great game. Coach Schwartz
did a great job. Those takeaways were absolutely key. I don’t know how many points we scored off of
them, but those were key. He was aggressive. There were a couple of sacks there where we knocked
them out of field goal range. So, I thought Coach was outstanding today.”
Have you been involved in a game that lasted so long and without going into overtime?
“I’ll check and get back to you, Jeff (Schudel). Off the top of my head, I’m not sure, but that was like an
NBA game those last five minutes.”
The three rookies played a vital role today. You had Cameron Mitchell, you had Ronnie Hickman
starting the game. Talk about their contributions. And a lot of times people always say, next man up.
But your team embodies that. Can you talk about that as well?
“Yeah, well, they’re not rookies anymore. Sorry, you’re too late in the season to be rookies. So, they’re
pros now and we’re counting on them. And that’s how it works in this season. We’ve had a lot of rookies
play already this season, guys that – and we trust them because they’ve been through it with us and
we’re going to need them down the stretch as well.”
Kevin, how close was Denzel to playing today?
“He was questionable, so 50/50. But he’s getting better.”
On that fourth and three, did you know the whole time you’re going to go for it?
“Yes.”
And then you said you didn’t have the blitz picked up, so what are you thinking…?
“Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you have an opportunity to check into a different
protection, if you will. They brought a good pressure that we could not pick up with six-man protection.
Joe recognized that right away. David Bell recognized that. And I just thought Joe being able to drift,
throw off his back foot, that’s a very heady play by a veteran.”
Kevin, all your fourth down decisions paid off today. So how important was it for you heading in just
to be aggressive and how rewarding is it to see your guys?
“Yeah, Nate (Ulrich), it’s always about whatever it takes to win that game that you’re playing. So, we felt
there were going to be opportunities there where we wanted to be smart, aggressive. We’re not just
going to be aggressive for the sake of being aggressive, but we thought there would be opportunities to
keep our offense out there and keep a drive going, come away with points against a very good football
team.”
Obviously, it would be hard for Joe to be completely mistake-free coming in just three weeks ago, but
obviously, he’s got to stay away from those turnovers.
“Yeah, I put him in some bad spots. So again, that’s what I talk about learning from some of these.
There’s some concepts maybe that are good, but we got to do a better job of giving the quarterback and
all of our players stuff that they got reps on.”
Kevin, you guys have eight guys involved in pass catchers today, kind of similar last week, reading the
ball around. How important is that? Kind of moving forward to evolve the pass game.
“You know, we have a lot of guys that we trust. There are guys that we know when the ball is in their
hands, they light up and that’s what we’re trying to do and you know, obviously, we got some guys like
Amari (Cooper) that are going to be getting a ton of attention from the defense. And that’s a lot of what
happened today. A lot of what happens in these games. As Amari gets more attention, it opens up
opportunities for the other guys.”
What did you think of David Njoku? And that third and one early is the hope that nobody runs with
him when he releases like that.
“That is the hope, yes. We installed it saying, ‘Hope nobody runs with you, Dave,’ [laughter]. In that
personnel grouping, it’s very heavy run, I’m sure. So that’s what they were playing so, it’s just to get a
guy open like that – the defense obviously made a mistake, but Dave’s a guy, another guy who gets a
ton of attention. He always comes through and makes plays for us and made a great play there.”
I think you guys have lost the turnover battle like nine times. Winning today and that stat just has to
be pass and be the way that it goes the rest of the way, right?
“It’s so important, Mary Kay. And we can learn, Amari can learn from that rep. I mean, he knows that
he’s got to have better technique. It’s not like you just got put away. He’s just got to better with his
technique on that play. So we will continue to coach it. We’ll continue to clean up our technique when
it’s there. But for our defense to go take the ball away four times, harassing the quarterback, hitting the
quarterback, who’s a very, very tough kid, that was a big part of this game.”
When did you know earlier in the week that you’d be defending against (Trevor) Lawrence?
“We assumed the whole time that he’d be the guy.”
You said Friday you trust any of the backups on the O line? Well, you wind up using three guys that
aren’t your starting lineup. So what’s it say about them? Just your team in general, that you can do
what you did.
“Yeah, that’s the name of the game. Again, December football. Number one, all the guys in there are
dealing with something, nobody’s 100%. Unfortunately, you’re going to have some guys in and out of
the lineup. But I give credit to our players for staying ready all along that front. Those guys are ready to
jump in at a moment’s notice. Nick Harris being a prime example today. And then the coaches, I think
the coaches do a great job of making sure all their guys are ready to go.”
BROWNS DEFENSIVE END MYLES GARRETT
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2023
What was the walkup music today?
“Satisfy My Soul by Bob Marley.”
How does this one feel to get to 8-5 and to stop that two game losing streak?
“Man, tough games define who you are. Coming out on the other side of this one feels really good for a
multitude of reasons, but the resilience of this team shows week in and week out, and the toughness,
those are kinds of things that are going into no carry us very far into the rest of this year, into the
postseason.”
You guys had injuries going in, and lost guys during the game. You just kept fighting and fighting.
What can you say just about the grit and the moxie football?
“There’s no quitting in us and never will be. Not a single man is going to falter or waiver with any
adversity that we face, whether personally or through the team. We’re all going to point in the same
direction and keep our eyes towards the prize.”
I know there’s a lot more to it than just the sacks but to be able to have four on the defense today,
what does that just say about how you guys responded to last week not being able to record a sack?
“That could have been more. The officiating was a travesty today. It was honestly awful. And the fact
that they’re letting them get away with hands to the face, holding false starting. I know they called a
couple, but damn, they could have called it all game. And the one that cost us down on the two-yard
line. I mean, respect to those guys, it’s a hard job, but hell, we have a hard job as well. You can’t make it
harder by throwing, holding, and hands to the face out the rulebook. And like I said, I got a lot of respect
for those guys, but we get scrutinized for the plays that we don’t make. So someone has to hold them
accountable for the plays or the calls they don’t make. And they need to be under the same kind of
microscope as we are every single play.”
As you said, you wanted a sloppy, ugly, dirty game. Does this qualify as that?
“It was just that all around. Like I said, all three phases plus the refs, and this time it went our way and
we are glad to come on the right side of things. We want that kind of game, but we need to uphold the
rules for everyone at all times.”
What can you say about Joe Flacco and the performance that he gave today and how exciting it must
be for you guys as a defense to know that you’ve got a quarterback like that’s just going to go out
there and leave everything else down the field with you?
“Draco looked good. Other than one play, he was fantastic, and we can expect that no one’s going to be
perfect and he’s just picking up things as he goes. But the man was sharp. He made the plays they need
to make. He picked up those old legs and got a first down. The guy, he’s doing it all and he’s just giving it
all for this team and got another respect from the rest of the guys as well.”
What have you seen from MJ (Emerson)? I mean he has those two interceptions today, but his
growth, especially when he’s in the defense.
“He’s grown as a player, he’s grown as a leader. He comes with a child’s mindset every single day. He
comes to work trying to receive and be receptive of all the knowledge that coaches give him, we’re
given, how can he can best be utilized by the team and how he can help maximize his potential. He’s
receptive to all that kind of coaching and it means a lot from a guy, especially that young to hear from
veterans and use that and make it have a big day like he did. He was where he needed to be. He was
flying around. He was making plays from the perimeter to there in the backfield looking like he was a
receiver. The guy is—MJ is special and I like having people who just love this. You love the game. You
can tell every time he steps on the field, whether it’s a Wednesday or a Sunday, he just loves the game.”
What can you say about Kevin (Stefanski)? You’ve had all these different quarterbacks, bunch of
injuries, offensive line is banged up, and here you guys are right in the middle of the AFC wild card
picture, you know maybe even the division. What do you make of how he’s been able to keep this
together and you guys playing for him this year?
“He’s done all right. I mean, with everything that’s changed throughout the year, pieces moving in and
out, switched around, he’s done a hell of a job and we’ve answered the call. He’s put us in different
positions to make up for some of the injuries and different calls and schemes that we’re trying to adjust
to, but it goes hand in hand with us trying to play off of what we’re being put in, but he’s putting us in a
lot of favorable positions and he’s coaching his ass off.”
Myles, when Joe (Flacco) got here three weeks ago, did you have your suspicions about what he had
left?
“I mean, you see all that gray hair, you might too. But other than thinking he’s Stefanski’s lost brother,
the guy I mean looks good. He came in with just a positive attitude or around him. Just wanted to listen,
learn, be around the guys. Met him early on in Kevin’s office and seemed like a great guy. Wanted to get
to know me. Was just intrigued to be around us as a team. And at this point as well, he still feels like he’s
an outsider looking in, but he’s one of us, and as long as he continues what he’s doing, he’s going to stay
one of us.”
Do you know that he’s got five kids that he has to answer to after games?
“God, dog.”
Could you imagine that? Doing everything that you do, and then you have to go home and take care
of five kids?
“One day maybe in my future, but I couldn’t imagine coming home from a game like this and being like,
oh, well, five pairs of eyes staring at me from the door. The man does it all, as you can see.”
The frustration with the officials. Is that just today, or has that been kind of growing over the course
of the year?
“No, that’s built up. I want to say, like whar Watts said. The officials got something against me but shoot
close enough. This hacker shack crap got to stop. Y’all are dominant, as we’ve seen, and we are going to
let him get away with pretty much anything. It’s ridiculous. You can’t just let a guy put his fingers in your
face mask and push your head up or grab you around the back of your collar, or he’s out of position, so
he’s going to snatch you from the front. All that stuff we see, but we try to promote the offensive game.
It’s got to be called fair both ways. I don’t care about any of that offense, defense has to be held to the
same standard in more ways than one.”
Why today? Why today do you think this is the time to stress that?
“If you watch the game and you see what was happening over there on the right end, you’d understand
if you saw my shoulder looks right now all red and beat up and looking like I got scratched by a couple of
wild feral cats or something. You’d understand.”
BROWNS QUARTERBACK JOE FLACCO
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2023
You didn’t pull anything chasing David Bell down the field, did you?
“No. Oh, my gosh, that was exciting. This was one of those plays, you know, where they’re bringing
pressure and you have to kind of buy a little time and he did a great job feeling a little soft spot and then
making it happen from there.”
Did you see it happening right away? And Kevin (Stefanski) talked about how you just kind of slid
over?
“I knew I needed to buy a little bit of time because they were coming after us and I was going to
probably have some pressure off of that side and he was running a little option route and I think in that
situation you can probably anticipate a little bit easier because it’s fourth down. You have to throw the
ball anyway. But like I said, it was really up to him to find that little spot and he did it.”
So Kevin named you the starter for the rest of the year. How does that make you feel? And then how
do you feel about the way that this offense is starting to play with you at quarterback?
“Well, obviously it feels good when it looks like people have confidence in you. I know I’ve been in a
bunch of locker rooms, but whenever you walk into a locker room you still want to gain the respect of
everybody and you don’t know if you quite have that until you can go out there and get a win and
continue to do it day in and day out. You try to carry yourself the right way and you try to do all the right
things, but that doesn’t guarantee anything in terms of going out on the field on Sunday. So, it feels
awesome to go out there and get the win. I do feel like we’re doing a lot of good things. Today was a
sloppy game. I didn’t play my best. We turned the ball over a couple of times and you got to give a lot of
credit to our defense. The way they played today, 14 points off of Jacksonville got those balls at least
inside the 30-yard line both times. I would say inside the 20 probably, right? So, tip your hat to our
defense. Our offense does – I think you guys can see it and feel it a little bit. We have the ability to really
start to get over the hump. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re going to work hard and we’re going to
continue to get better.”
So recognizing that zero blitz is not something that rust would come into play?
“I think you’re always pretty aware when people are coming after you. I say that, but then I also got hit
from my right side and fumbled, so who knows? It’s part of the game and you happen to see some of
those things. Listen, there’s all kinds of those plays that don’t work out and you hope that you can
overcome it and win the game anyway. And that was just one of the big plays for us today.”
Joe, can you put into words just what it’s like to come off the couch, so to speak, come in here to
Cleveland Browns Stadium, so much on the line, 38 years old.
“Yeah, it’s tough. I’m not a man of very many words in terms of well-spoken words. I can sit down at a
table and sound like a moron for you, but coming up with words about how this feels, I’m not going to
do a good job of that. There are so many different things that are running through my head. It’s
unbelievable to be out there. It’s really a unique experience. I can’t say it enough to have children that
are of the age where they understand what’s going on and I’m going to remember these things forever.
Like I said earlier, I’m just trying to stay in the moment and be as grateful as possible and keep getting
better.”
Your 100th win, does that milestone mean anything?
“I would normally say no, but I was aware of it. Not during the game and things like that, but you are
aware of it and I’m definitely proud of it when it’s all said and done. Someday I will look at that and it
will be something that I’m sure I’ll be proud of.”
All three of the touchdown passes, the receivers were basically wide-open. Can you just talk about the
play design and the execution to get all three?
“Yeah, it’s awesome for a quarterback when you get that picture. I mean, listen, I think you got to credit
how well we’ve done in short-yardage situations and how well these guys have done running the ball all
year. So even last game against the (Los Angeles) Rams, we started to see what worked in those short-
yardage situations, loading up and coming at people. And I think that’s what happened on that first one.
They’re so loaded up to try to stop our play up the middle and we get a guy wide open and then the
other one wasn’t necessarily that situation, but it’s a similar thing. We do a little play-action. You get
guys to kind of get drawn up a little bit. And Dave (Njoku) is an awesome guy to have catch those. That is
his strength. Get him the ball while he’s moving down the field. And he’s a tough tackle. You can see his
speed. I don’t know what he ran or anything, but you can see his speed and strength, obviously, when
he gets the ball in those types of situations, he’s pretty special.”
Was your family here today?
“They were here today, yeah.”
Has it been tough to leave them behind?
“They don’t care. They really don’t care that much [laughing]. I think initially, every kid reacts differently.
My second son definitely was a little bit emotional when I left initially, but ultimately they have their
friends and they have all the things that are keeping them occupied. I’m the one that’s trying to hang
around the facility as long as I can and stay around people as long as I can because I’m the one going
back to a hotel room by myself. As long as I’m in the situations where I’m around people, I’m good. But
when you’re back in a room by yourself, there are things that your mind has time to wander. And if they
were three years old, I probably wouldn’t feel it that much either. But like I said, they are a really cool
age. They want to hang out. They want to throw the ball around. My son brought a ball to the hotel, and
I’m like, just sitting there on the chair just going like this. So, yeah, there are definitely things like that
you miss. But listen, there’s no better profession than the NFL to spend time with your kids and have
them be a part of it.”
Have they joined you in this victory yet?
“I haven’t seen them yet. I haven’t seen them yet. I’m sure they’ll pick on me for the bad plays. That’s
what they’ll do.”
Joe, when you were waiting for some team to call and you saw this situation with the Browns, did you
think they would be one of the teams that would call you or…?
“You know, it had gotten to the point in the year where there was probably a couple of times where I
could have gotten called, but I didn’t. So, I was starting to think that I wasn’t. And especially even these
guys, they didn’t call me until later in the week, so I kind of had thought the time had gone and passed,
but they wanted me to come out and work out, and I was grateful to do it.”
Joe, off that we first met you said, I didn’t know if this was going to happen for me. I’m starting to
kind of lose a little bit of faith to go from that to now. You’re one of five quarterbacks in NFL history to
five touchdowns with a new team in your first two games, and now guys right to pick at the playoff
race and got a chance to do something. What do you make of all of that? This whirlwind month for
you.
“I think it’s a little scary to not sign somewhere in the offseason and not be at training camp
somewhere. But I was trying to keep a positive light on it and look, spin it in a positive way and see all
the benefits of possibly getting a call from a team at some point that needs somebody to help them win.
So listen, I think it comes down to I didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t like I turned anybody down in the
offseason. I probably would have had a tough time doing it even though I was at the point mentally
where I don’t know if I would have wanted to go do it. Listen, obviously, life puts you in certain
situations and you don’t know why you just got to make the most of it.”
Was this the ideal situation? When you’re sitting on your couch, are you thinking about playoff team
and coming in and starting?
“Listen, we still have our next game. What do we have, four games left? But our next game, so listen, we
still got to go take care of business and get better and better. And that’s really my main focus. I don’t
want to look at what the situation I was coming in is. Like, listen, we still have to go out there and make
the most of what we have.”
What have your teammates done to instill that confidence in you, that you talked about wanting to
come in and show that. What have they done on the flip side, to show that confidence?
“I think it helps when you’ve been around a long time and these guys have watched you play growing
up, there’s something about having an older guy in a locker room that guys like to come up and at least
wonder why the hell I’m doing it. So, there’s always some kind of talking point and things like that. So, I
think you get comfortable with people. I’m confident in the way I throw the ball and stuff like that, so I
think when you go out and have good practices, that’s the starting point and then you got to go out and
play well in the game. And I think we’ve done a decent job of kind of doing that so far so that you can
have these guys build a little bit of that confidence.”
So how were you able to maintain that belief that you could go out and still play at a really high level
considering when you look at even the record over your previous 17 starts, wouldn’t have necessarily
stated that. But why did you believe in yourself so much and what did you think you were still going
to be capable of if you got another chance?
“I think when you’ve played so many football games there’s a reality that sets in that you’re going to go
through tough times and it’s your job to persevere and have belief in yourself. And I’m not saying that
it’s always like 100%, like, yeah, I’m the best in the world. I got this. There’s a ton of times where you’re
probably questioning it and you got to just continue to go and go and push and push and just try to get
better and focus on the thing that you’re doing and that allows you to not think about all that and just
go out and do what you love.”
When you first met with us, you basically said you think you still had something left in the tank. When
you stand here after an exciting win and say, hey, I didn’t play my best today, how are you still
evaluating what you have left? Is it just turnovers? Is it situational? How do you say, hey, that was
really high level execution for what I’m capable of?
“Yeah, I think it’s just when you go back and watch the tape, are your eyes in the right spot? Are your
feet in the right spot? Are you on time? It’s all that kind of stuff. So there was a couple of times today
where I just felt like my feet weren’t tied in with my eyes and maybe my eyes were in a bad spot and
then all of a sudden I was making a bad throw that I don’t usually feel like I’m doing like I’m doing. A
couple of balls just came out bad today.
And like I said, I think it starts with maybe where my eyes and feet were and then it kind of just a chain
reaction from.
Was there any confusion coming into the stadium thinking, I gotta go to the visitors locker room?
“It’s definitely a little different. It’s different perspective from the Brown sideline than I’m used to.
There’s, there is something nice about having played a bunch of games in here and be able to come back
and now call it home.”
What does it say about, I know you’ve only been here a few weeks, but for this team, this coaching set
to win games with four quarterbacks in one season, which has only been done like eight times.
“Yeah, no, listen, you can’t say enough about what this team’s done all year. Just losing guys and
continuing to succeed, whether it’s the run game or the offensive line, whatever it may be. I think
you’ve got to give the coaching staff and all the guys in there a ton of credit for how they’ve been able
to maintain their focus and still have the belief.
How much is that Kevin (Stefanski)?
“Yeah. Listen, I’ve only been around Kevin a few weeks, but he’s got a very good demeanor. He’s
definitely a head coach, and I think he’s the first guy you’re going to have to look at when you talk about
that kind of stuff.”
BROWNS WIDE RECEIVER DAVID BELL
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2023
What did you see on the touchdown play?
“Turned around and I just saw nothing but green grass.”
Were you a little surprised when you turned around?
“I was surprised. Not a little, I was a lot surprised to keep it real.”
So what goes through you just see nothing but green in front of you?
“It just felt like little league back when I was in second grade, just seeing that much green grass, I
haven’t seen that much since I was about six or seven.”
What was more surprising, you being that wide open or Kevin Stefanski going nuts on the sideline,
pumping his fist because you got an easy touchdown?
“I think a little bit of both. Me being wide open and also the reaction that Coach Stefanski had
afterwards too. ”
How did the rest of the celebration feel, when you crossed that plane you got to celebrate with your
teammates, what was that like for you?
“That felt great. Of course I had to give honor to God, just taking a knee and giving all praise to him. Just
seeing the guys come around me with the camaraderie, you know we went through a lot with the team,
we’re going through a lot and just in this game it showed we went through a lot, overcoming adversity
and for them to be as happy as I was to see that I scored a touchdown, that meant a lot.”
Patience can be hard in this game so to finally get that touchdown after a year and a half here, how
tough was it to kind of wait for this opportunity and this moment?
“It wasn’t tough at all. Cause I always practice like I’m the number one receiver, but in practice, and I
prepare like I’m the number one receiver too so I knew whenever my numbers called I’m going to be
prepared so it wasn’t really hard at all. I think just keeping my head down and working, eventually
you’re going to get to where your goals lead you to.”
What can you say about Joe Flacco coming in here and playing the way he has considering he was
sitting on the couch like four weeks ago?
“He’s been a baller man. I don’t think it’s really a surprise to anybody. He is a Super Bowl quarterback.
So getting him here and getting the rust off, he’s been able to distribute the ball, us getting open and
stuff like that. I don’t think it’s a surprise to any of us because a lot of us, including me, grew up
watching him since I was like 11 or 12 so being able to play with him now is something special.”
BROWNS LEFT GUARD JOEL BITONIO
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2023
What has Joe Flacco brought to you guys?
“Just a veteran presence. Been in every situation you can imagine. Calm. I saw a little fire today. He gets
excited when we score some touchdowns. But he’s calm, he does a good job leading us and he’s
spreading the ball around pretty good.”
To win with four different QBs, it has to say something about the makeup of this team?
“Just resilience. Kevin does a great job leading us. We talk about going 1-0, if you think about the big
picture too much it gets thrown out but if you just think about winning this game this week with the
guys you have, that’s how you build resilience.”
It seems like one guy after another, but you guys just continue to do your job, Nick (Harris) today
stepping up, James (Hudson) again.
“I mean the injury bug has been brutal. But Nick Harris, the guy works his butt off. Obviously he’s playing
fullback for us right now, and back up center, and he came out and played a good game from what I can
tell. James Hudson didn’t know until Friday or Saturday if he was going to play or not and he had to
come out there and fight and fight. It’s just guys have been fighting all year and it’s something we
appreciate and it’s a credit to them and our coaches and everybody really just stepping up.”
Did you guys ever even talk to Joe (Flacco) before you got to LA? He was only here for like six days.
“A couple little things. You know, I remember I talked about how old he was one time, made me feel
better about myself, you know. And then he’s like honestly I don’t feel that old, you know I feel pretty
good. So that was probably the one thing we talked about and then we went to dinner on Monday night
in LA, the quarterbacks and the line and he went and he kinda opened up a little bit for us and I was like,
alright this is a normal guy, you know what I mean, like this is just a guy that loves playing ball so we go
to know him a lot better out there and obviously it’s been good.”
BROWNS PUNTER COREY BOJORQUEZ
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2023
What have you seen from the special teams unit as a whole?
“Bubba (Ventrone) does a good job of getting us ready during the week. He’s very detailed. You can see
the guys are really committed to it too, what he’s trying to bring to the table. He’s always pushing us to
be better than we were. That’s tough sometimes, but it is what it is. Everyone just loves working with
him.”
When you uncork a 75-yard punt, are you thinking that in your head – that I’ve got to get a really big
ball here?
“No [laughter]. I feel like the times have felt like that, the mis-hits come. If I think about it too much – I
treat a punt from the 10 and a punt from the 30 the same.”
What is the conversation like with your teammates when you hit one like that?
“Everyone is congratulating – having Jim Schwartz come give you a high five is pretty cool.”
BROWNS CORNERBACK MARTIN EMERSON JR.
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2023
Did you feel like the turnovers were snowballing in a positive way today?
“Yes, that was the goal coming in. Being back at home in front of the fans. The Saturday meetings we
usually watch our opponent. This week we did not watch the opponent we watched our highlights from
the whole year. We said we were going to get back to ourselves in front of our fans. That was our goal.”
Walk us through that interception, what was going through your head?
“I was in cover eight. The cornerback has half of the field. I played my keys. I got out kind of early and I
made the play on it.”
With CB Denzel Ward out did you feel like you had to have the type of performance you had today?
“Everyday we come in and want to be the best, no matter who is out. Next man up mentality and we are
going to ride for our brothers to win and we did that today.”
Coming into this game a lot of discussion about the front 4 and getting more pressure on the QB, how
much did their presence up front help you guys generate those turnovers?
“They did their job. Secondary has not played the best ball. We did not for the last two weeks. That was
the goal and to keep building.”
What has changed the last two weeks?
“Attention to detail. One play at a time, leaning on our brother. Knowing that your brother is next to you
is going to do his job. That was the difference.”
It seems to be the theme this year, guys like Joe (Flacco) who came off the street, just getting
opportunities.
“We are a resilient bunch. New guys coming in, they already know the culture is so strong here right
now–we can plug and play guys. I feel like you were able to see that today.”
Four turnovers for the defense today, you got one of them. As a defense, how important are those
takeaways?
“It was huge. I think the last two weeks, we didn’t play our best ball, honestly. It was definitely
motivating. Coach (Jim) Schwartz coming in and telling the d-line that they didn’t have any sacks and
things like that, but that also puts stress on the DB’s. Today, they were able to get more pressure with us
tighter in coverage. We work hand-in-hand together.”
After the Denver game, Jim (Schwartz) said you were going to play better. Do you feel like you
responded?
“Yeah, we always say we are the best in the world. Some corners – you’re going to have a bad game,
but you can’t let it turn into two bad games, three bad games. I knew I would respond. I texted my
coach after and said, ‘I didn’t play my best, but I’ll respond.’”
What is it about MJ Emerson Jr. – he just seems so competitive – what makes him who he is?
“Like you said, forget the talent, he’s a competitor. That’s the biggest thing you see when watching him
play. Just him being a competitor – the talent speaks for itself.”
BROWNS DEFENSIVE BACK GREG NEWSOME
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2023
It seems to be the theme this year, guys like Joe (Flacco) who came off the street, just getting
opportunities.
“We are a resilient bunch. New guys coming in, they already know the culture is so strong here right
now–we can plug and play guys. I feel like you were able to see that today.”
Four turnovers for the defense today, you got one of them. As a defense, how important are those
takeaways?
“It was huge. I think the last two weeks, we didn’t play our best ball, honestly. It was definitely
motivating. Coach (Jim) Schwartz coming in and telling the d-line that they didn’t have any sacks and
things like that, but that also puts stress on the DB’s. Today, they were able to get more pressure with us
tighter in coverage. We work hand-in-hand together.”
After the Denver game, Jim (Schwartz) said you were going to play better. Do you feel like you
responded?
“Yeah, we always say we are the best in the world. Some corners – you’re going to have a bad game,
but you can’t let it turn into two bad games, three bad games. I knew I would respond. I texted my
coach after and said, ‘I didn’t play my best, but I’ll respond.’”
What is it about MJ Emerson Jr. – he just seems so competitive – what makes him who he is?
“Like you said, forget the talent, he’s a competitor. That’s the biggest thing you see when watching him
play. Just him being a competitor – the talent speaks for itself.”
BROWNS TIGHT END DAVID NJOKU
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2023
On being a challenge to close out games in the past
“Special teams finished it for us. It was a great team win. I have to go back and watch the film and see
what we can do better. But we are going to enjoy this one today.”
How good was QB Joe Flacco today?
“Ice in his veins, he balled out. He had over 300 passing yards and just got here two weeks ago. He is a
great player and I am really glad that we have him.”
What does the connection out there feel like with QB Joe Flacco?
“It feels good. Getting better and better each week. Like I said I have to go back and watch the tape.
Find a play that I need to be better at too.”
