There were nothing but smiles in the press conferences after the beatdown of the Cincinnati Bengals by the Cleveland Browns. The rather stoic group showed their pleasure in shutting down their in-state rival. Head coach Kevin Stefanski, quarterback Deshaun Watson, and defensive end Myles Garrett took to the podium after the game. The rest of the team was able to speak to the media in the locker room. Overall, the mood was joyful, but more than a few members of the team were already looking towards Pittsburgh.
The Browns talked about a myriad of topics in their post-game pressers. The players on the team are very insightful. They surprised me when discussing the granular aspects of inclement weather. It was very refreshing to hear their thoughts on the game. Here are my top five takeaways from the Cleveland Browns’ post-game press conferences.
Buy Browns TicketsAs always, all quotes are sourced from the transcripts provided by the team.
Defense Did Its Job
Kevin Stefanski was pleased with the defensive performance. The defense held Joe Burrow and the Bengals to the worst offensive performance for the freshly minted quarterback. Stefanski opened his press conference by announcing Jim Schwartz as the recipient of the game ball.
“And I just gave Coach (Jim) Schwartz the game ball because that defense was outstanding. To hold that offense, and I have a ton of respect for that team and that offense and the whole team in general, but to hold them to 143 yards, two of 15 on third down was very impressive. So very proud of Jim and his staff, the defensive staff, and the players. I thought they executed the game plan really well.”
When Kevin Stefanski was asked how the pass rush was so productive, Stefanski had this to say about Jim Schwartz’s play calls.
“Yeah, it’s all the above. I think it was a good rush plan. I thought we got some good rushes versus some single opportunities, one-on-one rush-type things. We mixed it in, which I thought Coach did a really nice job of. But they applied constant pressure.”
Myles Garrett would further elaborate on Stefanski’s answer when he sat down for the press conference:
“I mean, you just have so many athletic and talented guys, skilled rushers coming at them from different angles. From the edge, inside. The mix-up between D tackles outside. Me and Ogbo (Okoronkwo) and Z (Za’Darius Smith) on the inside. It’s just a lot of different points of attack and guys with different skill sets. It’s just a lot for any offense.”
The Browns needed to develop a pass-rush plan to keep all of their defensive ends engaged. Last season, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney grew extremely frustrated with his diminished role under Joe Woods. Jim Schwartz is a tremendous leader with a long track record of keeping his defensive line happy.
The Browns’ defensive performance against the Bengals should become the new normal under Schwartz. Schwartz will terrorize passing attacks by getting Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith in advantageous matchups while relying on the secondary to be more aggressive in their coverage. The Browns’ highly talented defense can become one of the best units in football by the end of the season.
Deshaun Addressed His Play
The Browns’ passing offense stalled out in the muddy game. Deshaun Watson was able to overcome his earlier misfirings by using his legs, rushing for 45 yards on 5 carries, including a rushing touchdown. Kevin Stefanski praised Watson’s skills as an improviser during the muddy game.
“Yeah, made some plays. There were some designed quarterback runs that he made, some plays I can think of. Even the two-point play wasn’t exactly supposed to go in there, but he did, and he stuck that ball across. So he does a great job when you call on him with any of those types of things. And then the ability to scramble, the ability to make plays. I know happened early on, maybe the first third down. That’s a huge part of what he does.”
Watson spoke to the media about how he adjusted to the weather on Sunday. The quarterback was not happy with his performance throwing the ball in the adverse environment.
“Yeah, we wanted to test the weather out, see if we can really throw. The ball was heavy, the ball was wet. So once the ball is in the air, regardless of how it comes off the hands or not, it’s going to slow up a little bit. And Marquise (Goodwin), he did a good job of getting the separation, but it was a little bit short from my end, so we’re going to definitely improve on that. There’s going to be other opportunities for us to be able to capitalize on that so we can’t get frustrated. But I think not just for us, for Cincinnati, too. They couldn’t throw it either. So, yeah, it was a tough day throwing the ball, but what we need to throw in and get the little things, the couple of passes that I felt like I could have hit and I missed so I put that on me, and I probably could have checked it down also. So it’s a good first game, first win and go watch the tape and see what I could have done better.”
Watson knows that he can play better than he did on Sunday. The quarterback will need to as he is now the primary driver of the offense. It’s a good sign that Watson is critical of his play; there have been many quarterbacks who shirked responsibility in Berea. The Browns will rely on him and his arm a lot this season, both in rain and sunshine.
Team Reflects on Jack Conklin
Jack Conklin tore his ACL and MCL in the game against the Bengals. The veteran tackle signed a four-year extension this offseason. It’s hard for the team to watch a leader on the team deal with so many significant injuries during their career. Stefanski told reporters after the game how much it affected the team.
“Yeah, well, I mean, I’ll start with Jack. You hope, but that doesn’t look good. And I feel absolutely awful for Jack, the person he is, the player that he is, and what he means to this team. You absolutely hate to see those things on guys that are such a big part of what we are. So, he’s hurting, I’m hurting, his teammates are hurting for him. But we’ll hold out hope there on that one.”
Myles Garrett would later reiterate how much Conklin’s presence meant to the team.
“Jack is a great player. He’s a great guy. I love seeing him day in and day out, whether it’s on the field or off the field. He comes in with a great personality, ready to work, and my heart breaks for him just because he’s been dealing with injuries and aches and pains for a while now. And made the decision to come back and continue playing. I know it was kind of up in the air for him for a while and for a setback like this, I know it doesn’t just hurt him, it hurts our team as a team because we feel for him. And regardless of what his plans are, what the road to recovery looks like, we’ll be with him.”
It was interesting to hear Garrett say that Conklin considered medically retiring from football. Hopefully, Conklin will continue his career after yesterday’s setbacks. He is an extremely talented player and a great teammate.
Dawand Jones demands respect
Jack Conklin’s replacement, Dawand Jones, spoke to reporters after the game. The rookie tackle looked like a seasoned vet in his first game. He spoke to reporters about how comfortable he felt replacing the former All-Pro.
“I felt prepared, honestly. Really, the vets make sure I know everything. When I’m leaving the meeting room, our coaches, as well as Jon Decoster. When I have downtime, going over plays, making sure I have everything down to the tee.”
Jones credited his success against Sam Hubbard to what he learned at Ohio State. He told reporters, “I say some of the moves I’ve seen from Sam (Hubbard), I’ve seen those from Larry Johnson… So I kind of had a little bit of an advantage.” It’ll be important for Jones to succeed against T.J. Watt next Monday night. Watt is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, and the Steelers do a good job of getting him one-on-one matchups. Jones will need to keep Watson upright on Monday night.
Jones credited his college experience for how confident he is blocking for an improvising quarterback. Jones remarked, “It was really good. I played for a couple of quarterbacks like that. It actually kind of helped me out in the end, having that experience before, it helped me out in the present,” when asked about how it felt blocking for Watson.
Watson was impressed by the young giant. At the podium, Deshaun told reporters how impressed he was with how Dawand was preparing, noting his tough task next week.
“No, but definitely, I mean, a lot of people had him coming in and having to learn a new system. I think Ohio State was a spread offense coming in this system was totally different. But he did a really good job. He held his own. He did what he needed to do, and he has a full week now to prepare for a big task with TJ Watt. But I think he can handle it because, like we were mentioning in the locker room, I think whenever he has that challenge and that big task, he steps up and he likes that challenge for him to be able to prove people wrong.”
Jones did an excellent job in his first NFL game, but the rookie will have to step up in his first career start. Many people considered Jones a steal of the draft. If he can hold up against T.J. Watt, Jones can further impress his fans and critics alike.
Dustin Hopkins Excels in Debut
Dustin Hopkins looked at home in his first career start as a Browns player. Hopkins was 3-of-3, including a 43-yard field goal. The rainstorms didn’t seem to faze the veteran kicker. In his post-game press conference, Hopkins shared with his specialist teammates.
“Today, luckily when you feel like you’re hitting a good ball, you don’t try to have to manufacture too much. Once again, I got such great looks at the ball today. Charley (Hughlett) and Cory (Bojorquez) gave me awesome operations. The line protected so well. It makes my job a lot easier. Honestly, I think it was a lot harder for them on a wet day to snap a wet ball, to catch a wet ball, put laces where they need to be on a wet ball. I think today was more of a testament to them and how good they’ve gotten in this kind of weather.”
It’s good to see a kicker come in here and find consistency immediately. It’s better to hear them share the credit after the game. Hopkins answered the media perfectly, including sharing his mindset going into kicks.
“It’s like every week you go out there and try to hit your best ball. That’s all you can do and that’s all you can ask of yourself. It does feel good to make them, but at the same time, I’m a big believer in you’re never as good as someone says you are and you’re never as bad as someone says you are. After a good week, fans are typically high on somebody, and after a bad one, they aren’t so high on somebody anymore. Not just me, any position. I just try to stay here.”
Hopefully, Hopkins can bring a level of kicking consistency that hasn’t been seen since Phil Dawson. A level-headed presence was needed in the room after the past two seasons. Hopkins will have a small but very important role this season. Hopkins sounded the part of a clutch kicker after his perfect day.
