5 Takeaways from the Browns’ postgame press conference vs. Bengals
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.
As 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
Team Reflects on Jack Conklin
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.
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