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Tag Archives: Brian Hoyer
BRIAN HOYER’S COMMENTS ON THE 31-10 WIN OVER THE STEELERS
On his touchdown pass to TE Jordan Cameron:
“I think we practiced it once this week, but we actually practiced it a few times the first week we played Pittsburgh. We thought it would be good, and actually, the look they gave us was the second favorite look we were looking for. The first was something else. Jordan did a good job of adjusting and I saw that there was no one in the middle of the field and I just wanted to give him a chance. He did a great job of going up. It was a little bit behind him, but he ripped the ball away and ran in for the touchdown.”
On what a win like today does for the team’s belief in each other:
“What’s so great about this group of guys is we don’t care who gets the credit. We just want to win the game. I think good teams find different ways to win games. Whether it’s winning on the last play of the game with a field goal, a touchdown pass, the defense coming out and really shutting their offense out or us hitting a few big plays here or there. I think we had 17 pass attempts. We moved the ball well and had big chunk plays.”
On the effectiveness of the run offense:
“You could tell that they were trying to stop the run, especially in our no huddle looks. The safeties were down and that’s where we got a lot of our big passing plays was off of play-action in the no huddle. When we have something that’s working really well and the defense tries to take it away, you have got to take advantage of what they try to do. We hit some big passes behind that.”
On what a win against Pittsburgh means to Browns fans:
“I think the last time the Browns beat the Steelers, I was the backup quarterback for the Steelers that day. Coming in after what we did last week and knowing what the situation was playing Pittsburgh at home, I knew the crowd would be crazy. They did a great job. I think there were a few false starts when they were loud and they stayed the whole time, which was great. Even though it was 31-3, they stayed and they deserve it.”
On the loss of OL Alex Mack to injury during the game:
“It’s tough. Other than (OL) Joe Thomas, he has been the anchor of that offensive line long before I got here. You know how much it means to him. When you see him get carted off and the whole team comes up to check on him, it shows how much he means to this offense. In the same sense, we always talk about the ‘next man up’ and we knew coming into this game we had a couple injuries, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Guys are going down during the game and the next guy steps up. (OL John) Greco shifts over to center and (OL) Paul (McQuistan) comes in and does a great job at guard. That’s what great teams are made of: every guy on the team being ready to play. You might be inactive one week and the next week, you have to step up and be ready to play. They did a great job. I think Greco gets enough reps at center throughout the week that I wasn’t worried about him snapping the ball or anything. Usually when a center goes down, the first thing that comes to my head is, ‘Gosh, snap exchange problems.’ I’ve worked enough with John, for the past two years really, that I felt more than confident about that.”
MIKE PETTINE FRIDAY OCTOBER 10TH PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
On LB Paul Kruger’s injury:
“He just has an issue with his lower back. (We) just gave him the day. We’ll see if he can go on Sunday.”
On if it happened during practice:
“No.”
On if it happened during weightlifting:
“(He’s) just having an issue with his back.”
On if he’s glad to have DB Joe Haden back out there today:
“It was good. He got a little bit of work off to the side. He was limited, very limited. That’s a decision we’re going to have to…hopefully he has a good day tomorrow getting some treatment. We’re hopeful. It’s a game time decision, but we hope he’ll be able to go obviously.”
On who will start in that spot if he can’t play:
“It’ll be (DB Justin) Gilbert.”
On if he needs to make a move on the d-line with DLs Ahtyba Rubin, Billy Winn and Phil Taylor all injured:
“I mean, we have (DL) Jacobbi McDaniel. That’s something (GM) Ray (Farmer) and I have to talk about. We need to get a little more of an update from (head athletic trainer) Joe (Sheehan) about ‘Rube’ (Rubin) before we make that decision. We have (DLs) ‘Kitch’ (Ishmaa’ily Kitchen) and John (Hughes) who have been down, so those guys are naturals to be active. We’ll see if we have to go more than that.”
On if Rubin’s injury occurred today:
“No, it was yesterday.”
On what Gilbert showed in practice this week:
“He came out and did his job. He had a great attitude, competed, made some plays. (He) just raised his level of consistency. He still made some mistakes, but I would say it was his best week of practice.”
On what playing at home means to him and what kind of factor the fans can be:
“It’s just something from the day I got the job I was most pleased about. Having been here as a visitor and getting the feel for the Dawg Pound and just the passion, the loyalty – it was just something you admired from a far. Here’s a team that’s not experiencing much success, yet these fans come out in droves and are very supportive. That was proven, as I said the other day, on the road down in Tennessee. It was shocking to say the least to our guys when we pulled up to the hotel and when we got to the stadium. At home they’ve been great for us. Unfortunately, we came up short against Baltimore. The crowd was a huge part, huge part of our win against New Orleans. We’re looking for more of the same. It’s a situation where we tell our guys, ‘We control the volume.’ When we’re making plays and doing good things, that place will be rocking.”
On how coaches learn how players will take coaching by interviewing players before the draft:
“That’s not something you necessarily ask them. You talk to the people that have coached them. You can go as far back to their high school days, but certainly their college coordinator, college position coach, college head coach. You should be able to get that information.”
On if Browns LB Eric Martin would play if Browns LB Paul Kruger was not able to play on Sunday or if it would just be more time for Browns LBs Barkevious Mingo and Jabaal Sheard:
“Eric would see more of a role. I think Eric only got two plays against Tennessee, and he had two really good rushes. So, it was already the plan to get him more reps. That’s something that if Krug is limited or can’t go, then he’s going to get those reps anyway.”
On if he saw something in the first half of the Tennessee game that caused Mingo to get fewer reps in the second half:
“No, it’s just we were in a little bit less of that personnel grouping that he was in. He’ll get his reps. Sometimes, the guys that are in certain packages their reps will vary based on what the opponent’s doing, and he was a little bit of a victim of that.”
On how big this division game is:
“That’s an understatement. It’s huge. You can’t fall to 0-3 in the division. As we said, the path to our goal is through the division. This is one – like you said – it’s only one, but this is a pretty big one.”
On if he sees a correlation between the AFC North teams all being .500 or better and all being able to run the ball:
“I just know when you’re looking…I was with (Bengals offensive coordinator) Hue Jackson. I know he has a commitment to want to run the ball. Pittsburgh had talked about wanting to get back to more balance on offense and then, (Ravens offensive coordinator Gary) Kubiak goes to Baltimore. I just think it was a natural thing there, him and (Browns offensive coordinator) Kyle (Shanahan) coming from that same system. I think it’s really a product of the mentality change in Pittsburgh of wanting to balance it out and take advantage of the backs that they have, particularly (Steelers RB Le’Veon) Bell. Then, I think the coordinator changes at the other three, I think, firmed that up.”
On if the Browns and Ravens’ commitment to the wide-zone running scheme makes the defenses in the division more familiar to it when going against it:
“I think so because if you’re Pittsburgh or your Cincinnati preparing for a division game, preparing for us or for Baltimore, I would say the pass games are different as I said during Baltimore week, but the run games are very similar. It does water that down a little bit, you’d like to be the only one, but just that’s the way it is.”
On what the message was in the team circle before practice:
“Team building.”
On how he looks at the injuries on defense when going against an offense like Pittsburgh:
“We have to be ready to play. Hopefully we can get the guys that are listed out there. I know we have some guys already listed as out. We talked about next man up. As big of a cliché as it is, it’s very true. I always talked to the coaches don’t be that coach who’s starters are the only ones that are ready. To me, the true measure of a coach is how his backups play when they’re in there, and this week will be a good test to that.”
On the defense needing to create more turnovers:
“Yeah, I think that’s one of the reasons we are where we are. We’ve done a good job protecting it, but we need to do a better job of taking it away. It’s something that we emphasize and just like sacks, in turnovers they come in bunches; you’d like to get on that roll where you’re getting a lot of them but where hoping that will come. Our guys are very mindful of it. They’ve (been) given the percentages of it: if you’re even, the turnover percentage is this plus-one and plus-two. It is pretty much the number one indicator of wins and losses.”
On LB Paul Kruger play:
“He’s played well. I think he was a little bit anxious against Baltimore and tried to do a little more than what he needed to. But other than that, I think that he’s been real solid for us.”
On the pressure upfront provided by Kruger leading to DB Tashaun Gipson’s interception versus New Orleans:
“Yeah that was the play of the game against New Orleans but if he’s not getting sack production he’s at least causing the ball to get out earlier. Teams are aware of him and – he can beat guys on the edge and he can also power them which is a good combination.”
On his confidence in DL Ishmaa’ily Kitchen ability:
“To me he’s just a guy that, going back to when we started, fills his grade sheet with pluses. He’s not a flash guy, he’s not going to fill up the stat sheet, have a tone of tackles or sack production or anything like that but he’ll keep the linebackers clean, he’ll be where he’s supposed to be. He’s very dependable when it comes to, when we talk about ‘doing your job and things will happen.’ He’s very dependable that way.”
BROWNS QB BRIAN HOYER ON FACING PITTSBURGH FOR THE SECOND TIME
Photo courtesy of the AP
On what he learned about Pittsburgh from playing them Week 1:
“Just that we can’t get behind, especially against a good team like that who’s solid. Yeah, we made a run at them and got close, but when you play good teams in the NFL, and most teams are, you can’t get behind because it’s too hard to come back. I think, especially playing at home this week and with what happened to us last week, we know that we have to start fast.”
On how well the offensive line is playing:
“They’re awesome. You sit there and watch film and you see how great they’re playing not just in the pass game, but the run game, too. I think it shows their commitment to the new scheme. It’s not like anything I think they’ve ever had before, and obviously, very different than what we did last year. Those guys did a great job of getting in shape knowing that they were going to have to run. You look at them, and they all look svelte. I think it’s paid off. You can see their athleticism show through, especially in the run game.”
On if he can see the no-huddle happening earlier this week:
“Yeah, definitely. It worked to our advantage last time. I’m sure they’ll be prepared for it so we can’t obviously do it the same way we did last time. I think the tempo helped us. Like I said, I think once you put it on tape, especially a team you played very recently, they know what we’re going to try to do to attack them, but I think there are some things we can do and use the tempo to our advantage.”
On if having two games against the same team this close together can be beneficial:
“Yeah, I think it can. It’s fresh in your memory. You don’t have to go back to a game plan that was 10 weeks ago. I think it also can hurt you. It’s only four games in between, and it was the beginning of the year. They haven’t shown everything that they have. I think, as the season goes on, teams come up with new stuff. Maybe this week, they’ll show us something that we’ve never seen before so I think there are positives and negatives.”
On what he knew about WR Taylor Gabriel before he got here:
“I confused him with the other two guys, (WR Willie) Snead and (WR Jonathan) Krause. They were just kind of like the three guys I wasn’t sure who was who. ‘Gabe’ (Gabriel), he’s really grown on me. The one thing that jumps out about him is this isn’t too big for him. Coming from where he came from – not drafted, a try-out guy – sometimes guys like that can get overwhelmed. I think it just goes to show his work ethic, how (much work) he’s put into making the team, standing out amongst the other rookie receivers, he’s done a great job.”
On not forcing the ball into tight coverage and that being a big reason he’s only had one interception:
“Really I had two, but one got called back. I think that a lot of it goes into preparation. If you have a good feel for your game plan plus what their defense does, you shouldn’t be surprised where their defensive players are on the field in relation to my guys. It’s always been instilled in me when you touch the ball, you hold the fate of the whole team in your hands. It’s something that I don’t take lightly, and obviously you don’t want to throw interceptions. It’s definitely on my mind. I don’t want to give the other team any more chances than they already have so protecting the football is definitely high on my list of priorities.”
On how he’s been able to effortlessly distribute the ball evenly:
“They’re all my favorite. I think really the way that this system is set up is that it’s set up for you to have success if you go through the reads and the progressions and get to the guy who’s open. I think I’ve always done a good job, whether it was here, New England, Arizona or back to Michigan State, of not zeroing in on one guy. I think when you do that, you make the defense really work. You just have to go out and take what they give you. It can be frustrating at times because you want to throw the ball down the field or you want to do certain things, but I think that’s when you throw interceptions. For me, it’s definitely about taking your spots for you where you want to attack them deep. I think all along I’ve said I trust our receiving group, tight end group, skill position groups so much that I just try to read the defense, go through the progression and take what the defense gives me.”
On this being the first time in his career that he’ll be playing a division team for a second time and if he thinks it’ll give him an edge over the first game:
“If anything, it’s playing them not in the season opener. In the season opener, you come in and you’re not really sure what to expect, not just with them but with ourselves with a new system, new coaching staff, new players. I think we’ve grown so much in just four or five weeks. Back to the throw that I hit (WR) Travis (Benjamin) on right before halftime, there’s no way I would have ever been able to do that Week 1. Just the trust level, the timing, those types of things, as you go on through the season, you get more and more reps and more and more looks and you just evolve as an offense. I think we’ve come a long way, and we still have a long way to go. I think as long as you go out and try to continue to build, it definitely benefits you, and I think, talking about playing team for the second time and it being so fresh in our minds, that game plan, I still have it in my book bag. It’s still pretty fresh.”
On what it’s like to have his jersey put in the Pro Football Hall of Fame today:
“It’s pretty cool, especially a kid growing up here going to Canton all the time – field trips, whatever it might be. To have something that I wore on display there is pretty cool, but with my luck, that record will get broken this week (laugther).”
On needing a win in the division:
“No matter how well you play throughout a year, if you don’t win in your division…You look at teams like Arizona last year not making the playoffs when they were 11-5, 10-6. Back to New England, I think it was in ’08 when they were 11-5 and still didn’t make the playoffs. You have to win games in your division. Regardless if it’s Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cincinnati, these are huge games for us.”
On if the Steelers defense has changed since Week 1:
“Obviously, there’s been some injuries. You get (Steelers LB) James Harrison back, who everybody knows James Harrison. He’s a force to be reckoned with on the field. Yeah, he’s a little bit older, but you watch him on tape and you don’t see much of a drop off.”
On being able to trust the offensive line:
“It allows to play fast and not worry about things like that as long as there’s not a blitz or anything. I know that I’m going to be able to go through my progression and get to the third, fourth guy without (pressure). Sometimes you see pressure, there are stunts, there are linebackers blitzing, it takes a lot of things to go right to be able to get through those progressions. When a team just straight up plays coverage and rushes four, I feel really comfortable getting through my progressions.”
On OL Mitchell Schwartz:
“Mitchell’s great. I think the first thing that stands out to me is how smart he is. He knows how to use this scheme to his advantage. I think, as far as that’s concerned, a lot of it has to go on the quarterback, too, like the sack in the game the other day. That’s all on me. I didn’t make the proper call in the protection. Sometimes, the o-line might get a bad rap for something that the quarterback’s doing, and I think last year’s scheme was a lot of deep drop backs and you’ve got to hold onto the ball. Whereas, I think this year’s scheme plays the way I play. I get the ball out quick, and it takes some of the heat off those guys. They feel more comfortable playing. I think Mitchell’s done a great job just like the rest of them.”
On if the Steelers have compensated for a depleted pass rush recently:
“I think (Steelers LB) Jason Worilds in mind is just as good as any other guy that’s been there. He might be a little smaller, but I think he uses that to his advantage. (Steelers LB) Jarvis Jones is a great player, too. I think in my time being there and now playing against them multiple times, they want to have good, quality players that know the scheme and play it well. If you’re a guy who’s reckless and can’t do it they’re not going to let you play. You might be a great pass rusher, but if you can’t set the edge in the running game, you really don’t do them any good. (Steelers LB) LaMarr Woodley’s gone and guys like that, but I think those guys that are there right now do a great job.”
On some of the most important things he has to keep in mind going against Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau’s scheme:
“He’s going to force you to throw the ball underneath. They’re going to be great in their zone drops and their man coverage. Their blitzes are going to be, they’re going to hit the gaps the right way, and you just have to be able to willing to take a little here, take a little there. Then when they give you an opportunity, take advantage of it. They’re so well-coached that they’re rarely out of position. It can be frustrating for a quarterback. They’re making you throw underneath all the time. As a quarterback – in my mind at least – I want to get the ball down the field. You’ve just really got to be patient.”
On if TE Jordan Cameron has bene frustrated:
“For me, I have such a great relationship. You see we’re sitting here talking every day. We share a locker. We spend a lot of time together watching film. I think Jordan knows he wants to get the ball more, and trust me I want to get the ball more to him, too. Talking about the system, for me, it’s more important to get it to the right guy than to try to force the ball. People know about Jordan a little bit more this year than they did last year. He is getting a little more attention from the defensive side of the ball, and that’s to be expected. I think it’s a long season. He didn’t play the second half of Pittsburgh. He missed the second game. Baltimore, he really didn’t get the chance to practice. I look back to last week’s game, the ball at the goal line doesn’t get batted it’s a touchdown. Another play, if we block correctly, maybe he turns up the sideline and gets a touchdown. He’s just a few plays away from really having a breakout, and the couple catches he did have were huge plays. The second down where I hit him across the middle, that gets a first down to get us rolling. Then, the one on the sideline when I had let that ball go, it was kind of a ‘who’s going to go get it,’ and Jordan went up strong and got it. I think the injury definitely held him back a little bit, but now you see him out there practicing. He’s going full-go, and I think he’s primed to have a big game here.”
On if an offensive player getting more attention opens up other things for the offense:
“Yeah, that’s when we talk about going through progression. Sometimes, they might tilt a certain coverage to certain players, and you can see that frees up other people.”
KEYS TO BEATING THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS THIS WEEK
1) STOP THE RUN – If you can halt the Steelers ground attack and force them to be one dimensional, their offensive line does not pass block well and you can get to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for sacks and potential turnovers. However, that pressure must come from the outside, forcing “Big Ben” to stay in the pocket so he can’t get to the edges, extending the play to throw downfield for long gains and scores. But all this starts by keeping Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount bottled up. This is easier said than done, especially since the Browns rank 30th out of 32 teams against the run this season, giving up 152.5 yards per game and the Steelers are 7th in the league in rushing at 137.2 yards per game.
2) DOUBLE TEAM ANTONIO BROWN – Give Joe Haden help in covering Brown. Bring a safety over and take your chances with one-on-one coverage elsewhere. In other words, make a receiver not named Antonio Brown beat you. No one has emerged to become that true, viable, second receiver threat yet for Pittsburgh. In fact, Brown is the only Steelers WR to reach the end zone this season.
3) BALANCE ON OFFENSE – Against Tennessee the Browns ran the ball 36 times and threw it 37 times. A similar game plan this week would be beneficial against a Steelers defense that is at best, AVERAGE. At times Pittsburgh has had trouble stopping the run and with the Browns strength being their offensive line and three capable running backs led by Ben Tate, using the run to set up the pass with play action, could result in chunks of yards on the ground, and then big scoring plays through the air against a very poor Steelers secondary. But when that big play is there, they must hit on it, score touchdowns and not have to settle for field goals because of missed opportunities.
4) SPECIAL TEAMS NEED TO BE SPECIAL – The Browns must contain Antonio Brown on punt returns. No more long returns and karate kicks to the face of Spencer Lanning. The Browns must win the field position battle and make sure that whoever is returning punts and kicks doesn’t turn the ball over. The Browns were very lucky last week that a penalty against the Titans nullified a fumbled punt return by Travis Benjamin. Also snaps, extra points and field goals all must be handled flawlessly by snapper, holder and kicker, so no kicks are missed and points are left on the field.
5) MAKE THE STEELERS LINEBACKERS COVER – In Dick Lebeau’s defensive scheme, he expects to get sacks or pressure on the quarterback from his linebackers. In the past that was no problem because Pittsburgh had Pro Bowl caliber linebackers. These Steelers linebackers are not that good. They’re having trouble getting to the quarterback and they have trouble covering tight ends and running backs on wheel routes out of the backfield. So make them cover and keep them off of Brian Hoyer, and the “Blitzburgh” defense is very susceptible to the big play and yielding points.
6) START AND FINISH STRONG – The Browns can ill afford to spot Pittsburgh a huge lead again because this time Pittsburgh may not take their foot off the gas like they did last time. Getting an early lead would be great for the team’s confidence and might put doubt in the minds of some of the young Steelers players, but at a minimum, keep the game even or close going into the fourth quarter and see if Brian Hoyer can work some more late game magic and help the “Kardiac Kids 2.0” come away with an important home, divisional win against their arch rivals.
MONDAY MORNING DUMP
Regardless of how they got here, the Browns are at .500 through 4 games at (2-2). Now what do they do moving forward will give us a better idea if they’re a good team, an improving team, a lucky team or still a bad team. We’ll start to get an answer to that debate starting this Sunday when they host their arch rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have beaten the Browns in 28 of the last 32 games.
Kudos to Chris Tabor’s special teams as they played a big part in the Browns historical comeback win yesterday at Tennessee. Tank Carter’s blocked punt was a momentum changer, and the fact they were perfect on all snaps for punts, field goals and extra points and they made all their kicks is huge. Plus their punt and kick coverage teams were outstanding.
Brian Hoyer is now (5-2) in 7 career starts for the Cleveland Browns. Of those 5 wins, he has led 3 game winning drives in the 4th quarter.
More Hoyer – he’s thrown for 1,008 yards with 6 touchdown passes and only 1 interception so far this season. That’s good for a 97.7 quarterback rating.
The Browns have outscored their opponents so far this season 67-30 in the second half of games.
While it is a victory Monday and as Mike Pettine pointed out in week #1 this is a Pass/Fail business, the Browns head coach can’t be happy with the way his team has started their road games (outscored 54-13 in 1st half), their inability to stop the run, the poor play of Joe Haden, Justin Gilbert and Buster Skrine and the horrendous tackling we’ve seen through 4 games.
The Browns defense, which was supposed to be its strength entering this season, is ranked 30th in run defense in the NFL at (152. Yards per game) and 28th in pass defense at ( 269.3 yards per game).
Having said all that, the Browns are only 1 game out of first in the AFC North.
Taylor Gabriel has been the biggest surprise for me amongst the wide receivers. The undrafted rookie from Abilene Christian has been a big play guy for the offense, averaging 19.4 yards per catch on 10 grabs.
If you’re looking for the strength of this Browns football team, look no further than the offensive line. Joe Thomas, John Greco, Alex Mack, Joel Bitonio and Mitchell Schwartz are the main reason Brian Hoyer has been able to do what he’s done, as well as the running game. The team is averaging over 143 yards per game on the ground with a 4.5 average on every carry regardless of who the running back is.
(4-15), that’s the combined record of the Browns next 4 opponents with 3 of those 4 games at home. No less than 3 wins in the next 4 games is acceptable if this squad wants to be considered a good team and a playoff contender.
FRIDAY FOOTBALL FORECAST
OHIO STATE at MARYLAND – 12pm – SATURDAY
Maryland has a chance to show all the doubters, like myself, why they belong in the Big Ten as they host Ohio State Saturday. The Buckeyes have chance to show that they’ve started to figure out how to play pass defense as they go up against a talented dual threat quarterback C.J. Brown (wrist injury) and his group of talented receivers – Stefon Diggs, Deon Long and Marcus Leak. If Brown can’t go at QB then it’ll be Caleb Rowe slinging the pigskin around against the Buckeyes. Either way, it’s another big test for the back end OSU’s defense.
The Buckeyes special teams better be up to the task as well as they’ll be tested in their coverage units going up against the 11th ranked kickoff return man in the country in Stefon Diggs (29.4avg) and William Likely, the 8th ranked punt return man in the country (22.0avg).
OSU quarterback J.T. Barrett has put up some decent numbers overall so far for Urban Meyer. The redshirt freshman signal caller has thrown for 1,080 yards and 13TD’s in his first 4 games while running for 205 yards and a a score. He will have to continue to play at a high level for the Buckeyes to win this game on the road in what could be another shootout.
I’ll take the Buckeyes in another high scoring affair 34-24.
CLEVELAND BROWNS at TENNESSEE TITANS – 1pm – SUNDAY
The Browns have an opportunity for a road win at Tennessee this Sunday. The Titans are ranked 22nd against the run in the NFL and the Browns strength is their rushing attack, ranked 9th in the NFL. Because of the solid play of the offensive line it shouldn’t matter if it’s Ben Tate, Isaiah Crowell or Terrance West carrying the rock, Kyle Shanahan’s offense should be able to move the ball on the ground.
If the Browns are successful with ground game, this will set up Brian Hoyer for plenty of play action opportunities against a defense that has given up 74 points over their last 2 games.
If Jake Locker plays for the Titans, the Browns pass defense will be tested more than if Charlie Whitehurst is under center. But Locker is coming off a wrist injury and while he practiced this week, he could be a bit rusty and not at 100 percent. That’s good news, because any help the Browns pass defense can get right now is needed as they rank 27th against the pass in the NFL.
I’m taking the Browns 24-17 in this one, as they start a stretch of 5 games where I expect them to go at least (3-2) if not (4-1).
BRIAN HOYER ON THE LOSS TO THE RAVENS, HIS PLAY, THE TEAM’S 1-2 RECORD AND THE OFFENSE
On not being able to get a first down on the final drive of the game:
“As much as it hurts to lose the game, there were times when we have a chance to put it away and we didn’t do it yesterday. It’s disappointing, and as an offense, we’ve got to be better when it comes to a chance to put the game away.”
On what being 1-2 going into the bye week and having all three games coming down to the last possession means:
“We’ve got to clean some stuff up. I think we’ve proven to ourselves that we can play with anyone. Now, it comes down to the point where it only matters if you win or lose. We have to do what we’ve been doing, but figure out a way to win the close games.”
On if he feels like there are enough playmakers on this team on both sides of the ball:
“Yeah, no doubt. I have full confidence in the players we have in this locker room. I just…really, we’re hurting ourselves. When it comes down to it, if we eliminate the self-inflicted wounds we win those games. That’s what it comes down to. Hopefully, we take this extra week and try to clean some of that stuff up and really put ourselves in a position to win those games.”
On what has surprised him at this point in the season:
“Nothing really. I think, if anything, we need to find a way to finish out those games and really eliminate the self-inflicted wounds.”
On why the run offense is working so much better this year:
“I think (it’s) just the emphasis on it. I think obviously (offensive coordinator) Kyle (Shanahan) has a history of having a great run game, and we have some good backs who are able to run the ball. I think we’re at our best when we can be balanced, and we’ve been able to do that throughout three games.”
On what his take is on having two division losses:
“We still have 13 games to play. Obviously those count a little bit more, but there’s no time to panic. We have 13 games to play. Like I said, we have this bye week early which obviously isn’t the best time to have it, but it’s a time for us to recharge, reset the button and figure out what we need to do to fix the self-inflicted penalties, the mental errors and go on and have the next 13 games to really try to get better.”
On if the problems are a bunch of small things adding up:
“Yeah. No doubt. It’s small things. We have to a better job paying attention to detail. Like I said, it’s the little things that add up to the big things. All three games came down to the last play. That’s what this league is about. When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter how well you play; if you don’t win the game, it’s all for nothing.”
On if he thinks that they try to be ‘too cute’ on offense sometimes:
“I don’t think so. This offense is based on keeping people on their toes and throwing a lot at them. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. There’s always a risk and a reward. The first end around, you get 12 yards, so then you try to run a counter off of it. That’s the risk you take. (Ravens LB) Terrell Suggs is a great player, and he stays home. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the guy who was on that side when we ran the other way, so he stayed home. He wasn’t worried about…he was letting his other 10 guys handle that and he stayed home. I mean, that’s why he’s Terrell Suggs. He’s a smart player. You can’t just go out and play safe. You’ve got to throw everything out at them, especially a defense like that. That’s probably one of the better defenses we’ll see all year. We had a great plan for them, and we’ve just got to capitalize in the end and finish the game out.”
On how he would evaluate his play through the first three games:
“I’m just always trying to get better. You’re always trying to make improvements. I think as an offense as a whole, we have gotten better. We need to improve. Obviously right now what we’re doing isn’t enough. As long as you’re always trying to get better – you’re always coming out and working and trying to fix things – you put yourself in position to get better each week and win more games.”
On if he can give more detail on the miscommunication on the play before the blocked field goal:
“No, I’m not going to give more detail. It was a miscommunication.”
On how the team stays focused going into the bye week:
“I think as a group, we’re committed to this. We realize where we’re at. We realize how close we are. I think guys realize that. Having the bye week so early…I mean yeah, it’s good to get away, but do you really need to get away? It’s only been three weeks. I know I’ll be in here and focused on Tennessee, and I’m not worried about that. We’re a mature enough team to handle that.”
On if he thinks the offense could give the running backs more carries:
“I don’t know. You’re better off asking (Browns offensive coordinator) Kyle (Shanahan) that question. For me, I call the play. Sometimes, I don’t even know which back is in there. I’m so consumed with everything else. I think the coaches get a feel for who has the hot hand, and they go with him.”
On if TE Jordan Cameron looking backed to normal and on two of his completions being intended for Cameron:
“Yeah, but he had a big play that kept us alive on that first drive, and the other one I thought it was a pass interference call. Jordan’s definitely a huge part of this offense. I have a very comfortable feeling going with him with the ball. I think maybe he only got targeted a few times, but that’s just the way the game played out. That’s how the play calls were played.”
On the Browns trying to match Cameron up against Ravens S Matt Elam:
“Yeah, and we didn’t get as many man-coverage looks as we thought we were going to. There was a few times where we split him out and there was a corner over there and it wasn’t a safety. Not that that is a bad matchup, but you’re really trying to take advantage of him against a safety.”
On if the Ravens adjusted how they were playing Cameron:
“Yeah, I think they knew what we were trying to accomplish by splitting him out. At that point, they probably thought it was better to keep a corner on him than a safety.”
On if the wind bothered him throwing the ball:
“No, I think, for me, I never had an issue throwing in any type of weather. I think as long as you can throw a tight spiral…we always thought that the wind will affect the kicking game before it affects the passing game because we’re able to throw a spiral. Kickers have got to kick it end over end and so forth. For me, I’ve always been able to spin it well, and I think when you do that you really eliminate the wind.”
On if WR Taylor Gabriel stopped and then had to catch up on his 70-yard reception from Hoyer:
“It’s hard to tell from the angle that I saw. I think, if anything, he was making sure he secured the catch, and obviously, in that situation that’s understandable.”
On if he is surprised that the offense has clicked this early in the season despite the unit’s play in the preseason:
“No, I think a big deal is made of the preseason. There were a lot of interchangeable parts, myself included. That’s going to happen, but when you really get to get into game planning, focusing on who’s going to be out there playing things really start to come together. I think that’s why you see, obviously, a totally different type of offense now than it was in the preseason.”
On if the miscommunication on running back exchanges against Pittsburgh and Baltimore are results of working with young running backs:
“I’m not going to go any further into that. It was a miscommunication, and we’ve got to get better at it. There’s no excuse for it.”
NOTES AND QUOTES FROM BROWNS LOSS TO BALTIMORE
NOTES
The Browns rushing defense continues to struggle as they gave up 160 yards on the ground to the Ravens third and fourth string running backs.
For the season the Browns defense is giving up an average of 153.7 yards per game on the ground at a 5.2 yards per carry average.
The Browns racked up 94 yards on 12 penalties yesterday and through 3 games they have been penalized 24 times for 179 yards.
In the last 2 games the Browns have been outscored 13-3 in the fourth quarter.
The Browns have yet to commit a turnover this season and are a +4 in the giveaway/takeaway category.
The Browns have scored at least 21 points in all three games this season. The last time the team scored at least 21 points in the first three games of a season was 1969, when the team accomplished the feat in each of the first seven games.
Quarterback Brian Hoyer has thrown 156 consecutive passes without an interception and through 3 games this season has a QB rating of 97.5.
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is now 12-1 lifetime against the Browns. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is 18-1 lifetime against the Browns. So Cleveland’s two biggest rivals have quarterbacks who have combined to go 30-2 versus the Browns.
QUOTES
HEAD COACH MIKE PETTINE
On the 23-21 loss:
“(We’re) obviously very disappointed. I thought for the bulk of it the players played well enough to have a victory. I put this one on me. We didn’t coach well enough to win today. I’m not going to get into too much of the specifics until I get a chance to go through it. The list is long.”
On what would have happened if WR Travis Benjamin caught the ball on the punt at the end of the game:
“You’d like him to. I just don’t know. It was obviously windy. That’s one that you hope that even if he bombs it that he can still fair catch it. That’s a couple first downs worth.”
WR TRAVIS BENJAMIN
On the last punt of the game:
“I wasn’t afraid at all. I got up under the ball correctly and at the last minute, a gust of wind blew it and it went past my hand. I didn’t want to go back and reach for the ball, so I just let it pass by.”
DB JOE HADEN
On giving the Ravens too many chances:
“There were a lot of opportunities, but we pride ourselves on going on the field, making plays and getting stops and I just didn’t do that today. It was a really good play. He (Ravens WR Steve Smith, Sr.) just got me on a go route.”
On if there’s anything he could have done differently:
“It was a good throw and catch, but I put it on myself and I understand I have to make that play.”
On Head Coach Mike Pettine putting the loss on himself:
“That is what he said, but that doesn’t make any sense. He did a great job out there. We had a lot of chances to win, and there are a lot of things we could have done better, but we just didn’t finish.”
QB BRIAN HOYER
On the loss despite good offensive production:
“It’s tough; it’s heartbreaking. We were on the other side this week, and it doesn’t feel good. Really when it comes down to it, we made a lot of plays but we didn’t make them when we really needed to. In this league, you have to do it when it’s on the line. We did it last weekend; we didn’t do it this week. As good as we felt the whole game, when it comes down to critical moments, we just have to make more plays.”
On the last third-down pass attempt to WR Andrew Hawkins:
“It was a little bit behind him. I think I got to him a little quicker than we usually do it because of the progression. If I could put it in front of him, Hawk’s just turning. That’s on me, I have got to put it in front of him.”
LB JABAAL SHEARD
On the defense at the end of the game:
“We will go back and watch the film. I didn’t do a good job of getting to the quarterback. Up front, we didn’t do a good job. That’s on us. We have to go and get to the quarterback. We need to make plays.”
On not making enough plays at the end of the game:
“There were plenty of plays at the beginning of the game. We have to execute early, play disciplined, sound, and make plays early. Nothing to do with what happened at the end of the game, there were a lot of opportunities we missed in the first half. We gave up too many points.”
On new Coach Mike Pettine saying the coaches were out-coached today:
“I don’t know what they are talking about. I take it on us. We let them rush for too many yards up front. We didn’t get any sacks. That’s what we are here for up front, that’s what we have to do.”
On the multiple 12 men in the huddle penalties:
“We have to be more sound and pay attention to the sidelines to see what’s coming in or what’s going on. The stadium is pretty loud. We just have to be more sound. That’s on us.”