BRIAN HOYER AND JOHNNY MANZIEL POST GAME REACTION FOLLOWING 33-14 LOSS TO THE RAMS

Here’s what Browns quarterbacks, starter Brian Hoyer and back-up johnny Manziel had to say after Saturday night’s loss to the St. Louis Rams in the third preseason game –

QB Brian Hoyer

On tonight’s performance:

“I think we did some good things and I think there are some things we obviously need to improve on.  Getting in the end zone… it was good to do that and finish a drive.  We have got to play collectively better as a team.  I made some mistake and other people made some mistakes.  We need to get back to the basics and focus what each individual person has to do on that particular play and take it one play at a time.  We get the ball moving and then we have a setback.  Coach (Pettine) put it the right way: we all have to play better.  Obviously, I have to too.”

On trying to gain consistency with different personnel:

“I think we are all just trying to come along together.  As an offense, you have to be on the same page and there obviously were some plays out there where we weren’t.  It’s going to come.  That’s what the preseason is for, to work out those kinks, and we will get better.  I don’t doubt that.  We show some flashes here and there and then we pull ourselves back.  Pittsburgh isn’t that far away so we need to hone in and fix those things.  We have another short week this week with just two days of practice.  I don’t know how much we will play, but I expect to play.  I think we need to.  We have just got to keep building.  I don’t want people to hit the panic button, I think we do some really good things.  We have just got to continue to do those (good things) and eliminate the mistakes.”

On if he gained any confidence in orchestrating a touchdown drive:

“I think so.  You have always got to build on your positives and learn from your mistakes.  To get it in there and get a good drive… and finish with a touchdown pass is definitely something we can build on.” 

On the starters welcoming extra work by potentially playing in the preseason finale:

“For sure I think we need it.  This is our first time together in this offense and with the competition that was going on, we need to go forward and be unified in one direction.  I think it’s going to come because we show flashes.  We have just got to stop kicking ourselves and finish the drives.  It was good to cap that one off in the end zone (tonight).”

On if penalties or cohesion of blocking schemes hindered offensive progress:

“It’s a combination of everything, it’s not just one person.  The thing about football is that it’s the ultimate team sport.  Ten guys can do the right thing and if one guy doesn’t, it throws things off especially on offense.  On defense things can get hidden a little bit more, but on the offensive side of the football we all have to be on the same page.  It’s a work in progress and we know that.  We have just got to continue to improve, go out and work hard and get better.  That’s what it comes down to.”

QB Johnny Manziel

On feeling more comfortable today:

“Absolutely. No doubt about it.”

On feeling more comfortable in any specific aspect of the game:

“I just felt more comfortable. I am just going out and playing ball. I’m just going out, getting better and having fun.”

On the touchdown drive:

“I think it was a little bit of a mess up drive. It was coming off a turnover so we had great field position. It was a great pick by LB (Chris) Kirksey. It was great to get a touchdown, getting it called back and then still being able to get in. It’s hard sometimes to overcome adversity with penalties in the red zone so it was nice to still be able to get in the end zone. Either way, it didn’t matter to me, just as long as we got in the end zone.”

On flashing the money sign after his touchdown:

“The crowd was great tonight. I thought they were extremely electric. That’s for those guys. It’s not for me.”

On where the offense is now, two weeks away from the opener:

“It’s growing. I think we are putting in more and continuing to get better. If you look at whatever group we put in there, I think, week by week, we are continuing to get better and better. That’s an improvement, and we need to continue to get better and better as the weeks go on.”

On the possibility of have a two­­­-quarterback system:

“I feel like any way I can help contribute to this team, whether it’s looking at a certain coverage, looking at something during the game, or getting in the game and having a certain package during the game, just anything that I can do to help this offense to win games that’s the position I’m in and that’s all I really want to do.”

On the quarterback competition being over and now feeling looser and being able to play more Johnny like:

“I don’t think it was to be more ‘Johnny’. I think it was let it loose and forget whatever happens. Throw the ball and be decisive. I thought I did a better job of that tonight. It was better for me.”

On what he saw on his touchdown run:

“We were trying to work the tight end and kind of got smothered up. As I stepped up, I was just trying to dump it off underneath to the route that was coming towards me. As I did that, the backer kind of squeezed and left a big hole. I just had to make a quick decision and go for it and I luckily got in.”