HEAD COACH JESSE MINTER
Opening Statement: "All right, thanks for being here. Again, [it was a] disappointing game for us yesterday. [There were] a lot of things when you look at it — the chances that you have in that game to separate and change the game as it's going. It's always easy to look back at one play and say that that's the difference. I think that to me, when I look at it, there's so many plays between halftime and in the fourth quarter where we have a chance to create momentum, create a bigger lead, create momentum on special teams or defense, that we really weren't able to take advantage of. Then when you let a good team with good players hang around and have the opportunity to tie it up on one play or something along those lines, then you put yourself in that position. So, it's on us. We'll own it, [and] we'll learn from it. We didn't capitalize on the opportunity in a really tough-fought game. Then obviously, we've got to turn the page. We've got a great opportunity again [with] a division opponent coming in here this week that we have a lot of respect for. We'll keep trying to improve, keep getting better, and focus on ourselves."
What do you think the chances are of QB Lamar Jackson playing this week? (Jamison Hensley) "I'd still put it in kind of the day-to-day thing. We'll know a lot more on Wednesday, I would say."
Do you expect him to practice this week? (Luke Jones) "Potentially, but we'll see how it goes."
After the game, you gave the Cleveland Browns a fair amount of credit and their defense. Upon deeper analysis, why did you feel like your offense really couldn't get much going for the last three quarters? (Childs Walker) "I thought [the Cleveland Browns] did a really good job attacking our run game in some of the wide-zone schemes, cutting the ball off and getting really downhill with their linebackers. I thought they got really aggressive in coverage and manned everybody up. [They] had a couple good changeups on some conversion downs. Overall, I just felt like they got pretty aggressive to take Derrick [Henry] and the running game away. They were able to have success doing that. We weren't able to find enough answers to create some more momentum after starting the game off well in the first two drives."
It looked like QB Tyler Huntley had a couple of delay-of-game penalties. It looked like they were getting to the line late. What was going on with the communication between him and the coaches? (Cordell Woodland) "[There were] just a couple operational things, for sure, whether just later in the play clock or guys maybe going on the wrong side of a formation initially and then trying to correct it as the play clock's running down. [It's] unfortunate, I would say, to have those. One of them [I] certainly considered banging a timeout. But especially in the second half, the timeouts are really critical to try to hold on to. So, [it was] unfortunate, and something we'll keep striving to be better at."
What'd you see from WR Ja'Kobi Lane in his first game back? (Ryan Mink) "I thought Ja'Kobi [Lane] did some really nice things. I think there's parts of the game where [you can see] it's his second game, and it shows that it's his second game. Then you see what also created a lot of the energy and excitement around Ja'Kobi for how he did in training camp with his ability to pluck the ball out of the air and make tough catches and be a really physical receiver and use his body really well. I thought he had some really nice plays and some nice catches. He had a couple really nice blocks as well. He's always been that way. I thought he played really well. I think he'd be the first to tell you [that] hopefully he can now get in rhythm, and you'll see some major jumps for him. But [it] certainly was a good outing for him."
I know you don't want to get into too many details about QB Lamar Jackson's injury, but has he made progress over the past couple weeks? (Jamison Hensley) "Yes."
Is C Cam Jurgens still in concussion protocol, and what's the expectation and plan for him this week? (Luke Jones) "We feel that it's come a long way over the weekend and that there's a real opportunity for [Cam Jurgens]. The final deal may be today or tomorrow as we go. We're excited to potentially get him in there this week."
In the first half, it looked like the Browns just weren't able to do anything offensively. What changed in the second half? (Cordell Woodland) "[For] one, I think we were on the field more. We missed a couple opportunities, I felt, early in the third quarter to get off the field on third down. I think [in] a game like that, [when] you keep giving them possessions, and you keep it a one-score game; you keep them in their ability to kind of still run a lot of their normal plays. An offense like that, [in] a game like that where — if you can get that to 13-0 or to a 14-0 or to a 17-0, I think their offensive style has to really change. We were never able to separate like that. They were able to still kind of have a little bit of a run game there. I thought we played the run overall fairly well. But, yeah, [they were] kind of able to keep in rhythm, then they hit a few passes on us. [There were] a couple third downs where I'd like us to be a little more aggressive and tighter in coverage. Again, you let them hang around like that, that's what happens."
On that 33-yard completion specifically to set up the field goal, what needed to happen in coverage there that didn't happen? (Childs Walker) "I would say a few things, but I'm going to keep that between the players and the guys in this building."
Was that CB Nate Wiggins passing him off to S Jaylinn Hawkins? Just from a technical standpoint, what happened? (Brian Wacker) "There's a bunch of things based on the coverage that we were in that we could have done better. So, [I will] leave it at that."
You made a change in the dime package with CB Keyon Martin getting back on the field. It was his first time I think since Week 1. How did he play, and what did you see on the defensive pass interference call? In the TV camera angles they showed it's kind of tough to see. Was there a jersey pull from another angle? What did you see? (Luke Jones) "I give Keyon [Martin] a lot of credit. He had a good [training] camp, and then in Week 1 I felt like there were some things that – he did OK, and we started working Chandler [Rivers] in there a little bit. To his credit, oftentimes when that happens to a player, it can go one of two ways. He's continued to really, really practice really well. He did a really good job for a couple weeks getting a ton of reps against our starting offense, and [he] kept getting better and kept improving. I felt like after last game that it was a good opportunity to maybe switch it back. I thought he played really well. PIs [pass interference penalties] are subjective. They are bang-bang plays. There's two plays in that game that look pretty similar, and [on] one there was a flag and one there wasn't. So, again, it's subjective. When you deal with it, you deal with it. It's not a big deal."
Did you consider – I think it was around 2:08 left – going for it there before you took the delay of game on your last offensive drive? (Jeff Zrebiec) "I really did not. In a 10-10 game with the struggles our offense had had – to give them the ball on their side of the field in a tie game, I didn't think that would be very smart. I thought kicking them back and making them go – and obviously they did anyway. But just the overall way that we had not really gotten a lot going there other than the missed field goal drive, I felt like I trusted our guys to go make a play."
Do you have anything new on OLB Trey Hendrickson? Did he get out of the game OK? (Jeff Zrebiec) "I think that's an ongoing thing of just making sure that it's going the right way. But I feel pretty good about how [Trey Hendrickson] got out of the game. I thought, for his first game back dealing with that, I thought he rushed well. From a rush-coverage standpoint, I thought our pass rush took a good step in the right direction for us going forward."
What about WR Rashod Bateman? (Sam Cohn) "Yes, 'Bate' [Rashod Bateman] was dealing with a little bit [going] into the game. He dealt with it as the game was going on. And again, I think he came out of it OK, even though he kind of came out of the game. But I think there's a little bit of optimism that he should be OK."
Is there any balancing act that you have to manage with OLB Trey Hendrickson over his career being primarily on one side as a rusher and OLB Mike Green, at least early in his career, being best from that same side of the defensive line? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, definitely. [We were] talking about that today. We have to find the spots where you can move them around – potentially both of them – move them around and create different matchups. But obviously, I think Trey [Hendrickson] is a really, really good right-side rusher. And so, there's things he does really well particularly on most quarterbacks' back side. So, we have to find really good ways to make sure we're still getting a lot out of Mike [Green]. I thought he played well the last couple games when we didn't have Trey. And so, we have to make sure that we're finding really good ways with both of them out there to be really effective."
Just in terms of fourth-quarter passing yardage allowed this year, understanding obviously some of that is teams that are trying to play catch-up there, what do you need to see more of in those end-of-game situations, particularly in the secondary? (Brian Wacker) "I think that's a great question. I think there's a level of confidence, conviction and aggressiveness that you can play with that we have to find, and we have to find that perfect balance for us. So, I think that's an ongoing search. I do think we have good players back there and guys that can make a bunch of plays. We have to continually find the good balance for us of what that is and the types of coverages that we can really thrive in. I think it's just that blend of like an aggressive mentality, a go-get-the-ball mentality [and] a play-making mentality that we can continue to strive for."
You talked about some of what they did to take RB Derrick Henry away, but did you also feel like you just needed more from your offensive line in some of those situations? Do you feel like you're still searching for the right combination up there? (Childs Walker) "Again, injuries and things like that happen, so it's our job, with the players that we have, to put them in the best position to be successful. I think that's a challenge to all of us as coaches, honestly. Like, who do we have out there? We can't just say that this play's going to look good if this guy's not maybe great at that particular type of block or that movement or whatever. Finding the right types of things that the guys that we have can do, and then [it's about] being able to adjust as a defense adjusts throughout the game — being able to adjust and do those things. So, I think our offensive line was good at times, and then there were times where they were beating us off the ball or beating us to a spot and cutting the run game off. So, [we're] definitely chasing continued improvement up front on our offensive line."
With K Tyler Loop, obviously he's made some big kicks, but he hasn't been probably as consistent as you would like. Do you say anything to him? Where are you with your confidence in him? (Brian Wacker) "Confronting issues and confronting problems is really what this whole thing's about. So, there have been a few times where it's not the end-of-a-game kick that everybody sees as a game winner, but there are kicks that take a lead from a two-score game to a three-score game a few games ago, or take that game from a one-score game to a two-score game, which, the way that game is going, is really, really critical. So, those are critical misses. There is a confidence level for how [Tyler Loop] prepares and how he practices and how he operates and how he strikes the ball, but at the same time, that position itself is completely results-driven. So, we'll continue to work with him and continue to try to put him in position, but we need to make second-half kicks. You could argue that second-half missed field goals are no different than turning the ball over in those situations. So, [that's] definitely something we want to keep striving to be better at."
Were you disappointed in the fourth-quarter sequence of the special teams? Not just the miss, but when RB Rasheen Ali muffs the kickoff and P Ryan Eckley punts into the end zone on the last drive? (Luke Jones) "Again, I talked to the team about three phases working together and opportunities to separate in the game. It [was] 10-3, and we fumble, [and] they score. Then, it's like, 'OK, special teams pick us up, get us a return,' [and] we dropped the return. [On] the next one, not a great punt. Now, we ended up stopping them on that drive, but then, late in the game, you decide to punt with two minutes to go. We need to pin them inside the 10-[yard line] and make them maybe play conservatively a little bit more, [and we] kick it into the end zone. So just [in] those moments, it's just about not trying to do more than who you are, and I feel like that's a little bit of a thing [of] staying true to yourself, staying true to the way you prepared, staying true to the way you've been. And in those moments, the big moments, they're only big because it's that point in the game. We have to find a way to really look at every situation like that and be better going forward."
Going back to K Tyler [Loop], would you look at bringing in another kicker at some point? (Brian Wacker) "I think like any position — you're always looking at ways of how to impact the roster, how to impact improvement. So, that one would be no different."
When we talked to S Kyle Hamilton after the game yesterday, he said he didn't even know who was next on the schedule. But looking at just the middle third of this season, do you feel like this team needs to elevate its game to meet what at least on paper seems like a much tougher next six weeks than the first six weeks? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, it's such a week-to-week league. [I have] a high level of respect for everybody that [we] play. You certainly know who's on the schedule, who's coming up [and] all that stuff. But this team — and I've said it before — it's us versus us. When we operate a certain way, and we learn to be out of our own way in moments; we learn to separate in games, [then] we learn to make these critical plays in the third quarter that lead to a different fourth quarter. It's not always that one play in the fourth quarter. It's more about us, and it's more about us chasing our best standard [and] our best version. Again, we have a lot of respect for the teams that we have played [and] the teams coming up on the schedule. We know what it is. It's a division opponent with a bunch of really good players that we have coming in this week, and it's going to take, for us, a great week of preparation, fixing our mistakes, not letting the loss linger, but learning from it and fixing the things that happened, and then going at the next one. You [have] to take it week-by-week because [in] some weeks, teams look great, [and] some weeks they don't. So, [it's] definitely a week-to-week thing."