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Burning Questions

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12 questions with Odell Beckham Jr., who sees 'bits and pieces of greatness' in a Browns offense that is still 'putting it all together'

Odell Beckham Jr.'s optimism hasn't wavered a bit. That much is clear.

The Pro Bowl wide receiver feels good about the state of the Browns offense even though the yards, points and wins haven't followed. The execution needs to be better, the penalties need to be eliminated and the turnovers need to be limited, but Beckham still sees a unit with all the ingredients to reach its potential.

ClevelandBrowns.com caught up with Beckham before the team headed out to Denver.

CB.com: What have you seen from the guys in practice this week after Sunday's tough loss in New England?

Beckham: I don't think there's ever going to be a lack of confidence for us. I think we're going to always continue to come out and continue to keep pushing forward. We've had some tough losses but we know what our mistakes are. We're trying to clean those up, correct them and come out and give Denver everything we have.

CB.com: Have you been impressed with some of the resilience you've seen from your teammates?

Beckham: Definitely. When stuff like this happens during the season, you can see a team start to divide or come together. I don't think this team has any divide in them. I think we want to win. We prepare to win every single game even though some of those games haven't had the outcome we wanted. That's what we prepare for and that's what we're waiting on.

CB.com: What are the reasons you see why guys are coming together?

Beckham: I think it just has to do with the way Coach Freddie (Kitchens) is and the way people on this team are in general. We know there's not going to be anything good coming out of it if we're all split. We have to come together and start to put together a run and at the end of the year to be exactly where we want to be.

CB.com: Even though they were losses, what can this team get from the experiences of these last three games against some of the NFL's elite teams?

Beckham: It's not like we're patting ourselves on the back for any of these games we've played, but at the same point in time, we've had a tough seven-game stretch. We've played the Rams, Patriots, Seahawks, Tennessee, Baltimore, San Francisco. We've played everybody. We've had a tough schedule and games we should have won had could-of, would-of, should-of moments in them. But we haven't won them. We just have to keep working every day.

Check out photos as the team travels to Denver to play the Broncos by team photographer Matt Starkey

CB.com: When the focus ramps up on penalties like it has this week, how do you avoid thinking about it too much and letting it affect how you play?

Beckham: You've just got to play. Play free. The more you think about something, the more it's bound to happen. If someone says, 'don't look,' usually you're going to look because that's your initial reaction because the last thing you heard was 'look.' So if we say 'don't get any penalties,' all you're going to be thinking about is getting penalties. It's just about changing your mindset, changing the words, play mistake-free.

CB.com: How encouraging is it that there's been moments where this offense has clicked like it's supposed to?

Beckham: It's encouraging but you want to see it happen all the time. You want to see the results, not just be encouraged. We've seen bits and pieces of greatness. It's just about putting it all together now and getting it all to go.

CB.com: When the pass game gets going, how dangerous can this offense be with what the team has already proven on the ground?

Beckham: I think we're just still establishing our identity, figure it out from there and just keep rolling. The passing game, once it gets there, everything will be better.

CB.com: What have you seen from Baker Mayfield behind the scenes?

Beckham: He comes into work every single day as a fiery competitive guy who wants to win. Our downfall has been mistakes and penalties. That's just something we're all working on, but he wants to win. He is a winner. I think soon enough here when we all pull together we'll see it.

CB.com: You've mentioned you've trained in high altitude before. What's the advice you can pass along to teammates who haven't?

Beckham: I was up in Big Bear and I felt what it felt like. I've never been in Denver so I don't know the altitude there. I don't really have any tips for anybody except you're just going to have to deal with it. That's really it. Just control your breathing. That's it.

CB.com: What have you seen from Denver's defense this season?

Beckham: (Chris Harris Jr.) is one of the best corners in the league. Von Miller up front. Anytime you've got a guy like that who can get to the quarterback, it makes it a little easier for the defenders. They know their time clock is a little shorter. It's not going to be easy but we're up for the challenge.

CB.com: Guys have mentioned the team likes going on the road because it brings them together. Do you like going a couple of days in advance for a game like this?

Beckham: I've never done this but it's cool to see it happen. There is a good time to bond, eat dinner, hang out with your guys.

CB.com: How important would one win be for this team right now?

Beckham: You just need one win and then the rest, we'll see how it goes from there.

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