Baker Mayfield: "We have to build on this momentum and keep going one game at a time"

QB Baker Mayfield: On what the 2-1 start means to Cleveland and having a winning record for the first time since 2014: “First and foremost, this is a football town. They deserve to have a great franchise and a great team, but we are worried about right now. Like I said before the season started, it is about building that culture, bringing the right guys in and pushing this thing in the right direction, which is what we have been doing and we are trying to do. We have to build on this momentum and keep going one game at a time.” On the Browns’ strong defensive performance: “Unbelievable job by the defense today taking the ball away. I thought we could have been offensively better in the first half just doing our job. When the defense plays like that and they were able to make a play to get us field position, we were able to take advantage in the second half and we played complementary football. Up front, we did great all game long, and I could have done a better job in the first half to keep the chains moving and put us in a better position to kind of run away with that game.” On the Browns offense capitalizing on turnovers and it being the epitome of complementary football: “Absolutely. Anytime your defense can take it away that many times, you want to help those guys out. You want to feed off the energy, and that is what we did in the second half. Kudos to our defensive guys for taking the ball away that many times.” On winning the turnover margin 5-0 and ending his interception streak: “Always, taking care of the ball the most important thing. I could have played way better. I could have gotten the ball out and saved a couple of those sacks. The protection was great. I could have re-IDed the play where the intentional grounding happened and the first play coming out where I got sacked. Some things that I can be a lot better on. It was a great job by (WR) Odell (Beckham Jr.) knocking the ball down. I should have put that ball more outside and let him run under it, but we are going to take our chances on those 50-50 balls with our guys. He did an unbelievable job knocking that ball down.” On regaining momentum on the long third down to Beckham: “It was huge. Two of our biggest conversions came from (RB) Kareem (Hunt) doing an unbelievable job. He picked up (Washington S) Landon Collins on a safety pressure on that play and gave us a chance to get the ball in Odell’s hands. We converted that one and went on later on to score on that drive. We really need the spark, and after that, we were playing complementary football.”On RB Nick Chubb’s performance today and his reaction to Chubb breaking long runs after several dirty runs in the game: “He is special to watch. Both of our guys (Chubb and Hunt) are. You never want to take any of that for granted. We have special guys and we have a great offensive line. It is always fun to sit back and watch, but I have to continue to carry out my fake and expand those holes.” On what Washington was doing in the third quarter stretch where they took the lead: “I held onto the ball. I could not see (TE) Harrison (Bryant) on a stick route. I should have gotten the ball out and took a sack. That is completely on me, not protection. The intentional grounding one, I should have re-IDed and put us in a better position to win on that play. That is completely on me. I will take that blame, and I will get better and move on.” On if it was difficult for the Browns to stick to the run game when trailing in the third quarter: “No, I think when you are only trailing by a few points, you can stick to that stuff and continue to hammer the ball and trust in it that it is going to open up eventually. It is a different story when you are down a little bit more, but when it is that close of a game, it does not matter.” On DE Myles Garrett coming up with a strip-sack in a big moment in back-to-back games: “Big-time players, make big-time plays. We have seen that obviously, like you said, with Myles, but the whole defense, the line got after him a little bit and forced him to throw the ball earlier in some zones where he did not have time to go through his reads. Just the defense played great. Like we said, the second half, they played unbelievably and allowed us to win the game.” On continuing to find a balance between wanting to make plays and wanting to protect the ball: “Doing whatever it takes to win the game. Obviously, taking care of the ball, percentages show a way better chance to win the game but especially when our defense is playing like that. We have a great punter. Protecting that ball, taking check downs, playing the field position game and playing that battle and just trusting this team and this offense that we are going to chip away eventually, and trusting our defense and special teams that we are going to give them great field position to play against and play complementary football.”DE Myles Garrett: On the Browns playing complementary football in today’s win: “That is what we are supposed to do. We had success running and throwing the ball. We were getting pressure on the quarterback, making him overthrow some of his guys, and we were there to take advantage of that. We also rushed the passer a little bit. When it is all going well like that, you have to make sure to come out on top.” On his strip-sack and fumble recovery in the fourth quarter: “I had been trying to set him up with speed to power and some jam moves early on to get his hands and get him to open up a little bit sooner. That last one, they did not have any help for him so I knew I was going to take it all the way up the field and try to get to it the best that I could. He could anticipate me either jabbing or going inside because that is where I was beating him. I was able to get on the backside of the strip. I saw that he had not thrown it yet, and no sack is complete without getting the ball.” On the significance of the Browns having a winning record for the first time since 2014 and the team getting off to a good start this season: “I made that very clear to the guys. We have a chance that we have not had in a long just to have a winning record, whether it is early or late. We have to take advantage of the opportunity. We have to start changing history here and our legacies right now. This is the opportunity to do it. We can be 1-0 this week, and that is what we are going to look forward to going into next week.” On if he was hurt when going to the sideline in the third quarter: “Just a little winded. They had a couple of long drives. I was trying to save up for something big, and I had it in me.” On how important it was to get contributions from several different Browns defensive players today: “I have seen these guys all week. They have been getting after it. They have been hungry. The have been hunting. The have been getting PBUs, batting down balls and interceptions. Guys like (LB) Malcolm Smith, definitely making big plays. (S) Karl (Joseph) making that big hit on the sideline. We have guys making big plays. We showed that today. We have to keep up that momentum.” On the Browns defense having a strong performance to build confidence: “Go back to years past, I remember my second year, we played the Steelers and we played them to a draw. We had six takeaways. In this one, we just put it all together. That is real team ball, complementary ball that we played. I am proud of how we all came together. We have to do this every week. We just have to find a way to keep on perfecting our crafts.” On his commitment to improving his game and where he found another gear to create the type of plays he has the past two weeks: “You always have to find little things to keep you motivated. Before the game, my friend said that I was not going to get another sack-forced fumble so that was a challenge I wanted to complete going into the game. (DT) Sheldon (Richardson) said I was not going to get another one after my first sack. Those little ones and those little doubts, whether it comes from the opposite team or your own guys, it always fuels me to do better.”S Karl Joseph: On the emphasis the Browns defense put on forcing turnovers this week his interception to start the game: “That has been a big emphasis for us all season. Training camp, Coach (defensive coordinator Joe) Woods and (Head) Coach Kevin (Stefanski) put a big emphasis on turnovers. We know that is key to winning games. Obviously, we have not been able to get any the first two weeks, and we knew for us to win this game we were going to have to make some turnovers. We did a pretty good job of that.” On the Browns offense capitalizing on takeaways: “That is what it is about – offense helping the defense out and the defense helping the offense out. When we get the turnovers and they capitalize on that, it was great to see that they were able to capitalize and score off every turnover we got today. That is playing complementary football. That is what it is going to take for us to win.” On if he feels his interception helped inspire other Browns defensive players to create more turnovers: “Yeah, I think one thing we learned is that turnovers come in bunches. It was great for me to start it off, and then you saw how that trickled down. Other guys started getting other opportunities and capitalized on it. We are always cheering for each other. I was grateful that (CB) Tavierre (Thomas) was able to get on that fumble. It almost broke my heart. That was great effort on his part to be on the spot.” On if outside criticism of the Browns DBs and LBs inspires the defense to prove others wrong: “We do not listen to outside noise. We listen to what we think within our building. We know that is all that matters. There are always going to be critics win or lose. We just have to continue to get better and focus on what we can control, and that is improving every week and throughout practice and our preparation.” On DE Myles Garrett coming up with strip-sacks in back-to-back games: “That is the kind of player he is. There is a reason why he is in the position he is in – one of the highest paid players in the league for those reasons right there. You see every game him coming up with a big stop or big play for us. We know that he is that kind of player.”RB Kareem Hunt: On giving WR Odell Beckham Jr. a run for his money with his one-handed catch: “Hey, I am just trying to make the most out of every opportunity.” On how the one-handed catch play unfolded: “It was supposed to be a quick flap pass to me to get the quick first down, but it looked a little rough so I wheeled it up, and hopefully, Baker made some time to see me because I saw there was nobody else behind me. He threw it where I was supposed to be, and I made a nice catch.” On if the one-handed catch play was similar to the TD play from last week: “No.” On being able to finish the game running the ball after RB Nick Chubb two games in a row: “The biggest thing is we have to keep getting first downs to keep the clock moving. Everybody in the stadium knows it is a run at that time of the game so we just have to go out there and grind it out.” On watching the Browns defense create so many turnovers and opportunities for the offense: “It is great. The defense played great. We always want to get a lot of turnovers, and they did their job and got off the field, and took advantage of them. We have to keep that up every week. The offense knows we have to go capitalize off that good field position, and we have to get points on the board.” On if the Browns offense had the opportunity to wear down Washington’s defense through the running game late in the game: “Yeah, most definitely. We were able to just keep pounding the rock and keep the chains moving. The offensive line did a great job again just fighting. They have a great front seven, and those guys play hard. They did a great job, too.” On T Jedrick Wills Jr. seeming to struggle in the third quarter: “Jed made a few mistakes, but we are going to pick him up. We have got his back no matter what. It is team football so we have to go out there, delete that and keep playing.” On watching the Browns defense run down into the end zone and celebrate the turnovers: “It is beautiful. I want to run down there with those guys and celebrate.” On the Washington defense playing tough early in the game and being able to produce big runs even when plays are not blocked perfectly: “Sometimes, it is not going to be always perfect. Sometimes you have to find a way to make something happen. That is what we have to do. (RB) Nick (Chubb) and I are both playmakers, and at any given time of play, we can have a big run.” On if seeing Chubb drag guys and make big plays is motivating: “Yeah, most definitely, and I am thinking about coming in there and sparing him every time he gets tired, loses wind or anything like that and come in with the same motivation.” On being able to play like he and Chubb have talked about playing over the past few years: “It is very fun to be able to go out there and take turns and punish defenses. It is very fun. I can’t wait for next week. We enjoy this win today and start back to work next week.” On the Browns having a winning record for the first time since 2014: “We are excited, but we have more work to do. We can’t be satisfied here. We have got to keep going out there and winning. Winning, 1-0 every time. We have to keep getting better and keep working and go out there and hopefully be 3-1 next week. We are only 2-1 right now. Still a lot of football to play.” On the Browns OL opening up rushing lanes: “They are doing a great job up front, all five of them. You just have to keep asking those guys to fight every play, and they are doing a great job of that. Nick and I are both finding lanes.”RB Nick Chubb: On how the Browns finished the third quarter: “We played a great team. The Washington Football Team has a great defense. We knew it was not going to be easy, but we take pride in those 2-yard dirty runs and those 0-yard dirty runs because we know it takes a toll on the team, and eventually, we will bust one. The whole game everybody kept telling me, ‘Just be patient. It is going to pop. It is going to pop.’ I think it worked for us.” On if it is just a matter of the Browns running game wearing down defenses late in the games before breaking longer ones, similar to last week: “Yeah, that is what it is.” On the impact of the Browns defense making timely big plays: “Yeah, it is fun to watch. When I am on the sideline, I am a fan of our team. Those guys had five turnovers. That is incredible. If they keep doing that, then we will always find a way to win. I think we also scored on every turnover, except for one before halftime, so that is great team ball.” On how entertaining it is to see the Browns defense’s celebrations: “I do not really pay attention. I saw them doing something, but when they make plays, it is time for me to go back out so I can’t really enjoy it with them.” On Washington’s DL being as tough as advertised: “That is a really good defense over there. It says a lot about us to be able to run against a great defense like that. We have to keep it going and keep getting better every week.” On rushing for 100 yards against Washington’s defense: “It is a great defense so it means a lot, not only for me but for our team.” On the Browns being above .500 for the first time since 2014 and the importance of it: “Every week is important. We went 1-0 this week. We have to keep doing that. It shows some positivity. We just have to find a way [to keep doing it].” On the Browns’ offensive balance: “It was overall a great team win. We ran the ball and passed the ball well, but it starts with the run. It is tough, but we have to go in and eventually open things up. Our defense did a great job, too. Overall, a great team win.” On the Browns offense responding late in the third quarter and in the fourth quarter and if he felt pressure to respond: “I think we all felt that pressure to get it in because we knew coming that this team came back the past two weeks on their opponent so we knew they were going to have push in the third and fourth quarter, and they did. That is a great team we played. We pulled together, and we found a way to win. We were able to get the run game going, we got in the end zone twice and we ended the game.”LB B.J Goodson: On making big plays at key moments in the game: “Just playing and trusting the process that we work on throughout the week. Our work is working. Just continuing to trust the process and focus in on the situations.” On the Browns defense’s end zone celebrations: “It is just something we decided we would do as a team and defense is celebrate together. That is our form and our way of saying yeah, I touched the ball, but this is all of us. If the rush doesn’t get there, then I don’t get the pick. This is team ball.” On the Browns intercepting Washington QB Dwayne Haskins multiple times: “Just trusting the process, trusting our keys and what we have been seeing all week. Our coaches did a great job of game planning it.” On if he decided to come to the Browns with a desire to make big plays and if the focus is on the team for him: “Yes ma’am. I am here to help uplift and help build something special.” On the Browns team’s camaraderie: “We definitely have at tight bunch. I believe the guys, we have all bought into the process. That is a huge part of our two victories.” On how important it as a defense to finish as strongly as the Browns did today: “It is very important. We talked about situational ball all week, and we were challenged. I feel like we stepped up to that challenge. I am proud of our guys.” On his assessment of the Browns defense so far this season: “To be honest, we have to keep getting better. We have to keep scrambling for more and keep striving for better. We had a great game as far as takeaways, but there are always things we can be better at and get better at doing. Yes, we made progress through those first couple of games, but we can get a lot better.” On his emotions on S Karl Joseph’s interception, including the forced fumble and CB Tavierre Thomas’ fumble recovery: “Yes, that play was full of mixed emotions – the interception, the fumble and fumble recovery – as you can imagine. Other than that, it was all good.” On DE Miles Garrett’s impact on their team and Garrett making big plays at a key moment in back-to-back weeks: “All of the turnovers were big in the game. Pregame and all week, we have been talking about feeding off each other’s energy and making plays so I thought we did a great job of that today.” On the Browns’ talent on defense, despite it seeming to fly under the radar: “We are just a head-down bunch so working every single day to get better. We do not get too high with the highs and we do not get too low with the lows. We are just striving to get better.” On if he will simply let Garrett take the glory and he will take the wins: “I will take the wins (laughter).”

Press Conference

Baker Mayfield: "We have to build on this momentum and keep going one game at a time"