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Hue Jackson conference call - 8/27

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Opening statement:**

"After watching the tape – really, I knew this before watching the tape last night – we have a lot of work to do. Our coaches and players understand that there is a lot of work to do. This is a tough game. Success is not going to come easy, and we have to put in the work and stay on top of every detail. Every successful team does this, and we will be no different.

"Last night's game certainly did not go the way any of us would have liked, and there are plenty of us to learn from. We made a ton of correctable mistakes, and we're going to place all of our attention and focus on every detail with a sense of purpose so we can have the success that we want.

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"Offensively, I have to give Tampa Bay's defense credit. They did some good things, but at the same time, we didn't help ourselves with penalties and some mistakes that we made, which obviously will not give the offense a chance to have success. I think we protected the quarterback as well as we can. If you don't do that, you won't be able to ever accomplish what you want on offense. I love the big plays but I feel like we can't be a team that just relies on big plays offensively. We need to sustain drives. That gets back to running the football. Crow (RB Isaiah Crowell) had some really good runs in there at times, but it was nothing sustainable that we can kind of hang our hat on. We will continue to get better. We are going to have to run the ball better than we have and we understand that. We are going to have to throw the ball better than we have. At the same time, I did see some flashes of some things that I think we can build from.

"On defense, there is a lot of work to be done. There were areas where I think we improved upon from last week, but we are certainly not at the point that I desire and the level that I want us to be. We contended the run better and I think we were a little bit better at tackling, but we have some miscommunications that need to get cleaned up and that will lead to big plays if we don't get that solved. We will go to work at that, as well. We have a lot of work to do. We need to accomplish this over the next two weeks before we get ready for Philly, and we understand that.

"Obviously, our special teams, we need to make sure obviously our punt team is doing things better, as well. They had two big returns and you can't have that. That is a huge play of momentum and touchdowns and however you want to write that. We know that is an area, as well. All three phases of our football team, there is some work to do. We take that challenge and we're looking forward to it."

On an injury update:

"Aside from the concussion that (DB) Justin (Gilbert) had and the hip pointer that (WR) Marlon Moore had, there were no other significant injuries to report."

On if it feels like the season opener at Philadelphia is approaching quickly and that there might be too much work do before the first game:

"No, not at all. It's going to be right around the corner, you're right, but I don't feel like there is too much work to be done. Sometimes when you watch a game like that you go, 'Oh, wow. Nothing is going well,' but I think we all know that sometimes it is just one player here or one play there or one miss here or one missed opportunity there that makes you feel the way you do. Like I said, there were some other things in the game that individually or nine of the 11 guys played extremely well, and then from a detail standpoint, maybe a player here or a couple players there and we wouldn't be having this conversation like this. That is what we need to do and those are the things that we have to get better at, and I think we will."

On WR Corey Coleman's grasp on the playbook:

"I think he has a tremendous grasp. I thought what you saw last night was a young man that was coming to his first NFL game excited to play and wanting to go out and do really well. Maybe it was pressing a little bit. So much has been said about this great receiving corps that we have, but at the same time, I think they understand you have to prove that on the field. Sometimes there is a lot of anxiety that can be built up from that. He needed to play. We all understand and know he needed to play, and I think he's just going to get better from here on in."

On if the Browns have an issue at C and if the team may need to look for an additional player at the position:

"You're talking about besides our starter? We will always look to see if we can find anybody that can make our football team better. It is not just center. I think it is everywhere. At the same time, do we need to make sure that we shore up some other positions along our football team? I think we're going to do that whole heartedly across the board."

On if OL Cameron Erving is playing up to expectations:

"Yes, he is. Cam is doing a lot of really good things. He is a young player who I think is ascending. He is going to be a tremendous football player for us."

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The Browns take on the Buccaneers in Tampa for the third preseason game.

On where the Browns need to improve on pass protection, based on last night's game:**

"I think everybody thinks it is pass protection. It could be other things. I'm not going to get into all of those, but just know that we do not function as a passing team in those areas last night. It is not just the line. I'll be the first to tell you that. Sometimes receivers need to be in the right place. Sometimes guys get re-routed, and all of a sudden, you might have to hold the ball a little bit here and there and sometimes the offensive line has to strain a little bit more. For a passing game to work, it is not just the line. Everybody has a part in that, be it the quarterback, the line, the receivers, the backs. Everybody plays a role in that."

On what the Browns can build upon defensively before the season opener at Philadelphia:

"What we can build upon is that I thought we slowed down the run last night, and then I think what we have to do is go to work and get the other areas shored up, as well. We have been mixing and matching and playing a lot of different players. Pretty soon, we will have a unit that we feel very good about and we are going to put them out there to play. There is no question – I don't really look at the statistics during the preseason because I don't think they tell you everything – am I concerned about some things that have showed up on offense, defense and special teams? Absolutely, and that's what we are here for. We have to get those things fixed."

On not wanting Browns starters to receive more playing time in the fourth preseason game and if it is due to injury:

"It is, but who knows. I'm really going to think about that. I didn't just say that I wouldn't [play the starters] for sure. I said I would think through what I thought [about playing time]. Maybe last night at the time I said there is no way, we will be OK, but I will definitely think through that as we go forward. Now that I've watched the tape and kind of know where we are and know what needs to be done, I will definitely consider playing our offensive football team and our defensive football team starters, if I feel we need to."

On what Coleman needs to do to be ready for Week 1:

"Play. That is all. I just think he needs to play. It is no different than – I think what happened and I think we all have to remember there was a two-week or two-and-a-half week period when he did nothing. I think his process probably changed a little bit from being out there at practice and doing the other things he was doing each and every day because he had to get healthy. Now that he's healthy, sometimes when you go through those situations, it is kind of like starting back over and getting a real feel for it all. I think this guy is a tremendous football player, and I think he'll bounce back. I think he is looking forward to playing this week."

On if it is not as bad as it appears after last night's game as it 'seems like the sky is falling':

"Boy, you guys (laughter). All of the sudden the sky is falling? I didn't know that (laughter). I don't think the sky is falling at all. I think what you see is a young football team that you are going to see some of that, especially early, until they get well grounded. Like I said, there were some good things and obviously, there were some things that were concerning. We have to continue to work at it. I never said we were going to be a juggernaut today or yesterday. We are going to keep working at this thing, and when the games start being played here in a couple weeks is when we have to be at our best, not that we didn't need to be at our best last night. We always want to put out our best, but we know there are some things we have to keep working at and improving on. I understand that, and I think we all do. That is what we are going to continue to do. We are going to keep working at those things."

On if the Browns will stick with OL Austin Pasztor at RT:

"I think I'm going to stick with Austin for right now. I think Austin did some good things. It was unfortunate that he had a holding call. I think we can help him that way by doing certain other things to help him, but I thought he did some other good things in the run game and I think he did some other things pretty good in the passing game. It was unfortunate he got that holding call on him, and he has to get better fundamentally that way."

On QB Robert Griffin III's performance last night:

"I thought he did some really good things, under duress, obviously. Obviously, he continues to find ways to make plays down the field. He is putting the ball in the right spots and putting his eyes in the right spots. He took some hits last night. That was unfortunate. We always want to do a better job of protecting our quarterback. He stood in there, he kept his poise and made some plays. I just think he would be the first to tell you, as a unit, we have to play better. It's not just him. It is the whole offense. We have to play better as we move forward."

On how the Browns can improve the pass rush:

"We keep working at it. We keep working at our technique and our fundamentals. We keep understanding protections better and how people are trying to protect us so that we can have an opportunity to get home to the quarterback."

On if the Browns are ready to determine the primary players on the team's defensive front:

"Yes I am. I think what is important now is that we really start putting our units together and let them go play together because I think it is so important that those guys play together, be together, be able to make calls. When we are talking about communication issues, that is where some of that comes from. You have a lot of young guys maybe playing at a time, and they hear something and don't react very quickly. We have to make sure we take the opportunity for error out as much as we can. Now, I think it is about time we put units together and let them play and get these guys ready for the opener."

On DL Danny Shelton and his playing time, considering it seemed he did not play in certain situations like goal line and nickel sets:

"Nothing is going on with his playing time. We just gave him more playing time in situations – they didn't have a goal line snap; they were still playing in their three-wide system. There are times in nickel that we play him, and there are times that we don't so it's not so much his playing time. I just think he was out there in certain situations with a group. We are evaluating and trying to see what is going to be the best fit for all of our guys. I think Danny did some good things and improved in some areas last night. Again, I will keep saying, as a football team, we have to get better across the board."

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