**
Opening statement:**
"It is bye-week time to give our players an opportunity to get away, clear their minds, get away from football a little bit. We will practice tomorrow, get out on the grass if we can and have a good spirited practice before they get out of here. Then we will get these guys away. My biggest message to our players when they do go away is let's be a pro. We need every guy that leaves here to show back up here. Now is a time for things to pop up across the league. I want our players to be mindful of that and make sure where they are and how they conduct themselves and handle their business the right way when they are away from here because that is very important, as well because we need everyone to make it back here and be back the following Monday ready to practice and get ready for the Cincinnati Bengals.
"Yesterday's performance obviously was not what we wanted for our football team, for our organization and for our fans. We own it, and we have to continue to get better as a football team. There have been some things that I did see that players are improving in some areas. Just watching (TE) Seth DeValve make some plays. (DL) Danny Shelton has really stepped his game up.) Kirko (LB Christian Kirksey), as I mentioned yesterday, has done a really good job. (LB) Jamie Collins (Sr.) and our young secondary players, we have a lot of young players that are starting to emerge a little bit, and that is how it has kind of been all year. These guys have played and they are getting better. We all understand the goal is to win a football game and to win games so we not hit that mark yet, but we have four more opportunities to do it. We will work hard to make that happen."
On the severity of OL John Greco's injury as he was placed on injured reserve:
"It is another one of those foot sprains. How severe it is, don't know that yet. We will know more about it, but it is definitely a foot sprain."
On if Greco will need surgery:
"Don't know that. We will know more about that as we go."
On the plan for the Browns OL, given recent struggles and another injury:
"We put somebody else in there and play them. It is next man up. We have been through this already so we will reshuffle again and we will stick somebody in at right guard and on we go."
On if OL Jonathon Cooper could be an option to snow:
"He has the chance to be that guy. Yes, he does."
On if Greco's injury is a mid-foot sprain:
"I think it is like that, but I do not think it is as severe as what (OL Joel) Bitonio's was. It is really just a freak thing. Just blocking and here it goes. These things happen."
On if QB Robert Griffin III has been fully cleared for contact:
"No, he has not gotten that yet. But I think we are in the process of getting that done."
On if he has determined who will start at QB with QB Cody Kessler's return:
"I think it is too early. Let me sort through and see who is totally healthy. Then we will make a decision and go from there."
On what it would be like to see all the Browns QBs healthy:
"Oh boy, that would be fun. That would be the first time in a long time. They all have the chance to be out there, and I hope that is the case. We will know more once we get back that following Monday exactly where we are."
On if TE Gary Barnidge was injured during the Giants game, given he missed snaps:
"He had a little tweak of the knee that happened in the game. I just wanted to make sure we did not over-work him. We kind of rotated him a little bit, trying to make sure we looked out for his health."
On if Barnidge did not play the full game because of performance:
"Oh no, not at all. No sir."
On there is any hesitancy to play Kessler, given the period of time during which he sustained two concussions:
"As you mention, we are going to talk to our medical staff. As I said a while back, I think it is important that we do the right thing for him because it has been two concussions. We will work through that, as well."
On if he was aware of WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. being shown on TV displaying passion and emotion during moments of Sunday's game:
"Yeah, I did not see that. Normally, I hear about it. I normally hear about it on a Monday, but I did not hear about it today. It might not have been as over the top as the ones in the past. Hopefully, he tempered it a bit. You guys all know he is a very passionate player, likes to win and wants to win. It comes from a good place, but we just want to make sure it does not spill over to performance or anything that would ever hurt our football team."
On if he had to address it with Pryor:
"No, not that I know of. Normally, I would have heard it and I would have already addressed it. I did not hear it."
On if he is disappointed by Griffin spreading word that money was taken from his girlfriend in his vehicle:
"Let me say this, we have the right people working on this situation, and we will get to the bottom of it. Our business is our business here, and that is all I am going to say about it. We like to keep things in house if we can."
On if motioning into different formations needs to occur more quickly so defensed do not have time to adjust:
"Totally agree. It could definitely go faster. Yeah, there are a lot of things that we could do faster and better, and I think we will over these next four weeks. There are some things that when you start self-scouting, you can start looking at things and you can see some things that you need to improve at. The effect of it, we got what we wanted. You make a defense line up, cover it and then they have to check and re-check again. Normally, some guys do not get to check. It is an advantage for us."
On when the Browns will know which QB will start Week 14:
"I don't know. I get some bye-week time too, right? I am going to take it. I don't know. Sometime next week, I am sure. Once I know more about everything that is going on with our quarterbacks."
On if he will step away some from football during the bye-week:
"As I said yesterday, I honestly do not know how to do. I need to teach myself how to do it. I know my kids would like for me to do it. I just think what is important is to just keep searching. I owe our fan base and our organization and these players an opportunity to win a game, to win. The next one up is Cincinnati. We are going to do whatever it takes to get ourselves in that W column. We have a lot of work to do. We have to find out more about ourselves but also what we think is going to help us when we get ready to play Cincinnati. We will take a little time, but the staff knows there is work to be done, too."
On if RB Duke Johnson Jr. had WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. open on the halfback pass yesterday:
"The one that went the other way (laughter)? Yes, he did. It was a pass and two hands on the top of the head. I just remember that. Duke would tell you. He is 0 for 1 so he might not get a chance to throw it ever again (laughter). Yeah, we had a chance at it. It did not look like it looked in practice, I can promise you guys that (laughter)."
On if that play was a byproduct of the Browns' record or if that is something he has always had in his offensive arsenal:
"Oh no, I have always had those. I haven't even opened the bag of tricks yet. We haven't. I keep saying, we have not really played offensive football the way I like to play. Our guys are, they know it, and I think they are looking for the day we can unleash some of the things that we like to do. Not that we are not trying – I do not want anybody to think we are holding this magical offense in a bag or something – we are not because if we did we would unleash it, but there are a lot of things that we do like to do as an offensive football team that we have not even scratched the surface at so we just have to keep going and keep growing."
On if changes on the OL will impact the decision as to who will be the Browns starting QB:
"It could. The most important thing is we just want to keep our quarterbacks upright and safe and out of harm's way so it could, but at the same time, we are going to play whoever we think gives us the best chance to win, who is ready to play and who we think can go out there and compete and give us an opportunity to get a victory."
On if he is confident Browns players will remain engaged during this final portion of the regular season, particularly given the team's youth:
"Oh yeah, there is no other way to do it. I don't think it is just because of the young guys. I think the veteran guys are playing harder and I think the more the veteran guys play hard, the more the young guys will follow their lead. That is just the way we are going to do it. You said it, I think a lot of people probably would not finish that way, but I am not going to allow that. We have to continue to get better and work and do the things necessary. Hopefully, as we move into the future, this will be the time of the year where it is truly winning time, where you start fighting for opportunities to earn a 17th game. It is something I have talked to our team about and so we have to learn through this experience how to do that."
On WR Rashard Higgins seeing increased reps in yesterday's game and progress he has shown:
"He has been very patient. He hasn't played as much I'm sure as he would like to because he probably sees two other rookies that have played a lot. (WR) Ricardo (Louis) had been playing a lot and then obviously (WR) Corey (Coleman) is back and playing a lot. I think those guys like to get out there, as well, but he did yesterday because I thought it was a good opportunity for him to get out there and see what he has, and he did a good job. Taking nothing away from Hawk (WR Andrew Hawkins), Hawk is one of our leaders and one of the best players on our offensive football team, and tough as nails, and we still look to him for all of that that he brings to our offense, but we just wanted to give Rashard some opportunities to go out there because he had not played much and he deserves to show what he has."
On what kind of season OL John Greco was having:
"John has been one of the most valuable members of our line. Anytime you have a guy that can play guard and start at guard for us but can play center like that, which he has had to do several times this year and we did not miss a beat, that is a huge loss for us. He has had a really good season, but probably if you asked John, he would say it is not where he wants to be. He is a member of our team, and I am looking forward to getting him back as soon as we can."
On TE Randall Telfer's absence from practice today and if he is hurt:
"Right, no, he had the surgery on his thumb, which was already scheduled for during the bye. Just go in there and clean some things up so he will be back out tomorrow."
On the Browns play with three TEs near the goal line and if he has had success with it before:
"Oh, absolutely. It should have had success the other day. There are things that we are going to grow as an offensive football team, but we did not get it in so we just have to go find a way to do it better."
On DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun's comment yesterday that the Browns are developing a culture on defense:
"I think because they are starting to slow teams down, and I think they are starting to make plays on the ball. We are getting our hands on the ball more, even though we need to get some turnovers here, but we are starting to touch the ball and we are slowing teams down and understanding that the team's really good players, we have to slow them down even more. Obviously, (Giants WR Odell) Beckham (Jr.) had a good game – when you score two touchdowns, we do not want that to happen – but I think overall I thought we kept them in check for the most part because they have been a pretty good offensive football team."
On if DB Joe Haden should have helped on the crossing route that Beckham caught and turned into a TD:
"The one he ran across the field? It was a man coverage, and they are running their plays to get guys free. It is not so much about help, it is about being in position. Again, you are talking about a great player in the National Football League that made a great play. Those things are going to happen. That is NFL football. They have guys that can make plays, too. It was not so much about help. It was about a guy just making a play."
On Griffin still being in the process of getting cleared for contact:
"Yeah, because he is getting checked."
On if that medical test will be this week:
"Yes sir."
On if Griffin may be able to jumpstart the Browns offense:
"Until we make the determination who is going to play quarterback, that is hard to say. Do we need to score more points? Yes, we do. That is the name of the game. We have to have one more point than the other team, and we have not been able to do that. We have to find a way to get the ball in the end zone better than what we have, and if somebody can do that better, then we are going to play him. It is still early to make a decision about if Robert can do that. He has not played football now in a while. Let's be honest. I am sure he has to get the rust off a little bit, but hopefully, we will see where he is and if they clear him for contact then we will know more as we move forward."
On showing some emotion after the game and if he heard from colleagues or friends yesterday as a result:
"Yeah. Oh yeah, too many texts. I have had to delete them (laughter). I had to delete a lot of them. Just because it is just part of it. It is what it is. I am what I am. What you guys see in me is what you are going to get. I am not a phony and I am human like everybody else so that is just part of it. You might see more of it than that over the course of time here. That is just the way it goes, but it will all be classy and respectful of everybody. Again, like I said yesterday, I apologize for being late and thank you for hanging in there with me."
