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Opening statement:**
"Obviously, yesterday was another tough, tough loss for our football team. We just could not do enough offensively to put the ball in the end zone and score enough points to win. The object is to have one more point than the other team, and we were not able to accomplish that. I liked the fight of our football team in the second half. The guys came out and we played some spirited football in the second half, but it just sometimes is a little too late. We were not able to rally and get the things done. It is unfortunate after 13 games to be sitting here saying we still have not played a full football game, but that is part of it. That is our reality. That is where we are and we have to own that as a team. We talked about it today. No one can change our situation but us. At some point in time, those kind of games we want to play at home where it matters in the elements and hopefully be fighting for a division title, but we are a long way from that. All these things are learning experiences for our football team as we move forward because obviously, we have to win a game first before we can do anything, but I try to take these opportunities to talk about where we want to go. You have to do that from time to time to make guys really, truly understand where we are trying to get. We are a ways away from that. I think we all can see that and understand that. At the same time, I am not going to quit showing them what we want to be and where we expect to be at some point. We know there is a lot of work in between that. The guys walked in today, and they were outstanding as usual, but to say they are not disappointed or mad – they are, and they should be, and I think every coach should be because nobody should feel good about being in the situation we are in. We have made it this way. Nobody else has made it this way. This is our doing so we have to do everything we can to get ourselves out of it. We have three more opportunities. We go to Buffalo this week, another tough opponent in their stadium so we have to get better.
"Obviously, the one good part about yesterday was no injuries, nothing significant to really talk about from that standpoint where somebody is going to be out so that is a good thing. We will hit the ground at practice with everybody being able to be out there and go, but we have some work to do like we have all year. We just have to keep getting better and play consistent football."
On if he is aware of the exchange between Bengals DB Adam Jones and WR Terrelle Pryor Sr.:
"I was not until today. I know of it now."
On if Pryor is doing something on the field to incite opposing players into making comments like Jones did:
"I just think it is unfortunate those things are happening. I do not think they have any place in the National Football League, especially on our team so we are going to try to get all those things to quiet down. We just want to play football, be the best football players we can be and let's get away from all of that. Sometimes, I think some of our players think it is their prerogative – and not just our players, other [team's] players – start to make comments, but I think we need to settle whatever differences we have on the football field and leave it at that and be pros about what we do and compete against each other and move forward."
On if he is disappointed with Jones, especially given their relationship and his history with the Bengals, as well as piling on with the Browns' record:
"I did not see it all. I heard about it. I know Adam extremely well, and I do not think that… He is very competitive. Terrelle is very competitive. It probably went too far, and I think we just have to move on from it. People will pile on right now, and that is just part of it. We will weather that storm, too, and get better from it and grow from it and be better."
On if he regrets not running the ball more often against the Bengals:
"No, I don't. There are some other situations that I wish I would have ran the ball more, but I do not regret not running it more. I know the numbers say run it more, but we caught them in the right situations to get the ball run. There were other times we tried to run it, we made a play and we got a holding. There was another time we tried to run a play and we should have pulled the ball, and it would have made another big play. The timing of some of the things we did was right. I think it is easy to look at the numbers and say run it more, but run it out of different formations and some of those things were their strengths against some of our weaknesses. We kind of tried to use some of their weaknesses against them, and that is why I think they we were able to do a little bit better job in the running game."
On Pryor's and QB Robert Griffin III's exchange on the field yesterday and his comment in a previous week about OL postgame and how to calm that down:
"We stop it. We just stop it. I have a relationship with Terrelle, and there is a line that – you just brought them all up – we are going to stop all of that. We do not need all of that. I want to say this about Terrelle, I don't think he is trying to be negative when he is doing it. The conversation on the field yesterday I think was that. They were disagreeing about the clock running down. Those things happen from time to time. It is not the first time those things have happened, all the other things you mentioned. This is not the type of football team we want to be. I think Terrelle is trying to come from a good place, but he has to direct that energy in a different way, and I think he will. There are lessons to be learned. Some people file it under wanting to win so bad, but winning so bad can't supersede the team and how we are going to do things. That is what we will do."
On if it will have any impact on the Browns considering signing Pryor to a contract extension:
"I know Terrelle. These are things that can be worked through and understood, but I will always take in consideration of everything, and I am sure our organization will, too, as we make these decisions as we move forward. There is a type of team we want to be and we are going to be. We will get these things, these antics or however you guys want to look at them slowed down because we want to do this thing right. I don't want anybody to think that he is the root of a problem or something like that. I just think we have to redirect and channel some of his energy."
On what stood out about Griffin's performance and could improve:
"There are places the ball could have went sooner. That was like another first game for Robert. I am sure it kind of felt like Philadelphia a little bit all over again. That is what I said to him today. Now, he has his feet wet. Now, you have been out there and you have gotten hit a couple of times. There were live bullets yesterday. Hopefully, normally, there is an improvement from Week 1 to Week 2 so looking forward to that and seeing if we can make that jump. He can play better, and I think he knows that, and I think we can play better as an offensive unit."
On preferring to evaluate Griffin rather than QB Cody Kessler in games due to Kessler playing a significant number of games this season:
"Right, I think that is a fair assessment. I saw Robert for now what has been two games. I have seen Cody for over seven games, and I think to make a fair evaluation, you need to let a guy play. Just as we let Cody play, I think I need to let Robert play a little bit and find out a little more. I don't see it so much as Robert being over Cody as opposed to here is a chance to evaluate a guy in a real football game under adverse conditions and see what he can do."
On DB Jamar Taylor and his recent contract extension with the Browns:
"It was really important. He is a young man that we were able to add to our football team during draft time last year. He has come in and he has made some plays for us. He is a young player. He knows how to play. We are excited about his future here. He is another one of those young pieces that we know that will be here and will be kind of the corps of our future. It says a lot, and hopefully, there is more of that to come."
On WR Corey Coleman and his targets compared to receptions:
"It is just consistency with him and the quarterback being on the same page and practicing enough and being in those situations enough. You can't always simulate game conditions like they were yesterday. That is why I said last week and to keep taking all of you back, I said if things do not go as well, that is OK, too because I know there was a potential of that. I have been doing this long enough to know it was not going to be perfect. Those things happen. We all have to play better. For us, for this football team, it starts with the quarterback. He has to get in rhythm, and I have to help him get in rhythm, and then the rest of the offensive players have to help that, too. They have to be where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there so that he can throw the ball with assurance and pinpoint accuracy, and then we have to make the plays when they are there to be made."
On the Browns failed flea-flicker play and if there was a second option available:
"Yeah, honestly, bad call by me. Yeah, bad call, and we will grow as we continue to go because those are things that you try to throw away in those situations. Honestly, he probably was [trying to throw it away] and did not throw it far enough, but you throw this thing out of bounds and give yourself a chance to live for the next play. He will grow from those, too, but I put him in that spot. He did not put himself in that spot."
On if the flea-flicker was a play that would have looked like a great call if it worked:
"Absolutely (laughter). I am jumping on top of the stands and high-fiving the fans, and when it does not work, it is just what happens. It goes the other way on you. I have been a part of those, too."
On trying to stop Bengals TE Tyler Eifert and Eifert recording two TD catches:
"Disappointing. I think the guys will tell you that there were some good calls in some of those situations. We just did not execute as well as we could. They get paid, too. Those are good players and they made some plays. I give kudos to our defense. They slowed them down in the second half as well as they could to give us a chance. We just couldn't get enough points on offense to make it a real game."
On OL Jonathan Cooper in his first start for the Browns:
"I saw a guy playing his first game. I think there were some good things and there were some things to improve on, just like any player that walks out there the first time. You have him next to (OL) Cam (Erving), and Cam is trying to give him information and he is trying to get information back. You have (OL) Spencer Drango next to him on the other side so that is tough. Part of our issue has been continuity, having the same guys out there all the time, but I thought he went out there and battled, played as hard as he could, did some good things and there are some things to work on as we move through the week."
On his message to WR Jordan Payton due to his suspension from the NFL:
"What is my message to Jordan Payton? Don't make stupid mistakes. You can't do that. That is disappointing. I don't know exactly what it is, but to lose any player on our team for anything that is other than injury or something like that is not right. He will grow from this. These are all teaching moments for our team. Trust me, these are things that I try to bring up to our whole team because we can't afford to lose anybody for anything. We need every member of this team here and participating to be the best we can be."
