- Many have said Brian Hoyer and the offense needed a strong showing last night against Chicago to build their confidence. But Browns head coach Mike Pettine argues it's for the entire team.
- "I think it just gave us some momentum heading into this week," said Pettine. "You feel much more comfortable now. The preseason, you're trying to get guys playing time and the agendas are much more individual by position, as opposed to a team getting ready for an opener."
Speaking of the opener, this was Mike Pettine's quote about playing the Steelers when the schedule first game out in April: "Browns at Steelers in Week One, in your first game as an NFL head coach? It doesn't get any better than that. I love this division." * So of course, it comes as no surprise that Pettine and the coaching staff started devising the Week One game plan back in the spring. The Browns have completed pretty much all of their prep work for the Steelers and now will begin implementing the plan to their players next week in practice. * Pettine fielded an interesting question on backup quarterback Rex Grossman, and whether the Browns would consider rolling with just two quarterbacks on the active roster. * "When it gets down to that spot, it's not really weighing it against another quarterback, it's weighing it against who is the best player to keep at that point," said Pettine. "I could see both sides of that argument. There are strong cases to keep [Rex] and there would be some reasons to not." * Pettine had some positive things to say about Manziel's performance against the Bears, most notably for Manziel's reputation of "pulling the rabbit out of the hat a few times." But to Pettine, getting the crowd jumping out of their seats for excitement isn't what the Browns' offense will necessarily be about. * "There are different ways to move the football and be efficient," said Pettine. "To me, our offense doesn't have to be exciting. It can be real boring, as long as we are gaining yards and scoring points." * This was actually Pettine's best quote about evaluating Manziel as a quarterback in quite a while. * "There are times where he can just go ahead and make the read and deliver the football without having to extend the play," said Pettine. "He's done that with increasing frequency. We just think that needs to continue." * Rookie cornerback Justin Gilbert gave up another 32-yard touchdown against the Bears to veteran Santonio Holmes. The preseason saw one strong game from Gilbert against the Redskins and two filled with struggles against the Bears and Rams. That doesn't mean Gilbert can't come in and help out right away in September. * "I would have rather have had it happen this way than everything to have gone perfect him, and then all of a sudden have to deal with the reality of an NFL season," said Pettine. "Preseason was a positive experience for him and I certainly think he's confident heading into the year."
