Cleveland Browns coaches and players discuss their upcoming game against the New England Patriots.
On facing the Patriots...
"A big challenge this week going against another 5-4 team, just like us. An AFC opponent. A really good football team. We have to go on the road and play our best to try and get a win. They are very, very well-coached, as you all know. Offensively, defensively and special teams, they are very sound, and they are very physical. Their offense is a physical group. The quarterback (Patriots QB Mac Jones) is playing at a high level. He does not look like a rookie to me. They can play a physical brand of football with a bunch of different running backs. They have guys on the perimeter who can make plays and can make contested catches and some really good tight ends. It presents a big challenge. Defensively, they are very big and long and play a physical brand of football. They can play five on the line of scrimmage, and they can get into a four-down front. They can pressure. They play shell. It is an impressive scheme that can show you multiple looks. Special teams, which they have always done a great job with, they have great players, they play hard and a really good scheme. A big week of preparation for us to get ready to go on the road."
- Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski
"They are a team that is always situationally aware and a complementary football team. That is just how they are coached. That is how that organization has been for a long time now. We have to take care of the football and capitalize on mistakes, and just be able to play complimentary football once again and just continue to improve. It is one of those weeks where we have to be patient on our side of the ball, and like I said, adapt. They are going to have some plays where they have it schemed up, and we just have to eliminate negative plays."
- Browns Quarterback Baker Mayfield
"The players and the tradition that they have there and the championship culture that they have built. That is what you go into. A lot of people say the 'Patriot way' where you do not lose games – they do not lose the game; they find a way to make you make the first mistake and then they capitalize. We have to go in there, and we have to play smart ball. That is everything. [No] Penalties, turnovers and we have to protect the ball and we have to take the ball away. Be sound in all of our defense, all of our offense and all of our special teams. Everything has to be sound. That is what this game comes down to this week."
- Browns Linebacker Anthony Walker Jr.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for their team, their players and their coaches. I think mentioned to you guys the other day, (pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach) Chad O'Shea is someone who spent a bunch of years there and understands how they go about their business. There is no secret, they are just very-well coached, and they are very sound in their schemes, good fundamentals and good techniques so we have to play our best to try and get a win."
- Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski
On the Patriots defense...
"It is always a gameplan defense. They are very versatile. They can do a lot of disguising, but the emphasis for them is to stop what you are best at. Going into it, we would expect them to try and stop the run and for that to be the emphasis. We will see how they handle it with obviously the news about our running backs. We have to be prepared to react and adapt to whatever we are seeing."
- Browns Quarterback Baker Mayfield
"That is a very big front, very large, heavy linebackers and all interchangeable pieces. We have already talked about it is going to be a very physical game. That is the style that they play. We have to be able to match that or exceed it."
- Browns Offensive Coordinator Alex Van Pelt
"They are a big front. A lot of familiar faces and guys who have been there. Obviously, that and (Patriots LB) Matthew Judon in there. It is going to be a physical game. We are about running the ball. Obviously, they know that so I would expect them to prepare to stop it. It will be a good matchup for us. We have to be able to continue at it. It might not hit early, but you have to chunk away and see if those small runs turn into big ones later in the game."
- Browns Quarterback Baker Mayfield
On the Patriots offense...
"Their offense has been the same forever. We talk about the marriage of the run and pass, and they do a great job of running their plays but having their pass plays look exactly like their run plays. I think that is what creates a lot of problems for people, and it is something that we have to be on top of. I think it is a mix of what you do coverage wise. We have to give them different looks. We have to disguise just to try to confuse him a little bit – zone, man and pressure – but you have to do multiple things because they are really good at what they do."
- Browns Defensive Coordinator Joe Woods
"They are going to do what they do, and it is going to be a very physical game. They definitely want to establish the run game. It is really kind of that old Big Ten philosophy – just run it, make them load the box and then take advantage of them with play action. That is what they do. That is what they are always going to do. It is not changing."
- Browns Defensive Coordinator Joe Woods
On Bill Belichick...
"I have not had the opportunity to meet Coach Belichick yet. This is the first time facing off against him. Obviously, he has my utmost respect. (Pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach) Chad O'Shea, who is on our staff here, worked with Coach Belichick for a long time there in New England so Chad, just the things he has learned from him and shared with me over his time there… As we all know, there are probably not superlatives from me necessary, but we have to go make sure we are prepared because we know it is a well-coached team. They play sound ball. We have to make sure we are at our best Sunday up there."
- Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski
On Patriots QB Mac Jones...
"Been able to catch some of their games early in the year. Like (Head Coach) Kevin (Stefanski) said, he is not playing like a rookie at all. Going through his reads, you see him hitting his check-downs – not that he is just going, 'Hey, do I have this throw? No, check it down.' – he is truly going through his progressions and taking care of the ball. It is pretty rare to see for a guy of that age and that young in the offense to be able to harness all of that and deliver the ball to his teammates so I am happy for him."
- Browns Quarterback Baker Mayfield
"You can tell they put a lot on his plate as the quarterback in that offensive scheme, and he is handling it like a professional. Getting them into the right calls and the right protections, everything kind of falls on him. He is doing a great job of getting them in the right play and the right protection for picking up pressure or whatever it is. Being smart with the ball, I feel like if it is not there, he is not forcing anything or too many throws, getting the ball down and checking the ball down. They are using the run game really well, as well. He is playing like a true professional."
- Browns Linebacker Anthony Walker Jr.
On Patriots CB JC Jackson...
"He is a very, very talented player. He is always around the ball. He has extremely good ball skills when it is in the air. He has hands like a skill player on offense so he is able to make plays on the ball. A smart guy. He has been in their zone coverage. He is pattern reading. He is doing all of that. He is a guy who you definitely need to know where he is and see where he is playing technique-wise and all of that. Just one of those guys who you do not want to let ruin the game."
- Browns Quarterback Baker Mayfield
