FLOWERY BRANCH – Here’s what Cleveland Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett had to say to the Cleveland media Wednesday ahead of Sunday’s game against the Falcons (1 p.m., Mercedes-Benz Stadium):
On defensive end Myles Garrett being OK following a one-car accident Monday:
“The main thing is that he is OK. Obviously, our thoughts are with him. Just want him to be healthy.”
On if he has talked to Garrett since the accident:
“Yeah, I texted him. He is doing fine. Just glad he is OK. Tough, tough, scary situation, but glad he made it out safely.”
On if he hopes Garrett eases back into playing or if it is not his call:
“It is not my call. He is grown. I am sure he will make the right decision for himself. I think in the grand scheme of life, the best thing is that he is OK.”
On if he saw the picture of Garrett’s car following the accident:
“Yeah, it is crazy. I texted him and was like, ‘Man, just glad you are alright.’”
On the Falcons defense:
“I see a really good defense. (Falcons defensive coordinator) Dean Pees is doing a really good job with those guys. A lot of guys flying around, which if you know his style of defense, he loves that. A lot of guys making plays. A lot of their games have been close. We have to play a full 60-minute game because we are coming in there, and they understand that coming off a big win it is going to be a 60-minute football game. A lot of speed on that defense.”
On if Pees was with the Patriots during his time with the team:
“No. he was not. I am not that old (laughter).”
On the next step for the Browns offense and where the unit can improve:
“The reasons why we have not scored on every drive has been us. It has been things that we have not (done) and that we are still trying to correct. I think these guys understand that, I think the coaches understand that and the conscious effort and intentionality to go out there and make sure that those things don’t happen because it all boils back to us and getting the small things corrected.”
On what he has learned being around running back Nick Chubb every day:
“I am glad he is around every day (laughter). A really good football player, a hard worker and a great teammate. The things that you hear about him are true. He is a guy who you want on your team. To look back and see him, it gives you a little comfort.”
On if Chubb is a better runner than expected when first arriving in Cleveland, given he said one play earlier in the season he caught himself watching Chubb run:
“For sure. I still get caught up watching some of the runs. The ability to do it for 60 minutes with him, it is crazy. Just to see the type of player he is as the game goes on, he is one of those guys who just wears on you.”
On if the Browns offense “has found something offensively” during the past two games:
“I think we are figuring it out. It is still early in the season, and we still have a lot of questions for ourselves that we are answering. It is just finding ways to, like I always say, score one more point than they do. Along that journey, we are figuring out what type of team we are going to want to be and moving forward with that.”
On the Browns being one of a select number of NFL teams with more rushing yards than passing yards:
“I don’t care. It is working. Doesn’t matter to me.”
On how fun it is when the Browns’ running game is productive:
“It is exciting. We understand what that opposes to the defense and how it wears down teams in the fourth quarter. We have really good offensive linemen, and we have really good offensive backs. We would be a fool not to run the ball and make the defense defend that part of our game. I am excited for the future of that and how we are going to continue to help it out.”
On if he feels the energy when the Browns running game is productive:
“Definitely. You kind of feel it in not just the huddle but on the sideline. Yeah, teams know we are going to run the ball, and we still run the ball. At some point, it shows the defeat sometimes when we know we have them on the ropes. Sometimes that is the blow that it takes is another run. Then you just look to the last game, and it was the pass to (wide receiver) Amari (Cooper). However we have to get it done.”
On if an NFL team can get to the Super Bowl running the ball more than passing:
“I don’t know. We will see.”
On if he enjoys “turning back the clock” with an NFL offense:
“It is fun. Like I said, it is early in the season, but it is whatever we have to do to score one more point. Listen, I don’t have an ego to where I want to go out there and try to be somebody that I am not. I just go out there and try to play good football, play to the best of my ability and be a good teammate. All of those things come with it.”
On if the Browns are built to overcome adversity:
“I definitely think we have the right guys in this room to deal with things that happen. I think guys understand how fast this league works and the mindset of the next man up. I just think that is the mindset. I know that is what Kev (Coach Kevin Stefanski) preaches to us, too.”
On what has led to his high completion percentage the past two games, recognizing it is a “loaded question:”
“Very loaded question (laughter). It is just the flow of the game, and it is just trying to play good football, understanding what we are trying to do offensively. I just think things just happen like that.”
On if he feels like he was in the flow of the game a few times the past two weeks:
“For sure. Just understanding the plan and understanding what the defense is trying to do versus us. I think Kev, AVP (offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt) and (quarterbacks coach) Drew (Petzing) have been doing a really good job of telling me the why about our plan, telling me why we are calling plays here and things of that nature and then just sticking to our plan.”
On how tough it was to see linebacker Anthony Walker sustain a season-ending injury, given their strong relationship:
“It was very tough for me and obviously for the team. I have a really good relationship, a very good friend of mine to the point where we are related, damn near. It was sad. It was one of the first times in a game I really jolted up because I got scared because I had never seen him do that. He is doing fine. Look forward to seeing him again.”
On the productivity with passes to tight end David Njoku last week and Njoku’s potential as an offensive weapon moving forward:
“Just to continue, and that has to be the standard, not just as far as catches, but the style of production. We need good play and football out of him. Just excited to build that relationship. It was good to see him do some of those things in the game, just things that we have seen in practice over and over again. Just looking forward to building that relationship.”
On the main focus of scoring one more point than the other team and if the Browns offense’s mentality changes at all because of the number of injuries the Browns defense has sustained recently:
“No because a win is one more point than they do, and it counts the same.”
On if the mindset changes that the Browns offense needs to score more this week because of the injuries the Browns defense has sustained recently:
“Just one more point than they do.”
On wearing a T-shirt featuring guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller during his Steelers postgame press conference:
“I should get royalties on that shirt, by the way (laughter). You just get around these guys so much that they become a part of who you are. the relationship grows and things like that. It was a cool shirt. I saw (Browns legendary offensive tackle) Joe Thomas wear it, and I was like, ‘Oh, I want one of those shirts.’ I thought it was a good time to wear it. I had it in my bag for the longest (time), so I was like, ‘I might as well wear it now.’”
On if he will buy a shirt featuring Chubb or running back Kareem Hunt soon:
“I don’t know. I saw something at a store, but I didn’t want to spend any money at the time (laughter). Next time.”
On if he has figured out how to get Chubb to talk more:
“He talks to me. I just don’t think he likes to talk to you guys (laughter).”
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The Bow Tie Chronicles
Atlanta Falcons 2022 NFL schedule
Sept. 11: Saints 27, Falcons 26
Sept. 18: Rams 31, Falcons 27
Sept. 25 Falcons 27, Seahawks 23
Oct. 2 vs. Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Oct. 9 at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Oct. 16 vs. San Francisco, 1 p.m.
Oct. 23 at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Oct. 30 vs. Carolina, 1 p.m.
Nov. 6 vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 1 p.m.
Nov. 10 at Carolina, 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 20 vs. Chicago, 1 p.m.
Nov. 27 at Washington, 1 p.m.
Dec. 4 vs. Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
BYE WEEK
Dec. 18 at New Orleans, TBD
Dec. 24 at Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Jan. 1 vs. Arizona, 1 p.m.
Jan. 8 vs. Tampa Bay, TBD
