TITANS VS. BROWNS POSTGAME QUOTES — OCTOBER 16, 2016

TITANS HEAD COACH MIKE MULARKEY

(on how satisfying it is to get two wins back-to-back)

I think it's important. The whole week we were talking about just winning this game, everything else… there was a lot of things out there -two in a row, winning at home- for a variety of reasons it was important that we won this game. I think it took care of all the reasons why we had to win it. It was important. I'm not sure in the last couple of years that they could win that game. This year we found a way to win the game, and obviously we didn't want to make it that close, but we did a lot good things in that game. Things we set out to do from the beginning, we did it.

(on how Browns defense seemed to stack up on DeMarco Murray and if there were adjustments made in the second half)

One of the adjustments, yes. We still were going to try to get it to DeMarco (Murray). I think we blocked better to be honest with you in the second half. I was asked about that walking over here, what were the adjustments in the run game. We blocked them better. I give that team a lot of credit for knowing what was coming and really doing a good job of defending the run, really good, and really stuck together. I give that team a lot of credit for really trying to come back.

(on some of the big plays made by players like Kendall Wright and Rishard Matthews)

Those were big plays, we should see those every week, those are the plays we've been missing. Those plays have been out there, we just haven't made them. It was nice to see them made from our side, by our guys. Obviously, those set of touchdowns- you score a touchdown when you make plays like that.

(on if Kendall Wright was playing better today than he has earlier this season)

I think he was better today. Again, like I said, he missed a lot of time. Him coming back and getting the work he's getting in practice and games, he certainly showed it today.

(on Brett Kern's punts today)

He was a great weapon today, without question. Pinning them back like he did, even trying a couple of punt techniques he doesn't practice, he did them out there and they were effective.

(on if the pressure from the opponent placed on Marcus Mariota takes away the run game)

I expect that every week. I think we can block plays better, I think we can do a better job of blocking better. That's everybody across the board, that's tight ends, receivers and backs. I think we did that in the second half. We didn't change their defense the second half, we were trying to run the ball on them; we didn't change much. We did a couple things outside, but I just think we blocked better.

(on the win total)

It's good. I think we're still… we're on the right track. We still have things we obviously have to get better at and I know we're on the right track with what we're doing, the way we practice, the way we're meeting; there's a lot showing up in games that's carrying over from practice. We have a lot of work to do still, there's some things that certainly still need to be cleaned up, but we are heading the right way.

(on how playing at home the next two games has an influence)

It helps. A win like today helps, especially two games coming at our place. We took a step today, we have more steps to take.

(on if the team felt help from the fans today)

The fans were outstanding, outstanding. That's what helps this team win. When you can put an offense- for the penalties they had, especially when the offense was not only down there in the red zone, but backed up, and backed them up even further to give us a better field position.  I'm glad you asked me that. I thought during the game what a difference this place is when we have the crowd noise like we had. What an ally for this team to have support like that from this fan base.

(on Marcus Mariota's big run on the first play)

We thought we had a chance to make a big play. We watched the tape on them from earlier games and again it was a read based on the way they played that we knew we had a chance. Again, typically all those runs we have enough guys blocked, we don't have anybody free.

(on how the deep shots to Kendall Wright and Rishard Matthews helped the offense)

I think that helps. That may have something to do with that second half too and the run game as well when they throw it over your head. Those were both off the play actions. The run game helps, obviously set up some of those plays, but you need to execute. We didn't execute that third to Kendall (Wright) in practice. Really, we spent five minutes showing him that route and showing him some examples from across the league and it was the best five minutes that Terry Robiskie spent with Kendall. It made a difference.

(on achieving six sacks against the Browns)

I hope that's the case every weekend. We were close a lot more times than that. One of the things we've got to get better, I think we let him out of the pocket too many times, he made too many plays when he wasn't contained. Six sacks, you should win games.

(on if Marcus Mariota plays as well at home as he does on the road)

I'm telling you, he doesn't pay any attention to any of the noise. It doesn't matter where he's going to play or who it's against, he is locked in to what his role is and what his job is, and that stuff doesn't bother him.

(on if he thought the hit against Jordan Poyer was illegal)

In my estimation, no. I don't know what illegal is. I thought it was clean. You can not hit in the head, you can hit from the shoulder down.

(on if he thought the hit was from the shoulder down)

Yes. I thought it was clean.

(on how much it helps to score on the first drive)

That's a good thing for us and a momentum builder for us certainly. It makes a statement for what we're capable of doing, part of being on the right course for what we have to do.

(on if he sees growth from Marcus Mariota on third down sequences)

That's growth, that's film study, that's preparation, that's game planning of what we expected to see from them, where they were coming from. It's like knowing the answer to the test before the question.

(on if he felt Rashad Johnson did anything wrong on the onside kick other than not catching the ball)

That's the only thing he did wrong, he didn't catch it.

(on the message to the team)

Enjoy this for a short time, but it's just one. We have a lot of work to do and we'll be back in there tomorrow cleaning up some things that we need to clean up, especially towards the end there, but it's a good win, enjoy it, it's hard to win in this league. I'm proud of the way they played. I know the Browns did, and so did we, we laid it all on the line, from start to finish.

(on if today's win boosts confidence for the team)

It cannot hurt you. It's part of what we're trying to do here, the process of trying to build this thing, you need things like this to happen for you. You can talk about it, and practice for it, and then the result is what you put all the time in for. That's a win, regardless of the final score.

TITANS QB MARCUS MARIOTA

(on how it feels to have back-to-back wins)

It feels great, feels great.  I'm proud of those guys in the locker room and they deserve all the credit.  Just glad we were able to get another win under our belt and get ready for next week.

(on Cleveland's focus on his run game and the importance of taking things into his own hands)

Overall, it was just important for us be versatile, to do things outside of the running game which makes our offense tougher to defend.  Receivers did a great job of getting open, you know, staying alive on some of those plays and doing a good job up front of just giving me some room to run and got ready to pull the win out.

(on Kendall Wright's job today with his catches)

I mean, just from the replays from the stadium, he made a hell of a catch.  That's kind of the expectation we have for him, to make plays like that.  I was glad to see him get in the game a little bit.  I thought he had a great game, provided us another option outside.

(on Cleveland being more aggressive versus the team's success in the run game from last week)

Not necessarily. We were prepared for anything, really.  I thought we did a good job all week of practicing different scenarios.  The coaches did great job of laying out the game plan for us.  I thought we did an awesome job of just executing.

(on if he has gotten better at throwing the deep ball in recent years)

You know, I think it's just been a group effort.  The receivers have done an awesome job throughout the week of practice of getting up and down the field.  For us, it's just completing those and giving those guys a chance.  They made the most of their opportunities and credit goes to them.  They made great catches.  The ball was a little farther than I wanted it to be but again, those guys did a great job of pulling it in.

(on his home vs. road discrepancy in winning and if it's good to get a quality home start under his belt)

Again, that's stuff I don't have an opinion on.  I just try to do my best to come in and play and execute and put our offense and our team in the best situation.  It's nice to get a win at home.  It's nice to get two in a row but we're going to come back here tomorrow and get ready for the Colts.

(on how critical it was to score on the first drive of both halves)

I think it's important.  It creates a little momentum and gets our team in a rhythm.  Our objective every week is to score on every possession and you can't do that without scoring on the first one.  I think being able to do that allowed us to create some rhythm and also opened up some things.

(on matching last year's win total with the possibility of sharing first place after today's late games and ignoring the noise)

Not at all.  The same people that were bringing negativity to this team are the same people that are going to try to bring positivity.  It doesn't matter, week in, week out, who those people are.  We just got to continue to grind and focus on what we can do each and every single day to get better.  Like I said, we can pick up our heads once the season's done.

TITANS DT JURRELL CASEY

(on back-to-back weeks of the defense getting six sacks)

We are just trying to stay in the right direction here, in order to help the team win.  It's going to take all of us up front to keep getting after the quarterbacks and to especially dominate the run.  I think our guys are definitely feeding off one another and we have great guys up front, leading the pack.  As long as we keep on getting the sacks, it going to push each individual up front to keep trying to get them.  That was a big thing going into the game, to help our team as much as possible, no matter if they get a turnover or make a big play, our defense has to answer.  And that's something we've been kind of behind in this season, in answering, when other teams make big plays.  And we're trying to step up to that challenge.

(on Titans defense getting after Cleveland's young QB)

I think we could have done a lot better job of stemming around, and really mixing it up.  We were kind of vanilla today.  I think we just wanted to really get after him today, and take advantage of the injuries up front in their o-line.  Put as much pressure on them as possible, without having to show much of our game plan.  But I think we did our job today out there.  I just wish we could have finished a little stronger.

TITANS LT TAYLOR LEWAN

(on the Browns coming back, and making it close at the end)

We have to play hard and finish games.  We've had too many games the past three years, where a miracle just happened like we saw (Cleveland comeback), that didn't go the way it was supposed to go.  So we have to continue to just keep playing hard and put a full 60 minutes together in all three phases.

(on the Titans back-to-back wins)

It hasn't happened since I've been here, so it's a pretty good feeling.  But like I've said, we must keep improving and watch the film tomorrow.  We'll look at it and see the things we did right, and the things we did wrong, and move on.

TITANS RB DEMARCO MURRAY

(on Marcus Mariota adding to the rushing attack)

I wouldn't mind it if it leads us to victories. He played a great game today. He will check out the run game tomorrow.

(on if the team survived to win the game)

I wouldn't say we are survivors. It was our game to win. We were leading the whole game for the most part. The defense came up with huge stops at the beginning. We were rolling to open the second half.

(on the rushing game improving in the second half)

They were doing things we didn't see on film. We played better in the second half. You know, they are a tough defense.

(on the division opponents coming up)

Just like I said, we got division games coming up. We just got to take it one game at a time. We can't worry about the records. We got a great victory today, obviously.

(on getting the win despite the running game not being where it has been)

We got a lot of playmakers. Coach (Terry) Robiskie did a good job of getting those guys the ball. Today was one of those days, but we got the victory at the end and that is all that matters.

(on the importance of scoring on the first drive of each half)

It was huge. We always want to start fast and finish strong. Like I said, Marcus (Mariota) led us the entire game. Kendall (Wright) came up with a lot of huge catches, Rishard (Matthews) as well. It was a good victory for us, a lot to clean up, but we will watch film tomorrow, but definitely wish we had some plays back. Everything wasn't great but we will address them.

(on if Marcus Mariota's long run to open game set the tone)

It was huge. Just like I said, a great wrinkle by the coaches.

(on how he was feeling in the final minutes of the game)

I had confidence in the team. I had confidence in the special teams.

TITANS TE DELANIE WALKER

(on what the Titans learned by the close win today)

We've got to put points up.  Cleveland did a good job by coming back and almost getting that game.  Even though we won it, it was a tough ball game.  They played really good. So we're going to have to put more points on the board.  We're going to have to execute a little better.  They are a team whose record doesn't really show how good they are.  They were out there making plays when they needed to and their offense put some good drives together. And their defense stopped us when they needed to.  I think that team is very good.

(on Titans offense scoring four touchdowns today)

Oh yes, we put drives together, but I feel like there were more opportunities we could have put points on the board. That's what I mean by we have to clean it up. We have to score more points.

TITANS LB AVERY WILLIAMSON

(on the Titans defense getting six sacks today)

We were just hitting home on those.  We have some talented dudes up there (on the defensive line).  It's the scheme and it's the players.  You know, we've got some good pass rushers. And Coach LeBeau is dialing them up and he knows what's effective, so we are just making it work. Hope it continues.

(on the Titans building on a 3-3 record)

It can help us a lot.  We can't be satisfied with it.  I'm definitely not.  We gave them life at the end, so we have to continue to grind.  We know it is only the beginning of the season and it can go bad if you let it. So we have to continue to keep working hard, and not waver.

(on Titans defense knowing they would be facing a rookie QB today)

Yes, I was looking forward to it. I knew our motions and shifts would really confuse him.  I knew that we were going to get pressure on him.   He did a good job of getting out of the pocket, scrambling and making plays.  But we definitely got pressure on him and confused him a lot. He is a tough kid.

TITANS WR KENDALL WRIGHT

(on team be able to come through with a close win)

If we want to be a good team, we got to learn how to pull through in those close games. The one thing I will say, I am proud of my teammates. We stuck in and fought all the way to the final seconds ticked off of the clock. We gave ourselves a chance to win, but we got to do better.

(on how it feels to win back-to-back games)

It feels good. There are a lot of changes around here. It feels good to win back-to-back games, but we got to get ready for the next one.

(on how it felt to play an important role in the offense)

It feels good. I just go out there and play and when Marcus (Mariota) calls my number, I have to be ready.

(on feedback he received from teammates on the sideline after making plays)

I mean there were a lot of welcome backs over there, but I haven't really went anywhere. Whenever my number is called, I have to be ready to make plays. They cheered me on today and had my back.

(on receiving jabs from offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie)

I don't really want him to lay off of me. I have a lot of room to get better with what I am doing. The more he stays on me, the more I go out there and work at it, work to do everything better. He can stay on me all he wants. I am cool with it.

(on if he had the wind knocked out of him on the touchdown reception)

Yeah, I got the wind knocked out of me for a minute, but I shook back.

(on the team becoming more relevant after consecutive wins)

If you want to say that, I mean we got a lot more games and I like where this team is headed. I really think we are headed in the right direction. We got to keep pushing, keep working

(on if it helps being able to win close games)

I think it does but we don't have to make these games this close. We just have to do the little things and do it right early and teams won't have a chance to come back.

BROWNS HEAD COACH HUE JACKSON

(opening statement)

Again, we came up short. Guys continued to fight and play hard. Obviously, our third down ability to keep the ball wasn't very good. Our ability to run the ball wasn't very good. I take responsibility for those things. I have to fix that. That's not like us. I give Tennessee the credit for that. They were the ones to make that happen. I have seen some things we can do better. Until, me and the coaching staff, we fix these things that we know continue to bring us up short, we will come up short. Our players are playing extremely hard to give us a chance to be in games and win games. We just have to do better.

(on the decision to go for two points)

I went for two early because I knew at some point I was going to have to go for it. I'd rather go for it now than have to come back and do it again. That's why I did it. You take a whack at it. Obviously, we didn't make it. Then we had the kick and try to get the onside, and I thought we gave ourselves a chance. I felt, at that time, that is what we needed to do because I knew we were going to need to go for two.

(on if he would go for two again if given the chance)

Absolutely. I am making these decisions with very good information from people I trust. That is what we decided to do.

(on if he should have kicked the extra point in an attempt to extend the game)

We have a difference in philosophy. I know everything is going to get questioned.  It's on me. I know some people will say you shouldn't. But we did. We didn't make it.

(on the gutsy play of Cody Kessler)

He played hard. Cody (Kessler) continues to get better and works hard at it. He gave us a chance to win, to be in the game. Our start in the second half wasn't as well as I think it could be, so we have to do that better.

(on moving forward despite the 0-6 record)

Oh yeah, this team continues to do that. This team doesn't quit. I don't sense that. I sense that there are some plays we are leaving out there that we can do better. People get ahead and we start chasing. We have got to play consistent for four quarters.

(on injury to DB Jordan Poyer)

He's at the hospital, where he will be and he has a lacerated kidney. So we're going to make sure that we…I think he'll be here until we find out more but that's what it is. Obviously we all know that's pretty serious, so we'll see where he is from there.

(on the whether the hit on Jordan Poyer was dirty)

It's football. I don't think the guy was trying to hurt him. I think he was trying to block him and sometimes you aim in spots and you hit some other things. Obviously, you know…again, it's football. He took a tough shot.

(on performance by WR Terrelle Pryor Sr.)

Just keep playing hard – I expect those things from our guys. I know everybody else was a little surprised but that's what I expect. I expect us to play better and we will.

(on decision with DB Joe Haden)

Yeah, we worked him out. Just let him be with our guys and he wasn't able to play and he didn't play. So, move on.

(on takeaway from this game and being 0-6)

We're 0-6. You just said it. We're going to fight. We don't know anything else to do but to do that. So, I'm not…we are fighters. Our coaching staff are fighters so I'm not concerned about that. I'm concerned about finding a way to win. At all times, that's just what we've got to do. We've got to do it better, do it better than what we're doing it.

(on problems with the running game)

They didn't block them very well. They played better than us, so we've got to get better. Again, I take responsibility for that. We've got to fix that.

(on protection for QB Cody Kessler)

We've just got to get better. All of those things that you guys feel, see, think, they are all directed right at me. It's my responsibility to fix it and we'll fix it. Our players are giving me everything they have, I know that. I've got to put them in better situations all the way around – offensively, defensively and special teams. That's my responsibility and that's what I've got to do.

(on LB Cam Johnson's performance after returning from a bruised lung)

We'll see. I'll need to watch the tape. It's hard for me to comment on any of that until I see the tape.

BROWNS QB CODY KESSLER

(on how tough it is after not being able to pull out a win)

It was another game where we fought really hard and came up short. Like I said before, they hurt, they hurt really bad. I wanted so bad for the guys in the locker room, and I told 'Hawk' (Andrew Hawkins) and Joe Thomas, "I'm giving you everything I have every time," because they deserve it. We put in so much work and we work so hard and we come so close, we just need to learn how to finish. That's on me and us as a team on being able to finish and being consistent throughout the entire game.

(on taking a lot of hard hits in the game)

Yeah, it was a lot of hits but that's football, and it's a violent game. Some of them hurt, but like I told you earlier in the week about my brother, you know, he's fighting through what he's fighting through. So unless they force me to stay out like they did last week, I'm not coming out. It was tough and it was a little painful, but at the same time, you want to do it for the guys as well. My brother is at home watching and I'm out here with these guys who have been playing in the NFL for a long time and have taken much worse hits than I did today. It's more so not for myself but the guys around you.

(on the offensive struggles in the third quarter)

It was tough. We were trying to get the running game going and they did a great job of containing us there and doing a great job in coverage. They were getting us in some third-and-long, and we need to do a better job of winning on first and second down to set us up for some better chances on third down. But we were also playing the field position game during that stretch and it seemed like we were always getting backed up. There's no excuse. We still have to put drives together like we did at the end of the half. That was a great drive to build off of. Our guys kept fighting and fought through as much as they could. Unfortunately we need to put together a full game and be more consistent.

(on going for two)

Yea, I knew we had to go for two at some point, that one or the next one. Just the way our offense was rolling, we had a real good rhythm on that drive. We had worked on two-point plays all week and unfortunately we didn't convert there. At some point we had to go for two and I thought that was the right time as well. Coach (Hue) Jackson called it in, we were rolling and unfortunately we didn't convert.

(on what happened on the two-point play)

They just played it well. We were hoping to get man coverage and we had a fade to Terrelle (Terrelle Pryor, Sr.) and they just played it well. They played off on him and dropped everybody underneath on that. I tried to scramble and make something happen. Ricardo (Louis) flashed open but unfortunately they were kind of double-teaming TP and dropped off on Ricardo (Louis).

(on how tough his job is when the running game isn't working)

I think my job maybe becomes more important because they're loading the box, and we're a good running team and it puts more pressure on me to make those throws. That's something we've taken a lot of pride in is that we're a great running team. Last week, like I said we had a bit of a speed bump but at the same time a lot of it's on me. I have to be efficient with the ball and make the right throws. They did a great job. They have a great front seven.

(on not going for two after the first touchdown in the fourth)

Yeah, but at some point you have to go for two. That's the reality of it. If you're down by 15, you can't kick an extra point each time. At that time we were rolling and we should have converted. It's on me to execute it. At the end of the day, if we get that, that's not the question.

(on his connection with Pryor)

Yeah, he has done a great job and I told him after the game and the other guys that I appreciate them not giving up on me and still fighting with me the whole time, not checking out when we were down 15 in the fourth quarter. Those guys are in the huddle and locked in and excited and we kept going. They kept trusting me and we kept going down the field. Terrelle (Pryor Sr.), Hawk (Andrew Hawkins), Ricardo (Louis), they all made some great plays in this game. We just want to be able to finish and you can't question the heart of this team.

(on what he's going through personally and how his brother is doing)

My brother, he's doing better. He has a heart condition and he has been through a lot in his life. He had a heart condition last week and it scared me, it frightened me. But they got on top of it in time and he's doing better. He can't do anything for two months. He misses football and can't play football the rest of the time and it has been tough on him. I've been so proud of the way he has handled everything. He hasn't gotten down or been depressed. That plays a big part in my role. I lost my grandmother earlier this week who was like another mom to me. This was the first game she didn't get to see me play which was tough. It's stuff you can't control and you just have to move on.

BROWNS RB DUKE JOHNSON

(on the team fighting back in the fourth quarter)

When your head coach won't quit, your team can't quit. That is what type of coach that we have. He is going to fight until the end. He always believes in us. We just try to go out and produce.  

(on the toughness shown by quarterback Cody Kessler)

He is taking shots and getting back up. He is a fighter. As his teammates, that does a lot for him to get back up after being taken down so many times.

(on if he second guesses the decision to go for two in the fourth quarter)

If we go for two and get it, then that question doesn't come up. I don't ever question the play-calling. We should have gotten [the two-point conversation]. We should have found a way to go get it.

(on the problem with the running game)

I don't think it's a problem. We have faced two good teams back-to-back. At the end of the day, we are still not doing our part. We are not doing what we are coached to do. But we don't take anything away from the teams that we have played. Both teams came out and played us well.

BROWNS LB CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY

(on stopping the run game)

We wanted to stop their run game. DeMarco Murray was their go-to guy. He was the second-leading rusher in the league. We wanted to make sure we eliminated him from the game, which I think we did.

(on Marcus Mariota's running ability)

We knew he was fast, and we knew he could run. We knew they were going to try and attack us with [his running ability]. It is just one of those things that they played better today.

(on Marcus Mariota's overall performance)

We knew that he was going to have some plays here and there. He is a good quarterback. We just have to eliminate some of the big plays. Some of the deep balls and that long run he had – eliminate some of those and I think we will be fine.

(on the comeback in the fourth quarter)

It brought me back to 2014. We got the road victory here. I never lost faith. I always thought that we had the chance to come back. I never lose faith on that. That's all I was thinking about when our offense was driving down the field. You can't stop believing until the clock hits zero.

BROWNS WR TERRELLE PRYOR SR.

(on the fight of the team)

I want to talk about something real quick. Whoever asked that to Cody Kessler about his grandma after this loss, that's very disrespectful and I don't like it. He's my quarterback and that's not cool. I'm ticked off, that's very rude.

(on the fight his team showed)

It starts with the quarterback play and he did a phenomenal job fighting all game long. I love the passion Kessler has and I love playing with him. This whole team – from a defensive side, special teams, Coach Tabor had those guys ready to go. We just couldn't come up with a victory.

(on Kessler taking big hits)

He's a warrior. That's what pushes us all no matter what. When the game's going wrong, I took a little hit as well and didn't feel good but it makes you keep pushing. I know from standing back that it's not a very comfortable situation. I just saw him, he was getting creamed and he got up and kept fighting. The kid has unbelievable heart and I'm a big fan of his and I'll do anything to protect him and make a play for him.

(on the team's outlook)

My outlook is we have to come back Monday (tomorrow) and grind even harder and go to Cincinnati and try to get a victory just like every week. Can't control what happened today because it's over with. I know everybody back home and in Cleveland, they're not happy and we're the same. We want to win for the fans, we want to win for the coaches and for each other. Sometimes, all the bad stuff that's going on, it's out of our control.

(on Kessler being an inspiration to him and the team)

Yea, absolutely. There's a lot of stuff going on with his family and you'd never know. It's the heart and the passion that he has, it's unbelievable. All he wants to do is win, the kid is a winner, period. Just because we're losing, doesn't mean we're losers. There's a lot of guys on this team fighting and working their butts off on a weekly basis to try and win the game before we get here. Hats off to Tennessee, they played a great game.

(on Kessler thanking him after the game)

I'm telling you guys right now. When Coach Jackson said trust me, the kid is a baller, period. There's no other way to put it, he has the heart of a lion. He just doesn't stop until he gets done what he wants done. Unfortunately we weren't able to pull off the victory but I'm very proud of my teammates especially defensively. Those guys on the D-line, they were fighting their butts off stopping the run. Right off the bat, we need to keep on getting better from that standpoint. Offensively we obviously have to get better. I'm just proud of my teammates.

(on making plays down the stretch and having the mindset)

I was trying to come back to the ball. It was a little short and I had him beat so I just tried to at least break up the play. My main thing, all of us as receivers, Andrew, Ricardo, Higgy, all those guys, all we want to do is catch the ball and help the team win. I don't care if I'm double covered, just put it up there and I'm going to make a play and do something for the team. That's kind of how I look at it, sometimes it's not always the right way but that's the kind of mindset you have to have is that nobody can stop you and you're going to do your best to make a play for your teammates.

(on Jordan Poyer's injury)

What happened? (reporter says he has a lacerated kidney) TP: Geez, I didn't know that. Poyer is a good friend of mine. I didn't know that. That caught me by surprise so I'm going to get out and message him. That's the tough thing about this sport. Guys like him, he gives his all and it's unfortunate that it happened. Hopefully everything goes well and he's fine.

BROWNS DL DANNY SHELTON

(on the fight the Browns showed today)

That's the one thing that's keeping this team together is our effort. I'm just proud of these guys for fighting, and continuing to fight even when the game wasn't going our way. Really can't do anything else but to keep fighting, so we're going to keep on doing that.

(on bottling up the Titans running backs but giving up rushing yards to Titans QB Marcus Mariota)

(Marcus) Mariota, he's a special player and so we just got to be able to control both aspects of the game as far as passing and running. I still feel disappointed with how many rushing yards we gave up, so I'm going to continue to keep working and continue to emphasize that with the defense.

(on watching the Browns offense mounting a comeback in the fourth quarter)

It was awesome, you know? To see that extra juice that the offense had was good, it was good. That's what we need, and we need to continue to keep fighting as a team.

(on recording his first career sack)

I mean it was really exciting. At the same time, it would have been better if we had brought the win home. I'm going to continue to keep working.

BROWNS OL JOE THOMAS

(on the decision to go for a two-point conversion when they did)

You know what, I didn't really think about it at the time and there was so much going on at the end of the game and since then that I guess I really haven't had time to digest it. Certainly, when you look back in hindsight, you're saying, man it would have been nice to be able to kick that and then you have chance to go for two (points), I think it would have been on the last drive, right? Is that what I'm saying? So you can go for two at the end instead of at the beginning. At some point you still have to get a two-point conversion. Whether you get it on the first drive or the second drive. So I guess maybe it comes down to a feel thing. If you feel like the momentum you've got is going well and you have a good two-point play dialed up and you feel good about it at that moment rather than waiting to try to get it on the back end.

(on the play of Browns QB Cody Kessler)

He's battling his butt off out there. There were a couple times where he took some really big hits scrambling on fourth down trying to make plays and you're thinking wow he won't be able to get up from that and pops right back up and gets right back in the huddle like nothing happened and that's really admirable. That's the type of stuff that guys on this team like to see. You want to see a quarterback that's got that toughness, that's going to hang in there and wait till the last second to make that throw.

(on the struggles the Browns running game has encountered the last two weeks being attributed to going up against really good front sevens)

Well, certainly the Patriots and Tennessee – their defense kind of works because of their front seven. You got to give them credit because it's a good scheme and they play it really well, but it's up to us up front to be able to make the run game work because that's really what we want to be as an offense. We want to be a team that can run the football and take shots downfield, and when we're not effective running the football it makes it really tough. And when we're sitting at third-and-long, those are really hard situations for any quarterback, much less a rookie.

(on playing in the shadow of their own goalposts during the second half)

Yeah, you know it almost turned into a field position battle there kind of in the second half because we just weren't able to get anything going on the beginning of our drive and then we'd punt to them, they'd punt to us, and we just couldn't get anything going to get out of our own goalpost.

(on the fight the Browns showed today)

I've already talked to a couple of guys on the team and I feel like we're doing all the right things, the way we're preparing, the way we're practicing, the way we're playing in games with a lot of energy and a lot of fight. But, we're just not consistent enough making the plays and I think those things are going to come and it's going to turn for us. But until we're able to make those plays consistently, it's going to be tough to win consistently, and right now we're trying to win a game.