Quotes of Note: Browns on Beating Titans

Even if there had been a full house at Nissan Stadium on Sunday, the Cleveland Browns would have quieted the crowd.

As it was, 13,986 were on hand due to local COVID-19 restrictions. So, the difference in volume from kickoff to when the Tennessee Titans trailed by 31 points at halftime was not as pronounced as it might have been.

The home team did give their supporters a few more reasons to cheer over the final 30 minutes, but Tennessee ultimately lost 41-35, and it was the Browns who got to talk about all they did well.

Here is a roundup of what Cleveland players and coach Kevin Stefanski said about beating the Titans:

• Defensive end Myles Garrett, on the fourth-down stop that ended the Titans’ first drive: “That fourth-and-one, the stop, those were takeaways for the defense and that is momentum for the offense to go down there and put some points on the board. You can’t understate that, what we do on our side of the ball to get back to them and put them in a good position to put us ahead.”

• Stefanski, on the fourth-down stop: “That was outstanding. The guys, we talked all week, that is a tough, tough task to try and slow that player down. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Derrick Henry. The guys came through by being gap sound and gang tackling. He is an outstanding back.”

• Running back Nick Chubb, on the Browns’ gameplan: “I think both sides expected us to come in and run the ball. We have great backs on both sides. I think we used that to our own advantage. We were protecting our runs with the great play actions and throwing it over their heads. Every time we had play action, those guys were running up and biting.”

• Quarterback Baker Mayfield, on the first half: “We base our gameplan and our style of play off the run game, but we are going to do whatever it takes to win week in and week out. In the first half, that was spreading them out and doing some things to take care of some empty space.”

• Wide receiver Jarvis Landry, on the first half: “We got to a point where we could do the things that we wanted to do with no restrictions. (Stefanski) called an amazing game. Obviously, it is crazy to be up by 30 points going into the half.”

• Chubb, on scoring 38 points in the first half: “That is a great team. They fought all four quarters. If we were not able to score all of the points we did, it could have been different. Props to them.”

• Mayfield, on the Browns’ second-half approach: “It is tricky when you get up by that much of staying aggressive or calling the dogs off type mentality. You want to run the ball to take the clock away to give them less opportunities, but at the same time, you don’t want to go away from what is working. It is tricky, but we just have to make those plays.”

• Stefanski, on winning the turnover margin: “To get three takeaways versus a team that does not give the ball up was really impressive.”

• Garrett, on pressuring, and eventually sacking Ryan Tannehill: “It felt like Aggie-on-Aggie violence (laughter). No, I loved it. I was glad because I was like, ‘Man, I can’t let him come out unscathed. I kind of have to be able to take something from him.’ It was nice knowing that I was so close and got a couple of hits. I was free a couple of times and if was given another half second, I could have got the ball away from him.”

• Chubb, on beating the Titans: “I think people know that we are a good team now when we play well. That is what we did (Sunday). We came out, and we beat a good team.”

• Landry, on beating the Titans: “I think everybody’s eyebrows in a sense have been raised about our team. Today was good for us. It was good for us as a team. … We kind of have to figure out and look and be critical of but also not try to spend too much time trying to pat ourselves on the back about beating a football team. They are a good football team over there. We just played better.”

• Garrett, on the victory: “I feel like all wins are statements. Everybody is paid in the NFL to do their job. No matter who you are going against, they are going to give you their best shot. We gave each other a good exchange, and we came out on the winning side this time.”