On the Bengals defense, given its ranking in several statistical categories:
"I think that they play fast and they are physical – good size, good length up front. I do not really get into numbers too much. If you just go off of strictly numbers, it could be skewed by one game, a couple of games or whatever. I certainly do not expect nothing but the best out of them. To hear everybody tell it, we have played the worst defenses and continues to go [against them] over and over again. At the end of the day, those guys are going to play hard and they are going to be physical. They are going to come to play."
On if he plans to joke about any new formations this week, given his comment about the wishbone was implemented:
"I am not going to do it anymore – you guys did not believe me last time (laughter). I tried to tell you guys, but you would not believe me. You all thought it was a joke, but I do not know."
On WR Breshad Perriman's development within the Browns offense, given he had a reputation for dropped passes:
"I am not sure. Breshad has put in a lot of work after practice, before practice, in the meeting rooms and things like that. He has been a very nice surprise for us since we have had him. I do not go off of what he does with everybody else. I just go off of what I see on tape. I learned that a long time ago. You can't really take opinions from other people. You just have to see what they say on tape and then go from there."
On if the Browns needed to make adjustments due to former Browns head coach and Bengals special assistant to the head coach Hue Jackson's familiarity with the team:
"No. No, sir."
On if it will be strange to see Jackson on the opposing sideline:
"No, I am happy that he is down there coaching and doing whatever he felt like he needed to do as far as that is concerned. I came here in January with Hue. I am happy for him. Football coaches coach, and he is coaching. That is great. As far as what we have changed, we have not changed anything."
On if the Browns' three RB backfield could be used more:
"I think definitely. I am not going to tell you this week now (laughter). No, I am just kidding. Yeah, we are going to use it. We are probably going to use it 45-50 plays this week, and we are going to go with it and see what happens. It is just an opportunity to get some of our good players on the field. They deserve to play, too. As long as they are making plays and stuff, we are going to use it."
On working with RB Duke Johnson Jr. on when to pitch the ball and when to keep it on an option play:
"That is one of those things where you can either do it or you cannot. Usually, quarterbacks in college football sometimes can do it and sometimes they can't. We repped it a couple of times during the course of the week and kind of kept it under wraps for a couple of weeks. We felt like it was ready to go so we went with it."
On Bengals DE Carlos Dunlap and Bengals DT Geno Atkins' strengths:
"I think their size, their speed and their ability to have instinct towards the football. They always seem to be like they are around the football. You know those guys play hard and they seem to always make plays."
On RB Nick Chubb's development since becoming the starting RB:
"I think playing running back is a little bit like playing quarterback where they have to continue to see pictures and see what different teams are doing against them and things like that, and I think his vision has always been good. Sometimes as a running back fast is not always best. I think that is what he has learned. He has learned how to run the ball in this league. Sometimes you can just out run guys in college. You can't out run them all of the time here in this league. You can once you get into the open field, but you can't just go through a hole from straight speed. You have to make sure that you are setting up blocks and things like that, and that is what he is doing more than anything."
On if he believed that the Browns' could record a 92-yard TD rush when calling the play against Atlanta:
"I am a little different. Every play I call I think can go the distance, not because of the play call but because of the players that we have and their execution. Sometimes coaches like to take a little too much credit for the execution portion of the game. I said it a few weeks ago, those guys will make me look good or they will make me look bad. I can take either one of them. I just want them to succeed. At some point, these guys deserve to succeed. I think we have been on the right track for the past couple of weeks, and I hope it continues this week."
On Mayfield's demeanor during games, specifically referencing his humor and confidence in the mic'd up video:
"He thinks he is a lot funnier than he really is (laughter). No, I think what you see is what you get with Baker and that is what is such a pleasure being around him. He is a good guy, he is a great competitor and he is very talented. You need to package all of that together and do things that he does well at this moment at this present time what he does well and that is what we have tried to do. As far as the mentality of how he approaches the game, he approaches the game like it is his last play every time. In a lot of ways, that is the way a quarterback needs to play."
On Mayfield's play and his future, specifically referencing his height:
"I think that gets a lot of times too much credit as far as people evaluate that too much. Either they can play or they can't, and he can play. I think it is our job to put him in position to succeed, and he has to do a good job of continuing to get better, keeping his head down and working and seeing where he is at the end of the year and not worry about on a rep-to-rep basis or a game-to-game basis. Let's just keep our head down and work and see where we are, and I think he has done a great job of that."
On Mayfield's strong start against Atlanta, including completing his first 13 attempts:
"I think he was seeing things, he knew where his eyes were and a lot of times, quarterbacks have to know where they are looking before they can make the right read. It just does not happen, and he has to know where his eyes go for a particular play and he did a great job of doing that."
