DB Terrance Mitchell:
On if his appreciation for the game increased after his injury:
"Appreciating the game, being able to play and being able to practice. When it is not there, you are wishing you were able to do that. It goes back to just wanting to work hard for it."
On if that appreciation is amplified due to the fact he earned a starting position after spending time on practice squads and not playing during portions of his career:
"Definitely. Makes you appreciate every moment. No matter what at any time, it can be taken away from you."
On playing in his first game since the injury:
"It felt good just being with my team and be out there working with them."
On if it was more difficult to be on the sideline, given the game was winning games:
"Not at all. We have a great team. I just want to be a part of it."
On if there was a fear of missing out on the winning experience:
"Not so much because we have a lot of depth in all positions and next man up."
On it being more fun playing than being on the sideline:
"Definitely. Whether I am not out there, I am happy; if I am out there, I am happy too either way."
On being awarded the Browns Ed Block Courage award, which was voted on by his teammates:
"That is a lot of love. It makes me really appreciate my teammates for them to even think that way about me. That was a blessing. I love my team. I love this organization. It is all good."
On if he imagined he would receive the award:
"No, not really."
On playing in altitude at Denver:
"I have played there before. I think it can be mental, just like the cold."
DB Damarious Randall:
On how much playoff implications impact the importance of the Browns-Broncos game:
"We are looking at every game as a playoff game. We want to finish strong – 8-7-1. That is our goal. Just kind of looking forward to coming out and playing on primetime television this Saturday."
On if the primetime matchup adds to the game:
"I get to sleep in (laughter). It is the first time I get to sleep in in a while on gameday so I am definitely looking forward to that."
On the Broncos WRs after the trade of WR Demaryius Thomas and loss of other experienced WRs like Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders:
"I did not really have a chance to study a lot yet because we just finished Carolina. We are on a really short week. This typically is our off day today, but I am going to watch it tonight just to see what they did against the 49ers, see the things that they did a couple of games before that and just kind of take it from there."
On defending a QB like Baker Mayfield's accuracy and strong arm as a S:
"It is just tough in general. He is a good quarterback. He can make any throw on the run. He just has that type of talent. I am just glad that he is on our team."
On OL JC Tretter playing through injury and how players playing through injuries resonate in the locker room:
"It just shows that guys want to do what they can to help the team win games. Whenever you have guys like that in the locker room, it spreads. Guys will play through different types of bumps and bruises that will help us win games on Sundays."
On complimenting Browns fans after the game and if he noticed any empty seats at the stadium last week:
"I don't know if I can see that high up there, but it was loud to me. Definitely, I think we would like to have a sellout game on the Dec. 23 on our last home game – or it might not be our last home game . You never know. We still have a shot at winning the division so we can host the playoff game this year. All seriousness, it would be great to have a sell out on December 23 against the Bengals."
LB Joe Schobert:
On Broncos RB Phillip Lindsay:
"He is explosive. He is a small guy, but he is fourth in the NFL in rushing. He has obviously been effective, and he has great burst of speed and acceleration. He has hit a couple of homeruns for them this year so always have to be aware of where he is at."
On if Lindsay is looking to kick runs outside or if he will run up the middle:
"He bounces and uses his speed to get to the edge, but he also has a good one-cut slash type of runner. If someone gets out of a gap and he sees an opening, he has good vision. He will plant his foot and take it right through there. With his acceleration, he can go through the line real fast."
On Broncos QB Case Keenum:
"We played him last year. He is a very competitive guy. Kind of a little bit of a gun slinger. He has thrown the ball before the receivers are breaking quite a lot so you can tell that they work on their timing a lot over there. He stands in the pocket, and you can tell he is a competitor."
On if it is evident the Broncos offense misses Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders:
"Emmanuel Sanders is one of the most talented in the NFL, I think, at receiver. Definitely not having a guy like that, and I think trading away (Texans WR) Demaryius Thomas. Coming from the start of the year you have to have guys who step up and lot of times when that stuff happen – or it is not going to happen right away, but I am sure they are working towards it – you have to be ready for the guys that they stick in their place because everybody is in the NFL for a reason. They can make plays. I think it is more down to timing and working with new guys, but Sanders is definitely a big piece to be missing."
On how it resonates in the locker room when teammates like OL JC Tretter play through tough injuries:
"It is huge obviously, especially for the center of your team to be going through something like that. With the importance of him being out there doing all of the stuff that he needs to do for the offensive line with communication and with (QB) Baker (Mayfield), it is huge in the fact that he is able to go out there, compete and add value to our team. He is a huge boost for the offense and I think everyone appreciates what he is doing."
On DB Denzel Ward's impact in the secondary:
"It is huge. Obviously, when you can get a guy who can lock down the majority of the receivers in the NFL and you do not have to worry about it, you do not have to send safety help over the top – you can just kind of put him on his island over there and let him do his thing – it is huge for a defense. It is one less thing you have to worry about, and the less things you have to worry about, the faster you are going to be able to play and the better you are going to be able to play."
OL JC Tretter:
On if his ankle feels better or worse as he continues to play through injury:
"It varies. It kind of depends on how the game goes the week before. We strung a few good weeks together before this past week, and I was feeling pretty good going into the last game. Then sometimes it gets re-rolled up and you kind of have to start the process back over again. We have been through it. It has happened a few times – Pittsburgh, last week, Cincinnati and a few times we have been rolled up, but we will start the process over again and go through it."
On if he is still having fun during games or if it is about toughing out the injury through suffering:
"I am still having fun. I think it is obviously painful sometimes, but it is still fun to be out there and play with a team, play with your brothers and go out there and battle. Obviously, we are having some really good results right now as a team so that is something you want to be a part of. You want to be a part of turning this team and this organization around. That is why you keep playing."
On if there is potential to increase the severity of his ankle injury by playing through the pain:
"Just pain tolerance. Just pain tolerance."
On if he was unsure of whether or not he would be able to return to the game after slowly reaching the sideline during last week's game after being rolled on:
"That was probably one of the worst ones of the year where it took a while in the tent just wrapping it up and getting my bearings back. I have kind of gone into every game so far just with the idea that I was not going to miss a play, and when that is no longer an option, then you just find a way to go back out there. That is kind of how I have gone into every game this year is just I am not going to miss a play. Just have to find a way to get through it."
On if he takes anything other than Advil for pain:
"In the tent, they just tape it up and it depends how it feels. Sometimes I tell them to wrap it higher. Sometimes I tell them to wrap it lower. It all kind of depends on the feel of what happens. No [shots]"
On if it is a matter of mental strength over the pain:
"Yes."
On if he expects to play on Saturday:
"Yes."
