WR Travis Benjamin:
On if playing in a dome and on turf this Sunday could mean big things for his game:
"Oh, it's going to be fast. Every time we're inside a dome, for a skill position unit, for everything, it's going to be a faster pace."
On if it is frustrating that punters are kicking away from him:
"Oh, not at all. I never get myself frustrated. Either the Rams are going to do it or another team later on says, 'Hey, forget him. We're just going to punt it to him and try to let him win the game,' but hopefully going to Sunday, they punt me the ball."
On how hard it has been to get open on deep passes:
"I wouldn't say it's hard, but they're kind of playing it a little bit – safeties back deep, 25, 30 yards much deeper so we just have to draw it up, and hopefully, it comes along."
On if he fights and wins the balls from defenders on deep passes:
"I'm always going to get it. As a receiver's standpoint, I always tell myself if the ball comes to eye level, it's bad for me, I always try to go up and get it each and every time."
On if he sees Sunday as a punt return battle between Tavon Austin and him:
"He's a great guy, and I'm pretty sure (WR) Marlon (Moore) and (DB Johnson) Bademosi are going to try their best to get down there and go and get him as a special teams unit. Just have to match his intensity. They're home, and I'm sure he's going to try to pump up his crowd. When we're on punt return, I have to try and do the same thing."
On the key to winning close games:
"Finish, finish. Knowing that we just have to stay on the field and get some type of points out of those drives when it's close and not give the other team momentum to swing and they get points. It's all about the finish."
On if this year is a contract year for him:
"Yes."
On if his mind is on the impressive numbers he has for negotiations:
"I'm really not paying attention to it right now. My mind and focus is just keep going to every game and just put on my best performance. At the end of the day or end of the year, the dice may roll where they roll."
On free agency:
"I'm not looking for that. Me and the Browns have a great relationship. I love them, they love me and I love the community so if we get a deal done that'll be great for me."
On if any contract discussions have come up yet:
"It's not too late now, its only week seven so we're kind of in the middle of things. Hopefully in a couple week something gets brought up."
On if he loves it in Cleveland:
"I love it here, my wife loves it here and we're just happy to be here."
LB Armonty Bryant:
On if the Browns are getting enough pressure to affect the QB in ways other than sacks:
"Yeah, I think so. We haven't been as dominant in the pass rush as we wanted to be, but we are slowly getting there for sure. We are starting to get back on that now."
On how difficult it is to pressure the QB when trailing in a game:
"It gets difficult every now and then, but it is just football. You have to pin your ears back and just go play the game."
On what the Browns defense is doing to improve the run defense:
"Alignment, rolling off, getting knock-em-backs, good hand placement, violent sheds – stuff like that."
On Rams RB Todd Gurley as a tough test:
"It is going to be a good challenge for this defense to step up and see what we can really do as a run defense."
On what he has seen from Gurley:
"He is pretty fast, quick. He likes to get on the edge and just go. We have to eliminate that for him and eliminate those tight lanes and just wrap up."
On the key to winning close games:
"I am not sure. Defensively, we are just going to try to play our game the best we can to our abilities and go out there and provide the best way we can."
On what he do to improve the defense:
"Just set the edge, be more of a threat on the edge in the run. Just play as fast as I can."
On difficulties setting the edge so far:
"I feel like a lot of the runs have hit on the edge and it has been because of maybe our hands or our hand placements, maybe we didn't get off the block, maybe we didn't shed when we were supposed to shed. Jut little details that we need to go back and fix."
On how close the Browns defense is to shoring up those details:
"We are right there. We just have to dial in and really just think about those little details when it is crunch time and just step up when our number is called."
On if there are scheme issues:
"It is more of a player's thing. It is really up to us. They put us in the best situation to make plays, and it is all up to us to make those types of plays."
On if QB Johnny Manziel situation is a distraction:
"No, that has nothing to do with us. We are just trying to win on defense anyway we can, stop the run and go get that quarterback."
DL John Hughes III:
On what may be causing the defense's troubles:
"I wouldn't say you could blame it on one little thing. It's about everybody doing all the little things right because when you do the little things right, you create big plays when a guy lets one thing slip. All 10 guys could be doing something right, then that one slip could make a big play."
On Rams RB Todd Gurley:
"He's a good back. He gets downhill fast. That's one of those things everybody has to be on their job on Sunday."
On Gurley's big play-making ability:
"Very aware. We've been watching film on him. I watched a little film yesterday on him, and we watched as a defense today. It's not just him. They have a good O-line to run in front of, too."
On if the Browns defensive issues are player or scheme related:
"I don't think it's a scheme issue at all. I think it's just us getting our jobs done. I was saying before it's just man on man, bone on bone, drawing a line in the grass and saying, 'We're going to defend this turf.'"
On the Rams offensive line:
"Some big guys, pretty good at run blocking. We just have to be able to read our keys and attack the line of scrimmage, create a new line of scrimmage, really."
On what makes Gurley special:
"He makes big plays happen. He gets downhill fast. A lot of guys like to teeter-totter in the hole, but he sees his gaps and he hits it. That's one thing everybody has to be on their job and get to that hole."
On if it is shocking to see Gurley recover after his ACL repair:
"Oh yeah, most definitely. You don't see a lot of guys that do that. I commend him for that. I remember when I was growing up – actually, I got to play him for a year – (former NFL and Browns RB) Willis McGahee went through a big knee problem, and he ended up playing for a lot of years. It can definitely be done and he's making his way through the league right now."
On noticing anything about the LBs that is hurting the run defense:
"I wouldn't say that at all. Really, it's us doing our job so they can do their job. It starts up front. D linemen have to get our job done for them to get their job done, holding blocks for them or doing whatever we have to do for them to make tackles."
On how the DL have done so far this year:
"I think we're doing good so far. There's always room for improvement. No one's perfect. Just trying to get better every day."
DL Danny Shelton:
On if the want-to, competitiveness nature to stop the run is there:
"Definitely, in every occupation you choose, even your guy's occupation, you have to want to come in and talk to some stinky ol' guys after their practice. It is the same for us. You have to come and want to go to practice and want to get better and want to win. We have the same mindset as any average Joe."
On if there is a pride factor that kicks in because the team ranks last against the run right now:
"Yeah, definitely. You just look at the last three games that we had. Obviously, close games and so we just have to man up and finish."
On what the Browns defense is working on to stop the run:
"Exactly what everyone thinks. We are focusing on just getting off of our blocks, focusing on setting the edge, focusing on tackling and not just whiffing a tackle."
On how to put all those things together:
"It takes the same thing every day – commitment, consistency, pure focus. You have to be able to do those three things. Hopefully, we can do that this week."
On if he agrees that the run defense is not a scheme issue but rather a player's issue:
"I think it plays both. Definitely, the coaches have their job that they have to do, but at the same time, some can say that we have a harder job, where we have to execute the scheme and then also execute technique and make those plays."
On if his snaps were down last week as a function of the defensive packages:
"It is just what Coach Jimmy O' (defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil) and Coach Weave (defensive line coach Anthony Weaver) have. Every week, we are going to have certain packages that we think will work against an offense. Basically, I just have to continue to work and continue to make plays when I am in there. That is not a problem for me. It is obviously something I want to improve on and I want to get more reps, but at the same time, I want to do what is best for the team and put the right guys in and put the right packages in. I am going to work with whatever the man has, Jimmy O' or Coach Weave has for us."
On if the coaches have told him what he has to do in order to get more reps:
"Nothing as far as far as what I can do. It is actually just knowing our depth chart. We have so many talented players so I can only compete. I can only stay ready. You never know what happens on game day. If someone has to go down, then I have to step up and add in. I am just going to continue to be ready for that opportunity when it comes."
On if he is physically ready for the full schedule since it is longer than a college season:
"For me, the way I think of it is, we are halfway so that is basically the end of a rookie season and of a college season. It is basically time for me to mature and be a professional now. I am really focusing on taking care of my body and being ready to play the rest of the weeks that this season has for us."
