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On if DBs Jamar Taylor and Briean Boddy-Calhoun will play on Sunday:**
"I hope to get them both back, but I feel good that we will get one of them back for sure."
On the matchup of strengths with the Bears run offense and Browns run defense:
"We have to go do it. We have demonstrated that we can stop the run. They are going to run it. It is strength against strength."
On Bears DE Akiem Hicks guaranteeing a win and if Browns players will use that as motivation:
"No. It is a football game. We know what people say doesn't determine a game. It is how you play. He is a good player, and I'm sure a lot of teams don't want to lose to the Browns right now. I get that. If I was him, I would feel the same way. At the same time, we do know and recognize that it is going to be determined between the white lines and not by what anybody says."
On RB Isaiah Crowell saying he felt 'disrespected' at times by the lack of carries last week:
"We had a discussion. He is fine."
On his discussion with Crowell:
"Good, good. It went well. Guys get frustrated when they want the ball. I get it. He feels like he can help do more and help the team. I totally understand. Just how we handle those things is important, just as important to me as anything, and he understands. We will go from there."
On if he would prefer players don't make statements like that:
"I don't really have a censor that way with our guys because I don't know how that question came about, but I know sometimes things get taken out of context a little bit, but he did feel like he could do more. I get that. I respect that. He knows where my office is and he came up and talked to me about it so I respect that part of it. Sometimes guys know they say things and, 'Well, I didn't mean it that way.' It gets like that, and that is part of it."
On what he told Crowell about not getting more carries:
"I don't make excuses. Some of it was penalties. Some it was (RB) Duke (Johnson Jr.) was carrying the ball. Some of it was (QB) DeShone (Kizer) was carrying the ball. Sometimes it just didn't happen. We have to do a better job of making sure that he is involved that way. There are no excuses to anything. I'm very honest and up front with guys about what we do and what we don't do, but I think he understood that. Let's move on to the Chicago game."
On stating earlier this season that sometimes a runner needs to inspire a play caller, in respect to Crowell's 59-yard run:
"Just because you run for 59 yards doesn't mean that."
On clarifying that Crowell's 59-yard run individually didn't inspire him to call more run plays:
"No, me and you, all five of us could have run through that hole. Go back and look at the play so I'm not saying that. Inspiring runs, just so we are all on the same page, are when you break tackles. It is the tough runs. It is when everybody is knocking the crap out of you and you find a way to still make four or five yards. That is running in the National Football League. When everything is blocked pretty and you can just run down up through there, that doesn't happen but once or twice in a game. Not saying that Crow doesn't do that. He does it well for us, but I'm just saying you guys are talking about a run that – I'm being very honest – we all could have run through. What I'm looking for is more of the grunt, tough-type of runs that I know that you have to have in the National Football League from our runners, period. I think they gave us some. We have to continue to do more and that is where we are."
On OL Austin Reiter blocking three Ravens players on Crowell's 59-yard run:
"Did you see the play the second time we ran it behind Austin Reiter? Did you watch that? We did run that play. I knew you guys didn't know that. I know the people who ask these questions didn't. Yeah, we did. Go look and see what happened the second time we ran the play. Then maybe you will understand a little better. The second time it was a minus-2 play. Same play, different area of the field, behind the same people. That is football. That is the way it works. That is what I'm saying. Every hole is not going to be a 59-yard run. Sometimes you have to make your holes as a back, and I think the backs understand that."
On previously stating a commitment to running the football this season:
"It hasn't worked out that way. I thought that we would be able to be in games a little closer than what we have been. We get behind, and I hate to say it – I'm just being very honest – I think sometimes I have gotten away from it a little too quickly, but there are times where in order to score points, the fastest way to get there is throwing the football. There are not many 59-yard, 75-yard, 85-yard runs in the National Football League. That doesn't happen. It is more pass plays that give you more chunk yardage then there are runs. I get it. I understand the criticism. We have run the ball better over the last five or six weeks. We will continue to do so. Hopefully, we will finish the year running the ball better. I think we started way low in the National Football League running. I think we are making a jump. Now, we just have to keep going."
On if needing chunk plays puts a burden on a rookie QB:
"No, I don't think it puts a burden on him. We are not trying to throw for a 30-yard gain at those times neither. Some of the throws we make are quick-game throws. Sometimes you don't want to play behind the sticks when you are running the ball all of the time so you want to hit this quick-game pass and make it second-and-3 where it is very advantageous to run the ball, but sometimes we don't get in those situations. It is second-and-10 or second-and-15 and that gets to be a little tough. We just have to play the sticks game better, do all of those things better and continue to improve at running the ball."
On needing to create turnovers on defense to win:
"You do, but it is tougher if you are not getting them and you are turning it over on offense. I think that is the double-edged sword there. We haven't done a great job of protecting the ball. Yeah, we would love to get more turnovers, but I think the other side of that is we have to make sure that we don't turn it over to give us the best chance to have an opportunity to win games."
On his memories of the Christmas Eve win last year:
"I remember winning (laughter). That was the only one we had, and we are in a similar situation. As I said the other day, I think every situation is different. It would be great if we could go down to Chicago and win this game. That is what we are going there to do. We know that we have to play our best football. We know there is a team that is awaiting us that is eager to play our football team. We are eager to play, too. It is right before Christmas. It would be a great holiday present not just for everybody in this organization but for the city, for our fans and for everybody. That is what we are going to try to accomplish."
On Boddy-Calhoun saying there were tears of joy in the locker room after the win and if he recognizes everything the win meant to the team last season:
"Oh yeah because I know how much it meant to the players because I know how hard they work. I know the coaches and what they put into it and what our people around this building, every week, gearing up. It is a process here every week getting ready for a football game. I'm not just talking about our team. I think everybody who is connected to Cleveland Browns football feels our pain or goes through the disappointment of not winning. We want to win for everybody. There hasn't been a game that we haven't tried to win. It just hasn't gone our way. It is just where we are right now. We have another opportunity and we are thankful for it. We are going to go out, put our best foot forward and go try to win this game."
