After losing all four of their preseason games, Cleveland fans are wondering if the Browns will be ready for the regular season.
When asked if the players will be after the team's 21-7 loss Thursday night, Head Coach Hue Jackson said: "They better be."
"We are going to be," he continued. "We will get ready. I’m not worried about next week. I’m worried about us getting through the weekend, practicing and getting ready for Philadelphia.”
Read more from Hue Jackson's post-game conference below:
“Obviously, the preseason is over. The regular season is here. We don’t blink. Obviously, we would have liked to finish a little bit better, but the thing that was fun was watching the first group go out there and get some work. We kept everybody healthy. Obviously, (RB) Rajion (Neal) has a knee situation. (FB) Malcolm (Johnson Jr.) came out with a bicep, but I think he will be fine. I don’t think there is anything with Malcolm. Now, Rajion, we will have to check a little bit further and see exactly where he is.
“It was good to get the first group some work. We have to be a little bit more crisp than what we were, but I thought that was good and then to get them out. We are not blinking. I’m excited about going to Philadelphia next week. We have to put the finishing touches on this team over the weekend, and then we will get ourselves ready for Philadelphia.”
On if the Browns are ready for the season opener:
“They better be. We are going to be. We will get ready. I’m not worried about next week. I’m worried about us getting through the weekend, practicing and getting ready for Philadelphia.”
On if the Browns know who will be the team’s punter:
“Obviously, it wasn’t up to our standards tonight. We need to do a little bit better. We will do whatever we feel that we need to do to shore that up. It wasn’t as good as any of us liked. We will do whatever, whether we need to go find another guy or see if there was something within the process of those kicking that was an issue.”
On if the starting offense played an extra drive tonight, once the Browns recovered the fumble with a short field:
“Yeah, I was going to take them out and just left them out there. I thought it was good for them to finish the drive with a touchdown, which was good.”
On QB Robert Griffin III’s preseason:
“He has played good. He hasn’t turned the ball over. That is one of the keys to playing the position. Obviously, we have to continue to work through practice and get ready. Now, it is about gameplan and getting ready to defeat the teams you play. Now, we will get into the things we do and the things we do well, and we will put our guys out there and give them a chance to have success.”
On if the Browns saw what they needed to from WR Corey Coleman as he prepares for his rookie season:
“Yeah, I thought Corey battled tough tonight. Obviously, he made a catch with the ball. There were a couple times that he came very close where we had a chance to get him, and the ball went off his hands one time. I think I’ve seen enough. I know what Corey is. We will get all these guys ready to go come this week.”
On if Coleman was lined up in the wrong position near the goal line, prior to the team calling timeout:
“One time he was. Yes, he was.”
On LB Nate Orchard playing into the fourth quarter:
“We just wanted to see him in that situation through some other plays. There were some things we called specifically just to take a good look at him rushing and doing some other things. We just gave him an opportunity to stay out there.”
On encouraging plays from LB Emmanuel Ogbah and DL Carl Nassib:
“Very encouraging. Those are the young guys. Those guys made some plays early. Our defense early did a nice job. Everybody is looking for the consistency. Obviously, when you get to the second and third teams, it is a little different. I think we all get that. I’m so excited about next week. That is where my mind is and that is where this football team’s mind is. That is what I just told them is that preseason is over. Whatever it is, it is. Now, it is time to get ready to play some real football.”
On pulling DB Joe Haden and OL Joe Thomas to the side during the game and his message to those players:
“Because it is time. It is time. It is the real guys. The grind starts now. What it is truly all about starts next Sunday in Philadelphia. I wanted them to understand it is going to take work, it is going to take their leadership and their ability to rally their teammates to do what we need to do which is we are going to Philadelphia and we expect to win a game.”
On QB Cody Kessler’s performance:
“Cody, obviously, he is learning under fire. There are some balls I’m sure he would like to have back, but I thought he tried to stand in there and make some plays. He is learning in the National Football League. He has to improve.”
On if he has seen in his career a team play inconsistently in the preseason and really turn it on at the start of the regular season:
“I have had one. I have coached one in Oakland. I know it can be done. I think you guys all understand when you are playing so many different guys, you don’t get some kind of rhythm with each other. I feel good about where we are. I wish it would have been better> I don’t like being 0-4. I think you guys kind of know me a little bit so that part I’ll take and file away. Outside of that, now it is about every week getting ready to play the game for wins and losses. It is not anything else. It is not evaluation period. It is gameplan. It is making sure we cross the T’s, dot the I’s and get ready to play. I think our guys will be ready to play.”
On if he envisions success for the Browns during the regular season:
“Yes, I do. It is about putting our players in the best position to have success. You just said it. A lot of this for us has been about evaluation of our team. Now that changes. The focus of everything changes. Now, it is about finding a way to win by any means necessary, and I think our players understand that.”
On WR Josh Gordon’s performance:
“It was good. We threw some balls at him. He made some plays. Josh is a tremendous player. He just has to go handle these next four weeks the right way so that he comes back and hits the ground running. I’m sure he will. I think he is excited about the opportunity that lays ahead of him, and I think he will work at it. We will be looking forward to getting him back.”
On if LB Armonty Bryant’s play in the preseason has given the Browns something to look forward to when he returns from suspension:
“Absolutely. You are talking about two players who will contribute to our football team once we can get these guys back in the fold. Until then, we have to hold down the fort with everybody else until we can get these guys back.”
On starting Bryant tonight:
“We wanted to give him a chance. As you guys know, we have been mixing and matching quite a bit just to give guys opportunities. There are certain things we want to see and see them do. That is what that is all about.”
