POSTGAME QUOTES
SEPTEMBER 16, 2007
BENGALS COACH MARVIN LEWIS
Initial comments:
"Obviously, it was not a very good performance. We didn't play well in any of the three phases. It's very disappointing on how we played defensively. We didn't play well on third down. We allowed them to rush for over 200 yards and we weren't very sharp. As the game went on we seemed to invent some things and tried to do too much individually. Offensively, we hung in there, although we didn't do as well on third down as we know we are capable of. We had chances, but came up a little short.
"On special teams, we can't give up the football at midfield. We had some guys filling in, but we have to do a better job at that. We hung in there and made it a 60-minute game. There were opportunities to knock ourselves out of the game, but we found a way to fight back. There were glimpses of what we can do as a football team, but today it wasn't good enough."
CARSON PALMER
Q: On the game:
"I don't think anybody expected this game to shake out like this. If anything, it's a good reminder for us that it doesn't matter who you play. You can come off a big emotional win like Monday night and you still have to come play your best football the following week. They talked about the Browns and how they weren't a good football team, but every team in this league is a good team. We ended up losing and we are sitting at 1-1 when we should be at 2-0."
Q: On the final play:
"We thought we needed to score on every drive, but really we didn't. We didn't give ourselves a chance to win at the end of the game. We missed on third down on the two series before the last play. Unfortunately, I threw an interception on the last play when we needed to score. The good thing is we are 1-1 and we can still get on a roll. It's a heart breaking loss; we hate to lose to a division team. We need to look at this film and move on."
Q: On taking the loss personally:
"This is one of the tougher losses. I thought we had this win. I thought for sure we would go down there and score at the end. I feel like I'm mourning over a loss. Any loss is tough, especially within the division. I'm just going to try to get some sleep tonight and shake it off. We have to get ready on Monday for Seattle; we have a big road trip ahead of us."
RUDI JOHNSON
Q: On the game:
"Cleveland came out and kept scrapping. They kept fighting. They fought the whole 60 minutes. We did too, but they made plays at critical times in the game when they needed to. I think that was the main difference in the ball game."
Q: On watching the defense give away leads:
"We lost, that's the point. Everyone should be held accountable who had a part in this game. It's one of those things where we have to get back to the fundamentals of football and do things that are necessary to win the ball game. Coming into the game, we knew they were going to fight, so we tip our hats to Cleveland."
JOHN THORNTON
Q: On the difference between what they saw on tape and the team they faced today:
"We knew what they were capable of. They just got behind Pittsburgh and turned the ball over. There is no excuse for making the mistakes we made defensively. We let guys run free, go uncovered and we let [RB Jamal] Lewis run past guys missing their gaps. When you see a score like that, you see a lot of mistakes defensively."
Q: On the team's poor execution:
"It wasn't the physical things, it was more mental lapses defensively. We didn't pressure the quarterback or cover receivers. It was all of us that made mistakes."
CALEB MILLER
Q: On feeling let down after Monday night's win over Baltimore:
"There was no letdown. There was no loss of drive or excitement. Everyone went out and played as hard as they could. It was just mistakes - plain and simple. It doesn't sound interesting to you, but it was just bad football. We didn't play well enough at all."
JUSTIN SMITH
Q: On the loss:
"It's ridiculous. At this level of football you can't have mental errors. Letting guys run down the field, that's what killed us. We had a couple of missed tackles and a couple missed plays from mental errors."
Q: On correcting defensive problems:
"We scaled down the defense to play base stuff; we weren't on the same page. Anytime you do that in this league, you're going to see what happened today. Guys are too good, too fast, and too strong to not be where you're supposed to be. It's ridiculous and that's what we did all day."
SCOTT KOOISTRA
Q: On the game:
"In a game where they are really clicking offensively, every time you get the ball you just have to score. There were a couple bad drives, especially the one with fourth down where we didn't convert. We are still really confident as an offense; we just have got to move on to Seattle next week."
Q: On the ups & downs of the past two weeks:
"Every time you take the field, you've got to be ready to play whether it's Monday night, Sunday night, whenever. You have to be professional about it. You can't let the highs and lows take over. You have to stay consistent. Bad things happen you get down; when good things happen, you get high."
BROWNS COACH ROMEO CRENNEL
Q: Initial comments:
"Well, it's a win. The big thing is we are happy about it. Our guys hung in there and fought the whole game. We never said never. They wouldn't die, although, I think the Bengals thought we would. Our offense made some plays and our defense got some turnovers early and hung in there at the end. The special teams continued to play well. It was a team effort and you have to give a lot of credit to our players. I also have to give a lot of credit to the fans. After last week's game, they were packed in the stadium and pulled for us from the opening kick off all the way through the end. My hat's off to the fans."
Q: On QB Derek Anderson's performance:
"Derek has been working since the offseason and has learned this offense. He had an opportunity and took advantage of it. We knew he had a strong arm all along. He was able to place the balls and the receivers made some good catches. It all came together."
Q: On the teams 226 yards rushing:
"It feels really good because a lot of times it happens against us. This time it happened for us and I am really pleased by that."
Q: On DB Leigh Bodden's interception:
"They tried to stick the pass into [WR] Chad [Johnson]. They had stuck it in on the sidelines a few times earlier. Leigh kept fighting, didn't give up and made a great interception at the end."
Q: On getting a division win:
"A win at home – a division win, particularly after last week, is a great feeling. We know we have another game next week, but we'll enjoy this week."
DEREK ANDERSON
Q: On the successful passing game:
"We didn't start off too well, but once we got rolling and we were able to run the ball, things started going well. I put a lot of work in this week and I will keep working. Hopefully, we can keep this going."
Q: On his confidence:
"It feels great. Obviously, you have to keep winning. This shows the type of explosiveness we have and the type of plays we can make."
Q: On RB Jamal Lewis:
"The offensive line did an awesome job. They made some huge holes for Jamal."
JOSH CRIBBS
Q: On the game:
"We have a good combination and we can get it done. We had some offense and had some defense. We all pulled together as a whole unit. We picked each other up and it was great out there. We are finally living up to our potential. There is no looking back. We put up 51 points today and we are capable of doing more. We have to keep it going."
Q: On his kickoff returns:
"I got a little dehydrated. I don't eat well in the morning. I had to get hydrated when I got here. There is always a possibility of a return. You have to look for the breakdowns. We did it against them last year. We have a great kickoff return unit."
BRAYLON EDWARDS
Q: On the team's performance:
"I just think the team was inspired. Last week, we weren't who we practiced to be. We worked hard in the off season, we worked hard in training camp and we know what we can do. This week we were a little more patient with ourselves and we said 'lets come out here and let the game flow through us'. Everybody knows what we can do when we are operating on all cylinders, so let's take our time, let's be patient and let's let it come to us."
Q: On the team's offensive explosion:
"We have the attitude and the confidence to know that we can do these things and we just practiced hard this week. Everybody had an outstanding week. We didn't come in down in the dumps from the week before. We came in and said 'back to the drawing board'. We know what we can do, let's go out there and do it. DA (QB Derek Anderson) was phenomenal today. He put the ball where it needed to be and Jamal (RB Jamal Lewis) had 200 yards rushing. K2 (TE Kellen Winslow) was phenomenal, as he always is. We were just humming on all cylinders today. This is what we can be about. This is the team we want to show the league. This is us."
JAMAL LEWIS
Q: On the game:
"It was a slow start. It was tough early until coach Marshall (OL Coach Steve Marshall) put some adjustments into what we were doing in the run game. All week we had talked about getting the offense together and everybody going hard and having each other's back. The defense went out and struggled a little bit but we had their backs."
Q: On having a 200 yard rushing game:
"Those guys up front had a great game and the wide receivers blocked downfield. That's where those big runs really come from. I just want to do what they brought me here for, to get those big runs."
ERIC STEINBACH
Q: On the offensive line:
"In order for this team to be successful, it is going to start with the offensive line. All five of us need to stay healthy, come out each week and do our thing. This is where we are going to start turning it around."
Q: On QB Derek Anderson:
"Hats off to Derek, to come out and have a performance like that. After last week, we really weren't sure who our guy was, now we know and we are sticking with him. That is what we needed. Derek prepared all week and it cleared up a lot of things."
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