Browns G Joel Bitonio met with the media before practice on October 26.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 >> Two straight weeks, you're hot.
00:03 >> What?
00:04 >> Two straight weeks, you're hot.
00:04 >> I know, I know, I know.
00:05 >> Wyatt said it looked like you had a fresh leg.
00:10 >> [LAUGH] >> You can say that, I guess.
00:14 No, it was good to be back out there and get the win.
00:17 Anytime you go out there with the guys and compete, that's what we all want to do.
00:23 So it was nice to get back out there, and then we got a win, felt good.
00:26 >> So Joe, Seattle added Frank Clark, we know he'll probably play.
00:30 But besides that, they have 11 different players who have sacks.
00:35 Is that more of a challenge to identify to the line or
00:40 the quarterback to identify who's coming?
00:43 >> It's a big mix.
00:44 I think it's a testament to the way they play.
00:46 They all go so hard all the time, so there's just a mix.
00:49 If you wanna slide one way or the other, go to Jabal Abed,
00:53 because he puts a lot, or Bobby Wagner, the D-line may have been making plays for him.
00:58 They have a good mix of scheme and players, but I think the thing that stands out
01:01 with them is how hard they go constantly.
01:03 They're constantly trying to push the pocket, work second and third moves.
01:06 And hopefully we'll be responsible for the four down guys when they're rushing.
01:11 But we do gotta find who we wanna point out in the blitz pickups.
01:17 >> Joe, obviously the running back room has been kind of in a state of flux, and
01:20 now Jerome's not out there this week.
01:22 But do you guys feel like from a schematic standpoint,
01:24 you can kind of figure some stuff out over the bye,
01:26 because it seems like it's been better the last few weeks?
01:30 >> Yeah, I know they looked at all the numbers and
01:34 all those things, what was working, what's not.
01:37 I think just getting comfortable with the ways different guys run.
01:40 I think we were so comfortable with the way Nick ran the ball.
01:43 I mean, he's the best running back in the league, so he makes things work sometimes.
01:48 But no, I think we're getting more comfortable.
01:50 I think we saw some good stuff this last week.
01:52 And I think the main thing for us is the efficiency.
01:54 We don't wanna have these negative runs.
01:56 We've had a decent amount of negative runs.
01:58 And that's usually one guy on an assignment or something.
02:01 It's not a single line or receivers or tight ends.
02:03 It's one form of a group or something like that.
02:06 So we're trying to eliminate those because I think you look a lot more efficient.
02:09 And that's gonna keep you out of the second 15s or whatever.
02:14 >> I think you've played one time in Seattle in your career.
02:18 >> Yeah, I was hurt that game.
02:19 So this is my first time out there.
02:20 Yeah, it was two other.
02:21 >> I was gonna ask you where that ranks in terms of challenge.
02:24 >> Yeah, I've heard it's loud.
02:25 A lot of people have told me it's loud, which is a little bit unique cuz
02:28 the open air stadium.
02:30 But the way they have it set up, it's kind of like a theater.
02:32 So I think it keeps the noise in there.
02:33 >> You didn't go to the game that time?
02:34 >> I did not go to the game.
02:35 I think I was on IR at that point, my second year.
02:38 So I have not been there before.
02:39 But I've heard it's challenging.
02:41 >> Hey, Joel, the ball hasn't always bounced your guys' way here during your
02:44 tenure here.
02:45 How nice has it been the last two weeks to overcome some things and
02:49 get some breaks?
02:50 >> Yeah, it's good.
02:52 You hope it evens out throughout your career.
02:54 But there's multiple times in my career where I felt we've been
02:59 on the wrong side of some of those things.
03:01 And I don't know why one sticks out.
03:03 But one time, Duke Johnson's like tap the ball on his hands after he fumbled.
03:07 It was handed to the refs and they were still pointing it the other way.
03:09 >> [LAUGH] >> And I was just like,
03:10 I don't know how this makes any sense.
03:11 But there's been a few of those moments, you know what I mean?
03:14 Where we've been on the wrong end.
03:15 So it's one of the things that we try and control, we control as a team.
03:21 But in certain situations, sometimes the refs are part of the game and
03:24 they make those calls.
03:25 But it was nice to have some calls go our way the last couple weeks.
03:29 And hopefully we can stay out of this so it's not quite as close,
03:32 coming down the stretch.
03:34 >> I mean, Joel, what have you seen from Jed the last two games?
03:37 It seems like he's really played well these last two.
03:41 >> Yeah, he's come out with a lot of energy.
03:44 He's playing hard.
03:45 You see some excitement, like he's one of the first ones down there on
03:48 the long touchdown run.
03:50 And make play, trying to finish in blocks.
03:52 I think he's just trying to take a step in his game and be that energy.
03:57 Especially when I was out, I think he was like, all right,
03:58 I can step up a little bit and help this team.
04:00 And he's done a really good job.
04:02 He's really focused on just trying to be the best version of himself and
04:06 play through the whistle.
04:07 But it's been good the last couple weeks and we're hoping to keep building.
04:10 >> You've played in front of so many quarterbacks here.
04:14 PJ Walker have something that others haven't had?
04:21 Lucky charms?
04:22 >> I don't know, he's very in command of the huddle.
04:24 You know what I mean?
04:25 He's confident.
04:26 There's never a question about if he believes that we're gonna win.
04:31 And it's a quiet confidence with him, but he's found a way the last couple weeks.
04:35 And I think if you look at his career,
04:37 I think he had that Hail Mary against when he was playing for the Panther.
04:41 So he's had some plays and some wins in his career.
04:43 And you get reps in other leagues that he was playing in.
04:47 So he's all that experience and we're supporting him.
04:50 Everything else is out there.
04:53 >> Talk about resilience.
04:55 You guys have shown it multiple times this year.
04:57 Where do you think that is?
05:00 >> It's one of our core values on the team.
05:01 We wanna be resilient.
05:02 We know the seasons are long, we know games are long games.
05:05 Last week was a roller coaster in itself.
05:08 Eight league changes and all that stuff.
05:11 So we understand that not everything's gonna be perfect.
05:14 There's stretches there where our defense is playing outstanding and
05:17 we have to be resilient on offense and vice versa.
05:20 But it's just something that coach preaches all the time.
05:23 He's like, how resilient can we be?
05:24 The most resilient team wins a lot of these close games.
05:27 >> And doing, I would assume that that comes into playing winning game at
05:30 Dodgers starting in the quarter.
05:32 >> 100%.
05:32 Anytime you go out there and get a win, which a lot of teams are,
05:38 but you're not 100%, it's big for us.
05:41 And we wanna really win a road game stack of them last week and
05:44 try to build on that.
05:44 So we have another game to show this week.
05:46 But no, it was definitely something to show.
05:51 >> Kevin said he knew he was gonna run the ball if it got to fourth down.
05:54 And that game Sunday.
05:55 So for you guys, what does that mean to you that he's gonna trust you guys and
05:58 bring you to that do or die?
06:00 >> Yeah, it's big time.
06:01 I was trying to do a calmer huddle down a little bit a few times.
06:04 We were a little excited there.
06:05 And I was like, we gotta play one play at a time, do what's called.
06:09 They'll give us a chance if we need to.
06:13 But it's a lot of faith in us.
06:16 We wanna be that team that if we're on the PR that we can call a run and
06:19 hopefully score and get in there.
06:21 And Kareem's the backyard one back there too.
06:24 He's gonna find a way to get in there.
06:27 >> You guys are reaching for the last play to run the ball.
06:30 There's a few guys saying we should run the ball.
06:34 But with the clock left, I think if you look at the clock management and
06:37 how it worked out, you would hope to get in there.
06:39 But if you don't, you'd probably lose a play.
06:41 And if you have a jumbo group on the field, you run the ball.
06:44 So then you have to spike the ball with the jumbo group and
06:47 try to run a pass play with the jumbo group.
06:49 It makes it a lot more complicated.
06:51 You could have run it in there, though.
06:52 I think there's always that possibility.
06:55 But I'm just stressing, call it, execute what's called.
06:59 And hopefully we will make it happen.
07:02 >> What's your scouting report on Nick Harris now as a fullback?
07:05 >> Pretty good.
07:06 There's not very many fullbacks left in the league.
07:07 So he's one of ten guys that plays fullback in this league now.
07:11 But he's done a good job for us.
07:12 Hopefully get him some routes here coming up.
07:15 >> [LAUGH] >> Get him the ball a little bit.
07:17 But no, he's done a good job.
07:18 I think in the Niners game, there was a couple where he got to come downhill and
07:22 smack some people.
07:23 So he's liking it.
07:24 He wants to get on the field and help the guys out.
07:25 So anytime we get some more linemen on the field, we get excited about it.
07:29 >> What does it say about a guy like that?
07:30 Cuz obviously, we know what happened with you three last year.
07:33 And so his role has changed a lot.
07:35 But he's just willing to kind of embrace a different, weirder role, I guess.
07:39 >> Yeah, he was excited for it.
07:40 I think every time we have a packet with him going in a fullback, he gets excited.
07:45 And Coach Talmadge does a good job of coaching him up on his responsibilities.
07:49 But for him, I think it just shows he wants to do everything he can to help
07:53 the team land it.
07:54 And every lineman has that dream of being a skill player at one point or another.
07:59 So I think he just gets to live that a little bit.