Cleveland Browns 36, Houston Texans 22
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Good to take care of business. Obviously coming down here, had to go get that road win and we did. And then we'll turn our attention to Thursday night. It's a quick turnaround as everybody knows. We'll be in tomorrow getting our guys ready for a short week but a lot of good out there. Obviously I know we can finish better but there's a lot of good stuff out there. With that I'll take questions.
Q. How is --
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Yeah, we'll see. Don't know. Obviously going to get an MRI.
Q. What can you say about Amari's day?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: It's hard, man. I mean, I don't have -- you're the wordsmith, Jake, but he was pretty special. Yeah, he's a good one.
Q. When you took all those guys out, were you aware that he was only nine yards?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: I was but I was also thinking we had a short week. Didn't work out how I wanted it to work out but felt like if I could take some reps off of those guys. Now he was campaigning to go back in there so maybe he willed that to' had a. But yeah, I mean, we have to finish better but yeah, disappointed in that part of it but bottom line is took care of business.
Q. Were you happy for him ultimately?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Ultimately yes I was happy for him but I'm happy for Amari because he's a consummate pro. He's one of the best I've ever been around. The way he -- what he knows about this game, the way he sees this game, he's like a savant out there. Combine that with the route running ability, he's one of this team's leaders. These guys move Amari and to see him come through is awesome.
Q. Through the week -- taking their shots -- down the field, yet it seemed so easy. What were you able to do successfully?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: There were a couple opportunities we felt on some of the route concepts. They are not all going to be there and I thought when they weren't there, Joe did a nice job of checking it down or taking it to the next read. Yeah there's certain opportunities you're going to have based on the scheme that the other team is running.
Q. The first play of the game, you know -- he let's it go --
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Not necessarily. There's three options on that one but based on the coverage I thought it was going there. Then you just feel good about Joe putting the ball in a spot where Amari can go in.
Q. How about Joe's performance? This is his third straight 300-yard game.
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Yeah, and I think Joe probably just told you, it takes everybody. It takes protection. It takes those guys running routes. He made some amazing plays and I think back to, what was it, third or fourth down where Amari caught the ball on the boundary, that's an incredible play by Joe. It's an incredible play by Amari. It takes everybody. Protection for the most part I thought was really good. Everybody was involved in that. So Joe is doing his job.
Q. Had it gone a different way --
KEVIN STEFANSKI: We have options there. They are maybe not great options, so we could have done that but I was trying to avoid that.
Q. Is that something you practice once a year?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Basically.
Q. What is your option?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Keep it anonymous.
Q. In terms of what Dustin has given you this season, just how tough is it to see him --
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Yeah, it's tough. Yeah, you don't love to not have a dependable guy like Dustin. We'll see how it shakes out in the next 24. So yeah, I feel badly for him.
Q. The defense?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: A couple takeaways. Za'Darius getting two sacks, which I thought was outstanding. Harassing the quarterback, I thought our defense was really good.
Q. Throwing the ball down the field, how does that open things up for your entire offense?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: In theory, obviously when you can use all 53 and a third horizontally and you can obviously use the ball, the deep ball, that should make the defense have to defend all of it and spread it out and like I mentioned earlier, when it's not there, it does open up check downs or layers underneath the zone coverage that guys can go turn and make a play.
Q. How concerned are you --
KEVIN STEFANSKI: We'll see. It's hard. You don't know just yet. Obviously in that short week, you always worry about those type of guys where can they make it to a Thursday. We'll see. I don't know.
Q. What time do you come in tomorrow?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: We'll be in the afternoon so everybody can open their gifts. We'll bring in the rookies at noon and the vets at one. Give the coaches a couple hours in the morning. See if anybody has been naughty or nice.
Q. Does it add some excitement to it that for Thursday night, at home?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Yeah, I can't wait to get down there. I can't wait to get down there. Our crowd is going to be unbelievable. We can earn it on Thursday. That's the story.
Q. Anybody else that can kick?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Yeah. Again, we have options. Doesn't make them good options but we'll work through.
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