Steelers 28, Browns 14
Q. Deshaun, how would you sum up this game? You were under siege a lot. Just how do you feel like this went, the sacks and the interceptions today?
DESHAUN WATSON: Just got to give the Steelers credit. They did what they needed to do to create some pressure, some turnovers, and they capitalized on that.
So it didn't go our way, and we just got to watch the tape and just try to get ready for the off-season.
Q. Were you expecting that much pressure or did it kind of catch you off guard a little?
DESHAUN WATSON: No. I'm never going into a situation or a game expecting any type of pressure, because I trust my guys up front. Yeah, like I said, you got to give them credit for the games and the stunts and things they were doing to try to create pressure, and you got o give the secondary credit for doing their best to try to hold their disguise as much as they can and just try to disrupt the passing game.
Q. Can you describe what happened on your two picks, or explain each one? First one looked like almost could have been going to either guy.
DESHAUN WATSON: Yeah, just trying to get a dig on the far hash, and the ball just kind of sailed and 29 made a good play.
And then on the other one it was a slant and I guess it was 35 or 23, whoever caught it, I can't remember who caught it, beat the slant it the spot, so that was pretty much it with that one.
Q. Finishing 7-10 for guys, when you look around the locker room, is it hard to believe that you guys have only won seven games this whole entire season?
DESHAUN WATSON: For sure. It's definitely tough with the talent and the coaching staff and just the standard we have as Cleveland Browns. It's tough to win seven games and finish the season like that, but we just got to reflect on this season, watch the tape.
There might be changes. Who knows what's going to happen. It's the NFL. That's part of the business. Just get ready when we come back in the spring. Just regroup and put this one it the past, to bed, and get ready for 2022.
Q. Amari was talking about he felt like this last month has been sort of like through camp and the pre-season getting re-acclimated with you. What's the biggest thing that you felt like you got out of this last month, last six games, that you can maybe build off going into the off-season as you work with the guys?
DESHAUN WATSON: The biggest thing is really like Amari said, the receivers getting used to playing with me. There are certain things I do differently than they're used to, and I got to get used to the timing and how they run routes in different situations. Some guys are better at certain routes than others.
Being able to spend some time in the off-season and not have that long break between, okay, working in the off-season and going back and forth for quarterbacks, and then not playing with each other for 12 weeks, that is not in the future.
So having a full season, full off-season just focusing on what we can do better as an offense, quarterback and receivers, that's the challenge for us. We got to respond for sure.
Q. Do you leave here thinking the last three games that you made significant strides?
DESHAUN WATSON: For sure. All six games were significant. I haven't played football in two years. This is a new system, new offense, everything is new for me to just get back out there and play football again.
So to be back out there on the field is a blessing. To be able to go out there and try on the to get Ws, finish 3-3 with me in the last six games.
So the future is definitely bright for the Cleveland Browns. Regardless of what people say or think, I'm here for a reason. It is what it is.
So we got to focus on what we can do better to get better so at this time next year we're in those playoffs.
Q. You had the six games. You'll have the off-season, as you mentioned. This past year, based off that is it fair for the expectation to be you will be back at the level you were at 2019/2020 when you take the field next season?
DESHAUN WATSON: I don't have an expectation for myself. That's for the media, you guys. For me, I go out there and go to work. My job is to go out and try to win the game. Whatever expectations people put on myself, I'm not going to do that, because then I'm limiting myself and think about, oh, I need to impress this person, impress that person. That's not me.
All I got to do is just do my job and try to play football as best I can be. My expectation is going out there and correcting the mistakes I had these six games and growing from there, master this offense and the plan of what we want to do with the guys we're going to have in that locker room, and then just lead those guys.
Being for comfortable with those guys around, stepping into a position where I can lead from the front without any confusion of who is going to be the quarterback or how long I'm going to be out the building.
With me being there full time, that's an opportunity for me to really take another step to grow as an individual, as a quarterback, and as a leader.
Q. Deshaun, do you think that you -- now that you got the lay of the land, will you take a leading role in trying to figure out how to make this offense better, how to make sure that you're being maximized, your talents and abilities? Will you be very vocal in getting the offense where it needs to be?
DESHAUN WATSON: Most definitely. I'm just going to go in there and meet with Kevin and we're going to sit down, watch the tape, see what we can do, what's the plan, what I like, what do he like. It's a big shift, especially for him. There are certain things that he -- other coaches was coaching him at that time, so it's just kind of sitting down this off-season and really just mastering what we can really do and how we can expand and be more explosive as an offense.
Especially with the downhill running, we still want to continue to do that, so we got to make push we politics that in. Not every run needs to be from the gun, so we just got to be able to sit down and really man-to-man talk and figure out what we can do best for the future for this offense.
Q. Looked like your grabbed your elbow after the one throw where the guy got pushed back into you. Was it hurting? Feel okay?
DESHAUN WATSON: It's fine now. Yeah, I just lost some feeling in it. Hit it on a helmet or shoulder pads or something like that. Just one of those deals. Just kept playing.
Q. It's okay.
DESHAUN WATSON: It's fine now, yes, sir.
Q. Was it even more challenging for you, Deshaun, to come in with two thirds of the season gone?
DESHAUN WATSON: Sorry, I missed the first part.
Q. Was it even more challenging than you thought it would be to come in when you did and just play at game 12?
DESHAUN WATSON: Yeah, I mean, I knew it was going to be challenging. I knew I wasn't going to walk in and be the MVP of the NFL. I got a lot of work to put in. I put in a lot of work and I got a long way to go.
I wasn't naive to the point where I'm walking in and, hey, we're going to go to the playoffs and undefeated, and do all these things.
No. I knew there would be some challenges and a learning curve. I knew there would be some ups and downs and some mixed emotions and things like that.
So I'm not sure who would think that I would walk in and just be the best quarterback in the NFL. I wasn't expecting that. I was expecting me to learn this offense, get the feel of the game, and put us in position to win these games to have that, but for me to come up here and say that, yeah, I was going to go 6-0 and all this stuff, no. Honestly, I wasn't expecting that. And that's just the truth.
Q. What did they say when Ogunjobi pulled your face mask?
DESHAUN WATSON: He apologized about it. They said they missed it.
Q. The ref?
DESHAUN WATSON: Yeah, the ref. So, yeah, that was pretty crazy situation.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports