Steelers-26, Browns-22
Q. After Nick Chubb's injury, what did you have to do to have to rally the offense?
DESHAUN WATSON: Yeah, it was a little slow. I know we scored kind of right after. We were down a little, but it was tough because we didn't know what was going on or what was going to happen until, you know, pretty much after the game.
So we just kind of, you know, just -- we're so used to seeing Chubb. He is the one outside of me rallying everybody, keeping everybody just along and going on. You can kind of feel that throughout the game, just kind of the ups and downs, but usually he is the one in the huddle talking to everyone. Having that piece gone, it was tough.
Q. Deshaun, what was the message to Jerome? Did you have to say anything to him when he came in, or was he sort of --
DESHAUN WATSON: I think he was ready. He brought that long run. Mostly I think Coach Stump is the one that talked to him. Pretty much I didn't need to say anything. It was a big moment for him. I think he knew the task, and I think he did what he needed to do when he could through the rest of the game.
Q. How do you feel like you're playing right now?
DESHAUN WATSON: It's still coming along. You know, I feel like tonight it was (expletive) as far as that. Some plays we capitalized and we did good, but as far as my part, it's not good enough. I put that on me.
The first play, we can get into the tactics of receiver running out and putting the ball out and, you know, this, that, and there, but I have to give him a better ball.
The forced fumble for a touchdown for them, we can say this guy can do this, but I've got to protect the ball. We're not going to put it on everyone else. You put it on me. I can take the full blame. I can take the criticism, and I'm going to do that.
I told everyone on the offense, the whole team, I'm going to do better for this team, for this organization, so we can win games like that. I'm fine with taking the criticism, and I will be better.
Q. Deshaun, you have the two face mask penalties and I guess a disagreement with the Steelers sideline there. Just what happened there? Do you feel you lost your composure at all?
DESHAUN WATSON: No, it wasn't really lost my composure. I apologized to the team. That was a 15-yard penalty for us, and it set us back.
So both times was my fault, but as far as the face mask and things like that, I'm stiff-arming like everyone else. Once they grab my arm, as I'm running and they keep pushing, only way I can really let go is just swing across. Once they do that, my hand is stuck in their helmet or in their face mask.
So I have to do a better job of just hitting him with the palm I guess and just releasing as much as I can so we don't get those penalties. But as far as unsportsmanlike conduct or anything like that, I'm not trying to do anything like that. I've never been that type of person. I've never been that type of player.
I spoke with the ref, and we were going back and forth and having a good conversation. He just let me know that it's hard for them to see things like that. All they're looking for is the head. So I told him I just have to do better.
Q. You didn't get ejected after there was a little bit of contact with the ref, and there was some debate over whether or not you should have been ejected from the game. Were you --
DESHAUN WATSON: I didn't know that.
Q. You don't even remember anything, the little bit of contact or anything like that?
DESHAUN WATSON: Which part? No, me and the ref were just having a conversation. There was no contact with the ref. We were having a conversation.
The other thing on the sideline was -- I'm not going to get into it. We spoke about it, me and that coach for the Steelers, so we're on good terms. I'm not going to speak on that.
But, yeah, there was no contact with the ref. Me and him was talking about the stiff-arm, and he was just getting me on the way, and I was just letting him know what was going on. So, yeah, but it wasn't -- that never came up.
Q. At the end you made a few completions to get the ball in the 50. Even though it was a struggle all night, were you feeling positive at that point?
DESHAUN WATSON: Of course. Every time we step on the field, you have to feel positive. You have to have that confidence.
You know, even when the momentum is not going our way, we to change that. We have to find ways to flip that momentum, especially being on the road in a hostile environment.
So you just have to go out there and just try to make plays, and the plays didn't go our way towards the end. Yeah, that's how it went.
Q. You said that you are coming along, but given how big of a loss Nick is according to you and other players on the team, is there an urgency to elevate your game as fast as possible for you guys to meet all the goals you had before the season?
DESHAUN WATSON: I just have to just keep doing what I'm doing. Just keep trying to get better, 1% better each and every week. Every week is different and things like that.
Urgency to up my game, I can't force the issue. I can't force any deep balls or throws, thing like that. I just have to keep trying to do what the coaching staff is asking me to do.
Going through my reads and checking it down when I need to and try to make plays with my feet. That's all I can really do. Don't try to go outside and do what Nick Chubb is doing. I can't do that, so why would I try to do that?
Q. How much of an issue was their pressure to your protection? I felt like you were under a lot of pressure all night long.
DESHAUN WATSON: I just have to get the ball out quicker. I think that's the biggest thing, even in a drop-back. Just they're coming, and maybe I should check it down a little bit faster and sooner, and maybe that can help to slow down the pressure and things like that.
I just have to get rid of the ball and try not to take those unnecessary sacks.
Q. Do you feel like in some ways was it in the back of your mind with Nick gone and you had to try to do too much and maybe you did press a little bit in this particular game?
DESHAUN WATSON: No, I don't think I did that. I don't think I was pressing. I was just trying to make the throws and the reads whenever those times came.
So I didn't really run it as much. That was for Jerome as far as that, as far as pressing.
Q. At times it looked more like a street fight than a football game. Did it feel like you were in a team fight there almost throughout the night?
DESHAUN WATSON: What do you mean by that?
Q. It was very physical, guys going down.
DESHAUN WATSON: Oh, of course. It's divisional football. It's Pittsburgh versus Cleveland, so it's always going to be a tough fight. We knew it was going to be a battle.
You know, guys flying around. Guys want to compete and win. But as far as just taking it to a whole other level, yeah, it gets chippy out there and things like that, but at the end of the day we respect them, and we just have to keep pushing forward, but we're not trying to do anything outside of just play football and compete.
Q. Jerome made a couple of big catches for you. How long before the game did you know that you were going to have him there to play tonight?
DESHAUN WATSON: Well, I knew he was going to play. I just didn't know how much. Every drive, every series I just kept asking him if he was good on certain routes and things like that.
So I know the game plan had to be switched around because of the late injury in the week, but he made some big plays, and he helped us out and moved some chains in the drive.
Q. Is this just uncharacteristic of you guys as a team to start the way that you did, the penalties, the turnovers, just all the things that happened in this game? Is this just completely not who you guys are?
DESHAUN WATSON: Yeah. Like I said earlier, it was sloppy. You know, we can't do that, and that starts with me as a quarterback, as a leader. I can't allow that.
The communication has to be better. Fundamentals have to be better. I just have to make sure we're all on the same page, especially on the road where it's a tough environment.
Like I said before, you can't blame anybody else but myself as the quarterback. Maybe I can just get better balls or protect the ball or get rid of the ball a little bit faster.
So as a leader of the team and as a quarterback, I need to make sure that I stay sharp throughout the game.
Q. How do you feel the offensive line is coming along? They've moved some guys around, and even after Nick went down, you guys still had almost 200 yards on the ground.
DESHAUN WATSON: Yeah, they're still pounding hard. They're still going pounding the rock real, real tough, and we just have to make sure that we keep going behind those guys with the reads and the run fits and things like that. That's the foundation of our team.
Those guys are working their tails off to make sure we get positive yards in the run game and also in the passing game. So, you know, I give a lot of credit to the offensive line and the way they work and the way they take their jobs and how serious they are with their work.
Q. I'm going to rephrase this because I think it was kind of asked a little bit, but do you feel like all your goals and dreams for this season, all the aspirations that you guys had are still in front of you even though you don't have Nick Chubb anymore?
DESHAUN WATSON: Most definitely. It's week two. Like we said before, it's a huge loss for our team to have Nick Chubb, and I think Jerome and those guys are going to step up.
You know, it's a long season. We have 15 more to go, so anything can happen. It's the NFL. Every week is a challenge no matter who you are playing against, where you are playing, where you are playing at.
The dreams and everything that we want are still in front of us, and we just have to get ready for Tennessee this week and get back on track.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports