Steelers - 23, Browns - 9
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Cam Robinson has a knee injury. Jack Conklin, Gage are in the concussion protocol. Joe Tryon has a hip injury. You can't do those things and expect to go on the road and win, and just frustrated to not play clean football on offense/defense and special teams. Just can't do it on the road versus a good football team.
And we've got to get it fixed because before you start winning, you've got to stop losing. We're doing some things right now that are preventing us from winning. So we'll get it fixed.
Q. What's the number one thing offensively?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Well, yeah, I don't think it's as simple as that. Obviously today we weren't able to run the ball effectively and then got behind there in the second half. 0-for-3 in the red zone. I know those were two-minute drives, a lot of them. But we've got to find a way to score points, gotta run ball the efficiently. Gotta find a way to be better in the pass game, all of the above.
Q. Was it something the Steelers did right or --
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Obviously give credit to your opponent. But we've got to do a better job.
Q. (Inaudible)?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: There's a lot of things we need to do better. Obviously I'll look at all things.
Q. So you're concerned --
KEVIN STEFANSKI: There's a long list of things we've got to do better.
Q. Dillon was basically beat up (inaudible), hit 16 times, sacked. He really didn't have much of a chance. (Indiscernible) can you just talk about what -- talk about what was like coming out there?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: He's a tough kid. We gotta keep him clean. Obviously when the game turned into a two-score game you've got to drop back, and that's a tough team to drop back versus.
But he kept battling. It wasn't for lack of effort by him or anybody. He made some plays. But we've just got to be better.
Q. Did you learn something from the game like (indiscernible)?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: I think you learn in every game, win, lose or draw. Obviously we know this kid's tough. We know he's tough. He's going to keep fighting. We've got to, around him, make plays, we've got to coach him up and getting our guys in position, all of the above.
Q. How did you think Tyson did in his first game? Was there a thought about putting him (inaudible)?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: I thought Tyson did a good job considering when he got on campus. Got him up to speed. Obviously they have a great player over there, made a play. But really was pleased with how he was able to get up to speed in this game.
Q. (Inaudible)?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: We were just trying to fight there until the end.
Q. (Indiscernible) six penalties.
KEVIN STEFANSKI: They were costly. They were.
Q. How disappointed, how do you --
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Very disappointed. Jerry is a leader for us. I think it was a retaliation-type thing. We preached that. We teach that. We can't do that.
Those are real yards that are hard to overcome. So we have to be better. It gets to the point of need to make sure you're playing clean, then give yourself a chance. It's hard when you make life harder on yourself.
Q. You talked about how drops haven't been an issue (indiscernible), but they were out there again today. What have you seen I guess in terms of that?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Just gotta keep working. Nothing technically. Just gotta keep working.
Q. How would you assess Dillon's second start?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Like we talked about, I think he was battling. Obviously not good enough offensively, and that's players and coaches. But he was battling.
Q. The offensive line situation, specifically the tackle situation, it seems like every time you think you've got the answer solved or looked (indiscernible) another problem creates. How frustrating is it? And where do you go from here to try to...
KEVIN STEFANSKI: We'll coach up the guys we've got. We know injuries are a part of this game. We expect the guys out there to go perform. We'll get them coached up.
Q. When you look at your roster, all the rookies you had out there today, you're going to have to grow up fast against teams like this and deal with just the aggressive physical nature of this game.
KEVIN STEFANSKI: I think our young players, like we've talked about, they all work very hard. They're going to make young mistakes because they're young players. But really like how that group battles. So it will only get better.
Q. When you look at the (inaudible)?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: All of the above. Name something, we've got to do it better.
Q. Can you put into words just how disappointing and frustrating it is to come in here and have this kind of game, (indiscernible)?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: This is the NFL. We have to be better and that's the "we." I have to be better for this football team. Our coaches have to be better for this football team. Our players have to be better for this football team.
But bottom line, there are things that will hold you back from winning, and you've got to knock those out so you give yourself a chance.
Q. (Inaudible) what did you see in his growth? (Indiscernible)?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Another young player that we're counting on. We trust him. Does a nice job in these games. Obviously we have a ton of confidence in him as well.
Q. Even though you have a lot of work, there's a lot of guys, 4-of-19 over the last 20 games. How concerned are you about keeping those guys with the program?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: We're focused on what's in front of us. I understand the question, but our team's focused on what they've got in front of them.
Q. Do you think there's a risk -- talking to Jerry Jeudy or Jerry keeps reading (indiscernible) hearing more about the drops and it feeds on itself more?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: He's been playing this game for a long time. I think he's got great confidence. I have a ton of confidence in him. Ball's going to keep coming his way.
Q. (Indiscernible) 1-5, the season, how do you sort of go about keeping things positive?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: I think with our football team, I know we have young players but we have a bunch of veterans that understand what we have in front of us. They understand we're not in the business of looking behind. We're just not. We've got to focus on what's in front of us.
Q. On the roughing (indiscernible) where Dillon's (inaudible), were you surprised they didn't do something (indiscernible) the concussion?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: I did not see the play. I saw the results of the penalty, but I did not see the play.
Q. Did you see him run into the punter?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Yes.
Q. Do you recall?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Yeah. You know, it's hard.
Q. (Inaudible) taking the right lessons from this stretch?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Like we talked about, you learn, win, lose or draw. And it's frustrating in these moments, of course, but I've got guys in there that understand what's in front of us. They understand the things that we have to clean up. And we've got leadership on the football team that will bring the young guys along.
Q. (Indiscernible) Dillon, where do you look at (inaudible) tackle and the drop issue that could be hurting him to be in a bad environment?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: He's got to operate regardless of what's going on around you. The injuries are a part of every football team. He's just got to keep continuing to stack these games, stack these reps.
Q. What can you say about (indiscernible) Aaron Rodgers? (Indiscernible) operated, got the ball away quickly (inaudible)?
KEVIN STEFANSKI: Yeah, great player. Obviously again, give them credit. Give their offense credit, their defense credit. They did a nice job. But he was accurate throughout the day, made plays, did a good job.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports