Steelers 23, Browns 9
Q. The run game and you starting to get those chunk runs, those 10-plus runs. How much has today helped with the pass game?
AARON RODGERS: I said last week we needed to see some more one high stuff and take some shots down the field, and you have to run the football to do that. I feel like the line controlled the line of scrimmage today pretty well, and I thought Jalen ran the ball really well.
Kenny always does well in the run and pass game, but Jalen, he's slippery in there, man. I thought he had some really nice runs.
Q. Can you take us through that touchdown to Heyward? Did you motion to him to go the other way? Is that what happened on that play?
AARON RODGERS: Yeah, just keeper to the right. Jalen had a great block. I think it was Jalen that cut the guy. I just kind of continued out. First look is in the flat. Second is kind of the DK on the back side. Connor is really kind of a clear-out route.
Though we had a similar play against the Jets in Week 1 to Calvin for a touchdown. Different formation. Kind of different thing we're doing. So I just got out there.
Connor is a really smart player, and I was just kind of, like, either you or DK, one of you guys see this and go that way. Connor did, and I put a decent ball on, and he made a nice catch.
Q. The two 25 yarders, what did you like pre-snap from those, if anything, or are those plays that manifest into the pocket for you?
AARON RODGERS: We had one-on-one on the first conversion. He had a quick out conversion. He did a nice job of late hands. I think the other one was a quick out that, you know, I thankfully put in a good spot. DB kind of tried to break on it, and DK made a play.
The third catch was on the shot across. I thought I threw a bad one on the inside go. His fourth catch was a nice little slant-and-go he ran.
Q. Can you describe your first taste of true AFC North football and especially getting a win too?
AARON RODGERS: I think division games in the NFL are always different. Anything can happen. Been in a North Division for 18 years of my career, 15 as a starter, so I know what those games are all about.
Anything can happen. Definitely seems those games are a little more physical than the other ones. I felt like it was a physical game. I thought our defense was really getting after it. I was joking with PQ. I thought he was trying to knock himself out. He was drilling people. There was a lot of big hits on both sides of the ball.
Any time you play in division games, really in the NFL in the general, you take care of the football and you win the line of scrimmage, you are going to win a lot of those games. I thought we did that today.
Q. No sacks today. There were a lot of questions this week about how you handle 95. Seems like he got some help at times, but handled his business on his own. What have you seen specifically from him in terms of his growth?
AARON RODGERS: I think he took -- hopefully he wasn't reading it, but I feel like probably there's some negative -- based on the questions I was getting I think Week 3, some negative thoughts out there about how he was playing.
I got a lot of confidence in him. I really enjoy his energy. Sometimes trying to kick him in the ass a little bit in practice to get going, but I like his positivity. You know, he's always the first one to come celebrate with me on the field. I appreciate that, and I appreciate him rising to the challenge this week.
Obviously you're playing a generational type player like that, there's not going to be a ton of one-on-ones. We're going to throw different things at him. I thought we did a good job with the tight ends, variation body types, and running backs out there trying to chip him just to kind of slow him down, but when he had singles, I felt like -- I got to look at the film, but it seemed like he played pretty well.
Q. There were a lot of two high coverages coming into this game. How did you try to advantage that when they did go to that single high coverage?
AARON RODGERS: Throw it to DK, yeah.
Q. What were the keys going up against a tough Cleveland defense? You put up 23 points, and you probably could have had more.
AARON RODGERS: Yeah, just patience. If you look at the film and the opponents and the way the games went, you know, they have a great defense, and they played tough in all those games.
The Detroit game got away because of some turnovers, but I thought Dillon took care of the football. We had some chances to pick the ball off and didn't, but you know, for the most part, that's a really good defense that's going to stand up most of the game. We just had to make the most of a short field on one of them, and then a couple really nice sustained drives in the second half.
We were better on third down than we had been previous weeks. We converted some third and longer ones. I think we were around 50% for the day. I'm not sure if the kneel-downs took us under that, but seems like we were right around 50%, which was good.
First drives stalled, but thankfully Bos took care of those kicks before the field got borderline unplayable. That was nice to get those touchdowns in the second half.
Q. What do you like about what you're seeing from the offense and how it's evolving each week?
AARON RODGERS: I think we're playing pretty smart football. I think Art got us into a good rhythm today. When we take care of the football and don't turn it over, we're going to have a chance in any game. Then if we can control the line of scrimmage, we're really going to be playing downhill.
I thought to the key to the last two games have been first and second down. When we're efficient on those drives, we usually score points. When we're not, there's been some three and outs.
So I like what we've done with Spence. I like obviously what we've done with Darnell. You know, seems like the more playing time he's out there, big things happen. The first play of the game. I know he got the ball punched out, but he's a super talented guy. For 6'8" and whatever he tips the scales at, I love having Darnell out there. His presence, his energy, his body, he's made a big difference for us.
Q. You mentioned the field. Pregame, could you tell it was going to be rough pregame?
AARON RODGERS: I couldn't tell pregame, no. I just felt like it got real beat up. By the time the third quarter rolled around, that thing was really beat up, so I feel bad about what happened to Miles. I'm not sure if, you know, there was any carry there. I know the field gets a lot of play.
I don't know why anybody wouldn't wear a seven-studs cleats. Some guys are opposed to that and they just want to wear moldeds, but it reminds me a little bit of the field in Green Bay in the early years, but not until, like, November or early December where it would get kind of torn up a little bit.
Then they went out and found an incredible, you know, field maintenance guy that would come over and help our guys out, and the field in Green Bay is absolutely immaculate, but the field today got pretty torn up.
Q. Aaron, during the week we asked you about momentum. You said it's not about -- coming out of the bye, you said it's more about the way you practice, the way good teams practice. I see evidence of us. Did you see that evidence on the field today? Do you feel confident that you guys are trending in the direction of a good team to factor in the AFC?
AARON RODGERS: That's where we want to be, and we're putting ourselves in the position, right, to start entering the conversation, but a lot can happen. There's a lot of time between now and December football. December football is when you want to be playing your best, but you also want to be healthy.
We got some guys back today. I thought Joey played really well. Getting Alex Highsmith back was great. We can throw Highsmith and Herbig and TJ at you, that's pretty tough for any offensive line.
I think DeShon, him coming back on the back end has been a big deal for us. You go out and get guys like Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey.
I do want to make a point and talk about Ramsey, because what he did this week getting ready to play, I've been around the game a long time, and I've seen a lot of guys in a situation where you got a Sunday/Thursday, skip both games. Where maybe they're 85%, but they want to be 100%, because I think there's a fear of failure almost that can paralyze them where if I don't play my best game, then what does that say about me if I'm not 100%?
I think some guys are scared to go out there and play, but for Jalen to go out there with everything he's accomplished in this league, I just can't say enough about the level of respect I have for him. He had, what, two sacks and pass break-ups and tackles.
If there was any question about the type of person that he is -- take away the incredible player -- but the person and teammate, I think he just showed all of us the kind of guy that he is by going out there and playing today.
Q. You saw some single high today where you got a downfield pass going. How did the run game open that up and forcing two high and you starting to get that downfield pass protect working?
AARON RODGERS: Teams want to play two high and rush with their front four, but I think Art has done a nice job the last few weeks of mixing the personnel groupings a lot, and some with Spence out there as an extra offensive tackle, and it puts some stress on the defense if you just want to play two high, because now we got some extra poundage there on the same side, especially when him and Darnell are on the same formation alignment side.
I think Art did a good job of keeping it off balance, and we started today with an action keeper that blew wide open. But Art has done a good job with the formations. We throw a lot of things at him. Obviously we're trying to keep DK out there as much, but we can do some big 11 stuff and let Ben do some things. We can get our fast guys in there with Scotty and Roman and Cal when he comes back, or it can go big and reply three or four tight ends at the time, and sometimes have Spence be that tight end.
A lot of credit goes to Art, Fredo getting those boys ready, and I think Pat and Ike have done such a good job with the offensive line. They're a really smart group. One of the smartest groups I've been around, but they controlled the line of scrimmage today.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports