Browns - 39, Colts - 38
Q. Talk about that last drive, what was your mindset. What was your feeling --
P.J. WALKER: We just needed to get some points. We needed to get into the end zone. We were down by five, I believe, or something like that, six or something. Whatever we were down.
But we stalled a few drives previous on offense and we didn't get the opportunity to get the ball in the end zone. Dustin did a hell of a job bailing us out time after time. I think as an offense, we knew we needed points. We knew we needed to score, and the guys around me made some big plays, big moments. That's all that mattered.
Q. Did you get any reps after --
P.J. WALKER: No, I didn't. So for me, it was just continuing to prepare mentally in the back of the huddles and things like that and just take mental reps. You just never know. It's a crazy game. When your number is called, you've just got to be ready.
Q. On that planned final drive, where it looked like you fumbled, all the contact, how long before you knew there was a play?
P.J. WALKER: I didn't. Yeah, I didn't. I was just trying to get the ball out of my hands. I felt the pressure. I felt like I got my arm to move forward throwing the throw, but it was a flag on them. Bailed us out a little bit, it was good.
Q. Adversity on that final drive. How did you keep hanging in there and sticking to it?
P.J. WALKER: It's a long game. We had enough time on the clock where I felt like once we got that first first down, we were going to be moving, just to get them on their heels and get them back.
As the drive was going, I was starting to see little things that I felt like we can attack. So for me, it was just trying to get the ball in their hands, let them go out there, make plays.
Q. How was Deshaun helping you from the sidelines and in the game?
P.J. WALKER: Just talking, talking about what we see on that sideline. And I'm asking him what plays he likes and what he thinks on the workout there. That's big for us, just having conversations about that on the sidelines, just trying to have that communication, that clear-cut communication of constant having a feel for each other, not just trying to change too much, continue the game plan.
For us, it's to just keep going. And every time I got back to the sideline, I talked to 4, see what he was looking at.
Q. Before the one touchdown, a couple of errant plays (inaudible), do you attribute that to not getting reps?
P.J. WALKER: No, it's a moment thing. Maybe I was playing a little too fast for like the shovel pass to Dave. I was probably in a bit of a rush instead of just being a little more patient.
I think Dave does a great job with his patience. So me just finally starting to be able to go out there, play with him as a teammate, I've just got to go out there get that timing with him down pat. He's a different cat. Just gotta get the ball in his hand, let him just go do what he do.
Q. What would you say about, two things, Myles Garrett and Dustin?
P.J. WALKER: Man, 95 is a problem, that's for sure. I was on a whole different situation last year. I was watching the tape on Cleveland from week one, so I already knew what 95 was going to bring to the table every week. And for us, you could see the rally around him -- you know what I'm saying? -- as a group. And he made big plays when the biggest plays needed to be made. That was big for us. That touchdown and that sack fumble at the end of the half, that was huge.
They backed up. They decided to go out there, call a pass play, with 95 rushing, that's going to be a bit of an issue. But he did a great job.
Dustin did a great job all day just taking opportunities and knocking them down. I appreciate him for what he did. I'm sure everybody on this team appreciated him for the clutch plays he made today.
Q. (Inaudible) that you had today, does it feel like a microcosm of your career. You've been through a lot. How does a day like this help your confidence when your number is called?
P.J. WALKER: That was big, to be honest. I've always a bit -- never felt really comfortable going into a game not starting a game. So for me to go out there and have that effort mentality and just go play, that was big for me.
I felt good, just being able to be out there with the guys and just feel comfortable. I think the guys -- they were good with me being in there. That's what matters.
The energy of the guys around me is going to help me bring up my level of play and help bring up my energy and my spirit around them as well.
Q. Were you expecting to start earlier this week?
P.J. WALKER: I wasn't sure. I didn't know what was going to happen, to be honest. I knew 4 was working his way back, and I knew that the arrow was facing up this week.
So for me it was just to prepare, keep going, keep preparing like I had been all season. You never know when your number is called. It's just one of those days.
Q. I know he took that big shot. Were you surprised when Kevin said we're just going to proceed with caution?
P.J. WALKER: I wasn't surprised. You don't want that to happen. And things happen that build up, you know what I'm saying? So we did a good job protecting him. We did a great job as a team battling for him and getting this win for him.
That's all that matters at the end of the day we got the win as a group, win as a team. That's all that really matters.
Q. What happened, the last play, what was it like in the huddle there?
P.J. WALKER: That was intense, man. We knew we had to go in there, punch it in. You could see it in the guys' faces. That O line wanted to run the ball. That right there is big. We didn't have more time. I don't know if we were able to do that.
So we did a great job just punching in on fourth and one when it's needed, answering the bell when it's called. And the O line just did a great job getting Reem in the end zone and that was it.
Q. What do you think about the heart and soul?
P.J. WALKER: We are battle tested. We continue to just battle week in, week out. You could just feel the no waver on the sideline as other teams score or we make a mistake, defense makes a mistake, nobody wavers, and that's big to have a group of guys that, all right, next play, we're good. I threw an interception, we're good, defense is going to get a stop, we're going to get the ball right back. That right there, it's like, all right, we're good. We're just going to go out there, keep playing and we'll go out and answer.
Q. Did look like Kareem didn't cross the plane by much --
P.J. WALKER: I could tell he got in. He did a great job. He pushed it in. You can just see the -- once that ball hit that white line, I already knew what it was. That's all I was looking at, just seeing the ball hit the white line.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports