HEAD COACH ZAC TAYLOR
(on a QB Joe Burrow injury update)"It looked like he sprained his wrist. [He] fell on it early in the game and then felt it on the touchdown pass."
(on whether QB Joe Burrow hurt his wrist before tonight's game)"Not that I am aware of."
(on QB Joe Burrow's status)"I have no idea. All the information I have is two seconds worth, then we went to go try to win the game."
(on if he knows the next stage of QB Joe Burrow's injury evaluation)"I do not. We'll find out after this game."
(on the defense's play)"I think there were some positive things I saw from the defense. This is a good offense. They can extend plays with their quarterback. Some of them were probably good calls. Some of those penalties extended drives, and that's the way it is. Now we've got to buckle up. We've got to get them in good third-down positions. Some of those drives got extended, and they scored points. Our guys got to find a way to keep competing downfield. It's a challenge. So, again, I know we are disappointed with the loss, but I'm not discouraged about where this season is headed after this game. These guys are going to stick together. We're going to take the long weekend here and regroup and get ready for Pittsburgh next week."
(on QB Jake Browning's play) "I thought there were some positive things from [Jake Browning]. That's a tough, tough defense to face in your first NFL action. I was proud that he went in there and let those guys compete. Again, I can only imagine the situation he finds himself in when you're down. It's the situation like he's in, but I thought he competed and did some good things for us."
(on the QB plan at halftime)"[Jake Browning] would be playing."
(on if he knows which play QB Joe Burrow got hurt) "I don't."
(on if he was aware of QB Joe Burrow attempting to warm up after injury)"Yeah. I saw that."
(on if he was aware of QB Joe Burrow was wearing a wrist brace pre-game)"That was the first I saw anything about it."
(on his confidence in QB Joe Burrow starting and playing in the game)"Absolutely. I mean, watch how he played the first half. He did everything we needed him to do."
(on his message to the team post-game)"We are not going to let one game define us. This was certainly a big game for us. Our guys were excited about [playing] on the road. It didn't go our way. In a long season like this, what you've got to do is be able to regroup. We know what kind of guys we have in the locker room. We've done this kind of situation before. We've got to rally here at the end of the season, the last seven weeks. Great opportunity at home against Pittsburgh to get started on that track. So, you know, not to let the guys forget we've had a nice stretch there, four games winning, we were in a good area. We lost [by] a last-second field goal, and then we lost a tough game Thursday night on the road to a really good team, so don't get it twisted on what kind of team we have. We've got a chance to regroup. All the things that we really wanted to do are still in front of us. We're going to have opportunities to do that. We control our own destiny at this point by just winning these games that are in front of us, starting with Pittsburgh. I know our guys are going to be fired up with the right mindset to be able to do that."
(on if the team was deflated after losing QB Joe Burrow)"Um, no. Obviously when you lose your starting quarterback, it's disappointing. That's tough, but I've really felt like our guys knew that we were still in the game and kept fighting. Again, it just didn't go our way. We didn't put enough points on the board and didn't find enough ways to keep points off the board. I really, really felt the guys kept the right mindset as the game went on. We just didn't get it done."
(on whether he talked with QB Joe Burrow)"No, I haven't. No, I was just at the point where it was [Jake Browning] in the game. I'm focused on making sure Jake's in a good mindset and our communication was good. You know we are just trying to find a way to get a win."
(on how to rebound from this loss)"One game at a time, and it starts with Pittsburgh. We've got a home game. It's a big one. Our guys will be up for this game. That's the only thing that we can control at this point. I know our guys are excited to put this one behind us and move on to Pittsburgh."
(on how QB Joe Burrow looked during the week)"Really good. Really good."
(on if he has seen quarterbacks with sprained wrists before)"I don't. No. I don't recall."
(on if it is concerning that LB Logan Wilson's tackles have resulted in players getting injured)"No, no. I don't know anything about that."
(on the extent of QB Joe Burrow's injury)"This just happened. I don't know."
(on CB Cam Taylor-Britt's injury)"I don't know definitively what it was. I want to be careful as to what I say."
(on the buildup leading into tonight's game)"The vibe was AFC North on the road, Thursday Night, good environment. Our guys were fired up and ready for this one. I know the score was a two-score game. I get that. I know what the perception would be. Our guys are fine. I didn't feel like for one second the wind was out of our sails, and guys were letting things happen. I felt like every single down, down in and down out, on defense, those guys were competing their tails off. On offense, our guys were fighting like crazy. It's a good football team. It is. [It's] disappointing that we didn't come through. But again, not discouraged in the slightest about what our guys are capable of the rest of the season now."
