Jared Verse didn’t feel defended by his team after getting layed out on Sunday.
The Browns defensive end spoke to teammates about not backing him up after Steelers guard Mason McCormick slammed him to the ground.
“The lack of reaction by those around me upset me a lot,” Verse told reporters Wednesday. “… A similar play happened to Derek Barnett on I think the next field goal, and I lost it because it was my brothers and my teammates. And when you do something like that to him, it upsets me very deeply.”
Yet, the 26-year-old did take some responsibility for his actions ahead of the game, which involved a lot of trash talking.
“That’s a conversation that we’ve had and spoken about … I’ve made my issues known about the situation, but also I didn’t put them in a position to let them know beforehand I was going to talk the way I talked to the Steelers and Steelers Nation or whatever they are,” he said. “I got to be better than that. I didn’t do enough on my part. We all got to pick it up.”
Ahead of the Week 8 clash that ended in a 27-6 Steelers victory, Verse said the Browns intended on “making Pittsburgh ours.”
He also criticized the Steelers’ offensive line and said he was not worried about veteran defensive tackle Cam Heyward.
“I don’t think it’s any secret that I like to talk,” Verse admitted. “I like to attack things. I like to be verbal in the way I play, the way I talk, the way I move around and everything. If you guys haven’t figured that out by now, but no, that’s the way I am. Obviously, I think I could have invited my teammates in on the conversation and letting them know what I was going to do, but I think that’s just how I am.”
After Rico Dowdle scored a nine-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter, Verse jumped to try to block the kick yet McCormick picked him up into the air and threw him to the ground. McCormick was penalized for the incident.
The act made Verse “really angry” and said McCormick was doing “dirty s–t.”
“You’re trying to sweep my legs out. That honestly could have put me in a position to not be able to finish the season, put me in a position to change my life in a very bad aspect, so that upset me,” he said.
Verse is in his third NFL season and first in Cleveland after he was acquired as part of the trade of Myles Garrett to the Rams.
The Florida State product has not recorded a sack this season through eight games. He has 18 combined tackles and six quarterback hits.
The Browns (5-3) travel to the 2-5 Saints this week.
