Cleveland Browns defensive end Jared Verse was frustrated that his teammates didn't stick up for him when Pittsburgh Steelers guard Mason McCormick slammed him to the ground on an extra-point attempt during last week's 27-6 loss.
On Wednesday, Verse acknowledged that he'd since spoken with his teammates about his concerns.
"The lack of reaction by those around me upset me a lot. ... 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," Verse said, according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. "And when you do something like that to him, it upsets me very deeply."
Leading up to the AFC North showdown, Verse said the Browns were going to "make Pittsburgh ours." The 26-year-old also accused the Steelers of playing dirty during Cleveland's Week 4 win.
Although Verse felt slighted by his teammates, he expressed regret for making pointed remarks on the club's behalf.
"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," Verse said. "I got to be better than that. I didn't do enough on my part. We all got to pick it up."
He added: "I don't think it's any secret that I like to talk. 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."
The Browns (5-3) fell to third in the hotly contested AFC North on Sunday, while the Steelers (6-2) claimed sole possession of the top spot in the division.
