Browns coach Pat Shurmur: RB Peyton Hillis, SS T.J. Ward out vs. Jaguars

Browns coach Pat Shurmur met with reporters today to discuss his team's 13-12 loss to the St. Louis Rams. Here are some of the highlights from the news conference:

• Running back Peyton Hillis (hamstring) and strong safety T.J. Ward (foot) have been ruled out for the Browns' home game Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Shurmur said he thinks Hillis and Ward will have an opportunity to play again this season.


• When asked if there should have been a penalty called on the Browns' final field-goal attempt against the Rams, Shurmur said he didn't see a penalty on the coach's tape. "The snap needed to be better," Shurmur said. "It appeared to me that the ball hit the foot of our left guard (Alex Mack)." Shurmur said Ryan Pontbriand did not double clutch before he snapped the ball. Shurmur also said he doesn't think a Rams player deflected Dawson's kick.


• Shurmur said he doesn't regret his decision to run the ball to set up Dawson's field goal instead of taking a shot at the end zone. "I'll go to the well with what I did," Shurmur said. "I'll go to the well lining up to kick the field goal, making them use timeouts and leaving them nearing two minutes to try to drive and beat us. I'll do that again."


• Shurmur said he realized tight end Alex Smith was in the game at fullback instead of Owen Marecic before the Browns' fumbled handoff late in the fourth quarter. "I knew who was in the game, and I chose not to stop the play," Shurmur said. "Partly because I couldn't get to an official (to call timeout), and then I couldn't to (quarterback) Colt (McCoy) to communicate."