Adam Gase’s decision not to interview to be the Cleveland Browns coach was a matter of timing and was not affected by the perceptions of the Browns.

That’s the word from Gase, who spoke in New Jersey at Super Bowl interviews, with transcripts provided by the NFL.

“My decision was strictly because we went (to) the playoffs,” Gase told the assembled media at the Super Bowl. “It would have been hard for me to change gears that fast, especially once we beat San Diego (in the Division Round).”

Gase was one of the first people the Browns asked to interview. He initially put off interviews until the Broncos were eliminated from the playoffs, then decided not to interview as the Broncos advanced.

He said the external noise and criticism did not affect his thinking.

“I can’t speak for everybody else, what their thoughts were,” Gase told the assembled media. “That wasn’t what I was thinking.”

Gase pointed out that the timing in hiring a staff and coordinating draft and scouting would have been difficult had he waited until early February.

“After this game, we’re like two weeks from the combine,” he said. “The turnaround is going to be unbelievable.”

It’s admirable. Gase simply wanted to concentrate on his team, his players.

“My mindset was on what we wanted to do to get to this point here to try and finish this off,” he said. “I just remember how I felt last year after we lost that Baltimore game. Me personally, I would not have been able to forgive myself if something would have happened that first playoff game. I felt like I didn’t spend enough time doing what God needed me to do to fulfill my role.”