FRIDAY PODIUM AVAILABILITY: WEEK 15 VS. GREEN BAY PACKERS
Head Coach John Harbaugh
Opening statement: "OK, [it's] good to see everybody. I appreciate you being here. I just want to start off by sending out our best wishes to Keona Holley and her family. Officer Holley is one of many very brave, very brave officers that protect our city and protect our county, day-in and day-out, year-in and year-out. Our prayers are with her and her family, and for all of the officers out there that do an amazing job of protecting us and making it so we can sleep at night. We're very thankful for that. What questions do you have?"
We didn't see QB Lamar Jackson out there today. What are his chances of playing on Sunday? (Jamison Hensley) "I'd say he has a chance. It's just one of those things where … It's an ankle sprain; if he starts feeling good and everything is alright, we'll check him out, probably pregame. He's in all the preparations and all of that. We'll see where we're at. But if not, we have Tyler [Huntley], and he'll be ready to go, also."
How did QB Tyler Huntley do handling the starter reps all week, preparing to play? (Luke Jones) "He definitely did a great job. He had a really nice week of practice."
How much does … Obviously, if S Chuck Clark can't play, you're going to lose a … How much does that complicate with the fact that he has the green dot? How do you deal with that? (Jeff Zrebiec) "It's not really a problem. We'll have a green dot guy; it'll be the guy that's going to be on the field most of the time. I really wouldn't want to say who it is now, but it's just the next man up for the green dot as well."
Is your understanding that with the new protocols released yesterday, there's at least a chance S Chuck Clark could test out in that short of a time frame? (Childs Walker) "Yes, they can test out, really, up until tomorrow. My understanding is that you can't test out on Sunday, is what I was told, but you can test out on Saturday with the new protocol. So, if he tests negative tomorrow, then he'll play."
Do you have any more positive COVID tests today? (Luke Jones) "Not that I'm aware of, but it's still pretty early. We don't always get that information by the time we go on the practice field."
You've had several injuries along the offensive line, as well as illness and things like that. Do you feel pretty confident in the guys being out there and being able to go? It seems like guys have been shuttling in and out on the offense line. (Jamison Hensley) "I feel very confident. You do miss a guy; you add a guy. You miss a guy; you add a guy. That's kind of how it goes. So, we practiced all of those guys, and they'll be ready to go."
T Ja'Wuan James hasn't played football in a really long time, but he did start practicing last week. How is he doing? Does he look like he could be an option at some point here? (Luke Jones)"Yes, you know, I think that'd be a good question for him. It's really his body [and] his Achilles. It's how he feels about it, so I wouldn't really want to speak for him on that. It'd be up to him."
One more QB Lamar Jackson question, just throwing it out there. Has he improved at all, the ankle, throughout the week? (Jamison Hensley)"Oh geez, that's funny. (laughter) Of course, he has. One hundred percent, he's improved. Yes, absolutely. … Strange, very strange question. Very strange. Of course, it's improved. If it wasn't improving, what would it be?" (Reporter: "Staying the same.") "Well, I know, but it would be like a major injury in that case and it's not. Is that what you're delving for? I already told you it wasn't a major injury." (Reporter: "No, I didn't know if there hasn't been any improvement.") "I mean, I'm not monitoring it by every tick." (WNST reporter Luke Jones: "'Lamar ankle meter.'") (laughter) "The 'Lamar ankle meter,' very good. (laughter) I should have checked the ankle meter."
We saw OLB Daelin Hayes working out over there with OLB Pernell McPhee. I think you mentioned a week or two ago that there was some hope that he'd be able to kind of acclimate? (Jonas Shaffer)"I expect him to be out here pretty soon. I told Daelin [Hayes], I did this, (looks at his watch). I have a calendar on that watch – it's looking like it's time, to me."
The next three games are against teams that all are either coaches from Rams head coach Sean McVay, or McVay himself. When you're looking at that, does that help to have? It seems like they'll run pretty much a similar offense for the next three weeks. (Jamison Hensley)"Yes, that's a good point. I hadn't thought about that, and I appreciate you mentioning that. It'll be on my mind now when we look at the tape, but that is part of it. It's kind of that family, just a little bit, but they're not the same in terms of exactly what they do gameplan-wise, because they're all great coaches, great game-planners. They all do a great job with the players that they have. Look at Green Bay, they have Aaron Rodgers. That's just a little different than what Cincinnati is doing with Joe Burrow, and just a little different than what you see with Matt Stafford and what [Rams head coach] Sean [McVay] is doing there. So, as much as it is kind of similar, it's really never the same."
I think Green Bay moved WR Davante Adams around a lot last week against Chicago. Is it … That might normally be the case, but when it's a guy like that, do you expect every kind of cornerback who might suit up for you to be able to know how to handle someone like him as much as they possibly can? (Jonas Shaffer)"Right, you don't just play man coverage. So, you can match him up. Without divulging what we're doing, that's an option – to match him up with a guy that we feel is suited to cover him the best. You run different guys at him, but then you don't always want to let Aaron Rodgers know whether you're in zone [coverage] or man [coverage], because he's always looking for that with different motions and how he IDs that. So, that's a big part of it."
Not to jinx anything here, but you see a lot of coaches [testing positive]. Do you have a … If you couldn't coach, do you have a plan in place of who would have to fill in? (Jamison Hensley)"Oh my gosh, you already have me buried! (laughter) You're throwing dirt on me – come on." (laughter) (Reporter: "But do you have any plans?")"I will cross that bridge when we get there, how about that? I do have a plan, yes. There is a plan in place. … It's not Alexander Haig, I can tell you that. It wasn't Alexander Haig then, either. Some of you guys appreciate that reference, right? …(points to a reporter)You don't even know. You don't even know the Alexander Haig reference. Wow. You're a history guy?"(Reporter: "Yes, but I don't know it.")"Ronald Reagan, Alexander Haig. … Do you want me to go through it? When Ronald Reagan … Remember when he got shot?"(Reporters: "Yes.")"Right, and he was in the hospital. There was a succession order, and something happened with the vice president, I'm not sure. Maybe he was … Who was the vice president? [Walter] Mondale?"(Reporter: "No, no. It was … It was [George H.W.] Bush.")"[George H.W.] Bush, he wasn't there for some reason. I think it would've been the 'pro tem' [pro tempore] of the House, I'm pretty sure. Check me on that. But Alexander Haig, the Secretary of State, came storming in and did a press conference and said, 'I'm in charge,' which he wasn't, but he thought he was. So, that's the Alexander Haig reference."(SVP of Communications Chad Steele: "So, we'll be looking for the coach that kicks the door open.") (laughter)"Exactly – whichever coach claims that he's in charge, ask another question and make sure."(Reporter: "For the record, I said I do not want to jinx anything. I did put that out there.")"You did, thank you. I appreciate that."(Steele: "That's like saying, 'With all due respect,'")"With all due respect to your question … On that note, we'll see you."(laughter)
QB Tyler Huntley
On practice this week taking first team reps: "It was good. [We had] good days of practice – three good days of practice. [We had] lots of meetings. So, we're on a good track."
On how he earns the faith of older guys around him, something his high school coach has credited him with: "I just love football, and I know the older guys love football a lot, because they've been around it a long time. So, I feel like that's what really … It comes down to we're playing football at the end of the day, and my goal is to try to put us in the best position to win. So, I guess it answers itself."
On his thought process during the 2020 NFL Draft, in which he went undrafted, and his communication with the Ravens during that process: "The Ravens stayed in contact with me throughout the whole process; even on the first day, third day, we stayed talking. My agent just kept talking to me. He was like, 'A couple teams are going to come get you here, come get you there.' Those rounds passed, so then we got down to the seventh round, and Coach 'Urb' [quarterbacks coach James Urban] called me, and he was just talking to me. He was like, 'You're a great player. It's a COVID year. We don't know. That's what's happening right now. You just don't know.' And we got down to like the last pick; the last team picked their man, and then he [Coach Urban] asked me – he was like, 'Do you want to be a Raven?' And I told him … I said, 'Yes, Coach.' (laughter) I can't say what I … (laughter) I said, 'Yes, Coach,' though." (laughter)
On when in the seventh round Coach Urban called him: "Shoot, I wouldn't even … I know that Minnesota probably had two more picks, because that was a team that was … Yes, but … (laughter) I know they had two more picks left, so it was around that area – for sure."
On his journey of going undrafted to possibly making his second-career start: "This is where I'm supposed to be. So, everything happens for a reason – that's all."
On how starting would be different this week after receiving first-team reps in practice: "I don't know. I feel like I don't prepare any different than any other week; I just got way more reps this week. Yes, that's about it. I just got way more reps this week, and I feel like that'll make it a little bit more comfortable, if that answers your question."
On his impressions of QB Josh Johnson: "I think it's cool that he's been in the league a long time, and it feels good just to have a 'veteran, veteran' in the room. He'll tell you a little bit different … He's back learning another playbook, so it's cool to see how fast he can learn it. I think he learned it pretty good today; he was answering a lot of questions. So, I just like that he's in the room with us now."
On how he remains so poised and unrattled: "Football is football. (laughter) No, that's the only answer I can give you; football is still football. Since I've played little league, [if] they want me to throw the ball, I can throw the ball. That's all that it comes down to."
On how he envisions possibly playing at home for the first time in his career: "I'd say it'll feel like practice with a whole bunch of friends and family there – I feel like." (laughter)
On what stuck out to him from the tape last week: "Really, those two fumbles. Just the situation [with] those two fumbles. That's what I can say, because [if] we get at least some points in those two drives, we win the game. So, those two fumbles, for sure."
On if being overlooked ever bothered him, as someone who wasn't receiving big-time college offers and wasn't drafted: "In high school it did a little bit. It did a little bit, because I was young. I didn't know [that there are] so many people in the world trying to play football. Do you know what I mean? But I knew what I could do as a person, and that's what really made me mad back then. But then as you get older, you just start to realize [that] everything happens for a reason, and everything is played day by day. So, now, I just look forward to the next day, and whatever comes, that's how I'm going to take it on. That helped me in the draft process. Like, I didn't know what was going on; it's a COVID year. I didn't know anything, so I just had to take it day by day, and that's how we live – we take it day by day. So, everything will play itself out, and that's what really just helped me."
On where he got his customized CROCS: (laughter) "Oh, I actually … The CROCS store down … I don't know where it's at. It's down there 30 minutes away, but yes, the CROCS store." (laughter)
On if his nickname "Snoop" is just the resemblance to rapper Snoop Dogg: "Yes, yes." (Reporter: "It seems like everybody pretty much already calls you by 'Snoop.'") "Yes, for sure." (laughter)
