HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "OK, it's good to see everybody. I really appreciate you being here. We're excited about the upcoming challenge [against the New England Patriots]. Sunday Night Football in Baltimore is always something to get up for, so we're looking forward to it against a very, very worthy and good opponent. [They are an] 11-3 team, that is obviously fighting for the No. 1 seed [in the AFC], but we're fighting for what we're fighting for as well. The opportunity to play a very meaningful game late in December is well-earned in this league. So, we're ready and we'll be preparing all week for that challenge. What questions you have?"
Do you have an update on ILB Teddye Buchanan? (Jamison Hensley) "Yes, [Teddye Buchanan] has an ACL [tear]. He'll be out for the rest of the year."
ILB Teddye Buchanan is someone who has improved a lot from the spring until now. He played roughly 70% of your snaps on any given week. How do you fill the void as part of what he was able to do for your defense? (Luke Jones) "Teddye [Buchanan] did a great job. Just to see his progress and see him grow as a player – on defense and special teams – has just been really fun. Nobody's into it more than he is. He's just great, and he's going to be back next year. He should be back, hopefully, for training camp ready to go and ready to kind of build on what he's done. So, it's unfortunate [and] disappointing. It'll be part of his story going forward, obviously, but 'Trent' [Trenton] Simpson will take that role. Trent had a really good game. He played well and has been practicing great. Every time he's been playing, he's been playing well, too. So, I expect Trent to come in there and just build on what Teddye's been doing so far, and also what Trent's been doing."
What have you seen from ILB Trenton Simpson in terms of improvements and progress and so forth to step back into that role. And secondly, how much does being able to move S Kyle Hamilton around help as well? (Brian Wacker) "It doesn't really affect Kyle [Hamilton]. 'Trent' [Trenton Simpson] plays at the WILL linebacker spot in certain personnel groups, and I think he's done really well. Like I said, he's played great. He played good against the run and played good against the pass in the reps he's had. I am really not worried about it at all."
Just from a bigger picture scale, for S Ar'Darius Washington to get back in seven months from an Achilles tear and play in a huge game that you guys needed to win, how did you think he came through? I think he played about 15 snaps. How meaningful was it to even see him out there, knowing how much he cares? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Yes, no doubt. That's actually right [and] absolutely how I saw [it]. I was excited for [Ar'Darius Washington]. He and I had a conversation on the sideline sometime in the third quarter, just about that very thing and how meaningful, and how cool it was that he was out there playing. He was playing really well and flying around, making tackles and doing what 'A.D.' [Ar'Darius Washington] does. I just always have loved the way he plays, so it's a big boost for us. It gives us another playmaker on defense – another high-energy guy that can fly around and do what he does."
There was a lot made about Hall of Fame S Ed Reed visiting the facility last week. I don't know how much inspiration he provided, but I think it was after you spoke, CB Marlon Humphrey had said something about how Ed commented on the junk food in the meeting rooms or something like that. I thought you had changed the whole health kick around here. (Jerry Coleman) "Is that a question or what? Please elaborate on the question."
What was CB Marlon Humphrey referring to with the junk food, do you have any idea? (Jerry Coleman) "I have no idea. I have no idea what you're talking about. I have no idea what you're talking about. There's snacks around, here and there. Yes, whatever. Do you have snacks in your house? I had a Snickers bar today already. It was great – a post lunch [treat], like a dessert, kind of. It was amazing."
It was just something that stuck out afterwards about the impact that it had, going into the meeting rooms and stuff. That didn't catch your attention? (Jerry Coleman) "It did not."
What do you think, now 24 hours removed from the game, what do you think the impact of Hall of Fame S Ed Reed being here was? Just having a guy of that ilk talk to these guys and so forth? (Brian Wacker) "[There is] probably no direct correlation. Just another [thing] adding to the chemistry, kind of. It's a reinforcement, probably, more than anything. We watch tape of Ed [Reed] a lot and all those guys. It's kind of something that [defensive coordinator] Zach [Orr] leans into from a tradition standpoint, and it's really – the system hasn't changed. It's the same basic system. Of course everything evolves, but you'll see those guys running a lot of the same defensive calls that the guys are running now. So, you get a chance to watch Ed do it, Ray [Lewis] do it, or Haloti [Ngata] and Jarret Johnson. You get a chance to watch all those great players do what they do – Terrell Suggs – you can just keep naming them. It's just incredible. So, for Ed to come back, and for those guys to get a chance to talk to him, I saw him. The thing I loved about it more than anything, I think the talks were great, but the one-on-ones – I saw him on the sideline during practice having a one-on-one [conversation] with numerous guys. Malaki [Starks] was over there just soaking it in. I'm sure he had a bunch of great questions. That's probably the coolest part of it and probably, really, truly, the most impactful part of it, I would say."
OLB Dre'Mont Jones had a good pass-rushing game. He really seemed to bring a lot of attitude to the field, going back and forth with the Bengals a little bit. What kind of factor do you think he can bring in the nastiness of this defense? (Kyle Goon) "I think [Dre'Mont Jones] is a really good player. He's physical. [When] you get him on the edge in the pass rush like that, that was a help to us, too. 'T-Rob' [Tavius Robinson] coming in, I think had a big impact on that, because he was able to go inside. So, we had both those guys out there at the same time, a number of times. Two heavy-handed pass rushers – that's the biggest impact. Our defensive personality has always been what it is; so, he fits it really well. That's kind of why we wanted him. That's why we were excited – one of the reasons we were excited to have him, but he's a good football player. He plays really hard and tough, and he has good balance when he's rushing, stays on his feet and gives you the best chance to wrap up a quarterback, like [Joe] Burrow who's tough to get down. The fact that he didn't really have too many – [Burrow] had one play where he got out and hit [Ja'Marr] Chase on the crosser. It was a simulated pressure that we had. We probably should have kept him in there on that one. But, when guys can stay on their feet – like 'T-Rob' when he got the free runner, he didn't miss it; he made it. Those are the plays that really end up being the difference in getting quarterback pressures and sacks and things like that."
I apologize if this was brought up yesterday, but it was mentioned by CB Marlon Humphrey and others that the Friday practice last week was more intense than usual, or he was more sore than usual. Is that true? Was that a conscious choice? (Bo Smolka) "I don't know if it's true or not. We practice great. We had our most efficient practice, probably three practices, last week. I told the guys that I thought they were the three best practices we had. I told them that on Saturday morning."
But it wasn't a conscious choice to for that practice? (Bo Smolka) "No, no, no. We practice hard all the time. That's how we do it."
I know you are going to be focused on preparation with the Patriots tonight, but with the Steelers playing also tonight, how attention goes to that game while you're looking at the Patriots? (Jamison Hensley) "Of course, of course. I'll be looking at [the Monday Night Steelers' game] with great interest; of course you have to. It's part of the fun of this whole thing. It's exciting to watch these games. The bottom line is that we have to take care of our business. We understand that. So, we are not sitting there on pins and needles; you just assume that you have to take care of your business. It would be a stretch for us not to have to win out. So, we'll plan on that and that's what we're going to have to try to do."
Do you have an update on CB Chidobe Awuzie? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, we'll no more as a week goes on. It's not like a Lisfranc or anything like that. Did you see the play? If you see it, maybe you'll see it on TV, but [Chidobe Awuzie] was covering that seam route by [Mike] Gesicki and did a great job on the play, but then as he was finishing up, he got his foot caught in the netting. It was kind of laying on the ground underneath the field goal back netting. So, he got caught up in that. It kind of grabbed his foot a little bit. So, we'll see how he goes as the week goes on."
I'm sure some of it was just kind of the way the game played out and such, and I guess you were efficient when you look at the yards per play, but you only had 41 offensive plays yesterday, and I think you guys are averaging 57 for the year. What would you like to see to just get more plays offensively from week to week? (Brian Wacker) "Well, you have to convert on third down and stay on the field. You have to not turn the ball over, stay on the field, extend drives [and] things like that. That's really the bottom line. We took ourselves off the field more than anything probably, but [the Bengals] made a couple nice plays. We had a really nice little play-action [play] lined up there at the 50-yard line in the third quarter and a double move after we'd run the ball really well. They just covered it really well, and then they got pressure on us. They just had a couple of really good rushes right at that time and then we took a sack. And then we were really trying to push it back and get the first down to get in the field goal range, and we ended up getting two more sacks. We're trying to make a play there, so you're really not – you want Lamar [Jackson] to be aggressive there and try to find a way, because a way he can do it. The worst case there is you have to punt, but that got us off the field, for instance. So, it's just those kinds of things. We had a boot [play], and we were running the ball well. We had a boot in the second play of a drive in the first quarter that he just ran right up the field on it and made a great play. So, those are the things that just – you get behind the chains – I think when Lamar [Jackson] said yesterday, he calls it 'G.B.O.T.' or 'Get back on track.' Those are long yardage [attempts] when you're behind the chains type situations. Those are the ones that really have caused us trouble, like any team, like any offense. So, you try to stay out of those as much as you can, but you want to be aggressive with the play action, the boots and things like that when you're running the ball. So, I'd like us to just find a way to stay on the field more. Part of that is the defense scored in the fourth quarter – if we are just being honest about it. The defense scores, and they're back on the field. That was book-ended by two long Bengals drives. They had the long drive all the way down to the red zone, and we get the touchdown on defense. Then they decide that they're going to try to run the game out, at that point, instead of going to the two-minute [offense] or anything like that, and they had another kind of long drive. So, then we got them stopped on fourth down. So, [our] offense was not even on the field in the fourth quarter, except for basically two plays. We got the first down, then it was victory [formation], and that was our fourth quarter. But, still, maybe what would've been 50-55 plays if it had been normal – you still want more than that. So, it just comes down to us. [We want to] keep extending the drives and just execute just as well as we can and score as many points as we can."
It looked like QB Lamar Jackson checked into the play that led to the RB Rasheen Ali touchdown pass and really read the blitz well. Is that a sign to you that he is regaining his confidence at the line of scrimmage and really in sync with him, and the offense is just looking better in recent weeks? (Kyle Goon) "I really don't look for signs that way. It's not the way I think about it, honestly. We're always chasing those kinds of plays, and I think we had 25 percent of our – you mentioned the low number of plays – but 25 percent of them were explosives. That's pretty amazing, so that was one of them. We did have some big runs and some big passes. Zay [Flowers] made a crazy catch in the two-minute drive. Mark [Andrews] made another crazy catch in the two-minute drive. Those are the things we're capable of, so more than anything to me, is [we're] just going to keep extending, so the big plays probably are another reason why maybe ... But you don't want to have to be an offense that has to go three yards in a cloud of dust all the way down the field either. You have to make big plays to do it. I'd like to just be able to extend drives as much as anything. That's really the biggest thing."
Along those lines, even last year, it wasn't a big part of your game plan, but the RPO that QB Lamar Jackson hit to WR DeAndre Hopkins, have you guys just de-emphasized RPOs in general from last year to this year? (Jonas Shaffer) "No, we have not. We have not. We've been running them."
Did T Ronnie Stanley get out of the game OK? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Yes. We will see. [Ronnie Stanley] is sore like a lot of guys. [There are] three weeks left. There are different little things. He's another guy that we'll be looking at [over] the course of the week. We'll see where he's at."
You already said the New England Patriots are a very worthy opponent. When you start to look at Patriots QB Drake Maye and the problems that he presents, what are the top things on the list? (Childs Walker) "Big plays is the biggest thing when you look at their offense. They've just had a bunch of big plays [and] big runs. They have a rookie running back [in TreVeyon Henderson] that's fast and explosive. Boy, you better have your angle set up on him. They're physical, obviously, and [Drake] Maye's made some nice throws, and sometimes he runs around, but he's made some big throws and play actions and things like that. [They are] a big-play offense that can run the ball. That's a combination that you have to be concerned about."
Do you think you're going to end up playing – it's forecasting but – three night games? Have you commented on the fact that you're playing at night in Green Bay? You just played in the coldest game in Raven's history, but that might surpass that I guess in a couple of weeks. Coming up with Sunday night, then you're at Green Bay, and then if things go right, that Pittsburgh game also has the potential to end the season at night. Have you thought about that? (Jerry Coleman) "Not really, no. Whenever we play, we'll be there. We play when they tell us. Our guys like playing at night. We're looking forward to whatever. Whenever they tell us to play, we'll be ready to go. We're excited about it."
You said you weren't cold yesterday? (Jamison Hensley) "I was [not cold]. I'm surprised it was the coldest [Ravens] game ever. I thought the Green Bay game – what year was it when we played up there? (Reporter: "2017?") "That was cold. I remember that was really cold, and then the Denver [playoff] game, that was ... Man. The clothes must be better now. I felt good. I had some good stuff. Although I'll be honest, my wife did some shopping for me, so it wasn't strictly ... It was like this wool hunting stuff. They have some amazing stuff now." (Reporter: "So you'll wear bring that to Green Bay?") "Yes. [I'll] pack heavily."
Did you feel like the cold weather affected anything in the game? (Childs Walker) "I don't know. It'd probably [be] better to ask the players. I didn't have to catch any passes or tackle or block, so I was fine. But the players are the ones that have to do it. I would say this, just [in] watching the game, I thought our guys handled it great. I don't think our guys had any issue at all. I don't think our guys even thought it was that cold out there. They were out there getting after it, and I was on the sidelines screaming, 'It's not even cold out here! Where's the cold?' Maybe [it was] just because they had good gear. I don't know. But the guys didn't even bat an eye. It wasn't even a conversation at all. They were locked into the game. It was business. They were having fun; they were flying around; they were hitting people; they were blocking people; they were running the ball hard. I liked what I saw, and I like the way we're playing. I love our guys. I love the way they compete. I love the way they stick together. They don't let the outside buzz bother them at all. They don't really care about the silly things that people worry about. They get locked in on what they have to do, and they play their best football that they're capable of playing that day. And you chase perfection. We say perfection is attainable. You can say it. Read your Bible, it says you can be perfect in any given circumstance. We could run the perfect play. And you know what? There was one play out there – that flip sweep over to the right to Derrick Henry – that was literally the perfect play. Every single guy did the perfect job on that play. It was a beautiful play. So, you can achieve perfection, so you might as well chase it. And that's what I appreciate about our guys."
You expressed the excitement of playing at home under the lights, but some guys have expressed frustration that this team at home this year is only 3-5. This is obviously your last regular season home game. Can you chalk that up to the variance of the season? Is it a point of frustration that you guys are under .500 at home? (Jonas Shaffer) "No, I don't even know what you're talking about. A point of frustration? No. The guys are locked in for the next game. That's it, period. Seasons [will] go the way they go. You fight the way they fight. I know there's a lot. You can look back all you want. You can say, 'Well, this happened, or that happened, or where do we stand right now?' You can do that all you want. What's that going to do for you? Where's that going to take you? You have to look forward, and I look back with a lot of pride. Every game we've lost, our guys were fighting like crazy to win it. So no, there's no frustration. To me, that's made up. Yes, the guys are disappointed. They want to win games. But you can look back at every one of those games. The Houston game was probably our worst home game ever that I can ever remember, [but] our guys were fighting their butts off, the guys that were out there playing, who were playing in the game. That game is what it was; the Rams game is what it was. Guys are fighting their butts off in that game, too. So, those games are history. There's no frustration. There's just opportunity. And that's what our guys are looking at."
