HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening statement: "OK, it's good to see everybody. I appreciate you all being here. I had a chance to look at everything and study it and talk to all the coaches and see a few of the players. We have a short week, a quick turnaround. We'll be back in tomorrow with the players. We'll have to have our gameplan ready tomorrow – at least getting started on it with the first- and second-down plan tomorrow when we practice. We will be getting ready for Saturday night for a game that we will be all in to play our best football, our most complete game of the season – that'll be our goal and [to] come out with a win. What questions do you have?"
Do you have any updates as far as QB Lamar Jackson and his back? (Jamison Hensley) "Lamar [Jackson] has a back contusion. It's painful, certainly. I saw him in here getting treatment this morning and early this afternoon, and he'll be working. He's been classified as day to day on that. There is nothing beyond the contusion, but I don't want to minimize the severity and the pain level of that because it's legit. That's where it stands."
There's a lot of talk about RB Derrick Henry's lack of usage in the fourth quarter on the last two possessions. There's a sense of a rotation; it was a rotation to have RB Keaton Mitchell at the time. Who decides the rotation? And if not you, why not say, "No, no, this is Derrick Henry. We need to have him in the game right now." (Bo Smolka) "Well, we have a rotation. The rotation is Derrick [Henry] and Keaton [Mitchell] are our first- and second-down backs. We came to that in the last few weeks and made sure that on all those plays, it was one of those two guys. And that [in] obvious pass [situations] was third-down only, for Rasheen [Ali], which I think he had nine plays on. Then, the rotation was two to one, as far as starting the series off, and depending on how long the series goes, Derrick gets four or five – three, four, five runs, and he's ready – he needs a break. So, Keaton comes in or vice versa. The last series was a conversation between [assistant head coach/running backs coach] Willie [Taggart] and Derrick, and they decided that Keaton was going to start the series off as part of the rotation. Then, Derrick was going to come in on that series. Looking back at it right now, to your point, I'd have grabbed it, and I would have said, 'No, put Derrick in the game.' But that's not really the way it works in real time. It's the guys doing the rotation, the [position] coach doing the rotation, and it's also the plays that are called. Certain plays are set up for Keaton, and that opening play was more of a 'Keaton play' of the series. So, I think that had a lot to do with him starting the series. The idea would be to bring Derrick in after a few plays. I would have at least, probably, would have wanted him [in] after we got the first down; if I'd have grabbed it; if I'd have seen it. But I'm also looking at the play – the play that was set up on first down was a play-action pass, initially. That's a sweep play that Keaton takes most of the time. So, that's going to draw eyes and draw attention to the play. I can see why you'd want to put Keaton out there in that play. So, I think there's a lot of layers to it – in game – [and] things are moving fast, and that's the way it goes. You look back at it, and you say, 'I think there's logic going the other way for sure.' And you just put Derrick out there for whatever the play is, and we would have all been happy with that as well. So, that's how it went."
In real time, were you aware that RB Derrick Henry had not touched the ball after his second touchdown? How much conversation do you have? (Jerry Coleman) "Well, we're talking about six plays. So, we're talking about six plays that went back-to-back in a series, and we're trying to get the first down. So no, the conversation is not really geared toward who's going in the game on a play, because plays are getting called fast. Players are running on the field fast based on the gameplan, what the rotating coach decides to do, what the tag on the play is, and who's got that play, and there's reasons for all that that are in the gameplan. So, I'm not defending all that and – heck no – you can pick plays or who goes in, or when they go in, but it's not just as simple as, 'Oh, Derrick Henry didn't play the whole fourth quarter.' It was those plays back-to-back; he was going to go in. That was part of the plan, and it was felt, in making those decisions, guys are running on and off the field as players are being called in the rotation to go in that direction. As I look back on it, I'm like, 'Sure, I see the point.' But I'm also not in the midst of saying, 'Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. Timeout. Keaton, come on. I want Derrick in the game,' in that moment. So, that's a reality, too. So just – I'm not trying to make excuses for it, but I am trying to put it in perspective. That's how it works."
Is there communication or maybe even an intervention with offensive coordinator Todd Monken saying, "Hey, we need to get RB Derrick Henry on the field or get him more involved?" (Jerry Coleman) "Well, I think I just answered that. In that fast, real time, as those plays were going, and those plays were being called, and that player is going on the field, and he's on there for that reason for that play, I'm thinking about the play. Is it going to work? Maybe what the next play's going to be and what our fourth-down idea is going to be if we get – if we're one, two, three, four or five yards out, or whatever it might be, situationally. So, there are a lot of things you're thinking about, and it's not necessarily always, 'Oh man, I'm going to have to answer for Derrick [Henry] not being on the field on this play later if it doesn't work.' That's not what you're thinking in real time. I'm just being honest."
Just for clarification, I know you're saying it's a very speedy process. So, in the case of, like you said, you guys did get the first down before you ended up punting on that second-to-last drive. If you were to say, "We want Derrick to go in after this play," would that happen? (Cordell Woodland) "Yes, of course. I could definitely – absolutely. I've done that before. I've put players in, I've taken players out, put defensive players in, put defensive – put [pass] rushers on the field during the game, in real time during the game when I see that stuff, absolutely. But I also – I knew what the play call was, and it was actually a check-with-me play. I knew what it was and I knew the idea was to get Mark [Andrews] the ball over the middle off a fake toss sweep that Keaton [Mitchell] has been running pretty effectively in that they think he's an outside runner, and that they're going to run to that play. And then the defense itself, the look checks us out of the play. So, there's a lot going on. There's a lot of layers to it."
On a fundamental level though, isn't the thought – at least for a lot of people – that RB Derrick Henry was signed to be in the game at that time, at those times in these games? (Bo Smolka) "I'm not arguing that. That's why I'm saying, if I look back at it now, I'd rather have [Derrick Henry] out there, absolutely. I'm not arguing that at all on a fundamental level."
On the other side of the ball, when we talked to S Kyle Hamilton after the game, he said it got to the point where you knew that New England Patriots QB Drake Maye was going to drop back and throw on almost every play, and yet, he was still able to propel them down the field in those two touchdown drives. When you look back at it, why was he able to be that successful on those drives? (Childs Walker) "[Drake Maye] made a lot of good plays, and we didn't make the plays we needed to make. We had opportunities; we had the ball in our hands a couple times, we had a chance to bat a ball down in a critical situation, we had chances to sack him in the backfield. We got to him sometimes, we hit him sometimes. Sometimes we got there, and the ball was out, and guys made great catches. All the plays you saw in the game are the things that I saw, and that's why. It's what you saw transpire during the game, and that's what happened."
Have you had a chance to talk with TE Mark Andrews about that play where he kind of just laterals the ball? Has he talked about what went through his mind at that point? (Cordell Woodland) "Yes, [Mark Andrews] said he made a mistake. He said it wasn't a smart play."
K Tyler Loop came up short on that 56-yard field goal attempt. We've seen him kick longer, was that just not a struck ball? What did he say about that kick? (Bo Smolka) "[Tyler Loop] didn't like his technique on it. I watched it this morning with him, and his timing on his start was off, and it just messed up his footwork a little bit, and he ended up pushing it, got under it a little bit and pushed it right, got a lot of rotation on it, and that's why it came up short. I'm certain he's capable of making that kick, but it wasn't a good approach to the ball."
How serious is LG Andrew Vorhees with a foot injury and how did you think G/T Emery Jones Jr. played filling in for him last night? (Luke Jones) "I don't know how serious [Andrew Vorhees' his foot injury is]. He is going to be another day-to-day one, and we'll see how it goes. I thought Emery [Jones Jr.] played OK. There's going to be plays that he's going to want back from a pass-protection standpoint, but he competed, he's tough. He looked like a young player, but he looked like a good, talented young player. So, I was really happy about that. But there's nuances involved there that he's going to want to keep improving on, but you improve on those things by playing. There's no question about that. And I believe he's got a great future."
What do you say to someone like WR Zay Flowers, who; you want him to stay confident but the ball security issues continue to kind of linger with him just as a young player, how do you kind of coach him through that? (Noah Trister) "[Zay Flowers and I] had a conversation during the game about some of the plays he was making, and he was doing well. After the game, [his fumble] happened on the last play or two of the game. I haven't had a chance to talk to him about it yet. I didn't see him in the locker room with all the media stuff going on, but I'll talk to him in a sense, just like I did the last time and the time before about trying to build in the idea that practice makes your habits, and you've got to continue – and nobody practices harder. The thing about Zay is that he works really, really hard at practice, and he focuses on those things. And yet, man, the ball gets punched out from a blind spot. So, we've just got to keep on working on catching it and putting in the way and getting upfield and protecting the football when you're in traffic like that, when you're in what we call catch-and-run, puncture-type situations in the middle of the field; that seems to be where the issue is. Or going to the ground, that's the other issue, so [we'll] just try to keep working on those things like you would with anybody from a technique-standpoint and also from an emphasis-standpoint. But you want to keep believing in a player like Zay. When you have a talented player like Zay who is a playmaker in every sense of the word for you, who works really hard and cares a lot, as a coach, that's not a throwaway. You want to embrace that player and that person, because they deserve it, and that's your job as a coach, is [to be] as driven you can to help him work through it and become better at that one area that he needs to continue to improve. The good thing about Zay is he'll tell you; he understands. He wants to improve on that. He doesn't want that to happen."
We've talked about this with QB Lamar Jackson; I know you never want to step on the instincts of an excellent playmaker like that, but with WR Zay Flowers, do you ever think about telling him there are situations where you don't want to try to make the extra move, where you do just want to get up field or get out of bounds or what have you? (Childs Walker) "Absolutely. Absolutely. We talk about, 'Keep it simple.' The simple play is usually the best play, and then there's going to be plays where [Zay Flowers] is going to make an extra move, and he's going to go make a bunch of yards, which he's done before. You're talking about world-class athletes here who do amazing things, so it's not like there's a balance to it. You have to respect the player, and then in that situation, you have to trust his ability to make those decisions. Over time, those things need to be worked out. He needs to prove you right in that sense."
Before QB Lamar Jackson got injured, how well did you think he was playing in that first half? (Jamison Hensley) "I thought [Lamar Jackson] was playing well. I thought Lamar was competing, doing a good job, fighting and made some really good throws. Yes, I thought he was playing well."
QB Lamar Jackson kind of thought that the injury might have happened when he was already down on the ground. Did you think there was anything with that hit at all? Was it late? (Jamison Hensley) "It was close. It was close, but I don't assign any malicious intent to it by the [Patriots] player."
On the fourth-and-2 where S Ar'Darius Washington goes for the deflection, just looking at the game film, you know Patriots WR Stefon Diggs is probably their best receiver. I know you guys have so much faith in Ar'Darius Washington, but did you like that matchup, considering the talent that you guys have in that secondary for him to be in the slot against Stefon Diggs? (Jonas Shaffer) "That's the matchup that we had, so that's the players on the field matching up. That's the way it works, the way the coverage is set up, and you can't organize everything perfectly after the fact. Yes, I'm confident in Ar'Darius [Washington]. I think if he doesn't slip, I think he makes the play. [He was maybe going] to get both hands on the ball, and he might catch it. He knew the route was coming. He was very prepared for it. He was ready for that out route in the slot, and you can just see his feet kind of were tangled up. It's probably a function of he hasn't been playing a lot – if anything – but he's the best guy to put out there in that situation that we had, and we love Ar'Darius. He's made a bunch of plays. Before the play, I'm thinking, 'He's going to make this play.' And if he doesn't slip, he makes the play, and that's the frustrating part of it for all of us – for Ar'Darius more than anybody, but for all of us – fans and coaches and players alike. Sometimes your best plans don't work out the way you want them to, and [if he makes that play], we're off the field right there, just like [the fourth-quarter] Nate [Wiggins' play]. Nate makes a great, great coverage, great eyes, great technique – everything you coach. The ball's right there. It pops out of there for some reason. If he can cradle that ball in there, the game's over. Those are two plays that end the game, so that's how close it is, in terms of just playmaking that makes the difference in games like that."
Why has it been so difficult to get WR Rashod Bateman involved? (Jeff Zrebiec) "That's a really hard question to answer the way you put it. The way the games go, and where the ball goes, you can't control as a coach. Even the play caller can't control where the ball goes. We had some play-action passes. We had one, I'm going to think – we had a post route that came wide open, but [Lamar Jackson] didn't have time to get [Rashod Bateman] the ball because of the way the pass protection went on that play. He was [throwing] off his back foot, and he couldn't get him [to the spot]. You might remember that play. Maybe that's one of the plays you're referring to. So, it's different things like that that happened in the course of the game. I'll say this about Rashod, I was really impressed with the way he played, and I think he deserves the ball more. There's no doubt. He's running really good routes, and he's blocking really well, which you appreciate. So, we want the ball to go his way. And I appreciate the way you asked the question in that sense, because it's challenging. And we threw the ball how many times? 20 times. We ran the ball 33 times, [and we] threw the ball 20 times. We threw the ball on drop-back [passes] nine times. Eleven of those times were run-down passes that were play-action passes or quick-ball-out passes for run-type defenses. So, [if] you only have nine true drop-back passes out of 20 total passes, it's probably going to limit everybody's opportunity. We did get the ball to 'D-Hop' [DeAndre Hopkins], which we hadn't been able to do for a while. We got the ball to Zay [Flowers] seven times for seven catches, so that's where the ball went this game. And 'Bate' [Rashod Bateman] didn't play before. 'Bate' wasn't playing for like three weeks with the high ankle [injury]. This is the first game he's been back in a month or three weeks. So, the reason he didn't get the ball in [three of the last six] weeks was that he wasn't out there. So, he's definitely a guy ... I appreciate the way he played. I guess I look at it more like that. We're going to try to get him the ball. The ball's going to go his way, but I watched the tape, and I said, 'You know what? Bate played really well,' and I felt good about that part of it."
With TE Isaiah likely, I don't think he's been targeted the last two games. Does that just come down to game circumstances? (Jerry Coleman) "I think so. He was targeted against Cincinnati, but we couldn't get the throw off – if you remember – on that first-down play where [Isaiah Likely] ran the wheel route. So, it's really the same answer."
Recognizing there is still a possibility of a playoffs, you need help now. I get that. When teams don't make the playoffs, there's a focus on potential staff turnover. Do you have any fear for your own job security here? Or do you anticipate being here next year? (Bo Smolka) "Thanks for asking that question. It's a great question. This is sports, that's how it works. And one thing I always have believed is that, first of all, coaching at any level is a day-to-day job, and your job is to do the best job you can today, and to do everything you can to help your players and your coaches – if you're a head coach – be the best they can be every single day. And it's never been about keeping a job, and there's no such thing as 'your' job or 'my' job. We have responsibilities, and we're given opportunities to steward those responsibilities, and you're given a job to do that until you're not. And then I try to do the job, not try to keep the job, because there's no such thing as having a job, you're just doing a job. And so, my focus is on always – and it has been for the last 18 years here and the last 41 years in coaching, or is it 42? It's up there. It has been to try to do the best job I can today and fight as hard as I can so the guys have the best chance to be successful today. And anything after today, I'm not thinking about, because it's not given for us to think about. We don't have control over that, except for the job we do today. And if we do a good enough job today, then the opportunity to do that job or a different job will be there tomorrow, and that's what you hope for."
What has the dialogue been like with you and owner Steve Bisciotti recently? What is his message? What is his tone in those discussions? (Luke Jones) "Yes, [there have been] a lot of messages. Steve [Bisciotti] has been fantastic. He's a great leader. He's supportive. He's also challenging. Steve wants to win. He wants to be successful. I've been around a lot of competitors in this job or even in my family, and there's no bigger competitor than Steve Bisciotti. And that's one of the many things I admire about him and appreciate of him. So, he's been great. He's been challenging in every great kind of way, and I appreciate that. He helps me to be better, and that's what I'm grateful for."
In those discussions, have there been talks about the future? Have there been any kind of assurances or anything like that? (Jamison Hensley) "The future is today. The future is the Green Bay Packers. And that's what we're looking at."
