HEAD COACH JESSE MINTER
Opening Statement: "All right, [I] appreciate you guys being here. The good thing about having the guys in on Monday is you get a chance to quickly address the game and what happened and how we can improve and get better from it. [We are] always looking inward first, looking at ourselves, looking at play calls, decisions, all those things. I think when you do that, you create an environment where everybody tries to just get better from things and learn from things. That is what we will hope to do from this game. Our guys played really hard. They play physical. At the same time, we need to find a way. Again, [it's about] all three phases. To me, you had chances to break the game open at different times or finish the game off at different times. Obviously, we were not able to do that. [That's] an area of focus for us going forward. [We] get a great opportunity this week to travel to Brazil [and] play against a really good [Dallas] Cowboys team. We will have a normal practice Wednesday [and] Thursday. We will fly there Thursday evening. [We will] get there Friday morning [and] have a focus of obviously recovering from the long flight as we are there on Friday. [We will] get some work done like we would on a Friday and then be ready to roll on Sunday. With that, [I will] open up for questions."
You mentioned the Rio game, there has been some talk about the field conditions. From the Ravens' standpoint, do you have any concerns about the condition the field will be in Rio? (Jamison Hensley) "I mean, look, it is really in the league's hands, and we have been in contact with them. They have people there [who] feel pretty good about it. Both teams are going to be playing there, and we will be ready to roll."
This is kind of a unique challenge because your staff is completely new, but the Ravens do have this history of losing leads. What is the approach when you are dealing with having this one loss, but also knowing there is a history that predates your tenure here? (Kyle Goon) "For me, I am focused on creating a mentality and continuing to create a mentality that we play our style in those big moments. I felt like guys start pressing a little bit, and you start trying to make plays, and you are searching for that big play in those key moments. I have said this a bunch — in reality, it is your identity as a player [that] needs to show up in those crunch-time situations. You don't have to go be somebody else. You don't have to go out of the scheme or out of sorts from a play-caller standpoint and from a player standpoint. I think that is what we will keep searching [for]. I don't put a ton of stock into all that. I do recognize [it], and obviously we have a lot of players that have been here for a while, but I think [this is] our first real adversity as a group together, I would say. It is a chance for us to learn each other and how we handle adversity. That is what we will do. We will attack it, and we will own it. We are not into the blaming business of blaming a call or a player or this or that. We will own it together, and we will try to get better."
Focusing on the third-and-1 call, now that you have had a chance to go back and look at it and talk about it with offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, would you make that same call again in that situation? Why not give the ball to RB Derrick Henry? (Brian Wacker) "There are a lot of calls in every game, win or lose, that you go back [on] especially as a play-caller. I have done that a ton in my career. You go back, and the unfortunate thing is when you wake up on Monday, you cannot change anything that happened in the game. You cannot change, 'Well, I would have called this,' or, 'I should have done this.' You can talk about it, and you can learn from it, and to say, 'Oh, we wish we would have done this different,' or, 'We would have done that different,' to me, that is not productive. It is more about learning from the situation and knowing that we have a capable team, and we are going to be in that situation a lot. That is what I try to tell the guys. We are going to be in a situation [where] we are going to have a lead a lot of times. I think it speaks for itself here over time. This team is going to have a lead. We are going to continue to chase and learn from what happened in those situations. [We will] get better and put our guys in the best position to be successful given the circumstances."
If you could take us behind the curtain in a situation like that, were you in conversation with offensive coordinator Declan Doyle? Were you letting him know that if you don't get anything on third-and-1, the punt is forthcoming? (Jonas Shaffer) "Just a little bit about it, the play before, it was about one-and-a-half to two [yards] on the field. [It was] not necessarily like one [yard] or a short one. I think if we would've been under, there were definitely some thoughts about making that a two-down situation. Once it was incomplete, defensively, we had just really come off of one bad drive. I thought we had played okay for the game. I didn't feel like we were scrambling or reeling on defense. To even risk giving them the ball at the plus-36 in a tie game didn't feel like that was the right move. But again, you look back at it, and you say, 'Maybe we should have done this and done that.' So, again, we will keep chasing improvement in those areas."
Was RB Derrick Henry dealing with anything throughout the course of that game? (Cordell Woodland) "I think throughout the course of a game, there are plays where maybe something small or whatever [comes up], but for the most part, Derrick [Henry] was definitely himself."
The special teams breakdown in the second quarter led to a 6-point swing. What did you see on the field goal block and the kick return, and also, given how little time was left — I know they did have their timeouts — how much consideration was there just to boot it to the end zone and eliminate that possibility? (Luke Jones) "That is a great question. On the block, they got a little bit of penetration. I felt like we were maybe a half second late with our operation. They were able to get their hand on it, unfortunately, right there. Obviously, [those are] three points you would like to have there later in the game. [I'm] definitely back and forth, honestly, on the kickoff situation. You kick a touchback, [and] you give them the ball at the minus-35 with three timeouts in 25 seconds. [They would've had] the ability to work the whole field, and [you] really only need one play nowadays to end up in range. So, the idea there is you kick it [and] take five or six seconds off the clock. Obviously, you hope to knock them down inside the 30, and most teams now, when they get under that 20-second range, even with the timeouts — in that area of the field — [it] becomes maybe a kneel-out situation, especially with them getting the ball to start the half. So, a lot of consideration there on both sides. I saw us really not read the way the return was going to go based on the off-returner and the way the guys were setting up blocks. So, in hindsight, again, those are always easy to look at, but I need to have full confidence and trust in our kickoff team to knock the ball down right there, take five or six seconds off the clock, use the momentum that we have as a team up 14-to-3 with 25 seconds left and not put them on the 35 with three timeouts to where I feel like they might take the momentum before the half. So, again, you weigh all that, [and] that is the way it goes. Then, we came out defensively in the third quarter again [and] let them off the hook on a third down where we really had a chance to get off the field, and then they end up getting three more. So, it is 14-to-9 before you know it when it was 14-to-3 with a lot of momentum. So, those are definitely the types of plays that impact the momentum of the game."
On third down, the New Orleans Saints were pretty successful, particularly on third-and-long. I know each play is different, but was there a prevailing sort of theme, or why was there such a breakdown in so many of those plays? (Brian Wacker) "I would say a lot of them — it is a different thing every play. That is easy to say, but we didn't leverage the ball in the flat a few times. We let the quarterback get through pretty unabated on a four-man rush, and then our coverage on a third-and-long — we came out of coverage on a scramble, and then [Tyler Shough] throws the ball behind us. So, just some things like that — being able to tackle the checkdowns and things like that. So, when you decide to pressure in situations, it is most often to get the quarterback to get rid of the ball quicker, to throw it short, to have an idea that it is going to be thrown short, and then to tackle them short of the sticks. So, I think there was a bunch of those, sort of, from a strategy standpoint. And so, again — I think defensively, we can be a whole lot better at the things that we have control over, like taking angles to the ball, tackling better [and] stapling people to the ground. We will always chase better scheme — that is my job and our defensive staff's job. We will always try to chase putting them in the best position. But, we also need to play in a way where we can tackle a checkdown on third-and-13. So, it is a combination of everybody. We look at ourselves and know that we need to be a whole lot better in those situations."
S Malaki Starks was involved in that kickoff coverage we just talked about. He had a little bit of a rough day overall. There were such high expectations for him coming out of the summer. Do you feel like he is fighting anything to sort of get situated in your defense, or what are you seeing when you watch him on tape? (Childs Walker) "I think, honestly, we are all chasing things a little bit and really need to figure out what our identity is on defense, just from what we are trying to do. That is my job — to put the guys in the best position to be successful. So, I have a lot of confidence in the guys that we have. Again, take this moment, take this opportunity — OK, how can I do better on this play, this play, this play? I have a lot of confidence in Malaki Starks, and so I am confident that he will bounce back and be the type of player that I know he can [be]."
There has been a high number of penalties across the first few games, including by a lot of veterans. What do you attribute that to, and how do you attack that? (Giana Han) "I would say it is a major point of emphasis. Right now, we have too many — I would say — operational penalties on offense. To have the lazy excuse of, 'Well, it is a new offense, and we have all these new things, new players, new cadences' — that would be a lazy excuse. So, it is a major, major point of emphasis. We are not getting set sometimes when we are going quicker; so, a receiver is moving his feet, we are snapping the ball and it goes from second-and-1 to first-and-15 — [there were a] couple instances like that. [There were] some penalties on defense — we had a roughing the passer [penalty]. [There were] just some, I would say, areas where we have to be smarter, where we really have to be dialed in, because those things, really, in the grand scheme of the game, were major deals. We have a holding penalty on a two-point play where we maybe get momentum back a little bit by stopping the two-point play, and then we give them another crack at it. So, it is a major point of emphasis, and I think it is just your daily habits of how you operate that carry over and need to carry you in those moments."
Based on the first two weeks, have you seen a difference in how these guys execute your defense, or has there been a difference in how you call your defense when you are protecting a lead versus when the game is starting out and everything is up in the air? (Kyle Goon) "I think there is executing the call and being where you are supposed to be, but then also a play style and your intent of what you are trying to do in those moments. So, I think we need to combine all those things to a higher level. That is putting them in the right call, making the right call in those situations, executing the call, knowing what we are trying to take away, knowing how we are trying to attack them, and then doing it with confidence and conviction so that we are not hesitant on breaking on a throw short of the sticks and getting the guy on the ground. We are playing really fast and playing decisive the same way that we do, I think, at times in the game. So, that is something from all levels — from me on down — that we will keep chasing."
Are you a type of coach where you seek the league's opinion or response about the late touchdown that was upheld, or do you not even bother with that kind of thing? (Jeff Zrebiec) "You send in these things every week, and they do a good job. If you send in a missed holding call or whatever, they do a good job giving the feedback and things like that. [In a] situation like that, it is really irrelevant to me. Again, it is not going to change the outcome that we wanted. To put myself in their shoes, how I think is, 'How can we get better from something that happened?' And it is like, 'How can everything get better so that it is always the exact right call?' I think the league uses opportunities like that to improve and make sure that they are getting everything right, just like we use the negative things that happened to make everything right. So, I don't worry about it at all. I am not going to sleep better if they come back and say, 'Well, we shouldn't have called that a touchdown.' So, it is what it is."
Any idea on the availability for WR Zay Flowers, T Ronnie Stanley, DL Nnamdi Madubuike and some of the guys who have been dinged up? (Kyle Goon) "I feel like we will have a good shot with a lot of guys this week, which is encouraging. So, we will know more probably Wednesday, but I think we are on a positive trajectory with a lot of those guys having a chance to be back."
WR Elijah Sarratt didn't get on the field yesterday, and CB Chidobe Awuzie had one snap after just a handful last week. What went into the decision on each of those guys? (Brian Wacker) "I actually just had hopefully a good chat with 'Chido' [Chidobe Awuzie]. We need to get him on the field more, and we need to find a way to get him on the field more, whatever role that is. That is definitely, I think, on my radar, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. I think, offensively, we did a lot of stuff with multiple tight ends, and so it just was kind of the way it was. [Elijah Sarratt] was really kind of like the fifth receiver in a reserve role. He was a backup at a couple different spots. We ended up not having the ball a lot in the second half from some of the long drives we gave up on defense. So, I think that was really just a circumstance of the game and kind of where he was at in the pecking order going into the game."
On that interception to end the game, what did you see on that play? Was something supposed to happen that didn't happen, or what happened? (Cordell Woodland) "Look, I saw a team that you are kind of in — I don't want to call it 'desperation mode,' but there are 20-something seconds left, [and] you are trying to get close enough to make a last play feasible. You are trying to get maybe inside the 15- or 10-yard line to have a real shot or two into the end zone to win the game or tie the game, however we would have decided to do it. So, I saw quick pressure, unfortunately, a really good pass rush by their left 3-technique, on our right side, and I think it maybe forced the ball to be out a little bit quicker than it needed to be. So, again, that is two good players trying to make a play in a situation where, obviously, the odds are not in your favor with the time on the clock and things like that. So, that is really what I saw."
Obviously, the big topic last week was WR Rashod Bateman and his ability to step up. How pleased were you with his performance, and what do you think that could do for the team going forward knowing that he is another capable weapon, and also for his confidence? (Jeff Zrebiec) "We have a lot of confidence in [Rashod Bateman], and I felt like he took it upon himself yesterday to kind of know that we were missing a key guy and that he was going to have some opportunities. He ran some really good routes and made some nice plays. I thought Mark [Andrews] did the same thing. Again, kind of making a lot of the classic Mark type of plays [with] some key third-down conversions [and] things like that. So, when a guy is out, you need other guys to sort of step up and answer the bell, and I thought both those guys did that overall."
Were you letting them score when they committed that false start on the first goal-line play, and if so, how challenging is it to weigh what to do in those spots — because you love the effort, but you are kind of fighting against yourself depending on the situation? (Luke Jones) "That was an interesting situation. There were a lot of conversations about that. I'm probably not going to fully disclose our strategy in that situation, but once it happened — once they were back on the 7-yard line — they threw the ball, which was good for us from a clock standpoint. So, now we were really in sync of doing anything we could to try to stop them. Even if we stopped them and they got a field goal, we would have about the same amount of time we ended up with. So, that was certainly what we were trying to do."
What did you see from ILB Trenton Simpson yesterday, and if ILB Teddye Buchanan is coming back soon, do you see Trenton's role evolving? (Ryan Mink) "I told the defensive staff [that] I think Trenton [Simpson] is playing like one of our best players right now. He is playing really fast and decisively. He is playing with a ton of physicality. He is seeing things and going and playing very downhill, which is great to see. So, I don't think he has done anything to say we need to take this guy off the field, but also you are getting a really good player back, hopefully, in Teddye [Buchanan]. So, we will have to figure out [and] make sure we have our best guys on the field for any given situation, but major kudos to Trenton Simpson and how he is playing right now. I thought [in] both games so far, he has done some really nice things and been really impactful in the run game and in the pass game, just [being] decisive and physical. [He] had some really nice plays, and so [I am] happy with how he is doing."