QUARTERBACKS COACH TEE MARTIN
With QB Lamar Jackson still rehabbing, do you know his plan for the bye week with all the resources your team has? (Jonas Shaffer) "We'll get into all this stuff next week about that, but [Lamar Jackson] has been doing well. He's been staying locked in, supportive of the guys that are playing, keeping up with what we're doing and working as hard as he can to get back on the field."
Obviously, it's a big job of filling in QB Lamar Jackson's shoes. QBs Cooper Rush and Tyler Huntley have been asked to cover a lot of ground there, but what do you think, especially in this last game, didn't go right from a quarterback execution perspective? (Kyle Goon) "I thought [Cooper Rush and Tyler Huntley] prepared well all throughout the week, and I thought they played well. You take one play away from 'Coop' – where it was third down, he stepped up in the pocket, had a little pressure and [threw] the interception – you share the blame on that one. Outside of that, the operation was great. I thought we, for the first time since the first week and the first drive of the [Kansas City] game, we were able to stack first downs and give us some sort of rhythm [with] running the ball, some play-action and things of that nature. [We] just have to put it in the end zone when we get the chance to. Then, Tyler came in [during the] fourth quarter off the bench and gave us a spark. [He] threw the ball well and made some plays with his legs, but ultimately, you look for guys to go out, run the system and do the things that we ask them to do, and I thought both of them did that. [I'm] really proud of the way that they were pros about the situation that they were in. We're just looking forward to continuing to support each other, [support] whoever is playing – Lamar [Jackson or] whoever. We're going to continue to be pros about our jobs and support each other."
You just alluded to it, but this is pretty uncharted territory for this group to be 1-5. Knowing you've coached QB Lamar Jackson and knowing how these guys view him as the guy, the leader, how do you try to approach this now moving forward, knowing you're 1-5 and knowing what kind of run is in store for you guys to get to where you want to go? (Luke Jones) "It is about preparing the whole room and preparing who the starter will be. We've known Lamar [Jackson] was going to be out [this last game], so it was Cooper [Rush] and Tyler [Huntley]. [When] Lamar is back, it's going to be Lamar, and they'll support, but they'll still be ready to play. But yes, we have to stack wins. That's what we're all here for, and we're all competitive. It doesn't feel good. It's not great. We have to sit with it for the week, but that's motivation for us to go out and do things better and give us the opportunity to win our next game."
When QB Lamar Jackson got hurt in Week 4, he seemed very frustrated. We saw you sitting and breaking things down with him. Up until that point, how were you evaluating his play? What did he want to work on? (Giana Han) "It was in-game talk – the adjustments that were happening during that game – and we were just locked in on what was going on at that moment. I just kind of saw the way [Lamar Jackson] got up off the ground. He handed the ball off, and he normally carries out a fake, and I saw him wince a little bit, so it was in my mind. Then when he got to the sideline, we discussed how he was feeling and ultimately made the decision that he wasn't going back [in the game]. But we were in game [mode]. We were our normal selves, just talking about what the defense was doing [and] talking about our next calls. How was [I] feeling? We were in the middle of a battle, and we had some self-inflicted things that had happened, had turned the ball over and all that; we were putting that behind us, and we were trying to talk about what it was going to take to win the game. We were pretty locked in into what it was going to take to win that game, until he wasn't playing, and the mindset shifted to Cooper [Rush] and trying to get him an opportunity to go out and run a no-huddle offense to try to get us a score and get back into the game."
Has the injury given QB Lamar Jackson a chance to step back and evaluate those first three games? What does he want to focus on? (Giana Han) "In our talks, there was some reflection and mainly just about what we were doing and how [Lamar Jackson] was playing. [It was] nothing in particular. You may have to ask him how he has viewed that in the last couple of weeks. For the most part, it was, 'We have the next game.' Lamar was out, and that was a bummer, but the task at hand is right in front of us with some tough opponents, tough defenses, and we quickly shifted gears, but he was supportive. He's been around. He's been supportive of the guys. He's locked in on sideline, hearing all the calls and going over each series when the quarterbacks come off [the field]. He's been very much involved and very much in tune to what's going on."
So much of QB Lamar Jackson's ability is obviously tied into giving his receivers time to get open and making things happen in pocket. That being said, the number of times he's been hit already – and he's already missed some time with injury – when he comes back, is it going to be imperative for him to get the ball out faster on average? (Kyle Goon) "Yes, some things are within the plays that are called where we're trying to get the ball out, and sometimes routes are deeper developing. If you're in third-and-8 or 9, you're not going to throw the ball for five yards. [Offensive coordinator] Todd [Monken] was just here [at the podium] before me; it's kind of a question for him, but our job is to execute the plays that are called and do the best we can to get the ball out. So much [of what's] good about Lamar [Jackson] is the opportunity to extend plays. Lamar is very competitive, and you have to be very careful with someone who a lot of his gifts comes on plays like that. No one has an issue with that when he's extending plays and making explosive plays down the field. So [for] me, as his coach, we taper a line of, sometimes you hold onto the [ball], and 'Oh my God, you made them all miss and made a play down the field,' and, sometimes you get sacked. That happens to quarterbacks that play this style of football, so as a staff, at times, we have to put him in situations to be successful and allow them sometimes to save themselves from themselves, because he is that type of player. Lamar is not a quarterback that gives up on plays; it's just not his nature. It's just not how he's made up. So understanding that, we're going to continue to help him, and I think Lamar's going to be Lamar and be mindful of that, because we don't want that on our O-line and those guys up there working hard and doing the best they can."
You know how competitive QB Lamar Jackson is. Can you share how he's handling the start mentally and with the team's 1-5 record? (Ryan Mink) "I'm not going to speak for [Lamar Jackson], but I know [his] demeanor and just seeing him in the locker room after the games, he wants to win. He wants to win when he's the quarterback. He wants us to win when he's not the quarterback. That's the main thing I would say, but I can't speak for him in terms of what's on his mind, but I do know that he is motivated and wants us to win football games."
We haven't talked to QB Lamar Jackson for a couple of weeks. Have you gotten the sense that he fully believes you guys can turn this thing around and still get where you want to go? (Childs Walker) "I have no reason to believe that [Lamar Jackson] doesn't think that way. He believes in his teammates, he believes in this staff, and he's working hard to get back to be a part of helping us win."
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR TODD MONKEN
One of the things that head coach John Harbaugh talked about yesterday was being better in goal-to-go and short-yardage situations. What in your mind do you have to do to be more successful in those situations? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Well, it falls into every situation within the game. There's all of those that fall into that, whether it's run downs, getting back on track, third downs, short-yardage [situations], two-minute [drills], four-minute [drills] and the game within the game. It's a number of things. For one, we can certainly scheme it better. I say this all the time, you guys get tired of me saying it, [we've got to] scheme it better, call it better and execute it better. That's really what it comes down to. It doesn't matter what situation it is. Some of it – like the one [drive against the Rams] – was a goal-to-go situation. There were a couple times we've had others where in the red zone or black zone, we've had penalties, or we've had things that we've just got to do it better."
Do you think that the line has been good enough, especially in some of those short-yardage situations, reading the guys they've got to block or reading the gaps they've got to create? (Kyle Goon) "Sure. It's not any one thing. It really isn't. We've had plenty of opportunities to convert. Like I said, we've just got to call it better and execute better."
To get specific, on the goal-to-go situation with the three cracks on the 1-yard line where you called the tush push play twice, do you have any regret on that, and kind of what goes into that call versus something else? (Brian Wacker) "Oh, 100 percent. Throughout every game, whether we score a lot or we score a little – it happens a lot less frequently when you score a lot – but throughout the game, there are calls you're like, 'Maybe not.' That's just what you do. You take ownership in when [a play call] isn't successful – with a given play, a given series, a given quarter or a given game – that's what you do. That's what they pay us to do. That's what we pay our players to do, which is [to] assess how it went, and obviously, whenever it doesn't go well, you always look at it and go, 'Eh, maybe that wasn't right.' We're not the only ones. It's everything that we do within a game. So those are things we always look at, and we'll fight like hell to fix it. And I know you guys hear me say that all the time, but that's what you do."
When you go into a game knowing that you might play two different quarterbacks, what conversation during the game goes into when you might pull that trigger? (Childs Walker) "I don't know if there's a 'what' conversation [that] goes into that. Our talk is [about], 'Alright, how's the game going? Where are we at?' There are other things that play into it. What's the weather like? What's the score of the game? Do we need a spark? All those things are a part of it."
It's not easy to back up QB Lamar Jackson in terms of expectations and all that, but QB Cooper Rush is a veteran guy, and that's why you guys brought him in here. Why do you think he's struggled to find the rhythm in these last couple of weeks? (Luke Jones) "It'll start with me. We've got to do it better for [Cooper Rush]. There's a lot of that we can do better offensively for him. We did a better job in the game the other day. What I was excited about is [that] we needed to be able to run the football. We did run the football, and that's a starting point. Whoever your quarterback is – if you can run the football – you're going to be in advantageous downs and distances, and we've got to do it better for him. We can certainly play better around him."
What do you think changed that led to better results in the run game on Sunday? (Ryan Mink) "There were a number of things. It's a different opponent. There was a different scheme. There were certain things we did differently. [It's] all of the above."
You guys seem to lean bit on outside zone concepts, and that worked well for you guys. Is that something that you think could be a staple for this offense? (Jonas Shaffer) "Great question. Each game, we go into it thinking, 'OK, what is our best way to move the football? [Whether it's] run [or] pass – anything that we do – the screen game, and some games, we're going to lean more heavily on outside zone, downhill runs or some may be more gap schemes. So, it's more team specific, but we certainly are capable of getting into whether it's tight zone, wide zone or gap schemes, right? [It's] all of the above. We are certainly capable of getting to that."
When you go from Year One to Year Two and now Year Three as offensive coordinator, how much do you look at the need to change things up year to year, and do you feel like it's changed from then to now in different doing things? (Brian Wacker) "What a great question. It really is. From year to year, you take the offseason, and you assess what's next, right? What's next? After Year One, what are we going to do in 2024? What do we need to clean up? What can we be better at? [It's the] same with this year. Where can we take that next step? In some ways, we started that way, and it felt like that early, and we've just got to, like I said, get our 'mojo' back a little bit. I think there was a part of that on Sunday. I know it doesn't feel like it because three points is not enough. I'm not here to say, 'Boy, that was great.' We didn't execute at certain times, and it would've given us an opportunity to win the game. But you're right, that is what you do. You look at things and say, 'OK, what is it that we need to do moving forward?"
When you get to the bye week, you're not going back to square one. Can you change versus just trying to make sure that things get executed better? What does that self-scouting process look like? (Garrett Downing) "Well, [having the bye week now is] so [much more] different than the two previous years. The last [two] years we've had, [the byes] were later. So, at that time, we were doing a lot more self-scout. We've got a huge bank of what we've done, whereas here, we've got a bank of three-and-a-half games with Lamar, two-and-a-half of the other quarterbacks. What does that look like? So now it's a little bit different this year than it is [when you're] like, 'Alright, where are we at? What do we need moving forward? What do we need to certainly improve on?' Certainly, we need to scheme better. How can we put our players in a better position to have success? That's everything you do every week. This just gives you a chance to step back and look at it and really drill down as to where we want to go for the last 11 weeks."
You had fumbling issues from RB Derrick Henry and then WR Zay Flowers this past game. They're probably not the guys you associate with bad ball security in the first place. How do you kind address some of those issues? (Kyle Goon) "Well, we rally around them. When it was Derrick [Henry], nobody felt worse than Derrick. When it's Zay [Flowers], nobody feels worse than Zay. When we're struggling on offense, I sure as hell don't feel good. That's part of it. And good teams rally around each other and say, 'How do we get it right?' There's not one person on this team that's going to go without making mistakes. That's being human. Well, how do we fix that? How do we rally around each other and keep working together? That is the only answer. The only answer is to keep fighting, collectively, together. And as I said last week, this isn't our first rodeo together, so let's circle it up. We've got plenty [of time]. Let's figure it out, and let's put together a run here with what I think is a really good football team moving forward."
Do you think that since QB Lamar Jackson has been hurt that there has been an adequate sense of collective focus? (Kyle Goon) "I think so. It's easy to say that based on [the fact that] we haven't scored enough. I have not seen that out there [with] the way we've practiced. I have not seen that in our meeting rooms. I have not seen that. I have not seen that at all. That's where the frustrating part is. When you're going on the field, and you're not getting the results that are desired. It is frustrating, and all you can do is just come back in and [think], 'What do we have to do today' and really focus on today. Anything else you're thinking about doesn't help. The past, or what's too far down the road ... How do we have the best [practice]; which, I thought we had a great practice today. How do we have the best Tuesday that we can possibly have?"
Do you feel like good offense oftentimes is kind of momentum based? Once you do get a couple good drives or punch it in in the red zone, you really can kind of get on a roll quickly? (Ryan Mink) "100 percent. I think it depends on what lens you want to look at, right? There's a number of lenses where you say, 'I think we're this, and I like the way we're headed,' and say, 'We've just got to do X, Y and Z better' at the most opportune times. But, then we've got to go out and do it. There's only so much you can talk. You've got to go out and do it. You've got to go out and execute. And we've got to start with us as coaches, and then [go] down the line when we get opportunities on the field [and] cash in on it like we've done in the past."
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ZACH ORR
I know you guys didn't get the win on Sunday, but what were your takeaways from what looked like a much more representative defensive showing? (*Luke Jones)* "It was a step in the right direction. I told the guys that I thought that was the most intensity that we played with, and we started fast; that's what we were looking for. We have to get back to playing pissed off and with an edge. I felt like that was the first game this season that we truly carried that over from the start of the game throughout the finish. It was about four or five plays, right in that second half, that we felt like we let the game get away from us from a defensive standpoint. We thought we played really well besides those four or five plays, and ultimately, that's what cost us. So, that's what we are chasing right now, just those small little details. We know how close we are. So, our guys are encouraged about getting better. It's bye week. We just had a really good practice. We'll have a good practice tomorrow, and then coming back after the bye, it's really time to roll and continue to build on that."
When you talk about the notion of playing pissed off, how do you do that? How do you coach that? How do you go about making that happen? (*Garrett Downing)* "It's tough. We just understand what type of intensity that it takes to win ball games. I feel like [with] our guys, we've been playing with it, but we had to amp it up another level; I think I told you guys that last weekend. We challenged ourselves, we challenged our players last week, and it showed. Those guys came out with an edge to them. Like I said, [that was] the most edge they had thus far this year, and I think it paid off. I think the way you coach is you show them; look at the mindset that we're approaching. Like on the insert blocks, we're trying to knock the crap out of the receiver, legally, instead of just going out there and just putting hands on his chest and getting off a block. So, it's all about the mentality and the approach, and I like that our approach was right this game."
What did you think of S Alohi Gilman on just a few days of preparation? (*Sam Cohn)* "[Alohi Gilman] is a beast. I think he got in Wednesday morning; that was the first time I had seen him. Then, he was out there. He took every rep in practice on defense. So, he was starting. We knew he was going to play just about every rep. He came from a similar system, but credit to him, credit to [defensive backs coach] 'Double D' [Donald D'Alesio] and [senior defensive assistant/secondary coach Chuck] Pagano. Those guys have spent plenty of hours – after [work] hours and before [work] hours – getting prepared. He was directing traffic his first day in practice, so I knew it was going to be a good addition to line up with him, and then he went out there and played well. So, the more comfortable he gets with the guys and with our terminology, the better he's going to be, because he was really good on Sunday."
How much has S Alohi Gilman affected your game planning with having that three-safety look you guys may have thought you would have when you drafted S Malaki Starks? (*Giana Han)* "It's good to get back to that. I think that you saw we were able to do some things with Kyle [Hamilton], and I think that benefited us. He's a beast, and offenses really have to account for him. Now, we use that to our advantage. We can make offenses predictable of where they're going to slide and where they're going to run the football, so that helps us out a lot. And credit to 'K-Ham.' He hasn't played at the nickel position or dime position – it was funny, he was talking about it – since [middle of the year] last year. So, it's been a long time. Like we said, he's a unicorn. He's a smart player. He stepped in on Wednesday and kept it going throughout the game. So, that definitely helps us out a lot."
You trade former Ravens OLB Odafe Oweh, and OLB Tavius Robinson gets hurt. Maybe you guys elevate somebody or bring somebody in. What do you need to do to get more sacks? Where does that come from? (*Brian Wacker)* "We just have to continue to be better on early downs. We have to be to be better on first down, and then on second down, we have to be better. Right now, a lot of teams you see they get to second-and-long, [and] they get to their third-down gameplan. Well against us, they're going [to] quick game, or they're even running the ball or going tempo to try to keep us out of our third-down package. We just have to continue to find different ways and different personnel groups to get pressure, and I think that we'll be able to do that. I'm excited about this week, what we've already done as a staff and what we'll be able to present [to the players] coming out of the bye week. We definitely have to get more sacks and get to the quarterback and affect the quarterback more. When we do that, we're tough to score against."
When you look at that sack that ILB Teddye Buchanan got and also ILB Trenton Simpson getting in there, with a play call like that, obviously, I think that's going to be what you need more of. Do you feel like guys are getting better at their execution on some of your calls? Do you think you're getting a feel for the timing with this group on some of your calls? What's going on? (*Kyle Goon)* "I think that we're getting better with our execution. We're still not there yet. We still had about two or three pressures that we didn't execute right that cost us on third down and one on the fourth-and-3 play. We just have to do better [in] preparing our guys for every situation. We just have to do a better job of executing, but it is a step in the right direction. I think that the better our guys and the more comfortable our guys feel with that, the better they'll be able to take it to gameday. We've been repping it in practice nonstop. We had a lot of pressures today in practice to get the guys used to the timing and the tempo of it on gameday."
With four straight losses, there's going to be fingers pointed. Obviously, you've had to take a lot of heat from us in some of these media sessions. Head coach John Harbaugh has had your back throughout this whole stretch, obviously, was saying so on Sunday. What has that meant to have his support throughout this time? (*Kyle Goon)* "It means a lot. It means a lot. I have a lot of respect for 'Coach Harbs' [head coach John Harbaugh]. I could spend all day talking about him. I have a lot of respect for him. I didn't know him as a man before I got here. I respected him as a coach, and then as a player [for him, he's a] great coach, mentor. I've gotten closer to him as I became a coach. Nobody works harder in the building. Nobody beats him into the building; I've tried. I've just given up, man. So, nobody works as hard as he does to make sure that this organization, not just the football team, but to make sure this organization is running the right way, and we're doing the right thing. It means a lot to me that he's supported me, because he's the reason why I'm here. I want to do right by him. He doesn't have to. I understand I'm grown; I have to be better. We have to be better as a defense, and he's just being a mentor, a father figure for me, for taking a lot of the heat off of me, and I appreciate that. I can't thank him enough, and it's something I'm going to remember forever. So, it means a lot. How I can show my appreciation to him is continuing to work hard and putting a winning defense out there on the field."
You were part of that 2015 team, the last time this team was in a 1-5 position. What can you take away from that experience as a player that might be able to help this group in terms of turning this around and getting to where you guys want to be? (*Luke Jones)* "2015 was a lot different from the standpoint of, our guys were out for the year [that year]. We're starting to get a lot of our guys back, but you really just tell the guys, 'You're not far off.' The league is so competitive. In that year, we won some games that we really 'weren't supposed to win,' because it comes down to two or three plays, and you just have to keep on fighting and keep playing. [There are] teams that have started where we started and have made the playoffs, and that's what we're focused on starting with Chicago next week. Really, what I take away from that year is that the thing that made that year memorable for me was guys stuck together, guys didn't point their fingers, and guys went out there and competed every single day. I would say this – this team is different from that team. We have to go do it, but we have a lot of our guys that are going to be out there for us."
Do you need S Malaki Starks to grow up faster? He just doesn't seem to be on and around the ball a whole lot. How do you evaluate how he's played so far? (*Jeff Zrebiec)* "I think Malaki [Starks] has played well. He's made some rookie mistakes. He has some things that he knows he has to clean up, but he's done a good job. We haven't given up many explosive [plays] on the back end, and he's a big part of that. The role that we have him playing, when the ball does break, he's downed the football. He had the one against Detroit where he missed a tackle on the long run, but besides that, he's downed the football. The thing that you appreciate about him is any mistake that he makes, he's not going to make the same one again. He's one of the hardest workers on the team as rookie, which is impressive. We just continue to encourage him to continue to do the right thing, continue to be in the right spots, and his plays are going to happen. He's going to make big-time, game-changing plays for us throughout this year, so I'm excited about him. He's done a heck of a job. If he wasn't doing what he was supposed to do, he wouldn't be out there. I have full trust in Malaki and what he's bringing to the table."
It seems like ILB Trenton Simpson is playing at a high level. Where have you seen him make improvements, and could he be part of the overall solution with OLB Tavius Robinson out? Could he kind of step in and fill in an outside linebacker position even once ILB Roquan Smith returns? (*Ryan Mink)* "Everything that [Trenton Simpson] has been through throughout his career up and down – in the starting lineup, sitting down for a little bit in job battles – I think he's handled it well. We tell those guys, 'You always have to stay ready.' And he's done that. I think that he's grown so much. He's played two of his best games the last two weeks I feel like. He's really making an impact, and he can still get a lot better, but I do think that he's earned the right to definitely be part of the plan going forward. He's a versatile player. I think you saw that against the Chiefs. We used him in different ways, and I think that he'll be able to continue to do that. He's earned those reps."
SR. DEFENSIVE ASSISTANT/SECONDARY COACH CHUCK PAGANO
What'd you see from S Alohi Gilman in his first game, and how he's adjusted to being Raven? (Ryan Mink) "It kind of looked probably the same [way] it looked to you. It looked like [Alohi Gilman] had been here for a couple years. I think it helped being in a similar system – [Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator] Jesse Minter is out there in Los Angeles with those guys – so, I think there was some carry over there. It was a seamless transition. Credit to 'Double D' [defensive backs coach Donald] D'Alesio and Alohi – we call him 'Lo' – for the time that they invested. [They were] investing time in the morning, the afternoon, after practice, late at night [on] Zoom, whatever it was. 'Double D' did a great job with him, getting him up to speed, and he did a great job of sacrificing the time and energy needed to be able to go out there, communicate and play at a high level. He was awesome."
Along those lines, having S Alohi Gilman allowed you guys to shift into more of a free safety-nickel scheme, which is something they've done quite a bit with S Kyle Hamilton in the past. It was your first look and firsthand seeing it. What did you like about that, and how big can that be for unlocking Kyle's play-making ability to be closer to the line of scrimmage? (Luke Jones) "It was just a little bit of a different picture for the offense, seeing a guy of Kyle [Hamilton]'s stature in and around the line of scrimmage, playing nickel. Everybody is playing pretty much a sub-defense – a four-two defense. A typical nickel doesn't look like Kyle. He covers as good or better than most cover corners. He's a great blitzer. You can't block him. [He's good at] block destruction. He's a menace, so now, you put that guy in and around the line of scrimmage. From an account standpoint, they have to know exactly where he is at, not only in coverage, but is he coming, is he not coming, those types of things. Then again, 'Lo' [Alohi Gilman] coming in and working with Malaki [Starks]; the communication, it was different. It felt different, and it looked different. I'm sure it did to you guys, as well."
You know what it's like to be in the cross hairs with unhappy fans. What's been your perspective on how defensive coordinator Zach Orr has dealt with that and where he'll take it from here? (Childs Walker) "[Put on your] blinders and earmuffs; that's what you have to do. It's like when you do really well, and they sing all your praises, it's probably not reality. And so, when you're doing poorly, and they're saying all the negative stuff, that isn't reality either. Somewhere in the middle is where reality lies. [Defensive coordinator Zach Orr] does a great job of staying the course, staying steady, blocking all those things out [and] controlling what he can control. He's been incredible."
Head coach John Harbaugh has stood behind defensive coordinator Zach Orr this whole time and said that Zach has been open to getting feedback from people with more experience, like yourself. What has that relationship been like as you guys try to get this defense back on track? (Giana Han) "[Defensive coordinator] Zach [Orr] has zero ego. He knows this defense inside and out. He's convicted about what we're doing. He's convicted in his own beliefs. He leans on, not only me, but everybody else in that defensive room. We all have Zach's back, and he has ours. We're in this thing together. It always points to one guy on gameday – either the head coach, the O.C. [offensive coordinator] or the D.C. [defensive coordinator]. And again, when it's going well and when it's not, it's all of us. He has zero ego. He just wants to do what's right by this organization and by these players. He's a selfless guy, and he knows what he's doing, so we all have to be better to help him be better at his job."
A few guys all over the defense have talked about feeling like, during the week, practice has been exactly what they want. Practices have been great. It's just, for whatever reason, not translating to Sunday. Injuries aside, how do you make sense of that? (Sam Cohn) "Particularly this last week, from a preparation standpoint ... One of [defensive coordinator] Zach [Orr]'s greatest qualities is that he's not afraid to tell these guys what they need to hear and not what they want to hear. He's brutally honest with them. The standard is a standard. From a preparation standpoint – film study, note taking and those kinds of things – he has challenged everybody to up that [standard]. Practice, it has been good. We had a three- or four-minute stretch in that last ball game where we were playing solid defense, and then we give up one play here and another play, then we have a sudden change, and the next thing you know, a 3-3 game becomes a two-score, 17-3, ball game. But yes, it's 60 minutes, one play at a time, all you got, don't judge, right? Tere are five or six plays that are going to determine the outcome of all these games; you don't know when that's going to happen. You practice, you prepare, you study to get yourself ready for that. We just have to try to eliminate those five or six [plays] when those come and try to play better in those moments."
Even though S Malaki Starks is a first-round pick, he probably didn't imagine he would have this much responsibility with as many injuries. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr was telling us he feels like Malaki has helped keep you guys from getting beaten deep, but then he has also been around some plays. He's missed a tackle here and there. What do you take as the full picture of Malaki so far, six games into his rookie season? (Kyle Goon) "Arrow up. [Malaki Starks] has exceeded everybody's expectations. He's one of our hardest workers, smartest dudes [and] prepares like no other. Again, he's mature beyond his years. There's a lot on his plate; he's accepted that challenge. He's never backed down from any challenge, and like anybody else on this team, anybody else playing back there, those are hard jobs back there, especially outside. There are going to be some tough downs. The great thing about Malaki is he doesn't make the same mistake twice. It'll get corrected from last week and the week before. He doesn't make the same mistake twice, and he's able to move on past it. He doesn't dwell on that."
I think we were all impressed by the training camp that CB Marlon Humphrey and ILB Roquan Smith both had. It seems like they've had their ups and downs over the first third of the season. What have you seen from them, and what are you expecting to get from them if they come back after this bye week? (Jones Shaffer) "Not only those two, we've all had our moments, our ups and downs. Those two are great vets, they're great warriors, they're great teammates and exceptional football players. They are self-aware, and they hold themselves accountable, so they can see it. They know what caused this issue, what caused this problem, and then they go to work on fixing it. Again, they're in tough spots. These offenses that you play these days, it's no easy task trying to figure them out and be in the right spot down after down. So yes, those two are going to be fine."
We saw CB Nate Wiggins travel with Rams WR Davante Adams quite a bit on Sunday. Not so much speaking specifically to that, but giving him that responsibility, what are you seeing from him as far as year two now? (Luke Jones) "From just a growth standpoint and maturity standpoint, [Nate Wiggins] came to us and said, 'I got No. 17 [Davante Adams] this week, right?' [We said,] 'Yes, you want him?' [He said,] 'Yes sir'. So, 'Double D' [defensive backs coach Donald D'Alesio], myself and [defensive coordinator] Zach [Orr], what we saw was this unbelievable sense of urgency, focus, detail – everything – because he wanted that challenge and accepted that challenge, because he's a prideful guy, a very prideful guy. He cares what he puts on tape. He cares about this organization and winning, so I loved what he did. He had some good downs, and he had some not-so-good downs. That's a really good wide receiver. [Davante Adams] is going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, in my opinion, but Nate held his own. He did a nice job, so everybody is looking to have a guy like Nate, a true No. 1 corner that when you face guys like Adams or whoever – we're going to face some great ones coming up – the guy is willing, No. 1, and No. 2, he's got the capability, the athleticism and the skillset to go do it."
PASS RUSH COACH CHUCK SMITH
Looking around your room, are you feeling like you're kind of 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air' in the empty room a little bit? (*Kyle Goon)* "When you look at personnel and things like that, things happen. Guys get hurt. Trades happen. It's just one of those things. As a coach, for me in my third year, it's a first-time thing. I'm learning, and I'm watching how it all works. So, yes, it's definitely different, but it's part of the game, and you have to learn to live with it."
In your previous two seasons, you've been so good at stopping the run, and that's enabled you to have some of those second-and-long and third-and-long passing downs. It seems like that made your pass rush a little more successful. Has lagging in that area overall made it harder to get the pass rush going? (*Kyle Goon)* "I think it all is connected. When you look at how a defense works, they work together. When you look at the run, you look at the rush; they work together. I think it's safe to say, yes, it works that way. If you can't stop the run, you don't get a chance to rush the passer. We always hear that cliche; 'If you don't stop the run, you don't get the privilege to rush the passer.' And for the most part, when you look at the bigger picture, that's kind of shown up. The pass has also affected the run, too, so it all works together. If we don't get the quarterback hit, guess what we're going to get? A lot of run, because they're going to be running the clock out. That's kind of the story."
OLB Mike Green was showing some flashes, but what's the key for him as a young guy of just being consistent down the stretch and making a big impact in the second half of the season? (*Garrett Downing)* "First thing, I'm proud of Mike [Green]. Mike's not like the normal rookie [like] a lot of the guys who came out in his first couple rounds [of the draft]. Mike's playing [like] Mike's a starter. Mike's playing 'big boy' ball. He's playing first-and-10. He's playing against teams – obviously, the five teams we've played that are playoff teams. He's transitioned, so Mike will play the first two downs, then he is in on third down. So, on the run, I think Mike has really answered the bell, and a lot of people talked about Mike's inability to stop the run. Mike Green is a Raven. You look at some of the film from this past weekend; Mike Green is putting hands on guys, and it's a fight, and he's learning. When it comes to the rush, when you look at the big picture, it takes time a lot of times. It's just like we talked about the things that have been our challenge, Mike's a part of that, as far as from the standpoint that it affects everyone. But I think Mike Green is going to continue to work hard. He gets after it. He takes coaching, and I think his time will come, and the other guys' [time] will, too. He will continue to keep working. He's working on his different techniques, understanding protections and all the things that goes with being a good rusher as well as a complete player. Right now, he's doing really well on the run, and he's continued to work hard and develop as a pass rusher. [He] knows his days will come, his sacks will come, and at the end of the year, we'll be happy."
Back in training camp, you had all the nice things to say about OLB Tavius Robinson. What had you seen from him up until this point? (*Giana Han)* "'T-Rob' [Tavius Robinson] was playing as well as anyone really in the league. He's a hammer against the run. He was rushing the passer. He had two sacks, but he had an opportunity for a plethora of more sacks, as well as the other guys who have had opportunities, whether it's the balls out, or we lost contain, or the pass rush wasn't balanced. 'T-Rob' is a part of that, where he could have a lot more, but Tavius is just a great guy. He's tough. He is still a centerpiece for us when he gets back, and he will be for a long time."
Given some of the personnel losses, head coach John Harbaugh talked about it yesterday, the need to manufacture pressure. When fans hear that, what does that look like when that's working and when you're able to do that? (*Luke Jones)* "That's one of the things that we have to do and then putting the guys in the right place as we manufacture the pressure. With the pass rush, really, you're just trying to be creative with the pieces that you do have and what you have. You can't look at what you used to have, because we are living in the now, and so [head] Coach [John] Harbaugh is a hundred percent correct. We have to manufacture [pass rush]. We have to do what's in the best interest of the defense. We can't sit back and say, 'Oh, we're going to [but] the four-man rush.' Nobody's crying for us. Nobody's going to sit back and say, 'Oh, the Ravens!' No, we have to figure it out, and part of that is [defensive coordinator] Coach [Zach] Orr and all of us as a staff putting the players first and understanding that this gives us the best chance to have success. That's what we look to do."
Along those lines, I think some fans get frustrated that with the number of pass rush schemes you guys have on these third-and-long situations, maybe guys aren't getting the reps to just go ahead, beat a guy one-on-one and get better by doing reps. Is there any merit to that, to just give these guys more freedom to actually win without the help of the scheme? (*Jonas Shaffer)* "A lot of those same fans were probably saying that after Buffalo, when we [did that] and the quarterback made big plays on us because of that mindset. In this league, there are a lot of quarterbacks that run. We have to be smart and also do what's in the best interest of not only the pass rushers, but also the defense. Everybody would like to just go freestyle, and I understand that, but right now, we have to do, again, what's in the best interest of the team when we have to do whatever we have to do with the games and different things like that. So, though I love the fans' passion, I'm glad they're watching, and I hope they keep watching as we continue to get better."
Given the numbers at edge right now, OLB David Ojabo was playing a lot more in these last couple of weeks. What are you seeing from him? What would you like to see moving forward? (*David Ojabo)* "Well, I'd like to see 'Jabo' [David Ojabo] just keep competing, just keep working hard [and] just keep getting after it when his opportunity comes to get in there and make it happen. 'Ja' has been doing well on the run, getting after it, striking blocks, doing a good job. The entire group, not just 'Jabo,' not just Mike [Green], not just whether it's 'K.V.' [Kyle Van Noy] or whoever's up there, we want everybody to continue to work hard and get better. I think 'Ja' is a part of that."
OFFENSIVE LINE COACH GEORGE WARHOP
With short-yardage scoring, head coach John Harbaugh talked about it yesterday; it's been a problem throughout the season, when it was a strength of this team's last season, especially with goal-to-go scoring. What have you kind of seen in some of those reps from your unit? (Kyle Goon) "I think it's game-to-game. Most of it is technique errors with us, when it pertains to my guys. Last week, I thought when we ran the sneaks down there [in the red zone], I thought [the Rams] did a better job getting over the top. I thought the guys did a pretty good job of moving them underneath, but they got over the top, got out and got to Mark [Andrews]. I thought that was the challenge with that. Outside of that, it's just really us doing what we do and then doing it better than we've been doing it."
What have you seen out of G Andrew Vorhees and G Daniel Faalele? They tend to get a lot of the criticism directed at the O-Line from the fan base. What do they need to do to progress? (Brian Wacker) "Those guys [Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele] get better every week. I thought last week, they both had pretty solid games. I would say maybe the Houston game wasn't one of their best games, but other than that, I really don't have a lot of negative [things] to say about those two guys. Every week, if you watch them play, they get better. There have been some challenging [defensive] fronts that we've had to deal with. I think Houston is really good. I think Cleveland is really good overall, and those were our average games, as a unit, dealing with those two fronts."
OL Emery Jones Jr. is kind of still in training camp mode, because of all the time he missed. What are you seeing out of him, and how far along do you feel like he is? (Jeff Zrebiec) "I love Emery [Jones Jr.]. The kid has been in the meetings since training camp, takes impeccable notes and is one hundred percent engaged. I can ask him questions about what we're doing, even though he hasn't been doing it. He just started [practicing] two weeks ago, but he can answer those questions. Since he's been out there, he's done a nice job, but that's hard. It's hard for a rookie to miss all of training camp, the beginning of the season to come in in-season and truly get grounded in what we're doing. Even though you love everything about his upside, his toughness, how he's going about it in practice, that's a hard deal. So, we'll see how it progresses, but what he's doing right now is really impressive."
Against the Rams, you guys were able to move the ball pretty well on the ground. Why were you guys finding success, and how can you repeat that game moving forward when you come back from the bye week? (Giana Han) "That depends on how we approach a game from an offensive perspective. If we choose to run the ball, I think we have the capabilities of running the ball. So really, it's how we decide we want to approach a game. Out of our six games, in three or four of them, we've run it really well, and in two of them, we were just kind of average in running the ball. The two games where we're average in running the ball, it was probably more of a pass-thought process going into the game, from a game-plan standpoint. So, in terms of running the football, we can run the football. We have great [running] backs. Our guys do a good job coming off the ball. We're physical, and we try to finish. That's kind of our deal."
With OL Emory Jones Jr., have you looked at him as a guard? If so, what does he do well that translates to that? (*Brian Wacker)* "Again, that's hard. [Emery Jones Jr.]'s been out there for six practices. Today was No. 7., so for me to tell you what he does well, that's difficult. What I can tell you is that he goes hard. This was his first day he could really do 'pass pro' [protection], so he did some nice stuff in 'pass pro.' So, it's hard for me to project what he does well when he's been on a limited basis to this point."
We know T Ronnie Stanley's history with his ankle going back five years ago and all he's been through. How challenging has the last few weeks been with him being in and out of practice, in and out of these games, and obviously, beyond the importance of what he means, what have you seen from T Joseph Noteboom filling in, as well? (*Luke Jones)* "Well, we miss Ronnie [Stanley]. Ronnie is a high-end left tackle in the NFL. So, I don't care who replaces him; they're not going to replace him. That being said, I thought Joe [Noteboom] went out there and battled. I'm sure he would like to take some of his snaps back, but I think he went out and battled and did a solid job for us, but we do miss Ronnie."
How's T Carson Vinson come along and developing? (*Garrett Downing)* "I think Carson Vinson's on the come [up]. He's on the verge of challenging to be active. Every week he gets better. He still has some stuff to work through, but all the young guys we have – I think we have five young guys between the practice squad guys and Carson and 'Em' [Emery Jones Jr.] – all those guys are really pushing and getting better. It's fun to watch them at practice. They give our defense all they want every day."
We obviously got to see what C/G Corey Bullick did in training camp and how he got himself on the roster. We don't get to see him now, but has he, in your mind, continued his momentum with the way he's practiced? (*Childs Walker)* "Yes, I love Corey [Bullock]. It was interesting; when I got here last year, I'm like, 'Who's [No.] 67? Who's that guy?' Then, he really got himself prepared to play in the off season. I told him, 'You need to prepare to play center.' He did that, came and competed at center. Really, from the beginning of [training] camp until we got out of camp, he was the No. 2 center. It wasn't close when you started watching it, so he's continued that. He does a great job in practice, and I'll just tell you one thing about Corey; Corey's an unbelievable kid in the meeting room. [He's] outstanding. When young guys come in or new guys come in, or if he's dealing with the guys that are really young, he pours into them all the time. That's a quality that I can't even tell you how much I appreciate to have guys in the room, guys that he's competing with – that he'll eventually be competing with – he's helping them grow. So, he's an unbelievable human being on top of being a really good player and has a bright future."
