OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DECLAN DOYLE
With the injuries to the wide receivers, it looks like WR Rashod Bateman is a logical guy to get some increased opportunities. What have you seen out of Rashod over the summer and early this year? (Jamison Hensley) "I think he has grown. Obviously, getting exposed to him in the offseason was great [by] just being around him every day and starting to see how he worked and all that. Obviously, we missed him for a little bit during OTAs, but he had a good training camp. I have been really excited about him. He was a guy that — like in that game — I was trying to get him the ball a little bit. That first play of the game, we called a naked. Really my thought was like, 'It is going to be soft, [and] that corner may pop, but really if they play soft zone, and the corner kicks off, we are going to kick the ball to 'Bate' [Rashod Bateman], and we will get the game going.' He has certainly earned trust with myself [and] the rest of the staff. He has done a really good job. That is a game where there are a couple balls that probably should have ended up going to him. One of them we end up killing, and we have to run the run. He has been great, and we have enjoyed being around him. It has been fun to watch the seriousness of his preparation and what he brings to that room from a leadership standpoint."
Does that play call kind of give you a sense of when you need to get a guy involved early, especially as a wide receiver? (Cordell Woodland) "I think you are trying to feel the game a little bit that way. Part of that is, as you script the plays, the number one thing is this is always a player's game. You are thinking about who is touching the ball? Who are the guys that need to touch it? As the game goes on, you have to have a feel of what does that look like, who do we need to get going, who hasn't gotten one yet. That was the case in that game. I had a few plays in the openers that I felt like I wanted to try to throw the ball to him. It just did not play out that way. As the game gets going, you are like, 'I have to get Bate [Rashod Bateman] a touch here,' because he played really well away from the football. That was the thing I was most excited about. You turn the tape on, [and] he is blocking; he is going after people. [With] that long touchdown run from Derrick [Henry], it [was] sprung by 'Bate' [Rashod Bateman] on the front side. Guys that play like that, that play the way we want to play, you want to try to feed them and get them going."
We saw how much you were able to do with WR Zay Flowers just in that one half. We do not know yet if he is going to be available on Sunday. What is kind of your general view of that? If you are missing a key guy, do you game-plan around the absence? Or do you more say, 'We are going to find other people who can do the things he can do as best we can?' (Childs Walker) "Every gameplan is different because every defense is different, [and] the availability of our players is different. It is why we talked about having a full 70-man roster [where] everybody is ready to step up [with the] next man in. Really, even throughout the preseason, the message to the entire group was, 'There is no drop-off.' Inevitably, throughout the year, guys get hurt [and] get banged up. But whoever steps in there, there is no drop-off from one to the next. We have to be ready to go. [We have to] know our assignment [and] be able to execute it at a high level. Certainly, the availability of players – whoever that may be – shapes how you game-plan things. I think that really is what being a good play caller [and] a good play designer is – being able to adjust. Throughout the year, most of the time, not everybody is ready to go. You have to be able to work around the players, work around the availability. You have to be flexible, because in this league, it just is what it is. You can have a big week, and you can get humbled real fast if you don't stay grounded. That really is kind of the way we are approaching this."
With the running game, when you watch film, what did you see stood out to you both from RB Derrick Henry and the offensive line? (Brian Wacker) "I would say that Derrick [Henry], the O-line, the perimeter blocking – it was what we talked about. You guys asked me last week, 'What do we want it to look like?' We want our tape to speak for itself – be playing violent away from the football [and] being high-effort players. I think that showed up in the run game. Obviously, we were physical. We were able to create a lot of space for our backs. We feel like our backs, if we can get them on safeties and corners, that is a good matchup for us. We were able to do so successfully in the game. That was what led to the run game being effective. It is really what you hunt kind of every week."
There was a good amount of mystery of what your offense would look like coming into the season. I know it is just one game, but now that you have something that is on tape out there, how do you expect that to change the way defenses defend you, if at all? (Garrett Downing) "I think that every week you have to be very aware of what they are watching. Part of the process is understanding your self-scout. They are going to go to practice today, too. What are they practicing? What are the plays they are practicing? How do they view our offense? Throughout the year, that will be something that is constantly reevaluated week to week. It is something that from year to year, even, you have to be evolving constantly. The second that you are stagnant, you are [a] sitting duck. People can start to game-plan you and attack you. We knew that. That was kind of advantageous that we had not put anything out there yet. But now, that is kind of the chess match that starts. People have stuff on you. You have to keep working to evolve and be creative and find ways to get our guys the ball."
We saw the moment after the game of you talking to QB Lamar Jackson about how much fun it was to call plays for him. It was your first time calling plays for him in a game. How fun was that? What was that like? (Garrett Downing) "It was great. I mean, [Lamar Jackson] operated at a high level. I thought he played well. Really, it is the whole group. I really enjoyed the communication with Lamar. I had not had that yet in a real game. I did not know how that was going to be initially. That was why I was considering [being] up [in the coaches' box] or down [on the field] or how that would be. But I've got a direct line right to him. I can watch him on TV as I am talking to him. I see his responses and stuff like that. That was great. I felt connected to him. I felt like he was able to see the game kind of how I saw it. That is a byproduct of spending time together. That relationship only continues to grow the more time we spend together."
On that WR Zay Flowers touchdown, it looked like you had zero reaction watching it unfold. What was going through your head as that played out? (Brian Wacker) "Really, the mindset of – when you are calling the game or you are involved you are trying to eliminate any emotion. You are trying to eliminate anything that would cloud your judgment or what is going to happen next. I am watching it and waiting. If he gets tackled, [and] we are at the eight-yard line, I have to have a play as fast as I possibly can to get into 'L' [Lamar Jackson]. That is kind of the mindset. Then, as soon as he scores, you immediately flip to – foot on the gas – like, 'Everybody on the staff, we have to get our guys back right now. Don't stop. We have to keep going.' You do not smile until it hits zeroes. Then [you can] celebrate it real quick. Then you have to get on to the next team fast. That is the way I think that you have to be. You are never trying to fight a two-front war. We are fighting an opponent on the field. The more emotional I get, the more people have to deal with me. All of our energy should be towards fighting the opponent."
When it did hit zeroes, what were your emotions after calling against your brother? (Giana Han) "That was really cool. I walked out of the press box, and [my brother] was standing right there for me. That is a moment that I will never forget. It is a really cool thing. It is very unique to [get] that opportunity. It was pretty cool."
Are you guys talking again now? (Cordell Woodland) "Yes." (laughter) "As soon as it was over, it was good. [My brother] gave me what problems we gave [the Colts]. I am really excited for him and his opportunity with them there. I know that they will work through this and keep working."
You spent a couple years in New Orleans, and you got to know RB Alvin Kamara pretty well. All these years, he is still on that same team. What does it kind of say about the longevity of a guy at a position like that where there is so much turnover, that all these years later he is still doing his thing? (Jonas Shaffer) "It is really fun to watch [Alvin Kamara] still. I was around him for four years and got to see him play at a really high level. Obviously, he is a guy that continues to do that. There are a lot of guys in that organization that I have a soft spot for in my heart, because I spent four years there around the ownership group, the front office [and] a lot of these players that are still there. Juwan Johnson is still there. I remember when Juwan Johnson was a receiver, and he was an undrafted player that we moved to tight end. We spent a lot of time together trying to teach him how to be a tight end and now watching him have success. It is cool. The league is really small. That is just the way it goes. You see these guys year to year. Obviously, what Alvin has been able to do over the longevity at that position has been really impressive."
Do you have plays that you think of as almost once-a-year plays? I mean, like those trick plays that everybody gets excited about when they work – do you then maybe say that has to go back in the bag? I mean, do you think about it that way? (Childs Walker) "Not really. I feel like – you have to have a deep well of things that come up, and then, you are constantly trying to figure out new stuff. And as you watch film, and you are preparing for the next opponent, there are times where you flash back, and you are like, 'OK, I see this defense, I see what is happening here – this is something that we may have done in the past at a previous stop, or that might fit this week,' or it is like, 'Hey, we ran this play – how do we hit the counterpunch? How do we create another big play?' And so, you are really just trying to figure out how to set these things up and continue to work through it. But really, the way you view offense – you have an install that goes in that is the bread and butter of what we do, and then, every single week, it has to change because the defense changes."
SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR ANTHONY LEVINE SR.
I would assume that you were happy with the kickoff returns. If that is true, what went right on kickoff returns? Do you guys have a target yard line when you return? (Cliff Brown) "Yes, sir. So, if the ball is kicked into the end zone, then the ball goes to the 35-yard line. So, every time we get the ball, our goal is to get the ball as close to the 35-yard line as we can. Now, every single time we get a return, we want to try to get it to the house and go score touchdowns. But, as long as we are getting it close to that 35-yard line, I think we are doing a really good job. But in the game, when you have guys back there like Chris Moore and LaJohntay [Wester] and when [Rasheen] Ali goes back there, with those guys, when they have the ball in their hands, what we do is we make sure that we give them room and let them pick where they need to go. They do a great job of seeing the lanes and running through, so as long as they keep doing that, we are going to be good."
What is it like coaching WR Chris Moore, a former teammate, and then seeing obviously his elevation and what he has meant to this roster now? (Morgan Adsit) "That is a good question. Coaching Chris Moore is great because, again, he was my teammate, so it could be weird, but it is crazy because it is not weird because, when I coach him up, he actually takes the coaching. [There are] some guys that — I would not say some guys — but probably if you played, and you are teammates with a guy, [with] some guys it will probably be weird trying to coach him up, and they are already accustomed to doing certain things. But again, Chris Moore is a Raven, so he understands. Everything that I am telling him to do, he respects it. He respects me, and he respects the room. He is a pro at the end of the day. He comes in, [and] he works hard. But coaching him — honestly, it is easy. It is easy because, again, he is going to work. Whatever you ask him to do, he is going to do it. Like Coach Jesse [Minter] pointed out yesterday, Chris Moore is coming into his 11th year, and last week, he took the most reps on scout team being a veteran. So, that right there, when you are coaching a guy that works that hard, that is easy."
Was that pretty much the ideal week that you would have drawn up for K Tyler Loop? There was so much talk about him in the preseason, and then he gets that opportunity in an important point in the game. How big of a deal was that? (Childs Walker) "[Tyler Loop] has been doing that in practice, and the thing is, when we talked about it, [senior special teams coach] Randy Brown does a great job with him working on his fundamentals and his technique. What we just keep telling him is, 'Take what we do in practice, take what you do in practice and then take it to the game,' and on Sunday, that is what he did. What he did was he went out there, he was calm, he was loose and he understood, 'I am going to go out there; I am going to work my fundamentals. I am going to work my steps, foot-to-ball contact. I am just going to let it fall through and I am just going to let it rip,' and that is what he did. I think now he is at a great point where he is just [thinking], 'You know what? I am just going to go out there, do what I do, kick the football and make sure I am having great foot-to-ball contact,' like what Coach Randy [Brown] talked to him about having. He went out there on Sunday, and now he has to continue to do that again and again and again. So, I am happy for him."
How much discussion is there before kickoffs? I am assuming K Tyler Loop in most cases could blast it through the end zone if he wanted to. How much discussion goes into when to kick it in play and what kick to employ? How much do you talk about that before each kick? (Jeff Zrebiec) "We talk about every kick. But again, it comes down to this: it comes down to field position. We feel like we have a really good special teams unit where we can take advantage of the field position. So, if we kick the ball in the end zone, [and we're] kicking touchbacks, then the ball goes to the 35-yard line. So, as a kickoff team, we want to stop them from getting as close to the 35-yard line as possible. So, we want to have those guys backed up, and we want to win that field position. If we just give [the ball] to [them at] the 35 every time kicking touchbacks, what is the point of even having our kickoff team out there? But, I think those guys do a really good job of going out there, setting the tone for our football team because our kickoff team is the identity of our football team. So, there is a discussion out there, but we want to go out there and win the field position."
P Ryan Eckley had a good opener. He is a young guy. He does not seem like he gets fazed by anything. Do you feel like you have to say anything to him in situations like that first game or not? Do you just kind of let him do his thing? (Cliff Brown) "No, I just have to fire [Ryan Eckley] up for the fun of it because he is so confident. He is so confident, man. He is an easygoing guy. But again, he comes out here and he works hard. Sometimes I have to personally bring him down a notch because he is so confident. We want him to be confident, but you know how sometimes you can be overconfident and mishit [the ball] or do something crazy because you are just so overconfident? I love his confidence, and I love the way that he plays. I love the way that he goes about his business. So sometimes I just go out there, and I mess with him [and] I fire him up just for the fun of it, just to keep him humble. Not that he is not a humble kid — me saying kid is kind of crazy. But, what I try to do is just try to keep him humble, and he is humble, so please do not take it that he is not humble, because he is. But, he is just a confident football player, and I love that about him. So, I fire him up for the fun of it."
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ANTHONY WEAVER
When looking at the tape from the first game, what impressed you the most about the defense's performance? (Jamison Hensley) "I was just pleased in the manner in which we played. Everything we talk about when we hit the practice field that has to be our standard — communication, play with violence, attacking the ball, effort and angles — I thought all [of that] showed up on tape. There are always things, particularly game one, that you have to work on. We are still trying to make sure that we are of one accord, and we are in lockstep. But in this game, you're constantly chasing something, and that's what we're chasing this week."
To that point, what was your impression of the pass rush? OLB Trey Hendrickson, for example, had a big impact but not necessarily statistically. What are your thoughts on what you saw from the pass rush? (Brian Wacker) "Yes, I was pleased. I thought those guys worked really well together. I thought it was coordinated the entire game. I thought we impacted the quarterback and hit [Daniel Jones], even though we did not necessarily get the sack numbers. So, I was pleased with how those guys attacked the pocket when it came to rushing the quarterback. Daniel Jones — he's not one of those guys that's going to let you sack him. He does a great job of getting rid of the ball, and obviously he has wheels and legs — man, that guy can move. But I thought Trey [Hendrickson], Tavius Robinson, those guys on the interior working with Calais [Campbell] and all those dudes — man, I thought they did a really good job the entire game."
Takeaways — I know you want those every week – but is there a true recipe that you can develop more and see more happen, or is it just the play and how the play develops? Is there a secret to how you produce takeaways? (Morgan Adsit) "I don't necessarily know that there's a 'secret sauce' to it. I think a lot of it is just the player that you bring in and the mentality in which he attacks the field. I think from a coaching perspective, you get what you emphasize. So, when I was in Miami, for example, that first year there, I felt like we were so focused on just making sure we were doing the right things schematically and playing the right way that we kind of ventured away from just communicating how important takeaways were and making sure on the field we were conscious about the ball. I thought in year two we did a much better job of that and obviously saw the production increase. So as coaches, we are always talking about it. I think the players — they see it — making sure [we are] reinforcing it on film and just making sure that when there are those opportunities that they miss, that you're constantly pointing it out to make sure that it shows up on Sunday."
We don't know when DL Nnamdi Madubuike is going to make his debut, but when he does, how do you see that changing this defense? (Ryan Mink) "I think we all know the impact that kid has. [Nnamdi Madubuike] is a three-down menace. He is impactful in the run game; he harasses quarterbacks and offensive linemen with his power and his finesse. So, when you talk about a defense that I already think is pretty solid and taking us to yet another level, I would expect Nnamdi to do just that."
When CB Marlon Humphrey makes a play like he did — the nature of that play, kind of ripping it out of his hands — how does that kind of start an avalanche for the rest of the guys? (Garrett Downing) "I mean, that's what [Marlon Humphrey] does, right? That's what he does, and I think anytime you get a takeaway on defense, it's a big deal. It gives everybody an added boost of energy. The thing you know with Marlon is if he starts smacking his helmet, good things are happening for the Ravens, right? So, let's get him smacking that helmet as much as we possibly can."
You were here last year, and the team struggled at home. Defensively, you've played here and know what The Bank can get like when the defense is rolling. How much can the defense — what you guys talk about doing — create that avalanche effect when you're making plays and the crowd is making noise? (Cliff Brown) "Yes, we control the volume. We control the volume when it comes to The Bank. So, I have been stressing with the guys all week the importance of communication. We had a couple breakdowns here and there a week ago on the road when they were particularly quiet, and now we want to make sure our crowd is rocking. So, we want to make sure that we are all giving calls, echoing calls just to make sure — again — we are all on the same page, because I truly believe [that] when we are in lockstep, we are in one accord and we are operating in that flow state, we are going to be a tough defense to beat."
Head coach Jesse Minter talked about how the biggest improvements are often are from Week 1 to Week 2 in the NFL. How do you see that, why is that, and does the preparation change in any way this week? (Childs Walker) "I think a lot of it is just because the guys that are out there playing for an extended amount of time don't really get many reps in the preseason. So, a lot of those times there are things that, whether it's nonverbal communication or just being out there playing together — you need reps in that. As much as you try to simulate it here on the practice field, it's different. It's different once those drives get extended, once the crowd and the noise— it's just different. So, the more those guys play together — now we are 50-something reps in — the better that's going to get."
There's been a lot of talk about head coach Jesse Minter liking to play with a lighter box, trying to get that pass rush without necessarily sending a ton of bodies. To your mind, what is the key to that working? (Childs Walker) "Players. I think we have space condensers at all levels. I think we have it on the edges with our defensive ends. I think we have the bigs inside that can chew up two gaps. Because in today's game, when you're trying to play with lighter boxes and lighter people really on the second level, you better have that mass up front to just eat space and take away gaps, and I think we have that. I do think the guys that we have on the second level, while they may be smaller in nature, they play with a violent and physical nature. So, when you have that, I think you can have that success in the run game."
What is the key to slowing down New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave? (Cordell Woodland) "Oh man, just constant awareness of where [Chris Olave] is at, because they move him around a lot. So, he's one of those guys where you can't match up certain guys on him. It needs to be all 11 [players] every down knowing where he's at and just making sure we are accounting for him from a coverage standpoint."
New Orleans Saints QB Tyler Shough is a young quarterback by years, but not really by experience. What kind of impression has he made on you watching him on tape? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Yes, I like that kid [Tyler Shough]. We played them towards the latter half of the year when I was in Miami last year, and I was impressed with him then as a rookie. He reminds me a little bit of like a poor-mans Josh Allen. Has all the arm talent in the world [and] can run. I don't think he gets enough credit for how good [of] an athlete he is. So, particularly as you get down to the low red [zone], we are constantly going to be conscious of just his ability to scramble and create those extended plays — no different than our guy with [number] eight [QB Lamar Jackson]. And I just think the more reps he gets, the more confident he's going to get in that scheme and with the talent around him. I think they have done a good job of trying to build the talent around him. They have tremendous skill players. I think they have upgraded their offensive line from when I saw [them] a year ago. So, sky's the limit for the kid."
RB DERRICK HENRY
It was kind of cool what Emmitt Smith said, that you were catching up to him and that you already broke his high school record. Is that something you have even thought about? Or, was that a surprise that he even said that? "I don't know. I have met [Emmitt Smith] before. He said something about that before. I am not really thinking about the records right now. I am just focused on the win."
Head coach Jesse Minter talked about how there's often a lot of improvement from Week 1 to Week 2. In your experience in the league, why is that often the case that teams make that leap from Week 1 to Week 2? "I just think it shows the focus and the sharpness of everybody trying to hone in on the details even more than the previous week. So, [we are] trying to be better than the previous week as well. We got off to a great start, but we still have to put the work in to keep that momentum going and just try to stay focused on doing the right things — offense, defense and all three phases that we want to represent and go out there and try to win the game."
You told us last week – we didn't know what the offense was going to look like – when I asked you what to expect, but you had a pretty good idea, obviously, because you guys practice it. What were your thoughts on Week 1 of you guys showcasing this offense? "I thought we made some plays, [and] were able to put some points on the board, hit some explosives, [execute] things that we preach and want to do. [There are] a lot of things to build off of. Of course, [there are] things you always have to work on, but [we built] a lot of good momentum going into this week for sure."
I feel like no matter how many records you break, you don't like to focus on your individual success. Why is it important for you to keep that focus on the team? It seems like that's always your focus. "That stuff will come. It's a team sport. We've got New Orleans this week. All that will happen if it happens. I am not trying to highlight that."
There's a lot of talk about what happened last year with the home record. What do you have to say about trying to get off to a better start? "Last year is in the past. [We] cannot control what happened last year, so it is a new year. Focus on what we can do this year, [and] that is New Orleans at home. [It's the] first game in the stadium. [I'm] excited to get to that and try to go out there and put our best foot forward to get the team a win."
What do you hope the fans are going to get in this first home game? What do you want them to walk away with? "With a victory. I want them to be cheering that we won and played a great game. Hopefully that is the result."