HEAD COACH JESSE MINTER
Opening Statement: "[It was] a good Wednesday for us [and] really good to get back to work. When you have results not go the way you want, to me, the number one remedy is just going back to work [and] working through it together [with] players and coaches on the same page. Solving problems together — that is always going to be our main focus. It is really whether you win or lose, but I think it magnifies itself even more sometimes when you don't get the results that you want. [We] had a really good day. We are looking forward to a great trip. [It's] a great opportunity for us to go play, obviously on the international stage, against a really, really good [Dallas] Cowboys team. We are excited about the trip. It is a business opportunity, but it is also really cool to represent the league on the world stage like that. With that, [I will] open it up for questions."
We talked to some players about the long flight. What is kind of the plan to get them from that long flight to get them ready for practice and kind of shake that off? (Jamison Hensley) "There is basically a 10-hour window of time you are committing to being on an airplane with this trip. There are a few different ways you can do it. We feel like trying to get our normal two days in here from a major prep standpoint as much as we can [then] travel there, realizing that the sleep might not be quite like a normal night, [but] we want to try to make it as comfortable as possible. We will spend Friday really doing a ton of things to overcome the flight. It is not the time difference; it is more just from being on a flight that long. We will spend a lot of time on Friday trying to help the guys recover and get back. We will get a little bit of work in, obviously, out there on Friday. Then we will have our normal Saturday [and] Sunday routine. With it being a little later game, I feel good about the guys being ready to roll by Sunday at kickoff."
WR Zay Flowers didn't practice today. How do you feel about where he is? How much does the situation with the field out there play into whether or not he plays? (Cordell Woodland) "I think you have to take everything into account, most importantly what is best for [Zay Flowers]. We will figure all these out. I think we have a lot of guys in that day-to-day range right now. We will figure out what is best [for them]. I think you always take everything into account to make sure that it is in the best interest of the player."
What have you learned about this group after the home opener, and what is the biggest message you want your players to bring into this week in Brazil? (David Andrade) "I learned that we can go through hard stuff. We can tell the truth. We can have hard conversations, and we can talk things out. Sometimes you have to go through something hard when you are new and everything is like a honeymoon phase until you really hit adversity. I really liked the way that we approached Monday, yesterday, and today with our mentality. The message is this is a week-to-week league, and every week is a new opportunity. It is really about going 1-and-0 every week. The teams that improve as the year goes on, learn from things that happen to them both good and bad, and get a little bit better each week, are the ones that ultimately at the end of the year are playing the best. It is a process. It is a process to learn exactly how we want to prepare and do things and operate. We are trying to speed that up and figure that out, create an identity. That takes a little bit of time. I am just really excited to get this group back out there and let it rip again."
You are going up against another team that likes to pass the ball a lot. They have two really good receivers and obviously TE Jake Ferguson, who is really good out there. What can you do about generating more turnovers, especially from the guys in the secondary? (Cordell Woodland) "It is always a major point of emphasis. I thought we had a couple maybe missed opportunities in that situation in the pass game. So, it is something we work on every day, we talk about every day and we harp on it. But, again, talking about stuff and then it showing up are two different things. So, it is part of [pass] rush and coverage working together, making sure we understand exactly what we are trying to do, what we are trying to take away, where those areas are where you can be really aggressive on certain things and hopefully that leads to some takeaways."
When you faced the Cowboys when you were with the Chargers, what do you remember about preparing for Dallas and specifically QB Dak Prescott? (Quentin Corpuel) "Dak [Prescott] is a great quarterback. He has a really good field-general sense of how they operate. [I have] a lot of respect for [Cowboys head] Coach [Brian] Schottenheimer. He does a really good job calling the plays, as well as obviously being the head coach. So, it is a great challenge. He just operates. He can move pretty well; he runs a little bit; he can get in and out of pressure and scramble a little bit. Then, they have two really big, big-time wideouts. They have a really good tight end over the middle of the field. They have some other good receivers as well — it is not just those two. So, he has a lot of people to spread the ball out to. They do a good job trying to attack kind of what you are playing and how you do it. We played them last year, so there is at least one experience of dealing with that. So hopefully again, just like the first game, when you play somebody you at least kind of have an idea of how you thought about scheming them up and how you might change things going forward. So, [I] look forward to the challenge — it will be a great challenge."
How are you going to handle the 10 hours on the flight? What is your flight plan for the 10 hours? (Jamison Hensley) "Normally by the time we are leaving on Thursday, there are still a few things that I am working on, and so [I] try to get some of those things done and then try to get as much sleep as I can as it gets later. [We will] wake up and [be] ready to roll on Friday. So, [I] don't sleep a lot on Thursday nights anyway, so we will make the best of it."
Does it help that the time difference is not that much? I know we probably overthink it. (Childs Walker) "I think so. I mean, a lot of times you are going maybe a week ahead or whatever it may be because you are trying to adjust to a 9:30 a.m. kickoff, like some of the London games kind of fall into that time range. So, when it is not that, it is really more about where you are going to find this 10 hours within the schedule that makes the most sense. So, you can fly in the afternoon and then the guys probably sleep on half the flight, and then are they going to be up all night? And so, it is just looking at a bunch of different ways that people have done it. Again, fortunately I had a chance to do this trip last year, and for us [at the Chargers], it was actually a little bit more of a time difference. But [I] at least had a little bit of experience in going to this area [and] this part of the world. So, we will try to make the best of it."
You said on Monday that defensively, you guys are still trying to figure out your identity a little bit, chasing some things. Offensively, is that kind of the case too, especially when you are dealing with some injuries and losing different guys and having to manage around that? (Brian Wacker) "I think that there is an overarching identity that you are always searching for. Then, the league itself and just dealing with guys in and out sometimes requires almost like a week-to-week identity. So, it is really just about trying to put the best thing together for who you have available that particular week. Sometimes you may know, sometimes you might not know until later in the week, and for premier players I think you are always willing to kind of go all the way up until the last second because of how impactful they can be in the game. So, we are establishing how we operate, how we want to play. I think the identity will hopefully take shape as we keep moving forward and keep finding ourselves, and then again, there are some of those week-to-week things based on who you have, who you don't have, that have to shape up."
With how short of a trip this is, is this a situation where every hour of the players schedule is accounted for, or would they have any kind of time to actually see Brazil? (Jonas Shaffer) "It is really a business trip, and it doesn't mean that it is just like you are locked in your room the whole time, but they kind of know why we are going there. They know our schedule on Friday and Saturday. It is not occupying all their time, but we want to make sure that physically we are ready for the game. So, there may be a chance to see a couple things, but overall, I think everybody would tell you — we are going over there for one reason, and that is to play the game and give ourselves the best chance to win."
Is Saturday going to be the first day you guys get eyes on the stadium? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes."
WR RASHOD BATEMAN
What are your plans for the 10-hour flight? How are you going to spend those 10 hours? "I have no idea. I have a movie saved right now, but I don't really sleep on flights, so I guess we will see. But, everybody has to travel, so, [I'm] looking forward to the game."
What's your movie selection? "I don't know. Right now, I am kind of watching The Sopranos, so I am going to download some more episodes of that and try to get further on that."
A rewatch or first-time watch? "My first time. I am on season one. They have a lot of episodes, so I am playing catch-up right now. I am playing catch-up."
With all this talk about the field conditions, do you block that out? Will you kind of check it out when you get there? What do you make of that? "We will see when we get there. Everybody has to play on it. [It's the] same surface. You just have to come prepared. Lay the ball down, we are going to play football."
How important is it for you to kind of personally build on the momentum that you were able to create on Sunday? "I am just trying to do whatever this team needs. If this team needs me to go out and do that, that is what I am going to do. If this team needs me to block, that is what I am going to do. I just want to have success as a team no matter what that looks like, and [I'm] just playing my role and being prepared when my number's called."
Is it a boost of any kind when you do have a game like that where you do have a touchdown and you had some nice catches? I know it wasn't the end result you wanted, but does it give you a kind of lift in any way? "From a personal standpoint, I guess it feels good whenever I have a good game, but we lost, and I think that is my biggest concern. There are things that I can clean up. There are things that we can clean up as a team, and I think that is our focus right now so we can go beat the [Dallas] Cowboys."
Cowboys LB Jaishawn Barham is wearing the green dot as a rookie. As someone playing on the other side of the ball, do you take note of that? "Not really. Shout out to [Jaishawn Barham], but he is calling the plays. He knows how to get the guys aligned. But, I can't be worried about who is wearing the green dot. I have to be worried about what route I am running. So, [I'm] just looking forward to playing."
S KYLE HAMILTON
Going down to Brazil, as a player playing this game, are you excited about international games or in the big picture would you just prefer to have this game in Dallas? (Jamison Hensley) "I think it is really cool. I think it kind of breaks up the season a little bit. [It] gives a different aspect to what we are doing. It is a different challenge. I feel like the rhetoric around the game after it is done is who handled the travel and everything better. I think that just goes hand in hand on who is being more of a pro or not. That is something that I think we can thrive at. So, I'm excited. I am sure the fans down there are excited. It is cool to get Baltimore kind of global."
It's a business trip, as QB Lamar Jackson said. Are you disappointed that no sightseeing is going to be involved? Are you going to go to Rio maybe another time? (Jerry Coleman) "Yes, maybe another time. I mean, we are only down there for like two days. We have practice obviously [and then] you have to get ready for a game, so kind of in and out. I am sure we will see enough of its beauty. I think our hotel is in a pretty cool place with a decent view. [We can] get close to the beach, probably not go out on it, but it is close enough."
What about the field conditions? Any concern, or are you just putting your trust in the NFL? (Jerry Coleman) "I would have to see when I get down there. Obviously, I mean there is a lot of just, 'he said, she said,' kind of thing going on right now, so we will see. I know the players are the product in this league. As soon as we lose putting the players forward is when we lose the league, and I am sure the league knows that and they are doing their best to put us in the position to be safe. So, that is not really in the forefront of my mind right now. [I'm] just trying to get ready for the game."
Head coach Jesse Minter said on Monday the defense is still looking for its 2026 identity to some degree. I think OLB Trey Hendrickson used similar words after the game on Sunday. What's your feeling on that? (Childs Walker) "I think there are 32 teams still looking for their identity right now. I feel like that does not happen within the first week [or] within the first two weeks. I think this past Sunday was a very humbling experience. There has not been a lot of speed bumps in the road so far since we have had our new staff and everything. Hopefully we will be looking back on the Saints game and saying we needed that just to have a reality check of some sorts. They are a good team. Every team in this league is good. You are going to play the best players in the world every week. [It's] any given Sunday. It does not matter who is on the roster. People are on the other side trying to feed their families, and I respect that. We lost the game. It is what it is. [We] have to flush it and move on to the next."
How do you plan to handle the flight itself and then also the recovery on the back end of it? (Ryan Mink) "I just started watching Peaky Blinders, so [I'll] probably do a good bit of that, [and] sleep. [I'm] not really sure how the flight back is going to go. I will probably have some adrenaline in me. It is probably going to be hard to sleep, but it is a long flight. I am sure at some point I will doze off. [I'll] just probably watch Peaky Blinders until I fall asleep."
When you're down there in Brazil on Friday, how do you get your body right after the long flight? (Ryan Mink) "Yes, I think the staff — credit to everybody involved — has a great plan in place for us when we get down there, and [we are] going to try to take advantage of the travel in a way that it is not hindering us coming into Sunday. I think the words 'flying out of our skin' were used in the team meeting, so that is the ultimate goal. Obviously, both sides are dealing with it, so there are really no excuses to be made but, I think we have a good plan in place and good organization when we get down there."
You mentioned not really having any speed bumps until Sunday. What has stood out to you this week about the way you guys have come back and are responding to that result? (Garrett Downing) "Yes, I think first just the initial reaction, everybody was pretty down in the locker room, and even a little bit on Monday, and I think that is a good thing, really. It shows that everybody cares, and we are not just bringing it up after the game saying, 'Hey, onto the next week, it is what it is.' There is kind of a happy sweet spot with that, I think, besides either dreading on a loss too long or moving forward too quickly, but I think we have found the sweet spot in there, and we have flushed it at this point. It is obviously Wednesday now, so it is a new week, and we have an interesting week ahead of us. It is going to be a real mental challenge, I think, along with physical, but I think our response has been really good so far."
How has S Malaki Starks responded after Sunday? Is there anything you have kind of offered to him after a kind of up-and-down first two games? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, it is the NFL. Everybody has had an up-and-down few games, and it is obviously about learning from it, whatever mistakes [Malaki Starks] made. It is not like one person lost us the game or anything like that. I think all three phases kind of dwindled throughout the game, but it is what it is. Everybody has their plays they want back every single week. Nobody plays a perfect game, so you have to flush that and just get onto the next [game] and have confidence."
I know you go into a game where the Saints had success throwing the ball to now a team in Dallas that wants to throw the ball all over the field. What type of adjustments can be made from this past week to this week to prepare for that passing attack? (Cordell Woodland) "Yes, I think it is just little communication things that we can do better as a team and just playing confident, playing fast. I think that is what it boils down to. You can communicate perfectly, but if you do not execute the right way, then the communication does not really matter. So, it is all of that just combined into one, and being able to find that just harmony within that, I think, is important for us this week, and guys just going out there [and] letting it rip. Take your shot whatever it may be and line up and play the next play."
How about the Cowboys offense? Obviously, QB Dak Prescott has two very capable wide receivers. Do you think the secondary will be tested quite a bit? (Jerry Coleman) "Yes, it is a potent offensive group and like I said earlier, there are guys on the other side of the ball every week that can make you look bad if you are not locked in. This week, obviously, they have a plethora of guys on that side of the ball, not just George [Pickens] and CeeDee [Lamb], but [a] great tight end [Jake Ferguson], the O-line is good [and the] running back [Javonte Williams] runs hard. Obviously, they have Dak [Prescott] at the helm, too, and a bunch of other guys going with that, so it is going to be up to us to accept that challenge and go down there and face it head on and exceed the expectations."
For any of the younger fans who get the chance to watch professional football in Brazil, what would you hope that they learn from the Baltimore Ravens? (Samantha Croston) "I think I would hope that they learn that if you are going to play this game, there is only one way to play it, and that is physical. Especially at this level, you are playing against grown men every week, and like I said earlier, their livelihoods, [and the livelihoods of] people around them that they love, [are] based on that 60 minutes that you are playing football. So, just attack it with that mentality, that it is a blessing to be out here, and you have to be confident and play with a sense of reckless abandon, I think, to really make an impact."
I know you kind of flushed the last week of play, but when watching that game, the Saints game, what upset you the most in rewatching it? (Jamison Hensley) "I do not know if I was upset at anything really. There are obviously some plays that you want back, and I think [it's] probably third down. That is the most disheartening, I would say. I think we pretty much dominated on first and second down for most of the game and got into what we wanted to on third down, but it just goes back to fundamentals, tackling [and] communicating, and those things show up every single week. So, you can't let off the gas in one area and expect it to just kind of flip a switch during a game. So, that is something that coaches have harped on since the game ended and that we will emphasize throughout the week in practice, but I would say third down [and] getting off the field is huge just mentally [and] physically. You extend drives, and they are rotating people in and out, so they have fresh bodies, but you have to earn the right to rush the passer on third down, which I think we did, but we just did not execute."
How do you guys kind of handle missed tackles amongst each other in the locker room when those show up on tape? You have all been tackling your whole lives, how do you kind of address that as players? (Ryan Mink) "I think it is more so just accountability, especially personal accountability. Nobody is really pointing fingers in that sense. If you miss a tackle, for the most part everybody is like, 'Hand up, that is on me. I have to make that tackle.' We all trust in everybody in that room to make that tackle no matter when it is. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it does not, but you have to shoot your shot and be confident when you go in there, and we do not dwell on it too long."
When you guys are going against a team like this that pushes the ball down the field vertically and attacks the perimeter, do you anticipate playing more on the back end? I know you play all over the place, but do you look at the matchup and anticipate maybe being in a particular spot? (Cordell Woodland) "This has kind of been my copy-paste answer for this, but it is wherever they need me on a week-to-week basis. So, if they need me to go back then sure, I am with it. If they need me to stay up, then I am cool with that too. But, without getting too much into the game plan, I feel like they kind of just put me wherever they see fit. That is a week-to-week thing obviously, so we will see on Sunday."
Going back to the questions around the missed tackles, did that perhaps come as a result of not playing in the preseason and just kind of being revved up to the regular season? (Candi Waller) "I don't think so. We harp on it so much in practice and in [training] camp and, if we played in the preseason — what would we have played, like one or two drives? You maybe get one tackle in those drives as [a] DB. I feel like that is an easy way to look at it, but I think
everybody at this level has made 1,000 tackles over their lifetime, and it is just a matter of doing it. Whether you got 1,000 reps in camp, you got 100 reps in preseason, no matter what it is, you are expected to tackle at this level, and that decides games at this level. So, I do not think it necessarily had anything to do with reps. It is just [that] you missed a tackle."
QB LAMAR JACKSON
This is your first game in Brazil. Is this something you are excited about, or is it kind of a game you would maybe prefer just to have in Dallas? (Jamison Hensley) "Just to see the NFL's growth with the international part of things – it is great. I am excited, but at the end of the day, it is a business trip for us, you know. It is not to go have fun, to sightsee or anything like that. Probably after the season – that is a long way from now – but right now, it is a business trip."
There has been a lot of talk about the field there and the conditions. When you get to a new field like that, how do you kind of test it out and figure it out? What is the process for you? (Childs Walker) "I believe the NFL does a great job at having their specialists go out there and look over the fields. I cannot worry about that. I just have to worry about getting us a dub in Brazil – our first time in Rio. [As for] the field, we have played on bad fields plenty of times, so I cannot really dwell on that. We are just going out there to play football."
Do you gear anything differently, like go with longer cleats or anything like that? Is that something you would look at if it were an issue? (Brian Wacker) "I will have to talk to our equipment guys, but, I mean, I cannot call it. I have never been to that stadium or that field yet, but I am just locked in. I am locked in. I cannot focus on how the grass would be. Regardless, we are going to have to play football."
How much have you put last week behind you? The team obviously had a disappointing home performance, and the fans are still a little upset. Do you guys get upset when you look at the film afterwards? (Jerry Coleman) "Yes, absolutely. We [are] definitely upset, and not taking anything away from our fans – they are going to be more upset because they [are] not in the building and working with us. So, they don't really know what is going on until we play this Sunday. So, I probably got over it yesterday."
You have been building a connection with fans all over the world. Now you have this first-hand opportunity to be in Maracanã Stadium – how do you feel about seeing all these No. 8s, not just from Brazil, but from all of South America? (David Andrade) "Man, that is going to be fantastic – it is great for me. I have never been to Brazil. I know I said this before – I have never been to Brazil. But not just [for] me, but just to see Flock Nation – I heard we have a huge fan base in Brazil – so just to see them there, it is going to be amazing."
What is your plan for the flight? How do you treat a long flight like that? (Ryan Mink) "Oh man, I am just going to try to sleep as much as possible and just relax – that is all I can do. [I'll] keep my legs [moving and] try to walk around as much as possible, but at the same time sleep as much as possible. Five [hours awake] and five [hours sleeping] – it is a ten-hour flight, right? Five and five – try to balance it out."
I know it was not the ending you wanted last week, obviously, with WR Rashod Bateman and the interception and everything, but he had some big catches in that game. We don't know if WR Zay Flowers is going to be available, but how important is it to kind of build off of last week and what you guys were able to do? (Brian Wacker) "Oh, it is not even building off from last week – we have had chemistry since [Rashod Bateman] has been in the league. It is just different guys – different things may happen in different games where other guys might get the ball more. We are just taking what the defense gives us, but our chemistry has always been there, and it is going to continue to grow."
In the previous regime, you were given a lot more power at the line of scrimmage to kind of change things as you see fit. Is that still the case right now? (Cordell Woodland) "Yes, but at the same time, we [are] still working with our new system as well. So, we [are] growing. We [are] putting different things out there for us to display. Eventually, as the season goes on, it is going to get back to that old – you know – me making things happen at the line of scrimmage."
The Saints had some success blitzing up the A-gap, whether on runs or passes on Sunday. Did it feel like in some cases they just had the upper hand, or was there stuff that this offense could have done better before the snap to sort out that stuff? (Jonas Shaffer) "I just believe the Saints did a pretty good job at just catching us in that look when they were able to blitz the A-gap or B-gap – whichever one they had success in. But, we had a lot of successful plays as well. We just didn't capitalize off of them. So, we just have to do better at that."
For any of those fans who are watching professional football this week and watching you, what would you hope they see when they look at you and look at the Ravens – especially for those people who think they might want to be a professional football player one day? (Samantha Croston) "Oh man, it is a lot of hard work and dedication [that goes] into it. I would say that."
What are you seeing from the Cowboys? What have you seen from them so far on defense, and do you expect them to have a large contingency? You mentioned Flock Nation – the Cowboys were once known as 'America's Team.' (Jerry Coleman) "Yes, but this is [North] America. That is Brazil." (laughter). So we will see, we will see. But I have seen [the Cowboys] pass rushers – they are unbelievable. They get after the quarterback a lot and disrupt the pass game a lot. But, it is football at the end of the day, you know? We are just going to have to go out there and do what we [are] supposed to do."
On a day like Sunday where you guys are lacking explosive plays, would you like to be more a part of the run game, especially in some of the short-yardage situations that you guys had? (Cordell Woodland) "I am a part of the run game. Like I said, we [are] inside the building, we watch film and we go over the game plan and stuff like that. Sometimes, the defense just doesn't give us the look."
On the third-and-1 play in the fourth quarter where you threw deep to WR Chris Moore – do you like being aggressive in that spot? Did you have second thoughts about it when you went back and looked at it on film? (Childs Walker) "Yes, if it was a successful play we wouldn't even be talking about it, but since it was unsuccessful – and a lot of teams usually run, or sometimes teams pass, they probably won't throw the ball down the field as much – but if it would have been a successful play, we wouldn't be talking about it. But since it turned out the way it did, now it is like, 'We should have done this. We should have done that.' It is part of football. We are going to take our shots. We are going to have successful third-down rates. We [are] not going to dwell on it. Next time, hopefully someone is open, something underneath or we might run the ball. It really doesn't matter. Sometimes it is what the defense gives us. The defense gave us a look to throw the ball down the field. We just weren't successful, that is all."
Did you know whether or not you guys were going to go for it on fourth down when you did the third-down play, or is that something you don't know until after the play? (Childs Walker) "Sometimes we talk about it [and] sometimes we don't. Sometimes, things might happen we don't want to happen, and we are not thinking about that, you know. [It is] up to [head] Coach [Jesse Minter]'s decision, or sometimes he might let it be on me. We don't know yet."
Like you said, it is a ten-hour flight, and you get there a couple of days before the game. Is there a challenge in having a long flight and playing a couple of days later? (Jamison Hensley) "We played in London. I don't remember how many hours that was."
You were in London for a week though. (Jamison Hensley) "That is cool too. But, it is what it is. Once we get off that plane, we'll settle down and just lock in for Sunday."
What has stood out to you about the way that the team has responded this week? (Garrett Downing) "Oh, guys [are] just locked in. We have a bad taste in our mouth from what happened Sunday – offense, special teams, defense – all of us. It is a team game. It is not a one-guy game or a one-sided game – it is all of us, but all of us have a bad taste in our mouth. No doubt."