Head Coach John Harbaugh
(opening statement) "OK, good to see everybody. I appreciate you being here. Can you hear me? OK, thank you. So, congratulations to the [Buffalo] Bills. Obviously, they played a very good football game [in] all three phases. They were kind of mistake free and capitalized on their opportunities. The beginning of the second half was a big one, and then also, the turnover. So, they did a great job. To [head coach] Sean [McDermott], [defensive coordinator/assistant head coach] Leslie [Frazier] and all of their guys, congratulations. We just talked to our guys. It's a tough loss. To get to the [AFC] Championship game, you have to play two really great games, and things have to bounce your way. That didn't happen for us today, but I'm proud of the guys, nonetheless. I feel like what we've been through as a football team, the road we traveled this year, the challenges that we faced, all well-documented, I feel like our guys handled them with toughness and with grace. They were positive, and they just came to work every day. They're a joy to be around, man. They were into it, and they fought. They fought even today; when we weren't at our best, we still fought. I'm very proud of them. We'll hold our heads high walking out of here and into the offseason. OK, what questions do you have?"
(on if it was frustrating that QB Lamar Jackson left the game in the third quarter and his status) "I'm not frustrated at all. He was in the concussion protocol; he had a concussion. So, he was ruled out with a concussion, and that's where it stands."
(on if the wind impacted the missed field goals) "The wind was very impactful; you could see it for both kickers. The wind … It was a tough, very challenging wind out there, really in both ends, but especially into the end away from the tunnel."
(on the if the wind impacted the offensive gameplan and if the Bills' defense did anything they weren't prepared for) "I think it affected both teams to some degree on offense. Obviously, when you're throwing the ball [and] there's wind. [It happened in] different areas of the game, for sure. They didn't do anything that surprised us. We were prepared for it. I thought they executed well. We executed well at times. We weren't able to finish the drives and get the points that we needed – that's the bottom line."
(on the issues behind the snaps) "I'm sure the wind was part of that, and I'm sure there were other issues, too, that I'm not sure if I can comment on at this time. I was on the sideline; I wasn't out there [on the field]."
(on if anything stuck out to him about the players' reactions after the loss) "No … I mean, our players are great. The players are disappointed. I don't know what you're looking for, but I can just tell you that it's tough to lose a game. You're disappointed, but it's really not emotions that we're going to sit here and share. It's ours. Our guys fight like crazy, and you want to win the game. [When] you fight to win the game, and you don't win the game, you're going to feel it. You know? That's how it works. That's part of it. They handled it great. Our guys are tough, and they handled it [great]."
(on the defense's performance) "I'm very proud of the way our defense played. I thought they played their hearts out. They played really good football and all of our team. I'm not disappointed in anybody."
(on the Buffalo Bills' performance) "I thought they played a winning football game under the circumstances and won the game."
(on how well rookie QB Tyler Huntley played) "He did. He did a good job. Probably … The wind might have pushed that ball late there. We had that fourth-down play that just kind of got out of Marquise's [Brown] grasp. That was a heck of a throw. I think the wind pushed it from behind, just a little bit. But he made some scramble plays, handled it in terms of managing things and orchestrating [in] a really challenging situation, because we were on a time constraint there and [were] trying to move as fast as we could. So, I thought he did a nice job."
(on QB Lamar Jackson's red zone interception) "Well, if you're looking for details on that, I'll have to see it. I haven't really seen it in detail at this point."
(on why the timeouts were taken early in the first half) "The one on defense that we called, we were … We had a substitution issue there a little bit. We probably could've held the timeout, but we felt like we needed to call the timeout. So, I called it. The offensive one, Lamar [Jackson] might have been able to get that one off, but I don't think we had a lot of confidence in the press box, necessarily, that we had the right play [with] the way he was organizing them. So, that's why those two happened. Those are just kind of management circumstances that happen sometimes."
TE Mark Andrews
(on his reaction when he saw QB Lamar Jackson injured on the ground) "Obviously, just, my thoughts [go] out to him as a person, as a friend, as a teammate. He's a tough guy, so anytime you see him go down, you know he's feeling something. I don't know what's going on with him, but I hope he's alright."
(on what this season will be remembered for) "Yes, there's a lot you can look back at and think on this season, but obviously, right now, it's more of a sad moment. This team has been through a lot. It's a resilient team – with COVID-19 and everything that's gone on. This is a special team. This is a team that I'm going to remember forever. I just love these guys, love my teammates, love my coaches."
(on what happened on the Bills' interception in the red zone) "It was just one of those things where [Taron Johnson] popped out and made a good play. And the Bills played a great game. The defense played really well on their side, and we didn't get the job done."
(on the weather conditions during the game) "It was a windy game, for sure, but it was by no means something that we haven't gone through or played in. The weather is what it is; that's part of football. So, it wasn't too bad."
(on QB Tyler Huntley entering the game) "Obviously, we all have a lot of trust in 'Snoop' – Tyler [Huntley] – and he's been doing his thing for a while now. So, we all have confidence in him. And you saw the way he stepped in and drove us down the field in, basically, that two-minute-type drive; he was doing his thing. And he's got a ton of heart, and he's able to learn behind a guy like Lamar Jackson – the best at what he does – and there's nothing better than that. He's soaking it all in, too. So, you saw that tonight – what he's been able to learn from [Lamar Jackson]."
(on not being able to find a rhythm and how the loss will be used as motivation) "Yes, it was just one of those games. We had done some good things – really good things – and moved the ball. In terms of the flow of the game, just things didn't fall in the right direction at the right time. But, we were close. They played a great game. Hats off to them. You've got to give them credit, because they won the game, and we didn't. We didn't do enough. We'll come back and work. We're going to all work hard. This is going to be fuel for the fire, and [we'll] be ready to go. We'll remember it."
(on what the Bills did on defense) "They did a lot of things. They're a defense that kind of does a ton of different things on defense. I just think they played well. They played well. Again, we moved the ball, we were able to do some things, [and] we had some really good plays. We made some plays, but things just didn't happen at the right times, and we didn't make the plays when we needed to; and that was it."
(on if there was something especially meaningful about this season) "It's tough, obviously, right now, but just my teammates – teammates, and coaches and the camaraderie of this season. [We're] just a group of a bunch of special guys who came together, worked hard every day. [We were] resilient. And you love to be around guys who have the same mindset as yourself. And these guys came to work every day and didn't take anything for granted, and you've got to respect that. So, we're going to have our heads held high, have a good offseason and be ready to work."
T Orlando Brown Jr.
(on losing QB Lamar Jackson and the performance of QB Tyler Huntley) "Obviously, it's a little frustrating, just losing a starting quarterback – whenever it happens. But I think 'Snoop' came in – Tyler Huntley came in – and did the best he could. Credit to him and how prepared he was for that moment."
(on if he's seen or spoken to QB Lamar Jackson) "I haven't had the chance to [see Lamar Jackson]."
(on what the Bills' defense did to slow down the Ravens' offense) "I'll have to watch the film to really give you a full detail as far as what happened, but they did enough to win. They made some really good plays. [There were] a few mishaps on our behalf, offensively, but they did what they needed to do to win. Obviously, it's sad and upsetting, but it's part of the game."
(on if he felt the Ravens' offense found a groove prior to the Bills' interception) "I remember the interception in the red zone. Prior to that, I'm just out there doing my job, honestly. I'm not paying too much attention, necessarily, to what's happening, especially in these games."
(on how a loss like this can be used as motivation) "We're about as motivated as it gets. Personally, I'm still far from playing my best ball. And next year, I'm going to get there – or get closer. I'm very motivated to be the best me that I can be, as an individual, to help put us in the best position going forward."
(on the disappointment of the season ending the way it did) "It's just disappointing. Getting to this point, and not being able to finish, it sucks. But like I said, it's part of the game. I'm not going to say that I'm not going to dwell on it, because I am, especially with football [still] going on. But it sucks. It's part of the game. We didn't do enough to win."
(on the weather conditions during the game) "Yes, it was pretty windy. As far as the temperature, I couldn't really tell you."
(on how surprised he was to see K Justin Tucker miss two field goals) "I think the weather played a big factor in that – just the wind. Especially away from the tunnel, the wind was crazy, and I think that wind pretty much helped him miss a few kicks. 'Tuck' [Justin Tucker] is the greatest kicker to ever play this game. I've got a lot of respect for him. His job isn't easy, let alone, easy to be consistent. And he's done everything he's needed to do over the past nine years – however long he's been playing – and he's just the best in the league at it."
(on how the Bills were able to get pressure on the quarterback) "That's another thing I'll have to go watch on film. It's hard for me to say, just because I'm so zoomed in on what my task is at hand. So, it's one of those deals. I can't really answer that one for you right now."
(on if anybody other than head coach John Harbaugh addressed the team after the game) "Not necessarily. But a few of us talked amongst each other, and we understand the goal going forward, as usual."
DE Calais Campbell
(on the feeling of losing QB Lamar Jackson in the fourth quarter after fighting so hard to stay in the game) "Obviously, you want your best players out there when the game is on the line, but we had confidence in 'Snoop' [Tyler Huntley]. I see him in practice, and I see he has potential to be a great player and to see an opportunity – and he seized it. He went out there and made some plays and gave us an opportunity. It's inches – it's a game of inches, and we just didn't get it done. But we fought hard."
(on how he thinks this team will be remembered including the obstacles faced this season) "To me, it's only one team happy at the end of the year. Everyone else is frustrated, mad, and is going to put their heads down and grind and try to be a champion. This season, we fought through a lot. We had a very good bond given the circumstances. I'm very proud of my teammates. But at the same time, it just wasn't good enough for us – our standard to what we want. It is what it is, but we just have to put our heads down, go back to work and try to do it again next year."
(on if it's more difficult to get over a loss like this in which the defense played so well) "Today just wasn't our day. Football fortune went against us. And honestly, we fought hard, [and] we gave what we had. It just wasn't meant to be today. I feel like we definitely … There's plays out there that I definitely wish we could've had back that we could've made that would've changed the ball game. But we executed the gameplan, and we tried to give ourselves a chance to win. [It] just wasn't meant to be today."
(on the feeling when you see uncharacteristic plays by the team) "It's football – it's playoff football. The circumstances with the wind and just the way the game was going, it was going to be a tough day. And we knew it was going to be one of those games when it'll come down to one big play. That's playoff football always, anyway. I thought if we played this game 10 times, it would be a lot different than what it was today. It's just one of those days where we just didn't get it done – and they did. They made the plays when it mattered. They made the big plays. And you have to give them respect – they earned it."
(on what this team needs to do to take the next step and make a longer run) "Honestly, I believe that we have the right people in place to get the job done. I think the biggest thing that I think that would be important for us, is being able to play this [playoff] game at home. I think next year, we're going to try to find a way to win our division, and to get home playoff games. I think that would be huge. I know in years past, we've had that. But I think going forward … This team – we're close, we're real close. Today, with everything going against us, we still had a chance. It's just the way it is. But I think this team is very close, and we've just got to earn the right. In this offseason, it's going to be hard, it's going to burn a little bit, and it should. Hopefully, it'll push us to work as hard as we have ever worked before, and we come back and find a way to win this next year."
(on how his experience affects how this loss feels) "The biggest thing is that I try to keep the young guys encouraged and understanding that you don't get to start back here next year. You've got to go back and earn it. And we did a good job with that this year. I feel like the team had so much success last year. And a lot of times, the next year, you just fall off – you don't get there. Whatever things we went through, we had to level off a bunch of ball games and find a way to get in this position to have a chance. So, I feel like the biggest thing is just making sure that we don't take anything for granted, and we go and put the work in, put our heads down and grind and try to earn that right to get back here and have an opportunity here next year."
(on if all the effort to win games down the stretch of the season wore on the team mentally or physically) "Honestly, I feel like we could've gotten it done – we just didn't. The Bills played a great ball game. But I don't think that … I think we could've gotten it done in all the circumstances we went through. I wouldn't use that as an excuse. We're a good football team, and we just didn't play a good enough game today. You've got to show up and play good ball games. Obviously, we would love to do more in the regular season, so we would've been at home. But at the end of the day, we fought hard, we gave it everything we had – it just wasn't good enough today."
QB Tyler Huntley
(on the resiliency the Ravens showed late in the game) "We were just trying to get points on the board, just fighting until the very end. It's an NFL game, so it can go down to the wire, and you have to fight until the end. We've just got to find a way to get that ball in the end zone."
(on his emotions and what he was thinking when he saw QB Lamar Jackson get injured) "I was just trying to get warmed up as quickly as I could. I just tried to help this team and do what I could to get closer and give us a chance."
(on the camaraderie of this team) "We're just a family. We all stood by each other through the games we lost and the games we won. Everybody embraced each other. We wish we could've done more, but it's not completely about that. It's about how we communicated with each other and pushed to make each other better. We've got a great team that has bonded together well."
OLB Matthew Judon
(opening statement) "I would like to thank the Ravens organization. You all might ask me, but I don't know what's going to happen next year. I don't know what's going to happen in my future – that's all out in front of me. But the past five years, man, it's been a hell of a ride. I wouldn't ask for another organization, or coaches, or mentors, or players to play with, man. Some of these guys [that] I've played with, they're my real brothers. [They're my] real-life brothers. So, with that being said, I love the Ravens and the organization. I would just like to thank them."
(on how proud he was of the defense) "This defense went out there and really showed who we are. Even though the game looked over in the fourth quarter, and they got the ball on, I think, their 45 [-yard line] or something, we didn't just give up and hang our heads. But that's who we have in the locker room, and that's who we have on our defense; it's just a bunch of men, tough men. Every game [isn't] going to go your way, and there can only be one Super Bowl winner. We wanted that to be us, but we were going out fighting, regardless of what the outcome looked like or the predicament we were put on the field in. We [were] going out there [and] trying not to let them score points."
(on how this loss feels compared to the loss to the Tennessee Titans last year in the playoffs) "Every time you think you're going somewhere, and you just get stopped, it's kind of a similar feeling. But this was [a] way different ball game than what happened [against] the Titans [in the 2019 Divisional game]. We had our ups and downs the whole season. This season is crazy; everybody wearing masks around, and we barely could meet. So, it is hard. It's hard to go out like this, but I just want everybody in the locker room to understand that [there] only can be one winner, and you have to go out and play every game in the playoffs like it's your last. I believe that we did that. We just didn't get some bounces and some looks that we wanted, and we just came up short."
(on if there was any point in the game that he felt that the game wasn't going to come out in their favor) "No, man. We don't have [any] quitters on our team – that's really what you're describing. Nobody [folded]. Nobody quit. Nobody [hung] their head. We were still in good spirits talking to one another. There [wasn't] any banter on the sideline more than there usually is. So, [no one went] out there and fold and think, 'Oh, this team is so much better than us. They're getting so many more lucky breaks. We can't do anything against this team.' Nobody did that."
(on what it felt like to lose QB Lamar Jackson in the third quarter) "Shoot, it is what ... [It's] just like our next guy up, we have to still try to win this game. We have all seen what 'Snoop' [Tyler Huntley] can do, and you've seen that. It could've been a different game or outcome or something, if he could've connected with 'Hollywood' [Marquise Brown] up the sideline. That's just what it is. He went out there fighting, and we all have [had] faith in 'Snoop' since he got here. It's not newfound love [and] faith since he got on the field. Since he got here in training camp, we all [had] seen the potential in him and what he could do. So, you want Lamar [Jackson] playing in a game. Lamar is an MVP for a reason, but when 'Snoop' stepped on the field, it wasn't like he couldn't get the job done. We knew he could get the job done."
(on how he looks at the free agency in the linebacker room) "Man, the Ravens do a great job, as an organization, of getting players in here. Obviously, they got me, Yannick [Ngakoue], Tyus [Bowser] [and] Pernell McPhee. They have 'Ferg' [Jaylon Ferguson]. They have 'Haddy' [Jihad Ward]. They have Chauncey [Rivers]. They have 'Double A' [Aaron Adeoye]. They do a great job of drafting and free agency and picking players up. So, as an organization, they're going to have to step back, look at the roster, look [at] how they want to go with the roster. But as me personally, I have no clue. I don't really know. I'm not in those meetings. I'm not the higher-ups. If they want me here, like I said, this is home. This has been home since I got in the NFL, but if not, I enjoyed my five years."
(on the feeling of K Justin Tucker's missed field goals, P Sam Koch's short punt and DT Justin Madubuike's roughing the passer penalty) "Well, Sam [Koch] didn't shank a punt; it just got caught up in the wind. You probably couldn't see that from wherever you were sitting on the couch. [Justin] Madubuike, it's a bang-bang play. I won't talk about the refs. He threw the flag, and we just have to play on. They went on to get three points out of that. [Justin] Tucker, we all have faith in Tucker. It was just … It was just [that] when he was going out there and kicking, the wind kicked up. We expect him to make those, but we're all human. I missed some sacks today. Nobody went out there and played perfect, so we're not going to sit here and hang this loss on 'Tuck' [Justin Tucker]. We're not going to sit here and hang this loss on the roughing the passer [penalty] that happened in, I believe, the first quarter. And we're not going to sit here and hang this loss on a punt that got caught up in the wind. Those are plays that we wish we would've had back, but those [weren't] the reason this outcome was like it was."
WR Willie Snead IV
(on how much he feels for QB Lamar Jackson not being able to finish the game) "Yes, it's just a sucky moment. You go down like that with a concussion, and the odds of you coming back [into the game] are slim. Just the competitor that he is, I know he wants to be out there to finish the game with us and give us a chance to come back. But I've got to give my hat off to 'Snoop' [Tyler Huntley]; he did what he had to do. He came back, and he tried to push the game. We pushed it down the field, and we gave ourselves opportunity here and there, but Lamar [Jackson] going down hurts, and I know he was frustrated with that."
(on what the Bills did defensively that slowed the offense down today) "They weren't really doing anything special; they were just playing top-down coverage, a lot of Cover-4, a lot of Zone. They just eliminated the run, and they tried to make us one-dimensional in the passing game, and we just didn't take advantage of what they were giving us. Hats off to them; they had a great gameplan for us. We just didn't execute. We didn't execute when we needed to; we didn't finish drives like we normally would, but you've got to take your hats off to them. They had a great gameplan, and they did what they had to do. We've just got to be better."
(on how challenging it is to go through playoff losses when you know what you're capable of as a team) "It's frustrating. We've got a great team, a great group of guys [and] a great locker room. We prepare ourselves every week to give ourselves a chance. We know what we have in this locker room, and we fell short the past three years. That's frustrating itself, but when we're clicking, and we're on, and we're executing the gameplan, the defense is playing lights out, we're a hard team to beat. It was just one of those games where things weren't going our way. We had to overcome a lot, and we just didn't get the job done. It's unfortunate; three years in a row, being in the playoffs, and not making that push to reach our full potential. But, that's football. It is what it is. We've just got to continue to get better, come back next year and do what we need to do."
(on how he feels the ending to this season will affect QB Lamar Jackson's approach to the offseason) "I just think he'll look back at the whole season – not just this game, the whole season – and he'll make those adjustments that he needs to do to be an elite quarterback; an even more elite quarterback. He is an elite runner, an elite passer, but there are steps he can take, better strides that he can take, and he knows that. That's the competitor in him to want to get better each and every offseason, to fix the little things that his game needs improvement on and continue to get better as a passer. I think if he knuckles down on that part of his game and really reaches his full potential in that area, then the sky is the limit for Lamar [Jackson], man. It's just a matter of time. So, it's really on him. I think this game is going to be a wake-up call for him, hopefully this offseason. So, we'll see what he does next year."
(on if there was a shock value on the red zone interception and what he saw) "They were talking that up all week; they kind of jinxed us right there. But I mean, it was a good play call. [No.] 24 [Taron Johnson] just squeezed really hard on Mark [Andrews], and [Lamar] didn't see him. It was just one of those plays where he threw it, and [No.] 24 [Taron Johnson] just jumped it. It just sucks, man, because we had a 15-play drive going there, and it looked like we were about to score. It was a huge momentum shift in the game. It's part of football, man. It is what it is. [You] just wish you could have those plays back; you know what I mean?"
(on how QB Lamar Jackson is feeling) "He's frustrated. He's doing good. He said he's fine from the concussion, but he's frustrated that we were that close, and we didn't get to finish drives. He's just the ultimate competitor. He doesn't like to lose, and he knows that he can get better. He sees the plays afterwards; he knows that he has to be better at reading through zones and stuff like that. But he's doing alright. He's going to be good. I just know that he's going to get better from this, like he always does; proving people wrong and just trying to take that next step in his journey. So, he's doing good, and he'll be alright."
(on how much the wind was a factor) "It played it a little bit [of a factor]. The noise, the wind – everything. There were a lot of factors on the outside that were affecting our offense. When it comes down to it, we just didn't execute. We didn't execute the plays that were called. There were some things that we probably could have done differently throughout the game, because at one point, we knew what they wanted to do. We just didn't execute those plays when they needed to be [executed]. And I don't think the weather was a huge factor in what we needed to do. We made mistakes in certain areas of the game, and we didn't finish drives; and that's what it comes down to. So, I put that all on us. We've got to be better. And Buffalo was the better team tonight."
(closing statement) "I just want to say one thing: I really appreciate this organization for the chance they gave me after New Orleans. It's been an incredible three years. I don't know what my future is going to look like after tonight, but I'm very hopeful and thankful for everything Baltimore has given me. [There's] a great group of people here; great coaches, great players, staff, support staff. You guys have been awesome. The media has been 'A-1.' We endured a lot this year, but I wouldn't want to do it with any other team. I love these guys in this locker room, and these last three years have been an incredible journey. So, I just want to thank everybody who is on this [Zoom] call [and] everybody who has been in this organization that has given me the opportunity. I'm always grateful. I appreciate you guys."
