HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "OK, it's great to see everybody. I appreciate you guys being here. [Today was a] good day [and] a beautiful day. [We had a] good practice, a good week of practice. The guys are ready [and] excited to play. We're going to go in there with the guys – we have a lot of good players that are prepared and are excited to play. I can't wait for the game to start. So, what questions do you have?"
QB Lamar Jackson has not practiced all week. Have you made a determination on his play? (Jamison Hensley) "I'm just not going to comment on any of that. I know what you're saying, [but] it's like, now if I talk about Lamar [Jackson], then it's going to be the next guy and the next guy, and it's just kind of all injury report-related. Cooper [Rush] has had a great week of practice. I don't think Tyler [Huntley] had an incompletion today. He was really good today. [He] had a great day today. If it's those two guys [playing on Sunday], then they'll be ready to roll. Our offense will be ready to go. But just all the talk – the injury stuff, it's not that I don't want to put it out there. [There are just] too many guys even to talk about. We would just be talking about every single guy, and it's just better just to leave it with, 'We'll see when we get there.' Because some guys aren't going to get there. There will be an injury report here pretty soon that will show you who is out [for the game]. There'll be other guys that will have a chance, and they'll probably be questionable. So, we'll just have to really see as we go. We have an idea on certain guys – we do – but I just don't want to dive into all that right now. [There is] just too much of it."
What does QB Cooper Rush bring if you do have to go that route? Obviously, he brings a little bit of a different skillset than QB Lamar Jackson. (Brian Wacker) "Yes, definitely. I think you're right. [Cooper Rush] brings a different skillset. Every player does. Every quarterback, definitely, does as well. And that's good. Everybody is unique. You can only be you. I've told this story before, but I used to talk to my daughter about that all the time. 'There's only one player that can play like you play, your way, and you're the best at it. You're the best at playing the way you play, with your skillset.' I feel that way about all of our players. I tell our guys that all the time, 'You go out there and be who you are [and] play [with] your strengths. We'll try to do everything we can to build what we have around your strengths, as a player.' And that's probably more true for the quarterback position than any other position. So, that's what we'll try to do."
Not specifically mentioning anyone, but you have a couple of guys that are normally the guys that relay the signals on defense that are maybe banged up in a lot of ways. How big is communication when you have so many new guys expected to play in the game? (Jeff Zrebiec) "[Communication is] very important. I think communication is always so important, as you know, and it's always challenging. It's always challenging for a defense at home, because the home crowd is loud to disrupt the offense, which we want. So, communication is going to be important. The fact that it's going to be someone in the green dot, potentially that – well, it's not going to be 'Ro' [Roquan Smith], so, it's going to be somebody that hasn't done it. Kyle [Hamilton] has done it, [and] he does a great job with it. If for some reason it's not Kyle, then it's going to have to be somebody else. It'll be new for that person, really. But I am confident [they can handle it]. We practice it. We've practiced it all week. Those guys are pros, and they know the defense inside and out. So, let's go play ball."
Would you be comfortable with a rookie communicating the play calls for the defense? (Jonas Shaffer) "Sure."
With everything else going on, we didn't get to ask you what you thought of TE Isaiah likely in his return last Sunday. Moving forward, how nice will it be to increase his involvement in the passing game? (Luke Jones) "Thank you for that [question]. That's nice. That's good. There's a lot ... You kind of get buried by the avalanche of all the things that could go wrong. And I know that's how it works; that's in every city. And even as a coach, you look at all the things that you have to overcome. I thought that [offensive coordinator] Todd [Monken] spoke so well yesterday about that, in terms of, you work like heck to fix it, fix it, fix it, fix it, fix it. But you also work like heck to build on all the positives and try to make those just multiply. And Isaiah [Likely] was one of those. He looked great out there [and] had a great week of practice. It was good to see him back. That's a big add for us."
What do you feel like the vibe of the team has been this week? Has it felt the same? Does it seem any different than usual? (Cordell Woodland) "Well, I think it's different every week. It's a good question, [but] it's never exactly the same. I think the general principle, the 'vibe' is an interesting way to say it, and it is true, but generally speaking, these guys are really professional guys. The general vibe is, 'Hey, let's go to work. Let's work together. Let's be the best we can be.' And they work so hard at it with, like we say, intentionality, and they're determined to have the best practice and the best game that they can have. And obviously, that's challenging because this is a tough league. This is competitive. Anybody that thinks it's easy, that thinks you just look at the tape or something – even the guys that do it for a living or who played in the NFL or coached in the NFL ... You see what you see, and it's alright, but it's not easy because you're going against really smart people and really good players, and it's really highly competitive. And you guys know, you watch the games. [You see] how physical and tough it is, how fast it is and all that kind of stuff. That's why it's such an appealing game. Our guys understand that, and they want to work hard and be their best. And we keep chasing that. Hopefully, and I believe – I'm certain – that we will get good results, but we have to keep fighting for those things. So, that's the vibe. And I would say it's been really good, really positive and really determined."
Along those lines, when you deal with a setback this week – without getting into the specifics – with S Kyle Hamilton, who gets injured during practice and not in a game situation... (Jerry Coleman) "Well, it was from the game. It was something that happened during the game that got carried over a little bit – to be clear about that."
Looking at what QB Cooper Rush did in Dallas, it seems like he gets rid of the ball pretty quickly, but he's also pretty aggressive. What do you kind of like about a guy who can do both things? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, I think that's right. To your point, if you want to dig in about Cooper [Rush] per se, the way he plays, the Cooper game, that's what he does. And I think he's really good at it. So, he has to play his style, the way he plays, within the offense. He knows the offense, and we're ready to go."
Defensive coordinator Zach Orr has received his fair share of criticism. How do you think he's handled the adversity as he's trying to grow into the defensive coordinator role? (Carita Parks) "Well, I'll tell you, there's a lot of defensive coordinators that are facing the same thing in the NFL [right now]. [Also], the offensive coordinators, head coaches, everybody. That's just the nature of it. And I think [defensive coordinator] Zach [Orr] is just really, really, really strong. He does a great job with the guys [and] with the coaches. I think he does a great job with the fans and the media. I think he's really honest, forthright [and] he doesn't try to hide anything. He just puts it out there, [and says] what we need to do, in his eyes, to be better and be the best we can be. And that's how he is with the guys. So, I'm really impressed by Zach, every day. I'm impressed by the whole coaching staff, 'Monk' [offensive coordinator Todd Monken], and everybody. It doesn't mean that we're happy with how – when we don't do things right, but we go to work on everything, together, to be the best we can be. And I want you to know, these guys, we have great players, [and] we have great coaches. We have an amazing organization. We're working really hard, and success is coming. You have to work at it, and you have to fight for it. And that's what our guys are doing."
If QB Lamar Jackson can't go, would QB Cooper Rush be the next guy up, or could it be an incorporation of QB Tyler Huntley in there as well? (Jamison Hensley) "Well, Cooper [Rush] would be the next guy up, and then Tyler [Huntley] would be the guy after that."
QB COOPER RUSH
On how things have gone this week with a full week of preparation: "They went well. It's always a lot better when you get all the reps in practice like that to prepare yourself for a game, compared to a usual week where you're preparing and all that, but you don't get those reps, so those are important."
On how his week of practice went: "It was good, felt crisp. [We have] a good plan, and being out there with that one group, I can understand the receivers and what they see and how they see it and tight ends and things like that. It was fun. You always watch from behind Lamar [Jackson] and how they run it and then try to replicate that and get a good feel for it."
On how much he leans on his starting experience in the NFL: "Yes, you definitely lean on it. We've been here before in this type of situation. It's nothing new, so you lean on that. You get confidence from it, just trust yourself, and if you have to go out there, you can do it."
On if he feels pressure and if this is a must-win game for the team: "They all feel like must-wins. Like I said, I've kind of been here before. Whenever a franchise QB goes down, it's always a 'sky is falling' feeling everywhere you are. It's normal, and if you have to go out there on Sunday and do what you have to do, it's nice knowing you had a whole week to prep for it, so things like that are good."
On his message to the team this week if he winds up being the starting quarterback: "Just go be yourself. You're here for a reason. You're in this league for a reason. There are no mistakes in this league about guys that are out there. So, you trust yourself, you remind yourself you're a football player; this is what you do, and you have a blast doing it."
On if he's spoken with QB Lamar Jackson about preparing for this game: "Yes, [Lamar Jackson] has been around, so we've just been [having] a normal week of preparation. I know he is doing everything to get right, but he's been around. [I'm asking] questions here and there [like], 'How does Zay [Flowers] run this?' [With] things like that, he's been helpful."
On how impressed he is by the supporting cast that he has on the team: "Like I've said before, we're really versatile, really deep in every room with guys that can do different things throughout the position groups. So, it's a lot of fun. You turn around; you have the [running] backs we do [and] the tight ends we do. We can do a lot with the receivers – hand it to them [or] throw it to them – so it's fun. Up front, those guys are experienced [and have] played a lot of ball together, and we'll rely on them."
On if he's excited for the chance to possibly go out there and show what he can do: "Yes, it's always exciting. It's why you do it. This is what you work for [and what] you prepare for. Like I said, getting the whole week to actually go out and practice it, too, it's a lot better than just coming in with no practice reps in the middle of a game, so I've enjoyed that."
S MALAKI STARKS
On the difficulty of dealing with injuries on defense and on his opportunity to step into an increased role: "Yes, I think it's part of the game. Injuries are part of the game, and [they are] very unfortunate, but I think just leaning on the older guys that we still have out there – and [even] the guys that are not out there – just leaning on them and figuring out what steps I should be taking and stuff like that [is important]. But also, just stepping up in my role. I think when we have people go down, everybody has to step up a level, and I think a lot of guys, including myself, around the defense are doing that."
On if he is comfortable taking on a leadership role: "Yes, because I'm not really leading by myself. We have a bunch of guys who've been doing it for a long time and who know how it's supposed to look, so I'm leaning on those guys and leading in my own role. I think the biggest thing is just taking ownership within the role that you have and leading in that [space]. So, I think a lot of guys are doing that."
On if he is comfortable wearing the green dot: "Yes, I think the biggest thing is just communication, and that's something that we practice throughout the week, but I think whoever is going to end up wearing it, they're going to do a great job because that's something that we practice, and we harp on. But no, I think whoever's going to wear it is going to be great."
On the difficulty of potentially not having S Kyle Hamilton on Sunday: "Yes, it's different [when] you spend all that time with somebody. But I was here in OTAs and stuff with 'Reub' [Reuben Lowery III] and 'Nous' [Sanoussi Kane] and Keondre [Jackson], everybody that could be back there. So, I think the biggest thing is just building that relationship. I think that's why connection's such a big part. You never know what you're going to be out there with, so just really being comfortable with going out there with them and just really flying around and having fun, I think that's what we're going to do."
On balancing wanting to make plays with not wanting to try to do too much on defense: "I think the biggest thing is just doing your job and knowing your role. When the play comes to you, it's your job to make it. When it comes, it comes. When it doesn't, it doesn't. I think that's the really good thing about being on this defense. You're playing with a group of guys who can do their job at any given point, so [I'm] just really not trying to overstep, stay in my lane and do my job and help others out as well."
On how he's seen teammates step up into leadership roles: "Yes, I think a lot of guys are just stepping into their role that they have and [are] taking ownership. Whether that be a leadership role, whether if it is a vocal [role], whether if it's effort, whether if it's how you show up in a meeting, how you run at practice, a lot of guys are taking ownership of their role and just kind of running with it."
