Head Coach John Harbaugh
Opening Statement: "Good to see everybody. I appreciate you guys being here. It was a good win. As I said, we like winning. I'm proud of the guys. We played good football. We talked at halftime – really, it was a close game – we talked about the young guys learning how to play winning football at the end. Our guys did a good job with that. In the second half, they fumbled it, we got on it and then scored. That's what you need to do to extend leads. I was really proud of the guys for that. Pat Ricard got that fumble. Early in the game, converting opportunities … Two fourth-down conversions led to two scores, 10 points, then stopping them on fourth down. That's a big turnaround. Making those plays, that's really how you win football games. We're trying to teach our team and develop that understanding of what it takes to win games. We did a good job of that. The guys played really hard. Guys made plays. Jaleel Scott, in the second half, made some catches. The young quarterbacks made some throws. Trace [McSorley] made some throws. Of course, Lamar [Jackson] played well. He led two scoring drives. The offensive line was much improved from last week, especially in the run-blocking area. The defense continues to play well. They're getting after it, flying around. The run defense was a little better with the young guys. The tackles on the inside, the defensive line guys, did a better job this week against the run than last week. A lot of improvement, but we need to make the same improvement next week as we did this past week and continue to improve and become the team we're going to be."
(on if the team came out of the game healthy) "[Chris] Board had a concussion. I just talked to him. He said he's fine, but concussions are like that. We'll have to see how that goes. It doesn't seem to be serious, but that's one we will be very careful with. [Kenneth] Dixon got his knee a little hyper-extended. I don't think it was anything serious. We didn't want to mess with that. I do have an announcement to make: Tavon [Young] has a more serious issue than we thought. He has a neck issue. The doctors can explain it, but that's a disc issue. That's a serious injury. He could be out for the remainder of the season. We will know soon, but it doesn't look good for Tavon. I just wanted to put that out there. What else do you have?"
(on QB Lamar Jackson's play tonight) "It was nice to see. He got out, and you can see what he's capable of doing once he gets out. People are going to have to really work hard to keep him in the pocket. That was good. The block by Willie [Snead IV] is going to be a learning experience for us. That was a little bit of a love tap, but that's something that they want called if it's done with a shoulder, forearm, elbow, anything like that. We'll have to learn from that one."
(on if he still feels amazed seeing a run like QB Lamar Jackson's tonight) "Yes, absolutely. It's pretty awesome."
(on QB Lamar Jackson's preseason run plays) "What are you going to do? He's going to play. He's going to play football. We're not trying to run him. We're not running those plays. He's in the pocket, and he's staying in the pocket a lot. It's not like he's trying to run, but sometimes … What are you going to do? You can't hold him back forever. He looked good on the play. He looked good on a lot of plays. He played really well and really commanded the offense well. He played a number of really good throws and just had a really good game."
(on RB Justice Hill's development) "He really made some runs, didn't he? He made some tough runs. He had some speed runs, too, where he accelerated, but he had some tough runs. The one on the goal line, he had one where he was hemmed up and he broke a couple tackles there for a first down. He had a good night."
(on CB/RS Cyrus Jones' growth and potential at nickel) "He has looked good. That's the thing that makes us feel good about it. Cyrus has looked good, and we have other guys we work in there. All of our corners end up – not all of them, but most of them play nickel, expect the two starters. Brandon Carr plays the nickel quite a bit. We move safeties down in there quite a bit, with different personnel groups. We would rather have Tavon [Young] than not have him, but we are blessed at that position with some depth."
(on if the team is waiting on a second opinion regarding CB Tavon Young's injury) "No, we kind of know. There is an outside chance that you opt to try to see if it will heal, but we're not recommending that right now, in his best interest. That's always the first consideration, is his long-term well-being. If he gets the procedure done – I don't want to speak too early – but if he gets it done, he'll be fine and good to go. It's probably the best thing to do."
(on if he has been happy with the pass rush through the two preseason games) "I have been. It's been good. They had a couple play-actions where I thought, play-action can be a little tough for an early down. It's a run look. They hit a couple chunk plays downfield in the first quarter, which was good scheme by them. Those are the ones you like to free somebody up on, but those are tough. The third-down pressure has been pretty darn good. The ball has been forced out very quickly, you saw that tonight. They were throwing it out there pretty quickly, and we were covering it pretty darn well."
(on the versatility of FB/DL Pat Ricard) "He has been very versatile. He's in the backfield quite a bit on defense, and he's in the backfield quite a bit on offense. (laughter) That's a good balance, I guess. He has played well, and he's really establishing himself as a really valuable part of our team."
(on if FB/DL Pat Ricard has a snap count limit on offense and defense) "No, just when he starts looking like he's really gassed, we try to give him a break. He recovered a fumble, he came off, and when his personnel group was called, he kind of looked up. It was like, 'Dude, this is what you wanted. Get out there.' (laughter) He did well."
(on if there was any disappointment that Packers QB Aaron Rodgers did not play) "Yes, there definitely was. I talked Coach [Matt] LaFleur [Packers head coach] before, and I think they were planning on him playing, and for some reason, just a physical reason, he wasn't quite there. They just decided not to [play him]. We were disappointed, and I think they were, too. But I'm sure that Aaron Rodgers is going to be just fine without playing in this game."
(on if he has been surprised by his defensive depth) "No, it really hasn't. We felt like we were deep. We have to just keep improving at every level and let it continue to shake out. It's a great observation. Those guys are playing well."
(on if he has been pleased with how WR/RS Chris Moore has stepped up in both preseason games) "Very much so. That play – they come out with an all-out blitz. People are blitzing in the preseason. Contrary to what some people might say out there, everybody is blitzing in the preseason. We're just running the same blitzes we always run, so they're prepared for them. Green Bay did a nice job picking them up, by the way. They ran an all-out zero blitz, and that's what you have to be able to do. You have to make them pay for it. Those guys did that really well, Trace [McSorley] and Chris [Moore]."
(on if CB/RS Cyrus Jones is in the mix for kick returner) "He is [in the mix]. He is one of our returners. We have more depth at kick returner than we do at punt returner, probably. Both of those two guys did a great job on punt returns. I thought it was very solid. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out. I don't know how it's going to shake out right now."
(on the fact that it will be a month before the team plays at home again) "It's all relative. Time is relative. [Albert] Einstein, he was right. (laughter) Anything else? We're done here, right? (laughter) Thanks."
G/T Jermaine Eluemunor
(on seeing his first extended action tonight) "It felt good, definitely a lot better than last week. I knew there were a lot of things I had to work on from last week to this one. So, I wanted to use my time wisely. I definitely felt improvement this week, better technique, little things. Still a lot to work on, but definitely improved from last week."
(on his growth from last year to this year) "I feel I am much more mature this year. I was still kind of immature last year, my head was all over the place. But now, I have my goals set in mind, what I want to achieve, what I want to do, and I know what I have to do to get it done. I know how to read defenses now, I know the playbook better so mental errors should not be there anymore. I am much more comfortable this year."
(on what changed in the offseason this year) "The biggest thing was being around a bunch of NFL vets. I worked out in Dallas with a bunch of NFL linemen, All-Pros, Pro Bowlers. Just being around them, you see what they do, how they carry themselves, what they think about, how they act. They showed me what it means to be a pro and how to be a pro. I saw how they approached the game and their workouts. Being around them and seeing their habits rubbed off on me, so my approach this year is way different from last year."
(on his goals this year) "First of all, I want to win the starting spot. I want to help this team win. Last year in my rookie year, I was given the opportunity to play and I feel like I did not take full advantage of that. This year, I want to show the coaches that I am the guy, so that means me working my butt of every single day and being a pro. My goal every day is to be better than I was yesterday and keep stacking good days."
RB Justice Hill
(on his feelings about getting his first TD and if he got the ball from it) "It was just a great feeling. Man, it was a [great] feeling. Actually, [RB] Mark [Ingram II] went to go get it. Mark Ingram went down there and got it for me. "
(on if he's seeing things differently now that this was his second game) "It's still football. I've played football my whole life. I just try to go out there and play my hardest."
(on the longer run he had when faked out a Packer defender) "It's always good when you get some green grass and you can get your knees up a little bit. It's just fun."
(on how much he enjoyed breaking some tackles) "That was great. Playing running back, you've got to be able to make some people miss and break some tackles, and it's great to do that."
RB Mark Ingram II
(on his first game at M&T Bank Stadium) "It was real nice getting some game action. The line did a great job and [they] were able to create some seems for the running game, and I was able to take advantage of it. It felt good to get in there and have some success and get us off to a fast start."
(on being the leader of a talented RBs group) "We have a young team, but everyone is talented and mature. I think we have a great mesh of veterans and young guys. Everyone has the common goal of wanting to be great. We want to win games and be champions. When you have a group like that, the sky is the limit."
QB Lamar Jackson
(on if it was planned for him to run the ball or if it was situational) "Basically [it was] what the defense gave me. They gave me the opportunity to run, squeezing out the edges, gave me the middle lane. I just took advantage."
(on if his would-be touchdown run felt special to him, or if it was normal) "When I am out there, when I start running, [I think] 'Score a touchdown.' Play it safe. I don't know what happened." (Reporter: "Play it safe, what do you mean?") "If I don't have it, just try to get down, safe, injury-free."
(on if the hurdle was natural to him) "I just felt it happening and just jumped, I guess. I don't know."
(on if he felt his passing improved from last week) "Yes, we watched film, saw what the defense was going to give us, took advantage of that, too, like I told you. We just kept going, kept stacking. Receivers got open, caught the ball, got yards after the catch. The line gave me great protection. [We] just have to keep stacking."
(on if he felt two series were enough for him) "I was mad. I was mad. We didn't score. Penalties killed us in the red zone. We just have to minimize our penalties, have none. I feel like we didn't punch it in. I was ticked off with not scoring, because I told you guys that was my goal this year, when we get in the red zone, just to score. And, we didn't do that. Yes, I was ticked off."
(on how encouraging it is for strong practices to be translated into game performance) "That's what practice is for. You practice how you play. 'Urb,' Coach [James] Urban, has done a great job talking to me about it. I feel like last year some practices, I would lack at practice to my full potential, and now I treat practice like a game. We are scoring our practices, so if I mess up in practice or we lose, I am mad. I hate losing, so yes, treat practices like a game, and it transitions."
(on what he does when he is frustrated with his performance) "You guys won't see it, but my teammates know when I am in the huddle. They can hear my voice, because I don't really try to show emotion through all types of crazy stuff. Just play ball."
(on what RB Mark Ingram II adds to the offense) "He is a beast, you've seen it. Two touches, he was just bursting, hopping around, moving forward, getting us great yards. I just can't wait to see him in the regular season."
(on the key to improving red zone scoring) "No penalties, no sacks, no turnovers, move the ball forward, throw great passes to my receivers, catch them, let our running backs do what they do, the line just blocks. We will score touchdowns, but penalties killed us."
(on if he was disappointed to not see QB Aaron Rodgers play) "Well, I did. After the game I saw him. (laughter) It was pretty cool. I was like, 'What's up GOAT? Greatest of all time,' as soon as I saw him. There are a lot of GOATs out here, but it is Aaron Rodgers, so I have to show my respect. It was pretty cool seeing him. He was like, 'I love watching you play, hope you have a great season, get down.' I was like, 'Yes, I know where you are coming from. I understand.'"
(on what he was thinking during the touchdown run) "Even my teammates said that in practice, I don't run. I am trying to throw the ball. Even if they blow it dead for a sack, I am mad. I tell the coach, 'That wasn't a sack. If this is a game, that's not a sack. I am getting that ball out of my hand.' If I am out there in the openfield, one on one, I have to make you miss. That's just me. That's how I always played. If I get tackled by one person, I am mad. I feel like I lost that play, could have gained more yards, could have probably scored. I don't know. If I am not passing, if I do decide to run, I am trying to score a touchdown or get a first down. I am not trying to get two yards and get tackled. That's not how I play. That's not why I'm here."
ILB Alvin Jones
(on his sack) "Actually, I thought it was a run at first. So, I hit the running back, and then I looked up and saw the quarterback had the ball, so I said to myself, 'I have got to go get him.' Inside linebackers do not get a lot of sacks, so I did not want to blow that opportunity. Anyone that has got the ball is my target. Running back, quarterback does not matter, I am going to hit them."
(on suiting up against his twin brother against Green Bay) "I have actually never played against him before. We went to college together, high school together, grew up together, been on the same team all the way through. I guess the most I ever got to hit him was in practice in college. He did not really suit up tonight, but it was still cool him being on the other side. We talk all the time and we talked this week before the game. I was like, 'Do not be scared. Do not run. Let's just play the game and have fun.'"
CB/RS Cyrus Jones
(on his play tonight, especially on defense) "It was good. It was a good opportunity, and it felt good. It was a good team win."
(on what he did overall, especially on defense) "I thought I played hard, tried to fly around and do my job. That's the biggest part of [the job]."
(on if he feels more comfortable on defense getting more reps) "Yeah, whatever I can do to help the team, that's what I'm trying to do."
OLB Matthew Judon
(on how it felt on defense, especially with starters out there for a while) "All good. It was just a little glimpse of what's going to be [happening] on the season. We've been working really hard in camp and practice, and it's good to get it on film."
(on how well the defense played) "You don't expect a shutout every week. We expect to go out there and dominate any time we step on the field."
(on if he's encouraged with where the defense is now) "Yes, I am. I am. We're coming along and jelling really well. We've got a lot of guys that are playing a lot of snaps, and they're moving really fast."
(on how impressed he is with OLB Jaylon Ferguson) "I'm really impressed. He did it in college, and he continues to do it on this stage. He's taken the most of his reps and his opportunity."
(on if he was disappointed that QB Aaron Rodgers didn't play) "No, I don't play for them. They play who they play, and we've just got to go out there, and we've got to compete."
(on how good of a birthday this was for him) "It was good. Happy birthday to myself. It was good. I got to be around people that love me, a lot of my brothers and also the fans. After this, I'm going to go and enjoy it with some of my teammates and my family."
QB Trace McSorley
(on his performance tonight) "I thought we executed pretty well, improved on some things from last week to this week. There are still some things we have to clean up, but it is a process, and I think I am getting there."
(on his touchdown pass) "There was some pressure around me, but Chris did a good job of getting open and made a contested catch. I was able to get it to him, and I thought it was a real good play."
(on how he feels from Week 1 to Week 2) "I felt more confident going into this week after having that last week's experience under my belt. I felt a little bit better tonight with my preparation for this week's game."
(on the fourth-down roll-out) "That was something that the coaches saw and we thought we would have an opportunity on. We ran it earlier in the game, and they did not respect it, and they said if you got it, make a decision and go with it. It was a big play, and the O-Line did a really good job downfield blocking to get me a couple extra yards there. It was a big play, and it got us a first down."
(on being surprised how open the roll-out was) "No not really. We thought it would be there. We ran a couple of those boots earlier in the game, and we thought they would be open."
(on how comfortable he feels now) "I am feeling pretty comfortable now. I am starting to get more and more reps, so each time I am in there I feel a little more comfortable, thinking less, reacting more."
WR Chris Moore
(on his touchdown) "We came out here and executed our offense pretty well, and on the touchdown, Trace [McSorley] made an awesome throw, and I was able to bring it in for the touchdown. He had a great game, Lamar [Jackson] had a great game, and we are really excited about what we can do on offense this season."
(on the wide receiver unit) "It is kind of crazy that we are so young at receiver. There is a lot of room for growth, and we are really excited about it. We have a lot of guys that can make a lot of plays, and each week I see us grow and get better. Our upside is really high."
(on how he sees himself) "I am putting myself in the role as one of the veterans in the room. We have got a lot of young guys playing special teams, where they are called on to make plays, and that is what I did during my first couple years in the league. So, I just give them a little advice to bide their time, and their time will come."
(on the growth of QB Lamar Jackson) "He is a complete leader right now. On the field, he has got command and presence. His throws have been amazing. He is going to be an amazing quarterback this year. Off the field, he gets along with everybody on both sides of the ball. I cannot wait to see how this thing ends up."
FB/DL Patrick Ricard
(on the fumble he recovered) "I just [avoided] my block… and the ball was right there. I think the running back and the quarterback, they fumbled it right there, and I just happened to be right there, and I just saw it. I was lucky to scoop it, and it was great field position for us."
(on staying right on the field on offense after that and other times) "As soon as I recovered it, I was running off the field, and they told me 'no, you're back on offense.' That's my job here, to play offense and defense. I did it the last preseason game as well; I did it tonight. It's great for me to be able to help the offense and the defense. I've just got to keep working, keep improving and do whatever I do to help this team to win."
(on running twice and helping get first downs) "That's the first time I've gotten the ball like that since high school. It was third or fourth and short. It was just a hand-off to me. I've been doing it in practice this camp and OTAs and stuff, so I've been getting reps at it. Just haven't done it in an actual game. Did it the first time and got the first down and then did it again and got a first down, so I was happy with it. It was great to get those reps."
(on his night) "I'm just happy to play. I'm just happy to be here and whenever my name's called, give everything I've got."
S Earl Thomas III
(on his first game at M&T Bank Stadium) "I felt the energy in the house. It felt great just to be back out there playing football again. The intro was pressure to me because it was the first time in a new place. I was kind of worried about how the crowd would receive me. They showed me love. I felt the love and the energy. It felt great just to be out there playing football again."
(on the Ravens' defense) "Right now we are stacking. I thought tonight was a great situation, to see ourselves on tape, how we move together to see what we need to work on. Without looking at the tape, I think we need to work on our blitz packages. We didn't hit home and they [Green Bay Packers] were able to capitalize with some down-the-field throws. Other than that, our man coverage was solid. That's one of the positives I can take from this game."
(on the safeties in general) "We always talk about 'no weak links.' These guys are taking that challenge. If something happens to the starters, they have to be ready. I think they're doing a great job. DeShon [Elliott], Chuck [Clark], 'Double A' [Anthony Averett] – these guys are having a great camp. It's going to help us to have great depth like that, especially on special teams."
