HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening statement: "OK, obviously, congratulations to the Bengals. They played a winning football game and deserved the victory. We did not play a winning football game, and that's what happens when you don't play winning football. So, [I am] disappointed in that. We'll pull ourselves together and get ready for Pittsburgh coming in here. Everything we want to accomplish is still in front of us, and we'll go to work on the next game. Every game stands alone. This one we'll put behind us, and we'll look forward to what we can accomplish going forward. What questions do you have?"
Tonight, QB Lamar Jackson had three turnovers – something that doesn't happen very often with him. Has Lamar over the past few games looked like Lamar to you? (Jamison Hensley) "When you turn the ball over as much as we did tonight, that's the story of the game. We have to do ... We just can't do it. You can't do it if you want to win football games."
Did Cincinnati do anything different? I know the turnovers, of course, but did they show you anything different defensively that you weren't expecting? (Luke Jones) "No."
Were you happy with how much you ran the ball tonight? (Kyle Goon) "You try to do what you can do to win the game. If they're going to put a bunch of people up there – we had a lot of open guys, and you saw opportunities to score. I think we had two of them called back that were the result of throwing the ball against the looks they were giving us. So, it's a matter of finishing those plays and putting them in the end zone."
What can you tell us about CB Nate Wiggins with the foot injury? (Luke Jones) "Nate [Wiggins]'s injury is not serious in terms of [being] a long-term injury. I don't know if it'll be next week or what; We will have to see where that goes. Then Chandler [Martin] has a more serious knee injury."
Speaking of injuries, do you have any update on RB Justice Hill? He suddenly was hurt, and then he was on IR. (Bo Smolka) "[Justice Hill] had a neck thing that was kind of bothering him, and all of a sudden, it caused some issues. They went and looked at it, and he's a disc issue. It's going to keep him out for a few weeks."
The Jets and the Bengals before you guys played them, did not have very high statistic defenses. We hear a lot from offensive coordinator Todd Monken after games, that we have to scheme better, coach better and execute better. Do you see evidence that that can happen after especially the last two performances of your offense? (Kyle Goon) "Of course, absolutely. It is the National Football League. Anybody that watches the National Football League, is a fan of the National Football League or covers the National Football League or watches the other games understands it's a week-to-week league."
Is there any reason for you to think QB Lamar Jackson has had accuracy issues over the recent weeks? (Jeff Zrebiec) "I just think you try to do the best you can from play to play and game to game to execute and make plays."
Is QB Lamar Jackson fully healthy? (Brian Wacker) "Fully healthy? Yes, Lamar [Jackson] is fully healthy to play. Yes, absolutely."
What would you have wanted to see the offense do better against some of those Cover 0 looks that Cincinnati showed? (Jonas Shaffer) "Well, you put it all together. You'd like to be able to make them pay for it, get the ball in somebody's hands quickly or pick it up and extend the play if you can – all those things are what you try to do. We did not do a good job of that tonight."
You preached turnovers all year ever since going back to the summer, is it just reminding them, or how frustrating is it to see that happen? (Jeff Zrebiec) "It's just one of those kind of games. We had a bad game with that. We did not protect the football. It's not good. It's on me. I'm a coach, and my job is to make it clear to the guys that that's not OK. You put the ball away. You protect the football. That's how it's done – you catch it, you put it away, you finish the run. You do whatever you have to do to protect the football because that's job No. 1. That's what wins and loses games. Our guys know that. Everybody knows it, and it's my responsibility to make sure they understand that and that we practice it that way every single day, and it carries over to the game."
We talked earlier in the season about there were some games where you feel like the defense was just on the field for too many plays. Did you feel like that happened again tonight? (Childs Walker) "I haven't thought about it that way. I'll take a look at that, though, as we look at it tomorrow, but I haven't thought of it that way this quickly after the game."
TE MARK ANDREWS
On if it felt like they were swimming upstream all game tonight: "Yes, it's just kind of how it went. I think that in the game, there were some really good things, but we just weren't efficient enough, and we didn't play well enough as a team."
On what he's seeing from QB Lamar Jackson: "Lamar [Jackson] is great. I have no complaints. He's our guy, and I have full trust in him. Football is a way of life. Sometimes bad things happen. We learn to rebound, grow, learn, and not long ago, we were 1-5. We're 6-6. We're going to be all right. We just have to keep fighting, keep clawing, keep being humble, being thankful, and I'm certainly thankful for him."
On if five offensive turnovers can wear on the team as the game goes on: "Those are controllables. Those are things that we can control, and I think that's the beauty of it. We'll just go back and focus on ourselves, focus on taking care of that ball, and good things will happen."
On mentoring TE Isaiah Likely after a fumble: "[Isaiah Likely] was fighting his butt off. [He had] nonstop scrambles [and is] making plays. Again, he probably wants that back, but he was playing his butt off. I'm very proud of him."
On if this loss is disappointing considering the defense limited the Bengals in the red zone in the first half: "Yes, [the defense] certainly did [keep the Bengals out of the end zone]. For us as an offense, I think there are plays all over offense, defense and special teams that we wish we had back, but we have to be better for those guys."
On setting the franchise record for receptions: "I think you said it. Right now, I wish we would've won this game, but that's OK. We will get back in the lab. I'm very thankful to be in this position and to have that record, but [I have] a lot of people around me to thank for that."
CB CHIDOBE AWUZIE
On the difficulty of getting off the field as the game went on: "The standard is the standard, no matter how long we're on the field. I feel like we were confident enough and good enough, in any situation that we're put in, to come out on top, and that's kind of on us. Towards the end, they started scoring points, and that's something that we pride ourselves on, especially during this winning streak that we were on. Teams weren't scoring, so that happened, but now we get the chance to look at the film, get a chance to get better and move on."
On how much it hurt to see CB Nate Wiggins leave the game: "It hurts a lot. Nate [Wiggins] is one of the guys that just brings the energy. We all kind of rally behind him, especially when he gets it going. He can definitely turn up the whole team, so we're definitely going to be praying for him for a speedy recovery. Hopefully, it's not too serious, and he's back on the field soon."
On how he's feeling after missing a few plays: "I feel good. I feel good."
On if the team feeds off CB Nate Wiggins' energy: "Most definitely. Who said [Nate Wiggins] was quiet? On the field, his game is loud. He lets it be known. When he's out there, he just brings it, and everybody kind of feeds off that. Really for all our DBs, when someone makes a play, we're so close knit [to where] it's like you made the play. It feels just as good, so that's something that I'm very proud of in our secondary."
On if there's anything that the offense could take from the defense's early season struggles: "Just stay the course. On both sides, we're not perfect. We're definitely not perfect, but on both sides, I feel like as long as we're improving [and] staying the course, that momentum will turn. That's on both sides of the ball. We can't blame it on the offense, we can't blame it on special teams, and we can't blame it on the defense. We're all a team, so obviously, if there's any habits that we have as a team, we'll address that. We'll have a couple of days extra before we head into next week, so I'm excited to really see what we can do to get better."
WR ZAY FLOWERS
On it being a strange game that included five turnovers: "We just had a bad game. It happens sometimes, but we are on to next week. We have another division game, and we have to move on."
On missing an opportunity to win at home on national television: "It's the NFL. You win some, you lose some. You have to move on to the next week."
On if he feels like something is not clicking offensively: "Yes, if I'm being honest, but whatever it is, we just have to work it out. We have to figure it out."
On when the offense is at its best, if he sees a common denominator: "Yes, I do, but that is all in the past now. We lost this week, but now we are on to next week."
On what it will take to get things back on track: "Start executing. That's what we have to start doing."
On what he thought of his pass interference call in the end zone: "I'm not the referee. I can't reverse it."
On the variety of injuries that QB Lamar Jackson has suffered: "He is out there fighting with us. As long as he is fighting, and we are fighting with him, we will be alright."
S KYLE HAMILTON
On how frustrating it was for the defense to not get off the field when Cincinnati converted third downs: "It is 60 minutes of sustained success in this league. We played a great first half, I think. We were put in some tough positions, and we held them to three points, and that's what our offense counts on us to do, and that's what we're out there to do. But in the second half, it's a 60-minute game, and we know that, and we understand that. We have to execute better. But all in all, I think guys are out there fighting. We had some guys go down and some guys step up today."
On if there were dramatic scheme changes after CB Nate Wiggins left the game with an injury: "I don't think there were too many schematic changes going on, honestly. We trust everybody to go out there and perform to the best of their abilities and to the standard that we have. [Defensive coordinator] 'Z.O.' [Zach Orr] is going to call it how 'Z.O' is going to call it, and everybody that steps on that field should be able to do their job. I think it may have just been the flow of the game. [The Bengals] had a lead, so they were going bigger people, and we might've been switching people around because of that. I'm not really sure. I'm just trying to answer your question, but yes, we're confident in everybody that's out there."
On how well Bengals QB Joe Burrow threw the ball: "[Joe Burrow] made some great throws. That's who he is, and that's why he's regarded as one of the best in our league. He has the stats, been to the Super Bowl, all this other stuff, and it's not by accident. He made a couple great throws on critical plays. [He] made a great throw against me on third down, and [Tanner] Hudson, I think, made a great catch, and that's just part of this league. It's the NFL, and you're going to win some, you're going to lose some, and [it's] next-play mentality, But yes, he puts the ball where it needs to be, and that's kind his forte."
On how surprising it is for him to see QB Lamar Jackson not be as successful: "It's one of those days that you have, and defense had a lot of those days early in the year. We aren't pointing the finger at anybody, not pointing the finger at Lamar [Jackson], not pointing the finger at whoever it may be – skill guys, O-line, whatever it may be. We're all one family. We have to roll with the punches and get through the lows and the highs at the same time. So, [I don't] really think of it as a surprise that he's throwing the ball or whatever he may have been throwing it today. He is on point and on time in practice, and it just doesn't go that way sometimes in the game. But he's a competitor, and he's one of the best. [He's] a two-time MVP for a reason, so even LeBron [James] has an off night."
On how he has seen QB Lamar Jackson carry himself over the past couple of performances: "[Lamar Jackson] is the same Lamar. I think that's a good thing. Obviously, on the opposite side of the ball, we're getting stuff fixed on our side just like they're getting stuff fixed on their side. The narrative could switch very easily, just because he is a high-profile player and, like I said, a two-time MVP, so people are quick to criticize and jump to conclusions. But you have a tough two- [or] three-game stretch, and you don't really get any leeway there if you're Lamar Jackson. He doesn't care about any of that. He's just trying to do what's best for this team so we can win football games. I know that, I see it on a daily basis, and I know he'll get it right. I'm not worried about that at all. I know everybody on the offensive side and defensive side, we're coming up on Week 14 now, but we have a lot of stuff to get better at, but I think we've made a lot of progress at the same time."
On how much rides on the upcoming game against the Pittsburgh Steelers: "Objectively, a lot rides on this game coming up and pretty much every game, including this one, from here on out. They remember what you do in December, so December's coming up. We have a big December, and yes, I think we have the guys to do it. We have the mentality to do it. It's just a matter of doing it."
On how surprised he was about the defense's performance on third-down situations: "It's football at the end of the day. This is the National Football League with the best players in the world. We hold ourselves to a standard, but they're going to make plays. We're going to make plays. We just have to make more plays than they do. I thought we did a good job. [Those were] just tough situations, sudden change, bowing up in the red zone. The game could have gotten out of hand early if we weren't doing that, and we set ourselves up to be in position in the second half. [We] just didn't finish the right way on defense. It's not like we're doing the wrong stuff. It's just [about] winning your one on ones; that's part of the game. We'll watch the film whenever we watch it, digest it, correct it, and then flush it. So, onto Pittsburgh after that."
RB DERRICK HENRY
On what happened to the offense after the opening drive: "Turnovers. [We had] five turnovers; [those are] self-inflicted wounds."
On how frustrating it is that the offense is struggling to produce: "How frustrating is it? I think it's self-explanatory. We need to be better – we all know that – and we weren't today. They were the better team today, that's why they won. But yes, we need to be better."
On why he thinks the offense has struggled to find consistency recently: "We had five turnovers today. [Our] execution just has to be better. [We need to] string plays together and finish drives with points and not shoot ourselves in the foot with mistakes."
On how he thinks the offense can improve their execution at this point in the season: "I'm not going to tell you no. I feel like we can, yes. I have confidence in my team. I wouldn't ever say no, that I don't think we're able get over the hump."
On if he wants more carries: "Naturally, I want take advantage of the opportunities I get. I'm not one to cry in the media or complain. Whatever I get, [I] try to take advantage of it."
On what he can take away from this game going into a matchup against another AFC North opponent next week: "We have to be better. We were not the team we needed to be today to win. They were the better team. [We need to] go back and watch the film, fix what we need to fix and come back ready to go for Pittsburgh next time."
WR DeANDRE HOPKINS
On his 1,000th reception: "It means a lot. [Having] 1,000 catches, to me, means being reliable. It means your quarterback can depend on you. And I think for me, doing it with the number of quarterbacks that I have done it with, it says something about how I was brought up. Being a patient person, just grinding."
On what he thinks the offense lacked tonight: "I go out there and run routes, the routes I am told to run. I really can't get into what we lacked tonight, but I do know, whenever you lose the turnover margin the way we did tonight, your odds really aren't good. And this Bengals team really capitalized on it."
QB LAMAR JACKSON
On having multiple turnovers in tonight's game and if he's feeling like his normal self: "No, I just have to play consistently. I can't have turnovers, especially in any game – not just this game, but in any game – I can't have turnovers. [I had] two fumbles and the interception – the tipped [ball] interception. We have to be consistent. We're putting our defense on the field too much. I can't have that."
On his frustration level about putting the defense on the field too often: "I can't describe that. The level of frustration [is that] I'm ticked off. It's not even frustrating, I'm just mad because – like I said – we can't have that. And the turnovers are a big part of winning [and] losing games. Turning the ball over [and] giving them an extra possession – this is the outcome."
On if the turnovers started to feel like a snowball effect: "Yes, it was like you said, weird fumbles. But, we have to hold onto the ball. I'm not even talking about – I'm talking about myself. [I have to] hold onto the ball [and] make throws. I feel like I missed throws. That was – I don't miss those. It has to be consistent."
On if his recent issues with throwing the ball are mechanical: "No, I've been throwing like that all this time. I just have to be consistent."
On why he thinks the offense has been performing poorly recently: "I don't know, I can't call it. I really can't [because] I don't want to make anything up. I felt like we were doing things pretty well on the field. We got first downs, we drove the ball down the field sometimes, and then a turnover would happen – a mishap – here and there. We just have to be on the same page [and] be consistent. Like I just said, that's the biggest key right now; being consistent throughout the game, [from the] first quarter to fourth quarter, and not putting our defense on the field as much as we did."
On if he felt like the Cincinnati Bengals calling zero blitzes on third down gave him trouble: "No, I don't."
On if his recent injuries have impacted his performance: "No, I just have to be more consistent. I have to make those throws. I don't miss them in practice, so I shouldn't be missing them in the game."
On if he feels like he is seeing the field the way that he want to: "Yes, I feel like I'm seeing the field pretty good, for the most part, but I just have to be consistent. We always just have to be consistent."
On what happened on the play where he fumbled on a forward pass in the second quarter: "Yes, I saw Zay [Flowers] on the post – it was 'Cover 2' – I saw Zay on a post and I tried to pull the ball back to make sure there wasn't a 'Tampa 2' MIKE [linebacker]. I didn't want to just throw it blindly, [and] when I was pulling it back, it just fell out of my hand. I have to hold onto the ball."
On being 6-6 and where the team goes from here: "We have to go watch film, clean up what happened tonight, and just lock in, because we have two divisional opponents [coming up]. We have to see Cincy in two weeks. We have to see the Steelers in 10 days. [We] just have to lock in and be consistent. [We need to] put points on the board – like I've been saying – but we just have to actually do it."
On if he feels like this is the toughest stretch the Ravens have been through while he's been on the team: "No, I don't. I don't."
On what he thinks he needs to do to find consistency: "Just be me; be Lamar [Jackson]. That's all."
On if he had anything specific done with his cleat to protect his toe: "No, I was good. My toe was good."
G/T EMERY JONES JR.
On how it felt to play in his first NFL game: "It felt really good to get out there with the guys and show what I can do, display my talent a little bit [and] show that I can help the team a little bit. Unfortunately, we just didn't get the win today, so we're going to go back to the drawing board [and] do what we have to do to figure out how to get the win in the next coming weeks."
On the conversations with coaches this week leading up to playing in his first NFL game: "Honestly, [I was] just trying to focus on the process. Coach 'Harbs' [head coach John Harbugh] and [the other coaches], they have us on a strict process and just trying to do their best to keep us focused. There's a lot of outside noise, especially how we started this season, and I'm just focused on getting out there with the guys. There's not really much talk about it. [They didn't say], 'Oh, you're playing this week,' and stuff like that. I'm just kind of preparing every week as if I'm going to be playing."
On if it's challenging to be in a rotating role on the offensive line: "Honestly, I'm just happy for the opportunity. There's been a lot of work put into it, a lot of time that I had to wait to get healthy, and honestly, I'm just happy for the opportunity to get out there and help the guys."
On how he'd evaluate his night: "I think I had a good night. I had one holding call that I wish I could get back, but other than that, I felt like I played pretty decently."
TE ISAIAH LIKELY
On his fumble near the endzone: "Yes. I was just trying to make a play on the ball – trying to give the offense a spark – and I just have to hold onto the ball and be more protective of the football. The organization is in my hands."
On if it felt like the offense was swimming upstream the whole game: "[We were] really just trying to look for a play out there. [It was] just mistake after mistake, little details after little details. So everybody is just trying to be that guy to make a play. I felt like, just like you said, everything was going wrong. We just need to, as an offense, just come together, talk about it and really just get back and [get] going."
On if he feels like things for the offense haven't been clicking over the last few weeks: "Yes. That's just us getting back to the drawing board and seeing what's going on offensively, get back to the film room, get back to practice and get going."
On why he thinks the offense is having trouble replicating what they have done in the past: "It just goes back to the little details. It's back to the fundamentals. [We need to] really just hone in on watching the film and seeing what we can do better than going into this next game."
On how he would assess where the offense is right now: "I'd say just up and down. Like you said, there are drives where it's perfect [and] we look like us, and there are drives where it's three-and-out or [there is a] turnover, or it's just a bad play. So, it's just [about] trying to get back to winning football, and trying to get back to us."
ILB ROQUAN SMITH
On what changed during the second half: "Well, we ended up giving up two touchdowns in the second half. I can't remember, but I know I gave up one, as well, and yes, as a defense, [if] they don't score, they don't win, regardless of the circumstances. That's just how it is."
On if their preparation was affected because Bengals QB Joe Burrow had missed time with injury: "No, absolutely not. There will be a couple of small things, for sure, but at the end of the day, [Joe Burrow] is one of the elite quarterbacks in this league, and at the end of the day, he's going to show up and do his job. Our job is to stop him from doing his job, and we didn't do that good enough tonight. That's what it is, and everyone just has to look themselves in the mirror – both sides of the ball – and just be like, 'Did I do my job to the best of my ability?' That's what I think it is, including myself."
On how not having CB Nate Wiggins in the second half impacted the defense: "It sucks when a warrior goes down like Nate [Wiggins]. [He is] one of the best corners in the league, but it's the next-man-up mentality. Regardless of the circumstances, the next man up has to step up, and I thought, [the Bengals are] going to make [their] plays, but at the end of the day, it's more about us. We just didn't get the job done today, and I don't think corner play is what hurt us [or] what made us lose this game."
On losing home primetime games this season: "At the end of the day, every game is important, and when you're at home, you have to defend your turf. That's what it's just about. Like I said earlier, it's just more so [that] each and every person has to look at themselves in the mirror and say, 'Did I do all that I could to make us win?' That's just what it is, including myself. That's just as simple as it is, and we just have to play better."
On head coach John Harbaugh's post-game message to the team with the long weekend ahead: "That was the message. It was the message for the locker room, and it's just more about we'll have to handle what we have to handle."
On how Bengals QB Joe Burrow played in his first game back from injury: "Like I said, [Joe Burrow] is one of the elite quarterbacks in this league, so he's always going to present a lot of challenges, but at the end of the day, it is more about us, and it's about us just doing our job to the best of our ability, and we didn't do that play in and play out. [We] made some great plays, but at the end of the day, our job is to prevent them from scoring, and they scored. We have the mindset [that if] they don't score, they don't win, so that's as simple as it is."
T RONNIE STANLEY
On what he saw from the offense after the first drive: "[There was] not enough production. We weren't finishing the drives. [There were] too many mistakes. [It was] a lot of the things that we've been battling."
On his thoughts about the run game's performance: "I thought the run game, especially early on, got going. We got Derrick [Henry] going, and he rushed for a touchdown early on. I think we just have to keep it going and keep the momentum going, and we make sure that's our identity, and we have to make it work."
On if there are instances where players can suggest ideas for offensive plays: "Yes, that's definitely part of it is the collaboration part. Wanting to get back to the run – that's something that we encourage the coaches to do when we come back to the sideline. But we're still going to go out there and run whatever play is called."
On how he thought G/T Emery Jones Jr. played: "I thought [Emery Jones Jr.] played great besides the one penalty. But the effort he gave, he showed that he can play this league."
On how frustrating it is to not execute the offensive success that they want: "Yes, it's very frustrating, especially being around football for a little bit, playing for a while and just understanding the type of personnel we have [and] the type of people we have. That's just not our standard, especially speaking for the offense. I thought the defense did a great job, but offensively, that's not our standard."
On if there is a snowball effect of frustration when offensive drives come up short: "Yes, no doubt. That's the other team gaining momentum, and that's just part of the game. Adversity's going to strike and going late into the season and postseason, those type of things are going to happen. The best teams weather those type of storms and still push through at the end."
On why he thinks the offense hasn't clicked as a whole this season: "I can't speak to one thing in particular, but I just know that I believe and I'm confident that we're going to figure it out. I know we are, because I'm going to make sure that this offense gets going the way it's supposed to be."
On if he thinks that injuries are hindering QB Lamar Jackson's performance: "No, I can't say so from my perspective. I can't speak for [Lamar Jackson]."
On what he is going to do to help the offense be successful: "I think just not leaving anything unanswered, making sure all the questions are asked and making sure everyone knows what we're going to do in any situation."
