HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "Congratulations to the Chiefs. I thought they played really well. [They] executed [on] both sides of the ball, played good, physical football and won a football game handily, [on] all three phases. I feel like they coached better; they played better; everything was better. So that's it. That's a game in the National Football League. We'll have to go back to work to figure out how to try to win our next football game. We have issues that we're dealing with, and we have to deal with them in a real smart way. [We have to] find out how to line up and play our best game against the Texans. That's going to be our task this week. I know our guys will go to work. I know our coaches will go to work to do that, and that'll be our challenge. So, any other questions or any other conversations about it are just going to be just that. We have to get to work and get ready to play a football game, and play well, and try to find a way to win a game and get on track. I believe we're going to be a good football team, we're just not a good enough football team yet. All the things that go with that are the challenges that you face in the National Football League when you get the circumstances that we've had, so that's what we'll go to work on. What questions do you have?"
QB Lamar Jackson left the game with a hamstring injury, do you know the seriousness of that? (Jamison Hensley) "No, I don't have any updates on the seriousness of injuries right now. There's nothing that looks like it's [going to be] season-ending, by any stretch, for anybody. But we'll have to look at those injuries tomorrow and see where we're at going forward."
I know you're not going to make excuses, but you were down four starters to begin with on the defensive side and lost three more. Can you just talk about the impact of losing that many starters? (Reporter) "Yes, that's kind of what I'm talking about with the challenges. Those are the challenges that you do face from time to time, and it's tough in a game like this against a really good team on the road, but you have to try to find a way to win anyway. We've never made excuses for those kinds of things, and the guys who are up there are going to play well. We have to find ways to put our guys in the best positions to execute, play after play and play a winning football game. That'll be our challenge."
Could QB Lamar Jackson have come back into the game after his hamstring injury, had the game not been a multi-score game? (Reporter) "I really don't have the answer to that right now."
Do you know what play QB Lamar Jackson was injured on? (Jeff Zrebiec) "I don't have the answer for that, no."
Can you think of a time when you have been this adversely impacted by injuries in a single game? (Kyle Goon) "I haven't really thought about that. I don't know the answer to that. I just know that this is our circumstance right now. This is what we're going to have to deal with. Like I've told the guys before, and I told the guys after the game, I respect our guys. I respect our players, and I respect our coaches. I know that we're going to go to work, and there's football to be played. There's a division to be won, and we have to find a way to become good enough to win it. So, it's a long season – but [in the] short term, it's a challenge. Right now, our focus is on the Houston Texans game. That's what we need to get locked in for, really, and find a way to play the kind of football game that we're going to need to play to win."
What do you think happened offensively? In the first drive, you went right down the field and got a lot of people involved. What sort of changed for your guys? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Well, I think you just take it drive by drive. The second drive, we went down the field again, and we had an interception, [No.] 54 [Leo Chenal] made a great play. It was just a great football play [that] he made, so that stopped that drive. Then the next drive, we came out, [and] we had two good plays, but we get two delay of games. So we're trying to – [there was a lot of] crowd noise, [and we were] trying to signal some things or change plays or whatever we were trying to do, and we took the delay of games, unfortunately. They really weren't circumstances where we wanted to take timeouts there because you know you're going to need those timeouts. We thought we could overcome them, and we almost did, but then we got another delay of game. But that's really out of character for us. I can't remember the last time we really had delay of game penalties. That's never been something that's been an issue for us. So, that was surprising, but we've got to deal with it. We have to handle it. The next drive, we came out, and we had a no-gain play to start with. It was a quick-out pass. You don't complete it. It's a quick pass. You want to try to do that against these guys. They're playing split safety, or they're playing a zone [coverage], and you want to try to get the ball out, and it was incomplete. Then you get a screen batted, now you're third-and-10. It's hard to run [the ball on] third-and-10, but I'm sure we would have run the ball on that drive if we could have gotten something going to get the drive started, but we couldn't get the drive started. The last two drives were both two-minute drives, and that's what happened. And then now you're down. They go down and score, and now you're down. And we still came out and tried to run the ball in the third quarter, and then it became a two-minute game at that point."
Are you sort of alluding to that being the reason RB Derrick Henry only had 4 carriers in the first half? (Kyle Goon) "That was it, that's my answer. That's the answer. That's the way the game went. Sometimes the game goes that way, and you don't have the opportunity [that] you want to. We were certainly planning on running the ball. That was a big part of the plan, but we didn't really have the chances to get to it like we needed to. We need to get that third and fourth drive going. We weren't able to do it."
How significant was the Chiefs blitz package? It seemed like they had a lot of success... (*Brian Wacker)* "Well, I think the big one was the zero blitz where they got us for the big loss in the first half. That was the big one. We tried to go to max protection, [but] it just didn't work out for us. It was just a bad play for us. That was a tough one. That was the worst one."
Can you provide any additional details on the team's decision to put DL Nnamdi Madubuike on IR? (R*eporter)* "I cannot. No, I cannot."
What do you feel needs to be the focus to get the defense back on track? (Jamison Hensley) "Well No. 1, we have to become consistent at stopping the run up front. That goes with the front, and the linebackers, the edge guys [and the] DBs showing ups. That has to be more consistent. [There were] way too many times in this game where the Chiefs did what they do well, they get into third-and-short. And our goal was to try to keep them to third-and-six plus, and that just consistently did not happen. And that's the combination of the run game, good, quick passing game, the boots and the different things they do, and then they outexecuted us, for sure, in those areas. We have to become much better there. It has to start with that."
You mentioned that the game started to get out of hand. I think on three of the four early short-yard third and fourth downs, you guys passed the ball instead of running for it. (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, I mean that's play calling. I am not going to sit here and say I'm happy about it, at all. I am sure that [offensive coordinator] Todd [Monken] is not happy about it either. None of us are. You have to look at that and decide what you want to run there, in some of those circumstances and situations. If they work, they look good. [The Chiefs] threw the ball on fourth-and-short and third-and-short a few times and completed them, so maybe we just need better plays, plays that are going to pop open. Maybe we have to do a better job of game-planning in those plays. That's what I would say. I think that we need to put our guys in better positions and give them opportunities to make plays in those situations, because in a game like this, you have to be aggressive, you have to go for stuff. We didn't get it done."
How concerned are you with the 1-3 start? "I'm concerned, but I'm not overwhelmed by it. We've played – the three losses are against probably three of the top teams in the league, for sure. That's just the hand we've been dealt, but it doesn't really matter. We have to win the next game. And then once you win the next game, then you have a chance to start stacking some wins. And that's what we've got to do, big picture-wise. But small picture-wise, we have to do a great job of putting together a great gameplan and a great practice and then a great game."
S KYLE HAMILTON
Opening Statement: "First, I just want to apologize to the fans. The product that we're putting on the field right now is not up to par with what the Ravens have been in the past and have been in the recent past. I think we know that. We're trying our best to correct it, but obviously, something is wrong, so it's up to all of us to try and fix that. Also, I feel like early in the week, I used a poor choice of words, just saying that Ravens fans were spoiled. I retract that. I meant in the sense that Ravens fans have been accustomed to great defense [and] great teams. [There] haven't been a lot of teams in Ravens history, since 1996, to underachieve to the point where fans felt disappointed in the season as a whole, and I feel like as of right now, in Week 4, obviously, [there is] a long way to go in this season, we're disappointed, and I'm sure the fans are disappointed, too. We have to get it fixed. We have to put a product and a team on the field that fans are proud to say they root for, proud to say they spend money on tickets to come to the games and support us. On a brighter note, I want to shout out to everybody who contributed today, specifically on the defensive side. C.J. Okoye, I think it was his first game ever in the NFL [and] did a great job. Josh Tupou just signed here this week [and] was playing for us. Brent Urban got elevated and is playing for us. Mike Green's a rookie out there playing who knows how many snaps. Tavius Robinson's a third year guy, but it seems like he's been here for 10 years, [also] Jake Hummel, Teddye Buchanan, T.J. Tampa, Malaki [Starks], Keyon Martin – an undrafted guy who makes the team – is out there playing three quarters of the game against the three-time Super Bowl champs in past however many years. So, shout out to those guys for what they did today the whole game. Obviously, it didn't go how we wanted it to, but I think that's kind of a silver lining to take from it. It's a top-down [effort] in the organization. Guys are just working hard, so we have to get it fixed. We know that. We'll do it hopefully this week."
On the impact of the injuries on the defensive side: "Obviously, you're losing multiple All-Pro guys, and that's not going to help a defense. But again, I think guys came in [and] had the right mindset. If you're out there, you're supposed to be out there, and you're in the NFL for a reason. So, anybody who's out there could make a play, could do their jobs to the best of their abilities and just play hard. That's the price of entry – just playing hard. We'll deal with the result later, but obviously, we want a better one. But if you play hard, then you can play for us."
On finding some optimism when the team potentially lost players to injuries: "We have to assess where we're at this week. I don't think we can [say], 'Hey, in three weeks, if 'X' player doesn't play, who's going to play for these?' We have to focus on this week coming up. Everybody's saying, I've said it even myself, 'In Week 16 [or] 17, we're not going to be thinking about what we did Week 3,' but we are, and we're going to be thinking about what we did these first four weeks, because now, it's making it harder on ourselves. But I think if we shift our focus to just focus on week to week – who's playing this week, what's our gameplan this week – [and] don't look forward to next week, I think it'll help a lot. To your point with the injuries, 'What's my job this week based on who's in [and] who's out?' I think if we shift our philosophy a little bit – I'm not saying we are doing it completely wrong – but there can be a better focus on being where your feet are."
On the insight of how the coaches and the leaders handle doing more with less as the team potentially faces more injuries: "I forgot John Jenkins in that group, but he played great for us today. But to your point, I think when you have a bunch of injuries to star guys, everybody kind of drops their heads. Fans, whoever [or] reporters will be like, 'Damn, we're going to be screwed at this position.' But I think those guys – credit to them – they blocked out all the noise. They just came in and played like they belong. I thought they played a great game. I don't think they were just running it down our throat the whole game. Obviously, some runs broke here and there. They had some reverses and stuff like that – like hidden yardage – but as a whole defense, I don't think we're playing bad. I know it's crazy to say that. Guys are wanting to do it so bad. It's just a matter of fine-tuning little things. When you go against players like Josh Allen, Jared Goff or Patrick Mahomes, they're going to expose the little things. So, we have to focus on little things week to week [and] keep it smaller rather than bigger. Look down a straw [like], 'This is what we need to do.' Just keep it in-house, have each other's backs, and I think we'll be much better for it. It's a lot of talking. We just have to go do it."
On if he thinks big picture about the challenge of being 1-3 and having many starters injured: "I'm thinking about how we can beat the Texans. As I said earlier – I'm not trying to belittle your point – but I'm trying to focus on here and now. In Week 16, if we're 12-4, we'd be like, 'Damn, we would've been 15-1 if we didn't lose those games.' We can't think like that. We have to think about the Texans this week and focus on getting that win, getting to 2-3. You can't get to 3-3 without getting to 2-3. [We need to] focus on them. Don't even want to worry about who we play after that. Don't even worry about when our Bye week is. Just focus on the Houston Texans coming to the Ravens and us beating them."
On the impact of possibly losing QB Lamar Jackson and not knowing the extent of the situation: "It's definitely a big impact. Cooper [Rush] was called on, and I think he did a good job, honestly. Losing Lamar [Jackson] is losing Lamar. It's going to be tough for any team with a Lamar Jackson as their starting quarterback, but I don't know the severity of it. I'm not going to speak on that. It's not my place to speak on it, but [throughout] the course of the game, I think we had guys go down, and defense guys were just like, 'Next Man Up.' I think the offense did a good job of that, and went out, got a few first downs – I think put some points on the board, too – so props to 'Coop.' I'm praying for Lamar. I don't know how serious it is, but we'll see."
RB DERRICK HENRY
On how disappointing it is for the team to be 1-3: "[The Chiefs] were the better team today. We just have to go back to the drawing board, fix some mistakes, watch some film, make corrections and look forward to Houston, but give them credit."
On if he saw the moment where QB Lamar Jackson got injured: "I can't speak for Lamar [Jackson]. I don't know. I don't know what happened. Hopefully, [we will] get him back, and [I'm] praying for him."
On if it was difficult to establish momentum in the game with his number of carries: "I always try to take advantage of my opportunities. I don't try to get too caught up in that. [I] just [try to] make something happen when I'm out there with the opportunities I get."
On if it was more difficult to run with a different quarterback other than QB Lamar Jackson: "Everybody has to prepare like a starter. Cooper [Rush] went in there and did his job. If Lamar [Jackson] can go, he can go. If not, Cooper will be up."
On how concerned he is with the current injury status of the team: "The 'injury bug' is real right now for us. Hopefully, guys can get healthy and get back out there. I never want to see guys go down, but it just means other guys have to step up."
On how big of a challenge it is with the current injury status and record: "Bring it on. I look at it with a positive mindset. We are 1-3. Nobody is going to come out and do it for us. We have to go back to work."
On if he believes that his offensive responsibilities will increase depending on the status of QB Lamar Jackson: "I'm going to do whatever is asked. Whatever can help us win, I'm always down for."
On what has to happen to get back to where he wants the offense to be: "Just having a growth mindset. [We] want to continue to get better, fix the mistakes [and] correct those mistakes. [We have to] just be positive. It's easy to have the 'Why me's' right now and finger point, but I don't think anybody wants to do that. I think everybody just wants to move past this one, get ready for Houston and come back to work and get ready to go."
RB JUSTICE HILL
On QB Lamar Jackson's injury: "I didn't really actually see what happened or when that happened. I just saw 'Coop' [Cooper Rush] warming up and going out there. Anybody on our team, [and] anybody on the offense is more than capable of making plays, so when I saw 'Coop' going up, nothing changed. My mind is just go out there, execute and make plays."
On if today's loss with all of the injuries was rattling for the team: "No, that's a part of the game. Not everything is going to be sunshine and rainbows. Last year, we started off slow, and we made the playoffs and went deep. So, I don't think it's rattling for anybody on our team. We just know what we need to do going forward to be in the place where we want to be."
On if today's loss hurt more than normal: "A loss is a loss, a win is a win, and they all hurt the same. The wins are fun regardless of a blowout or a close one, so obviously, this loss stings, and we're just going to get back to the drawing board."
On all of the injuries suffered in today's game: "That's just part of the game. We play a violent game, and that's a part of it. I've been here seven years now, and we've had a couple seasons like that where it's one [injury] after another. It just kind of shows you your character, the culture of our team and the depth that we have, too. Anybody can go out there and perform just as well. Obviously, it sucks. I'm praying for those guys. Hopefully, they return quickly, but we're just going to continue to do what we do."
On the mindset going into next week's game vs. Houston: "Go out and win the next game. Regardless of who's out there, we're just going to go out there and win the next game."
On if he thinks about last year's slow start and still making the playoffs: "We know who we have and what we are, and one loss is not going to change that. We're just going to continue to build on what we know and execute when we need to execute. Honestly, that's all it really comes down to is our execution. It doesn't matter what play calls they call. We just have to go out there and make them work. So, we'll just go back to the drawing board."
On what has kept the offense from sustaining drives: "[The Chiefs are] a great team. They're a great team. At the end of the day, yes, you would like to go out and have 10-play drives and 80-yard drives every single time you get the ball, but sometimes you have to respect the opponent. They made some good plays, and so we're going to continue to work, like I've said before, and go out there and put up some more points."
On if he talked to QB Lamar Jackson after he left the game and what his message was for the team: "I haven't gotten a chance to [talk to Lamar Jackson], but I'm pretty sure his message is the same as everybody else's. We have a long season. This is Week 4. When we're in Week 17, nobody's going to remember Week 3 and 4, so we're just going to continue to work, stacks some wins and keep moving forward."
On what it will take to execute the way the team wants to: "It takes 11 guys to be on the same page and everybody doing their jobs, regardless [if] that's offense, defense or special teams. It's a team sport, and so you need everybody to do their jobs, do their individual parts, to come together and win games. That's all it's going to take – nothing out of the ordinary."
NT JOHN JENKINS
On the plan and adjustments made to stop the run throughout the game: "The plan was do our jobs and win the game, just like any other week. Obviously, the [result] was the [result], and we just have to get back to the drawing board and figure it out."
On how tough it was to lose players to injury throughout the game: "That's football. It's football. I've been around [the game for] over a decade. I've seen it, from my rookie year losing Jonathan Vilma and Victor Butler and those guys, to losing Roquan [Smith] and the guys we lost tonight. It happens, and we just have to make sure that the guys who are next up are prepared."
On the team's morale right now: "I love this team. Everybody comes in week-in and week-out trying to be better, and that's all you can ask for. For a guy that's been around for so long, you want to make sure that you're putting the work in, and you're seeing the guys doing it. It's just tough, because a lot of these guys are figuring it out along the way, so you just want to see the best in guys [and reap the rewards, so it's just tough, and we just have to keep moving and keep working."
On some of the guys who stepped up and tried to keep morale high: "Everybody. 'Big C.J.' [Okoye], shout out to 'Big C.J.'. He was doing his thing. 'Key' [Keyon Martin] was doing his thing [and] the linebacker corps. Everybody was trying to do their job. It's just tough. You have to understand the people we've been playing are high caliber teams. This is the NFL, and [anyone can win] any given Sunday."
On the possibility of his role increasing: "I'm just going to keep putting in the work. The best way to earn the respect of the locker room is as long they see you putting in the work and not taking anything for granted. That's how I was brought into the league. I saw the 'OGs' put in work, and I just followed what they were doing, and hopefully, I can contribute the same thing [with] me putting in the work. Hopefully, I do enough for the young guys to respect me enough to see me as a person to follow."
On players doing their jobs and why that's not clicking: "It's tough. We're playing chess, not checkers. A lot of the guys are still figuring it out. We're young, and there's a lot of responsibility for a young guy, for a high-caliber team and a high-caliber organization. This is a high-caliber organization; all they know is winning. So, there is a standard that was made, and these guys are trying to fulfill the standards, and they're putting in the work. I commend them. These guys are really putting in the work, and it just sucks that we just took this loss tonight, but at the same time, the Kansas City Chiefs, they're a good team. It's any given Sunday."
On responding to a 1-3 start: "We're going to work. We're going to work. [Head coach John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Zach Orr] are great leaders, and we're going to do what we can to fulfill our jobs, and they're just going to keep leading the way, and we're going to keep following, and we're just going to keep working, putting our head down, putting the hard hat on and whatever they need us to do, we're going to keep trying to chop wood to do what we need to do to fulfill the jobs that they require us to do."
C TYLER LINDERBAUM
On what happened in today's game: "We have to be better is what it comes down to. It has to be better. [The Kansas City Chiefs] beat us today, and we [have to] move on."
On what the offense's mindset was with many defensive players going down due to injury: "Offense focuses on offense. Defense focuses on defense. At the end of the day, we have to try to score more points than the opposing team, which we didn't do."
On the emotional and physical challenges of being down several starters during the game: "Obviously, injuries are never fun, but it's a part of the game. It's the 'Next Man Up' mentality, and you have to be a leader of all three phases – no matter who's in the game. It doesn't really matter who's playing. We all are going to have the expectation to play at a high level."
On if the Ravens were surprised by anything the Chiefs did or if execution by the Ravens was the problem: "It's totally on us and on [the Chiefs] for playing better than us."
On what he thought of T Joe Noteboom's performance after T Ronnie Stanley was injured: "[I am] proud of Joe [Noteboom] for stepping up. It's not an easy position to step into. He prepared all week like he was going to be the starter, and he got the playing time. So, I am proud of him [that he] stepped in and played a big role on the team."
On what the offensive line needs to improve the protection: "Obviously, the ideal is to have zero sacks a game. We have to continue to work and strive to get to that goal."
On being 1-3 and not being where they want to be: "We got beat. We got beat today; we got beat in all three phases, and you have to move on to the Texans game."
OLB TAVIUS ROBINSON
On the message from the coaching staff and the team in lieu of defensive injuries: "Just that we had to step up everywhere, fill in for those guys and play well, so that was kind of the message."
On what the mental and physical challenges were of players going down due to injury in the game: "Yes, of course it sucks to see your guys go down, but at the end of the day, you always have to step up and try to fill that void when we lose guys."
On what he believes are the issues with the defense: "I think, again – and we've talked about it during the week – it's just about doing your 1-of-11, being where you're supposed to be and playing as a whole defense. Because when we do our 1-of-11, we're good."
On what it takes to not panic after tonight: "I think there's still a lot of football to be played, so you have two hours where we could sit here and drown in the water, or we can pick ourselves up. There's still a lot of season left, so that's what we're going to do."
On the reasons for the defensive struggles: "I don't know. I don't know if it's just [not] being detail-oriented, but that's important. You have to know exactly where you have to be."
On how tough it was to play through the adversity in the game: "It's tough, but I think at the end of the day, we still are going to go out on our shield. It, obviously, sucks when your guys go down, but again, people have to step up, and we just have to play better."
On if he felt he had to compensate for the loss of players due to injury: "I wouldn't say compensate, because at the end of the day, if you try to do too much, again, you can't do someone else's job. So, I think it's just about, again, guys stepping up, and we have to play better as a whole."
