HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening statement: "All right. Obviously, I am getting a little tired of getting up here and having this conversation, but we had our opportunities. We created our opportunities, and we put ourselves in a position where we could have won that football game. Probably, you could say, in some ways, we should have won it, but we didn't do the things that you have to do to win the game. We made some critical mistakes that cost us an opportunity to win the game, and that's really what it boils down to. So, that's what we have to get straightened out. That'll be the key going forward. Within all of that, there's a lot of good things there that tell me that we can be the kind of football team that we want to be for the rest of the season, and we'll build on all those things. And like I told the guys, what we've got to be able to do is understand, really, how close you are sometimes, and you can't allow the weight of the disappointment or the weight of the scrutiny – you can't allow that to derail you or to sidetrack you or to push you away from your goal, because we can accomplish what we want to accomplish. We can do it. We're the kind of team that can do it. So, we [will] take the rest of this time now. We'll practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, and there's plenty of things we can work on. There's plenty of things we can build on, which I'm happy about, and then we push into next week, and we have to go win the next game. Alright, what questions do you have?"
With the quarterback, were there any thoughts of maybe going to QB Tyler Huntley a little earlier than what you did? (*Jamison Hensley)* "My plan was to play [Tyler Huntley and Cooper Rush] both throughout the course of the game. As we went through the game, as you feel the game, when you make a change, it wasn't going to be necessarily a change. It was going to be Cooper then Tyler; it could have been Tyler, then Cooper again. It could have been any one of those things. [With] the way the first half went, it didn't seem to be a moment to bring him out. [During the] second half, we had a drive going and then we turned it over. So, I think you could say that, maybe, but I don't necessarily think there was an obvious moment to do that. But the plan all along was to play both quarterbacks."
I think only three teams have started 1-5 and gone on to make the playoffs. You talk about things you can build on from this game. What things do you kind of find as building blocks out of the bye week? (*Kyle Goon)* "I mean so many things in the game itself [and] the players we have, [and] that we're going to have healthy players coming back. Our quarterback [Lamar Jackson] is going to be back. That's probably a big one. Our middle linebacker [Roquan Smith] will be back, and then all of the things from the tape that we saw; I thought our defense played pretty darn well against a high-powered offense. It was good to see. We needed to see that. We added a safety [Alohi Gilman] – I thought that dynamic was a good dynamic for us on defense. When you watch that, you're probably going to feel pretty good about that when you watch that tape again. And within that, the way individual players played. So that's it. Only three teams have done it? Good, good. What an opportunity."
With the tush push with TE Mark Andrews there at the end of the first half, twice in a row. Did you give any consideration to not going to it on a second-straight play? (*Brian Wacker)* "Of course you do, but I feel like the main consideration – I think all of us would agree, every single player and coach would agree, that we should be pushing that in [the end zone] there. It should get pushed in on the first one, and if not the first one, it should get pushed in on the second one. So, yes, we gave consideration. The fact that it didn't go in, I think it's easy to criticize it; I do the same myself, but come on, we should be able to put that in there, so I'm disappointed in that one. Then the other play – I didn't love that play either."
Why do you think they didn't work? (*Bo Smolka)* "We didn't get any push. You've got to get 'pad under pad,' and you have to get push, and we didn't do it. We're a big, physical, offensive line with big physical guys. Mark [Andrews] is a big physical guy, and he's pushing, so that should happen. We didn't do it well, I can tell you that. We didn't do as well as the Eagles do it. That's obvious. We don't expect to be as good as they do it, necessarily. That's kind of what they do, but we can do it well enough to score from inside the 1-yard line; there's no question about that. I give the Rams credit, but that's on us. That should get done. Everybody, every person in that [locker] room will tell you the same thing."
You mentioned QB Lamar Jackson is for sure back for the Chicago Bears as soon as...? (Morgan Adsit*)* "I mean for sure? I'm saying so, but I don't know. That's how life is sometimes. You can't predict everything. It's still the future, but that's the hope."
What did you see about the transition for the defense to go into more of a three-safety nickel? How did S Alohi Gilman look and S Kyle Hamilton playing closer to the line? (*Luke Jones)* "That was kind what I was talking about. I really feel that was a workforce. It was a good thing. It was something that we thought would be good, and it was good, and we can build on that. Then [with] Marlon [Humphrey] coming in and out and [the] different options it gives us as far as all of our packages and our blitzes and things like that. So, it's a good formula for us."
How'd you feel overall about, besides the first-and-goal at the 1-yard line and the short-yardage execution. I think there was also the second drive you had a fourth-and-3 tough pass. (*Kyle Goon)* "Thanks for bringing that up. I thought we did a lot of good things. That's what I'm saying. We converted a couple of fourth downs. How many did we convert? Two, and then we had penalties on a couple more. With the short-yardage [plays], you look at what Tyler [Huntley] and what Cooper [Rush] did with the cadence, and our guys with the cadence got them to jump maybe two other times, perhaps. Those are big. Those are things that we executed well, so there's a lot of good there."
We asked you last week if any staff changes might be on the table; fans will ask that question. Again, going into the bye week, where are you on that issue? (*Childs Walker)* "Maybe you could ask me specifics. I don't really have any plans to do that. No, I don't think there's any obvious move there that would make us better. So, I appreciate you asking. It's a tough one. I don't know why that always comes up, really. I guess maybe it's part of it, but I love our guys. They work hard, and I think they're doing a good job of coaching. I'm sure they want some things back, too. Certainly, we can do things better."
Do you have any idea on OLB Tavius Robinson with the foot injury? (*Luke Jones)* "Yes, it's not good. Tavius Robinson broke his foot. So, it's a bad one."
Just to clarify, on the three-play sequence from the 1-yard line, did offensive coordinator Todd Monken call all three of those, or did you just step in at any point to call the run to RB Derrick Henry on the third one? (*Josh Tolentino)* "Those are the planned calls. Those are calls that get made."
ILB TEDDYE BUCHANAN
On how he feels about the defensive performance today: "Honestly, I felt like we picked it up defensively. The Rams have a good offense. We were able to make some situational plays [on] third and fourth down [and] red zone stops, which we haven't been doing the last however many weeks. Yes, [there are] definitely some positives to take away, but I think about that drive to open the half, and that's where we can be a lot better and keep the momentum we had [and] not let it go to them to start the half."
On how much confidence this game gives the defense to build on going into the bye week: "It definitely gives us confidence, but the goal of the game is to win, so it ultimately is frustrating to not win. Yes, we just have to keep working [and] keep pushing. Although we had a good game defensively, we can't get complacent. The work doesn't stop."
On how exciting it was to celebrate with NT John Jenkins on the strip sack: "That was really cool. 'Big John' [John Jenkins] is a vet, so to see a guy who's been working so hard his whole career, [and] the plays pay off on Sunday, that was really cool."
On if the defense had new life today and why that was: "I don't know whether it's necessarily new [life] or new juice. We just came out and made plays. I feel like we practiced hard, but we talked about it; it's about what you do on Sundays, so we just came out and made plays."
On if his first-career sack gave him confidence moving forward: "Yes, it's always great to make plays, especially on fourth down. For me, it's all about [taking it] one day at a time, showing up for whatever it is – walkthroughs, practice, lift – showing up for every single thing I have. Yes, it definitely gives me confidence, but my mindset is to just focus on the now."
On head coach John Harbaugh's post-game message to the team: "Just to keep working. We have a lot of season ahead of us – 11 games – so we know the type of team we have, and we know what we can do in 11 games. We're just going to keep working and looking forward to the Bears."
S ALOHI GILMAN
On his first game with the Ravens: "It was good. Obviously, [it was my] first game as a Raven. It's been a long week – a lot of transition learning and all that – [but I] felt good. I felt like we were on the same page, for the most part. Football is the easy part for me, so that's what I do."
On if he had a lot of long nights studying and watching tape this week: "Yes, I got in at 6 a.m. off a red eye [flight] on Wednesday and learned a whole new football scheme in three days, and [I] went out there and executed. [I] did good overall, so it was a long week. Obviously, the transition, I'm still learning people's names. I don't even know everyone's names on the defense yet, so that's a whole other world, too. But, it was a good week. I'm just ready to build from it."
On the feedback that he heard from defensive coordinator Zach Orr or other players on his presence: "We haven't totally gone into depth with that, but it's just [about] trying to bring together a group to be as cohesive as possible, to be on the same page, make the plays that come to you, add some flexibility, some versatility to the defense, help Kyle [Hamilton] and the rest of the guys get into their spots that help them to be successful and then, obviously, holding it down in the back end. I feel like we did a good job – not great – but it's a good point to build on. Obviously, I haven't been here [in] the weeks before, so I don't know where it was before. I really don't know. I was just focused on today, and then we'll focus on going forward after that."
On what he saw during the week that indicated this would be a turning point for the defense: "Everyone just bought into building it. That's a tough question. Like you said, I'm a new guy, so I wasn't here prior. I don't know where it was. I don't know if this is their best performance or not. I'm just going off of my experience, but I think we're building in the right direction. I told some of the guys, too, [that] we're right there. [We can improve on] a couple plays here and there – mix up a couple techniques, make sure we hone it down on some things – but [we're] right there from being an elite defense. I feel like I came from a pretty good defense on the other side, and we're close to being there, so just keep building on it. The bye week will be good for us, and [we'll] get back to work."
On how he made an impact in the game today: "Like I talked about earlier, [it's about] giving the versatility and flexibility for the defense, giving Kyle Hamilton the opportunity to do what he does and then just being a baller, being a hooper, going out there and executing on short notice. [I had] three days of learning a new system and just going out and executing and playing ball. That's the easy part. Like I said earlier, that's what I do. I'm going to go out there and give that extra 'oomph' towards the ball, constantly around it [and] being a guy who's going to find that ball no matter what. That's what I do, and I'm excited to keep building on it."
On how comfortable he felt out there today and what those challenges were: "Honestly, I felt comfortable. Like you said, it was tough throughout the week. [For] prepping, it was [early] mornings, long nights [and] putting in extra time to make sure that I'm there. The coaching staff did a great job helping me with that transition, but when I get onto the field, that's my comfort, that's my home, and that's what I do. When I'm out there, I'm clear, I'm calm, I'm confident, and just ready to go rock."
On how excited he is for the bye week: "Personally, obviously, I'm transitioning. I have some things I have to figure out. I'm living out of a hotel right now, so I'm trying to figure out where I'm going to live. I have family I have to take care of, so I might go back and make sure they're all good to go. I have a lot of things in my personal life, but as a unit, as a defense, obviously, this is a spot where the bye week came at the right time. We're going to take advantage of it, get back in the lab, figure out what we can do to tweak little things to be a good to great to an elite defense. It's a process I feel like, and you don't have to be elite now. You have to be elite when the time is right, and hopefully, we can do that."
On why he feels like the defense is close: "Just in my experiences of playing six years, being around a couple good defenses, it's [fixing] a couple plays here and there. It's a couple of mental things that we can do better or maybe some techniques that we can clean up to really shut out offenses. I just feel like the cohesiveness is there. It's just a matter of when you turn it around, when everyone just buys in a little bit more and gets back into what we can do to be the best. That's what we're here to do, and I think we're in a good spot."
RB DERRICK HENRY
On if he feels like the goals the team has are still attainable: "Yes, it is still a long season. We still have time to win the division and set ourselves up to have a good season. I know we're 1-5, and it doesn't look good, as far as [big] picture-wise, but we still have a lot of games left ahead of us. And like [head] coach [John Harbaugh] said, when we get some of our guys back [after the bye week], let's go see where we land."
On if he was surprised that the offense was not able to put more points on the board, even without QB Lamar Jackson: "Yes, it definitely stings to have just three points on the board. As an offense, we pride ourselves on having a lot of playmakers and being able to score points, which we didn't do today when we got down there. They held us out of the end zone on those three plays, which we all know we have to be better and get the ball in there on the one-yard line. That's unacceptable [for] us. We just have to watch the film. There's a lot of good on the film, but three points is not going to cut it anywhere in this league and we all know that. It just wasn't good today. Our defense did a hell of a job, they played their butts off, so I want to [give] them a lot of credit, but as far as offense, we definitely have to be better."
On what happened during the three attempts at the one-yard line: "[The Rams] were just better. They were just better at the line of scrimmage, better overall on defense, better than us to stop us and we have to be better. I have to be better. I pride myself on being physical, and on the one-yard line, you have to get it in. We had two instances where we have not gotten it in, so that kind of pisses me off, but I can't change anything about it now. All you can do is, when you get another opportunity to try to get it in there, but we have to be better. I mean, that's just unacceptable. That's not good enough, as far as us as a whole, and on myself as well. I need to get it in there. So, [we'll] watch the film and try to get better. But like I said, it just seems like a repetitive thing, which is kind of frustrating, but it is over now. [We'll] just watch the film and get better."
On if he expects to see improvement in the run game when he watches the film from today: "I watch the film for everything. I'm really critiquing myself more than anybody, but I'm just watching the overall picture of what we did well, what we can do better and what I can do better. I'm my worst critic, so I'm very critical of myself watching what I do. I'm just trying to look at everything, but mainly what I can do better."
On the offense's difficulty with turnovers: "We know if you turn the ball over, you don't give yourself a chance to win. I think we all understand that as pros. We saw it with [my turnover issues] in critical situations. Once you have self-inflicted wounds, it's hard to overcome, especially in this league. There are a lot of good teams and [the Rams] offense is really good. Self-inflicted wounds always hurt, you just have to try not to have those and be better when we get another opportunity. But turnovers always give the other team a better chance."
How it affects him to have fans leaving early during tough games: "We always appreciate the fans through everything. We all know it's rough right now and they want to see a good product out there, and we haven't been displaying that. So, them leaving early, it's a given, but we want to let them know that we are going to keep working and we are going to turn this thing around. It's hard to believe, being at 1-5, [that there is] still a lot of football left. We appreciate the support every single day. We know the situation right now; we accept everything. But at the end of the day, we're going to keep going to work. We're going to keep having faith in one another and get this thing turned around. I feel like we still have time. Just believe in us. We believe in each other, and we are going to get it where we need to go."
On if he's happy about the bye week or if he'd prefer to have another game coming up: "I wish we could play tomorrow. Anytime you have a couple weeks [like the ones] that we've had, I always wish we could play the next day, but that's not how it goes. It isn't basketball, so you have to wait. The bye lets guys rest up who need it and come back next week ready to go to work. [We will] get better through this week, through the bye week, and then hit the ground running when it's time to go."
RB JUSTICE HILL
On their mentality heading into the bye week: "Obviously, you don't want to be 1-5. We work extremely hard, and that's just not a great reflection of the work we put in. So, for us, we've just got to get back playing Ravens football and get some wins."
On how the team is handling and approaching the adversity they've faced: "Yes, everybody has bought in, and whatever we need to do to get some wins, we're going to do it. We have a very unselfish team, and everybody on that team wants to win, point-blank, period. And so, everybody is going to focus on that."
On getting the run game going today: 'Yes, it was great. The offensive line [was] firing at the ball, and Derrick [Henry] did a great job running. It was good, man. I really wish we were able to punch into the end zone a couple times, but [we'll go] back to the drawing board on that."
On how much having QB Lamar Jackson back from injury will boost their confidence: "Lamar [Jackson] is a generational player. You can't replace him with anybody. He is a one-of-a-kind player, so getting him back, obviously, will be a huge leap for our offense. And, yes, we'll be rolling."
On what the bye week will do for this team: "Obviously, you just said [it regarding] the injuries against us. It will give us some time to heal up for everybody and give us a reset [for] when we come back. It's a brand-new season, a brand-new game, and we're going to go out and start [fresh], get the win against the Bears, and then keep it rolling from there."
WR DeANDRE HOPKINS
On the mindset and frustration level of the team after a tough loss: "It's frustrating. Losing in the NFL – [and in] any game – is frustrating, especially when you know that you can go out and put a better performance out. So, I think individually, we have to look and see what we can do better as players. It's not just on the coaches, but three turnovers against a team like [the Rams] – with a veteran quarterback [like Matthew Stafford] – is going to be hard to win."
On the message to the team at halftime: "I really don't try to speak on messages from coaches. Not to avoid your question, but I'd rather not speak on that. I think everybody came out, and [at halftime we were] 3-3 against a team that is a pretty good team. So, even though we didn't go out and score, we still felt good going into the second half with how the defense was playing."
On what the team needs to do to reset during the bye week: "I think for this team – I've been on a lot of teams – but I think in critical situations, we have to be better, like in the red zone down there. In certain situations, we have to be better. I think that's not just on the coaches, but the players, as well."
On if he is surprised that the team is currently 1-5: "No, bad football will get you to 1-5, so whatever you put out there, that's how football works. [When] another team is not playing bad football, but doing whatever they need to do, that's the result."
On WR Zay Flowers' reaction to his two turnovers: "I told Zay [Flowers] [to not] let anyone see him with his head down. He's a great player, and he's going to be a great player for years to come. It's not just on him. He's out there trying to make a play, so you can't fault him. But Zay knows what he needs to do to be better, but my message to him is just, 'Keep your head up. Play the next play.'"
On playcalling and issues in executing in the red zone: "Us as players, we go out and do whatever play is called, so we have to make it work. But obviously, that team is getting paid to make plays, as well."
On if it feels like the issues on offense will be solved when QB Lamar Jackson returns: "Everyone here is in the NFL because they deserve to be in the NFL. So, not having Lamar [Jackson] can't be an excuse for us not winning, but that does show how important Lamar is to this team and what he's done."
On if playmakers on the offense feel like they have to do more when QB Lamar Jackson is not playing, and if that is related to WR Zay Flowers' struggles today: "I think Zay [Flowers] is always looking to make a play, so I wouldn't credit that to Lamar [Jackson] not being out there. Zay is a playmaker; he's always going to try to make a play with the ball in his hands. That's football, [and] sometimes it doesn't go your way."
QB TYLER HUNTLEY
On if he was surprised it took this long for him to see game action: "As a quarterback, you're working to get a win. If I were in 'Coop's] [Cooper Rush's] situation, I wouldn't want to get pulled when you're trying to win the game. There's a lot of stuff that, as a quarterback, you just have to be ready for."
On the mood of the locker room heading into the bye week 1-5: "We just need to use our [bye] week [as] best [as] we can be, and get ready for the rest of the season. That's all we can do."
On what they need to do over the next two weeks to get back on track to accomplish their goals for this season: "It's a one-week season. Every NFL team has got to be ready to play every week. We need to use this to our advantage to get healthy, fine tune ourselves and be ready to win our division."
NT JOHN JENKINS
On what he would say to those who are writing the Ravens off at 1-5: "Everybody is entitled to their opinion. The only thing I do know is that I come to work every day, and I see a lot of guys who are hungry, who put the work in. So, as long as I see that every day from the guys in the locker room, in the building and the organization, it's tough to listen to what people say."
On if the defense got worn down trying to come up with defensive stops on each drive: "No, we enjoy it. You never know what happens on any given Sunday, and we just try to live up to our standards. I'm new to the team. So, when I got here, I understood the standard, and I'm just trying to get out there and do my 1-of-11. If we get the opportunity to make plays, then that's what we call for and that's what we're going to do."
On what he would say in support of defensive coordinator Zach Orr to people criticizing him: "I've seen a lot of football. This is about my 13th year. You know what happens, but at the end of the day, Zach [Orr] is a good D.C. He's been around a lot, and he's just putting in the work. He's so passionate about it. I stand behind him 110%. I don't know what people are saying – I don't pay attention to it – but I know he comes to work, and he puts the work in. It just takes time."
On if this week's performance is a big step for the defense: "As a football player, we are always told to turn to the next phase. We did a lot of good things out there, but there's a lot of things we can fix, including myself. I need to do a lot better on my 1-of-11, but we didn't win the game. So, we are just going to keep working."
C TYLER LINDERBAUM
On how big of a hole 1-5 is: "The only worse thing is 0-6, so yes, it's a big hole. We're going to have to bounce back, take some time to reflect on this bye week, [figure out] what we need to get better at, and we have 11 games left to try to run the table."
On what went wrong on the goal-line stop at the end of the first half and how disturbing it was to not score a touchdown: "That sucks. Credit to them. That's tough for a defense to do, and they executed it. We just have to execute better and get that one yard."
On why that play at the goal-line didn't work: "We just didn't get a yard. They wanted it more than us. When it comes down to it, who wants it more?"
On what was different in the run game today: "We were running the ball a lot better today, working double teams [and] stressing them out. [We] just have to find ways to finish when we get in the red zone, eliminate penalties and eliminate turnovers. I'm proud of the guys with how we responded this week and set the tempo early with the run game."
On what the bye week will do for the team: "[We'll have] good reflection and have to take the opportunity to get our bodies right, to make a push for the 11 games left."
On if the team can turn the season around: "Absolutely. Absolutely."
On where the team is at mentally going into the bye week: "Obviously, [we're] not where we want to be record-wise, but I felt like we were playing hard today. We were playing up to our standard with what we wanted to do, but at the end of the day, you can play as hard as you want; you just have to execute. We just have to work on executing and winning football."
On how badly the team needs QB Lamar Jackson back: "It's Lamar Jackson. He's the best quarterback in the game, so he's certainly going to help our team out."
