HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening statement: "OK, it was a tough loss, obviously. We came up a play short there at the end. I am proud of our guys. I think what you saw in this game is pretty much what you've seen all year from a heart and effort and fight standpoint. We just didn't play well enough to close it out. What questions do you have?"
What do you kind of say to your team after a game ends like that? (Jamison Hensley) "I had a conversation with them. I'd [rather] just kind of keep it to us, but it was a good conversation. We've been together all season. We've been through a lot, and it reflected that."
What did you say to K Tyler Loop after the game? (Brian Wacker) "I don't remember what I said. I had [Tyler Loop] – I talked to him and walked with him in the last little bit and just had a conversation with him between him and me."
What did you see from the kick? (Bo Smolka) "I didn't see anything. I couldn't tell you right now. [I won't be able to] until I see it later."
Can you talk about the decision to center the ball as opposed to maybe being more aggressive and trying to make it an easier kick for K Tyler Loop? (Jonas Shaffer) "It was a close kick. You want to center the ball. We wanted to make sure we got the kick. We didn't want something bad to happen on the run. I don't think that was a bad decision."
Obviously, the second-half effort from the offense to get in that position and with QB Lamar Jackson specifically, what did you see out of Lamar today? (Kyle Goon) "I thought it was amazing. I thought that the plays that were made were incredible. The sad thing is some of that will get overshadowed now a little bit, but Lamar [Jackson] made some phenomenal plays, and Isaiah Likely making that phenomenal catch, and other guys making great catches. I thought there were a lot of just amazing plays made in the fourth quarter there that should have led to the win."
The touchdown by Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers there that put them ahead for good, was that just a coverage bust? (Brian Wacker) "It looked like [Chidobe Awuzie] slipped, I think, didn't he? That's what I saw. I didn't really see it."
How difficult was it to overcome S Kyle Hamilton's absence? (Jeff Zrebiec) "I don't know how to measure that, but it was definitely not a good thing. It didn't help us that Kyle [Hamilton] wasn't out there."
Just how frustrating has this season been to have – there's been a handful of games you guys have had in your grasp one way or another and now this one. (Brian Wacker) "It's disappointing. It's disappointing. I think our guys fought. We were that close to winning the [AFC] North, and we didn't get a chance to get it done. So, all that other stuff is history. We had a chance to do it; we didn't do it. We're disappointed, and we'll move on. "
You guys come to a huge stop at the end of the first half, and it felt like it could have really been a big swing there. I guess for that, and then for the defense to come out and struggle the way that he did, how disappointing is that? (Luke Jones) "I think there were some certain plays in there that we just ... They made some really good plays, and we didn't do as well as we needed to do. We really didn't get enough sacks. I think we had one sack, maybe, two sacks. You want to get there, and you want to get to [Aaron Rodgers] a little more. [The Steelers] hit a couple big passes on us. They hit the seam route there in the second-to-last drive – that was a disappointing one, and [Chidobe Awuzie] had a slip or whatever on the other one. That's tough. I don't expect those things to happen. Those are big plays. It's the chunk plays that have gotten us, and they came up again in this game, and yes, it's really disappointing. It's not something that should happen as much as it did. They gave up some chunk plays, too, in the back end, so it's football, and it happens, but we don't want that to happen."
I know it just happened, but are you feeling like you want another shot with these guys? (Childs Walker) "Yes, I love these guys. I love these guys."
S ALOHI GILMAN
On the collision play with S Kyle Hamilton: "Obviously, it's football. It was a bang-bang play. I was more worried about Kyle [Hamilton], just because I knew I hit him pretty good. I just hate the way it went down like that, but that's football. I have a lot of love for him, obviously. I hope he'll recover alright, which I know he will, but it's football."
On what is going through his mind after the game: "It's a lot. It's a lot of emotions. We didn't get a stop when we needed to; that's disappointing. [There were] little things we could have done. Also, it's football; stuff happens, but I think you just look at the journey, and it's like we weren't supposed to be here at 1-5 to get an opportunity to get to the playoffs, and it didn't go our way. But I have a lot of love for these guys, a lot of love for the players, my teammates, my coaches, so [I'm] disappointed, but [I have] blessings and gratitude for the journey that unfolded for us."
On what he can take away from this season: "For me, as a player, obviously, I had an interesting journey and being a part of that, for me, obviously, I go back to my faith. God is into details, so you can't question it; 1-5 to get an opportunity, a chance to be able to compete in the playoffs. It didn't go our way, but we can't second guess it. You can't question it. That's football; that's life; that's the journey, but all I can think of is just my teammates, my coaches, just what we poured into it. [I have] so much respect for that. God is in the details, so we just keep it moving from here."
On the last Steeler's offensive drive of the game: "I thought we did pretty well. We gave [Aaron Rodgers] a couple of easy pitch and catches. Obviously, Aaron Rodgers is one of the best, if not one of the 'G.O.A.T.s' of the game, so he can see the field really well. The screen kind of got away on us. The one before that, with the slant, we could have limited that one as well, and then it's just football at the end. It goes on all of us, the whole defense. There are plays from the whole game that we could have done better at, and that's how it unfolded."
On his advice to K Tyler Loop after this game: "I've been through some tough losses, a couple in the playoffs. I've made my own mistakes, as well. You never second guess. You prepare all you can, and you let God handle the rest, so Tyler [Loop] will be good. He's obviously devastated right now. We just put our arms around him, and we'll go move on from there."
RB DERRICK HENRY
On reflecting on the season, the way it ended and what is going through his mind: "We lost. It's not fun. [It] just wasn't good enough today. Congrats to them."
On how long will it take to get over this loss: "I don't really think about that right now. The game just ended like an hour ago, so I am processing that and then dealing with the other stuff later."
On what his emotions were when he realized the kick was wide right: "I didn't watch it. It's unfortunate it happened. I don't know what else to say. The game is over, and [the Steelers] won."
On how tough it is for a rookie kicker to miss a kick to send the team to the playoffs: "Yes, I feel for Tyler [Loop]. I talked to him. I just told him just to keep his spirits up, deal with it tonight, and then tomorrow, the sun rises again. I just told him that the story after this is going to be great for him, because God put him in this position to use him as an example to something that is adversity, and then I can't wait to see him overcoming on the other side. I just told him to trust God's plan. He wouldn't put you in a position if he wasn't strong enough to handle it. It's tough right now, but I think when it's all said and done, he will look back on it and appreciate the moment."
On if he would like to see head coach John Harbaugh and key Ravens players back for next season: "I love [head] Coach [John] Harbaugh. I would love to see him at this organization. As far as those decisions, that's out of my pay grade. I don't make those decisions, but yes, I love everybody in this organization. I tried my best this year, but just didn't do enough to get it done."
On what was head coach John Harbaugh's message to the team after the game: "We fought and didn't get it done. We all felt bad, and nobody felt good about it. We just said our prayer and broke it down one last time."
CB MARLON HUMPHREY
On processing getting this far after a difficult start to the season: "Ultimately, I look at my season, and it goes into play with how our season went. I feel like I had good plays. I definitely had more bad plays this year than normal; that wasn't to my standard, but that is kind of how the season went. ... There were a lot of highs and lows this year, a lot of just self-inflicted wounds. We just never quite got to be the brand consistently, drive after drive, that we kind of wanted, game after game. It just was rough."
On what it was like seeing S Kyle Hamilton leave the game: "Obviously Kyle [Hamilton] is major. They moved me inside, and we kind of adjusted the defense a little bit. A lot of times, he doesn't have a lot of picks and forced fumbles, but what he does in the run game – defeating linemen, guys that are 100 pounds [heavier] than him and open-field tackles – he is not a guy that you could just plug and play somebody and play the same way. It made us adjust how we were calling our defense, and we, obviously, tried to fill the gaps, but we just weren't able to get it done down the stretch."
On where things go from here for this team: "There could be a lot of change. Obviously, this is a business. They'll do their meetings, and they'll figure out who needs to stay, who needs to go. I can really only speak for myself; I just wait and see if I'm part of the plans going forward or if I'm not. My standard of play this year just was not how I wanted. I've never been a guy to give up explosive passes like that. You asked earlier about what's going through my head. The preparation I put in, the time I put in, the numbers I put in – I ran the fastest I've ever ran this past training camp – and nothing really matched up to how I would perform on Sundays. It's going to be, honestly, a deeper study than what I've probably ever done, just trying to figure out what exactly it was. But the thing that's encouraging is, honestly, even during the game, I go over to the Steelers' sideline while somebody was down and [Pittsburgh Steelers head coach] Mike Tomlin gives me a message, and it encouraged me. I can still be a good player in this league. Teams still look at me like an elite player, and I can figure this thing out. I'm not really too worried about it at all, so it's a lot going through my head, and I'm kind of rambling, but I'm excited to – wherever I'm at – to be playing football next year, and I think I'll be able to play at a very high level."
On if Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told him that he could still be a high-level player in the NFL: "I'm not going to say what he told me, but I've had a lot of respect for [Steelers head coach] Mike Tomlin. We've had limited conversations on the field, but he's a great coach. What he did say, it definitely encouraged me. The thing about [playing] corner is that you just can't get down. You can't get down, and that is the one thing I can say that I did like about my season this year; even though I gave up some shots, later in the game, I got some breakups. That's kind of the thing, I never went really into that tank, so that's the one thing I can say that was good about the season."
QB LAMAR JACKSON
On the emotions of the team after a season ends this way: "You know what the emotions are. We did all that to come up short. [It's] devastating. [I am] furious. [I am feeling] all types of [emotions]. I don't know, I'm everywhere with it right now."
On how confident he was that they could make it into field goal range for the final drive of the game: "[I was] extremely confident. I told my guys, 'Let's be legendary. Let's put the drive together [in] 55 seconds. We practiced this – 55 seconds and three timeouts.' I believe we had three timeouts. We had great field position, I believe. I felt like we had it. We were only down, what, two [points]? We would have won the game. And then we had that penalty, too. We [had] a lot of penalties; we kept stopping drives. But, I'm proud of my guys because we kept overcoming adversity. Situations like this, divisional games, they [are] like that sometimes."
On how hard it is when games are left in the hands of the kicker: "I don't know. I really don't know. I don't know how many times it's had to come down to it being a kicker to win the game for us. [It's] probably [happened] years the past. I don't know."
On if he spoke to K Tyler Loop after the game ended: "I talked to [Tyler Loop] during the game because I kind of was livid at him when he kicked the ball out of bounds, but I told him I'm just high based off of emotions of the game right now. I felt like it was going to come down to him to win the game for us at the end just because of how the game was going. He's a rookie. It's all good. [He should] just leave it in the past."
On what happened during his small scuffle with one the Steelers players: "I just felt like he did something extra while I was on the ground. That's it."
On if that incident changed anything about his approach to the game: "No, I was just playing football."
On if tonight's loss epitomizes the difficult season for the Ravens: "I guess so. If that's what you want to call it, I guess so. I don't know. I can't call it. We just came up short. We didn't want to. I felt like the offense played great. Offense was playing great in the second half – the third quarter and fourth quarter. I just wish we scored more points."
On if he feels like he will remain a Raven after this season with contract talks upcoming: "We just lost a game – a divisional game – a game to put us in the playoffs. I'm not even thinking about that right now, to be honest with you. I'm still caught up in what just happened. That's not my focus right now."
On if he is stunned after the way the game ended: "Definitely. [I am] definitely stunned. I thought we had it in the bag. I thought we had it in the bag. I don't know what else we can do."
On if he thinks this Ravens team had the ability to compete with the core of the team moving forward: "Yes, absolutely. I always have confidence in my guys, [on] all phases. We had our shots with those guys [the Steelers]. They've had their opportunities against us. It's football. Sometimes [there is] a little bit of back and forth, because just last week, we were just playing lights out. It just happens. And like I said, it's a divisional game. We just played these guys five times in two years. It'll be like that sometimes."
On why he thinks it's been difficult to win in Pittsburgh: "I don't know. I feel like we had a game. If you go back and watch all those games, [they are] close games. There isn't any, 'Oh, they just had the advantage, or we had the advantage.' It comes down to situations like this; a two-point conversion one year, a field goal another year. And again, this year, we just have to find a way to get that win here."
On what he thinks this team's potential was if it got into the playoffs: "Just focus on the next opponent. I wasn't worried about anything. [I was] just focusing on winning, and we had to win here. We didn't."
On if he wants to see head coach John Harbaugh as the head coach next season: "You're asking me about next year. I'm so caught up in what just happened tonight. I can't focus on that right now, I just told you. Like he asked me, 'Are you stunned?' I'm stunned right now, and I'm still trying to process what's going on. I know we lost, but what the ... you know?"
TE ISAIAH LIKELY
On what was going through his head on the last drive of the game: "Really just make a play. 'L' [Lamar Jackson] trusted me [with] the ball in the air on fourth down. Keep the sticks moving. Keep the game going. Try to end the game, so if the quarterback trusts me, I have to make a play for him."
On if he thought that they were going to win after the catch: "For sure. It was just the momentum of going in after the play. Everybody was at an all-time high, especially with what we had done in the whole fourth quarter, coming back, dialing in the whole time. I thought we gave ourselves a good shot."
On how painful it is to end the season this way: "It's painful, because you start early, probably like in May. You get a bunch of young guys, a bunch of new guys. Every year is different, and then [it's] really just a whole year of grinding. You have to start training camp, OTAs, a whole other season, so it's just really just a reset button."
On if he thought the Ravens would have made a run in the playoffs: "For sure. I feel like that's just the testament to everybody just trusting each other as the game goes on. I felt like the offense, no matter if we didn't score one drive, if a play got stalled out – we all looked at each other talking about just the next drive – we got it."
On the reason the offense wasn't clicking throughout the season: "Just finishing. We'll have a great play, and then we'll have either a lost-yardage play, penalty or something that just neglects a big momentum play. It's just that drive either stalls out, we take three points, we punt, we get a good punt or something. We're just priding ourselves on the offense to score every drive. I felt like finishing was probably like the motto, I'd say."
On if this game felt like his last in Baltimore with free agency coming up: "I'm not even thinking about that. I just lost. I'm with my brothers. I'm trying to just stay here in the moment and let my agent do that."
K TYLER LOOP
On what went wrong on the last kick: "Just before that, I just want to say I'm super grateful to Baltimore and the organization, the city. Just how they've embraced me this year has been incredible. Just for it to end like that sucks, and I want to do better. Unfortunately, the nature of the [kicker] job is you have makes, and those are awesome, and unfortunately, you have misses, and for that to happen tonight sucks. We've been through a lot of adversity this year as a team early on, and we fought, and we fought, and we fought, and we've worked really hard together. Those guys have had my back, and I want to try my best to have theirs. It's disappointing, and it sucks, but also the nature of the job is I have to move on, and I have to get ready for the next kick. That's next year, and tomorrow starts the training for that. I'll spend the offseason and the rest of the time getting ready for that. I love this team, and I love these guys, and I wish it had ended differently. I'm super blessed to be here, and it's been one of the most amazing experiences being kicker for the Ravens. It's time to move forward and get back to work, so I can keep doing good things for Baltimore."
On if there was something technical with the kick that went wrong: "I caught a little bit [of the ground]. The operation was great. It was a great situation, exactly what we wanted, and unfortunately, I just mis-hit the ball. We call it hitting it thin. It spins fast and goes off to the right, and yes, that was it."
On how comfortable he felt kicking during warmups in the stadium: "I felt great. We had good warmups. I feel like our extra points through the course of the game were good. [I] struck well, felt good about our operation and everything. When it came down to it, it just didn't come together."
On what it means to have the support of his teammates after the game: "That's the special thing about this team. You saw it this year. [We] started 1-5, and that's tough. The team never flinched, and that was the thing that was really special and the thing that I had talked to some of my close friends, my parents [and] mentors outside [about]. The thing that's so special about this team is it's so close. The guys love each other, and they care about each other, and that makes it incredible to be Baltimore Raven. That's just true of our organization. This stings, and it hurts for a time like that, but those guys having my back, it means the world to me."
On head coach John Harbaugh's message to him after the game: "Just [get] back in the saddle. 'Hey, you're going to have more [kicks]. You have to get ready. It sucks, and we have your back, but we have to go.'"
On his mindset before the last-second field goal attempt: "I got back there and looked at the play clock. I saw 22 seconds. I took my steps, took over. I visualized what the ball looks like when it's held down. Jordan [Stout] picked up his fingers, and that was my cue to go. I saw the ball, tried to visualize the ball going through the uprights where I wanted it, swung, and the result didn't match my process."
On when he knew the kick wasn't going to be good: "The second it made contact with my foot, I felt it lower. We talk about hitting on the fourth lace of the shoe. It felt a little lower down the foot and hit it thin."
On what was going through his mind watching the kick: "I couldn't even remember. It just sucks."
On not having another game and having to sit with what just happened for the offseason: "We talk about having a one-minute rule. Obviously, this one will be a little bit longer than a minute, because it is the last play of the season. It's going to be one of those things that next time I get back out on the field to kick a ball, it's time to move on."
On what he was reading at his locker after the game: "I had written down a little prayer before the game and was just rereading it. Faith is a big part of my life, and right now, I'm reading the book of Romans. In Romans eight, it says, 'God works for the good of those who love him. We're called according to his purpose.' It's a verse that just reminds me, ultimately, I'm here to love on the guys around me, and I'm here to try and have their back and be a good teammate and be a good representative of the organization and steward the gifts I've been given, because it's such a fortunate thing to be here. Even going back, just being placed in Baltimore with this team has been the biggest blessing of my life. I'm super grateful for it. It's been incredible, so I'm just reminding myself that, 'Hey, God has my back even when stuff sucks.'"
On who he will lean on to get through the emotions: "Family, big time. Faith, obviously, No. 1. These guys, Jordan [Stout] and Nick [Moore and] my fiancée. It's pretty much all the close people. In my phone, I have a bunch of notifications from my friends and family who say, 'Hey, love you. It sucks, but we love you, and we have your back.' I'll lean on that, lean on my teammates, lean on my coaches and my process and everything that's gotten us here to this point and keep us moving forward."
LS NICK MOORE
On K Tyler Loop's missed field goal: "Things happen in this league. It's a very difficult league to be in, and we worked all season to get here. We've [had] countless hours and countless reps, trying to do our best. And for 'Ty' [Tyler Loop], I hate it for him. It sucks. And it's something that I think for him, he's going to learn from, he's going to grow from, and he's going to make sure that he doesn't put himself in that situation again. And the next time he gets an opportunity to win the game, he's going to do it, and he's going to execute it. And that's all you can do in this league is get better. You learn from your mistakes, and you move on."
On how much K Tyler Loop was looking forward to making a game-winning field goal: "That's something you look forward to, obviously, as a kicker. You want the ball in your hands at the end of the game, and we haven't had a chance all season for that. And we kind of knew if they scored a touchdown, we were going to be down by three. And unfortunately, 'Bos' [Chris Boswell] missed that PAT to give us a chance to actually go and win the game. And I truly believe that that's why we're here, for moments like that. And that's why we get paid. You have to be able to go out there and produce in those big moments. And for 'Ty' [Tyler Loop], that was his first opportunity. And I remember my first game-winning field goal was the one in Detroit in 2021. Everything's kind of a blur, and my job is a whole lot easier than his. So, we have nothing but faith in that guy, and we love that guy. He's done a tremendous job for us this season and had a hell of a rookie year. So, I know he's going to be upset about this for a while, but I think he's got a lot to hang his hat on for 2025."
On the discussions after Pittsburgh Steelers K Chris Boswell missed the PAT attempt: "We were kind of all just jumping up and down. And I looked at [Tyler Loop] – and this is, it's like a childish thing to do, I guess, but this is the ... We talk all the time about getting moments of glory. And for us, there's obviously a downside to that. And that's kind of what we're experiencing right now. But at the end of the day, you want to be in that opportunity, be in that situation to win the game for your team, and they had the trust to put you out there. Unfortunately, we weren't able to execute tonight. But, at the end of the day, it's football, and that's just the way it goes sometimes."
On what it was like watching QB Lamar Jackson in the second half of tonight's game: "I thought it was terrific. I thought [Lamar Jackson] played a hell of a game in the second half, and that's why he's the guy he is. He's our quarterback, and [he] gave us the opportunity to win. And he's done that a lot over the years. And hopefully next time that we get that opportunity, and he gives it to us, we'll be able to execute and get the win for the team."
ILB ROQUAN SMITH
On losing S Kyle Hamilton and the defense in the second half: "It's tough anytime when a leader and a great player like Kyle [Hamilton] goes down, but obviously, it's the 'next man up' business in a sense. Just truth be told, [we] played a great first half, but we didn't play good enough in the second half, including myself. Regardless of the circumstances of things that are going on, you have to play if you're out there on the field, and you have to do your job, and we didn't do that, so I think that's what it boils down to. We didn't do our job with the individuals that were out there on the field, play in and play out, including myself."
On losing S Kyle Hamilton from a coverage and communication standpoint: "It's definitely a blow. That's what I said; anytime you lose such a great player and a great leader, a guy who communicates very well, [who is a] very cerebral football player and a guy who [we] depend on for a lot of things, but at the end of the day, when people go down, and injuries are a part of the game, it's about the next man up. The next man up, they're professionals, as well, just like I'm a professional. Your job as a professional is to do your job to the best of your ability, where we can all depend on you to do your 1-of-11, and I didn't do mine good enough tonight. I don't feel like anyone did, because we didn't get the job done."
On the frustration on not being able to sustain improvement week after week during the season: "Yes, it's definitely very frustrating, because your livelihood is dependent upon that. When you're doing things that are not having you progress in the game of football, it's just a reflection of who we are, and we have to be better. There's nothing else to be said besides we have to be better, play in and play out. It sucks. This sucks. This moment sucks. We had the game right there, right there in our grasps, and it slipped away. It's a tough business. It's a very unforgiving game, and it's just what it is. You have to be in touch with reality, and this is our reality right now. Personally, I feel like we just didn't do enough. Just speaking more so on the defensive side of the ball, we didn't do enough to finish the game, and I think that's what it boils down to; doing your job over and over and over and not getting complacent with the small things. We did not do that. This team won't be the same. It won't be the same guys in the locker room anymore, so it's like something that we'll never truly get back. The '25 Ravens, we will always remember this, but at the end of the day, it's a moment, and it's a year that we'll never get back and nor will it be the same guys in the locker room. It's such a hard pill to swallow in this game of life, as well [as] the game of football, so it sucks when you just feel like you let each other down and [were] not playing to your standard and just knowing the potential, but potential doesn't mean anything, because it's potential. It's not out there. So, we didn't do enough, and I just make no bone about it; we have to be better for whoever's coming back and like including myself."
On if he felt like this Ravens team had the potential for greatness if they made the playoffs: "Absolutely. [I'm] just being an internal optimist, in a sense, but it's just about the moment, so I can't answer the 'What if?' game. No one can really answer this. 'What if this happened? What if that happened?' You can't really think like that. At the end of the day, we didn't win this game. We had the game in our hands. We didn't win the game, and that's what it comes down to. Everybody – including myself – should just look themselves in the mirror and say, 'Did I do my job to the best of my ability, play in and play out?' And I didn't do mine to the best of my ability, regardless of the circumstances, and I'm sure others would say the same, because that's what it boils down to – doing your job to the best of your ability over and over – and that's what you get paid to do."
On QB Lamar Jackson and the offense's performance: "I thought, definitely, [the] offense played a great game and [played] well enough for us to win the ball game, and we didn't win the ball game, so at the end of the day, it's about winning the ball game, regardless of all the other circumstances and whatnot. Yes, I have a great deal of respect for Lamar [Jackson], who he is as a person, player [and] competitor, so it's definitely not his fault we didn't win this ball game by any means, so we have to do our job. I can focus on the defensive side of the ball, and we didn't do enough to get the [win], and [the Steelers] did. So, just as much as it sucks, hats off to those guys."
On only having two playoffs wins since 2022 and fans blaming the coaching staff: "It's tough, because there are so many players that go 14, 15 years – however many years they play in this game – and never truly make it to the playoffs. So, making it to the playoffs is a huge accomplishment within itself, but obviously, the way this team is built, and the actual reality of it and the guys that we have, [we] know that playoffs is not enough. I'm aware of that, and I'm sure anybody that's real with themselves is aware of that, as well. It's not enough to get the job done, and yes, I hear, 'Coach this. Coach that.' But at the end of the day, yes, Coach can be here and there, but it's the players that make the plays on the field, and [it's] the players who go out there on the field. When I turn on the film, even play in and play out, I felt like we were in really good calls, and it was about the players actually executing the call and not getting lackadaisical [or] complacent. I feel like that's something that we have to work on. I don't know what it is, personally, but it's something. It's something where it's just play in and play out, if your job is to do this, why can't you do this, play in and play out, including myself? I feel like that's something we have to do if we want to ever go and get over the hump, and I don't truly know what it is. I'm searching for those answers, as well, where it's just like the mental intensity and carrying that over, play in, play out, until the echo of the whistle and just line up and doing it again and having that mindset, because we have to do that if we want to ever get somewhere, and it sucks. I've just finished Year Eight, so [I'm] going into Year Nine now, and like, what? [I've had a] couple of playoff wins, but that's not what you want. You sign up to go for the big boy [trophy] – the Lombardi – and that starts with winning the division, and we haven't been good enough to do that. We have [in other years], but we haven't played to our standard, game in and game out, play in and play out. It's just something that we all have to look ourselves in the mirror and just be in touch with our reality and use this as motivation. You can't keep saying the same thing, year in and year out – 'Oh, [we'll] use this motivation for next year' – because next year is not promised. Tomorrow's not promised, so what are you going to do with now? Who knows where everyone will be next year. I don't know. No one knows. That's the unknown, and that's just something you have to deal with in life. We just have to all take it day by day and just try to encourage each other and just be in touch with reality and just know who you are. This is a game of football, and a lot of people's livelihoods depend on it, but it's not your entire life. You also need to – when you're getting paid to do a job – you have to do your job to the best of your abilities. I'm sure you guys can attest to it, and anyone who works a job, if they're doing it to the best of their ability, [they] know how much it sucks when you're not getting the results that you prepare for and that you put yourself in position for it, so it just sucks. I'm grateful for the year. [There were] lot of lessons. I learned a lot, met a lot of great people, and it's just something that I'll always remember, but it's also a sore spot. It's reality, and you have to swallow it, even if it's a tough pill, so that's where we're at, and you just have to take it day by day."
T RONNIE STANLEY
On if situations get easier where a critical play doesn't go their way at the end of the game: "No, I think it only gets harder. Coming up short with the type of team that we have, it doesn't feel good."
On if the ending of this game was the epitome of this season: "Yes. We saw a lot of similar things happen where we just fell short. We felt that we had a good chance to win it at multiple times in the game and didn't close out when we needed to, and that's our fault. There are a lot of things we could do better to fix that."
On the team's frustration levels: "Everyone's really frustrated. Everyone's very upset, not just for losing, but in the manner of which we lost. A lot of guys in here don't really feel as though we've been physically beaten down or anything like that. We thought we played a really good, physical game, and the results didn't come out the way we wanted."
On if he thinks head coach John Harbaugh should remain for next season: "[With] everything [John Harbaugh] has done for the team and whatever they handle – that's their business."
On QB Lamar Jackson's performance in the fourth quarter: "I thought Lamar [Jackson] performed great. [It was] nothing short of what I'm used to and what I see from him. The excitement I get from playing with him and seeing the type of plays he makes under stress and pressure, it never gets old."
On if the offense had execution problems throughout the season: "Yes, I think that's a big part of it. You can be in the perfect call, but it comes down to winning your battles, making sure you have good technique and fundamentals to execute that call. You can be in the perfect call, but if you don't execute it properly, it's not going to mean much."
On if it felt like the Ravens were about to win the game after TE Isaiah Likely's reception in the fourth quarter: "We definitely felt that we had a strong chance to [win]. We knew the game wasn't over yet. Just keep playing ball as much as we can, but we definitely felt very good moving the ball down the field."
P JORDAN STOUT
On his message to K Tyler Loop after the game: "I told [Tyler Loop] that moment didn't define him. He's Christian, and knows that whatever happens on the earth doesn't matter, as long as he treats it the right way, and that's the message I had to him. I don't think he heard me in the moment. He might not hear me for the next few days, but I'm just going to keep being there for him, talking to him. Hopefully, he feels better soon."
On what moment he realized that the field goal at the end of the game was wide right: "I didn't know until I looked up and saw it. I had faith that it would come back for a moment, but it didn't."
On if he has to look at film to determine what went wrong on the missed field goal at the end of the game: "I have no idea right now. [Tyler Loop] could speak on it, but until I see it, I don't know."
On if K Tyler Loop has the tools to obtain a long kicking career: "Yes, absolutely. That wasn't how it was supposed to go. [Tyler Loop] has prepared for that moment literally every single day, and he makes it almost every single time, but people also don't understand the pressure in those moments. Being in front of that many people, having that many eyes on you, it being that loud; that's what people don't realize. It's tough, but at the same time, that's why we're here. That's why we're getting paid, and that's why the coaches and fans rely on us, because we are capable of doing it."
On the unique position of replacing former Ravens P Sam Koch and K Tyler Loop replacing former Ravens K Justin Tucker: "It's the same thing. [Tyler Loop was] the guy that was 90 percent on field goals this year, and people still weren't very happy with him. It's just a testament to what Justin [Tucker] did over his tenure at the Ravens, but I don't think it holds him back in the slightest. He doesn't really think about it much."
On if there were conversations about K Tyler Loop being put in high-stakes drives: "Yes. [Tyler Loop] didn't have an opportunity all year to have a game winner. For the first one to come when it's 20 degrees out, and you're in enemy territory with the 'Terrible Towels' swirling around, it's not easy. It's not easy at all."
On if he hopes to be in Baltimore next season: "Of course, yes. I don't want to be anywhere else."
On how K Tyler Loop will grow from this game: "They're going to make a movie about [Tyler Loop] one day. No one should have to start out their rookie year like this, especially at the end of the year. He doesn't get another chance to show people what he's capable of, but yes, 10 years down the line when he's the best in the league, I think he'll look back on it as the moment that made him."
