SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR CHRIS HORTON
Opening Statement: "It was a nice warm day today. Just looking back [to give a] quick recap of the game. I thought our guys came out, played hard, [and] they played physical. The effort was good and the execution was ... Some spots were really good, [and] some spots we want to continue to chase that perfection in the details of our work. But, we're just looking forward to Dallas. A lot of guys played and a lot of guys came out this week to get better at the things that we might not have done so well in the game."
With WR LaJohntay Wester as a rookie returner, it seemed like he was very aggressive in the way that he returned. Is that unusual, having a young guy be that aggressive so early? (Jamison Hensley) "I don't think it was [LaJohntay Wester] being aggressive, I think it was him making decisions on the fly. That first [punt return], it was a short ball. He obviously checked outside and realized that the gunners were nowhere close to him and he had an opportunity to fill that ball and get vertical. Those were the things that we saw on his college tape; a young guy that can cleanly field the ball and that is not afraid to catch the ball in traffic. I do believe if someone was in his face, and he needed to use the fair catch, he would've done that. But I love everything he did in the game, and obviously, the next play it was even better, right? The touchdown. Here's a kid – we talk about just being able to field the ball first, and then everything after that is a plus. He has all the after-the-catch ability, and he showed that on that second rep."
It must be gratifying to see some of that college stuff that you've seen on tape come to life in an NFL game. Do you feel like WR LaJohntay Wester could be a dynamic difference maker for you guys in the return game this year? (Kyle Goon) "I just think 'Tay' [LaJohntay Wester] has to come out and continue to do what he's done in college, what he's done his entire career. As a part returner, the thing I stress a lot [is just] about fielding the ball. It's about making the right decisions, and here's a guy that, in college, he did that. He made the right decisions, and those plays will pay off, because the other 10 guys that are on the field are going to do their job and block for him and make sure that we get those yards."
Head coach John Harbaugh said that K Tyler Loop stubbed his toe on the missed 46-yard kick during the preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. I'm curious to know what you saw. (Sam Cohn) "I saw the exact same thing. [Tyler Loop] just tried to reach for it, and [his] kick foot hit the ground before the ball, and he just kind of missed it. But you saw on the next one, on the 52-yarder, the kid has got all the confidence in the world to come out and just bang balls out there and make field goals."
During the joint practice, you had some broken down coverages on kick returns and punt returns. In the game, that didn't happen. Can you talk about the process of fixing those issues? (Ken McKusick) "The practices, [they] just give us a better idea. We come out, we're going against someone else, and it allows us to [see], are we in the right spots? Are we making the block, are we doing the things with the pads on that are going to spring blocks. Kickoff return is about being on the right angles, being on the right spot and blocking guys. I thought in the game, we did that for the most part. I thought Keaton [Mitchell] had some good returns and we're just going to run that play vertical. I thought when [Rasheen] Ali came in, it was the exact same play, and the play just hit downhill. So, it just gives us an opportunity to look at ourselves [and say], 'Alright, make the corrections from the practice and bring it to the game.'"
RB Keaton Mitchell said in college he didn't return because he was too valuable to be used in that regard. He's still learning the position. What progress do you see from him in learning that spot? (Ryan Mink) "I think for a guy like Keaton [Mitchell], and any returner for that matter that did not return in college, those guys were too valuable for their offense. But here, it's like he's willing to do whatever it takes, and he has developed. This play [in the NFL] is a little bit different now. A lot of things happen a lot quicker. If a guy misses a block, now it's that cover guy right on the returner. So these plays, they hit downhill a lot quicker. But his development, he's fine. He's done a great job. Look, we saw him back there last year, he's had success for us [and] will continue to have success. The better we get at blocking, the better we'll get at returning the football."
With K Tyler Loop, we've seen him make a couple of long field goals, but it seems like most of his work is in the shorter range. I'm sure that's planned. What goes into that and what is the thought process behind that? (Brian Wacker) "The thought process is for us to just be consistent. I talked about this last week. In the last two years, 80% of our kicks, [our points after touchdowns] and kicks included, came from under 40 yards. So, we want to be good at the 80%. We're working on that process for those longer kicks. Again, he has the leg strength to do that, but let's be good at where we need to be good at first."
Last year marked the first year of the dynamic kickoff, but this year they moved the touchback to the 35-yard line. Given that, how many more kickoffs do you expect will be returned this year? (Tim Barbalace) "I don't know the exact number. I do believe a lot of teams will put the ball in play a lot more. Just watching some of the – across the preseason – just seeing a lot of teams want to cover kicks, and it's a great opportunity for us to get the work right. It's an opportunity for us to go live. But whatever that number is, we still have to be doing a really good job of covering those kicks. I can't give you an exact number. I do believe it's going to go up."
K Tyler Loop still has to adjust with the new kickoff rules, like you were talking about. One, do you plan to have him kick off in the regular season? Two, to what extent are you hoping for him to just get consistency in the landing zone, versus trying some of the more directional, trickier kicks that are harder to return up the field? (Nikhil Mehta) "That's going to be a process of [figuring out] what we think is good for us as a team. I know right now, in the preseason, we're going to put that ball in play. We want our cover guys to go out and cover. We'll do a lot of different things. We'll play the ball in a lot of different spots, but as we move forward to the regular season, we'll do a couple of different things."
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR TODD MONKEN
As you're calling a game, how much does it change when QB Cooper Rush is at quarterback? (Jamison Hensley) "Well, it's very simple. It's [that] you're not running a QB-driven offense. As athletic as Cooper [Rush] is, we're not going to use him on the perimeter. It's going to have to be spotted. They're similar in terms of their mental approach to the game. There's not really anything we can't do conceptually. They're very similar, very smart, they see the field, they're accurate, [but] just probably the QB-driven [offense]. Naturally, everybody would know that. I'm not giving away any secrets."
How do you assess the QB performances from last game? (Kyle Goon) "Well, we've got to play better around them. That's the start of it. It's a team game. We've got to protect, we've got to run the routes, and they've got to play better. I've got to call it better for them. It's all the above when you don't [execute] in one aspect of what we did – because I thought we ran the ball pretty well – in one aspect of it, which is throwing the football. We've got to get better, and we're going to continue to get after it, and we'll see come Saturday. But I'm excited. I like 'Coop' [Cooper Rush]. I like 'Dev' [Devin Leary]. I like our guys. We've just got to be a lot more efficient in what we're doing across the board."
What have you seen from G/C Corey Bullock so far during camp? (Ryan Mink) "[Corey Bullock] has done a great job. He's done a great job. I'll really go back to last year [because] when a player makes the practice squad, you try to elaborate to them [that] this is a one-year opportunity, maybe more, but you're here to help us [in] practice, but [also] to develop. Don't take it as just, 'Hey, I go out there and read a card, and I show up at the building.' He didn't do that. He worked every day and got better every day. [Offensive line] coach [George] Warhop has done a great job with him. He's a very conscientious young man, and he's playing a really high level right now. I'm excited for him and for us."
Do you have a philosophy when it comes to QBs trying things out during practice? (Jonas Shaffer) "Well, you don't like interceptions ever. I don't care [what it is]. I don't like us fumbling it. I don't like bad snaps, because we're practicing at an intentional level to be elite come Sunday or Saturday, whenever that is. I just go back [to] last year, [where] I think we had a practice, and, what, did we have eight or nine picks? For God's sakes, we threw it up like we were getting paid to do it. So, obviously, you learn from that, right? If you don't throw interceptions in practice, you don't get better. That's what you're supposed to do, and you learn what windows you can throw into, the receivers learn scramble rules [and] being friendly. So, all those things are a part of it. [Lamar Jackson] is never going to change that. I mean, that's just not who he is. If he doesn't see it, he's not going to throw it. You can go back to last year. I can't think of ones where the ball bounced off a defender's chest, and 'You didn't see him,' or 'It got tipped.' No, that didn't happen, and we're just going to keep working and continue that. He's elite at seeing the field."
Have you seen anything this summer in QB Lamar Jackson's game where there has been some improvement in some ways? (Jamison Hensley) "It's subtle. I think with every year that we're running the same offense, and we're together, we communicate better, [and we] get to learn each other better. [Lamar Jackson's] likes, dislikes, how he sees the game, how I see it, how we bring it together [with] our staff. It's not just me or him; it's everybody. It's the team, it's our staff. But his command at the line of scrimmage – I think he's doing a better job with our guys consistently, what he expects from them and being on the same page, so you can just see that part of it. And again, I can only speak to the last two years, so I can't speak before then, but he's been outstanding."
We've heard QB Lamar Jackson has been more vocal. In what ways have you seen it manifest in meetings and different things? (Brian Wacker) "I think [I've seen it] more with the players on the field and in the huddle and with me."
Are there tasks? Are there calls? Are there meetings? (Brian Wacker) "Just in person. Just the dialogue. And I'm better at it. Like anything, the longer you're together with guys, we're better as an offensive staff. Our collaboration, what I look for, what they look for, how we're going to do it, how we're going to consistently do it better, I just think there's more of that from [Lamar Jackson's] end of it is, 'Tell me what you like. Tell me what you want. Tell me how we do it better. Tell me, so we're all on the same page,' and that carries over to the players. 'Tell them how you see it and then carry the message the way we see it done.'"
Even though WR DeAndre Hopkins has been great throughout his career, most of what we have seen in training camp is that short intermediate range where he does a lot of damage. Is there an intention to have damage all over the field, or does that take a little longer to develop with QB Lamar Jackson? (*Kyle Goon)* "Well, part of that is true. We are trying to move [DeAndre Hopkins] around. We're trying to be able to be versatile with our guys, our top guys and everybody that we have. The other [part] is that we're managing his reps, so that doesn't allow for those opportunities to show up. That's really what it is. If you took the number of deep balls we've hit him on by the number of reps, it's probably up there with everybody else that we've had. It's just worked out that [he] hasn't always been out there, and we're managing his reps."
How much stress does having a pony package – RB Derrick Henry, RB Keaton Mitchell, RB Justice Hill where all of them have unique skill sets, how much stress does it have on the defensive side? (Tim Barbalace) "It can. It's our job to get the best players on the field. So, [if] that's what you're getting at, [it] is true. Our ability to be versatile, not only by run-pass modes, it's also by who's out there, what grouping [and] what do we do out of each group. But, we certainly have to look at that a lot more as we continue to move forward because having Keaton [Mitchell] back [from his injury] and also Rasheen Ali, those guys are really good players."
How would you evaluate what you saw in G Daniel Faalele in the preseason game? With him slimming down do you think it gives you more versatility what you can do with him? (Jonas Shaffer) "I'm so proud of Daniel [Faalele]. He worked hard in the offseason [and] came in [to camp] in great shape. I think I was talking earlier that we're excited for Daniel. He's come a long way. He is a really, really good football player. In today's day and age, shock value, whatever's seen for one shot on the Internet doesn't make a man, or a great play doesn't make a man. As I was saying earlier, we were talking like if the Internet posts someone walking into church, it doesn't make him a great Christian. It just means they walked into church. They picked out one clip of it. That's not Daniel. Daniel's been outstanding throughout all of camp and has played his rear end off, and we're excited where he is at now and where he is going to continue to grow."
Could you talk about some of that internet stuff with G Daniel Faalele? Do you hear any of the things that maybe some of the fans have to say? And if you do or see it, how do you respond to that stuff in that moment or with him? (Cordell Woodland) "Well, first of all, I don't respond to it. I'm not naive to seeing those things, but it was one play. That was one example. I can't imagine any of us [having] one example of something in our life, and that's who they are. That's the silliest [stuff] I've ever heard in my life. It's just the way it is. It is the world we live in, right? It's the world we live in, and [Daniel Faalele] is a tremendous football player, he really is, and I love where he has come, but I get it. [The players] have to live it more than me. I'm used to it. I mean that's part of the business. I should be old enough to handle [Internet commentary]. ... Just the bottom line is those guys, they have to deal with it every day, those things. But I'm excited for Daniel."
WR Rashod Bateman is saying that he's really proud of G Daniel Faalele. They were roommates in college. Do you see that relationship play out in front of you? Do they support each other and help each other? (Giana Han) "I don't know. I mean, Daniel [Faalele] doesn't talk, so I guess I'd have to ask him. I've never knew that [Rashod and him were roommates], so I'm going to have to ask him that.
Can I get your thoughts on WR LaJohntay Wester, his performance so far in camp and from what you saw in the last preseason game? (*Phil Jones)* "Well, how about that [punt return touchdown], huh? That was pretty cool, right? You take a receiver that's known for [his] return value, and what does [LaJohntay Wester] do? [He] returns one. How cool is that for him, right? To have that happen and to go out there and just play. That guy just likes playing football. I don't know what to say. He just comes and competes. Every single day, he's making a play. It doesn't always show, but he's certainly capable of it. And I think down the road this year and moving forward, I think he's going to be a heck of a weapon. And it gives us somebody – because he's going to probably be up on gameday as a returner – he kind of gives us another novelty for Zay Flowers. You have Mark [Andrews] and Zay, you've got a couple guys [that] do the same things. You can plug and play if something happens to Zay. LaJohntay can come in there and make those same plays in the same novelty world. But, he's doing awesome."
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ZACH ORR
What was it like to see Ravens Legend LB Ray Lewis back out there at practice? (Jamison Hensley) "It was great. Obviously, Ray Lewis, he's an iconic sports figure. To have a guy of that magnitude as a person and as a player be part of our organization, to come back, I enjoyed it. It was a surreal moment for me. I grew up watching him as a kid. He has plenty of pictures – plenty of honors around the building – so I think it's great for guys who haven't had a chance to meet him or see him up close to feel his presence. His message was good. It was about, 'Don't skip any steps. The preparation is what's going to lead you to success." So it was a great message from him. I was fired up. I didn't know he was coming in."
There was so much talk about OLB Mike Green this offseason. To finally get to see him in a preseason game, what did you think? (Cordell Woodland) "[Mike Green] played his butt off. He did a great job. The thing he'll tell you is that he's just scratching the surface. He could have played a lot better, but he played really good, which is a testament to his mindset and how he approaches things. I think he displayed everything that you needed to see from a premier edge player in this league. He was physical against the run. He showed the ability to get off the ball and affect the quarterback. He showed he can beat you with speed, can beat you with power, and he can counter at the level. It was a great start for him. I look forward to seeing him out there again on Saturday."
Obviously, you played the linebacker position. There are some rookies out there right now talking to him. Do you remember what it was like playing the position and getting the direct wisdom coming from Ray Lewis? (Kyle Goon) "Yes, it was great. When I first got here, he was still on the [video] cutups. Why wouldn't you listen to people who've done it before you, right? Not only that he has done it before you; he did it at the highest level for so long. To play linebacker for 16 [or] 17 years, to be a Hall of Famer, to win Defensive Player of the Year as an inside linebacker is a tough thing to do, and he did it. I remember my first time getting a chance to meet him. I was just in shock [meeting] the guy who I looked up to, who's definitely the best linebacker who ever played a game. Now, I'm where he was at, so it was a surreal moment."
On a similar note with former Ravens LB Ray Lewis being here, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps is here. Given his list of accomplishment, what's it like having him here? (*Josh Tolentino)* "It was great having another legend [at practice]. Michael Phelps, I think he said he won 23 gold medals, which is amazing. [He's] obviously one of the best. He is the best swimmer of all time, that I know of. I'm not going to say I'm a big swimming fan, but I know Michael Phelps. I've been knowing [about] him. But definitely, as an Olympic gold medalist, regardless of sport, Michael Phelps is ... You have to talk about him. You have to speak his name, and I think it was neat having him and Ray [Lewis] come talk to us, because the message was the same. That's one thing you notice when you listen to the greats. When you study the greats, you wonder, 'How do they do such great things in the highest tense moments?' And it all leads back to the work that nobody sees, and that's what Michael Phelps talked about. Ray talked about preparation – Michael Phelps talked about preparation as well – and it's great for our guys to hear that, because it's one thing for us to hear it from somebody, a quote you read or a book you read, but to physically hear it, and to see that person up close, and to know all the things that person has accomplished is great. Me personally, I can't thank Michael Phelps and Ray enough for coming to talk to our team. Shout out to Coach [John] Harbaugh [for] getting them here. We love all the legends that played here or that are Ravens fans. Come talk to us. We love it."
DL C.J. Okoye had a really strong game, maybe his best game as a Raven against the Colts. What do you think has helped him unlock that unteachable side that he has? (Nikhil Mehta) "His work. It's amazing to see how far [C.J. Okoye] is come since we've got him in the springtime. He works hard. He played really good in the game. He's big. I was looking [at him] like, 'Dang.' Every time I saw him before the game, I was like, 'This guy, you are a monster.' And he went out there and played like it. It's a credit to him. He put the work in, he stays extra, and I think 'D.J.' [defensive line coach Dennis Johnson], [assistant to the head coach/defensive assistant] Megan Rosburg [and coaching/scouting analyst] Andrew [Rogan], they've done a great job with him, and he's continued to grow. He's raw at the game of football. You get a guy who's that powerful, that strong – athletic, too – to put the things together and [for] the game [to] slow down for him, it was real good to see."
When you look at OLBs Adisa Isaac and David Ojabo, two guys that are battling, how have you seen them grow this year? (Alex Glaze) "[Adisa Isaac and David Ojabo have] grown in all phases. I think the first thing is health. Both of those guys are really talented players, and we knew that. It's the reason why they're on our team, but the injury bug kind of got them, and it slowed their development process down. Now, they've been healthy [throughout] this whole offseason program, and it's done wonders for them. They've continued to get better and better and better, and both of them played well in that game. We're really pleased with where they're at, so now, it's just continue to stay healthy and continue to build and maximize their talent, because I don't think that we've seen the best of either one of those guys yet. That's what we're constantly pushing, constantly prying those guys about, is getting the most out of them."
John Harbaugh said that he feels like what OLBs David Ojabo and Adisa Isaac have really excelled at is physicality and being contact players. Is that one of the last things to come along when you've dealt with the injuries those guys have dealt with? (Kyle Goon) "Yes, because now they're, they've been fully immersed into the strength program, the performance program. We have a great strength and performance staff here. They do a wonderful job, but when you're injured, your focus is rehab. Yes, you're getting stronger. You're lifting, but the main thing is you're trying to get your injury stuff handled. Now, when you don't have any injuries, now you can really take your strength and your power and your explosiveness to a whole other level, and those guys have done it. Those guys were striking people. They've been striking people out here in practice. You saw it in the game, and just the way we want our guys to play here on the edge, it's a physical mindset to start off with."
Obviously creating chaos and creating turnovers is a part of training camp. Have you gotten meaningful feedback from guys on the opposite side of the ball that speaks to you guys are doing a good job at that? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, Lamar [Jackson] said something to them last week about how we're attacking the ball and how the offensive guys have to tuck the ball and put it away. The offensive guys know that we're attacking it. We're coming for it, so even when they're not looking, even when they think the ball's put away, we're going to punch. We're going to get 11 hats to the football and do that. I think we've been more intentional about that as a coaching staff. I think it's been a direct reflection with our players, and they take ownership of it. We've gotten the football pretty much every single day, which is a really good sign."
From what we saw from ILBs Chandler Martin and Jay Higgins IV at the end of the game, it looked like they were working well. (Ken McKusick) "I told you guys last time I was up here, there were going to be a lot of guys that you guys haven't really heard of or talked about who were going to pop on film. Jay Higgins [IV] and Chandler Martin definitely did that. I'm excited about those two young, undrafted rookie linebackers. They probably should have been drafted, honestly. You combine their IQ, they know how to play the game, they pick up the defensive system really quickly, and they went out there and showed it on gameday. Those guys were excited. [In the] fourth quarter, those dudes were asking for more reps. I'm like, 'Look, we trying to get off the field as quickly as possible.' But, they wanted to continue to go out there and play, and that's what we want. We want guys who love to play football, and those are two of the guys that definitely love playing ball."
You guys have a really deep and talented secondary, but you also got multiple guys that can play inside. How interchangeable could the nickel corner position be for you this year? (Tim Barbalace) "It could be interchangeable, just based off of a scheme that you're playing and based off of personnel that you're playing. You might like a different guy in the slot this week opposed to a different week, because what they're doing – whether it's in the run game or in the pass game – they're putting a specific player in that position, so I think it's good. The slot corner position is not an easy position to play. Basically, you're a corner, you're a safety, you're a linebacker – inside and outside linebacker all in one – so there's a lot that goes into it. You have to know the whole defense in and out to play that position. I think it's a credit to the football IQ that our guys have that they can go in there and play, and then it's a credit to the coaches for getting those guys prepared. You never know in a game how you might have to shuffle guys around based off of injuries or based off of performance, so I think it's good that we could have multiple guys can go fill that spot in a pinch."
