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  1. #145
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    Re: Ravens at The Podium

    Wednesday, November 6, 2019

    Head Coach John Harbaugh


    Part 1 of 2



    Opening statement: “Alright, good to see everybody. I appreciate you being here. A couple transactions we had: We signed De'Anthony Thomas to the regular roster. [We signed] Mike Onuoha and Byron Marshall – Mike was a defensive end that was here in training camp; Byron is a running back – to the practice squad. We waived Maurice Canady, and then we lost De'Lance Turner. He was signed by the Dolphins away from our practice squad, so that's where we're at with that stuff right now.”



    How do you envision WR/RS De'Anthony Thomas fitting in? What do you guys like about him? I know he worked out here recently. (Jeff Zrebiec) “Yes, he's a good a player. We played against him earlier when he was with the Chiefs. He's a wide receiver. He's a return man. He also plays special teams. So, we anticipate him having a lot of possibilities for roles on our team, and we'll see how it shakes out.”



    Do you anticipate him [doing] punt returns? (Kirk McEwen) “As I said, we'll see how it shakes out.”



    FB/DL Pat Ricard, I know you’re an imaginative guy. You're like, “Oh, we could do some different things with him.” But the way that he's evolved and can be so effective on both sides of the ball, did you really think that was where he could get to when he showed up? (Pete Gilbert) “Oh, yes, absolutely. Once we saw him and had a feel for what he was capable of doing … I'd say, probably, by the end of training camp the first year we had a vision for him. He's just done spectacular with it, and he continues to improve in every area. He's a valuable part of our team.”



    There's been a lot of talk this week about QB Lamar Jackson's athleticism, but what people aren't talking about is how well he's protected the football this year. Has that been a technique thing or a focus of his? How do you see him get better at doing that? (Todd Karpovich) “Right, yes, it's a process. Obviously, we work really hard at all the different ball handling aspects, whether it be run game, pass game, all those things. He's just improved, and not just him, but really our whole offense. It's, obviously, a team effort. It starts with the snap, running backs are involved with that, the receivers. A lot of different things we do with motions and things like that are all part of it, and it's just part of the offense and working on that stuff every day.”



    ILB Josh Bynes, I know you knew him already, obviously, but did you envision he could come in and have such a significant role? And how has he gone about solidifying this defense? (Bo Smolka) “Josh [Bynes] is a good, good football player. He's a MIKE ’backer by trade. He played the position all those years, so he brought a lot of experience to the table. He still has it physically. He's really the same player that he's always been. It's a tribute to him that he is there and [has] played good football for us.”



    CB Jimmy Smith has spent a lot of his career rehabbing from injuries. Do you have a respect for the work that he's done on the field and off the field given his unfortunate injury history? (David Ginsburg) “Absolutely. Jimmy [Smith] has done a great job of fighting through those things. He's had some misfortune with some of that stuff, and he's always done nothing but battle back. I remember the first year in 2012 when he had the injury and he and I were battling it out back and forth about whether he was actually going to come back, and he fought through that then, with some encouragement. (laughter) He'll tell you the story, and ever since then he's done nothing but work hard at all that stuff. It's commendable.”



    What have you seen from QB Ryan Finley on tape in the preseason that you've watched? (Ryan Mink) “I've seen the tape. I've seen all the plays that he played, and we've looked at a number of college plays. And I'm not really feeling like giving the scouting report on him right now.” (laughter)



    You just saw them [the Bengals] a few weeks ago. Is that just the biggest difference though? The change in quarterback? Anything else? (Jerry Coleman) “No, they made changes. There's a lot of evolution that goes on, and you never know what you're going to get from one game to the next. The bye week is a big factor in that, too. We have to be prepared for anything they might do coming off the bye. They're still playing very hard. They're a very physical team. We have to go to their place. They're going to get healthy. They're going to get some guys back, especially on offense, but also defense, too. They're adding a pass rusher [DE Carl Lawson] who's coming back, and the corners could be healthy. So, we just have to see how that plays out.”



    You mentioned the different circumstances from this game to the last time you guys faced Cincinnati, but would this offense prove anything different or prove anything new that it hasn't already if it had a good game against a team that it's already faced? (Jonas Shaffer) “No. I'm not really even following the question to be honest.” (Reporter: “I mean just there was the thought after the second game against the Chargers last season – teams adjusting to this offense the second time it's seen it.”) “Oh, oh, I gotcha. Yes, I guess that's a benchmark then. That would be something that we would have to take into consideration. I probably should have thought of that. I realize we're playing them a second time, and we're trying to figure out exactly how they'll play us in what way and trying to be prepared for that. So, we probably are doing that without making the comparison to last year, which we are loath to do.” (laughter)



    How much have you guys changed offensively since that game earlier in the season? (Mike Preston) “We change a lot every game. I feel like we have a system. It's a really well-built system, and we're very flexible within it. We do a lot of different things that some people might notice of what we're doing differently from one game to the next. But we change up a lot each game.”



    You mentioned about them getting healthier on offense. One of the guys, obviously, is WR A.J. Green. How much does that change the dynamic of having him come back on this game? (Jamison Hensley) “Yes, it's huge. Their receiving corps – and you can put Tyler Eifert right in there with that and C.J. Uzomah; they're both tight ends who are pass-catching threats, especially Tyler. He's, obviously, a receiver in so many ways. But that's a great receiving corps. Tyler Boyd is a No. 1 anyway, and then you put A.J. Green on top of that, [and] you have two top players. And A.J. Green is one of the best in football. We've made an argument before that he's the best in football. He's been injured for a while, so it'll be his first game back in a while. And, of course, it would have to be our game. Then they have some other guys playing really well. This Auden Tate from Florida State, who did a heck of a job in college and was a big possession receiver in college, is doing the exact same thing and even better in the NFL. All the back-shoulder throws, all the stops, all the fades, all the big-body routes coming inside; he's done well with. And then [Alex] Erickson is playing really well. He's running fast. He's really a fast receiver as a return guy. He's been really productive. All those guys, their receptions have been spread out in the last few games among those guys pretty much evenly. Then they add A.J. Green to the mix, so that's probably the biggest factor for us right now.”



    We saw a video of G Marshal Yanda after the game lifting Eric DeCosta and throwing him around. (laughter) Is he ... Do you notice him maybe relishing this, enjoying it just a little bit more? (Aaron Kasinitz) “Yes, he was relishing lifting Eric DeCosta and shaking the life out of him. (laughter) I think he shook all the change out of his pockets. (laughter) It was fantastic. It was a double-suplex wrestling move that Marshal [Yanda] has perfected. Eric is not really in his weight class, if you noticed that.” (laughter) (Reporter: “But on a large scale, does Marshal seem kind of rejuvenated?”) “I don't know. It's a great question for Marshal. He's not too good right now. He's sick today, and he won't be practicing today. He has something he caught from his kids the last couple days, so he doesn't feel rejuvenated today. (laughter) I know that.”



    How many years do you have to play before you're allowed to body slam the GM? (Childs Walker) (laughter) “Very good point! (laughter) You better be playing at a really high level, for sure.”



    You were given that Salute to Service Award in 2013. Nominated again this year. Just, your thoughts on the significance of that? (Mark Viviano) “It's a coincidence I have the [STS] hat on, just to be honest with you. I didn't really realize that that was going to be a part of the conversation, but the significance for me is just I don't deserve any kind of award at all. I just think the organization does an amazing job. I had a chance, because we live in this area, to get to know and become friends with a lot of service members of all different kind of ranks. We have some high-level generals that are really good friends now all through the ranks – people that have come over here, people that we've visited with in the area and a lot of Gold Star Families and things like that. To me, it's ... No one in our family ever served. We weren't a family that has had that background, and yet [we] have so much admiration for the people that make that sacrifice and the whole families that make the sacrifice. That's who keeps us safe, really. It's not a very nice world out there, and we should all be appreciative. Thanks.”
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  2. #146
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    Re: Ravens at The Podium

    Part 2 of 2

    Besides changes in personnel in your secondary, what other improvements have you seen in recent weeks that made you guys get better? (Mike Preston) “Defensively, well, we've rushed the quarterback the way we've needed to in each of the last few games, the last two weeks especially. [They were] two completely different types of quarterbacks. Both, in their own way, [are] really good in the pocket. We rushed them differently but well, and that takes a lot of effort for those guys that do that. It really does. It gasses you to rush those certain, different kind of ways. You really kind of [go] through linemen. I think just the communication … We've been able probably to start hitting our stride just a little bit with scheme and doing some different things and changing up from week to week and getting it right. That's probably helped us. We're getting some experience working together. [That's] probably a big part of it, and it's just week to week. We have to play well. We have to cover people. We have to stop the run. We have to be consistent with everything we do, and we're probably more consistent than we were early, I would say.”



    Are you more versatile even than at the start of the season when you had all your guys healthy? (Mike Preston) “We're more versatile, yes. Yes, we are, just because of the guys we've added. I mean, we started off pretty healthy in the secondary, and that helped us. And then we got hurt, and then we got healthy again, now. And adding Marcus Peters has, obviously, been a big plus for us.”
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  3. #147
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    Re: Ravens at The Podium

    TE Nick Boyle

    On what this week has been like after beating the Patriots and scoring his first touchdown and if he was receiving a lot of messages: “I’m not a good communicator with text messages, so I had a lot of text messages. It was almost like I got drafted with how many text messages I was getting once I scored a touchdown. (laughter) But it was cool to see how many people were watching the game and rooting for me. It’s a good feeling. Like I said before, it’s good when my teammates celebrate with me, and then I see all my family members, friends back home all watching and still supporting me.”

    On the touchdown dance that he tried to do: “Mark Ingram and I were just fooling around. We probably would have tried to do it a little earlier, but there were too many people around. We practice it out there sometimes when no one is watching. Hopefully, it’ll be able to come out again.”

    On FB/DL Patrick Ricard’s ability to be an effective player on both sides of the ball and their tandem on offense: “The amount of respect I have for Pat [Ricard] is crazy. I couldn’t imagine, going back to high school, playing both ways. So, him doing it in the NFL is something really special. He brings that physicality that not a lot of offensive players can bring. Like I said, he’s a huge reason why a lot of our run game works. He’s the kind of player you can plug in and play him anywhere. He can move around. He can catch balls in the flat, catch balls anywhere. And he’s super physical.” (Reporter: “Better on offense or defense?”) “I’d say offense. We make fun of him when he wants to go over to defense. We say, ‘The defense doesn’t want you,’ and all this kind of stuff to make him come more to the offensive side. But they want him over there, too.”

    On the “classic trap game” in facing the 0-8 Bengals after beating the undefeated Patriots and how he addresses that: “That’s a good point. Everyone is feeling good right now, and everyone is happy, and everyone’s emotions are high. I think how you set the tone is how you’re going to go out and practice today. There’s not much to be said. When you’re at this position in your career, when this is what you’re paid to do, you’re paid to go out there and perform. So, I think you should be self-ambitious to go out there and do your job week-in and week-out, and the way you do that is maybe you’ll have to tell some people, but for the most part, go out there and practice really well. That will set the tone.”

    On if the history between the Ravens and the Bengals makes it easier to get players to focus on this game: “Yes. They’re always a tough team to play against. Every game in the NFL is tough, but especially versus them. Those players are really tough. It’s always a physical game. It’s always been like a one-score game coming down to the end.”

    On what gives him and the offense confidence that they will stay one step ahead of the Bengals: “Just do what we do every single week. We have Lamar [Jackson] at the quarterback. We have our same offensive line. We have our same running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and same coaches. Basically, they’re going to come out with a great gameplan. We’re going to try to run that gameplan as best as we can and go out there and perform. Who we’re playing doesn’t really matter. I think it’s more of, we step back, erase what happened last week, and just look back at ourselves and just kind of reset and go forward from there.”

    On QB Lamar Jackson winning AFC Offensive Player of the Week and if the offense takes pride in earning that award: “I didn’t know he did that, but that’s awesome for him. I don’t think we bask in it. He deserves it from his performances there week-in and week-out. [He is] just a true, special player. Like you said, the offensive line, the running backs, the wide receivers, us – we all make it click.”

    On how often QB Lamar Jackson makes a play that makes his life easier: “A lot of certain blocks you have, a lot of certain types of protections, on boots and stuff like that, where you may be singled up on some D-end and he has to roll out around you … But he’s just so fast. He makes it so much easier, and you don’t have to hold your block as long. So, he makes everyone’s job easier when he has the ball.”

    On if he ever thinks, “Wow!” when he watches QB Lamar Jackson’s game film: “Yes. There are wild spots where I thought the ball was going to come over by me, and then I just look up and he’s running the ball over there, and then he’s like 40 yards downfield. I’m just standing there watching him like a spectator. Those moments you see in practice. Those moments you see in games all the time.”



    WR Marquise Brown

    On if it’s been encouraging that he has been able to make plays while working his way back from injuries: “Definitely. Just being back out there, no matter what percent, being able to make plays is huge for confidence.”

    On how much of a mental challenge it has been for him to push through after missing time and having the opportunity to return to the field: “It’s just more like with the team, being out there with the guys, not wanting to let them down. But they all encourage me. They know I’m not 100 [percent], but they’re like, ‘When you’re out there, you’re going to make plays.’ I just keep that in my head.”

    On having success when he isn’t 100 percent and knowing that the Ravens can be bigger and better, especially after beating the Patriots: “It means a lot. It’s just a credit to the staff here for putting us in situations to make those plays. So, it’s big for confidence, too.”

    On his chemistry with QB Lamar Jackson, like when he made the clutch third-down catch vs. New England: “Anytime I see him running around, I try to keep my eyes on him. He made a – I don’t know how he got the throw off – but he got it off, and I made a good catch.”

    On if his friendship with QB Lamar Jackson off the field carries over to the field: “Yes, of course. He wants to see me succeed; I want to see him succeed. I don’t want to let him down, so he looks for me, and I’m going to try to make it happen for him.”

    On if he still drives QB Lamar Jackson: “Yes.” (laughter)
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  4. #148
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    Re: Ravens at The Podium

    QB Lamar Jackson



    On how many new wrinkles he expects from this Cincinnati defense: “I can't tell you. I'm not over there in Cincinnati. I can only prepare over here.”



    On the significance of being named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season: “It's pretty dope. They came with it, but I'm here to win. I just had success and became AFC Player of the Week. I appreciate it, but I'm trying to win.”



    On what he thought about people saying he had a “tell” by touching his towel before the snap during the Patriots game: “I don't know. I thought I was doing it every play, because it was cold. I'm trying to feel my fingers so that I can catch the ball. I'm in shotgun all the time, so I did it to catch the ball. It doesn't really matter what play it is, but it is what it is. It is what it is.”



    On if he thinks anyone noticed anything off the towel touching: “I don't know. I can't you tell you. That's what he [Cris Collinsworth] said. I don't know. I don't know.”



    On if he shields himself from seeing himself everywhere on TV and in the media: “If I happen to be watching TV and it comes up, I'm going to turn the channel. Yes, that's what I'm going to do. That's it. That's it.”



    On a Ravens' fan base that has sort of felt pushed aside by the league over the years and if he feels the excitement now building from the Baltimore fans: “Yes, I do. I see where they're coming from, but we're winning games. When we were 2-2, it wasn't like that. So, we're winning games, and that's what comes with it. But all we can do is control what's here.”



    On people saying that what he's doing isn't sustainable: “Same response. The doubters are going to always be there. We just want to keep having success, and like I said, we're controlling what's here. We don't really care what they say.”



    On his and the team's mindset going from playing the undefeated Patriots to the winless Bengals: “Same thing. It's the NFL. Any given Sunday, anything can happen. We're playing ball. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what their record is. We're all grown men, so we know they're going to compete their tails off regardless. We're going into Cincinnati; we're trying to come out with a victory.”



    On if he feels comfortable knowing he just played the Bengals a month ago and if he's seen any new wrinkles from them on film since then: “Yes, we watched a little film just now. They got a player added back: 21 [Darqueze Dennard]. He's back. [Dre] Kirkpatrick, the corner, is down, but [it's the] same defense, same defense.”



    On what it means to have FB/DL Patrick Ricard blocking for him: “It means a lot. He does it all. He's playing offense and defense. He's scoring touchdowns, playing nose [tackle]. It's ridiculous. That guy is a freak, a freak of nature. I can't tell you anything about it.”



    On what he learned about his team after the win vs. NE on Sunday night: “We can battle with anyone. We're going to compete regardless of who they are, what their reputation is. We have a lot of heart over here, a lot of confidence, and we're here to win.”



    FB/DL Patrick Ricard



    On if opposing players ever say anything to him about playing fullback: “Yes, sometimes they go, 'Why aren't you on defense right now?' And I'm like, 'This is what I do, man.' But no, people sometimes would come up to me and have just been really positive about it and just say, 'It's really impressive what you can do.' And I'm just appreciative about it.”



    On if he's better as a fullback or as a defensive lineman: “I think right now I'm a better fullback than defensive lineman. I don't know why. It just seems more natural to me. On defense, there are so many great players here, and across the league we're low on fullbacks. There are only 10 fullbacks in the AFC, and I think I'm one of the best ones.”
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  5. #149
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    Re: Ravens at The Podium

    CB Jimmy Smith

    On how good it felt to return to the field and play at a high level against the Patriots: “It felt great. It felt great for a number of reasons. I hate being in the training room, obviously. But it just felt good to go out there and play and help win a game against a big team.”

    On where he pulls inspiration from after being in the training room almost year after year: “I don’t know. I have a lot of football left in me. These injuries, they suck. They weigh on you a little bit, but you just keep fighting. I have a great team, a great organization that backs me 100 percent all the time, and they make it a little bit easier.”

    On his sports hernia injury in 2012 and battling back to win the Super Bowl: “I tore one side and just kept playing through it, but when the other side went, it was just a little too painful to twist and run and all of that. We had a real shot at going to the Super Bowl that year, and I didn’t really want to get that surgery, but I needed it to perform well. Thank God, we ended up going to the playoffs and making it that far, because I think, really, the only game that I really truly impacted when I got back from that was the Super Bowl. So, thank you for that.” (laughter)

    On how he keeps his teammates on an even keel after beating an undefeated team and preparing to face a 0-8 team: “What would last week’s win mean if we go out there and just lay an egg? Nobody wants to do that. It doesn’t take any extra motivation to want to go out and win a game. We know what we’re here for. It’s only better if we win. We don’t want to lose. That sucks.”

    On what he can do as a veteran to make sure his younger teammates stay balanced: “I truly believe, just keep doing what we’ve been doing. Don’t go and be super anxious and get real tight backsides, and just do what we’ve been doing. Don’t make it over anything or under, just keep it cool. Go out to play the game you’ve been playing, and let the chips fall where they may.”

    On Cincinnati’s success against the Ravens in his time with the team: “This game is a rivalry game, just like the Steelers, the Browns. The records don’t matter. We know what they possess over there, and they know what we possess over here. They know how to play us. The records don’t matter. Everything that we’ve done to this point, it really doesn’t matter much. We want to come out victorious, but we know how dangerous Cincinnati is and always will be.”

    On how he covers WR Auden Tate: “You have to try to be physical with him, get in his face, get the ball. You just have to cover him. He had a good game last time we played him. He’s been having good games since. We’re going to have our hands full. The strength of their offense is obviously their receivers, and the strength of our defense right now is our secondary. So, that’s going to be the big matchup this week.”

    On how good the secondary can be with him, CB Marlon Humphrey, CB Marcus Peters and S Earl Thomas III: “We can be really good. We have a lot of talent out there, a lot of smart players. That really stands out with our guys. We have the physicality. We have everything we need. It’s really just making sure we execute the gameplan. Now that everybody is healthy and we’re out there, our game-planning can expand a little bit more each week, just based on the talent that we have back there. I’m excited to see what the coaches come up with.”

    On the strides CB Marlon Humphrey has made with non-football responsibilities: “He picked it up, the studying, last year, a lot. When you get in here and you’re a cornerback based on your athletic ability, that’s the first thing. You just rely on your ability. This year, he’s relying on both, knowing the game. And he’s playing a different position this year, which is making him study even more. Playing nickel is not like playing corner, really, but it’s just making him that much of a better player. The thing to me that stands out most about what Marlon [Humphrey] is doing right now is his confidence is out of the roof. And when you have confidence playing cornerback, you can do anything you want to do.”

    On how bizarre it will be to face the Bengals without QB Andy Dalton: “That is going to be pretty crazy. I’ve been playing against him [since 2011]. We got drafted in the same class. He was my first interception. (laughter) I threw that out there. (laughter) It is going to be strange, because obviously, our careers have kind of been mirrored, in a sense of just being drafted over there second round. So, it’s going to be crazy not to have him back there, but we’re excited for the challenge of [Ryan] Finley coming in.”

    On his expectations from WR A.J. Green and how the Ravens will attempt to shut him down after he’s had so many good games: “We know A.J. [Green] is a thorn in our side. He makes tremendous plays. I’m sure he’s gunning to come back and can’t wait, but we’re going to try to do our best to keep him contained and keep this offense contained completely. We know what he can do, but we know what 83 [Tyler Boyd] can do as well. We know what 19 [Auden Tate] can do now. And then you have to watch out for 12 [Alex Erickson], as well. But they have a [strong] group of guys, and it’s our job to make sure we can contain that.”

    On at what point in the year he gets a sense of how far a team will go based on his experience: “Only one year, since I’ve been here, did I know we were out of it. I think that was a 5-and-whatever year [in 2015]. Other than that, we’re always fighting to the end. But either way, it really doesn’t matter, because we’re just going to fight until the 16 games are done. I don’t know. You just don’t really think about the playoffs and all that type of stuff. When you’re out of it, you’re kind of playing for pride. Thank God we’re not in that position, though.”

    On what went through his mind when he got hurt in Miami and how determined he was to return ASAP given the team’s potential: “Initially, when I felt my knee, I didn’t know what it was. It just felt like something went, and I was kind of nervous that if it was in the ACL or something really serious, how much it would impact my career, just being an older guy and all that, and my history. But finding out it was a sprain and I could come back, it definitely boosted my spirits. But initially, it was like, we didn’t know what it was. It could’ve been a Grade Three, and Grade Three … I WebMD-ed myself, (laughter) and it was like, that could be a long time. And playing four games or something like that was not going to be great. Like I said, by the grace of God, it was a sprain, two weeks, and the bye fell at the right time. So, I’m able to come back out and still play, and we have eight games left.”

    On how to prepare for a quarterback like QB Ryan Finley, who has little film: “I personally YouTube-ed him yesterday, just to see what he’s like, see how he throws. I’ve heard what our coaches tell us and watched a little bit of the preseason, but we’ll figure it out when we get out there.”

    On if he has been impressed with what WR Marquise Brown has been able to do knowing what it’s like to recover from a Lisfranc injury: “Absolutely. It’s a tough injury, extremely tough. I know what he’s going through, as far as every time he gets up and wakes up and it’s cold outside, that thing hurts. So, I understand it. And having a high-ankle [sprain], which I also had, back to back, he’s fighting his way. He comes up making plays. He’s keeping his head up. All the guys talk to him. I’ve been in his ear, letting him know, ‘You’re going to get over it eventually.’ But I’m proud of the way he’s bounced back and performed.”

    On ILB Josh Bynes’ transformation from a member of special teams to an asset on defense: “He was always a good linebacker. He might have been overlooked a little bit, but he played really well in, I think it was Detroit, Arizona as well. So, it’s not that he didn’t have the talent. We had C.J. [Mosley]. But now that he’s back, he’s doing great for us, and we’re happy that we have him.”

    On having ILB Josh Bynes back as a player who he has shared past experiences with: “Absolutely, him and ‘Phee’ [Pernell McPhee], we reminisce all the time about our first year here and how different it was then and the guys we had and just how things change so quickly. But it’s always good to see familiar faces on the defense.”
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  6. #150
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    Re: Ravens at The Podium

    Thursday, November 7, 2019

    Defensive Coordinator Don Martindale


    Opening Statement: “Obviously, we were really pleased with our effort, our execution, our communication, and overall, just the intensity of the way the guys prepared the entire week for New England. Once again, we need to match that again this week. We put a lot on their plate for the New England game, as far as different personnel, which you’ve already written about. The guys accepted the challenge, and they carried through with the plan that we had.”

    Are you wearing the chain? (Pete Gilbert) “Always. You didn’t know I had that kind of swag, did you? (laughter) I got a little feedback from that. Here’s the thing: We’ve been doing this for over 30 years, 35 years. If you can’t have fun the last 10 minutes, 10 minutes after the game, or the last three minutes of the game … I was watching the guys celebrate. I loved it, because I know how hard they work. They called me to get into the picture, and you saw the rest. I don’t know why I did it, it was just a gut reaction, I guess. But according to my son, I do have a little bit of swag now. (laughter) Now.”

    How have you seen ILB Patrick Onwuasor manage the season with all of the changes and the injury, and coming back on Sunday to have the big game he had? (Daniel Oyefusi) “We said it was going to strengthen our defense, and it surely did. He played really well in the game. Obviously, he got another ball out. We talk about ‘shots on goals’ that we have. He and Marlon [Humphrey] are always leaders, and there are new leaders every week when we’re doing this. When you get into the game, those shots on goal count the most. But you just see the work that he’s done, getting back healthy, like you said, and just being productive back at the weakside position. So, I was really happy for him. Did it surprise me? No, but I was really happy for him.”

    Do you think ILB Patrick Onwuasor and ILB Josh Bynes fit particularly well together? Do they have very complementary skills? (Childs Walker) “He and Josh [Bynes] and L.J. [Fort] all fit together very well. And you’ll see them rotating throughout, because they’re core special teams players as well. They play well together, that crew, that chemistry.”

    You looked at CB Brandon Carr at safety this summer. When you watch a consummate pro – I know you’ve talked about him being a consummate pro – when you watch him and you say, “Yes, he can transition to safety and play well,” what leads you to make that conclusion? (Bo Smolka) “No. 1 is skillset. And you’ve heard me say this before: In this league, knowledge is power. And he has a lot of knowledge and experience of routes, route trees. When he’s watching tape and studying tape of how they’re not only going to attack the corner position, but how they attack the safeties as well … It was the first time that he was back there live and in action, and it was fun to watch. He’s such a great teammate and so selfless in his approach. I think we talked about it before, about how they petitioned the NFL just so Marcus [Peters] could get a number that he wanted, and ‘B. Carr’ [Brandon Carr] was like, ‘I’ll do it. Let’s do it.’ So, it’s just a long list of things, with all the awards and accolades that he has as a player, and also out in the community.”

    With CB Jimmy Smith coming back, you have the top four corners all healthy. How does that versatility help the defense? (Cliff Brown) “That’s a great question. It just makes you, when you’re game-planning, able to be more flexible in what you’re doing. As you saw, there were quite a few times against New England when we didn’t even have a linebacker on the field because of their flexibility. Each week, it changes. You have a different set of problems, if you will, to attack, and week to week, it will change. This week, obviously, it will be different going against the Bengals.”

    You’ve prepared for QB Andy Dalton quite a bit over the years. How different is this week, and what sort of challenges does QB Ryan Finley represent? (Jeff Zrebiec) “He’s going to represent some challenges, because obviously, if they’re letting him play in front of [Andy] Dalton – and we know the kinds of problems that Andy has given us and the type of quarterback he is – it’s going to be a great challenge. We’ve watched college tape on him. We’ve watched preseason tape on him. One of the coaches in the defensive meeting said, ‘What’s next? Are we going to watch the rival high school tapes before he went to N.C. State?’ (laughter) I’d like to say we’re prepared for him, but we’ll see on Sunday.”

    You always want to be flexible and capable of making in-game adjustments, but because of that unknown, is that even more important this week, just because the Bengals could do anything? (Luke Jones) “Right. And that excites us because of the flexibility of our defense, of how you can play different players in different spots. We’ll see. Just like New England went up-tempo the entire game and the adjustments that we made there, I thought, obviously, we came out on the right end.”

    With CB Marlon Humphrey with back-to-back scoop-and-scores, how do you explain how a guy can be around the ball that much, to keep making plays time and time again? (Ryan Mink) “Because of how hard he plays, getting to the football when it’s in the air, and breaking and flying to the ball, which a lot of them do. You see Jihad Ward do it. You see all of them do it. ‘Big Baby’ [Brandon Williams] was unbelievable in that game. We talked about ‘Peanut’ [Patrick Onwuasor]. It’s just about how hard he plays. He has a nose for it. Some people do. Let’s hope he goes back-to-back-to-back.”

    Not long ago, you were talking about nightmares and puking up here after a game, to in a relatively short period of time, to see the turnaround on it … It’s halfway through. I get that. But to see that turn around and come together, how much do you just feel like, “Alright, this is kind of what I thought we could do, and I’m glad we got through that.”? (Pete Gilbert) “I’m glad we got through it, first of all. It’s a credit to the assistants – Jesse [Minter, assistant defensive backs coach] and Drew [Wilkins, assistant defensive line/linebackers coach] and [Brian] Duker [defensive coaching analyst] and Sterling [Lucas, defensive assistant/linebackers coach] and Zach Orr [coaching analyst]. When we got a new guy in that Eric [DeCosta] got us, which, that was big … We talked about that last week, how fast they could get them up to date on what we’re doing. And really, every one of them can teach the defense. And because it’s so easy to teach with how we restructured it a year ago, they snapped into it and did the things that we’re looking for. So, yes, it’s exciting, but yet, we just had a rivalry game, if you will. We talked about historic and respecting the history of the game. Well, there’s more history coming up here. We’re not facing [Bill] Belichick and [Tom] Brady. But yet, this team is, like I said the first time we played them, it’s not an 0-8 offense. It really isn’t, with the skillset, the skills that they have. It’s going to be a great challenge for us.”

    You mentioned the intensity of the preparation last week, and even to match it, just based on what you said, last week was a rivalry game. Now, you’re facing an 0-8 team. Do you have to remind players more about that this week? (Tom Pelissero) “No. No, we don’t. John [Harbaugh] took care of that right after the New England game. We know what this game is, and we know how important this game is. But it’s a good question.”
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  7. #151
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    Re: Ravens at The Podium

    Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman

    Opening statement: “Thanks for coming out. It’s not as blustery today, but the temperature is dropping. It’s football weather. November, December football [is] a very important time of year for us. We’re getting ready to play this Bengals team. They’re at the top of the NFL in red zone defense. They have a really good front led by [Geno] Atkins, and they have [Carlos] Dunlap back. They didn’t play in our first game. [They are] two Pro Bowl-caliber players. They have a secondary that’s laden with No. 1, high draft picks, and they have some linebackers that love to run to the ball. So, we’re really focused on our plan, working the plan, our improvement, and trying to get better at this critical time of year.”

    As you watch the versatility of the run game come together, how much more is there to build off of what you’ve done? (Pete Gilbert) “You’re always looking to improve. It really comes down to fundamentals. That’s something I learned a long time ago. You can draw up whatever play you want, but the players executing that play is paramount. We’re looking for execution, technique, consistency. So, the more we can build that, the more flexible we can be with the system. But the effectiveness of it really comes down to players getting the job done on the field, and that’s a lot of work that those guys put in, not only to study the gameplan, [but to] understand all the adjustments versus all the different looks. These guys have a lot to process during the week and during the game – but also the fundamental, the how-to. [It’s] not just what to do, but how to do it. Once you get that done, that’s kind of the price of admission. The ball-handling has to be good. The running back or whoever has the ball has to hit the proper hole, understand the blocking scheme that we’re deploying. So, there are a lot of levels to it. It’s a constant process.”

    What is it about this offense that allows you to change it every week? It seems like every week there is some new wrinkle that catches the opponent off guard. How are you able to do that? (Ryan Mink) “It really comes down to the players. We’re pretty aggressive about taking that mindset and approach. That forces them to come in every week, and it’s not the same old, ‘Hey, it’s time to make the donuts,’ same old stuff. They have to come in, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, those guys have to get to work. And they’re doing a nice job of it. We’re always trying to improve there. We have some versatile guys, so let’s be versatile.”

    Along those lines, with how the offense changes, when you face a defense for the second time in a season, does your self-study process change at all? (Jonas Shaffer) “It has to. They kind of saw what you really wanted to do against them the first time. Is that what you want to do the second time? Very often, these division games are, the second time, are very different types of games. They play out a lot differently. So, it behooves us to put together the right plan and really work through it. Because you can’t just say, ‘Hey, this play worked this first time,’ or, ‘This approach worked.’ They’re just coming off a bye week. I’m sure they have a different approach as well.” (Reporter: “And the challenge there is to remain loyal to your strengths but not in all of the same ways?”) “There are a lot of different ways to approach it. The No. 1 thing is we’re focused on ourselves and our improvement, and day to day us getting better, because it comes down to execution.”

    You have people all over the country talking about how excited they are to watch you guys run the ball. Obviously, that’s not why you do it, but is it kind of a cool by-product of what you do? (Childs Walker) “How do I answer that?” (Executive vice president, public and community relations Kevin Byrne: “Yeah, it’s cool.”) “Yeah, it’s cool! (laughter) Anytime the players execute whatever you’re doing, it’s cool. It’s really cool.”

    It’s been a decade since anyone has run for over 200 yards a game in the NFL. Does it feel like you’re doing something historic in that regard? (Tom Pelissero) “We try not to think about all that kind of stuff. Right now, our focus is on the Cincinnati Bengals and our preparation for that. Every week in this league is a new challenge.”

    How have you seen QB Lamar Jackson handle all of the attention? MVP talk, Offensive Player of the Weeks – how have you seen him handle all of that? (Garrett Downing) “Seamlessly. He’s just genuinely himself, exactly as how you would want him to [handle it]. But I feel like Eric [DeCosta] and Ozzie [Newsome] and those guys had a real good feel about what kind of guy he was coming into the draft. He’s just a genuine guy. He’s a Heisman Trophy winner, etc. etc., and [with] his genuine competitiveness and whatnot, he doesn’t really focus on that stuff. So, A+. A+, but always trying to improve.”

    FB/DL Patrick Ricard is such a unique presence in your offense. If you can take me back to when you were building the playbook, did you envision a spot for him specifically, or did he have to earn his way into it? (Aaron Kasinitz) “We envisioned a spot for him in the rookie minicamp – what is it, three years ago? – where we saw him kind of play defense, and it was like, ‘Hmm, come over here. Let me teach you 90-lead. Here’s what you’re going to do.’ And then we saw him adjust to get through the hole to the middle linebacker, and it was like, ‘Hmm, OK…’ And then it just kind of built from there. Everything he does in the offense is earned. He’s a valuable guy for us.”

    What was it you saw from FB/DL Patrick Ricard to say … Great athletes come through all the time on defense, and you said, “I want that guy on offense.” (Pete Gilbert) “It was just something that flashed – the way he was moving, his size, his leverage, his ability to drop his hips, his ability to move in a short area, that kind of thing. It’s just something you see.”

    We asked special teams coach Chris Horton a lot about WR De’Anthony Thomas, but do you envision a place for him on the offense? (Aaron Kasinitz) “We’re going to work through that as we go. We’re glad De’Anthony [Thomas] is here, and we’ll kind of get to know him as we go, and we’ll see how it goes.”
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  8. #152
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    Re: Ravens at The Podium

    Special Teams Coach Chris Horton



    Opening statement: “Good morning. Good to see everyone, like always. Just to recap: Last Sunday night, we started the game out pretty good. That field goal [where New England was jumped offside], I really thought it was a great, game-changing play, good situational football and gave our offense an opportunity to get back on the field and score seven points instead of three. Then as the game went on, we kind of fell off. We didn't really play the way we needed to play during that game. We missed a PAT. I stood up here last week, and I said, 'Our guys are perfectionists. They take every little detail.’ They go into it just trying to be the best, and, obviously, that could have hurt us. But, obviously, those guys are looking at it and trying to figure out what went wrong, and it's just a little technique thing. And we talk about football ... For what we do, it's all about fundamentals. And then secondly, we put the ball on the ground on punt return, and that can't happen. Cyrus [Jones] has been really good at catching the football for us, and then last Sunday night – it's just really disappointing. He understands that. We all understand that, and [when] we get guys out here in practice, we'll get them going. Moving forward, we signed De'Anthony Thomas. Obviously, he's a versatile player. He's not just a returner. He's played a lot of different phases, and he's a good talent. So, we're excited. We're excited to have him on our team, and we're just kind of looking forward to seeing what he can do. Moving on to Cincinnati, we understand our challenges as a special teams [unit]. We're going up against a good team. These guys are well coached, and they're probably the best right now out there, and it's going to be a great challenge for us. We accept it. We know our guys are willing to go out and work, and we look forward to it.”



    Are you convinced the extra point was no good? (Pete Gilbert) “The refs, they said it was no good; it was no good. ‘Tuck’ [Justin Tucker] looked at it. Again, it was just a technique thing.”



    As you guys did break it down on a detail level, what was a little bit off? (Childs Walker) “If you ask 'Tuck' [Justin Tucker], I think he might have planted too close to the football and just kind of overswung. Those little detail things, man – everything has to be precise in the kicking game, and that was just something that didn't happen on that play.”



    Do you look at this as a competition now at returner? Do you want to see how these guys get through practice before you decide? Or in your mind is WR/RS De'Anthony Thomas going to be returning for you on Sunday? (Jeff Zrebiec) “It's always competition. It's always competition. [When] we bring a guy in here like De'Anthony [Thomas], we just want to see him work. We want to see what he can do, and then as the week progresses, we'll kind of take it from there.”



    CB/RS Cyrus Jones seemed a little bit down in the locker room when we tried to talk to him yesterday. How do you go about helping him overcome this mistake? (Bo Smolka) “You just tell him, ‘It's football.’ It's football, and, obviously, again, we all want to be perfect in our jobs at what we do. And when those things happen, you don't get down on the guy. He's a pretty confident guy. He knows his skills, and you just kind of keep bringing him along, keep encouraging him. Tell him, ‘Hey, man, our job as a returner is to catch the football. That's why you're here, and you've done a great job at it. Just lock yourself in.’ Again, that was a technique thing. He didn't get square on the football, and he knows that. He needs to be square underneath the football to make that catch.”



    We, obviously, focus on the punt because CB/RS Cyrus Jones put the ball on the ground, but have you also not been satisfied with the production you've been getting out of the kickoff returns overall? (Childs Walker) “Absolutely, and again, it's just little things. Every week I stand up here ... We watch the tape. We're close, but at some point, just standing up here saying, 'We're close, we're close ... Hey guys, we have to go out and we have to play, and we have to do the things right that we do in practice, and then we'll hit some of those returns.’ But absolutely, not satisfied at all, because that's not our standard.”



    You mentioned that the Bengals are one of the best [special teams units]. I know they had the kickoff return on you guys. What makes them so good on special teams? (Aaron Kasinitz) “It's just what they do. Their coach [special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons] is good. He's been around a long time, and we kind of know each other a little bit. He's seen us. He's been in this conference for a long time. He just knows his system. He knows how to find those weaknesses and things like that. That's why we always do a good job of really just trying to look at ourselves and see, ‘OK, what can we do better to make sure these things don't happen again?’ And again, it's small, little details. Going back, I've probably watched the play from the last time, that opening kickoff return, probably a thousand times already, just to kind of see what went wrong. You know what? You see the same thing. It's one or two guys just not playing the play properly, and that's really what it is. [If] we play that play properly, it's a no gain.”



    Have you showed that play to the players a good amount? (Aaron Kasinitz) “Oh yes, I'm going to show it to the players. As long as I have to watch, they're going to watch it, right? (laughter) My job is to coach and to make sure they do the right things. Well, their job is to go out and play. I can't play for them, so I have to continue to show them the play so they understand how we play that play better. So, when we see it again, which we probably will expect to see it again, we know how to fit that play.”



    Overall in this matchup from the outside, it's 6-2 vs. 0-8. You might be looking past [the Bengals]. I imagine though a play like that, what happened last week, [makes it] a little easier to keep their attention and focus at practice this week? (Pete Gilbert) “I think no matter who you're playing, our guys – with what we've done around here – our guys are going to go out and be ready to play. We're not letting down. We know where we're trying to get to, and every week is important, just as important as the last week. So, our guys, they came out, and really, the attention to detail this week at yesterday's practice, it was outstanding. I'm looking forward to coming out here today, going to work and then lining up on Sunday and playing really good football.”



    Does it give you more confidence that CB/RS Cyrus Jones can bounce back given that he bounced back before when he had the fumbling problems in New England? He came here and was an impact player last year and at the beginning of this year. (Ryan Mink) “It gives me a lot of confidence. I have a lot of confidence in Cyrus [Jones]. I know what he's capable of. The same thing with Justice [Hill] early on in the year. I told you, ‘I'm not losing confidence in our guys, because I know and understand the importance of what happens in games sometimes.’ When you don't follow through with your technique on every play, those things happen. So, I don't lose confidence in any of those guys, because those guys are good players, and they're here for a reason.”
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  9. #153
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    Re: Ravens at The Podium

    S Earl Thomas III



    On if he reminded ILB Patrick Onwuasor about the type of playmaker he can be as Onwuasor worked to return from injury: “I haven't had to remind him. He made a statement already. He came in and made a bunch of plays. I think we moved him to WILL. That's his comfortable position, and he's been playing really well. I'm glad he came back fresh. I'm glad he came back making a statement.”



    On if he coached CB Brandon Carr on playing safety and on his impression of Carr's play against the Patriots: “Brandon [Carr] is our Swiss Army Knife. I really don't have to say too much. Just make sure our communication is right and let him kind of add his own flavor to the game.”



    On if there's anything from his experience that he can use to fool a rookie quarterback: “Well, experience is going to help with all the times I've faced rookies, but you just can't go in thinking like, ‘Oh, this is what it is.’ You just have to go play the game. You have to play the gameplan we came up with. [We must] trust the calls, whether it be a pressure or man coverage or anything.”



    On how much he can learn from looking at the tape from Week 6 with the Bengals now using a new quarterback: “If you look at that tape, you look at all the mistakes that you made. And then you go back to preseason and watch him [QB Ryan Finley], because that's when he got most of his plays. So, [we] went back and checked him out. He's pretty solid. We'll see what happens, though, when we get out there.”



    On John Harbaugh setting the tone this week and the overall approach of the team coming off a big win vs. the Patriots: “Yes, I think Coach [John] Harbaugh, he's just trying to stay ahead of the curve. That's what great leaders do. They kind of stay ahead of the pack and make sure we don't kind of trip up. So, that was that, but I feel like we're very, very focused. We understand. We'll see what happens once we get out there, but I feel like we're going to go out there and challenge. And we're going to try to dominate, as well.”



    On how satisfying it's been to turn the defense around over the past three games: “Yes, it's always good to have success, especially when we're winning. Nobody wants to give up all those yards, and I definitely don't want to make a bunch of tackles out there. The new guys that came in, they've been playing really well. Our front seven has been locking up, and it starts with us stopping the run. And once we do that, man, we're really, really hard to beat.”
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  10. #154
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    Re: Ravens at The Podium

    BENGALS HEAD COACH ZAC TAYLOR

    (Conference Call with Baltimore Media)

    What have been your impressions of QB Ryan Finley, from the moment you guys drafted him, got him in your building and his overall development until now? (Luke Jones) “He was really impressive when we all watched him on tape. We brought him in for a visit, were really impressed with our board sessions with him. He had a lot of experience in college. He’s kind of an older rookie, in a sense, with a lot of experience and all the traits that you look for in a quarterback. [He] throws with great anticipation and accuracy, [and has] good leadership skills. The coaches there at N.C. State spoke very highly of him, a kid that transferred in and was able to become a leader on the team, fall under a really good quarterback in Jacoby Brissett. So, just a lot of good things that we fell in love with, and that’s why we took him in the fourth round. He showed enough in the preseason that when we got to this point, we felt like he was deserving of an opportunity.”

    People talk about facing QB Lamar Jackson for the second time and how beneficial it is. Do you find that to be advantageous, and what did you learn in the first meeting about a month ago? (Jeff Zrebiec) “Anytime you play an opponent for the second time, there are always things you feel like you learned and have a better understanding [of] when you see it live and in person. But he’s a rare quarterback. He’s a Heisman Trophy winner. All the success he had [in college], and now he’s doing it in the NFL. The pieces around him are really impressive, as well. Greg Roman is doing a great job. He’s kind of run a similar style of offense before over the last decade and had a lot of success. They have a lot of pieces in place to make this thing really successful, and certainly, Lamar [Jackson] makes the whole thing go. He’s playing with a lot of confidence. So yes, you like to think that playing an opponent one time before helps you, but he has certainly proven to be really dynamic and really cause a lot of issues for teams.”

    Along those lines, coaches have talked about how difficult it is to simulate QB Lamar Jackson in practice. Are you doing anything differently this week that you didn't do the first time around that will maybe give your defense a better sense of what a Lamar-Jackson-type player is like out there? (Jonas Shaffer) “We feel like we have a good plan in place that our guys are confident in and that our coaches have done a good job communicating. It is difficult to simulate [Lamar Jackson] in practice. There's not just that style of athlete laying around who is able to work the cadence and utilize all the motions and all that stuff. So, it's a hard thing to replicate, but I think our guys have done a good job so far.”

    Is WR A.J. Green going to practice today? (Tom Pelissero) “We'll see. Right now, we're just taking it day to day. I've gotten in trouble with predictions before with him, so I'm going to lay low on that one.”

    How is WR A.J. Green feeling today? (Tom Pelissero) “He feels better every day. Every day is kind of a new day with him. It's unfortunate that he couldn't go yesterday, but we'll see when we get out there how he does.”

    How do you anticipate Don Martindale and that Ravens defense will approach the task of playing a rookie quarterback? I know they pressured you a lot last time. (Aaron Kasinitz) “I think they've ... ‘Wink’ [Don Martindale] has done a great job. I remember practicing against him last year in training camp [while with the Rams]. We were real impressed with their style of play and their defense overall, schematically, and this year you can tell they're playing with a lot of confidence. They have a couple big wins. They beat us three weeks ago and then went on the road to Seattle and then New England. They seem like they're getting a little healthier on the back end, as well, getting guys back and trading for Marcus Peters. And so, [it's] certainly a defense that's playing with a lot of confidence. I know ‘Wink,’ he's got a lot of scheme in there. His guys believe in it. They understand what they're doing. It presents a lot of challenges, and so, we've certainly got a nice test in front of us.”
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