Welcome to the Ravens Press Pass Podcast. It is Tuesday, November twenty eighth, and the Ravens are in the midst of their bye week. The players have the week off and the coaches are going through a self scouting process to get ready for the final stretch of the regular season. Today, we had a chance to talk with some of the assistant coaches, So let's kick things off with defensive line coach Anthony Weaver.
So, Justin Mattie, Kay, what would you say in coaching him?
What does he maybe do better than like like other players that you've coached over the year. So it is there something that he does that just is like maybe it stands out more.
Than anything else.
Yeah, I think the biggest thing with Justin is just he's tenacious, Right. He attacks every day exactly the same. You have some guys that you know, they have the good days, right, and they have their bad days. I don't know that he's ever had a bad day. He just shows up to work with the same mentality every single day and that's why you've seen.
The production you have.
What's different this year?
I don't know that any thing's really different. I just think he's continuing continuing to mature as a football player, right, his football intelligence goes up. He starts to recognize some of the things that are happening around him, and he's also probably getting more opportunities without a claus here and things like that.
How do you think that you and compliment each other?
Because whenever we talk to either an outside linebacker or a d lineman, they bring up both your names.
But how do you work together?
Well, we're all in the same room, right, so, so that I think helps in itself. Often when you have the outside backers in one room and then the defensive front another room, then you have two guys on the edge of two of my guys on the inside. There there's a disconnect there sometimes, So I think just the sheer nature of us being in the same room helps Chuck. Chuck does a tremendous job of making sure that these
guys are constantly throwing moves. He holds them accountable to that and and teaching him how to attack certain leverages on the guy and things of that nature. So the sheer like individual rush aspect of how to attack guys like he's solely focused on and does a really good job with.
Our guys is it the biggest improvements however you want to say, is it recognition things or is it technique things where he's he's made.
Yeah, it's probably it's probably a combination of both, to be honest with you. And the thing about Justine is funny because I was just talking Kevin Zeitler about this the other day. He's like, there's some guys you worry about him running around you and out athletic and out being more athletic than you, but you don't worry about him running you over. He's like, he can do everything so that that obviously causes a problem. So you know, I'm just so happy for the kid. He's walked in
this year with just mission minded from the beginning. I'm talking bad. This is like in March, and to see it all come to fruition, it's been.
Awesome, Anthony.
What does it tell you? And I guess how satisfying is to you when you see guys like Michael Pierce and Brent Urban going eight ten yards down the field to finish a play and to get on the football.
Yeah, I mean we're we're constantly preaching that, right, That's that's the raven way life. Short running the ball. When you don't do that, you have a tendency to stand out. So it makes it easy from a coaching standpoint, just to hold everybody accountable to that standard.
So I love it.
Right to me, if you're an offensive team right and you're watching us on tape and you see these ten year vets, three hundred and fifty pound guys running out of the stack ready to hit you, that sends a message.
A two part question for you. One you mentioned being in the same room the d line. Is that new or has it always been that?
One?
Yeah, no, no, that that is that is new, And really that's everywhere I've been that's been in the structure, it's always been like that. The outside backer coach handles his room and in the defensive line handles their room. It just it just becomes hard when you're on a you're at a four down rush and two of my guys are in there and two of your guys are in there. Sometimes there's disconnecting terms of what you're seeing
in it. From a communication standpoint, when you're in the same room, you can talk about all those things throughout the week and it makes it more cohesive on game.
Day and then second question for you, Clowney, his rush styles seems so like almost reckless, like he just brows his body, like have you ever seen I've seen another rusher like him? And is there any part of you that's surprised to see the success he's having this, you know, at this stage of the game for him?
Yeah?
This this is my fourth fourth year I think with Jadavion, So I've been watching this a long time. And the thing I've always said about Jadavion is he plays the game violently, right. Sometimes that doesn't always show up on a stat sheet, but it doesn't mean he's not being impactful. So to have him come out here, you know, and play the way he's playing right now, and if he's
a year ten like, it's just funny. Just from my aspect, just seeing him is like the year thisss old grizzled vet Now, right when I got him, he was this young buck. But it's really not surprising at all because what you see from him every Sunday so far this year is what I've seen from him for a number of years.
Now, Anthony, where have you seen Travis Jones grow the most? You know, from year one to year two? And you know, kind of just what's the next step.
For him in his development.
Yeah, I mean, well, first, you know, he played at Yukon, so they had like four wins in four years, so that was tough. But uh, you know, just his sheer run technique and his just his recognition of when to get off blocks when it's sitting there and fight a double team. That has all been drastically improved from year one to year two, and he still has strides to go. I mean, if you watch him and just look at him, he is physically just freaky. He is an absolute specimen.
And as soon as he learns to play a little bit lower late in the down, particularly in his past rush, there really shouldn't be anybody that can stop his power.
Talking about some of the younger players like Travis and another one I want to bring up is Roderick Washington, just we've seen a lot of impact from veterans at the start of it. You feel like it's starting to matriculate down with them, Like in the numbers, like the last week, Broderick and Travis Jones got more Mundan sack numbers, and just the production rates of them, you see that just kind of slowly going downward to like flowing.
To them a little bit.
Yeah, I think it's it's all cyclical, right, Like this this game, you really can't force any of it all. We require that everybody go out there and do their job to the best of their ability and let the place come to you and inevitably, like they'll all they'll all eat. Right, That's that's what we preach. Do your job first and then help out and ultimately like everybody will reap the rewards of that.
How please?
Amusing with Mike Pierce?
You know he last year gets hurt.
Yeah, and kind of the last several years for him have kind of been up and down, you know, when he's in Minnesota and not playing a lot of injuries. For him to come back and be healthy this year and playing.
It seems like at a high level.
Yeah, I am so happy for Mike because one, I know how much he cares, right, he absolutely loves this football team and wanted nothing more than like it from a year ago, just to be out there and contribute and to be with his guys.
So for him to have the year he's.
Having and and just stay healthy and be out there and contributing, like, oh, I love it.
Right, because I love the kid. But he's a little bit like Ja Damien. Right.
Sometimes his stats don't necessarily show up on the sheet, but he does all the dirty work, right. He's getting middle pocket pushed, which is going to help your edges. He's keeping your linebackers clean. I mean, his his value to us is he meant. I'm so happy he's out there. I've just been here as a player and a coach. What is it about?
I don't know.
Culture is the right word that allows guys like Jadavion Clowney and Kyle van Noy and you know, the list can go on of like veterans sometimes making close to the vet minimum to come in here and fit in so well and really enjoy it and become you know, big time contributors where maybe they were coming off years where they weren't doing that.
You know.
I think that that's truly a credit to like Eric and his staff, and then the cohesiveness and an alignment he has with John and us and that they bring in like smart, tough and dependable football players and when you add them to our defense, which is very multiple, they can they can be productive, right, regardless of how late they are in their career.
If you have that high FBI and.
We're gonna give you everything, and then you can pick and choose the parts that you can utilz has to help your game. Those guys that like Jadavian and Kyle, they take full advantage of that.
Who got man first? Sec? I mean he's sort of lost and everything. What do you what can you say about him? Yeah, Tavis Robinson, Like, first off, I don't really like.
Rookies, okay for for a number of reasons, right because you're gonna YOU'RENNA You're gonna live through some of that those uh, those rookie like headaches. Right, You're gonna let them make the mistakes. And you understand that this kid tries to do everything right. He's super meticulous, He works his butt off, and you're you're just at the tip of the iceberger what He's gonna be here for years to come.
About the off season signings of the players, but this off season also saw a lot of coaches brought in.
You just feel that this has been you know, and they've all been impactful. Do you just feel this is a special group regarding your coaching staff as well?
I truly do.
I think we have an incredible staff, both on offensively and defensively. I think Denard Wilson was a huge ad right to see him and Chris Hewett working that the b room is awesome.
Uh.
I coached that gore in college, so I knew exactly what we were going to get out of him. Right with the linebackers and you see how they play. And then I think we have a bunch of positioned assistants that you never hear about, that are that are up and comers in the in the profession, like the Matt Robinson's, Brendan Clark, Andrew Rogan. It's it's awesome.
We have.
We have one Mariana I want to butcher her last name, Solace, I think it's how you say it, who puts together one of the best dB tip sheets I've ever seen in my life. So we have a we have a really solid group from top to bottom, led obviously by Mike Mack, who I think is incredible and I truly do believe we have a special staff.
Anthony, have you seen more attention paid to justin this year because of how well he's been doing by offensive lines? And what is what is life like as a as a mark man?
As an interior guy.
Yeah, I think that's hard, right.
I think it's easier to scheme away edge guys right with chippers and turning the protection and is that nature. It's hard now when you have a guy on the interior, particularly when you have the edges that we have, right, you can't take him all away. So while I think people are cognizant of where he is and what we're trying to do with him, I think it's hard to scheme him out.
That was defensive line coach Anthony Weaver. We also talked with wide receivers coach Greg Lewis.
Great everything we like about to practice the odcs A. I mean, he's like one of the first guys out there every single time. What have you seen?
A kind of his work hathic and it seems like it's been there front probably from the front the beginning.
Yes, it has been there from the beginning. That the kid is a guy that wants to be great, wants to soak up all the information as possible, much as possible. He talks to coach dub and I daily about things that he could work on that get itself better. He's getting out early to get stretched out making sure he's ready to go. So it's just a young guy. To see him do those type of things is pretty impressive on his end, as professionally as he is as early in his career.
Where's the biggest area, the biggest theory of improven for him? From say week one to network, you know more than halfway through the season, where you see him make.
Like there's just understanding the offense and understanding the different positions and where you can be utilized at. For a young player to come in to the NFL in any organization, learn a new offense, learn the verbiage, and understand that it's hard to learn one spot, let alone two or
three spots. And he's grown immensely throughout the season as far as understanding the entire schematic of what we're trying to get accomplished and how he fits into the puzzle and then going out there and letting his talent shine.
Greg pre season or probably back in training camp, a lot of people are talking about Rashad Bateman and his how he's handled everything, how he struggled a little with always being heard in his role. How have you seen him and his maturity this year deal with everything to the point where you know he's making plays pretty much every week.
Yeah, I can't speak on what has happened in the past and how he's evolved since I've been here. I had a conversation with him day one and we talked about where we're headed and the positive mindset going forward with different things, and Baita has been awesome daily, uh, with just trying to continue to work his craft and get better each and every day, and it's showing up
every every week as you as you just noted. Uh, And that's a positive for us as a team because the more the more guys we have out there capable of making plays, the the better for us the scoring points on offense. So it's been awesome to see him continue to grow into this offense and grow as a person. And I'm looking forward to the future with him as well.
Correct any more about the conversation that you said you had with him day one. I'm sorry, I'm just curious if there's any more you can share about the conversation you had with the day one.
Is that was that something you would do with all these guys?
Oh?
No, that's something that's something I've done everywhere I've been Uh, when I come in, I want a clean slate with every person, and I base you off of what we got going forward and my expectations. I want to know your expectations and then we move forward. So it was a great conversation with him, but I had one with everybody in the group.
When when Shot has been healthy, he's had these big breakout games and even this year receiving being able to stack cornerbacks on the sport flow route of the seasons, being to make the catches. Why do you think they haven't seen a kind of breakout.
Games in because there's only one football. There's only one football. It goes around to everybody. We have an enormous amount of playmakers with ability on offense, and we try to get everybody involved. And when your number is called, the expectation is for you to make those plays. And when Bates number has been called, he's made those players. It's the case with everybody else. So, uh, we we talked about that from day one. It's one football and that's
the way it goes. We're in it to win games, and when your number is called, your opportunity presents itself. We need you to make that play and then it could be another one two plays later, or it could be another one twenty plays later. But that's just the way it goes. As far as us being as potent as we are on offense, with all the skilled players that we have and the guy delivering the ball to us, it is just pick your poison and we need to take advantage of that.
You have a great mix of youth and veteran leadership.
I'm wondering like a guy like Nelson, I'll over only talked to him a few times, but it always seems to be optimistic.
What is he being able to bring As far as leadership, Nelly has been tremendous in the room.
Having I actually coached Nelly back in Philadelphia and having that relationship with him, I knew the type of the guy that he was, and Ti obviously coached him at USC and Dub actually worked with him previously, so we all knew the type of guy Nelly was and bringing him into the group was a big positive because of his work ethic, how he presents himself. He comes to work each and every day professional and then his skills.
I mean, at the end of the day, he's a skillful player and he and he comes out and shows it each and every day, but just from a leadership standpoint, uh, showing guys how it is to be a pro. Having been in the league nine years, he understands that he was a rookie once and and just those younger guys latching onto him, to Odell to uh uh do those type of guys to tread and just seeing how those guys. It's a very professional room. We enjoy each other's company.
We enjoy playing, all right, but when it's time to work, the guys are ready to work and they know what's at stake.
We've we've seen how.
Deadly o'dellas on those slats.
What is it about?
Why is he so good?
In particular, he's explosive after after the catch. I mean he can run the slant route, get the guy off his out of his back pedal, and then set a great angle and then Lamar throws delivers a great ball to him, and then the guy with the ball in his hands is very explosive, and he has a dB linebacker type of mindset. When he does get the ball,
he's physical and fast, and that's what's happened. When he's getting space, it's opportunity to make plays and he wants to take advantage of each and every one of us.
And with Odell, where in what ways have you seen him kind of impact as being a leader with this group.
Just how he approaches it, just talking to guys. Having been in the league nine years as well or ten years, he's been through a lot and seen a lot, and different situations have presented himself to him throughout his career, not necessarily from a football on the field deal, but just dealing with different situations. He's helped those guys a lot from that standpoint. Obviously, he's a great player and his skills show and he's able to teach some guys
some different things. But as far as what he's been through and how he's been able to continue to make it in the league for going on ten years is remarkable. And to help those young guys understand that that this is what it takes to be at this level, to be at this elite level, each and every year it's gonna be this this difficult lines.
What is he like in the in that realm in the wide receivers room and the guys are going through things. Is your vocal guy and how does how does he sort of impart that that way.
Yes, well, the the the room is open. I obviously, uh, myself, I lead by example and ask questions and and Coach Dubb asked questions as well, and and and we're the leader of the group and we give out the information.
But it's open.
It's open to guys because it's different ways to do different things, and guys have been different places, whether it's Zay or Odell or Nelly or tread or tie or do or bait or Sean, any of those guys have done all the routes that we're doing and may have used a different technique and we're open to hear some of that stuff and maybe implement some different things into
what we're trying to get accomplished. But it's been awesome, uh, just to hear and learn different things, because even as a coach, you always learning trying to find different ways to get to guys and get him to understand what we're trying to get accomplished. So it's been fantastic to have him in there. But it's been everybody doing the same thing and just trying to learn from each other, listen to what's the.
Next step for Za Flowers, What do you want to see from him here down the stretch?
Just continue to improve each each and every week. It's no magic thing that he needs to do. Just continue to stay focused on what we got going on. Uh, come to work each and every day like he does, and just continue to find ways to help the team and help us win games. That's the only thing that I'm looking for.
It seems like Odell has kind of been heating up over the past month or so after Dallas Majers earlier in the year.
What do you expect from him down the stretch here?
The same thing.
I expect the same thing from everybody to be part of the offense when their number is called, to help us be successful on offense and move the ball down the field and get touchdowns. However that may be. It may be him catching a pass on the slant and maybe him blocking on a run play. But the expectation is for us to do our part, our one eleventh, each individual from the receiver room when they get out there on the field working with Keith.
Williams and and how do you find your coaching styles compliment one another.
It's been awesome.
I had known of Keith and I recruited his son back when I was at San Jose State. Obviously he didn't go there, Keithy. They didn't want to mess with me there. But it's been it's been fantastic to get around a coach that is like minded. We were very focused on the details of receiver play and understanding each and every nuanced that that needs to take place. But we also are regular and it's regular talking to people. Is not talking like we were some scientist or something
we're not. It's been refreshing just to get around a guy that enjoys it just as much as you do, if not more like Keith has been awesome, awesome to lean on, awesome to learn from uh and then I'm hopefully helping him in the same way. And then we're hopefully helping the group of receivers that we got and hopefully it permeates throughout the offense and to the team as well. But his excitement, his passion for receiver playing us it has been great to be a part of.
Is there a skill to catching passes from the kind of unique arm angles as Lamar throws it, or is just all fundamentals apply the same way?
Either catching is catching. I mean, when you see the ball coming at you, you you catch. It's no science to it in my opinion. Now, some of the stuff that you may see Odell do it practice with the one handers. That's his deal. I'm a two hand catcher, and when it gets thrown to me or thrown to our guys, I expect you to catch it. If he's throwing it underhand, overhand, sideways, if he's kicking it to you, however,
you get it. The objective is to catch his No, you see something, if I threw something that you right now, you just catch it because you don't want to get hit.
So that's how I look at it.
That was wide receivers coach Greg Lewis. We also had a chance to talk with quarterbacks coach Tim Martin, who discussed Lamar Jackson's development and where he is seeing the quarterback make the biggest strides.
So you just where have you seen Lamar make his biggest strides, particularly.
As a passer.
I just think just having his pre snap and postnapp plan. I think once the play gets called, he's already processing, you know what he wants to do, and he puts in the work early in the week to kind of have an idea of what to expect from a covered standpoint, from a blazing standpoint, and he's getting through his progressions really quick and just having a good plan. If something
breaks down, if it's there, he takes it. And he's being very disciplined in his progressions, and that's allowing him to be consistently successful in the passing game.
Excuse we'll see.
We had shift about this in the pass spect you know, he had to play and Sunday's game where he kind of he got doing James, I think it was to jump and the side on them.
Do you coach that side of arm stuff? Is that just natural ability for him?
What's your thought on that?
First of all, it is natural ability. I'm not gonna take all the credit for that at all, But I think that one of the best ways of learning is through play. I think that you can talk about things, you can discuss things, you can go in the field and drill it. But I think ultimately, with the time that we have in the NFL, you don't have thirty minutes to do individual like say college, where you can just work on several drills in the day. We have a small amount of time to get the guys ready
to go. So how I do it is I out at like a d lineman. You will see us in pregame, You'll see us at practice at times where out at like I'm rushing them and I'll getting his vision and try to distract them and doing different things.
Just let him be him, you know.
But I'm not taking the credit for that. That's Lamar. He's been doing that for a long time. But we do try to assimilate if something were to break down and it happened that way through play, you know, sometimes look like we're goofing off, but it's actually beneficial. When the bullet started flying lines.
Is that first question about how you've seen him improve as the passers. There a moment in a game this year where you kind of found yourself thinking, man, Lamar did something there where maybe in years previous, last year that wouldn't have happened.
You know, Yeah, several times, several times, and it's just his growth. It's becoming the norm, you know, And it really started doing training camp. I know, you guys remember the one practice we had we threw just too many interceptions at quarterback and and we came back and we went the rest of training camp with maybe like one the rest of training camp. And from that moment, you know, Lamar is so competitive and he doesn't like to be wrong.
He doesn't like to have it all looked like it was him, and so he took it upon himself to just continue to study more and learn the concepts inside out to where he knows that when we watch film and see what the defense does, that people are gonna play him different. So even when we're presenting passing plays, Lamar is already saying, well, whether they do this, whether
they do that, whether they blitz me. So you go back to the Detroit game where you know we had a naked you go back to the Cleveland game, we had a naked He gets blitzed, He finds Mark Andrews, gets Mark passed. They's supposed to play Gus Edwards. You know in the Detroit game, it's a naked guy in his vision. He finds Gus and it's another is supposed
to play pat Riccard the wide open play. To him, it's it was meant for something that happened down Field's not there, not there, pat was in protection, leaks out. He finds him for another they're supposed to play. So I think that that's where you can see the maturation of lamar Is. I understand the intent of the play,
but if it's not there. You saw Sunday you saw Sunday night him checking down in situations where Isaiah likely got huge gains when the past concept W was meant for us to go deeper downfield, but it wasn't there. They were dropping underneath it, they were deep. He checked it down and we were still averaging like nine yards per reception on those type plays. So I s I think that he's grown in those areas He's always been doing. It's always been there, but I think he's consistently doing
it more when it presents itself. Uh, this season just he fall as.
A follow up to that, what would've happened in previous years? You know, with that as words in mark and and recard play, like what what do you think would have happened in in previous years?
I think before he was just heh, he would rely sometimes on his own talent and and it would be great. I mean it's like you get a chance to see how dynamic he could be, sometimes using his legs, sometimes starting to use his legs and finding Mark Andrews downfield
and doing different things. You know, Lamar is so dynamic and it's so many different ways that plays can play out, you know, and so like, you know, specifically to say what he would have done in the past, I can't say that, but I can say that, Uh, he's constantly doing things like that this year and it feels different, you know, watching the games and just being around them every day.
Yes, you just mentioned Mark Andrews, and as someone who played quarterback at a very high level, Yeah, when you lose your top guy and you know it's not just for a game or two, you know, maybe he comes back at the end of the season. How does that impact your approach as a quarterback? I mean just I mean there's so much history at them and so innate on their chemistry. How does that impact your approach as a quarterback?
Then? Moving forward?
Yeah, it's the trust factor, and it's the factor of Mark and Lamar. They think so similar. There are times where they do things and they do it so fast that you think that that was the play. You know, Mark may break around for Lamar may throw it back shoulder or throw it on the angle that it wasn't meant for it to be thrown in an angle, but he saw Mark's body language going that way. He threw it towards that angle. And you just can't make that up.
You can't practice that, you can't recreate that. So what happens when that guy's not there and someone else is doing it. It's how much time do I have working with him doing it to where I can read his body in language. Does it look like he's stopping or still continuing on? Is he going up fields? He flattening out?
And so and and Lamar and I we had that conversation, and we just talked about just spending more time with guys that can be in those situations to do the things that he and Mark did, whether it's Isaiah at tight end, whether it's another wide receiver, he and Jay Flowers and those guys are getting to that point. Like you saw even Keith Mitchell, He's on a scramble play, He's almost out of bounds and he see's keeping it. It's like a little dump pass and and we uh
nearly got the first down in the game. And so collectively, I think as a group, they're all getting to a point and we we practice scramble drill a lot. That's something that's new this season where we actually take time out during practice to practice scramble drill and and and really coaching it in detail. And I think that we've grown in that area as a unit to where now only just Lamar and Mark, but it's other guys saying that these things are gonna happen. This is the NFL.
It's it's gonna happen. You know, they're gonna rush the quarterback, someone's gonna come free, he's gonna get outside of the pocket. But the play is not over. That's the second play, and we need to be successful on that play. And so I think as a group we're growing in those areas. You know, even Odell it was a past where you saw the more kind of move and they were on the same page and he he dumped the ball to
him early in the game. So I think, uh, ultimately, that's what you miss is that trust and that you know, being on the same page and it happening fast. The guys would get eventually get there, but the quarterback sack by then, what he and Mark we're able to do is it happened so quickly that he just thought it was a natural. Uh, he thought that that was the play. Sometimes you do you think that when.
A play does a breakdown and he's and he's scrambling to extend it, Is he doing that now more than I I'm making a pass play and then taking off and creating a run. Is that a difference that you noticed from maybe a couple of years ago.
Well, I think that he is, uh seeing the benefits of doing it more often.
Uh.
And it just kind of goes to mark and the and the scramble drill and things like that. Is when early in seasons as a quarterback and you do it and you get rewarded for doing it, you're more likely to do it again, and you get positive players out of it, and then you start seeing the effects of a defense having to cover everyone and it taking pressure off of you having to be superman all the time.
So I think that that's maturation. That's him having the experience that he's had in this league, knowing how people are gonna defend 'em. Okay, they're spying on me. They can't be in coverage, right, they're blitzing me. Someone is open, and him just having an understanding through experience and through
systematically him understanding where my answers are. I think that uh it just it just speaks to his uh maturity, uh A in the year in his I the year that he's in right now, in the programming in the system. But what's really cool about it is he's doing those kinds of things in the first year of a new offense, and that's really unique for someone to be as advanced in a new system, new terminology, and it's like this
has been the way the whole time. And so that's why I think it's really unique about what Lamar's doing this season.
To Lamar and we asked him like, hey, you know Rams leading the ants he gets quote it's not the super Bowl. Yeah, we talk, Hey you win, You're getting this record now it needs a BAPU stable. Do you feeling dealing with him? That's kind of how he he ultimately defines himself because it's he's like he always.
Mentions super Bowl.
Well, he said it when he was drafted, he said it when he signed his contract, and he says it all every week, right, So he means it, you know, he really does. And and you know we're sitting on the sideline at times. And I mean it's even to this point where we're winning a game, we're up by points, like the game is decided, and guys are starting to go hey man, and he's like, dude, game's not over,
like we're you know, he's he means it. And you know another thing, he likes to get the information on the next team before he leaves the locker room of the current game. And so he'll meet with you all after the games. And I put in his locker the advanced report for the next team, and on his way home, he's already getting ready for the next team. So he's serious and he's working that way. You know, he's he's not accepting even when we win. He's not happy about
the fashion at times. And ultimately it's about how he feels like he played, and then collectively as a unit and then as a team. He he knows the capability. And I'm not speaking for Lamar here, but I think he sees us every day as a team and knows how good we can be and how far we can go. And and he's not stopping until we get to that point about and he's.
Kind of speaking to being locked in, and he said that over over again. How have you kind of seen that?
I mean, is he taken that to another level this year? Til locked in?
Yeah, we talked about the idea of being locked in, is locking things out and to where we're focusing on the main thing, which is winning games, you know, and and that's where he's at.
You know, he's been around.
You know, we're talking about a a a a man who's you know, coming to a league where he was doubted, he was questioned, Uh after being the MVP doubted in question. I'm watching TV this morning being doubted and questioned, And so it's a chip on his shoulders, uh, to be to not only prove to people, you know, what he is, but to prove the people what we are as a team and how far we can go as a team. And it comes with a certain level of focus, It
comes with a certain level of attention to detail. And you can't get to those points if you're not locked in.
Do you don't? Could you?
Uh?
As a player would way till lamar in any way in terms of that champion you ca caspraised on me, you could winning that national player of Tennessee to build any kind of hole.
For you, Yes, And I I understand where he's at because you know, I say that after we wanted that shalchampionship game. This is the first time I've taken a deep breath and exhaled. You always feel like you're on this roller coaster ride where you're holding your breath and you're going on the ups and downs, and not until the ride stops do you go, who that was fun? You know, And so a championship season feels like that. You're gonna have your bumps, You're gonna get jerked, you know,
here and there. Alight, it's gonna be fun for a minute. It's not gonna be so fun, you know. And then at the end, when you're happy with your work and you got the ultimate gold, which is a super Bowl or a championship, then you you can excel a little bit. And so I I that's the feeling I had, you know, not speaking for him, but when you're on a journey, you understand, you know, it's like climbing the mountains. Sometimes
you can't see the peak. You just take the next step and it may be foggy, it may be trees, bears, whatever, right, and you just keep taking your steps and ultimately you clear the clouds and you can start seeing the top that's playoffs, and then you get to where you're trying to go. So I think that's what we're speaking to here.
See a couple of things inform the sheet that you put in his locker. Is that is that something that UH is new this year?
Did you implement that or how did that come about? I?
I would think so. I I don't know for definite. I just know that that that was something that I wanted when I was a player. It was something that how I was raised. You know that quarterback is okay, we won the game, That's what we were intending to do, and I was about the next team and going home.
You know.
I I was sometimes at home games, leave the stadium, see my family, have dinner or whatever we did, and then go back to the facility to start on the next game, you know, when I was in college.
And so.
It is a ever you know, just a constant UH thirst for information, thirst for knowledge. You wanna know the opponent, like you know your defense, lamark and go and play against our defense. And he he knows how Pat Pat's body language looks. Well, he's blitzing or rope Cowan or or you know Kyle. He knows Whenkyle is blitzing, when he's not blit. He has a good feel for him and he can feel and just be himself and play
against them. That's how you wanna feel going into a game against an opponent that you may not be familiar with. You wanna have watched them so much that you know when they're bluffing. You know what they're playing is to to uh attack you, you know, and so, but it starts as soon as the previous game is done, exactly.
Yeah, manifested worth this year than then maybe last year.
Well, I just think every champion has to self motivate somehow, and you find different things to to use this motivation. I just know that he wants to win the Super Bowl, and we all want that. But I just think that sometimes you don't always wanna talk about it. Sometimes you don't, you don't feel comfortable I guess.
To say it. But when you know, you know, like where you know you're good, you know you're good, you.
Stepped into the building knowing you can do this, and where you know you're one of the best teams in the league, say it, you know it, And so I think we're he's there and uh, he's living in that and so uh, I love seeing it.
Do you think one of the players I think was Ronie Stanley was talking earlier about Todd Bunkin and how musing he can be, and he said he cusses a lot. What is a meeting like with uh? And and what's that been processed?
Like?
Getting to know him a little bit and all kind of working together In.
One word, I would say, uh, animated. Yeah, it's a lot of energy. It's fun at times, but we get down to the point, you know, UH talk can you know, be whatever he needs to be to get the point across UH demanding Uh, very detailed UH coaching you know, just about any position that needs to be coached up and we confront issues and not people, you know, and
that's something that that John talks about. That is a program saying here and I think that he does that and we get ultimately want to be on the same page and know how he's thinking, whether he's with the unit, whether he's in our room. He's always asking them questions about what they think, how they feel. If you don't like it, you won't do it. And I think that that's new and that's different. His approach is they're animated
however he gets there. But we enjoy the atmosphere and the culture that we have this season.
That was quarterbacks coach t Martin. We also talked with outside linebackers coach Chuck Smith, who is really specialized in the past rush focus for this team. The Ravens lead the NFL with forty seven sacks on the season and Chuck has been a huge piece of that equation. He discussed his approach to pass rush and what has allowed the Ravens to be so successful in that area this year.
How's this right been? Man?
Just I don't think anybody saw this production coming into the season. It's been blowing up in your big.
Part of it.
So that's it.
Well, first and foremost, I want to give a lot of the credit and a lot of the credit to coach Weaver. Coach Weaver's done a fantastic job with the pass rush plans. We work in conjunction as a defront So whereas I know a lot of people would say, hey, Chuck, you've come in there and changed the trajectory of the pass rush, but I want to make sure everyone understands that coach Weaver deserves a lot of credit. He's a
defensive coordinator. Basically coordinating the defront is what we call ourselves. And you know, so I just want to make sure that people understand that it's just not me teaching past Rush and Spends.
He works with dof, I'll work with Beaks, I'll work with Mike p he works with JD.
So it all works together, and I think I just want to make sure that's understood and that answers your question as well.
Like you mentioned, you know you guys both being in the same past groups, being in the same room. Can you speak to the importance to that and what impact that.
I just had to have the d Line and co Bettors in this se cause I think when you look at our that room, we're connected like a puzzle. You can't put a puzzle together without making sure all the piece is fit. So our dfront is basically a puzzle. The edge guys do some of the same things that the interior guys do or will replace them when it comes to the different fronts and different positions. You'll see we'll have van neyd lined up in the three Travis Jones at three fifty lines up sometime.
In a five doff over the nose.
You know, JD plays multiple places, Brent Urban, he'll play defensive end. So people were like, man, this guy's six seven, three hundred pounds. So to me, it really is the evolution, honestly of the NFL, particularly when you're in the base three man front, because our guys who play on the edge, think about it, those guys are truly hybrids. Jenney Mount Clowney was probably in a defensive end when he was in he was at South Carolina, So when you look at it from.
That standpoint, this is the evolution.
I believe a lot of teams are gonna start doing that because you can't be in two separate rooms and try to come together and say, you know what, let's piece this again. So it's basically like I'm putting the puzzle together. Then we'll wait and try to figure out how to put the other part together. So we're putting it all together at the same time.
With Clowney, what has allowed him to have the success that he has this year, I mean, he's ever one of the best season of his career at.
The stage of career. Well, one thing I want to say about Jadevion, it's what have you done? Now?
This is Jadeveon Clowney who we see today, and it's a credit to him of his hard work, his belief in himself, cause he went places where you know, he didn't have the success. And there's nobody in this building, probably except Lamar Jackson that's had as much.
Pressure as Jadeveon Clowney.
And when you look at him, the first thing I'll say is years ago, I was training Clowny years ago. The the bottom line is he was trying to learn how to do the cross chop, simple as that. That's his go to move. He's always had power. He's what you see is the difference in Jevon Clowney and Tennessee. The differ between Jaevion Clowney and other places is that
he's developed a skilled move. But also add in he has a complementary pieces around him that he's not Jadevion Clowney, the first round pick, the number one guy man, He's just Jay right.
So he's not treated any different than Mike p.
He's not treated any different than Tavious when it comes to the overall how we look at our you know, the structure of the defense and so he comes in with a learning attitude and he's using moves, and to me, that's the biggest thing with Jadevion. And you know, he's always had the physical presence to always have the violent hands. And now I think also, we hear this all the time, the culture, and my wife's always like, here we go with the culture. All right, here we go to you guys,
hear the culture. But I'll say the culture in that defront room is insulated by like a guy like Mike McDonald. Then it's insulated again by coach Harball who's basically saying, hey, man, y'all do what y'all need to do. This isn't the coach that's pounding us in. Don't spend well, you ran too far past the quarterback. Don't do that again. Man, We're gonna be cutting edge when it comes to teaching. And I really appreciate a guy like Jadevion saying, you know what, I'm gonna try this.
You know, like the other day he's trying to do a spin. I'm like, let's just work on that, right.
But the point being, it's is kind of like a culture, and Jedevion is just reaping the benefits of a culture that Coach Harball and all the folks here.
Have already set.
Because I tell you this, most places would have never brought me in and said, hey, Chuck, go ahead and work on that cross shop.
Most people didn't like, go ahead and work on that spin.
So JD's benefiting from what the folks here already gave me and Coach Weaver the opportunity.
To do so. If that answers the question when.
You bring in a guy like Clowney, a guy like van Ney, I mean, you see, the potential is why you're bringing them in. But how satisfying is it for you and other coaches to actually see you know what you envision coming to.
For a wish? Well, I see it come to fruition.
But I told you guys a while back that we're gonna get to the quarterback, no question, you know. But I think it feels good, and not as much for me.
It's not to me.
It doesn't feel as much good for me. Particularly, I love seeing Jadevion and kV getting their flowers. Jadevion Clowney is what we see now, I mean to season. Oh well, let's look back. We can't look back right now.
Right.
Of course, you're gonna be always evaluated because you're the top overall pick. But the dude right now is as good as any rush in the league. He's a game wrecker, and like we always tease him, I mean JD, He'll said he could have fifteen seventeen sacks right now right now, So I'm not as much about me, man. I'm so happy to see people talk about them positively. I'm happy to see kV who is sitting on the couch, which.
He could always play.
But then, you know, I'm glad to see those guys get their props and I am excited to win and that both of them or one of them gets the ten man for their careers and their lives. You know, you brand that your double digit sacker. It's just something awesome. I can't wait for them to see it.
Do you look at guys that identify if they're a better swim move old rush or you sentuate the positive or are you always trying to incorporate.
New moves into what they have?
Well, the moves were started for us. Well, start off with JD. I've been training JD for years. I mean we were training when he was in Tennessee. We're training when he was in Cleveland. We're training for years before I was a coach. Right, he would come to Atlanta. So he's been working on this stuff for this one move for a minute, you know. And I used to call him when he was at Tennessee like, dude, that's not it. You know, Me and my assistant Dave would
send him videos. We were like, you know, I used to consult guys from home things like that. But no, my philosophy is, I'm gonna teach you to skip moves and we execute them.
Right.
I don't believe. I'm not a big swim person. I don't like to swim because it opens up your hip. I'm a rip guy. Some people don't necessarily feel that way. But those are things that I believe have success. But when it comes to developing a pass rusher, I'm gonna teach them the signature pass rush moves at work, simple as that. We got guys that use push pulls. We got guys that use pops. We got guys use rip pumps.
We got guys use chop drives like Travis every The big thing is when came to developing all of our guys. One thing me and coach we've talked about. We wanted everybody in the front to be a threat. We wanted every blind in the front to have a sack. So when you look at it, everybody that we put in that game is a threat that has developed a move and a credit to the off season program it started. We were pass rushing. I mean, we did a lot of pass rush. We did a lot of pass rushing
the preseason. So I think everybody developed a skill, you know, and we still go out there and do one on ones. We still do one on ones, So with coach Joe, we're still working at it. So that if that answers your question, Yeah, everybody develops moves, and my philosophy is we're gonna execute moves. If you're gonna if you're gonna block us, you're gonna block us because we use the move,
not because we're not skilled been using move. So you know, we've had success, but also we've had highs and we've had some lows, and this is how the game goes. The percentage to say there's gonna be a time where, hey, every game's not gonna be where we're getting two, three, five sacks are getting nine ten hits on the quarterback.
But the one thing that won't change.
If they're gonna beat us and we don't get those numbers, it won't be because we're not using high performance skill.
Pass rush moves us.
And we heard the news yesterday that David Jabo using the surgery. We know how excited you are about his future. How do you maybe help keep him focused on the way at the end of the tunnel as he goes through another rehabb.
Well, I think it's the nature of the business.
But Ja's a big part of you know, everything that I've seen from the standpoint of what we want to be about.
Joe's about being a pass rusher. Jaw is a good person.
You know.
Ja is just unfortunate that he got injured and Jock can rush. And I would have loved to see Jo out there. He could do all the different things that you know everyone else is doing out there. So you know, I'm in constant communication with Jah and you know I'm keeping them in my prayer. But I told y'all the other day, you know what the best part about this is we on the other side. Every day is a day getting closer to you coming back, And that's the way I look at it, and that's the way I
want him to look at it, because it's true. You know, he's gonna get healthy and he'll be back. But it takes one day at a time. But we got love for him.
Where is he kind of excelled as far as it as a pass right.
Well, I think again he accepted using skilled moves, you know. But again, I want to.
Say this too, Beake was already on fire he came out last year, but a lot of people never brought up back what he was doing because we were looking at class and justin Houston so.
Much, you know, and they're great players.
But last year give him credit and the guys who were here last year, Beak was already rolling, you know what I'm saying, doing some great things. What did he have six or something like that? So I mean he was only four away from you know ten. But I think coming in this year again, that culture, I mean one things we want. We want to have a pass rush culture.
That's what we got.
I mean, we're gonna stop to run, but all week I'm thinking pass rush. So Coach Weave as responsibility he doing the run. Let me just tell you we does a lot. Now he had that door cracked, we'd be in there. Man, he'll just look up. I gotta go, gotta go. But for me, it's always passed for us. So there's a person around here. I'm talking past us every second. It's a pass for us.
Culture.
You know, we're going before the game, Beaks with you know, before the game, he'll work on his moves. He'll come on, say, coach, I need to use my rip. You know what I'm saying. He works on moves. Beac has beaks. You seen Beaks got a sack on the spin. You seen Beaks get a sack on a cross shop. You've seen Beats get a sack on a chop drive. He's worked on his skills, you know, and basically took what he did last year
and brought that forward. And the last thing I and I said this early on the year by beak Man, dude is a really when you hear a dog, we throw at it around again a lot cliche. Beaks is really the kind of dude's absolutely trying to knock your head off every play.
There's no other way to put it. So from that.
Standpoint, we're gonna throw them when you think like that effort comes into play to be a dog.
Some players coming to the year with numerical goals for sacks get it's do you or or does this staff have any quantifiable goals or did they come into this year?
Well, I don't say we had goals, but when we were doing like I was doing our PowerPoint, one of the goals was, of course, we want to lead the league in sacks. On my PowerPoint, that was one of the first things. And in the credit again the coach weave. You know when they say he y'all write y'all goals up there, and there are guys that I'm not gonna say who they are, that are on that brink of
having those reaching their potential and reaching their goal. But nah, that's not really a thing that we're sitting in there saying, hey, we want to be the you know, get sixty sacks or break the team record or nothing like that, because we talk a lot of pass rush.
But it's not because we know we got so much more to go.
I mean, you know, we could be sitting here another two weeks and y'all like, man, y'all ain't got no sacks, you know what I mean? So no, it's not like that, but you definitely as a pass rush coach and the outside linebacker coach, there's no question. Just like our offense, what's the one thing that we want to do. We want to coach hardboss as. We want to want well lead the league in rushing, right, we want Lamar to
lead the league in passing percentage. Right, So I also would like to lead the league and beating up quarterbacks, honestly putting quarterbacks, making them where they on the ground, where they you know, they lean to get back up.
So that's the kind of goal we got.
We want to put put hands on quarterbacks and that can affect the game and the sacks come after.
That sayon that, you know, at this stage of his career, he's asking you what he's saying, spin dude, you know like that he's still trying to add those tools at this stage.
It says a lot, but it says that he wants to be better. But it to me, it really not.
It really says though he wants to help this organization win the Super Bowl. When your guy like that's will as to sacrifice and say, you know what, I've been this guy, the same guy that everybody said, I was all these years, you know, an underachiever. But you know what, I'm gonna take coaching. I'm gonna listen to other guys. I'm gonna be a leader because JD's a leader. Kyle van Noyd, he's the leader. I want to make sure
I'll mention that. So it tells me that he's willing to make sacrifices, to humble himself to say, you know what, maybe this could help. But ultimately the big picture, JD wants to win the Super Bowl, so he hadn't talked about no goals like that. He is not one of those guys. Of course he wants to get the number, but Jenavian is not sitting around like, hey, I want
to get ten fifteen sacks. I just think he's doing it for the whole defront room is really a gang of grown men, you know what I mean, just trying to do it for the common cause and which is pretty cool to see, especially in the first year. Ain't no drama. I mean it literally is no drama. Excuse me, We just come to work. You know, we got great guys in great.
LEADERSHIPKA when a DAFE was going through the pre draft process, you know, we had the four pot forty time, but he turned on the tape and a lot of times he might have been the last guy that kind of crossed the line of scrimmage. Yeah, how important has him improving his getoff been for his development as a pass pressure? And what can be done to help a guy with as much athletic gifts but make it more translated with football.
Well, I know, great athleticism doesn't always translate to getting sacks.
We've seen that if you go study the history of past rush around the league, some of the slowest guys of all time become some of the best rushers. Matter of fact, not saying he's the slowest guy of all time, maybe the greatest, the second greatest defender of all time? Who played here? Who's our leading soacker? What was this forty time sucks? I'm just asking, Okay, just asking so that answers that question. From that to me, that's kind of like a myth. But from a dock's standpoint, you know,
he continues to work on it. You know, we continue to work on it. You have, you know, great get offs and just like anyone else, whether you Max Crosby, whether you Brian Burns, everybody has those days, you know, and so, but Doff continues to work. We continue to evaluate it, push him harder, to continue to do the little things like a get off will help, especially when you want to four to three, you know. So I think that he continues to work on that, and that's
something that we do put an emphasis on. But he's had it, you know, he's been getting off on the rock. And we'll continue to keep working on the skills in these next five games, you know, keep working on the things that are going to help us work in the entire defense, because we can't just be you know about Doff, which you know, when you get a sack is just about dof.
But yeah, he's working on his get off and U but he's done a good job this year.
That was outside linebackers coach Chuck Smith. We also had a chance to talk with secondary coach Chris HEWITTT.
I doing guys, you know, I don't do the opening statement things.
Just go ahead and shoot me straight. What's up, Chris JH.
What's it been like working with nardos yere.
Ah, man, it's been it's been really awesome. You know, you get another guy in the room to help you out and you know, you can see the results in what's been going on with our with our secondary. But it's definitely been at plus.
Chris.
We've seen Brandon Stevens, i mean really take off in year three. You guys moved him from safety to corner, back and forth a lot the first couple of years, even started at safety. This summer, what is click for him maybe the most to not just be able to play on the outside, but play at a high level. I mean even some really good secondary players can't play on the outside like that, right.
I Mean, he's always had the ability and that's the reason why we drafted him to be a corner. And you know, when he first got here, we had the deed at safety and that's the reason why he moved from there at safety. But he's got so much ability that you can move him to so many different places. But you know, selfishly as a coach, it's like, all right, Brandon can do this and Brandon can do that. You know,
so you always moved him around. But this year he had an opportunity to just soak at corner and the reps and the opportunity to be there just playing corner the entire time. And the injuries that we've had there, we didn't have to move him around, so he was our best player at corner. And just to answer your question, the reps has been helpful for him just playing one spot the entire time, and now he's process send things a lot faster and he's playing playing at a high level.
He's always had the ability.
Sure, you have confidence in all your guys, but I mean, could you have foreseen this jumps as well as he's playing for a guy that you know hasn't been there full time.
I'd be lying to say that I could I've foreseen him being playing as well as he has. But he's always had that account of ability. And again because we've moved him around so much, now he's had the opportunity to really soak with the position, and you know, his confidence.
Is just growing and growing and growing.
And now he realizes where what he can do and what he can't do when he gets out on the field, being able to match you know, the best wide receivers in the league and go out there and go play.
You just mentioned it.
How going to as obij and say every day how much does that get these guys ready for what they're going to see every Sunday.
I mean, that's that's that's been one of the biggest things, is uh, in practice the type of talent that you got to play against in practice, if raises everybody's level. And you know we got that that term iron, sharpen and iron. That's that's exactly what's happening here with this team. So they're making each other better every day, just competing in practice. So yeah, to answer question, that's exactly what's going on.
What's about to handle things season?
And how high?
I mean I told you from the beginning, my first person in the beginning of the year, I told you that he was gonna be a pro pro, pro, pole type level player. I mean he does everything. I mean, he covers, he blitz his tackles. There's nothing that that that can't that kid can't do. You know a lot of things that people don't really realize about him is you know, don't let the baby face fool you.
You'll try to rip your face off. I mean, he's he's a great player.
Chris, you too, I mean you have had injuries to talk guys this year, as you have in the passim you've seen how difficult that depends the passers. Why do you think it's been so much more seamoss this year.
The other thing.
One thing about it is it's it's year two in the same system. The coaching has been consistent and we haven't had to move guys around as much as we've had in the past. Guys have been in a particular position and just and they've been able to soak and get better.
Yeah, what are you talking about?
Ye?
He even talked about last year's a rookie, there were times when it was kind of struggles for him.
Was there a point when you saw something quick with him last year at one point?
One thing about it is it's like when you come in as a rookie. You know, it's over roelming. You know, you're playing, you're learning new playbook, you're playing and playing against guys that you know lot are the top players in the world, and it's an adjustment and going through with the first part of the year new system, being able to adjust and then after that, you know, I mean, Cayl Hamilton's has unbelievable ability, So I don't care where you put him. He was gonna shine. So but he's
just grown over the over the last two years. In the position that he's playing. He's playing safeties or as well as playing nickel corner. So just the amount of reps that he's gotten at that same position, that's the reason why he's grown and playing as well as he has.
And it's just it's the reps the football.
When they talk about footall and holdings with him.
His football IQ has always been high. That's I can't I can't take credit for that. When he came in here from Notre Dame, he had a high IQ coming in here. It's not that's not mine doing.
You mentioned growing Where where are the maybe is there an example of one or two areas when you've really seen him.
Make It's it's the command of an entire defense, knowing how the pieces fit. He knows where everybody's supposed to be. He knows where the linebackers in the corners and everywhere everybody's supposed to fit in the defense. So he knows, you know, what leverages to play, and he's able to unwind things where you know some and sometimes things he is a little crazy out there and he's able to unwind it and get everybody in good position.
So player like that, do you see his swagger, Kyle's swagger kind of taking off. You know, we saw them too small and the back and all that, Like, do you like to see that from the young player?
Do you feel like that can be beneficial playing with that kind of swagger? Absolutely, That's that's that's what it's all about.
You know.
The guys feed off of energy, and if he's playing like that, guys are seeing and there they want to be a part about all of that too, and it picks up everybody else's play on defense.
The guys you out of.
Fairly waiting the game, Darby Mulet.
Why have those guys fit in as well as they have because they're pros.
Those guys have been they played a lot of football, and you know, and and again it's all about the reps and their repetitions that they those guys are able to go out there and play and practice and those guys having the experience of playing. You know, I think Arthur's in his seventh year or eighth year or something like that and Darby's in.
His ninth year.
Guys have played a lot of football, so they've seen the coverages. There's we're not I'm let's not get a twisted we're not putting new coverages or anything like that, and they've played everything that we're doing. So those guys being pros and just being able to get the verbiage of all the things.
That we're doing.
That's how those guys are able to just plug it and just go play.
Richie mentioned that you didn't see the trajectory on be Steve. Probably the same thing with Gino Stone, a guy that's been underestimated his entire pro career. Small, but he's pleading the league of interceptions of men.
Well, I mean, they're a little bit difference with Gino. Gino has been always been an extinctive player, high IQ football player. It's all about the opportunity and all the opportunity that he's had, even last year and even as a rookie, every time he's come in he's played well. Now this year, the ball is finding them, and that's
just being confident in the system. He knows the system well, and just like Kyle, he's being able to unwind things now and just go out there and just go play free and just go play football because he's always been an instinctive football player. So that's that's one of the reasons why We drafted him because of his instincts. It wasn't because he ran real fast, he jumped real high.
People don't know about it. Gino got some bunnies. He can get off the ground too, now he can, and but his instincts of other things that that are making him take off.
You know when you look at the analytics that people put out and you guys are near the top of the league and they're just like the pre snap disguises, how difficult is that as a teacher to implement as well as you guys have. And you know how quays Awards have been for you guys this year.
Well, I mean it's it's all about trying to make things look different to the to the quarterback and try to light at the quarterback as much as possible. And Mike has done a really great job of coordinating all those things with our blitzes and earn our coverages to be able to to light at the quarterback. But those those are reasons why we're being successful and that the
teaching has been consistent. So a lot of the things that we do with our disguises, and not to give you too much, but with our disguise, is it it helps us being able to blitz with Marcus going back.
Do you see him now he's a little healthier and able to be kind of that difference maker that we all know he can be kind of down this last stretch.
Yeah, that's I mean, we definitely need Marcus to be, uh, that guy that we saw last year early in the year, and he will be. You know, he's just you know, having having that injury and you know there was one or two games he went out there he basically played with one arm, and you know that's a that's a
tough injury to come to overcome. And you see here in the last game he's starting to tackle better, he's having more confidence in the arm, and I have no doubt that he's gonna take off as a as a player because he's always I mean, he's a very confident football player and a guy that we need going down to stretch to help us win these games.
John Harbaugh for a couple of straight weeks, was asked about him and are you concerned about the tackling and kind of way and in your mind, why is and important that he's on the field even though there were those limitations Maybe, I.
Mean, for any quarterback to go back there and see thirty two back there, and you're gonna you're gonna think twice about throwing the ball up there, even with one arm.
You know.
Now that's not the situation anymore. He's he's a lot more confident in it and he can go out there and go tackle. But have him Marcus back there in the middle of the field, it's gonna it's gonna caust some concern for a quarterback to throw the ball up it because he can go get it at any time.
To the character and the toughness of Marcus for battling through an injury like that and still being on the field and playing a physical brand that he's known to play for, and the fight through all this.
I mean, I applaud him, you know, to the utmost guy that he could have really just he could have packed it in and said, you know what, I'm gonna go ahead, get surgery. But he sees that the the opportunity that we have as a football team, this is a special group, and he wants to be a part of the special group to go ahead and the ultimate goal is to go out there and win the Super Bowl. And that's that was his ultimate goal is to try to get there and win that Super Bowl. So again,
awesome dude, and I applaud him. I mean, it takes a lot of character and a lot of toughness for him to do what he's doing.
I think when we talked to you maybe during training camp last.
Year, I believe he said of Kyle that, like, you know, he's a guy who doesn't.
Make the same mistakes twice.
That's right.
Are are there any you know, kind of examples of that athletic intelligence that you could think of or just him, I mean, I guess, or maybe how important is that quality? Is that something that you can kind of identify a guy who right away.
Well, I mean, you know, it's it's one thing to go out there and go and make a mistake and not be able to make the same mistake twice. The mistakes that he did make earlier in his career. He was making those mistakes in games. He's making those mistakes in practice and it doesn't show up in the game. So that's just his growth as a as a player and a and a growth as a as a professional. Now he's he's really taking that that step. I don't know if that answers your question, but that's where he's at.
That was secondary coach Chris Hewett and the Ravens are going through the bye week process right now of SCOUF scouting and adjusting what they need to improve on this team. The coaches are going to have the end of the week off and the players are currently off before they get back to work next Monday preparing for a game coming up against the La Rams. We're going to be on our bye week as well, so the Press Pass podcast is going to be on hold until next week.
But if you want more of a deep dive into where the team stands right now, head over to the Lounge podcast Heat and we break it all down for you over there. Make sure you leave a rating and a review and hit that subscribe button as well. Thanks for listening.
To talk with you next week.