Welcome into the Ravens Press Past Podcast. It is Thursday, December twenty first, and the Ravens are gearing up for a game on Monday against the San Francisco forty nine Ers. Today we had a chance to hear from the coordinators, so let's kick things off with Special Teams coordinator Chris Horton.
Good to see everyone. What questions do you have for many day?
I love that, Chris. And the plans to Christmas going out to San Francisco, I know, but you got any plans to still do anything with the family.
Oh yeah, you know. The way the schedule is set up for so we'll get an opportunity to be at home with our families one day before we leave on Saturday. So just looking forward to that. You know, it's that time of the year, just to be at home with the family and then you know, my wife under understands. You know, we got to go take care of business and then you spend time out west with the other family, your football family. So just looking forward to that and really just focus on the game.
You've had a lot of the guys playing gun or you had to.
Use a lot of different guys because of an injury is it has that almost been a beneficial this late in the year because you have guys who have done it, You have guys who are ready to.
Jump dating as injury than I of course, Jeff, you know it's it's always good to have guys that are on your team that can play those positions where you don't really feel like you gotta go ahead and start from scratch bringing guys in and working guys out in order to fill those roles.
Uh.
But uh, you know, like I've said before, man, when we get those guys due to certain situations, whoever we can put out there, and those guys go out and just perform to the level of which we expect them to play.
At a special teams coordinator Chris Horton. Next up is defensive coordinator Mike McDonald.
Merry Christmas. How are we doing when you looked back at one of those Jacksonville.
Are you more proud of some consistent habit that that your guys showed in a game like that, like you know, the the amount of you know, pass rushes you win or something, or you're more proud of an individually great play like the one Marcus made at the end of the half would kind of last with you longer.
I think you're always looking at how we play and when we play the right way and our focus is in the right spot. Those are the things you're proud of. How you handle situations that come up throughout the game. We can help, we can deal with all the rest. You know, to win a game like that, you got to be great in situational football. So proud of how
we recognize those situations. You know, obviously the play at the end of the half, but just any you know, any given third down, red zone, every play in and of itself is a different situation. So you know, those ended up being in our favor and helped us win the football game.
When you have to.
Plan for a team with as many of the playmakers as this one, figure out what to do or is it more anxiety.
And that sounds weird?
They're all the same, I mean, it's ever every team presents challenges because it's the NFL.
And everybody's really really good.
Uh as we know these guys are really really good, So different challenges than you normally see on a week week basis.
Yeah, absolutely, But yeah, approach is the same. How unique is Christian McCaffrey.
Well, I mean he's just he's uh, he's obviously a great player, and uh, I think the way that they use him is a little bit different than how you know, conventional running backs are being used because a lot of times he's playing a receiver role for them, so you know, he's part time receiver, part time running back, blocker, lead blocker. So the way they're able to inter make those guys interchangeable parts is impressive.
Mike.
What we've seen at times, this is an offense that has had guys, some of those premier guys you mentioned running open. I saw a couple of times against the Cardinals that was the case. What do you see when you watch them schematically as to why they're aiding to get some of those guys into situations where nobody's in there.
Well, there's a few things.
One, sometimes there's an extended place where they're running away from people that I had matched them. The quarterback does a good job of finding them, and they got good chemistry light in the down. So that's one thing I'd say. On another hand, diagnosing what defense you're in and having certain routes concepts that that put stress on it on on those on those coverages.
That's another one.
And then just the way they operate through their progressions and running away from leverages and things like that, and everyone's on tune with you know, the windows they're trying to hit in the spots on the field sometimes seem like guys are you know, consistently open. So they got a great scheme obviously really well, you know, well coached, and the guys are executing a high level.
You know, if you were just identifying some things that San Francisco does with the quarterback, I mean people are talking about Rock Perdy is a game manager and sort of a pejorative sense.
Is there something about what you've seen on film that you think that could could sort of compliments of the offense is trying to.
Accomplish in San Francisco. Yeah, I'm not gonna get on all that.
He's he's a great player, man, He's he's a great player. I mean, he's a great quarterback. Is in charge of what they're doing on offense, fully in control as all the great quarterbacks are. So I'd put them up there with all the great quarterbacks.
Mike.
Everything that they do before the snap is obviously kind of a headache to deal with. How does that kind of interplay with like how narrow performation relative to a lot of other Apple offenses are. Does it just kind of create more traffic for you guys as you're trying to you know, handle covers, executions and get off on block and stuff like that.
Well, yeah, I mean a lot of the formations are condensed, so you know how you count and who you relate to and things like that. Definitely testing your eye discipline, Definitely testing your communication, which is obviously one of the reasons that they do it. Changing the run fits. I mean there's every play, every motion really has should has a rhyme or reason on why they're doing it based on what they're trying to achieve.
You just don't know in real time till after the play.
So, but yeah, having the condensed formations make it easier because the numbers change faster, whether rather than being spread out, you have longer time to react.
Like, uh, when we talked to Christy a few weeks ago, he said, you know that you guys try to lie to the quarterback as much as possible. Was there someone or some game, some team or whatever that was kind of you know, seminal for you and teaching you that that was of utmost important, utmost importance in house coverage in the secondary. Was it something you got from wink or what?
What right for that one?
Gentas Now that I'm thinking about it.
I think I think you're trying.
I think it came from I guess actually introductory press conference, ask about aggressiveness.
You know you're you're trying to be I'm trying to put pressure on on the defense.
That's that's are on the offense, excuse me, And that's something that's seminal to hear. That's a raven principle on how we want to operate. And I think the way you see that the game has evolved being so pass heavy, you know, especially in critical situations, and the court and the office are so good, the quarterbacks are so good. How do you can how do you consistently put pressure on them to make them make great decisions in real time?
I think that's kind of what what the thought process was.
That was defensive coordinator Mike McDonald and last but not least, his offensive coordinator, Todd Munkett.
Todd, how excited are you for this challenge? Your offense going up against a pretty good Niner defense.
They're really good. It's a heck of a challenge. But it feels that way every week. Every week. I feel like when you coach, when you play at this level, it's the ultimate challenge against the best coaches and the best players in the world. So the guys are excited.
I know you didn't want to lose Keith Mitchell.
But being able to bring up Melvin Gordon, what can he bring beyond just experience to add, you know, potentially a new wrinkle to your offense.
Well, I think if you go beyond experience, it's first of all, he's made plays for us. I mean at the Browns game, we had a huge third down that you know that he converted that you know, and then obviously he had a big run early in the game. So over his career he's made he's made plays, He's been a powerful downhill runner, and he does show flashes in the past game. So we're excited. You know, that's one advantage of you know, last time I was in the NFL, like a guy like Melvin Gordon, you couldn't
have on practice squad who knows where to be. That's one of the advantages of whatever that role whenever it came into play, when you can have some experienced veteran guys i'll practice squad be able to step in and be able to help you win games.
I know you've obviously seen so much of Lamar kind of improvise, make players in the run, But what have you kind of learned about him and the way he runs an offense and kind of manifests.
Through team Expect the unexpected. I guess you know, is I've said this a lot. You know, he's a highly competitive loves football, hates to lose, is an elite player, wants to be an leade player, wants to grow as a player. He has a unique ability to see the field and a unique ability to make plays off schedule. That's just all the things you see. And so now you're just trying to you know, every day he's trying. We're all trying, is you know, how do we get
the ball out on time? How do we do a better job of schematically system wise to not have him take some of those hits, you know, and not put himself at that in that position. But he's unique, that's for sure, and it's fun to watch.
Is there anything about you that has surprised you.
You know, he obviously knew his talents just beauts.
Theres anything that's protect.
Oh, I don't know if there's anything that's really surprised me. He's been awesome to work with. You know, he, like I said, he's highly competitive, you know, strong willed, loves playing football, loves his teammates, wants to be coached. And it shows up.
Much of a worry, is it that both of your starting tactors or bangug going out the face of defensive front of talent as this one.
Well, the guys have been playing all year, you know that way they've they've been awesome. Morgan and Ronnie have battled through a lot of you know, bumps and bruises and nicks here and there, and they've fought through it. And we've had to deal with other fronts and this is just another one of those challenges. Do a great job up front. They're awfully well coached, and they're very talented. So we'll have our work cut out for us, just
like we did last week. I mean, well, those ends were talented guys, and the week before you know, when you play, you know, against any NFL team, you have to be prepared for that. So and it's been good to get those other tackles some work.
You know.
They've done a great job spelling those guys to try and help us make through the game, you know, but hats off to all of them.
It took a little time last week to get the wide receivers involved, it seems in the passing game. But that second half when you kind of hit Jacksonville in the mouth.
With a power run game and some of the readoption.
How much of the ability to switch identities and beat teams with different ways is tied to Lamar.
As a player.
Oh, it's tied tied to your quarterback in a lot of ways. I mean, what they can do with their arm and what they can do with their you know, and then the guys you have around them, and then then how the game goes. Sometimes a game goes a
certain way. The week before, we had two different two minute opportunities, So we talked about that last week where the numbers are gonna be skewed in terms of throwing it, you know, right for the half and then the end of the game against the Rams were last week, the game as it went on was more about, hey, how can we churn out yards, continue to run the clock and give ourselves the best chance to win. And we
did a good job of that. Obviously, the teams and the offenses, uh, they give themselves the best chance to be successful. Can do both if you're able to run it and throw it successfully, because you're gonna need both. You're gonna sometime be in two minutes, sometimes you're gonna be in four minutes. And it is it's hard to control the game if you can't run the ball effectively. So sometimes the ball goes the white out, sometimes it goes the back, sometimes it goes to the tight ends,
just the way it is. What was earlier in that game when the communication in Lamar's helmet wasn't wasn't function. I don't even know like the best way to put it, you know, So at first, you know, you get that through the headset that Lamar can't hear you the so then it's like a right t Then signal to him because that's the next line of operation. Hey, you're gonna signal to him, and then making sure that he gets
a signal correctly. I think one of the plays to he uses an excuse cause I think he just wanted to throw it. He kind of called his own his own number. I said, well, that's going to work out from now on, you can just say I didn't hear you, so I called whatever the hell I wanted. So, but he did a great job. Coach Martin did a great job. He did a great job of again making sure we are in the correct play, and then we got it
switched out and we're fine. You know, really ended up not really being an issue.
So what's it like for you when you're when we saw Lamar extend a lot of plays in that game Sunday night. I mean, that's a weekly thing for him. But what's it like for you in the course of that place as you're watching it happen.
Well, the first thing when he extends plays when you're throwing is your eyes go to the skill guys that are down the field in terms of their scramble rules and how far we've worked to come. When you have a two play quarterback, to me, we're unique. We have a two play quarterback. They have to defend the first play and then they've got to defend the second play, and we've got to continue to work to be elite in terms of our scramble rules, and early on in
the game we did that. The very first drive. We had two scramble plays that converted. Obviously, we had another one that led to a touchdown, you know, the one Isaiah down the field. So and you'll see that throughout. I mean we were playing the Bengals and we had a touchdown Debateman. You know, we had one against the Browns to say Flowers, you know, the first time we played.
So when you're a two play quarterback, as I say this all the time, with a guy like Lamarn, there there isn't one pass play we're gonna call more often than scramble. There isn't. I don't care. Four verts, curl flat, three level routes does not matter. There will not be a route we'll call more than our ability to handle when he gets outside the pocket and our scramble rules.
God, when you're you know, meeting with John and the other staff about something like fourth down decision making, what is your kind of role in that collaborative process And is there a level of execution that you want this offense to hit where we could see it being more aggressive in some of those situations where maybe you decide to.
Count sure, and I think that's it's a great point because as you get further into the season, when you play better teams, shouldn't say that. First of all, that is a dumb statement. Every team in the NFL is elite, okay, But as it becomes more competitive, as it gets close and there's more on the line, you're gonna have to be able to go forward and fourth down to keep
the football. You're gonna have to feel confident in your game planning, whether it's fourth and inches, whether it's fourth and a two feet a yard, two yards, three yards, to be able to keep the football and score points and keep it away from your opponent. So for sure, and we're all a part of that. Hey, how to feel? How do you like to plan? Where we're at? What do you guys think? You know, coach is always in communication with us. But for sure, that is a huge, huge point.
Ton What have you've seen it from Lamar in terms of that competitiveness, trying to get put ours on the ground while also attracting himself and knowing he has to be healthy.
Demonstrated No, he wants the ball. I mean he wants the ball in his hands, you know, when it's crunch time, he wants to ball in his hands. It's pretty obvious he doesn't, you know, as competitive as he is, and he gets fired up, you know, when it comes out most is he wants to win more than anything, for not only himself, but for his teammates, for this organization. When the game's on the line, Lamar wants the ball in his hands. He wants the opportunity to make a play.
That's what he's done his whole life. It makes sense that they would want that. Take any great player, elite player. They want to be at bat when the game's on the line. They want the last shot. They want that opportunity. So when he gets frustrated with me is when I take it out of his hands, and that's when he wants to choke me. That's what he wants to wring my neck. You know, what are you thinking there? You know,
and he's right, he's right, one hundred percent. You know, he wants the ball in his hands and he should.
What are you thinking now when he made that throw to like when when the ball got.
In they you know, you know, good stuff, you know, because you're like you're up in the box. It was like right at this angle, and you're like, now, I'm hoping he's coming back the ball a little bit more, you know, And and those are the things you go over in terms of your scramble rules and the ability to be he has a unique ability to place the ball.
You know.
I thought back when that throw. I thought back to the Cleveland game, the first Cleveland game, and that throwing the ends of the Mark Andrews with the angle, I had him like touchdown, all right, let's go, you know, but you got to gather yourself because all of a sudden you're at the five and say wherever we were on that one, like, okay, what's the next call? So but what are tremendous played by both of those guys?
And those are the things you coach off of, you know, how do we continue to work when he gets outside the pocket to be elked in terms of our scramble rooms.
That was offensive coordinator Todd Munkin. You're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcasts and the Ravens we're facing off with the forty nine ers on Monday. It's Christmas Night, eight PM games, so make sure that you stay tuned for that. We can't wait for this matchup. Thanks for listening, Get that subscribe button, and also leave a raty and a review.