Welcome into the Ravens Press Past podcast that is Thursday. 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. I hope you guys all had a great Christmas. I think right now really starting to see our guys play the kind of football we've been knowing that we can play.
Throughout this season.
Just gonna keep encouraging them to just go out there and just light it rip, have fun doing what they're doing, and guys are making plays for us right now, questions.
Chris.
In the postgame speech from John on the recording, he said that it was the best game you guys played in all three phases that you mentioned the special teams specifically, Just what did you like about the performance from that forty nine Ers game?
You know, I just thought we went out and our guys one of the things we've continued to do is really just maximize our effort, our physicality, go out there and just and just play hard. And then we had an opportunity to really execute some play. We had another good punt return. Thailand's doing a great job again. He's taking advantage of his opportunities. We got guys covering kicks well, you know, obviously we let one get out on us for a little bit, but you know what, it didn't hurt us.
That was a good returner back there, you know.
And just to see our guys just go around, fly around, get off the ball, not guys back and really play a physical football game against a physical team really showed us, you know, kind of who we are.
And then when you look at the other phases, you know.
Our field goal block, our field goal team, those guys have been outstanding the last couple of weeks of just making kicks, the protection, all those things that we talked about when it wasn't going well, and we just want to make sure we continue to keep that up.
To take it better.
But do you feel like this is as well as the whole specific.
Group has played this.
Year, just where you guys are right.
Now, I do. I think this is. I think we're starting to hit our hit our stride at the right time. You know.
Obviously, some of the things that happened early in the year really uncharacteristic, really came down to kind of one thing guy here or there. But I think all eleven guys are starting to play as one. And uh, as we continue to do that, you'll continue to see us make a lot more place.
Time to get the very most out of his opp return opportunities. He's not a crazy burner. He's not the most elusive guy, but he seems to every time you get the most out of what cookie?
Then why how did he do that?
I think it's just phil, you know. I think it's a guy.
I think it's a guy that understands natural ability with the ball in his hands. You know, it's those things in a sense. This guy, it's the right ball, and he's making great decisions. He's making the right decisions and and again he is taking advantage of those opportunities. He's a skilled player, you know. Uh, he's good with the ball in his hands. He can make guys missing. As as we found out, he's a strong runner, you know. And so that's that's good to see.
How old you guys have another runs.
I wouldn't says he's more decisive, Mike. I think it's more of uh, how how efficient can we be? We talk a lot about efficiency because every ball is not a returnable ball, and I think when when he does return the ball, he's getting those yards.
I think all of our returners have done that for us.
That was special teams coordinator Chris Horton. Next up is defensive coordinator Mike McDonald.
All Right, good to see every buddy. How are we doing.
Well?
After the last interception, we saw the double fist pump and the fellow and it looked like.
You almost took a weave his hand off with the guy. Why do you think that release of emotion came at that at that moment?
Oh man, Uh, it was just it was a great moment for us to close the game out, and at that point, the game wasn't entirely over.
You know, if they.
Scored, probably an on side situation with timeout. So you know, you're you know, you close the game out. Uh, you know that magnitude and you know you're just juiced about the guys and then the performance that the guys put out there, and and then it just came out.
How do you hinder where Miami's seems to.
Last time you asked me a question, Mike, we've played pretty good on defense, so let's hopefully repeat that. Yeah, it's it's a it's definitely, I mean, it's a challenge. It's unique to the rest of the league because it's just it's at every spot, you know, every every every guy that can touch the ball can take off.
And score from any point.
So it sounds cliche, but it is all eleven. I mean, you have to take great angles, you have to have great force, great secondary force, and the third guy in the alley, you know, so and and the ball can hit at any point in the field. They'll you know, anywhere from the A gap all the way out to the end of the alley.
So it's a challenge. It's a challenge.
So you know, how we structure things and how we play blocks and uh, you know, they do some things schematically that are a little different that we've seen in the run game and then the perimeter uh like you know screen game. So, uh, we're getting a great look this week. You know, I think the guys would practice well, you know today and the walk through, yes, but you know, definitely need to attack that the rest of the week.
A lot of tosses from the outside and it's get to something you get the sides to you French your bands or you're outside.
Guys that probably yeah, well I wouldn't say it's uh, it's it's everyone that's responsible for the perimeter, right, It's not just the defensive ends. Sometimes those guys are unblocked and they're getting cracked, you know, so they've got to be able to play those blocks. But it's the guys behind them too that have to replace when their guy blocks the perimeter too.
How much do you reference preparing this week? Do you reference last year's game with them? And how much have you grown as a coordinator since then?
That was really really on in your play calling career here.
Uh, you know, we haven't. We haven't talked about last year.
So far into the season, completely new team, but personally, you know, of course you're going to learn from that game last year. You want to learn quicker, quicker than not, you know, than not because you're playing the next week.
So if you're not learning on a week to week basis off of how your guys are playing and how you're calling things and how you're structuring game plans and the positions your guys are you're trying to put your your guys in and how things are ruled out and how clear they are, then you're doing your team of disservice. So That's something that we take a lot of pride in of trying to learn from week to week and
definitely that game. You look back and we made a lot of corrections after that game, you know, take strides for the rest of the year, and you know, unfortunately those are going to happen in the NFL, and it's about how you respond as a team and taking responsibility for you know, things that you can improve on, I think as a team and definitely individually, Like that was
our approach then, and that's a long time ago. Man, you know where to but you know you're obviously going to try to learn from from every every setback that you have.
Mike, what's the challenge of how you defend the Tyreek kill kind of the you know, you guys have physical corners. How do you to go back and forth with whether or now you want to press a guy like that? Give him space because he's shown he can win in both ways.
Well, they do a great job of getting in the ball creatively, so you you know, it's it's different if someone just lines up at the X and he's on the ball and he's not moving and you know where he's gonna be.
Uh, that's definitely not the case with the with the Tyreek.
So you know, we have we have some initial plans on how we want to handle it obviously you know, and did bulge it right now. But it's a challenge, you know, on how they move them. And it's a credit to them with their system and the things.
That he's able to do from different spots.
To a place that I like that can practice something. Is it whit committee think you have a good designated Tyreek guy. I mean, there's not a lot of guys that kind of.
Might much to speak. Yeah, you try your best, can we got we got our look team does a great job.
I mean, so there's a lot of times we're looking at like, man, well that's not gonna work because they you know, they do such a they give such a great look.
So it's a con We were just talking actually talking to some of the DB's today.
Hey, it's a constant evaluation of what we're executing well throughout throughout the game or throughout the week, excuse me, uh, And then as the week starts to unfold on on how we decide to play the game. You know, you're constantly evaluating that and then saying hey, Okay, guys, I think we're gonna go this direction going into the game, and obviously you'll adjust as the game kind of unfolds.
But our look team does a great job of getting the splits and the releases, and our young guys do a great job of getting those guys ready to go.
Said a lot about how these three offenses of the Rams and the Dolphins are about to face and the Niners have very similar offenses. The way that the Dolphins motion, though the how do you do you kind of have to put them in their own category from those other teams.
Well, I'd say they the thing they share is they motion frequently and with fast motion with condensed sets.
But it's a little bit.
Each team has definitely a different personality of how they're operating and why and who's doing it. Like I referenced last week, there's always a rhyme or reason on what they're trying to achieve. These guys definitely operate independently of those two, even though it's you know, similar family of offenses, probably similar terminology things like that, but uh, it's a it's a unique operation on their end.
Some of the year, you inevitably get people start to speculate about at coach openings. Your name has been very popular in that conversation last few weeks.
How do you deal with that?
Do you compartmentalize it to you ignore it completely?
I mean, you know what do you kind of make of that?
Oh?
Man, it's uh what, it's hard, it's hard to ignore it's it's it's an and it's an honor to hear about it. I mean, it's such a it's such a unique opportunity when it does come up. For guys that know me, I'm a one track guy. It's very difficult for me to kind of do two things at once. So try your best to you know, just focus on the things that we need to focus on, you know, which is the next game and getting our guys a
position to win. But you know, I thought I thought you guys would probably asked about this at some point. But I think it's an opportunity to talk about. Like when we when we started our staff at the beginning of last year, we said we were all in all together, we wanted to do it together as a staff and be a collaboration. And so to have that opportunity or you know, have your name come up like that, like, I think it's really a reflection of art of our
coaches and our staff together. I mean, we're we got a great staff man. Our coaches do a phenomenal job of prepping our guys on a week to week basis getting buy in. We have such a diverse group of thought, and we're not afraid to challenge one another too. So I mean we'll crack a joke and we have a good time.
But those guys.
There deserve a lot of credit to for for what the position that we've been able to put our guys in as well.
Now the chast's time to throw in the NFL.
How how challenging is it to kind of persruptive bread on them, you know, especially when it's first and second from the music pretty open?
Yeah, easier said than done.
Something that we're always stressing is marrying the Russian coverage together. Uh, you know, it's if you're it's easy to say we own a disguise and light of the quarterback, but if it's a progression read, it's very difficult. If they're just looking at spots and his eyes are very disciplined. Obviously they got really fast guys that they can create space. So if you're going to try our best to disrupt some timing, and obviously our Russian coverage or a rush
has to come alive. You know, even if the balls out fast, if you're consistently you know, consistently bringing we finally, you know, do get him to hold the ball and try to get to a second or.
Third option, maybe maybe it'll come alive.
And then if the ball's out fast, if we can you know, get get our hands on the ball up front, that'll that'll go a long way as well.
That was defensive coordinator Mike McDonald and last but not least, his offensive coordinator, Todd Munkett.
Todd, how pleased were you with the offensive lines performance on Monday night? Yet?
Good?
I thought they did it. Thought they did a great job. I mean, that's that's a tough front man, well coached, play hard, they're aggressive. Playing at home, I thought, uh, you know, we did our fair share of chipping and some things to help sliding to certain people. But when they had opportunities one on one, I thought for sure they held their own. And you know, Lamar is one that you know, if you don't get a clean shot at him and there's some space, he does a good job of escaping.
I thought you talked about, you know, La mar vision as a runner, excellent in your in your high curious's vision as you've passed here, particularly when he's you know, all those off script plays and extending the plays and things like that which get you've seen from him, you know you're gonna have a season over.
Until Yeah, I do think that's the strength of his I do think he sees the field very well. You know, take for instance, well we'll talk about the scrambles first. You know, he does. He does a tremendous job, and we've worked awfully hard with our scrambled drills in terms of our spacing down the field reacting to the quarterback. But even beyond that, I think he's he's able to communicate what he sees and and you know, what he anticipates, and then when he gets outside the pocket, does a
great great job seeing things. But you know, the touchdown to Zay, you know, more times than not on that we're trying to get the defense to move laterally and we're thinking outside post rail to the back. I don't even know if we ever hits a one time, you know, on that part of it. But he saw the reaction of the safety and made an unbelievable play.
To be real, honest, Paul Leyley's progress and clearly getting more opportunities now it seems to be to take advantage.
Of them as well.
Who's oh yeah, I've never heard someone actually say it. It's like, Daniel, like, what is that? It's like your buddies in college when they have nicknames like Ski and someone would call and say, is Paul there, Paul Blagowski?
Who's that?
You know it's a Ski you know he know my name? All right, Daniel, Uh no, It's been great, you know, an opportunity from the play. You know, obviously Pat Pat's played a bunch you know previously, but to get him out there and get playing and uh, you know, with with our situation at tackle has been great.
How unique is that?
To have this rotation along the offensive line is not usually a spot. Do we see that type of constant rotation throughout the game? How's it been to have those guys rotated and keeping guys engaged without the course of the game.
It is unusual, you know, it's but that's a credit to our personnel staff, you know, obviously having that depth where you feel comfortable doing that, right, I mean, and and that's been something that's helped us with with with Morgan and also Ronnie as they battle through you know, some nagging things that have continued. So, uh, it's been a huge plus for us.
Got what are the challenges that's going against this fan yoke defense that, Yeah, I guess kind of does a lot of the same things that Mike step there's a man of guises and what is Lamar's his capability and you know best second play ability that you've talked about and maybe need guys as a kind of counter and.
Coach for an offense.
Yeah.
So first off, you know, they do a tremendous job. To the naked eye, you would sit there and say they're not complicated, but they do a great job with their tools on whether it's upfront or in the back end. I think they do a great job. I think when you have what would be called a system, it's easier to adjust to what you do because they're used to how teams are going to try to attack them, and so they immediately can get to another tool or another
answer based on how you attack him. I think they do a great job of adjusting They're guys play awfully hard and they're playing with a lot of confidence right now. You know, like anything m HM with Lamar is just you know that can trying to continue in the past game in terms of consistency and drop consistency in terms of where his eyes are at, which he's been doing
a great job of. And then when the play breaks down, as we've said, as a two play quarterback, are our guys continuing to understand spacing reacting because that's that's got to be a big part of what we do.
Todd, since we gave the Dolphins defense has been number one in points allowed and number one in the yards were game allowed, second in sacks. Just what are you seeing on defense that is clicking for them?
And oh, it's hard. It's hard to really say other than you know, obviously they got Jayalen Ramsey back that gives you comfort at the one corner spot. But it's not as if they didn't have other pros playing. So that's that's a little you know, over the top. I look at games at the beginning and I see, you know, them playing well before I see them playing well.
Now.
Sometimes there's certain matchups you know that play against you or certain games that play for you. But I don't really see. I mean, they're doing the same things. They're playing awfully well, playing awfully hard, you know, So I don't I don't really. I know that's gonna sound bad when I say that that I don't see a difference. I thought they were really good at the beginning, and
I think they're really good now. I mean that's you know, maybe in their minds they've cleaned some things up and they feel like they've given up less, you know, and played things a little bit more, you know, cleaner. They might have been going through the same things that we went through as a new coordinator and learning adjustments on the fly and how they're playing their defense, and you'd have to ask them, But I think they've played well
all year. And I think if you asked coaches that have played against them, they feel awfully strong about how well they've played on defense.
I wouldn't you know about Tyler landor bomb when you got the year and what he you know, mean around with him every day, how he goes about it or probably when he does on the field, how value to him has that favorite to.
Your own been great?
You know?
I mean all he does is work. He's really smart, he's athletic, you know. So, I mean it's hard to to get a guy as complete as he is when you talk about his uh talent level, his intelligence. He loves playing the position. We really have outside of maybe the that I can think of, outside of the you know, the safety that we got with the snap, we haven't initiative snaps. I mean we haven't. It's been I mean,
he's playing an elite level, you know. So. You know, at first, when I got here and I found out that, like, wasn't he the draft pick for Hollywood Brown, I was like, really, I mean that's what we got a center instead of a big time Why I don't Then we got yes, said perfect, said we got a and we got a center. Great, this is good stuff.
Miami's pressure, you know, they got fifty two sacks, but it's not kind of like here, it's.
Not one guy with eighteen or something like that.
They've kind of different guys contributing that. What do they do to pressure wise? That makes them special?
I think their interior guys are relentless. They do a great job of pushing the pocket, which brings the outside rushers into play. You know when they moved. You know, the linebacker you know out what's his name, what's forty three? I can and Kingo does a great job on the edge. He's athletic, he can get edgy, you know they do. They do a really good job. And like a lot of teams, you know, when you have relentless pass rushers and you're up in games, those are going to come.
You know that that's a byproduct of teams are throwing the football. They do a great job of that. Wouldn't consider them a pressure team by nature, but I would say that they do a good job of picking their spots. I think Long is a tremendou linebacker blitzing wise, he gets real edgy, you know, and so you know, it
just compounds. I think they're up and they're relentless. I think those are the things that you know, you'll see a lot of sacks of ball doesn't come out and they continue to fight, uh, you know, and push the pocket.
So you go back and look.
At think about some of the tape you watched when you took this job, and you saw how defenses were maybe trying to stop Lamar the runner at times.
Do you notice the.
Difference now when you watch film and see how defenses are guarded him.
It's hard really for me to compare because when we've watched in the past one, I wasn't here, so I wasn't as in depth in watching it, okay, as thorough and we're a little bit different in terms of our personnel groupings. So it's a little bit different to compare, you know, when you're in multiple tight end groups in the last years so so, but certainly teams have had different plans in some common themes that they've tried to do too, to try and one a disrupted we do
an offense and to corral him. So that is the challenge for us and for them, you know, to see what they're trying to do. But for the most part, you'll you'll have a few wrinkles. But when you play really good defenses, just like we're about to face, they didn't get really good by changing a lot of things. You know, you have a belief system and what you do and then you stick to it and then you can live with the results.
I imagine that when you were looking at the film from last year, when you were in the off season night, I ever thought they'd made any if with all this last year has stood out, how close do you think he is to you know, that kind of player, that kind of performance, and what do you see from her as his field and kind of healthier of his past year?
A great question, you know. I mean, you really can see with each day each week, him gaining more and more confidence, his ability to practice. Basically almost being out a year, not really, I mean, but missing the off season is a better way of putting in a lot of camp. But you can see his confidence beginning to grow, and he's playing faster, you can see that, and he has it in him. And so it's been better every
week and he's been able to practice every week. And that's a big part of a player's development when you have a skill set that he has, and he loves football, he likes to practice. So it's just a matter of staying healthy in that development will continue to come.
Today the locker room, we talk with one of the leaders of the defense, Roquan Smith. He really sets the tone for this defense. And here's what he had to say during his time with reporters.
With the nentime.
Now, you know, if all these December games, they're all big, but you go from one big matchup out in San Francisco to now the Dolphins come to town to potentially not just win the division, but now win the AFC.
Yeah, it's definitely a huge game, but we're not making it uh any bigger than what it is. It's the next game on the schedule, and we're gonna treat it just like uh any other game throughout the regular season, and we're gonna be ready to rock and roll and gotta protect the house by any means.
Saw you show up on injury?
Cool with a pack injury?
How you feel out right now?
I feel great?
You see me out there practice ready to go?
Baby? What's some of the challenge except this team.
Brands so yeah, No, I think it's a uh really talented team. Uh starting at the quarterback position, what's starting with the head coaching position? I think he's a uh actually like it uh personality you know from Afar in a sense, but uh in the way he uh carries himself. But like starting with two of Manu Treek on the outside, uh the running back uh three to one most twenty eight, A lot of speed out there. Tight ends play goodball as well, and they I think they just all work
well together and it's definitely attract team on grass. But you know, we wouldn't like it any other way. We prefer to go through the best to be the best. So we're looking forward to the matchup. I think it's gonna be a great one.
Name And you've said it other times.
You love the way you play McDonald paul's game and.
Works few can you spand on that a little bit? What what is it that you that you love so much?
Uh? I just think it's a wizard. I think it's more so finds out what what teams struggle with, what teams struggle with, team's weaknesses and our strength and being able to like make those into a game plan, uh situation. So I think it's just that in a nutshell and just having everybody on the same page throughout the week and on game day just.
Ready to rock and roll.
So I enjoy playing in the defense and I think it's it's pretty sweet. So if you haven't played in them, hey, it's pretty sweet.
You know how important is you mean?
You can't hear that.
I speed with your scouts, right, So how important is kind of mentally looking at the fellows in a week like this set track our team term, you know, and kind of gauging what your difference is gonna be whin they're actually sagas.
Yeah, at the end of the day, Uh, the field is one hundred yards long, and what is it like fifty three yards wild?
Fifty two how many?
Yeah, yeah, something like that, uh yards wide, So you can only go so far. You know, there's a hundred yards this way and fifty is something uh going across that way. So when you look at it from not perspective, I think it's just more so doing our jobs and getting back to our responsibility.
And I think if we.
Do that, we'll uh slow slow a lot of that down. But you know, obviously, uh it's a lot easier said than done. But we're ready for it, and we're gonna be ready for it.
How much motivation? How you know you win, you get that number one seed? How much motivation is that?
Uh? I think that's that goes for both sides, if I'm not mistaken. I'm not sure, but uh yeah, it's definitely big. But I think it's the next game, honestly, and it's the next game, and it's like all livelihood versus their livelihood. So when you look at it from that perspective, Uh, it's very simple for any man. And we're at home, so you gotta defend your grass by any means. And we're definitely gonna invite them in and we're gonna have to do everything that it takes to
get the job done. But we know it's not gonna come easy. But hey, nothing comes easy worth having you, right, so we'll be ready.
Obviously you talk with this a little bit last week with the Niners, but the amount of emotion that Miami Bass, what's heat registering that to make sure all.
Responsibilities forgot you?
Honestly, man, I just think it's it's eye candy for sure, And honestly, I think it's just more so final formation. You get back to what you're doing. I think how I look at every single game, every single ponent I go up against, regardless of the amount of motions you're doing, I'm looking at the final formation, the final picture, because that's what you truly want to do out that picture.
And like maybe some guys can't, like car like can't really visualize that see that in a sense, But that's how I look at things, and that's how me and PQ just try to look at things throughout the week.
Since Kyle Hamilton is a really important player for this defense and he talk with reporters today at his locker.
I'm good.
Uh, day by day, it could have been worse.
You think it, think it play Sunday.
U, it's day by day, so evaluating, you know, short week out the day less to kind of evaluate everything. But I mean do everything I can to make through the game.
Ky, what exactly how it looked like the reda got folded up underneath you? But did you reaggree is your injury essentially or yeah?
It was the same thing. And you know, I was talking about taking the brace off before the games. It was annoying me, but something told me not to And I'm glad I didn't because when I was on a the brace Moudeer prevented something else is happening. But yeah, I just got my ankle rolled up and I guess that kind of went up into my knee and caused some knee pain.
But I'm good.
I wanted to play where you got the second interception and you were laying on the ground for a while there. What was going through your head at that time when you when you got hitting low into high.
Yeah, I didn't even Obviously I didn't see the places after the game, and it looks kind of wild looking at it from that perspective, But I mean splitching obviously got hit on the ground and got landed on and kind of had to hit a hard reset on the ground. Caught my breath and then instead of the play was still going on. Just you know, they always preach front
of the ball and good things happening. That's a it's a great play by Marlow at the same time, plaster and scrambling quarterback and uh, in the right place at the right time.
How important was it? You know, so much talk about all the star players on the nine or side of the ball, but it was you guys and stars that ended up taking over the night.
I mean, the same message before the game that we were saying, and you know, outside of the building, people are gonna have their own narratives on notions, and I could honestly care less. I think a lot of people here could care less about how good or bad or to somebody saying that we are. And I think the same ghost after a win like that, Uh, you gotta
keep the same mentality. You can't feed in all the good press that you're getting now, and I feel like the same time, everybody in here is having the same mindset that we at before the game, going from.
San Francisco's offense now on the AMAS.
Yeah, there's some similarities there, but at the same time, personnel is completely different. They provide a bunch of problems on their side of the ball. They got a capable quarterback, you get a bunch of receivers and uh some running backs who are all really fast and do their job as well. And I think it's up to us to exect the game plan that we haven't played, which I think is a great one, and for us.
To go out there and get a wink.
In a different note, what has been the best thing for you working with Mike McDonald over the last.
Two years, and when you make of his game being in all the speculation about the head coach opening exhibus.
Yeah, I mean if that, you know, we're we're got a goal in mind. Still.
We got to finish out what we started here.
But if that were to happen, it would be as much aserve. You know, he's a young right star in our league and you know, just like the players are executing at a high level, so is he and we don't do that without him and all the other people of the stuff. So he's got a great plan place every week. And he's open to criticism for sure from us, you know when we're being a little a little sensitive and braddy about stuff. But he hears us what we're
talking to man. I think that's a great quality would mean to you.
Just lead to novid WINPEC pinch the number one. See you have that on you're right there on Sunday.
Yeah, it was.
We were kind of talking about it in the defensive ending. We get a two for one special this week. If we get a win, we win a division and we went to the conference and it doesn't get much bigger than that. I hope, I hope that we all have the mentality to come in and I know for a fact that we're all everything in this game, and I know that next week obviously it's a big game against Pittsburgh as well. But we got to focus on the task at hand, and we don't. Uh, we don't win
this week, and we still leave things up here. But I think it's a good thing. And everything that we want in front of us is in our heads.
Last one for Kyle Police put your reaction.
I thought it was pretty cool.
I didn't initially people were talking to me about it after the game, about whether I win or not, and I was like, okay, cool whatever, but uh, and then a bunch of people were coming and gratulating me, like I want MVP or something. But I mean, it's just another weekly accolade. I bet y'all can Dave who won the Defense Player of the Week in week seven. So it's it's cool for the time being, but we still got another another game to win.
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