Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass Podcast. It is Thursday, January second. The Ravens are gearing up for the regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns Saturday at MT Bank Stadium at four thirty pm. As Ravens get ready for that matchup, we heard from head coach John Harball.
Okay, good seeing everybody. Sure appreciate you being here. Good day, good workday. Guys are locked in and we are all hands on deck pointing toward Saturday night at the at the Bank. And I can't wait to see how our guys play. I can't wait to take the field with them, proud of them. It's the last game of the regular season, and we want to play our best game. That's what we'll be trying to do, and that's what we've been
focused on. So what questions you have, John, do you think with every my I mean everyone knowing AMC North titles them. I mean, is that something you've even had to mention at all this week to them?
Well?
I haven't had to, but I have, you know, And obviously we have so much to play for. We try to we try to take it one game at a time, one series at a time. On play at a time, and that's what we'll be trying to do in this game. Again. But this game, because of all the other games behind, it, is an opportunity to put a banner up here, you know, and that means a lot, especially in the AFC North. You know, it's tough division, and so winning the AFC
North is is even even a greater accomplishment. That's the opportunity we have this week, and that's what we're going to be fighting for. John. Temperature is gonna be close to freezing. I think gus over thirty miles per hour. I guess.
Is it useful to have a kind of potential primer for a playoff weather going forward?
Sure? I mean it's January, you know, so whatever weather you get, you get. That's how it works. So we had a chance to get out there this week today obviously it was very cold and windy, and we were out there in it, and the guys were on point and they were sharp, and it was good.
At great representation and for the Pro Bowl nine players, most many teams, including Z eight Flowers, the first wide receiver ever for a Raven to be Yeah, So to have that, you know, I know, you focus on Saturday night.
But when you know that's those athletes come in, what does that mean to you? Well, I mean it's it's uh you know, the individual awards are are our it's our team awards. You know, that's how we look at It's a team. You know, football is the ultimate team sport, and uh so the awards are the ultimate team awards. And uh to see guys accomplish that, you know, as a coach and fulfilled dreams and those kinds of things, and to be a part of that, you know, we
all take great pride in that. So so many guys I think were at nine guys or something like that, and uh also a number of alternates. Uh, it's just a it's a great it's a great thing, and it means a lot. And it's something that I mean, my brother was a pro bowler, you know, and uh, once a Pro Bowler, always a Pro Bowl. You're a Pro Bowl player and you earned that. And it's just how many people in the world can say that, you know.
If it's just a pretty incredible things. So proud of those guys, happy for him, and it means a lot to us.
John Vicos Donover as an organization of.
The fifty sacks the third time ever, but second year in a row. What is it about truck Smith and what that passwatch.
Group has done the last few year was pretty much sustain success.
Well yeah, I mean, I just think it's another thing. It's another group effort. Obviously the people involved with deserve so much credit. Hats off to the guys. I mean, it's just it's it's it's certainly the past rushers, you know, and it's certainly the past rush coaches, and you know, Chuck and Matt and Dennis are a big part of that and all the coaches. But it's also the you know,
the coverage. You know, the coverage lends itself to sacks, and the linebackers are blitzing and doing things like that. So it's a team effort and proud of those guys. But see how we can get on Saturday. That's the that's the next one, next challenge.
Back to the approval. How good you feel for Daniel followay La. It's a there being the alternate and you know what he's going through this year. We play for sure started all day.
I feel great for him. He had to take a lot of a lot of criticism from some you know, some standing around. It's very circle right here. You know, what are you going to replace Daniel Filele? You know, and uh, we didn't, we didn't bite, you know, and I think I think get paid off. So but his best football, you know, this is not this is just the beginning for Daniel, you know, and expect me to go play his best game on Saturday night. So but I think it's also a confidence boost for him. You
know that people he gets to see that. He doesn't just have to read that you know what people think he's not. He gets a chance to realize that players and coaches around the league and what they think he is and uh, proven by when they vote for you to be in the Pro Bowl. So heck, yeah, for Daniel, it's a it's a great thing. And I'm really happy for him and excited for him. But I'm more excited for the player he's going to become. John Hell's Justice Hill is the more the illness or is he still
on the product? Who's Justice Hill? Illness? Illness? Some me still in the protocol because he's got to come out in practice. Uh, but the illness is what's keeping him off the field right now. It's not the concussion concussion is gone. Does that make a challenging for Saturday for him?
He to clear the protocol?
I can say he has a big here. It's challenging, sure, yeah, a lot of challenges, challenges everywhere, challenging, challenging, sport, challenging everything, challenges, challenges left and right, challenges everywhere. All right, A little way I asked the question cracks me up. So I got to. I had to. I had to had to. I had to call it out. I had to call it out. Anything else, all right?
In the locker room today, we also heard from some of the guys who are recognized with the Pro Bowl selections. The Ravens have nine Pro Bowlers this year, and one of them is safety Kyle Hamilton, who was selected for his second straight Pro Bowl. Here's what he had to say in his time with the media.
Super thankful, super just blessed to being in the position that I'm in and I can't take it for granted. And family just reminds me every day. You know you're you're as special kid, and I appreciate them because I want to be here without them for.
You when you make it another time to Pro Bowls. Is there a significance of it that comes with being a multi time guy, that this is now something that he's done, you know, two years in a row. What does the.
Significance of do with that?
Yeah, I think I don't think it's something I'll really realize right now. You know, when I'm done playing football and just see the culmination of everything that I've done, I think it's it'll be a little more satisfactory then a little cooler look back on it and have my kids say, like, my dad was a multi.
Time pro bowler.
But you know, at the same time, we got bigger things to accomplish. We're trying to hopefully not be in the Super Bowl and go or be in the Pro Bowl and being the Super Bowl. So but still thankful, still honored, still blessed tea team.
Why you have nine guys that end up making and then a whole bunch of alternate What does that say about the quality of this team, this roster.
Yeah, I think it's just top to bottom, one of, if not the strongest roster in the league. And we've got a bunch of talent, a bunch of guys around here making each other better, and we're all focused on one goal and when you got a lot of people that are are like minded and work hard, and harm said yesterday, people getting individual awards just proves that we're
having team success. So we're all blessed and thankful to be in the position that we're in, and you know, it's something that we don't take for granted.
Kyle, is there something you like about being the first game this weekend where you don't have to worry about anything.
No scoreboard washing, just you guys knowing that if you take care of business, you'll be where you want to be.
Yeah, I think it's a it's a little bittersweet kind of through our weekly schedule and kind of for for a turn there, we got back and I think they changed it what like late Sunday night or something like that, But you know, it just goes to show like everybody's locked in kind of the same schedule that we had last few weeks. You know, it's not a usual conventional schedule and I feel like we've had very minimal of those this year and.
Guys have adapted really well and hopefully goes showcase set on Saturday.
You know, you know, if you win, you get the AFC North title.
Is that something as a team, as players do you talk about amongst each other?
Yeah, I mean we're second goals in the off season. It's win the division when the AFC. Actually rewind that when the next game, when the division, when the AFC win.
Super Bowl, And.
You kind of gotta take it one step at a time.
So like we're on our roupon our way to win.
The AFC North right now, and that'll put us on a good track to go win the AFC and then win the Super Bowl. So looking at it from that perspective, we're we're we got a big opportunity this weekend to accomlis one of those steps.
Any payback from the weekend bet on your mind at all to going into this game, which is solely simply you win, you win.
Yeah, I think a little bit.
You know, we still have this hour takes to our mouths from that game and a lot of opportunities to win that one and obviously didn't come out with a win.
So I think we're gonna play with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder.
And really prove ourselves right more than anything that we're gonna go out and doesn't matter the implications.
Whatever that we need to go out and playing a football game.
If we do, then we'll be as you champs put, guys.
Don't make the problem all each year.
Three.
Yeah, I mean I wish our Cutty could get in, but.
That doesn't go to say that their seasons aren't recognized. And a bunch of dudes, and uh, I'm trying to think who else.
Who else got.
Snub Mark Ronnie? Yeah, I see, like all those guys are like, well, I know, like what they did, and obviously not everybody can be in it, but I think it's still it's still a blessing that we have all these people on our team who were able to make the Pro Bowl and then a bunch of people who quote unquote snow for the Pro bole means you.
Got a pretty good team. So we're just gonna keep that rolling going in the playoffs.
And did you grow up the play games or dreaming about the Pro bank player? And when did you At what point of your career did you think, Hey, I think I'm good enough to get there?
Uh yeah, I mean I always wanted to be in the NFL. Won Pro Bowl would have been a plus for sure, but yeah, grown up just seeing like Sean Taylor hit that punter in the Pro Bowl. That was pretty cool, and I was like, yeah, I want to do that someday. Obviously can't do that now, but yeah, it's always been a dream of mine. And you know, that's why I'm kind of saying, you gotta take a step back and just see where you're at and just be thankful for everything that's to come to Fruith.
Another player highlighted in the Pro Bowl selections was offensive guard Daniel He was selected as a Pro Bowl Alternate, which is a tremendous honor for a guy who's in his first year as a starter, came under fire earlier this year, and really has developed into a quality player for the Ravens. He talked about what it meant to be named as an alternate to the Pro Bowl.
What does it mean to you?
I mean, you first year starting inside and certainly some struggles early grew throughout now and to be named Pro Bowl alternate, what.
Does that mean?
It means a lot of just gives me more fencing myself, and yeah, just knowing that I belong it's just uh yeah, it's good achievement. Next year I want to be in the Probo though, So.
Going through that journey, do you feel like it's almost you had to like that forged you into becoming the player you are.
Yeah, I feel like everything happens for a reason, and I was able to just learn from my losses and just get better each week and just trust my closer. You can trust each other and that's supply it each week.
How'd you find out.
ADC told me yes two days ago or yesterday?
And what was the reaction in telling you it is?
For me?
I was like completely shocked. Yeah, I was just shocked. I was not expecting that at all, but great news.
And then what was your what did you tell first? Or first of all?
After that, I told my mom she was going crazy voting, so I had to tell her.
I appreciated that.
And so where do you feel like you've grown the most over the course of the season.
I feel like just learning the position overall. Just I'm just.
Anywhere I got to be a body position wise, and yeah, just elevating my game each week a fix.
And obviously there's a lot of outside noise, you know, and kind of tribulations there.
How did you handle all that?
For me?
I just don't listen to any outside noise. I just all like care about as my coaches and my teammates on what they think of for me and where I can get better to help them kind of us win games.
You're listening to the Ravens Press Past podcast, also make sure you head over to the Lounge podcast feed for a full breakdown on the Pro Bowl selections. That's it for us, Thanks for listening. We'll be back with you again after that game on Saturday against the Browns.