Welcome to the Ravens Presspast Podcast. It is Wednesday, October second, the Ravens preparing for Sunday's game coming up against the Cincinnati Bengals, and today we had a chance to hear from head coach John Harball.
Okay, appreciate everybody being here. Good practice, Nice day, guys. We're into it, very focused on the upcoming challenge, which is a rivalry game against the Bengals, with a lot of stake early in the season, like they all are when you play in this division, and we know what kind of game to expect. It's always that way, and we're looking forward to the challenge. What question do you have?
God, you know Joe Burrow mister last season them with Andrey, he's back four games with you kind of see from having your thrown Yeah.
Really, we've seen the same thing that we've always seen from him. He's playing very well, plays the game in a very unique way, very very precise way in terms of his reads, his accuracy, timing, he's strong in the pocket, all those things that he's leading, leading that team, leading that offense like he always does on a He's completing.
Se percent pass this year.
Jamar Chase t Higgins.
What kind of magic prums.
They create, no question.
I mean they've got really great skill, they always have. They have a great a great scheme. Uh, They've got great receivers and it doesn't even stop with those two guys. Those two guys obviously are you know, top shelf type wide receivers, but I think a great depth in the receiving corps. Tight ends are really good receivers. They brought in Micasiki, They've They've got a good group of tight ends.
They all do different things really well. So it's just a very and the running backs are playing really well. I mean both running backs are playing. Moss and Brown are both playing excellent, running hard, very productive when they get the ball. So it's a well rounded offense.
The coach seeing a divisional team, you know most of the players very well.
How do you feel to have Genos Stole and someone have made a big impact with the Ravens now on the other side.
Yeah, I don't feel great about it.
You know, I like him when he was on our side, but he's done a great job. There's nothing but respect for Gino. He's playing very well.
All for him.
You can see that he's doing a great job of communicating back there as well as how he's just playing play to play making plays. So happy for him, but you know, we love him, but he's the enemy this week.
Coach back out today obviously kind of went down at devising fashion during training camp.
How good was it to see him back and also what you need characteristics.
Does he brings this next year?
Well, he's a great leader.
I mean, Arthur is one of those guys that you know, you just feel his energy even when he's not playing on the sideline, he was into it. I mean, he was flying around, he knew all the calls, he was coaching guys up, and he he was looking forward to coming back. And to see him back. It's a little bit of a process. You know, you've been on, you've been down for four or five weeks. He's gonna have to kind of ramp his way back in. We'll see
day to day here how he does with that. But but it's great to have out there.
Coach week five and almost harpers participation in practice. That's gonna be pretty good at its short of being healthy, yea.
All go all glory to God. You know, we we understand and how how valuable that is you know, and how rare that is, and uh, you know, we just got to I just think the guys are working really hard to you know, they just the guys that work super hard. They practice hard, they work hard in the weight room. I think the wait staff, the training staff has all done a great job with that. But you know what day to day process, try to try to do the best we can today and and be ready for tomorrow.
Let's talk with Todd Hook.
Is it spreading this offense?
There was a question where Patrick burn Hard's role might even want and then the last two weeks it's just been like a pattering ram out there. Uh when you've watched him in this year, what stood.
Out about him?
Well, yeah, Pat, Uh, he kind of understands his role. You mentioned not maybe knowing what the role was going to be, but it was probably more about whether that role was going to be there because you knew what his role was going to be if he was here, right, And that's the one that you see doing it at a very high level. Last two weeks especially have been ramped up I think for Pat, and he just creates another dimension out there that defenses have to deal with.
Where you were asked about him after Sunday night's game, or where have you seen Travis Jones sort of take the next stride? I mean we've always seen it in practice and the flashes of training camp, and now he's playing a lot more snams. But what it stood out to you.
Did, Well, it really is kind of what you just said. He is Travis has been doing it in practice. You know, we've seen it in practice. We've talked about it in this group right here about how well he's been practicing and when he played in games last year. It might might be the fact that he's a little more mature in terms of his physical body but technique wise, but it might be just af facts get more reps, you know, and he's having a chance to showcase his skills even
that much more so. He's he's he's becoming a dominant defensive tackle, no doubt.
John.
Obviously the Ponte Adams news comes out, you guys are inevitably linked. I just have to ask the obligatory question, but how could you feel about this offense, this fib receiving core for all that time.
Well, you know how we feel about our guys, and really can't comment on anybody else's play. So we talked about Devontae Ams a couple weeks ago, and I didn't want to talk to him anymore after about him anymore after the game. We've seen enough of him at that point.
But we do. We love our guys, John, So I'm all let out here.
I know the expectation was never to keep I know Keith Mitchell was eligible this week with the expectation was never to happen this early. But do you have a better sense of how he's coming along and how long it's going to take him gaing back?
Right?
It's impossible to put a timetable on exactly right now. I think I would say this, he is right on schedule.
He was.
He was on the schedule was to be back, you know, this season. Exactly when that would be. We're probably closer to understanding that now, just because it's you know, we're closer toward towards the end of that. But you couldn't really pin it down yet. He's not close enough yet to really talk about it. But but he's doing really well.
We also heard from quarterback Lamar Jackson's provision game.
Uh, how much does that familiarity kind of help you in as far as your preparation.
This week, uh s M.
Not just prepare like any other game, you know, Uh to tryna everything have everything right, you know, uh from practice and film out on the practice field. It just take take everything I uh I learned from the practice fild what I see taking into the game.
Is it man in any any more different?
Poll?
When there is that familiarity from now another. You know, obviously they see you twice a year, so they're they're used to used to tell you right.
Now, Uh somewhat.
But you know, each and ever year team gonna try to get better and try to change up on what they did the previous year.
Or with the success you guys are having on the grounds, you know, putting up all these charts on the ground, do you think their defenses will start playing you any differently to try to sell.
Out to stop the run?
I believe so.
But then they gotta get prepared for those guys who running those routes. Uh, our receivers in our tight ends, sometimes our backs.
Tomorrow. Yeah, we know how close you are to mark In. He's embraced blocking and he's been an important part of what you've done on a couple of weeks, but him going without a catch two straight weeks, is that something you would dress with him? Do you feel the need to address with him to make sure he stays up and is in concerned brother.
Role on their offense?
Uh, I believe his role is he he's doing He's doing his role, you know. Uh sometimes you might not get the ball, you know, but we got all these great guys on our offense that's helping us win games, including Mark.
Mark is playing a uh huge role right now for us.
So just doing what he's doing, you know, blocking, running routes, running guys out, uh and find the other guys to be open.
He's just been a team player right now.
Oh h we talked to John how about that, Derrick Harry if just selbe kroll a one to two point.
What kind of what's your sur sack?
And you guys, specially the mass game man, he's explosive, man, He's just I I believe he showed it last year, you know, he he was one of the glimpses of it last year. But this year he's just taking up to a whole other level. On if it's if it's because he got paid uh something, but he's just doing this thing, right, But I'm loving it, you know, I'm loving it.
MR.
Speaking of team and you know, so you can get back on social media. Yet some of the some of the critics, if you will, people some bs parlays and stuff. What what what prompt you need to do that?
Because like you gotta understand, we're human too, you know. We we're seeing that, Like we going in there, we're trying to win games. You know, all our life we played football. We got to this the highest level of the professional level to win games and not to help people's parlay.
You know.
Uh, we're not betting on the games, you know, we we can't even bet on games and stuff like that. So we're not rid about that. And I don't believe we're going into games rid about stats either. You know, we rid about the w call them, you know, the win loss, call them. We're not trying to lose. So we go out there and just try to do what teammates do, you know, try to help each other out. Uh, this guy might run someone else on the route to get this guy open, just being team players. And we
don't we don't, we don't dwell on parlays. But I see a lot of people like to make comments in our on our uh, in our comments section or in our d ms, but then when we addressed them in our they wanna make it public. So it's like it is what it is, we trying to win, We trying to win?
Or are you seeing a greater frequency of fans or any individuals commenting and messaging you at over the years or.
I believe it it it's become a thing like ever since I believe that the betting just started. Uh, A lot of bets have started, like fandor stuff like that. I believe that's when that's just started happening. But I don't care. I just don't like when my teammates get hit with oh you you missed it by two yards, Like bro, we don't give 'em.
We don't care about your two yards. But like, yeah, y you.
You guys have had a lot of really good rushing attacks here over the years. Obviously the addition Derek has changed things. But is there anything else you can point to about what's different with this rushing attack and White's written swell.
Uh, just a a different unit. You know, we got different guys that added to the office line. Obviously, and then Derek in the backfield. Uh, it's just guys. Gods are different.
You know.
Years in the past we had a great rushing attack as well, but it's just different guys doing it this time.
Does it feel like this year is you know, rushing attack. It's the hardest one to stop that you've had since.
Been the sport.
I wouldn't say that, because just two weeks ago it was, oh, they need to run the ball more and where's the run game? So and then now you know, we just want two games with uh our office line doing a great job and our running backs doing a great job. Nine's like, this is the best running rushing attack.
They are the Raves ever had.
So it's like it's just pick your poison with our offense. That's what I believe, not just a run game, passing game too, more playing.
Off of that a little bit. I mean, this is the offense where you can do RPOs. You could be staying in the pocket all game, you can line up under center. Now, how much do you think that versatility gives you that an added advantage in what defenses can't really protect what you're gonna do.
Uh Man, just playing chess and not checkers out there on that field. And that's basically what it is with our offense. Cause any given game, you know, depending on what the defense giving us. Okay, they stopping the run, so now we just aired out. You know, they stopping the pass and go on cover two, cover four quarters and stuff like that. We running the ball, so it's like it's it's hard to defend us. That's what I believe.
You know, we've talked about how you've been getting the keys to the offense. How much have you I mean, we see you talking and we're not hearing exactly what you're saying, But how much are you changing things up? Is it what you say it's frequent or you know not its frequents. Maybe people accept that. How much How often do you think you're doing things?
It depends on what the defense given me. You know, I might check out or something. I might just change the protection one way put it here, you know, it depends.
It's really on the defense. I'm going off the defense, Lamar.
You talked about Chelseae's explosiveness earlier and obviously the physicality of Derek as a runner. Just those different skill sets. How does that help you as a quarterback and what kind of luxury is it for you to.
Have that man?
Just put the put the ball in those guys hand and let those guys work, you know, and then when I have to throw the ball, I work, you know, and those guys help out with blocking as well, you know, not just running the ball. And Justice just had to touch down catch. Uh, Derek Hearing just had to touch down catch. So you're helping the past game as well. So they just doing it all right.
Now, are you?
Uh, you're pretty even keeled throughout the year, you know, without getting too high or too low. And after reins for losses, you know, two weeks ago, it's a different conversation. Now you win two games and it's I you know, there's a.
Lot of excitement.
How do you you know, keep yourself with the team as a leader from you you know, kind of buying into either way. Uh, all the conversation you know, around this.
Team or pretty much cause we seen what it was the first two games, you know how it was just like what are the Ravens doing? You know, the Ravens are the worst team in the NFL. We were seeing all type of crap. And then we just win these games and it's like, oh, they did a team to beat. It's like, bro, we just played football whenever we have to, Thursday, Monday, Sunday, it don't really matter. We just go out there or the m the win, the mentality.
Next up as defensive lineman Travis Jones, who's really come on strong this year. He talked about the physical style of play that he's bringing, any impact that he's making on this defense.
Michael on Sunday, Just how did your role change, uh, either in increased snaps or just positionally what kind of allowed you to have a what what occurred on Sunday?
Hold On? Uh, Yeah, missing missing Mike p for that s UH game last week was a big thing. But I just felt like I just had to step up, play some extra snaps and just go out there and dominant.
Have you ever heard the.
Quarterback as hard as you did Josh All on that side?
Nah?
I didn't. That was fun.
What What did you think when you went back and saw the the highlight of that play?
It was over Twitter like I wish I couldn't, I said, I wish I could have hit him a little harder. Yeah, I did a little bit.
Well, what's allowing you to play as well as you.
Are right now.
Uh, going in my third year, seeing things plays developed a little slower for me. And go out there playing next to man A Baka, you know he getting most of the attention. So when I get a chance to have my one on ones, I gotta windows.
How much do you really just relish the physicality in that line and then the trenches? It looks like you know you're just kind of club is really working for you? Well, how much do you relish that?
Yeah?
Playing playing for the Ravens, you gotta be a physical player, gotta play physical, gotta play hard, run to the boy, due the little things.
Right, You've already you know, been pretty dominant about this year, but the sack rush and I guess you know, I haven't been able to close out on those plays. How kind of big is that for you to do that? Are you kind of aware that you know everyone knows.
The fact that you're making Yeah, I know the SAS's won't come. I feel like I've been getting back there. I've just been missing them. They're gonna come.
You can try to for you.
Did you mentioned how you're playing more snaps when you're just heading into your third year? You said things are kind of slowing down. But where do you feel like you've improved as a player.
Over that time.
I feel like, going to my third year, I'm improving being more consistent and being more dominant on a down and down basis, And that's why I've been That's why I've been working on this whole off season, just being consistent.
And then you got stronger this season, and Harve's just talked about your physical maturation kind of does it feel like different from previous seasons. Do you feel more physically dominant out there?
I do.
I feel like I'm will get my hands on guys. They're not They're not able to move me.
Yeah.
Going back to what you said about battle b K getting a lot of tension, is that how are you seeing that and what kind of how does that impact things within the game.
Yeah, Matt, Yeah, Matt bigger drum most of the double teams. So I just got go out there and just dominate. And where my one of ones this office.
When we asked people with their breakout players were a lot yeah, and they were saying it was a lot of the kind of mental side of the game and.
Just understand anything better.
I know you said things are slowing down. Was there anything that kind of film wise that you did a little differently this offseason?
No, nothing differently, but does it going out of here practicing against like Tylerlernabond, one of the best centers league, helping me improve my game a lot.
We also heard from running back Justice Hill.
So their receiver room after leaving the team, receiving.
That was just one week man, that was fun ing though.
It gonna be like just feeling up against your brothers as well.
I mean we've gone off each the other it seemed like ten times now. But it's always a fun game when you know your brother's on the on the field with you, so we go see what is what he's doing.
Is the feeling you and Derek in the one two combo that you are about, Hey, we want to be improved, that we can be.
The best one two punch in the league.
Have you guys talked about that.
We haven't really talked about it, but we always wanted to be like we always want to be the best, and so we got a good start to the year and we're just gonna keep improving.
There.
How do you use just how do you kind of keep from a mental standpoint, ride the highs and lows of the season. You know, you're coming off two big wins. You know earlier you're coming off Waston. How do you kind of ride the roller coaster of the season to try to say even.
Kill Yeah, good question. I mean you just try to keep the main things, main things, controls you could control. Just prepare right, you know, just go about the week as if it's a normal week, and then just let it fly on Friday or on Sunday.
Just as Derek said after the game that you and teammates were kind of hyping him up all week about first play if the defense lined up in the specific alignment, and that's kind of always been a big play. Just what were you sharing to him and the excitement about that.
Yeah, we probably ran about three three or four times in the past, and every time it was like ten fifteen to twenty plus. And I was like, yo, bro, if we call this, it's gonna go for real, because I hadn't seen it not work. And so we lined up in at the first play and they was in that same defense, and I was like, Yo, let's see what he do because you know, you see Derek here on a long ninety nine yardis ninety yardists and we was backed up a little bit. I'm like, oh, this
might be it. So it wound up being notice.
One of the faster, you know, running backs on this team. And to see him go that quick, you know, over twenty one miles an hour. What do you think of when you see you guy that big go that fast.
I'm a knowing he could grow. He was here in the spring working out. He was hitting twenty two's and I was like, thirty yards. I'm like, hey, bro, I'm over here trying to keep up with you, and so I already know you got wheels, man, So it was good to really see that. And then you already know when he gets an overfield's good luck catching him.
Justice.
What do you think makes his his stiff arm so effective?
I mean you see it. I mean he's six three sixty four man long, arms strong, so it's hard for people to even get within the reach of them, and because his arms so long, but that and then he just give his all because I was asking him how you get them stiff arms off, and he's like, bro, I just get my all in it, put it all in there. And so yeah, man, he just He's just a freaking nature.
Justice for you now and your fifty year. Just over the past few years, where do you feel like.
You've grown like a few.
I feel like in every aspect, because I want to grow in every aspect, not just one or two areas. So overall, just got better at running the ball, processing a little faster, slowing things down of my mind, uh, plast blocking and catching it. So pretty much everything justin.
John Horball stay yesterday is impressed for your football at getting How much time do you do you spend you watch a film whatever?
Yeah, I mean it's hard to play a game for twenty years and not be somewhat of an expert. So I've been playing since I was five, so I mean it started then it just kind of progress and the more you do stuff and you just start learning more. And then you've been in a position your entire life, you try to start learning other things.
Mate.
Just so if your opportunity it's called to go, do something they need you to fill in here, do something there us just ready to go. And so yeah, it just came from a long time. I'm playing again, that's coming back from your achilles injury.
How much did have a kid, getting buried. You know, all those things kind of help frame your mindset and help you mature just as a person.
Yeah, I mean it's definitely motivation going from just a single bachelor to having a family and being able to provide for your family. Man, that's the number one thing you want to do is off of your family, make sure they live in a good life. And so yeah, that just shifted my mom set and motivate made me even more than what I already was to just continue to go out and be great and do things justice.
What was the reaction in the room after watching the film of your touchdown? It's like you left Doory millions angles in the dust.
But what was there a.
Reaction when you watched that on the film?
I mean, obviously it was it was fun, man, it was it was a good it was a good play. But they I mean, they've seen me do that practice and so it wasn't nothing new to to the guys. But uh, yeah, it was just fun that it fund happened again.
You talk about speed, he's faster between you and Dax.
I mean Dax, Uh, I mean I'm always fastest one, But I mean I I don't know, I said I don't know, you gotta race again, cause I ain't really seen much from him lately.
All right, Yes, uh, what kind of stands out on tape from the Bengals run defensive? I think statistically they aren't that great, but then you look at you know, how they did against the Commanders with that kind of you know, speed of quarterback. I guess what to sit down to their run defense.
I mean, they're solid team. You got good players across the board. And for us, I mean, we're just gonna go out next to qut our plan. I feel like if we go out and execute the way we've been doing and continue to just get better on the things that we didn't, we'll have a good game.
And last we heard from a cornerback Marlon Humphrey, what is what is the win on Sunday meet in the in the fashion that you guys want? What does that show and say about the team?
It's good And you know, Bills are h We're a really good team. So to be able to come out and kind of click on all cylinders, it it's good that, you know. I think Kyle Hamilton said a really really interesting quote last week. You know, let's win, but let's get better while we're doing it. And you know, obviously,
you know we got the Dallas win. It wasn't the end wasn't the prettiest, and you know that's the thing, you know, you wanna it's always better to win a game and continue to get better and fix the mistakes than the loser game and and uh fix those mistakes. So it was it was good to kind of put some of those pieces together and uh kind of have a statement win.
Lrlon.
You've seen plenty of Joe Burrow, You've seen plenty of these receivers.
What does it take?
What does it take to beat them?
The biggest thing is you know, it's it's Joe Burrow and the receivers. If you can, you know, you gotta win those matchups. I think, you know, the biggest you know task this week defensively will be you know r dbs for zar wide receivers.
I think that's it's it's a it's a tough task, but that's that's the biggest thing. You know.
Joe Burrow is, you know, a top quarterback in this league. Obviously, you know it when he gets going, you know, as uh we said in the defense, you know he's kind of surgical when he gets going. So if you can, you can whatever you can with different looks, with tight coverage, whatever way. But the biggest thing is you got to win those matchups.
On the outside.
Conversation around town two weeks ago, you know many days now coming off too straight wins, how do you handle the ups and downs of a season and avoid, you know, as a veteran play on this team, get too high or too well.
Yeah, for us, it was it was interesting.
Usually, you know, you you win, you lose two around here, it usually gets a little funky. But I think the biggest thing that I noticed that I thought was was unique as you as you try to dig into you know, you've lost two straight, you know kind of what's going on when you looked at things, it was very simple things that were kind of being the problem. So it was I liked that we didn't really freak out. We kind of were like, we're doing some good things in practice,
we're doing some really good things in games. We just got to get these select fuel plays better. So we kind of just stayed to save the same course. We didn't like hit the panic button. Now we'd have lost three straight. I don't know how that would have been, but but luckily we were good.
So we kind of just kept doing what we were doing.
I think we all felt that we were doing we're at least working towards doing the right things. Just there was just some small kinks that kind of needed to get fixed.
What does it mean to get Arthur m Let back on the field and what do you feel like it could mean for you? You've been playing a fair amount of nickel.
Yeah, I think Art obviously he had a I mean before injury, I think he was having one of the best camps on the team.
He was looking really really good.
And Nickel obviously what he can do at the inside nickel position, super scrappy goblets and all the different things. So I think it just it just adds to what we're doing as far as who's playing nickel, who can play nickel? We can, you know, it just adds another package, and that's adding a guy like Art, So that was a good thing.
What about your own play, I mean, there was much major last year.
You weren't healthy for most if not all, the year. Grated out well this year by all accounts.
How do you think you're playing and you kind.
Of feel like you're back to being yourself.
A little bit.
Yeah, I feel good.
I think, you know, it's it's a lot more fun, you know, just being able to just go out there and just play ball, not really worry about anything else you got going on. So it's I feel like I've been I've been doing well on the field. I'm just trying to just keep you know, control what I can control.
As far as in the secondary not I'm not I'm not a huge fan of you know how we we kind of graded out as far as in passing yards, so that I feel like that kind of falls on me as a leader of the of the other team and of the secondary. So that's, uh, you know, there's there's definitely more to do, but you know, I think we I think we were on a good path this past Sunday, so I hope we can just continue on that on that path.
Was there very an added emphasis on physicality going into that game?
I uh, we we started off the meeting last week talking about one of our coaches. I'm not gonna say who, but basically he was he was saying, you know, there's we're not He wasn't saying we're not physical enough, but he wasn't talking necessarily directly to me, but I was like, you know what, I'm gonna play like Row this game.
So that's that's kind of what I took from it. You know, not everyone can play like Row.
It's it's basically I would, I want to say, almost impossible, but I attempted to play a little more like Row getting in there with some stuff. So I felt everybody kind of we definitely took his message which was on like Tuesday, and it seemed like we we kind of took it to Sunday. So he needs that message again and we need to play like that again.
So yeah, Marling, after this game that you have got a couple of NFC teams coming up, and with Lamar and his style of play, if you don't see him very often, health diff cluse. Do you think as a defensive player would it be to face him if you if you're not very familiar with kind of his.
Style of play, Yeah, it looks rough to face him, I think, you know, Honestly, as I went to go sack Josh Allen and I had a wide open lane and I could not sack him, I realized Lamar is probably that hard to tackle or harder.
And then I thought to myself, like.
If I was a dB and I saw a pass rusher about to sack the quarterback and then he didn't, and then I had to cover more, I'd be really upset. So basically answer that question, I would be very upset with the pass rushers on my team if I was playing against Lamar. But it's it's very difficult. I know it's got to be very difficult. But how you face him, I mean, how you stop him? I think that's still trying to be figured out. So I couldn't give a valid answer, but I know there's a lot of frustration.
Along those lines. You face Derrick Henry when he was in Tennessee at the end of the season. He's usually a lot better at the end of the season than he is the start. To see him have this kind of start right now, I mean, I guess it's kind of more philosophy. Why is it so much tougher to start there at the end of the season at the start, and what to say about where he is right now? He's off his great performance.
Yeah, he he just.
I've I've a since he's been back, I've been I've been at his at his house, around his family quite a bit. And this dude is like his his detail to to what he's eating, his detailed to what he's putting into his body, detailed to what he's doing is it's it's almost i would say it's almost obsessive. But it's very normal to him. His family isn't in tune
with it. It's it's you know, it's I mean, not to put his business out there, but he makes his dad do some of the recovery stuff with him, so it's like it's, uh, I'm at his house and we're doing different things, and so it makes a lot of sense. I mean, I feel like as much attention to detail he puts into his body, he's able to be just as fresh at the beginning of the season as he is at the end, while most guys it's it's that's
just that's just a hard test to do. So obviously in the game, he's stronger in the in the third and fourth quarter than he is the first in the second quarter, and I think, you know, it's just a testament to just true, true discipline. I mean, it's one thing to hear about it in the you know, the statements you see with some stuff. But it's one thing for him to tell you about it. But then you go to his house and you're just like, this dude is like he means what he says. He's he's just
an all time pro. I mean, there's there's no other there's there's there's no there's a kind of second to none in the aspect. So that's that's what I would say, is just a testament to hard work and the discipline.
In his house. Do you follow the same diet or.
Are you on that plane?
I will?
I will say he I gotta put a little stuff on my food, Like I gotta get a little you know, I'm a sauce guy. You know, he's just bland. He don't need none of that. He just does what he does. I gotta put a little, you know, some ketch up. Here's barbecue, there's ranch, and you know he's he is, he's disciplined.
He's discipline.
Defensively, Hemu said, two wins past rush has been successful. Just seems like the past defense and allowing yardage is not where you would want it to be, as you mentioned, and just what's kind of the thought process and discussions in the secondary room right now.
You know, we kind of going into last week.
The message I told the guys before we went out on the field was just to play fast. I think sometimes you know, thinking even when you're thinking right, you just when you get out there, you think during the week, and then Sunday you play.
So that's the.
Biggest thing there wasn't It kind of goes back to just tiny little beaty things, you know. I think with the defense, if you watch offensively very rarely or all eleven guys doing exactly what they're supposed to do, exactly in the right spot, and the bad part is when you get exploited, it's the one person that's doing the wrong thing. It's the one person that's doing the wrong thing. And even if you're not necessarily wrong, just a little
bit off. So you just got to be on one accord and the way you move, especially in the secondary from the communication everything. So Edred left a message on our whiteboard. I noticed it first, but just just so I know.
But he just wrote a wrote something on the white board.
I and uh, it was just talking about communication and he just wrote twenty. So I was like, that's kind of cool, you know, you you know, that's it read, you know, But you know, I wonder if I wrote forty four what people know? But so it was, uh, he left the message. Just communication. That's the biggest thing
for secondary communication. Communication, communication, and that's it's not that we were doing a bad job of it, but it wasn't perfect, and then the secondary of the communication's gotta be perfect in order for the play to be good.
Did he leave that message?
Honestly, I don't know, Like, honestly, we might have missed that. I mean, he kind of put it. It wasn't like just right there in the open. It was kind of it was kind of I'm not gonna say it was it was kind of I'm not gonna say it was hidden. But you wouldn't really wouldn't have noticed it if you weren't really looking. And so I don't have no idea when he came here and put it up there. But we we we we saw it, and uh, it's it's definitely gonna stay on that board for the rest of the year.
What did you see it?
I think I saw it just this.
I don't know when I saw it. Actually it was this it was this past week or this week. I have no idea when I saw it, but I feel like when I said something, people still didn't see it. And then we re pointed to it again today and then I think people actually saw it, So maybe I didn't even it was and the sharp it was red, it was, it blended in it was. We see it, we got it, we got it, we got the message. So the hidden messages is there, and uh, that's kind of what we're trying to work on.
Well, and you obviously go against them in practice every day, but having a backfield that has the explosiveness and the speed between Justice and Derek just as a defense, how challenging is that to go up against? And how does that challenge you guys?
You know, it's the camp days are over, so there's not a lot of hitting Derek in Justice as much. So we're we we don't we don't like the those days were tough hitting them in camp, so it's it's still tough, but obbs that were not banging as much as we were in camp, so but it's still it's still difficult. Man, when it's a scary feeling when you see Pat and then a little.
Bit taller over is Derek.
So that's that's not the best look when I'm getting that and it's coming towards me. I'm hoping rows coming soon. So it's but uh, it's it's it's tough. It's really good work. I see the nightmares that kind of teams face and because we see it a lot in practice.
How much have you.
Seen zach Orr or maybe not seen, but felt zach Orr kind of settle into his role as defensive coordinator over the past four weeks.
It seemed like the Dallas game, aside from the the Apocalypse at the end, seemed like he was he really got pretty comfortable with his play called, with the really the confidence in the in the plays he was calling, knowing things were gonna work. Just today he almost he said he almost misspractice because he.
Was watching too much film.
He said, he took off running out of the hallway. The janitors thought he might have been crazy because he's running so fast to get out here. But he's, uh, you know, he's a he's a film junkie. Obviously, what you what you want your DC to be. So but I felt Dallas game in that third quarter, I've seen the confidence in his voice, make it, making sure we understood things seemed like things kind of clicked in that in that uh during that game.
Well, taking any motivation in summer we're going in the season about anything said or written about you, you know, the injuries that there, not playing through standards, people maybe not thinking that you were still you know that guy at that level or just kind of above all that.
I I'm not a huge uh, I'm not a huge motivational guy based off others, but I but I did my My my biggest thing is it's hard, it's really just hard for me to get too complacent, just because I've always I've always wanted to hold it. That's like been my biggest my biggest thing, man, I've I've always wanted to do that. I don't I don't want to finish this game and never never hold one of those. So that's it's hard for me to really ever get too complacent, get too settled when I when I haven't
done that. So that's that's kind of been my my motivation. I feel like, if you can have you know, the best one of the best secondary is one of the best corners, I feel like that's that's a really good stable piece to to have to in order to do that. So that that's kind of been I guess my motivation two to to try to be at my best. So when the team needs me where we're going on that streak and we're going to that run, you know I can, I can kind of be that for the team.
Do you think it's the deepest secondary government part.
Yeah, we're pretty deep. I'm not gonna lie. We're We're we're pretty good. Our numbers do not show that though, so that is a problem.
But we we we've got we've got some skill. I think.
You know what Kyle's able to do when Mark is able to do be Steve Nay. You know, he's I mean, if he catches the ball, I mean he's he's I mean, he's doing big things regardless. But you know, he I don't even think people have really he has. He's really even scratched the surface of what we've already seen him
do in camp and everything. So I'm super excited for just for all of us to just go out here and just keep making plays, communicating and hopefully we can, you know, be get that number down from thirty two, cause we're ranked last. I think to to to some of the top ten. So that'd be great.
You're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast, make sure you subscribe here. Also head over to the Lounge Feed. We sat down with Justice Hill for an interview this week that's dropping Thursday morning, so make sure you check that out. Thank you so much for listening.
We'll be back with you tomorrow