John Harbaugh & Coordinators: Ravens Practice 1/25 Press Conferences

You're listening to the Raves Press Past podcast. It is Thursday, January twenty fifth. Today we had a chance to hear from head coach John Harbaugh.

Beautiful day, weather turned out good, the fog finally cleared. Once the fog cleared, we were okay. We weren't sure. You know, it took a while, but guys were high spirited and in focused. So we're happy with where we're at and still got plenty of work to do before before we play on Sunday.

So what questions you have.

John, I know you have a lot going on here, but have you congratulated your brother and just thoughts of him coming.

Back to the NFL?

I have, I have, and my thoughts are we play him next year. So we're looking forward to all of it.

You know.

I'm just very happy for him, proud of him, excited for him, excited for his family. I heard my mom and dad told me that he called back in the evening and he found out that all of his kids, starting with Addie and Katie, had their bags packed already. They're ready to go, so they're excited too.

So it's gonna be great.

He's well deserved. And I'll say this the Chargers just got themselves one great coach.

You don't you have a bit.

Of an unorthodox practice and that you're rotating out players and left and right tackle. You've been doing that for a few weeks. And what makes that work with the players that you have as a part of the system.

Is the talent?

What is helping make that work?

The pig the page.

Yeah, that's a good question.

Probably the biggest thing is we've got good players capable of doing it. You know, Pat and Daniel step in there and play very well and when you it's not normal. I understand that it's not something you see very often, but.

We're able to do it.

And it was kind of started with you know, the knicks that the guys had and tackle between Ronnie and Morgan, and it just has really done. It's been good for us. It's something we found and we're happy with it.

You a strategic advantage just due to the differences in their size and their play style.

Is that something it all considered?

It might be.

You know, we really haven't talked too much about it. I mean, we just want to run the plays and have the guys go in there and execute to the best of their ability. Everybody plays their way, you know, so get the job done your way.

The coach for Darting grim real quickly.

If he does come in to watch the game this weekend, you expect him to be wearing Ravens.

That's such a great question because I actually thought about that, well, Jimmy wearing Ravens gear if he comes in for the game this weekend. I don't know the answer to that. We may have to require it perhaps, I mean, you know, so that's a good questions.

New Division rivals.

Oh yeah, that's right, that's right.

Yeah, okay, I can't help.

But no, see when I go back and look at the twenty twenty one Chiefs game that you guys beat him here, Lamar's emotions, especially in the fourth down call, was that a.

Big hurdle for him to get past the team like that and what they've done?

And when he approaches this game, do you see that kind of mentality in him to get past one of the top teams to get where he needs to go.

Yeah, I think it's always part of all of us. We all want to, you know, accomplish the next thing. So that that particular game something well one that was you know, a good memory Force and we're proud of it. Seems like it was a long long time ago and this game coming up is the immediate challenge right in front of us. And really that's kind of really all really thinking about all the other things are part of it, but not focused on those things right now.

John with with Mark or Andrews. The continuing practice out there, I mean, does it look like then he's gonna be able to fight one.

Sunday, Mark practice went through the whole practice, and we'll just kind of see on all those things how they go and if guys are ready to.

Go, Nona.

You guys already started to you know what, the idea that maybe he will be available. Mark did the idea of you know, putting him finding ways to exploit the defense with him and likely on the field.

Yeah.

I mean that's just a great way to ask the question and really very creative, and really it's just gonna be you know, you gotta get through practices and you've gotta you've got to come back the next day.

Okay.

You know, so if I stand up here and start telling you guys are gonna play, then they no play. You're gonna be looking at me like, well, you know, I'm I'm steering you the wrong way either way. You know, So, like I said, I made a Viob's just not going to get into it. You know, not a doctor, don't make predictions. But who's going to play? But all the guys who are active and then the receiving corps, all the guys will have a chance to get out there

You see injury, something that could sign to Sunday.

I don't know yet to see John.

The league changes so much your year alone every ten years.

Or so, it's the last time you were in this game, Like do you do you can you use that experience for this week or is it just like too much time as fast a different food.

But it's not that it's not as relevant as you might think. It's come up like a championship game. Yeah, yeah, like yeah, since you've done well.

Yeah, I mean, I guess you can in the sense of the perspective of of U the opportunity, you know, and how far you've come and the opportunity to go further, how valuable that want to know is right now? I want to know is really valuable and you've you've you've made it valuable because all the investments you've made going

But we're just.

Focused on the game itself, the opponent, our our our responsibilities, our assignments, our techniques, and trying to be as ready as we can to play a good football game.

John, who gives the better pre game speech?

Between you and Rokwon?

He's the best?

Well he's the best now, I mean him and Ray would be probably the better comparison. You have to at some point in time that would be really interesting, like have a pregame speech off right between Ray and Roe Kwan.

You could sell that length before you have got time for it.

That's right, that's a good question. All right, thanks everybody appreciate.

It, I would say, coach John Harball. We also heard from the coordinators that's kick things off a special teams coordinator Chris Horton.

Good to see everyone.

Uh, what questions you f.

Chris when you have vantaged point what happened on the.

Pump return touchdown?

You know one of the things is, uh, you know, everything we do obviously always starts with you know, uh, giving guys punt direction. And I think when the ball when the ball didn't go where they expected it to go, I mean pretty much all eleven guys at that point there was there was a breakdown and that ball got to uh Sims pretty quickly. Uh, and he was able to just kind of hit us, split us right up

Uh, you know, and.

Those when those things happen on those plays, Uh, you kind of just kind of go back and you look and you ask, and you say, hey, man, we gotta we gotta defend this play better, regardless of word that ball is, we need to make adjustments a lot quicker. And that's really what happened on that play.

Chris.

Give the couple of games with some of the weather, feel like they're pretty well prepared in case what they're being rained in the forecast to.

Get you know, I would think so, you know, we've had, we've had an opportunity to play in in some of these games with with weather, and you know, we just gotta we gotta go out there no matter what the what the conditions are. You know, we got to do our best to execute at a high at a high level. Every team is going to be at that at the same advantage point, right uh with the weather. But I think we're pretty prepared for it, and I think our guys will be ready to handle it.

These games this time of year, they tend to usually come down to the kicker at times. I mean, what how does it feel to to have a guy like Justin Tuckle on your sidelines knowing it could come down.

To his leg? Yeah?

With Justin Man, the one thing you know about him is he's always ready for the moment.

These situations.

This guy, this guy lives for he prepares for uh daily and on Sundays, Man, when the lights are, when the lights are at their biggest stage, Man, he shows up and uh, you know, if his numbers and and and that's what we need, I think he's gonna go out there with all three of those guys, you know, because it starts with the snap, then the hole didn't the kick. But having him around, man, it's a it's obviously a luxury.

Cool.

All right, thank you coach.

Thanks guys.

That was Chris Harden. We also heard from defensive coordinator Mike McDonald.

All Right, good to see everybody.

Scaring enough to play.

This weekend.

But have you talked about the fact that you may be going against your own old Boston sometime next season?

And Uh no, I haven't.

I actually didn't even know what you're talking about, is the question?

Like he just talks about road Fund's leadership and what you feel like he's done to kind of lift up the rest of the defense, the rest of the.

Players that uh tough to find a place to start.

I mean, he's he's the guy we look to, you know, when when we need something to be said, he knows what to say. And when I think, I think, you know, what's cheeky about him is what shows up on the field has backed up all the talk. When you play the style football that he plays, you know, it's contagious and the guys see it and it pops off off the screen. We talk about expectations and playing like a raven. You know that that's what it is, so you don't

You prepare for the putum, like I presume you need to start with the quarterback. You look at the list of things he does well and try to take that away as you prepare for a patrickball home where.

He well, it's a long list of the stuff that he does well. It's a great question. You know, if if we had the answer, if people the answer was out there, you know, he probably wouldn't be in this game, you know, so or.

Have the consistent success that he's had.

So hats off to them, and and the type of player is an ultimate comp editor.

Uh so you know, we have our handsful. It's a great challenge.

You know, there's things situationally obviously that you feel like that we do well that you're gonna want to be able to, you know, exploit, you know, given those certain situations. Uh, but you're right, it's it's a it's a lengthy list for sure, of all the of the things that he does really well.

Mike, talking to players yesterday, they did say that it does benefit them when they face a guy like Mahomes that they have to face like guy like Lamar every day in practice.

Is there anything to that?

I mean, in your eyes, does it help your defense that they've seen Lamar every day since? You know OTAs in minicamp?

You know probably you know, I mean just one just when you're when you think about training camp and you know you're great in your in your scoring practice, and you know, practices get competitive, and you know that the cadence of the play becomes a little longer when he's able to hold the ball and sometimes we think it's a sack, but it's really you know, Harp says it's

But I wouldn't put too much stock into that.

I mean, were's so much time we're spending a part and on book teams and things. I would say that, you know, our backup quarterbacks do a great job every week of studying you know the quarterbacks mechanisms and kind of how they operate and where they like to go with the ball.

So shout out to those guys.

Mike Rokwan called you a magic scientist yesterday, Say what's just in the.

Right spots and let's just kind of be who we are.

I can see the look in your face as well.

They all say, we know big things.

Are coming from him in the future. How do you view that and what do you bring to a squat if you have to be from the head coach?

Well, well, it's it's it's it's humblings flattering to hear that. You know, as a coach, you're you're just you're trying to put your guys in spots where they can be successful. And like that's that's the viewpoint. That's why we do what we do. You know, when they have success, you have success, and and that's that's what.

We're trying to do here. That's why you know all this is here.

That is why you guys are here, you know, and that's that's what rewarding to us. So when you feel, when you hear things that your players feel like you're helping them have success like that, that means a lot.

But like I said, I mean, it's it's a it is a team effort.

Man there's a lot of information that has to be kind of cultivated and broken down and then deciphered and then give to them. At the same time, I'm in charge of organizing it and making sure, you know, it gets them the right way, and ultimately making the call on Sundays. But to answer your question, yeah, it feels great that we're helping our players have success for sure.

The Chiefs Bills game was the a lot of the Ex's and Nozon only seemed very excited by what they saw from the Chiefs the way they would, I guess make changes to the line of scrimmage to maybe target individual defenders. I mean, do you kind of go into your game expecting or preparing for them to do that again, or do you assume you'll see something fairly different from them.

Well, the great thing about their offense is they're able to It looks like they carry a lot of volume, but it's similar concepts packaged differently, which I think any good scheme is going to do. Because you can't run every play known to mankind all the time. You have to eventually you got to, you know, kind of keep it in your wheelhouse. So they do a great job of hiding what they're what their intents are, and obviously you know they understand how to attack coverages and stuff

Back to the world.

Find you guys have invested more just as a franchiser that in sideline back the spot, which what has that done for the Whether they should.

Just happen to election.

As a good that has like a tree, Well, I am sure I have zero to do with how we invest any any any penny that goes into the salary cap.

Uh. Yeah, Like I said, we.

Love having great players that can you know, that play great football, play the way we want to play.

So it's our chart.

It's you know, our responsibility as coaches to put them in spots where they can go be successful and you know, given the decisions that we made, like we'll go coach them up and get them ready to roll. But yeah, absolutely, I mean you look at the middle of our defense.

So uh yeah, I mean they're just fun guys to work with. For sure.

What does that phrase, uh, play the rules out or I forget exactly who to put up a week we hear your players say that again and again too. I mean I think Queen said it after after the last game. Does it kind of warm your heart to hear them say that?

I mean does it? Does it sort of show that it's gotten through?

Oh?

It tells me they know what to do, which is good, you know.

Yeah, It's just you know, you know, what do you you're gonna go out? Where do you go, where do you go stand? Where do you look at? You know when that guy does something? How do you know how to react to it? It's just those are your rules, you know, And to me, if if it's clear on where your expectations are and how to do what we expect you to do, then you can.

Go play fast and you'll play the right way.

So yeah, if they if they know what their rules are, then that's that's definitely the first step to be successful.

Kids seem lay with a lot of twelve for two personnel defense.

Buffalo, What kind of what do they need to put stress on that those defensive I guess how well do you get you guys to evolve the defense?

That's kind of that agency.

Well, yeah, I mean, anytime people are changing.

Personnels on you, you got to make the decision are we how are we gonna match it with the people that we're gonna put on the field. So without giving you the answer of how we're gonna do it, those are the decisions you have to make.

And then you know where the stresses of the calls you're gonna make and things like that.

So and a lot of times you know it's gonna morph and evolve over the course of the game. After you make a decision, you kind of see how they make their decision. You're kind of playing off one another as a game starts to unfold. So you know, we have an initial plan and how we're gonna play it, and then obviously it'll evolve is as the game starts to declare itself, like you've.

Got guys step on us and Place and Marl and you think, missing.

So much time a year of how valuable, how it setting would you get hick back.

He's bountil this week did just how versative he is going back fort.

Well, it'd be great to have more on back And you think about just the season he's had. He's had a lot of adversity and you know he hasn't had it's been different than his experiences of the years past. So you know, if he is ready to come back, man, it'd be awesome just to see it and be back and feel like you can you know, you know, contribute physically on game day.

But Mike yel have had success with the cornerback blitz a couple of times a game without giving away too much of it.

How do you decide when to run that is at a high risk?

Hyer work, Can you share much about your hornack blitz?

Yeah, sure, I've spoken to our kind of pressure philosophy in the past. You know, it's a it's a team rush mentality. So even when we're rushing four. You know, we want the illusion of pressure a lot of times and just have the threat of blitzing off one side, blitzing off on the side, coming up the middle double edge, or bluffing out of there. I mean, we want that threat to be at all times. So in order to have that threat, you have to do it.

And uh, you know, so guys aren't just calling your bluff all the time.

One more from Mike.

I know what's sad? Uh?

No pressure?

You look look at the film for you guys. Obviously tight ends are understanding.

It's part of how that type of offenses to see brook on p F how gets the best and make it difficult to lose those passes. You're not kind of gonna need a part of field. How you need the skill is at and I guess what how port could that be a game with the tight end?

TRN Still don't you ask him about the tight end or how we put the linebacker.

To hit their spots and make somebody offense?

Well, yeah, I mean you're you're trying not to show your intentions, uh until the till the ball snapped. So again, go back to rules and how we want guys to play things. It's just playing discipline football, understand, you know where you're kind of one eleven fits in the whole the whole puzzle, and then trusting that the guys around

And that's the whole idea.

That was DC and Mike McDonald. We also heard from offensive coordinator Todd Monkett.

All right, because I have to start with all right. I don't know why. It just feels like I can't start.

With that.

Later the season anywhere. Is it a bigger challenge facing anything you have not seen yet before?

In some ways, In some ways it is, you're starting it's a normal week, I guess is the best way to put. It's a normal week of someone you haven't played and then getting up to speed with.

Uh, with who they are. In some ways that's you know that way.

In another way you're like, okay, we're not playing someone that really knows us.

You know.

In some ways you know they have the same issues we do. You know, they haven't seen us before other than maybe some crossover tape.

You most about the Chiefs defense.

How they do it collect I mean, what a great job they've done collectively. They're coaches and I know a number of those guys and they're outstanding coaches. They got outstanding players. They're very disruptive. You have to have I don't want to say this, whatever you're going to run, you better have the answers for what they're going to give you. So they're certainly and it isn't you know

For Lamar's perspective on the adjustments you guys are able to make at halftime in the last game, John's perspective, But haven't gotten to talk to you with what you know, what positive changes were you guys able to make at half time?

Well, we just we called it better. We executed better. I mean that's really what it was. I mean, it's it's always that in my mind. You know, you look back at certain calls you know that you would have done differently possibly. But then also you know there were things that everybody taking turns that doesn't allow you to stack plays.

That's that's really it.

Some of us getting the ball out, some of it was just execution, and sometimes it's just momentum.

You know, you get momentum on your side.

You you know which to me started off the second half the kickoff return, get it out of our hands to Nelson and then the big play by Zay that get you fired up. You know, it eliminates some of the anxiety. And then when we got down there, we scored touchdowns. That's that's the other big part of is

Anxiety as you put together your game plan and think about your guer play calls, do you.

Factor that inspect in human nature? There's going to be a higher level of anxiety to start a championship game.

Oh, I don't.

Pretty much every game we kind of think of it the same way, you know, how we want to start the game and try and start fast. We've been pretty good at that. I don't know where we rank, but we've been pretty good at starting. We've had some games not so much, but trying to get Lamar off to a fast start and us off to a fast start, get the lead.

But I feel like that's maybe every game.

You have a little bit of anxiety at the start of the game and so try to get the guys, you know, comfortable when you.

Guys as a team are going up against the quarterback like patching Maholmes. How does does that impact you and your offensive game plan and how you may call the game at all?

Not really, I mean as the game goes it might, you know, in terms of where you're at. Not not initially, I mean I get where you're going with it in terms of the anticipation of whatever, maybe that they're never out of a game or they're able to score. Sure, all those things are part of it, But until we get to that point, we're more concerned about each drive.

We have, what we have to do offensively.

I know you guys are hoping that then Mark, you know, would be healthy enough for per Sunday, has Isaiah likely as emergency since Mark's been out. Maybe kind of breathing to there bade you when you think about how those two might fit together on the field, and.

That you guys haven't did it with a lot of them, all these passing steps.

Sure, you know, I think all that figures in how well he's played, and then leading up to each like last week or leading up to this week, how well Mark's practice. That all leads into Okay, at every position, really, who's healthy, how do we anticipate that fitting into our game plan, and how can we incorporate them in the.

Experience from the past two years of going to the National Title game and just calling place in high leverage you know, spots and situations.

Oh, I don't know about that. I mean, it's felt like every game we've had has been high leverage. I don't know, it's the NFL. I mean, I don't you know. I mean, we've had a lot of games this year that it feels like at some point in the game, you know, very rarely is it not that way? Last week felt like that at halftime in the second drive.

You know, that's high leverage.

I mean, you know, when we got to the back end of the year and being on the road at San Francisco and Jacksonville and you know, playing home against the Rams. I mean, you're going to have a number of those, And so I don't know if I can draw back from the last couple of years per se that would be any different than the games we've played this year better and stand again where you're going with that. But you know, again, it is what it is. I mean,

I don't know if we've ever asked you, have you in a or teach you in Mike ever.

Talk about you guys taking together in the flush bum PLAYFF and one funny one and find yourself.

Got yeah, a little bit, just joking around a little bit once when I was interviewing, and it's kind of an awkward conversation, you know. It's, uh, it'd be the other way too for me, you know. I mean it's uh, you know, and we had you know, they were really good, but we had a generational defense. I mean, all those guys were, you know, for a lot of first round picks on that and we were just starting to get really good on offense, and the next year we were

Jo about the ongoing rotation to the tackles. Was that kind of something that you guys did by necessity that's turned out maybe even better than you could have imagined it would turn out, or.

I think somewhat.

I think somewhat, you know, taking a little bit of the pressure off those guys.

It was it was already happening in practice.

It was already happening where you're having a hard time getting through all the reps in practice, so those guys were already getting reps, so it just became more natural to allow that to occur in the games.

So did you have a king knows who I'm going into doing that, Scott Ymon don't like to come out.

You'll have to ask those guys, I mean to an extent, I mean, I don't mean that like from a negative standpoint. I think in critical situations, I think that would be true. I think that would be I think in some scenarios, I think they enjoyed having a little bit of a break, you know, with their body because it was happening during the week anyways, to an extent, so you know, you'd have to ask those guys whether they were frustrated or not.

I'll bet coach, is this easier to make halftime adjustments?

Versus in game adjustments.

It's I don't even know what to say.

I mean, when it works out like that's that was great halftime adjustments. I mean, I don't I don't know. We just played better, you know, we just executed better. We got a few plays that kind of got us going. Momentum is a powerful thing, you know, when you're you're moving it, you're getting stops, you're making adjustments during the first half. Now you are collectively as a staff talking through things, what you want to get to, what we

Part of it.

What you want to get to is a big part of it. Momentum is a big part of it. And like my wife says, I don't know why you just don't call the plays at work. Just seems that simple. I mean, just why would you call anything but the plays that work? I said, you're right, honey, as usual, you're right.

In the locker room. Today, we also heard from some of the players, including cornerback Marlon Humphrey.

Marlin has the cap to it's doing good. Marlon.

That's when I got Lane Kiffin. I wanted him to be the Bama coach. I told him, he said, coming to Bama. But then like an hour later, they already had the new coach. So but I still Land is my guy. But you know, I still believe Crimson, still big Crimson.

Marln.

Do you just talk about the challenge of of Payson Patrick Mahomes if you do play of course, and what he poses.

You know, I feel like I don't know why I was thinking about this on the field, but I feel like the Chiefs, you know, over the years are like are the the.

College football version of Alabama.

It's like every year and a year out, you know, they might be like, ah, they're not looking that good, They're not this.

You know, they're still that team.

They're still the team to beat, you know, whether they're losing, whether they're winning, they're they're still the Chiefs and they're you know, they're the team to beat.

You know, they're super Bowl champs.

I think and for us to beat them, it's it's gonna take you know, everybody firing and all cylinders.

You know, Mahomes, you know, I think him and.

Lamar, I think those two quarterbacks are it's those super quarterbacks and then everybody else. So when we're playing the you know, one or two the best, the best quarterbacks, you know, both the the two best quarterbacks in the foot in all the world are gonna be on the same field. And so we're facing one and they're facing the other. So it's a I think it'll be a a match up, uh, A match up, A really good match up.

Mom are A ask you the the the defensive last couple of days, just about that skill set that Mahomes has and you guys face that skill set every day facing Lamar.

How much does it help in practice seeing that and and plays that he's.

Able to extend stuff like that? How much does that help in practice seeing that and l you know, it's gonna benefit on Sunday.

And it's good to see that.

Yeah, I would say the the biggest difference is, you know, ain't nobody been to touch Lamar in practice? You know, we would try to say pretty pretty far away from him, but uh, you know, obviously m Lamar's a lot fashion than Mahomes, but Mahomes, it's it's like what he's able to do. Hey, he's able to you know, evade pressure. I was telling some of the guys, you know when you come off the blitz, you know, Mahomes or or pump fank Yo, and I was I was telling him about.

My own experience.

You know, I had a really good hit QB hitter on Mahomes a couple of years ago. But the tragic part was he threw a touch out at before I hit him.

So he he he. He does a lot of things with the ball obviously, what he can do.

You know, when I started seeing him in the aus in practicing running backwards and throwing the ball, I knew the league was in trouble. So the subf he does on the field is is it's pretty crazy. But I think we've got uh, We've gotten some pretty good looks at it with uh Lamar. But obviously it'll be a little different when uh it's a lot of bullets.

Marrow.

You talked about the respect you have for the Chiefs. You know, obviously to win this game be big in itself, but doesn't need anymore to to beat the defendant champ, to beat the team that you know, HA has been on.

Top of a while. Yeah, I mean be huge.

I just you know, I'm just super excited to to to hopefully get out there. It's been to beat them. For the city, for the fans, it's been it's been electric. I feel like, you know, the fans, they always they talk about you know, this moment, this moment, this is our year, this is our year, and you know, to to finally get here, to be able to have it in in M ANDT Bank Stadium in front of our fans and our home color, it's just it's a it's

But it's, uh it, it's just really special.

All all the things about it, the defendant Chiefs and my homes, our fans, is just it's it's so many things aligning. I think it's just gonna take everyone's best best put forward to beat this team.

Marylan Marlan you've been here for the a whole sort of rise and putting together with this team, I mean up the ups and downs of it. So how painful was it to not be able to play the second half of the Miami game?

You know it was the playoff game last week? And you know, did you d did you think you might be close to the Miami game of one play? I mean, what what does the sort of this whole experience.

Been money, Yeah, it's been rough. I've been kind of trying to just stay positive through it. It's it's it's definitely not not been ideal uh for me, But I think, uh, the the best thing that's kind of really helped me get through it is honestly telling me to get through the most just seeing how the guys are playing on Sunday.

It's gonna be a sort of how you feel on some day. Is it gonna be a like a pre game workout that kind of thing or is it? Yeah?

I usually let all that happen with with Harbes and the medical team and then uh, I go from there.

That was cornerback Marlin the Humphrey. You're listening to the rap this Press Past podcast. Make sure you leave a rating and review and hit that subscribe button as well. Thanks for listening.

We'll be back with you tomorrow