Welcoming into the Ravens Press Pass podcast. It is Wednesday, October eleventh, and the Ravens are getting ready to play the Tennessee Titans in London on Sunday. Now, this is a big matchup for this team, as the Ravens were city at three and two on the year and it's been a big challenge. The Ravens went across the Atlantic Ocean spent the entire week in London. They had the first practice of the week on Wednesday, and after practice, head coach John Harbaugh talk with the media.
Okay, good to see everybody. I do feel like it last home right now. This is really cool. We don't have this our guys just standing around in a circle. This is way better. So just it's an honor to be here. We just had a really good practice. We really appreciate Todding and putting us up here and allowing us to take part in these amazing facilities. I mean, this facility is his eye opening. Our guys are very excited about it. Saw some of the academy players down
there watching practice. They stayed the whole time. Of course, they were pretty intrigued by Tucker and the guy's kicking so that was fun and they went over and said hi and spent some time together. So seeing the kids out here for the camp, that's really neat to see too, and I know our players are going to enjoy working with those kids. So it's a joy to be here. We had a very good practice, guys were in high spirits and we're just preparing for the game and we're
looking forward to playing on Sunday. So what questions you have?
Welcome back to London coach Franstraat and loss last week. Having watched the R twenty two, there was a lot to be proth the tip about Lamar had the highest pro football grade of all qbs in week five and although the result doesn't reflect that, having watched your film yourself, and what in euro opinion do you think you can implement into the game.
On Sunday, No question. The thing about the thing about football, in terms of winning football, you can do a lot of things well we are and you can be really close and not look good, you know, And obviously we've got to score more than ten points. I mean that's something that we were very capable of doing. We should have done, should should have separated early in the game, and we didn't do it because we didn't do the things we need to do. We didn't protect the football,
we didn't score in the red zone. So just too many mistakes, uh, pretty much holding ourselves back. So that's what we'll be looking to try to do on Sunday.
Last time you were here with twenty seventeen the fan back feet to the jack. What would it mean to you to kind of right that roment and get that plass.
Winning in right? It makes me feel a lot better about the country. I can tell you that. You know, every time I see a picture of Great Britain on the map, I have that memory of that game, you know. So that was a tough one for us. It was a few years ago. Obviously it's a new team. But but you know, every game is important. These games are exciting.
We enjoy coming out here and playing, but you know, for us, it's the next game and every game, every game matters, you know, we play, We play seventeen games and at the end these games are going to be big in the standing. So it's a tough team we're playing. The Titans are very physical. We have a rivalry against them. We play them a lot, you know, we know them, they know us, so it would be very meaningful to get a win, and that's what we're going to try to do.
You took a different approach this time, coming full week. Do you feel like you're having a more normal week preparation.
Yeah.
I don't know whether it's normal or not, Jerry, but it's it's it's Uh, we're getting settled in, you know. I think we're all sleeping just a little better than we did a day or two ago, and we're getting the field for the time. I think we're going to be better for it. So we'll see. I mean, there's no science on it. Teams have come over here early and done well and not done well. They've come on Thursday and done well and not done well. So hopefully this is something that works for US.
Coach Cayle Harminton had a historic play a couple of weeks ago against Coats. He was everywhere across the field pre sacks in the first half, at the most wide player in a half in the team history. How important is he in this Mike McDonald's defense, in particular, given that this is a rivalry game against the Yeah.
No, dot, I mean, Kyle's becoming emerging as an impact players. No doubt. He's just a second year player. He's just beginning his second year and he was a high draft pick. We had high expectations for him. He had to learn some tough lessons. I think he'd be the first to tell you last year early in the season, but he learned him He's very smart. He's got a growth mindset big time, and that's one of the reasons besides just talent. I think that he's making such progress. But he's a
factor out there. I mean Tennessee and everybody else has got to know where number fourteen years Ted?
Sorry John. In terms of this season, obviously free and too. You've have three divisional games already in twenty nineteen, you also have three divisional games within your first six so
and it was a four and two record. Funnily enough, so if you beat the Titans on Sunday before and two again, do you think sort of you know, having those three games early on, they're all tough divisional opponents, the Titans as well Arrival, could you sort of replicate and have you know, a good season like twenty nineteen when you finished fourteen and two.
Right, Well, that'd be great. That's kind of what we'd like to do, you know, one game at a time. Obviously that was our mindset then. But it would have been great to be three and zero in the division on the road, but we didn't get it done. You know, we didn't do what we needed to do to win the game, even though we were capable of doing it. So the next one up is this one, and if we could come out of here four and two, you know, that'd be great.
John, you had, you know a lot of guys talking about it. I felt like you guys gave the game will way last week. Curiously, when you have a situation, what's the message to the team that went into the next game and trying to hold coming back?
Yeah, well, we had a forty five minute team meeting today, so that was the message. You know, so probably you guys don't have that much time, do you, But uh, the message was that essentially, you know, and what we're capable of doing and becoming and what we need to do to get there. You know, it's it's it's a fine line, you know, between good and great and and breaking bad, and that's the difference in terms of any kind of competition. So, you know, the idea is we're
a good football team. You know, we're capably and great and you know, let's go to work and do the things we need to do, every little detail to take that next step and become a great football team. And you do that week by week. It's a week to week league. You know, you don't all of a sudden you're there and all of a sudden you stay there. You've got to do it time and time again. And that's what we're trying to do.
Flowers.
So within the first five games, free of those games seen ten or world targets, how impressed have you been with him and how he's adapted to the league and his offense already?
Yeah, he's done great. I mean's just a great guy. He's a hard worker. You'll meet him, You'll you'll you'll love him when you meet him. A very talented young man. Yet you know he'll he'll he'll be talking about this last game, you know, and he didn't do the things he wanted to do in this past game. So again it's week to week and he'll be a factor in this game for sure.
Beatles.
What who had the idea to start your playlist to practice today with the Beatles.
I don't know, it's my wife's favorite group. Maybe that has something to do with it for sure. But it was pretty interesting playlists out there. There were a couple of songs that might have been from out here that I didn't recognize that I'm going to get on my phone. So it was good. How much of a.
Concern are the the one of the things that really stood out with the.
Drop castes once?
How much of a concern part of the drop.
Cast Well, they were concerned on Sunday. I mean that was, you know, a big part of the game. They don't need to be a concern going forward because we need to take care of business. That or that's not that's below the line, you know. And that's what receivers do. They catch the ball. So our guys are going to catch those balls, you know, ninety nine out of one hundred times. So I think we got a lot of catches in front of us. And if that's the case, I love the T shirt. By the way, nobody cares
worre harder. That's good. You like that one. Coach, What was that twenty seventeen experience like for you with the arrival Friday?
And and how do that impact decisions in planning for this week.
Well it had a big impact because you know, we didn't feel like we put our best foot forward. So we were pretty much going to do something different and we're going to do it the same. And then we just went to work on the timing. And I just took credit to all the people involved. I mean, all of our staff. It's not easy, you know, playing and getting on a plane next morning and getting out here with everything we're doing, and then the people where we're staying,
the people here, you know, everybody's just been great. So but the impact was we're going to try to do better than we did last time. It wasn't just that. It wasn't just coming out late. There were other factors if you remember that kind of were happening. You know that I think impacted our guys mindset in the game. That's history now, you know, and hopefully we're better for it.
Just ask off the back of the defeat.
We saw some of the players like Lamal go around London yesterday after DeFi for morale.
It must be quite nice, gets explore me, said the love the players And have you got a chance to go on?
Yeah, no, I haven't like coaches, the players get a chance on Tuesday to there's no days off for coaches, there are for players. So we're we're we're kind of game planning wall to wall to be ready for today, you know, and to present what we're gonna do in the game on Sunday and start practicing. But they were, they were out and about. We want that's part of
the reason we did it. The idea was that they could come down, they could get a chance to get out and around and see things and relax a little bit. And also they'll probably be out at dinner on Friday night just a little bit. We wanted to have them do that, so it's a more normal week for him that way, not just all packed in, and then they'll be able to get focused more on the game. So actually, my wife is in town. She was out with a number of the players and the uh security guys too.
Uh she's at she was at the tower today and uh probably Churchy Museum. So yeah, it's it's great for everybody. And the families are staying down there too, so there's a lot of pluses. You know, probably fan yeah, yeah, I probably will be. You know, man, you did come to our stadium one time. So uh but uh, what's that is that? That's a big rivalry, right, what's your team? Okay, you might not get out of here healthy.
Coming back to London after the last time that he did play it, but you had a very different team, different quarterback. Six years later, you are back in London, you are playing the Titans with a different quarterback and a different team. What kind of advice that you giving the players who haven't made this trip and perhaps haven't even been out of the country before.
Yeah, the main the main advice, I guess. We just kind of talked to him about what the schedule is going to be. You know, what's expected of them. Our guys will be locked in. You know, we we we understand it's a business trip. We're here for a purpose, and the purpose is to put our best foot forward on Sunday. You know, that's what we're here for. If they get a chance to go downtown, that's great. If they get a chance to get and good dinner, that's
that's great too. But all our guys know that's why the practice was so good and so spirited. I feel good about that because it means our guys are locked in and what they need to be thinking about.
Is there any concern about him?
Yeah, No, we got some guys just a little bit sick. They misspractice because they were sick.
Your linebacker, Java is a spent ten years in Scotland that has brought many new fans to the sport. What sort of opportunities does the new Sportland national players and practice squads bring.
Yeah, I think it's gonna be really interesting to see because we're gonna get the mandatory practice squad player, uh in the next couple of years. I think next year it starts. So we're looking forward to that. Now. Now David's path along with Oh Way, you know, they're international players that came over and played high school but only
a year or two. He was actually a basketball player, right, and he came over and this is the high school football coach kind of said, dude, you need to be playing football, you know, ony, don't you come out and give it a try. And he was kind of like, you didn't even know what the sport was. I don't think really, And then look at you went to Michigan, played for my brother at University of Michigan, and now he's gonna be a he's going to be a star
in this league. There's no doubt about it. You know, it gets healthy again. But I think we'll see more and more of that for sure. That's your turn, coach.
There has been a lot of talk about the fields, about turfs in general.
What are your thoughts You guys play on grass in the States.
Is that concerning for you guys?
Well, I mean yeah, I mean you know there's there's there's good turf fields and all that. I'm looking forward to seeing the one here at the stadium. But uh, you know, I'm a grass guy. You know, I'm with the players on that. I think grass is natural, it plays better and as much as you can. I I just appreciate our owner. You know, Steve Bushatti seven eight years ago, had an opportunity. The players came to him. We were turf and they said, they just asked him,
can you can you make the stadium grass? And he did it right away and just it didn't matter what the cost is. And he's he spends a lot of money to keep that grass up. So yeah, I'm a grass guy. Coach. Are you confident on Clowny for a Sunday? Yes? Yes, I'm just going just from the training we saw he was touch He's feeling his uncool.
Plot a lot.
Is his uncle right or is he still feeling that.
Injury a little bit.
He's feeling just a little bit. You know, it's a it's soft tissue type of a situation. But he should be fine.
That was Rave's head coach John Harball. We also heard from quarterback Lamar Jackson.
To London. I appreciate it.
Fans here every wanting to see football.
Now what does it mean you want to be playing the numbers man? It means a lot.
Uh, just for you know, the NFL football to be going across, you know, going global. It's it's amazing. And for me to have fans in London, I never dreamed about that. That's a that's amazing to me.
The more, would this be your first game in London? What can British fans do? May be watching for the first time expect from you this Sunday?
Oh man, you guys gonna have to watch the game to find out watch it, you know, be present.
I I believe it'll be amazing. It'll be amazing.
What would you you know, you the other guys obviously on yesterday off what did you what did you do around London?
Uh I walked the strip. I don't know exactly where I was, but uh, I walked the strip. Uh bought my mom something. Uh that shit, just hung out with my guys.
Where you had the highest per ffth grade of any quarterback in the league. Todd spoken about Onted Moore's explosive plays were still that on that great further and eighteen where you scrambled and made the damn field play to say, do you feel that the offense is now on the break of sort of clicking and being explosive? We can week out and you know, confident of putting our show in London on Sunday.
I believe we were heading on the right We headed to the right track. You know, each and every week we've been having explosive plays, but we haven't been consistent. And that's the biggest emphasis for us right now. And I believe, you know, Sunday in Linta it'll be it'll be a lot of explosive plays and hopefully we'll be consistent.
So you guys running a new offensive scheme and Monken as well, and you have the addition of wide receivers. They Flowers, She's obviously proven to be a great addition to the team. How are you adapting to this scheme and how well do you think it brings out the best of your ability?
I believe I'm adapting well. You know, I'm making checks.
You know, here my guys in the numbers, then those guys catching run what I've been trying to practice on, you know, throughout this process with having a new system.
Uh, but just gotta be more consistent all of us.
How well reship we see you guys?
Uh, I believe it's like bread and butter.
John John mentioned the team meeting that you guys had about you said, it's about thirty five minutes. Wh what did you take out of that that meeting?
Uh, coach is feeling how we're feeling, you know, we should be five and oh I believe you know. We used to gotta put the points on the board, protect the ball. That was one of the main things he was saying to us every week. We not had to turnover, whether whether it's me or someone else. And the ball is our pride possession and with us having possession of the ball, we need to put points on the board, protect as much as we could, and our defense they're.
Doing a great job, so we need to help them out if anything.
Uh, that's just last that game moved there, or that there was a a number of drop drop hashes Uh by your receivers.
Uh how much of uh a concern is that for you?
And have you talked to receivers?
Had I did you have?
Is it something that you need to talk with your receivers about?
Uh, it's at us planatory. I don't need to say anything. And those guys, you know, they feel high feel you know, they wanna make a play.
We haven't had that before. You know, that was the first time it happened. It happened in a rival game. You know what, we didn't want it to happen. But I I beg I believe our gods locked down right now and then they gonna they gonna be better.
So what I why you.
Mentioned press protection?
Cool?
You freely exceptionn't talk to singer go back in the most week? Is that your administration that needs to welcome?
What's what?
Who?
What do you think?
Uh?
I believe it's just fundamentals and gods just wanna make things happen. Were tryna make something happen. You know, God's trying to catch the ball and strike. Uh, you know, the first thing is to catch the ball, and that's just what we need to do. Is And my job is to protect the ball, so when I'm in the pocket, gotta have a better pocket presence.
It's just all of us.
I mean, like I said, you know, the football is the prized possession and protecting that, keeping that safe.
The Scott's a living for our offense.
Lamar after the.
Game in Pittsburgh, seems some frustration about too many losses like that where you guys may have had a lead and blow it.
H How do you fix that? Is?
Is is it kind of a fine line between still trying to be aggressive and trying to put up points and you know, now making mistakes and making sure that you keep the league.
I believe just staying locked in Jeff, just staying locked in on assignment and protecting the ball. Like I said, we protect the ball and we stay focused on each play and not trying to dwell on the the past plays. I feel like we'll be where we wanna be at.
You know, get.
Frustrated to YouTube to have the kind of leads in a lot of games and not being able to close the.
Game out absolutely, you know, especially when you playing football, you know and doing something that we love.
You know, you and you hate to lose. You hate to lose. You're gonna be frustrated, but you can't dwell on it alright.
Is this your first time being outside the country of the United.
States, My first time in London? Uh, it's probably like my third time out of the country. But it's exciting. I'm loving London. I'm loving it.
Well, it is your first time in love it Is there some part of English culture or English food that you've been looking forward to experience.
I haven't. I need to do my research on the food.
I I I wanna try, but I'm I'm hearing Habsburg's, you know, number one in their lead and they're doing that thing.
Hopefully they win it all. Hatsburg, Habsburg. What is it? Oh, that's what I want? Fish and chips? So where do you recommend? What's the location for the fish and chips?
There's street.
I can't figure the name, but I'll find it and pass it.
On to someone related. Message to the platform. Please, what did you guy?
Uh?
It was a Chanel purse. I got a Chanel person.
The Ravens are really they have a lot of fans in Germany.
Did you realize how big football is outside the States.
I didn't know until people recognize me. I was like, that's crazy. I'm known in London.
The German fans as well.
Yeah.
Absolutely, shout out to the fans. I'm glad you guys are you know, watching us. I'm glad you guys are supporting us.
We love it.
Hopefully we be out here more. You know, we show a lot of love to you guys. Hope you in Germany one time. Absolutely, hopefully I'll be out there.
Some of the biggest changes for you know, playing out you know, across you in one that is the time change. Yeah, I know the clay Last time the Raids played here, they talked about not you know, there's sleep schedule, things like that.
How do you feel right now?
Do you feel like everything's adjusted now?
Probably in another day, so I believe it'd be.
I believe us being out here early it helped us out a lot, you know, instead of a quick turnaround.
So probably in the day, so I'll be perfect. I'll be perfect.
Look how you've been a league MVP.
You've brought the numerous records from the Heisman. How just describe how it felt when Tom Brady arguably the guy said you all next.
It's not even arguably what tom Brady, you know, that's just he to go. He got seven super Bowls. But when he said that, it was like it was it was emotional. I didn't cry anything, but it's like coming from Tom Brady is like, that's amazing, and I need me a super Bowl or a.
Few a couple more players.
I'm already mentioned getting recognized. I'm just curious, like we're do people recognize you when you were walking around the streets in London yesterday?
Yeah, Like a few guys walked up to me. They were like, are you Lamar you know in the in the in the uh in a London accent. I'm like, yeah, it's me and like I took a picture.
With those guys. It was it was, it was fun. It was fun, fun experience for me.
And the experience as well playing at Toma Hospital Stadium. Whenever you've seen pictures of that, are you excited to and all say, be out in this field? Be quite unique.
So you got fans of all the teams coming.
And morning back sides as well.
Yeah, that's that's pretty cool.
I haven't seen the stadium yet, so when I get a glimpse of it, I probably have an answer for you.
What song you're gonna listen to before the game?
Pretty much everywhere with my music right now.
But my favorite song right now artists, my favorite artist is called that black but song right now, that's hard.
That's hard.
I've been listening to everything. We listened to everything. I'm everywhere.
That was quarterback Lamar Jackson. You're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast and the team is in London this week, so obviously it's a bit of a different arrangement as they prepare for this week's matchup. And if you want more of a breakdown of everything that's happening in London, head over to the Lounge podcast feed. Ryan make and I are breaking down everything that we're seeing. We have
an interview with rokwand Smith. We have another interview this week dropping with Justice Hill, and we kind of take you behind the scenes in terms of all the unique stuff that's happening with the team while they're here in London. So check out the Lounge podcast feed as well. Make sure you leave a rating and a review and go ahead and hit that subscribe button. Thanks for listening. We'll be back with you again tomorrow