John Harbaugh & Lamar Jackson: Ravens Practice 12/27 Press Conferences

Welcome in too the Ravens Press Pass Podcast. It is Wednesday, December twenty seventh, and the Ravens are getting ready to play the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at M ANDT Banks Stadium. This is a matchup between two of the best teams in the NFL. If the Ravens win this game, then they secure the top spot in the AFC, and that top seed comes with the first round by as well as home field advantage throughout the playoffs. So there's a

Okay, good to see everybody, Really appreciate you being here. We're dug in deep in our preparations for a very good Miami Dolphins team, a great football team, a challenge in so many ways all three phases. Very talented team, a very tough team, a very physical team, a very fast team, very well coached team, and they execute the highest level. So we've got the biggest challenge we've had so far this year, and we're excited about it and we're looking forward to the game.

Us into that, how much of a motivation the factors knowing that if you.

Win, you get the US, you plitch that number one seed.

Uh. Yeah, it's a it's an exciting situation to be and I think you get in this type time of the year. Uh, you play yourself into these kind of a games where we have an opportunity where the games mean so much. We're winning one game, Uh, brings such a big reward because of what you've done up until this point. That's a that's a that's a well earned that's an earned thing. And the Dolphins have earned the same thing. So it's that kind of a game.

High power offense last week, so we're getting see I think this week are the kineatically Does it help you play in them?

Or they different animals?

Uh?

You know, they're They're the same in some ways in different other ways. The passing game is is kind of a lot different in the way the structure and organize, the way the reads work, but the level is very similar and and a lot of the players are the same. I mean really across the NFL they are, but also within the system, there's a lot of similarities. I think the level of execution is very similar, the physicality is very similar, the timing is very similar.

Is there anything that.

You do in dractice is just similarly heightened.

Bill speed ding out of this leak at.

That entire offense.

Well, yeah, I mean we got fast guys and they run as fast as they can, So that's kind of how we do it.

John Kyle Hamilton, which names that opens.

The player of the week, specifically on the second interception when he's got.

Blocked that out.

But what do you watch him see when you watch that play again?

Yeah, well we just watched again this morning with the team. I noticed when he was down there, he kind of laid there for a minute, so you know, I don't know if he was playing possum or what. Maybe that was it. Maybe that's why I got the interception. But uh yeah, he came all out on a blitz. They high loaded him. Was a good call, got up and pursued.

That's kind of what I make of it.

I think the off the defense, he's playing at a really high level in terms of effort and and everybody's been running to the ball at really the highest level, and that's kind of how that happened.

He was this years today, Kyle focus any updates.

On his chances to play on Sunday, Yeah, you know, we're less than forty eight hours from the game, so we're just kind of working through all those kind of things right now, John, Uh.

The last time you played the Dolphins year that fourth quard, But it seems like since that point, I mean, this is this defense seem like.

A turning point for that defense. And we're gonna say, does that game.

Does that have any kind of ramifications for for this that you know, just because that was the last time you.

Played the Dolphins, right well, I mean schematically it's true, does you have to study it? I mean, they did some great things against us, uh in the passing game, made some huge plays as a massive comeback. Obviously, it was a tough pill to swallow for us, you know, and all credit to them for the way they executed and made those plays, and we learned a lot. We

Done were against Dons, Mark Gats adding not necessarily prefer the building provis public.

So far, Yeah, I've heard of no setbacks. I think he's on schedule as far as i've heard, maybe maybe a little head of schedule. I don't know really if that's accurate to say, but I've seen him in there working and he's in great spirits, and you know.

We're we're hopeful. You know.

Our our job is to get to that point. You know, that's what we have to do, is get to the point where we're still playing when he comes out, and it's gonna take everything when he comes back, and it's gonna take everything we've got.

Mike McDonald, I mean, obviously the way the defense played. His name is in a lot of places this week, is it. It's sort of fun to see the wider world recognize what you've recognized in him, you know, back when he was a you know, assistant.

Yeah.

Absolutely, I mean, I'm excited for all of our care. I think we have a great coaching staff. I said that many times. I'm really proud of the guys. I love the way they work, the way they work together. I think they're all very very good coaches, very smart, very dedicated coaches. Mike since you brought him up. Is doing great, Todd's doing great, Anthony Weaver does a great job.

Most of the guys the obviously they in their attack. He was talking about him and he's kind of like.

A lake nim in his career, was put be good like the bets back in the league.

No, Doug Cliff, you know, we had him here, we had him here. Unfortunately he got off the hook. You know, we let him get away, you know, let him off the hook. That was one of the great all time press conferences. Remember they let him off the hook. Danny Green Monday Night Football, Cardinals Bears. But we digress. But you know, I think I think their backs, and you talk about Raheem Moster, their backs are He's he's the belt the league guy. But they'd use all three guys

Given the communication and leadership aspect of the center position, you.

Know how they're gonna have to you.

Know, have to look forward the quarterback and make some calls at the line. How much do you look into when you're scouting centers, how much do you look into a player personality, leadership qualities and what has Tyler been like in that area when it comes to kind of being local and just as leadership.

All right, well, yeah, that's it's an interesting dilemma with centers because you know, a lot of times guys who play center in the NFL don't always play center in college. Tyler was one of the rare guys that played center in college. You knew he was going to be a center in the NFL. Probably because there's such good players in college they don't put them at center. You know, it's a different position in the NFL because it's it's

That was head coach John Harbaw. We also had a chance to hear from the quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is currently leading the way in the NFL's MVP conversation.

More so, when you get the number one seed, how much motivation would you think that it's this team right now?

A lot of motivation, But.

I believe we we was already motivated, you know, like I always say, you know we're chasing right now.

I I believe we are locked in.

How do you describe the confidence of this team and whether the victory on the road on Christmas can steps to just go? Does it elevate that confidence at all?

Nah, I don't believe our confidence. I can't tell you where we are right now. I say we're very confident, but I don't believe it elevated or like increased to our confident. You know, we just keeping a level head. No, I believe, we know we're capable of you. Just gotta keep showing the day and day out, just keep getting better each and every practice.

Uh.

Earlier in the in the off season, Jalen Ramsey said that I think you're the hardest player in the NFL to Just been just curious your take on that.

And when do you have any relationship with with Jalen?

Yeah, that's my god.

You know. Oh oh what we said, phutther like c cool. Somebody would say, hey, f for 'em, like that's my boy, you know, but mess with him.

That's my god.

Man, A great, a great corner feature, Hall of Fame cornerback. Nah, I's up that that's you. No respect Now, I respect his game as well. I appreciate that coming mom.

Something we talks about, uh all season.

That's there, being locked in and staying locked in.

That's just the boy.

You describe what.

That is to you and what that is is too many U continue in.

Back right post?

Yeah?

Uh lock then just just trying to get better each and every day, just taking taking practice as a game, you know, just everything we do we treated as a game. Uh, and then we get out get out on the field, try not to make no mistakes, even though it's kind of possible sometimes in the NFL game, but try to be mistake free.

And that's pretty much how we were showing. We're locked in.

Mistakes.

You had, you know early in the year, I think seven bumbles in the first five.

Weeks, but there's a button the last the last six uh one to your to your point about locked in fall security so forth, how did you how what have you done to sort of improve that in terms of whatever it is focused communication just literally uh awareness, whatever it's been, why has that been really very good?

A lot of shit coots s.

I can't call it just protecting the ball. I think I said that like a couple of weeks ago, Like our number one job on the office is to protect the ball. You know, we can't move on with drives without the football. You know, we can't score touchdowns without the ball in our possession. So the biggest thing for me was just protecting the ball. And I believe I've been doing a pretty good job better tomorrow.

Obviously made a lot of players over your whole life with your legs, but your ability to extend plays at at on a throw this year, do you do you feel more comfortable in the pocket kind of escaping pressure and throwing this year as supposed to previously, or how do you feel under pressure this year?

I'm I'm comfortable, but uh I I I coultique myself more than anybody else who would. So I pretty much go back and watch old games of games we lost, not the games won, and see like mistakes I I might've had, uh things I may not have seen during the game, and pretty much just get a feel for the game when I'm inute now. And that's just how I go go about things.

The more to what said today that I guess from the EXIGI, I will baman you know, out to him to talk about I don't know if it's a phone.

Called DM or whatever. Yeah, I d yeah, what do you like?

What do you are?

Why did you inspect him so much? And what what kind of.

Prompted you to do that towards a phenomenal player? I believe you know I seen him. I I think it was I don't know who. They were playing Georgia in a in a UH national championship game when I think they took one quarterback out and put him in. He threw the game win a touchdown. After that, I was like, bruh, he's like, he's amazing, you know. I just fell in love his game then, and like his poise in the

What if?

What if anything stands out in your mind from your game against him last year where you felt the big way and then gets away in the quarter.

That's it.

You had the big lead and it just went away. But that's pretty much what I took away from the game, was it?

Yeah? You know, so hopefully this shar would be UH a lot different.

When more the game, you were walking down to town on mentioning UH a critic who I remain nameless that you.

Address UH addressed him?

Uh?

How much of the outside noise did you guys actually look at or listen to UH in the locker?

Though I really I really don't pay attention to it. It was just it was the how how how he presented it. You know That's what made me like the ain't like you really feel this way? Like you know, we're a NFL team as well. You know we're not the high school team going against an NFL team, Like beat the dog out of 'em. I'm like, damn Like so I just felt somewhere about that. Not n not a taking anything away from him. You know, he's just

That's all.

You're used to operating off script and done it throughout your career. What what's been the difference this year when you think back to parly part of the season versus now in terms of the comfort level of communication and so cool.

Cause you guys that have, uh, just our our chemistry just building. Uh just been in the system a lot more, making me a lot comfortable seeing different defenses, Uh, making our job a lot easier.

That's right.

You see any similarities between the defensive base every day you back every day packteer life with uh.

The thing you know in the Dolphins difference, uh defensive line is phenomenal. Obviously for the Dolphins secondary's phenomenal as well linebackers.

Yeah, I see similarities, you know.

And then even though I'm not playing against the offense, but their offense is explosive, you know.

So yeah, I said, definitely see similarities.

Well, more like you've established where you stand on the NVDA. You're honor, but you're you're can you your your.

Eyes are bigger things.

But do you find the weekly obsession with it and this guy's in the lead, and this guy's the favorite, and this guy fell out of the right you find it to be a little ridiculous.

I mean, people, you know, they gotta do their job, you know, they gotta have something to talk about on the on the talk shows.

So I really don't know what to call it.

I'm just focusing on trying to win, So I really don't pay much, too pretty much attention to it.

That Well, one of your defense you know, they're they're the brash, the confident. You know, they carry themselves with with the swagger. How does that kind of translate to the rest of the team when they operate with that level of uh in the bravado?

Yeah, cause they talk trash all day to us, you know, even when we going against each other. In practice, so we pretty much feel how those guys feel on offense for the opposing team sometimes, you know, so we get it with for that, and we was like, yeah, we gotta talk trash back. You know, we gotta start beating them at the bunch, you know, beating them at their own game.

So our defense is phenomenal, you know.

Uh, but I like I like the confidence and our our defense, you know it that it definitely give us a confidence, you know, to go out there and make plays and stuff like that happen. Especially if we have a big play against them, it's like, oh yeah, we can do this weekend and week out. Uh but keeping the levelhead is the most important thing for us right now, you know, uh cause now it's the narrative is changing.

You know. It was just you know, this team is the Ravers. We don't know about the Rayvens now. It's old.

They're a no more team. So we not we not playing no mind in that and to that, you know, I feel like that's bait. You know, that's clip bait. And like I said, we tryna make it the February, So we gonna take take it a game at a time or after the game, you.

Said, do you feel like this team performs its best when it's under pressure, when the stakes are high? What is it about this team? Why do you feel like it does that?

Because I believe we're around a guy, a bunch of guys who who's been doubted, a a bunch of guys who got things to prove on our team on both sides of the ball. So so I believe in any time where where the underdogs, we gonna always rose rose to the occasion.

But we gotta stay locked in to do that.

You yourself, it's one of those guys.

To myself, absolutely, absolutely.

And what about when you're not the underdogs?

You know this week you know you have best record in the underdogs?

Do you feel that way because we do underdogs?

That was quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will hit the field on Sunday at one o'clock against the Dolphins. If you want to be there in the house, you can check out Sea Geek and I'll tell you this is a hot ticket like you would expect. If you want more of a breakdown on this game, head over to the Lounge podcast feed. We break it all down for you over there. Make sure you'll leave a rating in a review, we'll hit that subscribe button as well.