John Harbaugh & Players: Ravens Practice 9/20 Press Conferences

Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass podcast. It is Wednesday, September twentieth. Today we had a chance to hear from head coach John Harriball as the Ravens prepare for this week's game coming up against the Colts.

Great day for football. Really really enjoyed being out there with the guys. Guys work super hard. It was good, good, good, tough, fundamental football practice. Getting ready for the Colts. We have great respect for how hard they play, how young they are, new staff, a lot to get ready for. So what questions you have?

Something he's about our daias, Just update us on what the injury is, what the status and.

Yeah, the injury is upper body muscle. Deal Will he's being evaluated. I'd say this week just to see whether what the term.

Of that might be.

It'll be it'll be multiple weeks and we'll see where it goes.

You probe have a.

Lot of emotional big daies before after those games. Do you ever have a feeling where do you have you ever knew or playing from right now, Will addressed the team to maybe a void of that quote on post letdowel after all or win like that.

Yeah, I'd never used that word. I'm not even sure how to applies really in that sense, but we uh we we I think we have a mutual understanding right now, kind of a vision for how we want to approach wins and losses and everything else in between. You know, we talk about that. It's not just all of a sudden we've got to come up and say, hey, we want a game now. Now what you know, this is something that we were here together every day, you know,

One thing, it's doing the project to pay the taxi Thompson, is there any.

Planers what kind of.

Well, I mean, there's some familiarity, but it's really more about, uh how similar they are. Maybe the teams you've played in the past, they actually have some similarities to Houston defensively, Uh, the kind of the same family tree defensively, scheme wise. So uh, that's something that we you know, we we can we can use to our advantage in some respect. And there's it's kind of how it works around the league.

Familiarity obviously Kennon drink back in the building, what was behind that decision? And secondly, is there any injury issue or concernative maybe justice up.

Yeah, I'm just gonna leave all up to the injury report. It's not any to our advantage to talk about any of that stuff right now. So we're happy to have Kenyan back, excited about him right now and everything plays out the way he plays out.

What is he praying for? They don't other familiarity?

Oh yeah, I mean you know, he's talented. I mean you've seen him. He had he was he was in camp in pre season.

There.

Uh, he's fast. You know, he's an athletic guy, catches balls out of the backfield. Probably a real good fit in this offense. You know, it's funny. I was watching the Bengals tape last week again from last year as we were kind of preparing, and he was on the tape and he had had good games in those two games he played, and I was saying, man, can you drink really look good in those games? You know, It's kind of like that, And then next thing, you know,

So you guys haven't allowed his first down in the first quarter yet.

No encourage are you about the pepa starts?

The defense has gotten out.

Yeah, very encouraged, Very encouraged by the fast starts. That's that's that's something we work on every day. We have a fast start period in practice every day. We want it to be good. I feel like the guys are just locked in. But you know, you know, every every every game is different. Sometimes you start, sometimes you finish. I think we're trying and you know, just to take it one series at a time and do the best we can.

John, with guys like Ricari and you know Stone who for multiple years in a row don't come in as starters, but then when you have to call on them, they play like starters. Do you see a common trait between those guys who are able to do that or.

That's a great question, childs. I mean, I guess you can talk in terms of, you know, professionalism and tension to detail and character and intelligence and toughness and all those kind of things probably are the traits for guys to be able to do that. Guys who are ready because they get ready every day. It's not like all of a sudden, all I gotta get ready to start now. You know they've been They've been considering themselves a starter every day in practice from day one and preparing as such.

John, the entertainment sort of league question, and as a Thumber special teams coach, do you see that play for Patriots ram to block the kid with the sort of sideways going to see the shirt and and have you ever seen a play like that if you think that could.

Be something that they take out.

I haven't seen that.

I thought it was a really great play, really really well executed.

Uh.

They were able to time up the uh the snap operation perfectly.

Well.

Uh, it doesn't need to be ruled out because all you have to do is change the temple of your snapcount. So it's more of a surprise play. I think now people that you know for that to if that's something they think a team might do against them, then they'll just kind of change up the timing of the snap count. But what a good idea that was, nig got it. It was a great, great play, very I thought it was brilliant in their their run backers. Yeah, that's the

Jock's challenges are preparing it for two quarterbacks in the game. The Prince style was whether Gardner or Andrew or coach and.

You right now it was, Yeah, it's definitely Pete. Something that we've got to take into account. I mean, there they run the same offense, but they run it differently, you know, and they there's you know, one might lean toward one area, another might lean toward another area more and you've got to play to the strengths to the quarterback. So you've got to defend to the strengths to the quarterback. And we've got to defend to the strengths of both of those guys right now at this point in time.

John Muster first stepped in and played a really good game, you worrily.

You're relying on him.

It's a kind of testament while these guys stepping up just how we you know, much emphasis you wrout on kind of the back roster building and finding different ways to acquire players.

Yeah, uh, it is. I mean obviously, our our I think our scouting department, personnel apartment is the best in the league. You know, from Eric and Ozzy and and all the guys over there, they're just tremendous. Joe, Vince, George, just a bunch of guys that do a great job all the way on through the Gold group. So that's one thing, and the other thing, you know, we you know, try to coach guys. I mean, there's the development aspect of everything. That's what I think everybody does, does their

You do it two more back when you had one.

I think I can count of the eight guys.

Time of being able to back.

Does that when they there you have to change the practice at all. That's a good chunk. That's a great question.

And uh no you really don't.

Because they banded the practice squads, you know, so that's allowed us to maintain a good practice. So that was a good move the NFL made in.

Terms of guys got a good meet Patrick. There's another one of those last week, so I would wind all over the field this year. He had a great season last year obviously. What do you think it's been the difference specifically from getting the last.

Year to the season.

Right? Good question.

I just feel like he's just picked up where he left off and continue to grow. You know, he's he's got a growth mindset every day. He he doesn't he doesn't let anything slow him down. There's no drag in his in the way he operates ever, and uh it shows up in the way he plays.

I'm just proud of him.

I love I love everything about him, and you know he's he's I think he's established himself as one of the top one of the top linebackers in football for sure, you know, and that's kind of exciting.

That was Heay coach John Harball quarterback Lamar Jackson also met with the media today.

W Are you've seen the.

Big out of all sports when sometimes when the team has a big emotions any against the divisional opponent, this, that and the other, sometimes the next game doesn't you know, goes look back, you know, kind of they cause quote.

Unquote the letdown all over.

Do you play to talk to the team How do you avoid having that kind of scenario play out?

Uh? I, I believe it's just self explandatory. What you know.

The guys in our locker room, Uh, they pretty much know it's it's a business. Any time we're out there on nfield and we don't take any appointed light. You know, this is the NFL and every team's good. It's any given Sunday.

Last time you played the Colts, it was one of the big games your career in a really in franchise history. Do you think that as you're getting you look and see film of those guys, which does that bring you back to that night at all.

Uh nah, that night pretty much was that night. You know, whatever happened at night is with that night. But you know, don't focus on what's gonna happen Sunday, you know, and just tryna come out with a victory.

Mar There was so much exciting in the off season, the Dell signing and Ze being drafted, you you signing your extension. Do you feel like in all that, the the the Agawar signing maybe flew under the radar a little bit.

Well, I'd like to keep it under the radar. You know, he had a pretty good game. I don't want any hype going you know, going his way. You know, just keep it under the radar, like you said, and keep doing what he's doing.

But he's I mean, he's seems like he's just been terrific pretty much from the day he showed up right.

Absolutely he has. You know, we been connecting here on the field in camp. Uh this, I I say, pretty much the whole all season and it showed you know this past Sunday.

Why and he said, said called himself a accommodation of your one of you and camp on you.

Yeah.

Yeah, Well what's it?

What's it like to hear guys from hearing themselves.

To you And did you see him at all in college?

Where your thoughts ad you want me to be honest? Right?

That made me feel old and I'm only twenty six. Like comparing me himself at camp, it was like, I'm like, dang, compare yourself to me and I'm still you know, young, but you know I appreciate stuff like that.

Uh.

And I I did see him a couple time of college. He played phenomenal and as his first two games he has to.

MA, you s describe the connection you've had, you say so far? Like you he mentioned that deep ball that you guys had the other day that he came back to you told y, you know, I I got you. You can trust me that you know we got to play and you just maybe ex expand on what that relationship in terms of communication has been.

Like with me too.

Uh.

I believe he's been building very well since he said, you know, our chemistry with like sixty percent uh something like that. Uh I, I wonder what it is right now? You know he's been catching the ball, phenomenal, making gods miss, running great routes and just doing what they do.

No, we just need to keep it that way.

No, not to compare in to to other worldies you've played with, and but what is he how does he stand out?

Uh?

In in that way for a walk and he's his own man. You know, he's going out there, he's willing to learn. He wanna be the best. You know, each and every player he's out there. You know, it's they's just a household name. He's building for himself right now. He just need to just keep staying away, keep staying locked down and focus.

Lamar De offense look a lot more in rhythm this past Sunday, despite missing a lot of key guys on that side of the ball.

What what did you notice?

What's kind of the difference between Week one and two?

Just being week two?

Uh?

You know our second game. I'm just playing with playing, you know, alongside each other. Uh, and just build a chemistry, you know within the game.

That's all.

Mary.

You have the second highest sciation from sent into the NFL right now in the first two games. Just what things do you attribute that to you?

Why do you feel like you're completing seventy classes?

Uh?

Uh f just building chemistry. I guess that's that's the biggest thing.

You know, just getting the ball out my hand, getting into my throwing into my guys, my god's catching the ball, getting yards and protecting me from you know, bad players or anything like that. And I'm tryna protect him as well. So we just doing what we should do. And that's why the percentage that are.

I was like to have one pressure in the game to take you look back and Washington like to be to have that kind of a building in the pocket and be able to stand there and go ahead and make it reads making decision. How much easier was that for you to then operate the offenses?

Uh? Terrific.

That's any quarterback dream. Hopefully we just keep it going throughout the whole season.

I think you got any uh go to building kind of street.

Uh work with the News center and Stammus.

For what's it been like working with him in the kind of extreme what's the impressive useful about the House of News games?

Uh?

Sam played l lights out?

Uh just d uh, I don't know, well the difference between him and Colledge the name, uh say, you know, Uh, but he's played great, you know, Uh just stepping in last second, you know, just a week prior.

Uh, we just had our starting.

Center and we really didn't have no chemistry throughout camp or anything like that. But for him to step in and no, uh, you know, protections, knowing when to flip certain things, f certain protections. It was wonderful.

Why I think you're second half this s you know branded Telly two games or do you think you've completed ninety percent of your passes and in the second half of the two games so far? What what do you attribute that to? Is it adjustments and things you're seeing as the game progresses. Is it just a progression of the your comfort in the offense.

Uh say, a little bit of everything, and just being comfortable being in the pocket. Uh Like I said earlier, just getting the ball, getting the ball out, just throwing it to my guys and let him do the rest.

Or you were among the NFL players when when Nick cub went down, you you tweeted out your prayers for ends know where where you where you watching? What are you watching that?

And what what kind of inspired you to to send out that to beople?

Yeah?

No, actually I seen it on social media, like I've seen it on social media. I was just getting on Twitter. I guess, well it was Twitter and when I seen the hit, it was like a horrific hit, like no one like seeing, you know, that type of injury from any guy you know, And just prayers to him cause he's a wonderful player, you know on that field.

When when McCarry steps in for Ronnie protecting your blindside, is it? Is it just total trust at this point? I after after all the Yr's team.

Oh absolutely.

Uh Pat has been great at center, uh, you know, guard for us, and he just showed it this past Sunday that tackle as well.

You know, he's a guy that can do it all. I'll say that one more was Lamar.

You know, obviously everything this office hasn't worked out for for you with the Ravens, but there was a point a time where people were wondering if a team like the Colts might you know, aggressively make a move for you. Is there knowing the kind of quarterback that you are, have you ever surprised anything back on teams, you know,

I'm grateful for being here.

You know, we got our we got our uh contract situations situated, and I'm focused on, you know, doing what's best for us tryna win.

I don't really care about other teams.

That was quarterback Lamar Jackson. You're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. Well, I'm backer Patrick Quay and he's having a great start to the season. To talk with the media today about what he's seen and done to the first two games of this year.

Patrick John mentioned that when we were talking to him about the idea of playing this week after a big minut on the road last week, and you think you were one of the people were talking to Shain exactly one said, what's the what's the tone of the team? They're trying to go away what we like to call let down.

In your role in you doing that, I think, Uh, anytime you want to accomplish your goal as a team, you can't get complacent. And that was just really the message, just uh, be your biggest critic. UH, don't get complacent. Uh the things that you're good at, be great at the things that you need to work on and prove on, and just you know, strif excellence.

That's deliberate, that kind of message to me that leader.

Is that something that you done previously?

Is that kind of knew this year?

And how would you just got to your.

Role if as something unt I think, uh, just being more vocal and just you know, living by what I preach. I think that's the biggest thing is is bringing it every day, doing my job to the best of my ability, and trying to bring my teammates with me.

Wait, Mike has figured out ways as we as you and grow conics inside linebackers just more creatively or differently than other teams in the NFL. It's what you feel comparatively to other guys in the position, more empowered.

Yeah, I think, Uh, Mike, you try to do a little bit of both. He tries to be creative but at the same time be a little traditional at the same time. And uh, I think that's the perfect mix for us. Uh, just letting us go out there and play ball. So whatever might call, we gonna roll with and got the two best linebackers in the league, so we gonna we gonna make plays and just make everybody look good, make ourselves look good.

You feel like if you guys.

Are changing the perception of what a premier position is why you and rokand are playing it inside.

I think anytime you want a good defense, you gotta have good linebackers. Yeah, you know, that's what we got here, and that's where we uh tryna showcases us being the best linebackers and showing that a defense Rob was a l around the linebacker. And I think that's just come with being the type of person you wanna be in trying to be great. Like I said, l the message I said uh earlier, don't just don't be complacent, you know, stride for greatness and just keep improving.

I think there you're obviously.

A little bit biased, But why do you feel like that a great defense is built around with the signline that?

Uh? I think if you can't stop the run, you can't stop the pass in the middle of the field. Uh. And you ain't got those guys that can fly around and just you know, strike a little fearing people heardest then it's you know, kind of rough to stop people. So I feel like that's what we bring to the defense.

What does lines?

What what strides have you made?

Uh?

Particular unity it takes like the pass covering shop.

I think Uh, the biggest thing is just understanding route concepts uh and being patient and just knowing my skill set and using my skill set, and uh, it's just all around improvement of everything. Honestly, Uh, I couldn't say one particular thing. Is just every single thing about my game, I think uh I improved on and trying to continue to improve on.

Is it that more uh, recognition or communications?

Both or definitely both? I think, uh, without communication, you can't recognize what's coming, So I think it's definitely both.

So did you guys similarly responsibility?

You shouldn't that extracuse hope, Really.

That's a kid.

Yeah, it was kind of the same, but kind of different at the same time. I think college you have uh less responsibilities, and what less responsibilities is less communication? So uh, I think it's just you know, you go to another level, a higher level, higher execution, higher communication, higher responsibilities that come with that.

What do you think is the biggest key of the the fast starts you guys have had Defensively, they've given a lot of first down.

Give them first of all.

Uh, I think we're just starting fast, we're communicating, we're playing fast, trusting each other and just playing football. Uh. I think that's what we'd come out here and do everyday practice. We did it all throughout camp. Uh. All the guys that are on the same page, we're all uh got gret chemistry right now. Just everybody loves each other. Everybody playing for each other right now, Gotrick. Uh.

Gino Stone is kind of one of your neighbors in the in the in the locker room. Imbies the way he's able to come in. You know, for Marcus the last few years, it just seemed totally prepared from the minute he has to take the job. Do you is that something you kind of admire?

Yeah?

Uh, Gino's aballer, you know, always been like that, Uh since the day he came in. And uh, let's see him get opportunity and taking full advantage of and making plays.

Uh.

Just it's heartwarming. Uh. I think Gino just works so hard and just he wants to be so great and you gets you can tell how he pre uh prepares special teams when it comes on defense. Uh, and just every day in practice.

I think what uh, what do you see as the.

Greatest challenges for this week?

About this space? Uh think the greatest challenge is just being able to communicate fast. Uh. I know, they go up temple a little bit, and the focus point for us is just being able to communicate when things going fast. You uh tend to see us, you know, have a little trouble here and there with that, and uh, that's been all throughout camps. So we're just still polishing that stuff up, still getting better at there, and still trying to you know, execute those things.

Try go through a.

Stretch where there's a c some seals like injuries keep blowing.

Out every week.

As a player, do you kind of put blinders on or is it something that you do as as a team kind of recognize.

That, you know, you have to have a lot of guys stepping out here.

Uh.

I think that's throughout life playing the sport. Uh.

Uh.

People always get hurting. It's unfortunate, but at the end of the day, you can't let the body. We got a job to do.

Uh.

We all got a job to do. We all got goals that we wanna reach, and if any of us flinch or anything, then uh, we can't reach those goals. So I think the best thing for us is just to stay focused on the tasking hand Patrick, I know.

M a roquon, where's the dot? But there looks to be a lot of pre snap communication in the middle of the field. Is there sc shared pre snap duties? All those just regular communications you know that we would see on a play to play basis.

Yeah. So uh, basically with Roe having a green die, he gets the call, he echoes the call, We all echo the call to each other, and then it's communications after that. What's the formation, what what are we expecting, what's our job responsibilities, what's the checks? Uh, It's just

Yeah. Uh.

Just being more vocal. Uh every day he comes in with a grayda too and always talking. And I think that's the biggest thing for me, just being a shot person, not talking as much and just letting people be. But I think, uh, you get to know people better uh and more, and you know, it brightes the mood, it braks in everybody moved when you talk a lot. So I think that's the biggest thing I learned from real.

That was linebacker Patrick Queen, and last, but not least, we also talked with rookie wide receivers Dave flowers Man. He's made an incredible impact through the first two games of his NFL career, and he talked about that today.

Hey, it looks like you're having met as much fun as a mookie you can have after playing. Is it been what you thought really beat into a couple of weeks before you or half?

Absolutely?

I got vets on around me, I got Lamar, got Mark, I got everybody around.

Me making me comfortable.

So it's making my job easier to execute and be as detailed as possible.

Zay.

I know it's only been two games, but you how comfortable are you feeling when we're hearing that you know you're seeing things early and you're telling Lamar that that type of luck will be the later. How comfortable are you with the things you're seeing and also your assignments based off of what you're looking at?

Uh, I'm super comfortable. Super comfortable because coach Lewis and coach Dog they do a great job of when we're in the me and room making sure everything detailed, and when we on the field me and Lamar see a look, or anybody at receiver see a look, we go back and tell him and he'll come back and hit you on it. If it's if you see the same look at that time in South Florida with Lamar, And do you think that's contributed to the early chemistry you.

All are developing?

Uh?

Yeah, I think it did it cause it was me, Oh and Nelly out there and we knew we was gonna be three receivers that was gonna be playing a lot, and we had to get out there get some work together, and we knew we had to do it fast cause if we wanted to have the season we want to have, we had to do it.

Speaking to know you, you you probably have the best for you in the house, so don't have to touch on catch. And you seem to really enjoy that. What what what did you particularly enjoy about that plays?

Uh?

I just enjoy it like seeing our god school. I just enjoy anybody on the field making a play, even if it's defense. You'll probably see me jumping around on the side line Like after Gino play, I was jumping around, running around. So I'm just excited for all my gush quarterbackers.

Uh.

He he just said he locked me up, and I was like, look, touchdown. That's basically what I said. Yeah, say what what's the next labor communications with the mark?

What's the main sense of badue? You maybe tell him about the the post.

That you were a fourth earlier and then he came back to you for that that long play.

Yeah, we both knew, like we seen Lamar seen it lay a little later and I got open and by the time I turned, he was already off it. But he seen me down the field and he was just like, calm down, come down, I'm gonna come.

Back to you. Did you know that?

Oh yeah, I had to feel like it was gonna be caught again.

And I mean one he.

Made a lot of plays in space short first to that. I mean you could have had three long balls you to kind of show your deep play potential. What do you think that opens up to the.

Rest of years.

I I just feel like it was just it opened everything up for me. Cause if you feel like I'm a run a long, I can stop. I can stop at any any route and come back. So it to make the defenders harder.

The gardment to get to this point Obviously you gotta be supremely confident in your ability, but to translate that confidence into you know, the numbers you've put up through only two weeks, But do you feel some sort of like not validation, but you know comfort that, Okay, you got to this point and you're making it happen already.

I'll say I get I feel more comfortable each week, just with the game plan and the speed of the game, and just getting smarter each week, and just being out there with vet guys. Like I said, they teaching me. Nellie Hall teach me something about like because he'll master I run there like option routes and over routes, so he'll teach me something about that. Odell teach me something about the deep ball. So I'm just taking it all in and just trying to use it.

It's still early, But what do you make of some of the looks you've been given, especially compared to what you're saying maybe your last year of Boston College. Now you're here and there you know other guys that defense step the focus home.

What what are you seeing and the way teams are trying to guard you right now?

I would say you got a lot to worry about. Honestly, you gotta worry about Mark, you gotta worry about the run game. You all worry about Lamar and then all the other receivers. So I I won't. I don't even know how to tell you. I just I'm just going out there and playing my game. Honestly, you can just.

Driving how much fun you're having played in the games. It just seems like you're laughing all the time and having fun.

Nah.

It's it's easy to have fun when you got guys like that around you, and everybody can make plays. So that just makes me make like make me enjoy the game a little bit more.

What is it about the game that? But it's just certain fun for you.

I don't know.

I just get excited to play, make plays, see somebody else making plays, and I just wanna win.

sEH.

You talked about your comfort in the offense with Lamar's curious. What what's it like catching passes for him?

From just like a a pure.

Technical standpoint, I said, Lamar got every throwing motion like he could give it to you side on, you give it to you straight down the field, and he could put it anywhere you need it, So just catch it from him. That's gonna be on you fast too, so it's gonna be right of your face, so you gotta be ready.

I think he's got the second highest completion percentage right now in the NFL. You're recipient of a lot of those passes. How would you describe I guess the chemistry guys built in that regard in terms of route running and timing.

And catching a lot.

Like I said, like a lot of it was built over the summer. Were just running through the route tree, trying to get everything on time and just trying to build chemistry and trying to do what we're doing out on the field right now.

That was rookie wide receiver Za Flowers. You're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. Also head over to Lounge podcast Feed. This week, we have an interview with John Simpson that's coming up a little bit later this week. He talks about the wild week that he's had, which in clear dudes, welcoming his first child into the world