John Harbaugh & Players: Ravens Practice 9/27 Press Conferences

Welcoming too. Ravens press pass. Today, we'll hear from quarterback Lamar Jackson, linebacker Roquan Smith, defensive tackle Michael Pierce, and head coach John Harball. Let's start with number Eight's like going.

Against uh a guy like Miles here.

He's a great, great pass rusher, great defender. I'm in san him around since college, since my freshmany of college, so I'm used to playing against him. I say, you're a great, go, great defender, all around defense and nonm You watched.

The squad one defense when the table was hard to find a lot of weaknesses.

Well, uh h, I mean, I I believe every defense gone have is his strength and weaknesses. But for right now, those guys are flying around all offenses of the defense, fly flying around to the ball, playing great defense.

God yeah, no, Wan, how much you more difficult as the lady They moved Miles around the spots.

I mean, I'm not the line, so I don't really think it'll be difficult for me. You know, I'm not the one blocking 'em. Uh be just having to, you know, read the defense and dish the ball out.

Guess it, Mar when you have to the tape.

And just pass the week when you're the biggest takeaway from it in terms of things you guys needed to clean up.

I'm going into the credible.

Uh.

Like I said, we we had plenty of opportunities to win that game. F we was driving the ball down the field and we have hic uh mishaps.

Uh.

F got to just catch the ball, throw the ball and do what we do best, you know, and put points on the board.

And going to Cleveland do the same thing but better. Mar It looked like.

A couple of times someday there were times where you may have expected guys to do something different.

Or vice versa. Are is are are y?

Do you feel like you guys were still in that phase where you're still trying to get on the same page.

Uh.

Absolutely. You know it's September.

You know, one of our guys just got the week, you know, not not even a month.

He hasn't been around.

Uh.

And then we just tryna we just tryna figure each other out right now, you know, Uh, we didn't really play preseason, so we just tryna figure it out. You know, we just had one great game against Cincinnati piggyback, you know, go to Colt. Well, we played the coats and we just had a little missouts and that happens, you know every game. Not perfect, but hope we clean it up Cleveland. I feel like this guy's limit foods. Like I always say, well when.

You get out all the practice field today and you got uh Ryce Dalley and how when we went back out there Marcus Williams, how does that you know, you get kind of arkie players like that and back up at least on the practice field, and how does that lift the spirits of team in the class?

Yeah?

Uh uh what is our raiser?

You know?

Uh, it's just our our guys back out there on the field, and we were looking forward to it.

You know, McCary and Sam did a great job you know when those guys was out.

But hopefully back up this week and we just hit the grand running like we always do.

Well are you and.

Deshaun Watson also go back to college.

You had some battles back then.

What have you seen from him this year and his offense?

And to be honest, I haven't been watching those guys, but like you say, you know, we been going back and forth since twenty sixteen that shoot.

Out in uh Death Valley.

But yeah, I haven't been watching those guys this season, but they they playing pretty good at what I've heard.

You know what, Martin, is there any is there any like characteristics of the Browns defense that makes them particularly formidable?

Uh?

I'll say there their corners and uh, well the all around defense, the corner safety and uh the defensive line. Like I said, those guys have been flying around on tape.

Yeah, you know, good love Marno.

You guys are focused on your own team.

But at when a when the NFL team scores seventeen in the in the game, and what what comes to mind? And what do you think about? Does it think of make you think about where offenses are going? Does it make you think of a bar that you you kind of want this offense to get to?

What do you what do you think about? Mon Uh?

To be honest, no, I believe our offense can do the same thing. We just have to dial in, you know, stay locked in within the game and put points on the board. Because, like I said, I feel like we stopped ourselves against the Coats, turn us the mishaps.

We wasn't putting points on the ball, but I believe we could.

Said heard last Sunday, that.

You know, the turnovers fumbles were not winning football, way up to play winning. Is there anything important to in common with the fumbles that had so far this year?

Oh, they was in a pocket. Most of them been in the pocket.

You know.

I had that one against Texas when I was making it, trying to make a god miss.

But most of them been in the pocket. I'm trying to throw the ball.

You know, the ball is loose like me throwing it, and it's been hit, you know, but you gotta do a better job at that.

You know it it affects the game. It affects the game.

Omark earlier this season, you guys will make trips in since of Cleveland Pittsburgh. At this point in your career, have you adopted sort of an attitude about going into these hostile places you already motivated by it.

Is there anything that.

You take that makes your game another level when you're on the.

Throat of I go in to you know, those games playing like any other game, but it's different because they're in the division. So it's like, like you said, it's a little extra motivation. I say, you know, it's like a rival. It's like a rival, and it's it's physical games, very physical.

So you hear the crowd, do you hear things they say anything?

Fantastic crowd. I'm trying to win. Trying to win. I already don't care.

Next up we'll hear from Roquan Smith.

Uh, the Browns offense.

What do you see?

What it's gonna be the challenge this week?

Oh yeah, you know, obviously they're down arguably like their best player and a lot of respect for him, God played with in college and whatnot, so definitely thinking about him. But despite that, knowing that they're gonna come out try to do they have to do to get the job done. And I think, you know, Watson at the Ham, they're still gonna try to run the ball. I think that's a you know, hats off to their head coach, and I think that's something that he wants to do.

Run the ball.

So that's our main priority, stopping the run.

And and I think they're gonna try to get the ball to number two Cooper and then put eight in some a lot of situations as well, and then obviously our tight ends come alive. So I don't think it'll be anything different minus like Chubb. But I still think they're gonna try to run the ball.

When you prepare for a guy like Watson who maybe struggled a little bit when he first took over the job in Cleveland, do you still go in assuming the guy that you saw back in twenty nineteen and twenty twenty, then he's fully capable of being that guy.

Yeah.

Absolutely, Anything a man done once, I'm sure they can out.

The likelihood that they can do it again is very possible.

So got a lot of respect for the guy playing a position, one of the toughest position in the league to play, in my opinion. So I think it was just gonna We're gonna have to just come out, do we have to do and whatever it takes to get the job done, and if we do that, feel like we'll be in good standings.

You're obviously if you're going up against their offense, and is there any part of you and you going up against the team that's really good defense like that we want Right now, it's kind of assessing pride there in the facing the team that you guys suppose.

Have a really won't answer.

I think what this is Week four. You're not defined off being the best defense in the league through week four period, I think, yeah, it's a seventeen game season, so it's what you're gonna do late in the season. But hats off of those guys. I haven't watched them, so not really sure. I know they got some good players over there and whatnot, but I haven't really watched them,

Is that more broadly true for you that there's really not a lot of value to you and paying attention to what other defenses are doing.

I'm trying to see, like what I can actually gain from watching them, Like, I don't think personally I can gain anything from watching their defense and from what I hear just based off in a team like they play a completely different style of defense, you know, But hats off of those guys for what they've done thus far in this season. I look forward to Sunday and I think, you know, we do what we have to do, play our style offensively and defensively, then we'll we'll come out victorious.

Broke, you've been with the.

Ravens long enough now to have ventured into each of these AFC North cities. How would you describe Cleveland in particular or the division in general when you go in there as the enemy, the intensity and whatnot.

Yeah, you go in there as the enemy to go take over. And that's our plan to actually go take over. I think they call it the dog Pound. I consider myself a dog. So I'm right at home and I play, so I'm excited to get back in there. And I know they are physical football team, but so are we.

Or quite along those lines. How much do you embrace this four week stretch where you have three road games in the division. It's a challenge, but also knowing if you fare the way you guys want to, you know what that could mean for you guys in the big picture of division and you know, everything down the road.

Honestly, I love it, you know, I love a challenge, you know, at the end of the day, you know, I love looking face and looking something square in the face and saying bringing it on, bring it on, whatever it is, you know, chin up, chest out. You know, I live by that sunce that's no regrets. So I'm looking forward to it and I can't wait.

We're gonna go back to.

Playing and trying to get the villain role.

You know, on the road.

It seems like that's something to eat you yell.

Shane Chill subtles youre always ark Byer like he's a bad guy in for the stadis is that villain lay or something that that you kind of race on these road out of years?

I definitely, uh, you know, think about that.

But at the end of the day, you're considered the bad guy because you're going into essentially another man's house and you're trying to take over, like his wife, kids, everyone there to watch them. So you were going over to beat their tails in front of their wife and kids. So when you think about it from that perspective, like

Is that how you approach playing connect?

For I'm a competitor, fearce competitor, so I approach it trying to win each and every UH game. I'm sure you can ask UH some of your peers coworkers, how good I am?

You know, real fun?

How'd you like the front office been able to add Kyle van nuyd practice squad right now, but knowing how much he's played in the league and played at a high level.

Yeah, man, I gotta have a lot of respect for uh kV uh and the way he even came in today and the way he UH been approaching things UH since I first met him, and UH just his leadership as well as just like how smart the guy is, Like how quickly he pick up on things like already

How great is when you get guys back in practice field for the hurt Markus Williams trying standard tyle quantity. I'm just kind of produced and see these guys back out there.

Yeah, it's always good.

You know, see somebody that maybe went down with something and just back out on the practice feel you know, you always love to have your brothers back out there in the line of duty. And it don't get any better than that when you just have good players that return. But you know, whoever is out there, I know we're going to be prepared through and through and whoever's out there is going to give everything they got and uh to the whistle, to the whistle blows, We're going one hundred miles an hour.

And now it's defensive tackle Michael Pierce.

Like a few weeks into the season, how you're feeling, how's your body, how's everything going on?

I feel good, man, Not the best since we lost last week, but uh feel pretty good. Like I said, we just got to keep guys healthy. And uh, just keep rolling.

Michael, you said you gotta keep guys healthy. I mean, you've you've been through a lot of different kinds of season. I mean, when you have all these injuries in the first few weeks in the season, do you have to fight to sort of stay positive at all or I mean, guys just used to dealing without it.

At this point. I think you get used to it.

I think it kind of can be shocking for like younger guys, like rookies. But they said, once you've been you know, I would say probably two to three years in the league, you just kind of get used to it. But exp people's roles change, and that's kind of way you see guys step up and or fall off. So you know, t Robin has done an amazing job, especially on our d line, just stepping up when he's needed. So uh yeah, it's just kind of like a call to action. And like I said, the games don't change, but.

The people do. So it's kind of how you deal with it taking ad injuries.

I mean, obviously they just lost Nick Chubb recently, but you know, how challenging is it going up against that Cleveland running game that we know it's been really productive for a few years.

Yeah, I mean Kareem hunt is a is a main state for them. He's been there with three or four years, so he's familiar. He played last week. Their offensive line is really really good on the tops in the league. So it's a it's a difficult game, but I think we had the men that's built for the job, me and myself, Travis herb Ardy Beaks obviously. So it's gonna be on us to establish a line of scrimmage and kind of make them at least stud of their feat and go backside to go where the runs on playing

Last week, Oh yeah, he was more accurate.

I'm not the most uh, I probably would say I'm probably the least guy to pay attention to the quarterback as far as like throws down the field. But now he was definitely more accurate and uh more precise with the ball. They had some miscues, but now he I would say he's always been elusive. He did make a lot of guys miss a lot of sacks, which we've

But now he does.

He does a great job making guys miss and looking for those second plays and uh, getting the ball downfield at the initial Playbakers.

Now, like when you're.

Going up against the team that has the number one defense, does that kind of invigorate you and and your fellow defenders to try and outclass them, out inform them more so than just traditionally playing.

Against another time.

So I would say we strive to be the number one defense. Uh, we aren't there at at the moment, but definitely. But this is like Cleveland Browns with Baltimore Ravens. It's always been a big hit, take a punch, throw a punch kind of game. So nah, we definitely are aware that they're number one, and like I said, they have an amazing front. Obviously we know z and all those guys, so play with Dalvin, So now we definitely

Michael, you've been through these AFC North road games before. Is there anything about Cleveland that is different from going to Pittsburgh or Cincinnati? Is there anything you mentioned hard hitting games? Does anything stick out about when you play there?

I would just say from the last year or so, we haven't had the best run defense when we went there. Well, they ran well when they were here, but I wouldn't say so.

Uh.

I mean Pittsburgh Cincinnati, they're kind of the same to me, especially in the trenches. Like I said, we've been playing against Nick Chubb there and you know how great he is. So I think it's just really like I said, just take a punch, store a punch. It's been laid away with Pittsburgh, especially when they had like Le'Veon Bell and all those guys and the Pounty guys.

So I was related to that.

Just another hard hitting, fun game to playing if you're in the trenches, Like, did defense.

Take anything extra about going into an enemy territory and maybe being motivated by everyone being against you. Is there anything that that that fuels you about that everything.

I say, it's satisfying when you take the life out of the crowd and uh it goes silent. I've been a part of some really good defenses here and we've done that on a few occasions.

So that's what you strive for.

And uh, if you can get to a point probably third or fourth quarter, where they don't have any momentum and that crowd is really silent, that uh, that really really feels really good.

Yeah, like what how exciting is that to get Marcus Warings back on the practice field just you know, a few weeks ago, didn't know if you guys were even going to have them the rest of the year.

Yeah, no, man, I mean he's one of our leaders. So anytime he can just be around, be out here, no matter the capacity, it always makes you feel good.

Anytime you get any of the guys back.

We'll get Marlin back at some point in those kind of those guys who are working to get healthy at highest as well. So anytime you can get a guy like Marcus back who changes the game and uh in the blink of and I, that's always good to just have the energy back and have those uh, those guys who you can.

Really really rely on back. So no, it's awesome. Like I was pride, you guys stay stopping to run. Marls had a few runs last week. What did you see? And I guess how much more the terms I think you guys are down at.

That we had a missign. I'm in on the first play of the game, and uh we had some misfits. So it's really hard to disseminate to the public how much one person being out of place or lining up wrong really makes a difference. But I can't stress toe y'all enough, like that's super super important. So when I say, like, oh, we didn't line right, that's like a big big deal And you can really really see if you watch film

So one more from Michael.

Michael more like the big picture of trends on offense across the Vegas, like shorter passes, the ball out for quarterbacks when you're out there on a passing down.

Has that like fundamentally changed your technique or your approach.

The way you you go like your job?

Yeah, I mean I would say also I wouldn't not a lot initially, but they called me on, called on me to do that this year. Yeah, you definitely see a lot of different short passes and then uh, just RPOs in general. So those are intended to slow guys like myself down, especially the bigger guys who have to get to sell moving play the run first and then go vice versa from the ends. So now it definitely changes my approach. It also changes the way you kind

Next, let's go into the Ravens locker room. Big divisional game kind of what's the vibe of the team going into this one.

I mean, just bounce back obviously, big divisional game away, just being focused, you know, taking a week by week, learning from our mistakes of last week and growing as a team and just giving all effort. We know what type of game it's gonna be. Pop up, that's the way you fly around. Obviously, good good secondary, good safeties. Those those linebacker group, h you know, they're shifties. So

What the challenges they pose up front?

You know, obviously talented friend, but what challenges does that great for you guys?

Physical man, you don't see a team like this very often, So for us, you know, as as a group, we're gonna have to be ready to go, have our mindset right, and which we will.

You know, you guys have a great game against the things, and it's a tough one week following. You know, what's it like in that room is you kind of try to say, all right, we know what we're capable of doing.

You know, it's just about doing just calming down. You know, I'm not going to listen to to too much of the outside noise and and know knowing who we are and that we have to grow. We have to grow from week to week and the teams that are able to do that. You know, this is a long season, so if we can continue to to go to where we need to be, and obviously last game we were close, wasn't where we needed to be to win the game.

But we're excited about moving forward.

Do you describe what you guys are endeavoring with a new core another as a work in progress? In other words, you don't know totally what it is yet, but it's still building.

Is it? Is that fair?

I think it's fair, you know, I think I think as an offense, we know what we can be and and should be, and so that's the exciting part. You know, we haven't you know, reached our full potential yet we're still working on that and it's going to be a dangerous group and we never lose sight of that. Garrett, you know, you always gonna bring it. He's such a special athlete and specimen and he's so.

Good at what he does.

So this is one of those weeks where you've gotta be ready to go or guys like him and and other guys on that on that defense are going to make you pay.

We're getting back to back at AFC North games here on the road. Do you embrace when you have to go into a tough road environment and play one of these kind of physical rivalry style games.

Yeah, you know, this are the other games that you look forward to. Obviously being two and one, being able to stack another win against this UH divisional team would be huge for us.

When you when you watched that last game on the table, what was your sense of why there weren't as many maybe downfield opportunities as you guys.

Would have liked.

Just happened sort of that way, you know, I think that you know, there's some you know, I think all eleven guys or everybody that was on the field touched the field. There's things that we could have done differently, and so it's taken advantage of those opportunities.

And last but not least, head coach John Harball just.

Want to make a I mentioned of Brooks Robinson express our condolences as a family and also as an organization, team, players and everybody else to the Robinson family for the passing of this great man. You know, I remember our very first year in Baltimore where we lived was a neighborhood over you know how the neighborhoods are. You get into the neighborhood with houses, you know, and you can get to more houses. Right soon was trick or treating.

Right and we were going.

House to house and we'd come up to a house and ring the doorbell and the door opens and it's Brooks Robinson. I mean, I'm a baseball fan. I know Brooks Robinson is. I was just like stunned, you know. I mean you talk about not being able to say anything, and just like and he had the biggest smile on his face and you know, welcomed us. And we talked for a few minutes. And that was how I got to meet Brooks Robinson. And since then, here and there

So that's where we're at with that.

Okay question, Joe, So you wouldn't spatify as positive getting guys back from you know, there's four guys back out there that Guste, there's been three guys have been out.

I mean that's a positive absolutely absolutely, yes, of course. I mean you know what I'm saying. You know, we're happy with the guys. As they get back, we're going to be We're going to be thrilled. I mean, these these guys are really good players. You know, these guys are these guys and they've been working really hard to

Time to sign noy.

I know what's here the summer of where you play, But what what what do you like about?

Yeah?

I always you know, always like Calvin No, he's a player. You go back to the Patriot Ravens games and him being out there playing the way he plays and that in that style, in that manner. He is just a ferocious player, you know, and smart player, tough player. I know he's in shape and he's ready to go and and uh, if needed, he'll be out there helping us.

John.

When you watch the Cleveland defense on tape from the first three games this year, they've obviously always had a lot of talent, but it seems.

They're even more formidable this year.

Maybe, I mean, do you see in particular area where they've taken given another step up this year?

I think the defense for Cleveland's playing great. I mean, the the number one ranked defense in the Leader. Give him one hundred and sixty four yards ten ten point three points a game, is it? I mean, that's about as good as you can get. So, uh, that's something

Are they doing something very different stylistic play with the schwartz Ers there?

You know they're doing well.

Coachwartz has it's a system. It's a kind of Greg Williams system. They've been in that system before with Greg Williams obviously, but uh uh, you know Jim does it how he does it. You know, he's he's a he's a decorated veteran defensive coordinator in this league. Does a great job, always has, and he's put a stamp on it.

For sure.

It looks like the run defense you know on early down stout and great there and except they're rushers up to a wide nine and.

Still here to hit the rock.

He's what's the.

Executive about how they're going to be front and everything.

It's more pressolas well that a posture is also built to stop the run. It's not just a posture. It's not built to stop the run. They have a way of playing the run and that's how they do it. You know, we played that way in Philadelphia with Jim Johnson over the years, and that's a it's a defensive type of style. It's been around for quite a long time.

It has been going against male scare many many times.

Play the challenge of going against him and trying to contain him.

Yeah, I mean it hasn't changed. You know, it's the same challenge.

And uh, and he's he's the same players certainly will drop off in his game, and uh, he's he's a guy that you got to account for every single play.

As a recent it's been bangless. You there's tough. People seem to not pay attention to how significant these games against the Browns can be in terms of that rivalry and visually kind of contest.

You too, just speak to the spirit of these games and you look.

Make me a light.

Yeah, yeah, this is this these games. I mean the Browns Ravens rivalry has been in my mind, it's just been a very heated, tough, physical, hard fought rivalry. And uh, just go back and watch the games. I think that's all you gotta do. And I know our fans, our fans know that. You know, I probably don't agree with your premise that they don't understand that. I believe our fans do know that. And it's a tough it's a

And it's just the way it is.

It's a tough place to play, and it's a it's a tough team and and we respect them very much all the changes.

How does that affect your does expect you well?

I mean, I think offensively, you always try to and Todd does a great job with the coaches of scheming towards guys' strengths Mike, you know, and trying to do the things that they do well put in a position to do things well. And but it's all within the structure of the offense, and the offense is built to what you do well against what they do well or don't do well and their scheme and that's the way they're work it out.

Davis fit in into kind of how you want to clown.

How he's fit in and kind of.

The way you want to put the defense and when you've gotten.

In so far, Yeah, Jadavian clown. He's played great. You know, I think it's a great point in question. Uh, he's done a great job. We've always thought the world of him as a player, playing against him and when you have to scheme against him, kind of the point you guys are all making. Uh, it's really tough. So uh, when you when you face guys like that and then you have a chance for them to play for you, you know, you're kind of excited about that. So he's

How have you seen him bounce back since the loss and maybe some of the mistakes and how is.

He also making me some justice?

Yeah, I'm out just as he's he's a very competitive guy. He's always in high spirits. He's always full of energy, and uh, and he had he had a great couple of days. He and I talked yesterday actually Monday, for quite a while and just one on one. It was a great conversation, and you know, we talked to a lot of guys. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary. But he's a great or role and he's gonna go try to play his best game on Sunday.

Thanks for listening to Raven's Press Pass. Make sure you're subscribed, leave a rating and review, and make sure you check out the Lounge podcast. We'll be back with you tomorrow or we'll hear from the three coordinators. Thanks for listening.