Welcome into the Ravens Press Past Podcast. Today was the final day of practice here in London before the Baltimore Ravens face the Tennessee Titans this Sunday. After practice, we heard from head coach John Harbaugh as well as Mark Andrews and Marlon Humphrey. We'll start things off with Coach Harbaugh.
Good to see everybody. Appreciate everybody being here. A good practice, been a really good week. I really appreciate Tottenham, the Hotspurs and all the people here from security right on through to coach and and everybody else has just been outstanding. So we are grateful and we're ready to play. We're pointing towards Sunday, all eyes on the game and we're looking forward to it. So what question do you have?
How do you now that you've been here? Seems like pretty much a pool with like, you know, five days now time and justin you. How do you think you and the rest of the players kind of feel well?
I gave you by me. You know, if I feel good, they feel good, right, That's how I feel. It's I think we're all kind of on the same deal. So feel great, got good rest and guys are in good spirits. I really picked up yesterday and carried over to today. So we're in a good place.
The coach. Yes, so you had the interaction with the coach Pains of Ookloom. How was that interaction.
Sharing ideas with a coach in soccer.
Yeah, awesome, it's awesome. But I feel like it's interesting. You know, you talk about the world of sport. You know, it's a it's a big world out there, yet the world of sport, it is kind of a small community, and we're we're talking about coaching and you know, players and how the staffs are organized maybe and you know, how you relate to your guys and the different the different nuances of it. Yet it's still the same thing. It's still it's still coaching and mentoring maybe and game
planning and all the kind of challenges and family. We talked about family quite a bit. He's got young kids and talking about his family moving around, you know, the last fifteen years they've done a lot of moving around. So that was really interesting to hear about. So, yeah, I'm gonna be a fan of those guys.
Now.
Yeah, you guys obviously moved into or today.
That's just because of all the rain yesterday, what was the.
Yeah, it was both. I mean we were supposed to kind of rain today anyway, and I did then it you know, then it got nice of course, So nice job, Chad, very smooth. That's our Chad steal everybody. He actually does a great job. But then we decided to do it as a walk through type practice format, so that's what we did.
Coach, you mentioned the playoff spirits are your spirits because the last couple of the press conferences it seems like the twenty seventeen gate still haunts.
You of it.
Well, I mean it gets gets keep brought keeps getting brought up by all you know, my people here. You know, it's like they asked me over there, and I've been asked about it in the off season, got asked about, you know, during training camp, and got asked about three weeks ago before we even thinking about coming here. Then I got asked about last week, and now I'm asked about it over here in England. So yeah, I guess it's a big deal, you know, but it's behind us. Uh,
it's a last week is behind us. I mean that's really how it works, you know. It's that was six years ago. No, you don't forget. Yeah, you don't forget. You never forget anything, you know, because it all matters. It's so important to us. And yet we work so hard, you know, and yet you got to move on to the next challenge. And the next challenge is the one that's right in front of us. It's Tennessee Titans in an amazing stadium over there, and it's going to be
an amazing crowd. We know, we got to deal with crowd noise and we got to deal with our opponents. So we're trying to focus on that.
And I don't know that we've asked you about Keaton Mitchell since he's been activated. What have you seen from him and could he be a factor when you're making your game plans for us.
Yeah, he's doing good, doing a good job, and he could be a factor. We'll see how it goes. You know, he was eligible possibly last week as well.
John, we haven't asked you too much a Dafe. I mean, he's a better man, you know. I know he doesn't practice goal this week. Any update kind of on you know what he's going through right now because it's been a few weeks before.
Yeah, No, he's on point. He's been working really hard. I think it's just a it's a process with that kind of an ankle spray, and you know, when he's ready to go, he'll be ready, you know. And it's kind of getting in that neighborhood now, so we'll see how it feels you can being ready.
You guys, you know, they're probably as healthy as you have been in a while. How important is that?
Yeah, it's super important. I mean, you know, and then with that, guys getting back, you know and playing, you know, just jumping there and play and sometimes you do. Sometimes you jump and have a great game, and sometimes you know, you got to kind of get a feel for it again. But all of our guys are working their way back, and I'm proud of them. I mean, they've done a great job of doing everything they can do to get back be as healthy and strong as they can be.
And and you know, we're very close to full strength. So that's that's a big deal. That's a plus. Proud of the guys that played it, and they're also good. So I just got to throw it out there on Sunday and try to get after it.
Coach.
Sorry, I gotta go back to twenty seventeen. We're pretty angry after that game. Do you feel the spirits within the team is different to twenty seventeen. I mean you've changed your whole different approach. You're here since.
Monday, Yeah, I mean, our guys are characterizing someone's emotions is pretty presumptuous. So you know, I don't I don't really remember how it was, but probably had a whole gamut of emotions at that point in time, you know, because you know you want to you want to put your best foot forward in every game. That was an important game six years ago, and this is an important game coming up this week. So and I'm hoping to be a lot happier after this one than we were after that last one.
Got's a bit of aboard the question what are the most challenging and most rewarding aspects of this kind of trip mid season?
The challenge obviously is that it's different. You know, it's out of your it's out of your comfort zone, just being away from your facility and your home and the guys. It's just it's different that way, so it can throw you off. Obviously, the time change is real, so that's part of the travel is legit, you know, and now we have you know, this is like going to Seattle time wise, but what we're coming east, which we don't
do very often. The pluses are it's an opportunity to obviously expand your kind of horizons in terms of fans and people and all those kinds of things, but also in terms of I think togetherness. You know, we have a chance to be together. We're traveling together, we're at the hotel together, we're traveling on the buses over here. Guys are having fun. You know, we're kind of all ball.
We're all ball here together. So we get a chance to kind of grow a little closer I think, and get a little more on the same page maybe than we would have if we haven't been here. So you've got both those things.
John h.
With all the focus on the receivers or you guys able to bring over judge machines that didn't see them on the judge machines.
Drugs, Oh yeah, I know, we couldn't bring the drugs over. Yeah that was that was yeah. They had they had of drugs here. You saw. We tried to use it for the the punts, but didn't have enough juice. So I think it's a little, it's a little. It's a little the judge machinem we had put it this way was a little over the hill. It's a little over the hill. It's seen better days.
It's possible you may have.
Your starting offensive line intact for the first time in a while. I mean, how is it too much to overstate how important that is, especially with cohesiveness of the offensive line.
Well, if we possible overstated, I'm sure you'd find a way Jamison, for sure, But I think it's good to have all of our guys. Sure, but you know, yeah, it's great, and it gives us more depth, you know. So, and you've got guys who've been out there playing. You know, they won't have quite as much of a load on them, but all those guys will play. I move've got a very deep offensive line that's been proven. So you know,
that makes me really happy as a coach. And I think all those guys get a chance to get out there and spell each other from time to time maybe, and yeah, put an extra alignment on the field. Those are all really valuable things for us.
Move past whatever sickness was kind of flifting.
A couple guys in on it team seems so yeah, it seems like guys are pretty good on the bus and everything. Didn't see as many masks, so it was good.
You've picked in the league since the very first love that came in in twenty seventeen, and you have witnessed this massive expansion of the NFL. More games coming here in Germany's pay possibly. What do you think of this massive expansion and do the thing we'll end up with the teams over here.
Yeah, I mean I'm really kind of curious to see where it goes, you know, and what what it can be and how they would organ and everything. I know, Germany's getting the game here. You're getting the Chiefs, getting my guy Andy Reid over there, So that'll be that'll be a lot of fun. I'm sure. You know. I took German in high school and college, so you know, I'll be following your reports, you know, looking forward to it. Are there? I assume they're in German in Deutschland, you know,
so uh spreckency Deutsch ambition, ambition Ambitian Deutsche. Yeah, thanks, good, good, So there you go. I mean, there you have it. It's all I can say about Germany right there is because it's all I remember, yeah, right, my daughter's fluent Japanese. That's a long way away.
So, yeah, you're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. That was head coach John Harbaugh talking to the media after today's final practice in London. Now let's hear from tight end Mark Andrews about his preparations for this London game.
There's always a lot of to talk about, the time difference and the sleeping and everything. How do you feel like you and the rest of the guys have adjusted so far right now?
I think it's been a for us.
It's been a good decision to come early, and you know, I know, the first couple of days it's tough to kind of get your bearings, and you know, I feel like now we're starting to feel pretty good, get get acclimated to the time, you know, zone, and that's not easy. So I think guys are getting good sleep, and I think we're pretty fortunate to have come early because it's not an easy thing to deal with. How different is this to a West Coast game.
It's pretty different.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think it's a little bit easier going that way than this way, just in terms of being able to get acclimated with the time, but yeah, I think it's a little bit harder coming out this way.
Mark coach just mentioned that it is being a good experience.
I guess the players coach everybody like share you this trip Husban for you guys, like being good spirits.
For this game.
It's been awesome, you know. He talked about it a little bit just being you know, all ball. You know, it's it's just been incredible to be to be around the guys and you know, just a bonding and experiencing London. This is my first time in London and really out of the country other than Mexico. So I've been enjoying it taking it in man, and the people here are awesome.
You know, It's different, and so you've got to be able to absorb the culture and appreciate that part of it in which I am, and uh, I know that a lot of everybody else on this team is. And it's been a great trip. It's been a great trip bringing around the guys and we look forward to this game. I think we're a focused group right now.
How it feels to be.
Kind of playing at the stadium facilities.
Yeah, man, it's a beautiful beautiful facility. You know, they're they're top notch here and we're thankful that they allowed us to come here and see it and practice on it. And you know, these guys are you know, like us are. They're the best in the world at what they do. So a ton of respect for them and a lot of respect for this facility.
They do it well.
Out on the trip so far.
I mean I could I could name probably about a million things. Man, just being at the hotel, you know, being in that close knit group has been awesome. But also you know, when I went downtown to central London and just seeing how that is, Man, it's, like I said, it's different. It's almost like a I don't know how to describe it, but it's like a New York Chicago type vibe, but different, you know. And I thought it was cool. I thought the people were, you know, all
extremely nice. You know, I'm always willing to offer help and be straight to it, be straight to the point. I liked that part about the people here in London. And yeah, I think I think I'll remember this trip for the rest of my life.
Yeah, I know you were a soccer star where you focused on on football, did you have any.
Aspirations of playing later.
Yeah, I was definitely, you know, way better at playing that I was watching, you know, But yeah, I think, you know, if I continued, I would have had more aspirations to go overseas. I had some buddies that from my club that went over and did that sort of thing. But I know how tough it is, and being from KA, we're not nearly as good.
So yeah, marked after a game, you know, I know you guys have been pasted the last week's game, but typically when as a receiving cores, they don't performance balls, like do you kind of feel like you do not thinking about it, but you want to kind of step up and really try to, you know, kind of rectify what happened later time.
I know we got a focused group, you know, just kind of the mindset of everybody that receives the bar right now. We know the type of players that we have, and I think there's a hunger and there's always been that, and I know the type of guys that we have to be resilient, be persistent, and but just focusing on the details because we know we have and it's time to go up for us to go out there and do it, put our head down, go to work.
I'm excited about that, man, Mark.
I know you know this is an adjustment and everything, but do you almost feel like and I guess you won't know until you play, but do you almost feel like this was almost a good week for this coming off a bad loss. You're kind of peeled it from maybe some of the negativity of that loss. If you were back in Baltimore here and listen about it, do you do you feel that at all that this was kind of good week just to be bonding with your teammates and preparing for a.
Football game that's like a it's like a loaded question, you know. I think, you know, having a win, you know, under our belt in a game that we clearly should have won against a team like that. So, you know, I don't think it's ever a good time, but I think it's been. It's been nice to be around the guys,
and it's been nice to be able to bond. And but like I said, I think, you know, you look at Adele said yesterday just watching it through and through the media a little bit, and you know, I think he's got I think those guys have an incredible view and outlook of what we have to do and our job to be done, and all eleven guys on the field at the same time doing their job.
Yeah, Mark ecuse John thought Wednesday about just how he had a forty five minute team meeting with you guys. Was the heard that meeting, the length of it anything out of your ordinary?
No, you know, I And the beautiful thing is, you know, it's you know, obviously not a good not a good you know job and the last Sunday. But it's a long season. You know, we have an opportunity to get back ahead and and and have a good game. So uh does said it yesterday? You know, no team won a Super Bowl week, you know, five or six, So we're four or five. So we're gonna work on getting better and we're gonna be a hungry group. I'm excited to be lasered in with the guys this week.
Earlier today, it was confirmed that flag football will be an Olympics port in the twenty twenty eight And what.
Do you think that will mean to American football and joining.
Hill a team.
Yeah, I think you could put Tyreek out there and you probably just do the job himself. But yeah, that's interesting. You know, obviously playing in the Pro Bowl, I got an idea of how that could work out and that was a great time. So I know those guys can fly, and you know, some of those guys playing flag football. Flag football will be pretty special. So I got a few plays in mind of last year's Pro Bowl which were pretty fun.
How do you.
Feel about the explosion of popularity that the tight End Provision have been the last weeks.
Yeah, obviously, you know a lot of a lot of buzz and social media about uh, you know Trav and obviously uh Taylor Swift and that's an exciting thing, you know, and you know, I think all the tight Ends are. You know, he's a he's the type of guy that he's he's been raising the bar for for a long time.
It's obviously a bit different to when you play in America, Like, what do you think the atmosphere will feel like?
You know, I hope that they go out there and just have a lot of fun.
Man, be loud.
I know those soccer games are football games. I know they go crazy, So I'm expecting that, you know, even if they don't know what's really going on. Man, if someone makes a play, just go wild' you know, do your thing. I'm excited to see it. I'm excited to be in the atmosphere and being this culture and really good to feel for it.
You're listening to the Ravens Press Past podcast. You just heard from Mark Andrews and now, last but not least, here's what cornerback Marlon Humphrey had to stay to the media after practice today.
I been this week for you guys. Coach mentioned there, guys have good spirits for you. You guys went you were here last time. Yeah, I was the difference between that.
Time and now.
Obviously we got here a little bit earlier in the week, but I would say it's actually been a big difference. We really got to see a little a lot more London obviously at this awesome facility is pretty cool, so we got to see the weight room and everything, and we got to.
See the real football over here.
So it's, uh, it's it's been nice to kind of early in the week kind of get to see London later in the week focused on football. So it's been a it's been a really good mix of the two to where you know, I think whether you come on Monday or or Friday, you know, the guys want to see London, so it's better I think to get it out of the way.
Early now compared to like twenty seventeen as far as just you're feeling and sleep wise and you know, just do you feel like you're way more adjusted now than you know six years ago at the time.
Yeah, I was.
That was my rookie season, so everything was pretty exciting for me. But I think for most of the guys earlier in the week everyone was like, man, the flight, But now it's everyone's waking up pretty normal now. So I would say for the team and everyone feels a little bit just better sleepwise.
It just.
Do you have a specific strategy to do you Jenny, like.
I did a They've We've had a lot of different options for us. So last night we had a guess a breath work sleep thing. It was it was on zoom and then you just kind of just fell asleep.
So that worked pretty well.
There's been a lot of different things with our nutritionness and different planning to kind of if you still have jet lag. I think I think it's just about all all done with now, But it was it was kind of recommended plans for what you should do, and I think most guys kind of abided by it.
Well, the nature if you have two losses, and also with the twenty seven team came in mind. How important is it for you to make a statement on some I.
Think yes, it's big.
You know, every time I tell the London story, it's always ended with bad.
So that's been the biggest thing.
You know, you you come all the way this far, you know, got some fans I might have never seen the game before, so many exciting things going on and it's all cool, but the biggest thing for us is you want to win. I think it just it sucks to come this far in front of great fans and then lou so we're I know, for me, a lot.
Of I'm like the old guy. So a lot of guys.
Went on the team in twenty seventeen, but me and the guys that were were just like, let's just win this one in that flight home and be a lot more fun.
Talking about fans that But how you finding what you're expecting from the.
Crowd for see this week, I anticipate a lot of different jerseys. I think that's what I remember last from last year. Uh, talking to some to some guys. I think maybe Tuesday, he said, O'Dell inspired him to go to a field and try football out for one day from that from that one handed catch, So I think it'll be pretty exciting. I'm not sure what who know, what's going on, different things, but I'm really excited to
play in front of them. I think anytime you can bring, you know, American football to to another country, it's really exciting. And I know the game is starting to grow a little more, so hopefully we get a lot of Ravens fans at bar performance Sunday.
Marln you came back just last week. Obviously you only had a couple of practice. It's just curious where you feel like you're at in terms of where you want to be or expect to be, you know, physic fleet all resetate.
Yeah, I think I'm still kind of I'm working to get to where I want to be.
Obviously from you, it was it was weird.
It seems like man, it was it was a lot just not being able to play for a while. So I you know, I think they know me pretty well. They knew as soon as I could practice, I was going to try to play. So I'm getting there to work in progress, but we've been doing a pretty good pitch count how many players I get getting back into the groove of things, and I think it's working pretty well. So as as the week's go on, I think it would just you know, get better and better, get used
to how I feel different things. But once you get out there, you know, you've got to put everything to this side and just play.
Marle And you've been teammates with Brokon for I guess close to a year, and now you know, I'm sure you've kind of thought it up communication with your podcasting work, with your attending with the broadcasts, Will of the NFL does what kind of sticks out the bed to you about bro Kwona Just kind of his ability to communicating, connect with people.
I think Rokwon's probably out of all the guys that ever been on, he's probably one of the best communicators of them all, whether it's on the field, but off the field as well. I think it didn't it didn't take him long to know everybody in the building's name really quick, and he has a unique ability to be able to, you know, critique without you know, the guy's feeling attacked. And I think that's that's really key when
it comes to a leader. There's there's a lot of tough conversations you got to have, but it takes a really a top dog leader to be able to do that. So that's something I hadn't seen in the really since Terrell Suggs left on this team as far as a guy that can grab whoever tell him, hey.
Let's get this right.
Even even today I went to say something to a rookie, I was like, your ro blah blah blah blah blah, And basically, you know, it's it's kind of like our defense runs through row and so he leads us really well.
So of course at a sort of stadium justin talker, I guess perhaps fating that you know he'll get to playing such an arena.
Just how special as to this team.
Yeah, he's legit. We were talking about uh coult the the footballers.
Kick like him and he was like, it would take some time, but he thinks they could do it.
But he's he's as funny as it gets.
If there was a mic in our team meetings, it would I think everyone would get a good laugh.
He's always got his his jokes.
He does the thing every week with the with a certain jokes, so he's he keeps everybody laughing.
If you ever ask him about kicking.
Field goals, he'll tell you a story an answer so long you'll kind of lose interest because there's so much that goes into his thought process. But that's a great teammate to have. Obviously one of the best kickers in the in the in the league, so you know, anytime he kind of goes out there, we kind of think the job's already done.
But a great teammate to have.
And do you come away from from this week's.
Yeah, I am, I am. I.
I gotta watch more soccer now. So I feel like since I've been here, this has got to be my squad and uh, I will be watching more football in the in the future, So excited for that, Marlyn.
How do you evaluate how Brandon Stevens has played?
I think you guys have talked.
About him, and John Harpy has talked about how he well he practices and what kind of player is for a couple of years now, but on a consistent basis, I don't know that anyone else has seen it like he's played.
How do you think he started?
Yeah, so when I was watching the first four games. You know, I really, I mean, even until now, I feel like Brandon Stevens is playing at a pro Bowl level. I think, you know, for the for the years in the past, we all knew kind of the ability he had, and it it was showing in practice, wasn't always shown in the games, and I think this year's really kind of taken off and just kind of you know, to some it might be a surprise, but to the people internally, he was always coached in that fashion.
He was always talked about in high regards.
So it's really good to kind of see that showing up on the field day in and day out. And so that's you know, as I was, wh I was like for the first four weeks not playing, I'm just like, I'm almost felt like I was a coach slash fan on the sideline and I'm just like, and Brandon Stevens is playing like really high level football, And I think that's just a testament to just continue to work, even when the results don't always show up on the field. If you continue to work, it'll eventually show up.
I know you're peck injury couple years back season and not all pack indies are the same. But what have you kind of learned about Marks Williams and just kind of what he's going through right now and playing with the artists, but you.
Know, kind of working his way back to the kind of level.
That you guys expected.
Yeah, that's a that's a weird question because with Marcus a d D World, I kind of started thinking, I'm like a baby, I'm like, these guys are like playing through this. I'm like, I left to him and I was like, I'm not going back in the game. So man, it's it's obviously you see him working out all the time.
He's obviously something really tough to play with being a safety.
But I think, you know, as kind of similar to me, as the week's going, he'll just get better and better with dealing with something that severe but being able to play with it. So I know it's really tough on him, but he doesn't really complain, just kind of goes about his work.
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