It's Monday, October twenty third, and you're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. The Ravens coming off a dominant win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday, winning thirty eight to six to improve to five and two on the season. The Ravens were clearly fired up about this victory, one of those dominant wins in recent memory. Is a complete game really on both sides of the ball. But they're
also turning the page. They know they have a matchup coming up next week against the Arizona Cardinals, and head coach John Harbaugh talked about that today when he met with the media.
I appreciate everybody being here. Just finished up the post action work for the game yesterday, and we're moving into the preparation for the next game against the Cardinals. We'll kind of combined those two things over the next two days, and I try to hit the ground running on Wednesday with a great practice. So what questions you.
Have touch on defense after yesterday's game? This defense, it's just like every week can It's been so consistently.
Well. We're doing a good job, playing hard. Guys have been physical up front. I think we've done it you know, pretty good job in terms of the tackle tackle run game consistently. Uh you know, we've we've we've controlled the perimeter stuff generally. There's been some plays here and there, some screens. They hit some screens yesterday they got some yards. We've kept the ball in the run game pretty much inside lately the last couple of weeks, nothing's really bounced
around us. That's big. I think we've kept the ball in front of us. Deep stuff has been in front of us. There hasn't been too much deep uh there up till now. So we've got to continue to keep building on that and keep looking for that. People are going to look for opportunities to get shots and big plays against us, So I got to keep doing those kinds of things. So generally good, generally good sound, hard playing defense. I think our guys are doing a good job with that.
First time in a.
Month and just being able to add him to the group of outsideline that it's already playing it online.
Yeah, exactly right, he's he dad him in there. You know, he's a guy that was jumping at the bit, you know, to be right and be healthy. Came back, played hard, got a sack. I was good against the run. Just another good player, really good player. Obviously you want to be full strength. We've got some other guys you know that that are working their way back as well, So always pulling for those guys to get back and be healthy and be ready to go.
Season.
So far, kind of on pace for career years. What have you what have you seen in his evolution this year that's you know, to take that next step of kind of continued progression. What's what's he doing differently?
I guess from the same. I think he's continued to grow ever since he's been here. He's always had, you know, a lot of upside. For sure. You would see the kind of dominant plays here and there, and he's probably
just I think he's just made more of those. You know, he's more consistent, making more you know, dominant type plays, you know, whether it's on our pass, more explosive, more consistent with his technique, all these kind of things that you would expect as a player would grow and get better, who works as hard as he does consistently, you'd expect his play to be more consistent. I think that's what's happened.
John, You again is talking more and more of him and Patrick Queen just sort of pumping up their market value week by week. Do you sort of look at that as a as a good problem to have for the short term release?
Yeah, I'm not really thinking about guys contracts right now, thinking about the next game.
Yeah, you know, how much can you take that ignited the offense?
And how often have you done that?
We've done We've done it from time to time. We've had a game or two where we were planned on doing it this year and we didn't win the toss. You know, the win games are a lot of times of win games, and you feel like, you know you're gonna want to win in the fourth quarter for in a close game. That's something that we've taken into consideration. But probably you know, the added effect in this game
was that we started off so hot on offense. The fact that we were able to take the ball down the field the way we did, uh, you know, was was just and we were into the wind. So that was a big plus for us. I thought that was kind of made it an irrelevant point. You may have noticed in the third quarter we chose to take the win in the third quarter instead of waiting to the fourth quarter. We figured we'd want to win and see if we extend the lead at that point.
I mean, guys, he passes I think twenty years or more yesterday. Have you seen the deeper passing game of all service season?
Well, yeah, I mean a lot of stuff really came open a little a little more. I mean we had some we had some good little ideas there as far as scheme wise, but uh, you know, if you run the ball, well, uh, we had really good protection, so it gave us time to let some of those routes unfold.
Uh.
Some of some other games when we had some of those things called it didn't quite have as much time. You know, all those things kind of go together, and uh, you know that's what you have to have to get the ball downfield.
I trying to put a lot with that little more. I mean, especially thinking about the touchdown to Newlston Aguilar or the patients and toys that he's shown, and especially in his last game, can you say about that.
Yeah, he really does have good pocket presence. I mean he's got a good feel in the pocket. He always has. You know, sometimes sometimes it's almost too much. I mean sometimes he'll really hold hold onto that ball. You know, and I think he trusts his guys, his linemen to hold on for him. He's protecting the ball well in
there for the most part. You know, in terms of there's a balance between you want to protect the ball number one, no doubt about it, but you also want to extend plays and give guys a chance to get open and then the ability to move. You know, Lamars obviously great at moving, and then also I think sensing people around him even outside the pocket, and then seeing the receivers downfield. That combination probably showed up yesterday as much as it ever has. In terms of the playmaking.
John talked about how locked in the guys weren't practice all week. Did you expect them to come out firing the way that they did pretty much Ball four quarters?
Yeah, I mean you always kind of do, you know, and you're kind of disappointed when it doesn't happen, and when you when you practice the way you have, it hasn't just been one week of practice. I mean they've been practicing that way pretty much all along. We haven't really had any practices where always felt like, hey, this was not a good practice. You know, sometimes you gotta you got to crack the whip a little bit, but with these guys not really you know, it hasn't really
been that way. They've they've kind of come out every practice and been ready to go. So he's gotta keep building on that and getting better every practice. Should get better as a season goes on, because you're better as a team if you're locked in and focused. That should continue to improve and building on itself.
Played a lot of snaps, let the team tackles, have the sack.
Just what are you seeing from him?
Very productive game by Arthur, no question about it. Ryan, I mean, he was all over the field. I felt like even I told him this, I said, dude, you're getting little gassed at the end because you know he's playing special teams too, And he really was on a lot of in on a lot of plays, run in pass, Blitz got a sack, So he was really productive. Great to see. I think he's really fitting in well with the defense. When we saw.
Mar's little moment of frustration necessary after the exchange with Justice, and they've had a couple of those. This year has been a different problem long with each one or is there the consistent thing they need to work on.
It's been a different problem with each one and it is the thing they need to work on. Yeah, and that's you know, you continue to do that. And we have a ball handling offense. You know, we have a lot of ball handling in our offense, more than most teams, So probably is going to show up a little more than other teams. But that just means we have to be that much better at it and that much more aware of it. We don't want we want it. We want perfection in that area. And that's why he was
so upset. We all were. You know, I was just as upset because that's not something that we want to have. You know, we want to be perfect in that.
Area because the season goes on and changes happ to half right from brought up from and brought up haling atoy any clown and people were not in.
The sure in the July who should hit the most credit for bringing those players in it?
Are?
Is it staff down on me?
Who's doing their dirty words that make those players? Get those players in here? It's a team effort, bo, It's always a team effort. Everybody deserves credit. Everybody deserves playing. That's that's your guys, that's your area. That's what you do so well. The sign blame and credit give credit where credit is due, right, I mean, Eric's don a great job. And the the guy the scouts, Oh for sure, the scouts are the ones who do that. I mean they're the personnel guys. And I say it all the
time and I'll say it again. I think we have the best in the business here, you know. And it's all of it goes. That's contract stuff that you know, I'm getting asked about over here about contracts and getting asked about you know, Janue, you know who we're looking at in June for players and stuff like that. And I'm just thinking about the Cardinals right now. So trying to keep it simple.
So it's physically from.
Lamar Jackson not satisfied to telling you some of the guys on defense and not satisfied even though it was all win.
Where is it?
What does that say about where this team is that mentally and.
Emotionally right now?
Well, it says they're right where they should be. Because how many games we played so far? Seven? All right, some means we've got ten more in the regular season. Say we've got a lot of work to do.
Say two things on day Flowers what did you guys see that that allowed him to be so open on that first series yesterday.
You know, it's just a function of you just never know what's going to happen. You never know who's going to be open. You know, there's certain things that happen on each play. If we had the tape, we could probably go through it, you know, on each play and look at it and see why it may have happened, what coveras it was, Different things happen in different plays.
And then secondly, just how would you describe his you know, he's had I think he's had seven straight games of at least fifty yards each game. The only other guy to do that is to Mark Chase since nineteen seven. How would you describe his grasp of the offense for guy who's you know, seven.
Games into the in his career, right, well, I would say for seven games in Yeah, to your point, it's probably as good as it could be. You know, he's really diligent. You know, he's very smart, and yet you know he's not anywhere near where he's going to be, you know, terms of understanding the offense. I mean he's still learning. You know, he's still got word line up. You saw it yesterday a few times. He's still learning the nuances of the routes. Greg does a great job
with him. Greg Lewis and Keith Walliams both do a great job with those guys. With all that. But he's doing great. But you know he's got to He's going to get a lot better and he needs to get better. And I promise you he's very determined to keep getting better. He's not thinking about that kind of a stat which is very cool, but right now he's just thinking about the Cardinals.
Running Stanley vision.
He channels internationally learned and driving block through the Angel Fay And you praise the offensive lineup of.
The game when you watch the tape of the game again, what most impressed.
Me about that group? I thought the pass protection. You know, that was a really good pass rushing group. Bo They very physical group that was going to try to basically, it's a knockback pass rush, try to constrict the pocket by closing the pocket on the quarterback. They'd done it against everybody, they'd played really well, and they really weren't able to do it as nearly as much with our offensive line, So that was that was a big plus. Four us on interviewing the.
Film, just of more of throwing the ball, you know, other than buying time, and just how he executed the passing game.
Did anything stand out to you and just hell you.
From that from that game and we're just watching rewatching.
The film start. Yeah, I mean it all stood out. It's just a combination of things. It's it was. It was the pass protection, you know, that was a big part of it. I thought the guys ran routes super fast. I mean when you look at the when you look at the route running, you'll say, okay, someone came open, like maybe Zay or or or or Dell or or Bait came open on a crossing route right. Well usually
a lot of those times. I mean I remember, say running a post out of there, or Mark they running a post and Mark running a rail, and so those routes are run a speed that drains the coverage and here comes the crossing route across. Those are designs that you hope happened. But for those to happen, the guys who aren't getting the ball have to be running their
routes really fast and really effectively to do that. And that's not just the ball could go to them too if they if the coverage doesn't drain out, you know, if the coverage jumps the crossing routes. So everybody just going full speed as hard as they can, try to do things as right as they can. Every play I think just kind of adds up over time, and then guys hopefully get open, and then the protection needs to hold up and then lamar and need to see it.
One time he came all the way back and he hit bait to the right on a deep end stop route. It was the fifth read in the progression. He a had time to do it, be he had to where with all you know, the understanding that just he's good enough to get to his fifth read. That's pretty pretty pretty great.
There's more passing.
A couple of times it looks like he just coulda run and then had a football and one.
The coups that way and was another one.
How much is like his running ability.
The element is Yeah. I mean I've been working real hard with him on that myself personally, with his his his running and then throwing late and seeing guys. So I'm really glad. I've been kind of taking a lot of pride in that myself. As a coach. You know, that's that's just LaVar, That's Lamar, you know, b and Lamar. I think it is one of his just some of his innate talent. How he sees the game is pretty special. If you get any.
Resolution on ties after last week, which I guess was a week he was.
Talking to doctors. Yeah, no, no resolution yet, No resolution yet. And I finished another injury question. Yeah you didn't.
But it was Keith Mitchell the only guy to get banged up yesterday.
And was that a severe hamstring or right, yes, he was, And it's not a severe hamstring. It'll be it'll be week to week. You could outside chance for this week, put more possible.
For next week, John, your players almost unanimously expressed that they were unhappy with parts of their performance and their super production. When you look to take what areas can you kind of point to more specifically for fans that you saw that you're wanting to work on. I'm looking forward to like working into this week.
Yeah, I mean, we got the lists there. You know, it really doesn't need to be publicized. We're working on stuff. You know, it's it's it's it's football stuff, you know, and everybody everybody kind of has their thing too. There's big picture stuff I've got. I've got probably two really big ones that I'm thinking about right now, and one on the east side of the ball. And then with that, you know, there's kind of a filtering of things all
the way across the board. It really is something that is just part of the process every week, though, you know, and the fact that our guys are bought into that and conscious of that, you know, on a day to day basis, really makes me feel like they have a chance to really be successful. When you have a group of guys players, people that think that way, then they're thinking growth mindset. They're thinking that way in terms of like we can get better, I need to get better,
embracing the imperfection, so to speak. You know, that's a good thing.
John, you've gotten a coach Lamarvel a couple of years now. I know you probably handle some of the nothing surprises you when you watch them out there. But thinking back to that touchdown pass to Nowson, manager lot aware that play felt like it's.
Going on forever. What are your emotions.
During that.
Same as yours? Probably, I mean all the fans, you know, I'm like I'm like, you know, I'm I can't believe we've got fleshed out of the pocket. Why wasn't the first route open or maybe the route wasn't running the right way somewhere, And I'm mad. And then I'm then I'm thinking, well, Lamar's get away and something, you know, I'm thinking to find somebody, somebody get opened. Then the ball goes up as a touchdown, and Ice scream for joint.
You know, inside I don't want anybody to see that, you know, but it's the same that I will say this in the red zone, especially everywhere, really everywhere defensive perspective, the extended play is real. You know. It's something you have to actually prepare to stop. And the teams that do it better are the teams that are tougher to defend.
So the ability to defend those are big, But the ability to to UH, to extend plays and make plays after the first play doesn't quite work the way you want it to is a massive UH is a massive part of football. So that's what happened on that play was extended play. Lamar and Nelson did a great job with it. So that's what you really that's part of the it's it's part of the it's part of the
planned unplanned offense. Okay, so it's it's planned to be unplanned sometimes and then you hope you guys can make the most of it. Kna.
Now we're finished called the London questions. Now you're going out the other way out the Arizona is travel fatigue?
Is Is that a con?
I mean?
Is that real?
And do you do anything in planning this week to do anything different because you know you're going to be coming to another times.
Of the game.
Right, it's all state of mind, Jameson, It's all state of mind. You know, it's real if you make it real, you know. But we're gonna go out there on Friday like we always do on those on those West Coast trips, and our guys will be raided roll Sunday.
How bout getting and to the play a team that is just one winning.
On the year.
Yeah, I shouldn't have to. I mean, all you got to do is watch the tape and you see how physical they are, how tough they are, how competitive they are a team. And if we haven't learned that by if we have anybody in our team that doesn't understand how the NFL works, I'd be really disappointed. You know, that's something that would really be a disappointment. And I don't think I'm going to be disappointed that way.
John.
I think you guys maybe lead the league in sacks.
What do you the.
Been the improvement for you guys to to to get to that goal there?
And have you been surprised with the play of calvan Noid?
Right?
All good questions. Kyle van Noy, not surprised, seen it for so many years, impressed. You know, you get you get be a little older, and they start saying you can't do it anymore. And Kyle does take that personally by the way, you know, and it's probably probably part of what fuels him. The same thing with JD. Clowney. You know, to see those guys do that is really cool. But then you've got the young guys who you know, people are questioning whether they are you know, can play,
you know, and they've got something to prove. So we always always appreciate players and coaches that feel like they have something to prove. Uh, And it all goes hand in hand in terms of the sacks. I mean, you know, coverage is part of that opportunities part of that, you know, sometimes you know, offense helps offense gets the lead, forces him to throw the ball more, and you get more opportunities. All this thing kind of go together.
Hey, John, yesterday after the game, he said that that kind of win creates a vision of what your team can be. How important is it going forward for you know, coaches to talk about yesterday's game or players to draw on yesterday's game knowing how successful they can be on a single game basis you know going forward?
Right, Well, it is important because you know, success does breed success, and when you conference is kind of like real conference is based on having proven to yourself that you can actually do it. It's one thing to believe in yourself and know that the potential is there. It's another thing to get out there and you know, make
a sink a shot and know that you can. You know, and you know, once you if you've ever been on the free throw line, you know, with the game on the line, like in sixth seventh, eighth grade whatever, you know, and you had to make a shot, I mean, you know, tell you when you make it, you feel a little bit better about yourself, don't you. You know, you can because you did so. That kind is true for everything, and it's even true for NFL players at the highest level. A great thanks.
That was head coach John Harbough. And if you want more of a breakdown from Sunday's win over the Detroit Lions, head over to Lounge podcast feed. We did a deep dive into that game and discuss what went right in the victory. You can check that out wherever you find your podcast. Make sure you leave a comment, rating, and a review here in this feed as well as the
Lounge podcast feed as well. Thanks for listening. We'll be back with you on Wednesday as the Ravens at the practice field to gear up for that week gate game in Arizona.