It's Monday, October thirtieth, and you're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. It's a good Monday here in Baltimore's. The Ravens took down the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday to improve the six and two on the season. That's good enough for the best record in the AFC through the first eight games of the season. Head coach Sean Harball met with the media today and here's what he had to say.
Appreciate everybody being here. Thanks, got back late and got to work and we're in the process now of reviewing the game, finishing up with that, and then most of us are onto the next game. So what questions you have?
You know, a year ago at this time, you guys made a pretty big splash.
Prote one here.
So I'm just curious when it comes to those things. Do you feel like there's a specific need for this team? Secondly, how is that process between you are go just in terms of need versus what might be available?
Good?
Right, Well, that's a really broad and good question because specific need and need, what level of need, you know, is kind of what it comes down to. You're talking about degrees. Do we have a specific overarching like we have to have guy. No, we have an excellent roster. Love our players. We have guys who are getting healthy that will be coming off ir even you know, like Peppi Williams for instance, and guys like that. So I love our guys. I think we have everything we need
to be successful. It's at the same time, if an opportunity came to bring in somebody that can help us and make us better in any area really but you know certain areas more than others, of course, and you could do it in a way that was affordable to the to the team in the club cap wise, draft, pick wise, those kind of things you would do it. You would do it to try to get better. So that's kind of where we're at right now. Eric and
his group is working through that. Which just meeting with Eric just now about some of those things, and you know, it's a possibility. It's not easy making trades in this league. I mean, it's just not. It's not. Maybe some sports it is. I don't know, I've never been in another sport, but it's just not. You don't see as many trades in football. We've made a few the last few years. I think Eric's done a great job with that, and if there's one to be made that would help us,
I'm sure he'll he'll pull it off. If not, then we'll be happy with what we have because we have a great team. We feel like.
John, we heard from a lot of the defensive leaders after the game that they definitely they have not played up to their standard. What was your sense of what they've meant by that? Do you think they were talking about, you know, some of those drafts they gave up in the fourth quarter? What what was your sense of what they were saying is that?
Was that?
Yeah? I mean I think we wanted to finish the game and shut them out and not give up to you know, we we were playing against the clock as much as you were against the offense in the fourth quarter, so we were pretty very vanilla with the call, and we ran the same call probably fifteen times in a row or so, and that's okay. But the idea was that we were certainly going to try to win the game. I mean, it's a two score game in different ways there, so you want to make sure that you don't you
still want to give them the game. You don't want to have something happen to just hands them the game. You want to win the game, and it's really not about style points at that point. So but I also feel like we have a lot of pride. You know, we have pride as players, we have pride as coaches, and we want to we want to we want to put the best I guess every stop, and that's exactly what they're talking about.
I think, John, is your assessment of your special team season.
You've made a lot of good plays and it's a lot of positive but it seems almost there's a lapse or something that needs to be worked on.
Right. Well, there's always something needs to be worked on special teams that have a lot of experience with it, you know, the expectations that all six phases are going to win. You know, you're talking about six different phases, and it's pretty hard to be to bet a thousand and six different phases and have every every Special Teams phase either push or win every every snap. I think we've we've done that a lot. I mean, we've had a ton of successor the standard is really really high,
and that's good. We want the standard to be super high. Standard's probably higher here than anywhere in the league if you look at it over the last number of years. So that's awesome, and we chased that standard for sure. We played a very good special teams game yesterday. You know there's it's our kickof the one kickoff got him inside the twenty. We had four punts I think inside the ten. You know, our net pump was forty seven
forty eight. It's pretty unbelievably good pump return. We were three for thirty, you know, ten yard average, and half of our calls were fake defense calls. You know, we were playing, we were paying playing safe pump return because they were in fake type of territory or fake down distant. So and we still had those return yards against a really good punk cover team. Kickoff return didn't get any chances.
And the one, the one you're talking about is the onside kick, where that was the one we need to in this game play better. I mean, what happened was, you know, and I talked to their kicker afterwards, you know, I congratulated him on the kick because it really it's supposed to be a high hopper. It came up, it came up low and short, and we just need to be aggressive on that and go get it right now,
and we hesitated. He hesitates his loss on outside kick recovery obviously, and it bounced, so we and the second one was the exact same kick and we went and got it. Uh So that's that's how it went. And you know, and I think we're it's like anything else, it's a battle. I think our special team's overall is playing at a high level. But we will keep chasing perfection and try to you know, try to make every play it's either a push or a plus. That's what we go for.
Sometimes a little unusual for men to back up a huge what do you usual season to the bar. He also able to watch the passer like they were yesterday.
Unless right, Well, yeah, he's having a great year. I mean, I guess you first attribute Justin's great year to Justin. I mean, he's playing great. He's he's talented, he works hard, He's he's steadily come you know, he's coming coming here from the beginning and steadily worked hard to become the kind of player is. I really think he's having just a top notch hear, but against the run, chasing the ball down obviously and pass rush and so it's hit
what he's doing. Plus I think the other guys, you know, the other guys, it's spread out. You've got guys who are pressuring from every different direction, defensive ends, inside guys, linebackers, safeties, corners, you know, Nicol you know, getting sacks that that kind of helps everybody. You know. It's kind of like the rising tide raises all ships. So but he deserves the credit for that.
John, we can see, yes, Adels was really trying to get the ball and not a lot of receptions can still impact in how knows even draw flags and get defensive tension. What is that a special quality in terms of what he's doing for your team so far and just drawing the attention and even drawing you know, do on that flag when.
You got to play.
You know, it really is. I mean Odell's super talented, very determined, you know, really has a high standard for himself, really works hard, you know, and I really think that that's kind of indicative of kind of like his reputation. You know, it's like they have it. They know who he is, you know, they know he's number three, and they do not want to give up a completion to him, you know, And and he's being he's being covered that way,
and it draws two huge defensive passion in afference calls. Now, Odell and Lamar and all of us want those to be catches, but passion affairs is the same as a catching this league, almost a touchdown would be a touchdown. You got to put it the one you gotta go score. That's the difference. That's the only difference. So I was happy with the way he played. I was happy with the fact that he was targeted. Uh. You know, then he got hit in the ribs on the sideline play
and had to go out for a walk, came back in. Uh, didn't really get targeted too much, but did get the one big play passer ference, but was blocking well, which you probably didn't see. So he's playing really well, and I just think that it's gonna it's gonna pop. You know, he's gonna start getting some big catches for us.
You get the sense that he he's the guy who beats himself up a little bit when he has a day rate Donna catches, even though he clearly did do things that the team yesterday.
I don't know a good question for him, but I think he really wants to get catches, and he really wants to be a big factor in the game. You know, that's what he's used to. You know, he's he's a he's a he's a world class player, world class athlete, and that's the kind of expectation that he has for himself.
Sure along those lines, I don't know if you'd seen, you know, he got the second PA throw, he you know, was upsetnth sideline. You know, I was curious that was the frustration of you know, getting a good catch. Obviously appearence or if it was if there was any his communication or.
Just or just you know, obviously I think it's the last part. You know, it just wants to wants to make plays. You know, that's what he wants to do, and and you appreciate that he wasn't I talked to him. Actually, he wasn't mad at anybody. Just you know, he wants to make plays and wants the great son was in the stand first time, playing in front of his young son there, you know, in Arizona.
So yeah, you.
Know how it goes. That's that's how that's how guys are.
It's curious your thoughts on ken Zeitler's kind of record that he said yesterday being all thirty two teams. Just your take on that. And then also the interior offensive line seems been playing. We had a really high level right now and just what you're seeing from that group as they've kind of jelled together and you know, stayed helping.
Yeah, I agree, agree, I mean they're playing really well and I think we're getting better and better. You saw the inside interior run game really come alive in the second half. That was something we've been working really hard on. And then with that, you know, Lamar got outside a couple of times on some keepers late in the game when we call those. Yeah, Kevin getting the all time only one of three ever to have that kind of opportunity,
he said. He said the Cardinals had been elusive, elusive for him the last few years, which is kind of fun. But I don't know how many people can say they beat every team in the league, especially an offensive lineman. You know, that's pretty cool in terms.
Of what he brings him a leadership quality. I've talked to a couple of the guys like Tyler Linderbond and said that his work at it in particular something that really stands out about him. I know he's only been here for a couple of seasons, but what have you seen from him in terms of work.
At I'm sorry, who is that?
Oh?
Yeah, Kevin, thanks, you know what it is. I mean, he's he's a leader in kind of a really kind of interesting ways. First of all, by work ethic. This guy, I mean, you can't believe how he practice. I mean, you know, he's the guy that does the pass sets when his wife's having a baby in the hospital. You've seen that, right, And that's how he kind of is all the time. He's he's he's just a on his craft all the time. But more than that, like he kind of he's he's a leader by relationship, Like he
has the guys over to his house. He's hasn't by the pool they have, I don't know what they eat, probably a lot, but they have a lot of fun. And he kind of leads that way, which is which is really kind of neat. So he does it by relationship and by by example.
I would say a lot of people are calling it to Michael Pierce game yesterday.
You know, he plays so well and so many places stood out when you watch him over the course of game. To game and you go back and watch more closely, what.
Kind of things show up than you see that maybe we don't see well.
Game to game. He's played very consistently bo so it's kind of been like that. And then this game, the consistent play paid off in these opportunities to make these huge plays. So he's been doing the same thing without having the chance to actually make those plays. Sometimes sometimes he get pushed out to somebody else, are cut back, and then the sacks and the pressures he's he's been
playing all year. He's having a great year. I think he's doing a great job and it's nice to see it, you know, kind of pay off a huge game for him like that.
About a year since Rokwan Smith came the team, what did you know about specifically his leadership or communication before he arrived and based on kind of reputation or whatever you going in, has he those expectations that you.
Have right with? Will you knew from the college draft? That's what they all said about him at Georgia and then Chicago. You talk to people who played for the Bears, of people in the organization, coaches, and that's kind of what they said about him there too. That he's he's a leader and all the things that you've seen, but you don't know exactly and you don't really hear it to the extent I don't think. I mean people maybe they don't want to tell you too much either. Then
he comes here and he's I don't know. Sometimes it's a good fit too, Like he comes in here and he's it's kind of like just this place really fits him. I think, you know, I think he'd probably tell you that, you know, it's kind of his it fits his personality, his style. He's been a great fit. I think it's one of the all time great trades that we made. Not you know, I think the Bears did it. Nothing
against the Bears they made. They got a good pick out of it, and they made it, you know, salary cap and all the stuff that they got out of it. It's probably going to be under sold a little bit, but in the end you'll see how it pays off for him. But maybe he was just the Maybe it was a win win, you know, but it's definitely a win for us.
I mean, we talked so much about these trade deadline deals, the potential for them. You've been around the league a long time.
How rare do you think it is.
For a guy to come in like that midway through a season and have the breadth of impact that, Yeah, it's probably pretty rare.
I mean, no doubt about Child's I mean, I just I don't really keep track of that stuff, but I don't really remember too many of those, so I'd say it's a pretty big deal.
John.
On the broadcast, it looked like players are slippy and strowing with field conditions.
It's just something that you've noticed.
And when you do notice on something, is that something that you have to account for and play calling.
For better or for worse. You know, I think it's the players responsible ability to kind of work on that as much as they can. You know, you can't really overthink it from a play calling standpoint. You have to account for it with the cleats, you know, and the guys understanding that in situations. I think I saw it was a couple of rain games, wasn't the Pittsburgh game, brainy stormy? So you just you got to keep your feet underneath yourself as an athlete, and our guys did
a good job that for the most part. There was a few plays where we slipped, no doubt it was. You know, it's a different kind of grass they bring it in. It's nice. It was good safe field, but it's a little slicker. You know, we had the top nine for practice. Field was waste slicker than that, you know, so I thought, yeah, I was good practice for us on a slick field. You know, they adjusted from Wednesday
to Thursday. So that's something that you just talk to you guys about and if you guys change their shoes and things like that. So, but that's something you really do have to think about them. It's very important to have good footing to baden.
A couple of less catches end around and it seems like he's kind of come on a little bit at how big is that ram in the solvents?
It's so big, I mean two big plays. The early catch to keep the drive alive, to go get the ball and take it away from the defender was just I mean, you're not going to see a better play than that. It was great. And then at the end a round, so to speak, it's it's really not It's a jet sweet type of play with with a reid option involved in a gap scheme, so to be clear, But Lamar read it right and gave it. You know, it's not something he's done a lot.
You know.
I don't think he's practiced it even that much, you know, the ball handling of it. But to have him be able to do that, maybe they weren't expecting it, you know, but he he ran around there and I'll tell you when he turned the corner and accelerated up the sideline right, that was impressive, wasn't it. I Mean, he ran by a couple of guys and he really showed some bursts there and got up the sideline. They actually hit him
out of bounds. Got us another fifteen, So it was it was a huge play in the game that ran time off the clock, got us down in there deeper and got us another score.
John, do you see just following up on our shot? Do you see more confidence and he's for trusting his physical abilities as he gets further and further away from the injury. Has that even been like a week by week season journey where now and seems more confidence to make plays like that.
Yeah, I think that's really perceptive because it's not the it's not confidence in his ability. He's always been very confident. It's confidence in his just health, the fact he's been all to stack practices now and get a feel in the offense and catch balls and run routes and compete for balls. Football is a practice sport. We've said that before. The more you practice, the better you get, you know, and the better feeld you get for the game, all
those different things. And I would say it's just starting to kind of come together for him that way. And I'm hoping. I think the second half of the season for Rashad is going to be big, going to be very successful.
Lamur talked after the game about the approach that Arizona took defensively. I mean, you know, only rushing three or four. We're talking a lot of guys into coverage in broad strokes. How do you guys want to attack that kind of defense?
We got to be patient, you know, I mean, uh, it was, it was, it was. It was. It was kind of a cage rush, a very physical rush, which you know, Lions tried to do the same thing. Most teams kind of do that. Again, it says not not everybody. Pittsburgh's different. You know, they cage except for the you know, the two guys on the edge are just going you know, so we different teams plays different ways. Uh, but uh, you've got to be willing to check it down. You
got to be willing to run it. I think you gotta be willing to call you know, get the ball out quick, you run the RPOs, which we called a lot of r pos yesterday. H all those things. Uh, you got to be able to do in the second half. You know, the run game kind of started going, and we're we're in a situation once we got the lead, you know, we were able to do that with that score at the end of the half even gave us a chance to probably run the ball even a little more.
But you know, you're always trying to find yeah, and and and really in the first half two a lot of times you're trying to figure out what they are doing to you. You know, sometimes you got a certain play call and they bring a front up it doesn't work, or they stem to a front it's tough on the play, or or we try to throw a screen and and and the D and the and the defensive end. And the one screen we ran there was a loss. I
mean he drops right to the screen. You know, it wasn't something we'd seen, was it even in their call or did you just feel the screen? You know, you don't always know. So it's you can't never a perfect formula. You know, things happen and you just try to navigate your way through it as a play caller and as the guys make the offensive adjustments in there.
One of those things that that Lamar sorry, that has tried to focus on and work on. From the standpoint of I'm assuming it's a fine line between holding it too long and then you know, checking down as you mentioned, and so forth. And we you know, we saw make some money believing the play against the Lions multiple times where he did about the ball and then yesterday you
know those really didn't ma tear lize. So so that back to the question, I guess, is that something that he sort of is working on and is focused on.
Well, yeah, I mean I think that's something that's that's a a it's a fluid thing, you know. Yeah, there's principles to the plays, there's timing to the plays that are run, and then there's playmaking. You know, many times, you know Lamar and the guys will you know, he'll
scramble and get your chill. I'm one throwing d the r she'll hold the ball, step around, make a throw, or just the protection'll hold up and I'll be able to hold a whole heart and boom, the coverage gets pried open and somebody is able to come wide open. You know, we've seen that lots of times. Other times it just collapses on you. You're trying to hold it, you don't maybe see a guy whatever, and you get sacked. I mean, sometimes it happens. The main thing in that
case we can overcome sacks. We don't want too many of them. You don't want them in critical situation, don't want him in fringe funeral range, but you definitely want to hold onto the ball. And that think Lamar has done a good job of that last few weeks, especially being conscious of that. He's also made plays, extended plays, especially in the red zone, numerous extended plays that you're
happy with. So I think that's something that you just got to understand as part of playing the game sometimes and just work on and say, Okay, in this situation, maybe the ball goes here, what do you think? And I really asking Lamar what he saw and what he thinks and why he did what he did. Usually is a really good way to kind of to understand it because he sees the game really well and he looks back, he knows why he did what he did and what he's and he's able to, you know, express that to you.
You didn't go both.
What is your next twenty four hours to look like? But so long we have your week's week rhythm, but the trade deadline coming up? Are you fully prepared on the game?
And the Eric calls him in from time to time to talk about pretty possibly, do you spend a lot of time the next twenty four hours focused on the trade deadline as opposed to the next game?
I spent that's the first one. I'm working fully on the game. And then when Eric comes in and says, hey, this is what we've got going in this or that scenario that becomes somewhat realistic, and then then we'll talk about it. That's how it works.
You gets injuries after the game, which is which is a good day, I guess. But was there anything coming out of the game worry about this week?
Nothing major coming out of the game, and we may have some hope coming back. A chance to talk to Tius just last week and Tyas was was pretty optimistic, you know. So I can't say it's a guarantee, you know, because it's just kind of a it's a it's a it's a it's a knee that's a little a little angry at times. But who knows, maybe maybe we'll get ties back. We'll see how that goes in the next few weeks.
Close.
Pepe is close. Yep, Pepe's close. Ham's close. So and you got to make some decisions there and those are all good things.
That was head coach John Horrible.
Now.
The NFL's trade deadline is Tuesday at four pm, so we'll see if the Ravens end up making any moves before the clock hits four tomorrow, and the Ravens will be back on the practice field on Wednesday to prepare for their game coming up at M and T Banks Stadium on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Also make sure you leave a rating and review here and also hit that subscribe button to both podcasts. Thanks for listening. We'll be back with you on Wednesday.