Welcome to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. The Ravens return for the bye week and head coach John Harbaugh talk with the media. He discussed where the team sits at this point of the season, as are nine to three. They currently tie for the best record in the AFC. He talked about some of the takeaways and lessons from the bye week and the challenges that the Ravens have in front of them.
The rest of the way.
Okay, appreciate you guys all coming out. Welcome back. Good to have you back, and it's been good. Had a very productive week. A lot of work went into the week in terms of the coaching staff and trying to turn over every stone and figure out every avenue that we can do to create opportunities and advantages for our team and for our players going forward. We know we've got a big challenge in front of us, but we also have a great opportunity and we're looking forward to it.
We just can't wait. The guys were great today, They were locked in, had a really good practice, great meetings, felt great about that. They'll be off from preparing tomorrow. Got to just kind of get themselves right for for Wednesday, and then we'll be off on the week. So with that, what questions you have?
I mean, right now, after you know I'm coming off the buy, you have a two game.
Leading the division.
If you win all your games, you'll you know, you you basically control your fate for the number one seed. I mean, how do you feel about kind of the state of the team right now heading to the final five games? Which is I'm I'm excited, just like all the players are. I hope the fans are uh with the opportunity that we have and that that our guys have have created for themselves, you know, and you do that by just taking it one day at a time and trying to be the best football team you can
be and try to play the best you can. So I feel like our guys have done a good job of that. But it's always looking forward. Challenges are in front of us and we need to be ready for them.
The rest and kind of helping the corporation standpoint, did you feel like this week off was was good?
From the pot the guys when you say.
Oh, yeah, yeah, they're they're good, I'm sure it is. I mean, they see them, but they feel good. They're full of energy. But it's a long season, you know, it's a big challenge, and every one of these games is a really physical type type of a game. So our guys can use it. I know a number of teams other teams had it this week. So we're the last bye I think, and so everybody will be uh full on for the rest of the way.
John, do you allow your Do you watch the games yesterday?
Do you root against the Steelers?
And did you watch the games? I watched most of them? Yeah, I didn't. I didn't. I can't say I was right glued to the TV for every single play, but I don't have a package or anything, so I got to watch the red zone a lot of times. So I mean, why would have I'm I'm at games. I mean, I'm not watching games. I'm not gonna pay for that, no way.
But then on the bye week, I will say, on the bye weekend, on the Thursday game, I was kind of mad at myself for not having it, you know, but absolutely you root against all the teams that are, you know, in your way. So that's what we did. We had a we had a good day watching Joe and the Orange or the Browns and playing the team you're gonna play. I was rooting against Joe and the Browns, you know, that's that's what we did. You know. I think Joe's cool. It's cool what he did. He looked,
he looked really good. But I couldn't root for him yesterday.
So obviously played well in that game. Stafford's healthy and looked good as you know what you what you see.
From them, right, Yeah, the Rams. You know, we've been studying those guys really pretty much last week as well, and they won three in a row. They're coming on. I think Sean has done a really good job with their team. Their coaches have done a good job. They're young, built around to two you know, superstar players, one on offense, one on defense, you know who they are, and then a number of you know, young guys, rookies. You were playing well for him, uh playmakers, very physical, team play,
super hard on defense. It's just very impressive what they've done, you know. So we recognize the challenges in front of us. We understand what they're bringing. Their fighting for a playoff spot, but we were fighting for things too, you know, and we've got a lot, a lot to play for, so you know, I'm caught from our guys are gonna be out there, you know, playing well and playing their best touch.
On the on this a little bit before about but how beneficial is it to have it at this point of the season. And secondly, just is there any sort of mental reset for you guys kind of pulling in on Obviously you're looking at this is the game, but they come upon, you know, the final six games, and you've been sort of the home stretch to do it well.
I think you guys have a chance to focus in on what's in front of them, you know, and then you know, you get that week to kind of think about it and put in perspective. Our guys have a good perspective on it. They understand where we're at, what's required, and what's what's possible, you know, the opportunities that are creating. They understand that, and I think they're focused in and locked in and ready to go.
Do you have since twenty nineteen?
You have eleven players too, You have eleven players remaining since from the twenty nineteen team, And you talk about the ways and the challenges of retaining culture that you kind of agreed with these teams as they kind of rotated and out and the turnover rate is so high.
Yeah, I mean that's what the national football he is, you know. I mean that's what you try to do every single day, every week, every year. That's what we do, you know. And I love our guys. We got the right kind of guys who understand what we're about, what we stand for kind of from a football standpoint. So our guys has done a great job. I love our culture, so to speak, the environment, the way, the values that
people have here. They love football. They want to work hard, they want to be at practice, they want to be in meetings, they love to go play games. That's where we start. We're football. That's what we're here for, and we're here for football. We've got a bunch of guys that love football. So I love working with guys who love football.
When you have the time to do these kind of big picture analyzes, do you find yourself more curious looking at why you've done the stuff that you've done well.
As supposed to stuff that you could be doing better?
Is there a campus you're kind of more drawn to and looking at everything? I mean, I appreciate that you have such great analytical questions and you make me like think, Okay, what do I think about that? I don't really think about that. I mean, I just you look at everything
all the time. These coaches over here, we got some of the best high school coaches in the area, the most successful guys here, all nominated for Coach of the Year, high school coaches in the area, just fantastic football coaches. And it's the same for you guys as it is for us. I don't think it's any different. You look at your team, you got the eye test, what you see on tape, you got the analytic tests. Is what the numbers tell you. And you look at all that stuff,
and you say, Okay, what are we doing well? What are we not doing well? Where are our opportunities? What can we leverage to give our guys an advantage going forward to you know, make plays and be the best players they can. And that's really what we're trying to do. And some things you say, hey, we need to do more of some things less some things, you know, not at all. It's not good for us anymore. We can take advantage of this. We don't need to take advantage
of that. You just do the best you can figuring all that stuff out, and you go forward and go fightings that you did coming out of the last game. I guess Matta Vick the protocol of Marylin with the Katherine and are those are those looking pretty good right now? They are looking pretty good right now? Yeah. I think on Wednesday probably have a more definitive type of an answer, but I'd say right now there's a lot of optimism.
Zach was released by.
The Cardinals last week. How much interest did the Ravens happen in him?
Well, I mean, you know all the guys that anytime a great players is out there, he's sure look at it. But I would say this about that right now, we like our tight ends, you know, we really like our guys. And you know, like I said, I'm not rolling out Mark Andrews for the down the road future at all. This Mark is so darned tough and and Mark marks one of those guys that really, really and truly say a guy eats, sleeps and breeds football. That's Mark Andrews,
you know. So you know he's gonna do everything he can to get back down the road. But the guys that we have right now are young guys, They're real guys, they're real players, and I think right now, we'll just roll with those guys.
That would say coach John Harball. You're listening to the Ravens Press Past podcast. Make sure you leave a rating and a review and hit that subscribe button if you haven't done so. All right, thanks for listening. We'll be back with you on Wednesday.