Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass podcast. The Ravens dropped two to one on the season after losing twenty two to nineteen to the Indianapolis Colts in an overtime game on Sunday at M and T Bank Stadium. On Monday, head coach John Harbaugh held his Monday afternoon presser with the local media. He talked about what went right, what went wrong, and what played into some of the key decisions that he made over the course of the afternoon. Here was the entirety of Coach Harball's press conference.
All Right, good to see everybody, appreciate you being here, a chance to obviously to study the tape this morning, early this morning and through this afternoon and from there get on to the next challenge against the Brown So we're looking forward to that. It's going to be a tough, a tough game, tough division game on the road in Cleveland, it always is, and we're looking forward to the challenge.
It's a great opportunity and a great challenge and we'll have we'll be putting every effort we have into that starting today. As far as the game, you know, I just uh, I just I just appreciate the way our guys play in terms of how hard they played. I mean, our guys were competing, fighting, throwing their bodies around. It's a very physical game and doing everything that they could to find a way to win the game. And we made, you know, numerous plays and critical situations throughout the course
of the game. It was one of those games probably where you know, there were probably more critical moments and critical plays situations in that game than any game I can remember in a long time. It was just a very unique, different kind of a game, and we made a lot of them, and other ones we didn't make, and other ones they made. You know, it was just one of those kind of a crazy games, and unfortunately we came out in the short end of it. But when you watch the tape, you know, I don't want,
I don't want. You know, from a coaching perspective, it's really important not to let the outcome blur you know, of the facts. And when you watch the tape, the fact of the matter is is we got a bunch of guys that play the hearts out and and our physical and tough and accountable, and you trying to do everything they can to find a way to win the game and when you when you when you have that as a coach, you're happy because you can build on that. And it's it's early, you know, it's it's a third
game of the season. The difference between being two and one and three and oh is is you know, it's it's it's a significant thing. Much it'll be three and oh than two and one, but it's it's one game early in the season, and so it's not so much about way whether you're three and over two and one right now, it's what you do with it going forward and how you build on it. So that's what I'm looking forward to. I mean, you know, our guys we make no excuses. You know, we acknowledge our errors and
we move on to the next game. You know, it's a week to week league. So that's what I'm looking forward to is this week and getting to work on what we got to get better at. So we pinpoint what those things are, we go to work and and try to define ourselves as football team and see what we can become. What questions you have?
Can you think as Doe the confusion around the tim that morning.
When the where the rests moved the they seemed like the.
Two to minute mornings, and nobody related what.
Was going on.
Yeah, you know, hey, you know, we'll take responsibility for that. We didn't. We didn't in the confusion of all that it was chaotic, which I didn't realize at the time, but I think uh, Gardner stepped out out of the back of the end zone, right, So they ruled it one fifty eight, which changes everything in terms of the
clock management. And while that was going on, we were in the huddle, and you know, we made the determination that we're gonna fair catch anything because we're looking at an on side kick, pop up kick, those kinds of things for them to try to get the ball back. So the smart play was to get to you know, to fare catch anything. And uh, and we did not do the job we needed to do to communicate to our guys after the change was made, once they were on
the field that that you know, that changed. You know, we might have thought we did, we might have. You know, That's that's the way it goes in communications. So we just got to do a better job communicating. I think communication is the basis for everything, especially in football, especially in the heat of battle, you know, finding a way to communicate clearly, and we just didn't get that done. I'll take responsibility for that. We just got to be
better at that. That should not have been a fair catch. We knew it, and we didn't get the word to say like we needed to.
Over time, there were two possible note calls. Both are involved to say on the run of the face mask and then the control defense. Have you heard anything back from the legal.
News No, the pros The way the procedure works is you you on Monday, you list the plays that you want them to look at, and you send them in. So and it's got to be written for him. You can't really call and ask yeah, you're not really allowed to do that. So yeah, yeah, we'll be sending those in for sure. Absolutely. I'd like to get some clarification
on those. And not just those. I mean a lot of the things are things that you know, you just ask for clarification on, you know, how they see a certain play, you know, how are they gonna rule things going forward? But uh, those are two. There'll definitely be two that we'll be asking about.
There was a chaotic during the safety punt situation. During that time, was there were you contemplating calling a time out or once you realized that you couldn't get the call in, was it kind of like we'll just let it go.
I was there, Well, well, we thought we had to call in. So that was really but no, looking back on it, I think right away afterwards we all said to ourselves we should have called time out. So yes, I mean, if we'd have kind of had a looking back on it in hindsight, we should have called time out and that we would have made it more clear. So I think, I know we'll learn from that.
Jenner.
One last thing that play.
Du Ferne was up at the line and I think and say Flowers was the.
Back guy, right, whereas you expecting some sort of like really short kick there on.
The free kick Like I'm just I guess I don't understand.
Yeah, well, if it was one, that's what you think you're going to get. So yeah, one is a very good chance for an onn side kick because if not, you're looking at twenty twenty five seconds, you know, after you punt, if you don't, if you don't gain any yards. So we thought for sure we were defending. That's why the hands team was out there. Uh, that's exactly what we thought we were going to get and then it kind of got changed in the process of that. It
wasn't you know, it's nobody. It's not anybody's fault but ours. You know, we didn't understand exactly quick enough in terms of that it was going to be over two minutes left, you know, when the ball was kicked, and by the time we did, we didn't get the thing communicated like we needed to to the guys out there, and that's on us. It's on us one hundred percent. Take full responsibility for it. I'll take full responsibility for it.
John mentioned ball security issues. Yes, guys know that they need to pull on the ball. What do you attribute those issues to? Is it black of the focuses? In fact, you got the guys in there obviously injuries and so forthrough getting their snats normal.
Yeah, I mean there's no anyone, you know, over arching theme to different situations. I mean, every situation is different, you know, so you coach every situation individually and you make a big emphasis on it. It's always a big emphasis for us. It's like the number one thing, you know, is taking care of the football. It has to be and we have to become great at that, uh, in order to win football games. And we all understand that. I mean,
everybody knows it. So we'll work on it even more and even harder because it's something that's come up now, you know, and we got can't be making excuses for it. There's no there's no okay, it's not okay. Everybody knows it. It's challenging, no doubt. I mean it's the NFL now, it's challenging. You know, they're trying to get the ball out. We're trying to get the ball out. That's the name of the game. And you've got to be great at protecting the football.
And using words kind of close out games to count. How challenging was it to try and plays at the end there just trying to want to claw up not having injury and two bests that were lucky up this week last probably how hard was it to kind of find the plays and that your decision making.
Right, I mean, you know, we absolutely just want you want to call the plays that are going to give you a chance to do two things. You want to run the time and you want to you want to you want to get the first down, you know, So those two things came to play. We had the penalty that stopped the clock. That was that was a real tough one there, uh, trying to you know, get get the ball in the perimeter and try to get it
on third and long. The fact that we wouldn't have wanted to have been in the third and long obviously we'd like to have created some yards before that. So, you know, it's always challenging, but it's something you gotta do. I mean, you gotta get it done. Closing out the game is the way to win the game. You know, we've got to That's something we have to be good at this year. I mean, it's really important and we can't be we can't be looking for you know, you know the reasons
why it's challenging. To your question, I mean, we've got to be looking for reasons ways to get the job done, and we are and we will. We will get the job done in that area this year. You can cut the I don't know the exact detailer where he's at right now, I haven't heard. I don't know that. I don't know how it's defined. Right now. He's in he's in evaluation, I guess is the best thing to say. I don't know where he's at in the stage, what stage he's at.
You feel you might have to make a movement running back.
With all it's up in the air right now. We'll just see where're at. And it's we're just early. It's Monday, you know there, guys get evaluated on Monday, John, guys, are.
Them to too healthy?
After the game? You missing your starting age guys, some of your special teams guys, are you starting to feel like some of these injuries are kind of just a little too much to bear right now? And every healthy guy you had on your roster play in uniform yesterday?
Yeah? Right, well, no, we don't feel like it's too much to bear, you know, to the ant, you know the way you stated the question. Absolutely not. You know, we've got guys that can get the job done. But it's definitely relevant, you know, it's definitely something that we're contending with. We have to. It's uh, it's where we're at right now. Like I said before, the good the good side is that the guys are coming back. You know.
The downside is not coming back all of them are coming back right now, you know, or they haven't already been there. So but we'll coach the guys, and the guys will step up and play. You saw guys play very well yesterday. But that's just part of it and we'll just keep working through it. I said, no excuses, just get ready for the next game.
How's the job doing with his ankle? And then to go along with that, Joremaline, who had to play more than you probably would have anticipated. How they think they end up?
Yeah, I mean I think they played well. They played hard and played tough, you know, and that was good to see, like just like you expect them to play. And yeah, David's being evaluated there, so he's got the ankle issue. We'll see where it's at. Just goes to the last question exactly, that's kind of where we're at.
Speaking of mares on a job, you know, lives. I think uh Walls had a hamstring.
It's just Monday, you know, we're figuring it out. They'll being evaluated today.
Secondly, you know, you guys have a lot in this year the recent years. Why do you think that's the case.
Well, if you look at each injury this year, they've almost all been uh guys getting caught in piles. It's all been football contact related injuries. So that's what you're looking at this year. I don't think you can have a theme for that other than it's football. That's the way it's been.
Don't you anticipate anybody practice this week last week.
We'll see, we'll see. Yeah, we're working on that right now.
They're still a week away and maybe maybe the people that are eligible to come back after four weeks time spouser Key Mitchell, is your hate to do that or it's too early now?
No, it's we kind of know where they're at. We'll we'll get there next week. You know, let's cross that bridge next week when we get there.
Okay, John, there I could be mistaken that. I think the two of the sacks that Lamarta from how the play and what looked like they were designed TB draws. I mean, is that just a player do you kind of take there caps they need to get to him for that kind of like wrests and.
Developed each those are different, you know, they're there. There's some of them were we had a number of design QB draws that also have there r PO type plays and there's plays like that that are in the offense. Everybody runs plays like that, so different plays they play out different ways, you know, in those certain plays, the two sacks played out certain ways each play. You know, we look at that stuff in great detail. It's not something I can really lay out in the press conference.
You know, if we put the tape up there, maybe we could show you and talk about it. But it's kind of not where we're it's not traditional to do that, you know. But there there are plays that we can definitely execute better, that's for sure.
Each Geral I guess, how would you say Lamar da against and those places. I think cover one was the main kind of bud.
Well. I mean there was, yeah, there was. They made some plays, you know, but we made some plays too, you know, and I thought you got the ball out on time numerous times. Well other times, you know, he was forced to hold the ball a little bit and they got to him a couple of times that way. But also he got out of it a couple of times that way, and he dropped it down a couple of times. So you know, that's just continue to chase perfection, you know, continue to to try to build on on
you know, what we're doing, and get better. That's really what it is. I mean, it's a process it's week to week and you got to keep building on the next week because you just keep moving forward and if you we'll get better, we'll improve, we'll clean stuff up, we'll figure out our identity as we go, just like every team in the National Football League does that. You know,
a long way. While you do that, you want to win these early games as many as you can, obviously, because that's stack and wins, and so that's what we'll continue to try to do next couple of weeks. It's a long season for a reason. It's a National Football League, and the one true champion will be the team that is, you know, is becomes the best team and proves himself to be the best team over the course of this eason.
You don't crown the champion in week three. They never have and it's not going to happen this year either. So whatever you think about a team right now is fine. That's where it's at right now. It's all about where it goes from here, you know, and our guys understand that that's whether you win or lose. We're happy last week that we won, but we know we got to
get better. You know, we're disappointed this week that we lost, but we know we got to get better, you know, and that's what we're working on.
That's today, Patrick Queen, that's the Colt successful run day to lack of communications on the defenses that what did you see on film?
As to.
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I got a couple of balls bounced outside on us. You know, that was really the bottom line. We did a good job against the run except for I think four plays you know that that got usually pretty much bounced outside of the defense. So yeah, there were reasons for that. There are technical reasons for that communication, I guess is a way to say it very generally, but it's just more technical reasons that we can we can play those better, and we will.
Daryl Worley, I think one hundred and two snaps, Jeremiah Sorry, they're really one hundred two snaps yesterday Jeremiah Moon's defense. Sorry, combined total snaps. You have a lot of guys, Daryl Worley, Jeremiah Moon, Tavis Robinson, all those guys had a large snap share. How much stress, uh, going back to the team at large when you got those guys who aren't used to logging down the snaps frankly.
Yeah, yeah, it's too many snaps. Obviously you played five quarters, you know. Uh, Darrow was out there for most every defensive snap and numerous special team snap. We were finding ways to get him out of there on special teams towards the end. Uh, you don't really plan on playing eighty eight plays on defense.
Uh.
So that's tough, you know, that's the challenge right now. But that's the way it went. That's the way the game went.
When you have, especially at one position running back, and you're shuffling through running backs, different running backs, how much does that change your running scheme? Do you does it change with different or do you just go, hey, this is our scheme, let's try to fit these guys into it.
Well, well, guys do certain things well, and you want guys to be doing the run the plays that they run best. But you also can't become predictable that way. So it's a little bit of both.
I guess later that with Kyle Hamilton, I mean, there was so much talk this year with Chuck Clark Wonkins grew.
Fat in the traditional safety and yet when you.
Watch the way we played yesterday, do you foresee that being more of his role going for not think it be too much strategy. But do you see him as much as his lot as.
Back safety with I think it remains to be seen. No, I don't see I don't see that necessarily. And he plays safety, but he played in the slot quite a bit in this game we played. We played a three safety type of a defense in this game. Partly personnel, partly game plan, I would say dictated by both probably, but he definitely plays well in there. I mean, it's definitely something that you have to think about because he's
kind of a difference maker down in there. You know, he makes sacks, bats balls down, he covers, you know, he covers downs number one, one on one numerous times the man coverage. You know, that's pretty pretty impressive. So yeah, I think I just played super well, uh doing that. He plays well when he's back super well. He's playing back to Just real happy with the way he's playing, and we're gonna use him in different spots.
John la Martin didn't end up throwing down field very much.
Was that kind of the game plan going in obviously I had a lot of success with it on the first couple of drives.
Or was that more dictated by the way.
The game went.
I think it's more dictated by the way the game went.
Yeah, signed to Josh Johnson, Yes, right, was it to the price. No, he's back to that very roster. That's sign the roster.
He'll be back on the roster, fifty three roster. Yeah. Yeah, we did that basically because we needed to have enough guys were healthy, active. And I'll just say this about Josh if I can. It was okay for him to for him to do that because as a veteran, he has a choice to do that. You know, we asked him to do that. It wasn't like we required him to do that, and he was He was good about it because he knew it was the best thing for this week. I think he deserves a lot of credit for that.
You said, you're watching the tape that your best part of your best worked something.
Kind of hanging around out.
Is there any other takeaways that you can kind of maybe want to share, anything else that you really solid you go through it.
Yeah, you know, I did bring it. I brought a list of the situations you know that we that we did well. You know, I was I was just I was happy with so many things that we did in the game. You know, I'm not happy with the outcome. Not happy with uh, you know, some of the things that happened, but uh, you know, the execution in certain areas.
But you just have to understand and realize that that is part and parcel to grow in your football team, you know, especially when you're a young football team and you've got some young guys out there playing and all that. And I don't think it's really it's nice to come out of the gates. You know, it's nice to win every game early on because it puts you in great position. And we still hope to do that. You know, we have an opportunity in the next two weeks. We're going
on the road for three weeks in a row. We've got an opportunity to play two division teams on the road. We'll have our first five games, three of our division road games behind us. You know, Man, if you can get some wins in those three games, you are ahead of the count really well. So you know, that's kind of what we're focused on right now. And I just I know we're playing hard. Yes, it's not ideal that we have you know, all these you know, guys out
because of these injuries. It's not ideal, But like I said, we're not making excuses for that. We trust the guys that are going going in there to play well. And our guys are going to go play their hearts out, and Lamar Jackson is going to play his heart out, and these receivers are going to play their hearts out in the offensive line. And you know, you look at that, look our team. I feel really good about our team. I love our team, you know. I love our team.
I love the way they practice, I love the way they play. I can I can in my mind, I can picture guys throwing their bodies in there on kickout blocks and all the other things that were happening in the game. Corners covering downfield. You asked me about throwing downfield, you know, and they didn't throw downfield either, you know. We they completed one pass downfield, it was and a guy made an amazing catch, Pittman, did you know, So give them credit for that. That's football in the National
Football League. So let's let's just keep building on all the good things. Let's not make excuses for the things we can do better. Our guys never do. They just go to work on correcting them and that process goes on, and that's it's it's always a moving target. It's always
a moving target with the goal toward constant improvement. And I love our guys and I believe they'll go to work this week and we'll go out to Cleveland and we'll throw everything out that we got out there, and if we play our best football, we'll win the game, you know, and that'll be That'll be our goal.
That was head coach John Harbaugh during his Monday afternoon press conference. The Ravens are clearly turning the page and looking ahead to the upcoming matchup against Cleveland Browns. It's going to be a big stretch for this team. They get back on the practice field on Wednesday, and we will continue to bring you Ravens Press Pass podcast on Wednesday once the players and coach Hardball meet with the
media again. In the meantime, if you want more of a breakdown from Sunday's game, check out the Lounge podcast where I'm make and I will give you a full breakdown on everything that happened during Sunday's game against the Colts. That's it for us here today, but stay tuned later this week for another episode of the press Pass podcast. Come to see you on Wednesday,