Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass Podcast. The Ravens are coming off a thrilling victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday to improve to three and two. It was an instant classic of a game, probably the best in the NFL this year, and it moves the Ravens to the top spot in the AFC North. The Ravens have now won three straight games and they are leading the way
in the division. Today, we had a chance to hear from head coach John Harball, who talked with the media during his weekly Monday press conference.
Appreciate you all being here, hard at work, putting this game in perspective and trying to learn everything we can from it. We have so much to learn from it to get better. It's good to win and improve. That's a real big part of it. You learn a lot
about yourself in situations like that. I feel like we learned a lot of things that we suspected about our team in terms of a character and our competitiveness, toughness, uh and also things that we just have to get better at, just flat out things that we're not doing nearly well enough. But that's an opportunity, right, that's an opportunity to really improve. So there's a lot of room for growth on this football team and that excites me
as well. So we'll get to the work of that this week and get ready for a very very good Washington Commander's team that is playing at a very high level, maybe the highest level in the league right now. So what question do you have, John?
On the Lamar play with to York past to likely where he drops the snaps that's arms of the guy for the you know, where does that play kind of rank for you?
I mean everyone's pretty vase by it, But for you, I mean where, where's the kind of rank for you.
On the on the on the rankings of extended scramble?
Uh?
Plays? I I don't know. Like my dad always says, you've never had a better win. There's probably never been a better play today. You know, it's it's an amazing play. And uh, you know Lamar, the thing I preached about Lamar's he's not even happy with it. He's mad about it, you know, because it's because it's not the way. It's
definitely not in the playbook that way. But that goes back to what we kind of talked about a lot of times, you got to find ways to win, you know, and you have to overcome sometimes you have to overcome your own things, and certainly the opponent throws so many things at you that are challenging. I just thought it was an incredible, fabulous play that will go down in history. I mean, we'll be watching that play for years to come on NFL films.
The adjustments Lamar made, the way they were striking the box, they were out, they're going to beat them, the way you started to throw the ball, they went to cover zero. They threw everything at him. Here's making plays now. The adjustments team made the deal with that defense, Todd.
I mean, it's one of the great points of the game right there. You know, they attacked us how we expect them to. They they've used those same defenses in the past against us to great effect. They're an aggressive team U lous a heck of a defensive coordinator, uh and they're they're they're come and get you type of a mindset. And they that's what they went to and
and we handle it for the most part. You know, the zero blitzes, the zero shows and bluff outs and play over three, we handled those for the most part. And they got us and we got them, And I was really proud of the way Lamar handled it. Certainly he got us into plays, got us into protections, made throws, made throws under duress, on target, on point, Guys made catches, guys got open you know, both Z's, Mark Andrews, Rashad Bateman, Tylan Wallace. I mean, guys made plays like crazy, uh
in those situations. And that's what you have to do. You have to come up and make those plays and get into a play that you know is effective against that stuff. So that's a tremendous point. You're making.
The ass between Tyler and Morris and all the Isaiah like the touchdown and didn't send over, didn't get those snack being lads, And obviously all over time was that you trucked it up to crowd noise. You trucked it up to some other communication issues between Tyler and Marbon. What do you want to see that?
Yeah, all the Bob. I mean, that's that's like one of the open ended opportunities I think to really improve. And that's the challenge, Like your face and the defense is going to give you a lot of different things that are that are going to be aggressive, and so you can't go to the line with just one option because you can be wrong probably the higher percentage of the time. So you go to the line with multiple options.
Our ability to get in those get in the right option and execute it so you can hurt them as what you're trying to do. Crowd noise absolutely part of it. Communication because of the even in the huddle is part of it. Getting it right, making sure everybody's on the same page as that iding it and seeing it. You know, what you have to do to move the you know, motion or shift wise to actually uncover it is part
of the challenge. And then to say it under time and then you get that play clock running down on you. So you've got us a couple of times. I think that's something that we're going to continue to work on and practice. But also in our you know, our verbiage or terminology, just try to continue to get to the point where we can make things a little cleaner, tighter.
But that means that you have to use less words in the huddle, which means guys have to memorize more as they learn, you know, have a better understanding of the offense. So that's the best way I can describe it is a lot to it. But it's certainly something that you work on every.
Day, recognizing how talented that Bettel's receiving group is. When you watch this game again, why why were they able to do what they did?
Like what didn't quite work for your secondary?
Yeah? Well, first of all, I mean I think they had just an A plus game in terms of their execution, you know, I mean he had pressure in his face numerous times, the pocket was getting pushed, guys were coming at him. He stood in and made some really great throws. I mean, like on the money throws off his back foot. He had receivers that were tightly covered. I had, I call him, you know, tightly contested catches. You know, we had numerous tightly tight, tight coverage where they made the catches.
You know, So in that case, that kind of a throw under pressure, that kind of a catch, that's football. You know, you have to understand that. But I also believe that we compounded the yardage because we didn't play things as well as we need to play them. You know, there's so many, so much opportunity in there to play certain things better. Probably five or six plays in the passing game from a coverage standpoint, that that we're just
way better than that. You know, we're way better than to play some of those things the way we played them. Our guys are gonna watch them on tape. I'm sure they already have, and they're going to say the same thing he got. You know, that's something we got to do better. So that's that we're still striving for consistency. You know, we're still fighting for consistency. And you're going
against a really efficient, talented offense. But it's still up to us to play our defense consistently the way we want to play it on those lines.
Is it the consistency aspect?
Is it?
You want to see more communication, you want to see more plays on the ball, you know, guys not being open an occasion, I don't know his handful play with what specifically, or you're moving from.
It's really all those things, Brian, I mean, it's actually all those things. You know, that's where consistency comes in. You know, it's never one thing. It's it's all those things that you have to do all the time. Like we had tight coverage, we were in the right spots, we were matching routes, so many times so well, but you know, four or five times, I guess a quarterback that can really see the field and get the ball where it needs too late when it pops open, that's
where you get exposed, you know. So to win our to win our conference, to go, you know, to win our division, to win a game against the teams we're gonna play, We're gonna play quarterbacks that are capable of that. You know, We've got another one coming up this week. Different style, but same kind of you know, in different ways, creates the same level of problems. And so we've just got to be on point every single play with what we're doing.
I guess ranked level of concerned one we can.
I don't do that. You know, I don't do that. It's never never done that. There's no rankings, John.
We know the as you'd like to call them, the pundits that times have claimed that you guys, when you're down by double ditchits like you were yesterday, you tend to quote unquote pantic, but obviously wasn't the case yesterday.
You come back and win.
What does win in a game like that do for you? If you're put in that situation again late in the season.
Yeah, I mean, I don't know about the pundits saying that, I really haven't seen that. I'm seeing his stats on that. I mean, I don't know how many times we've been down by double digits in the fourth quarter. It's probably I should probably have our an lens people look it up, you know, to make sure that that, I know, huh, not too often. So I'm not sure where like a storyline where that would come from, but I that haven't
been said. I mean, I'd rather be I'd rather be up by double digits and hold the lead, you know. But it's good to know you can do it, you know. I think back to the Indianapolis game. This is really the last one I remember, and that we came back and got that done and really driven by Lamar, you know, honestly, and all the guys around him. I thought the protection was so good and tough. You know, they were bringing blitzer, his heavy blitzers, and there were times where he had
to he had to get away. He got away a couple of times, crazy, he moved in the pocket a couple of times, and may throw sometimes he was untouched. Guys getting open. Just all the things that go into the type of game you're in when you're down by double digits three different times, right, I think we were down by ten three different times in the fourth quarter,
So you know that's that's good. You know, I don't want to be the guy that dwells on the negative and just says, oh, but you know, we weren't good here, we weren't good there. We're going to dwell on that because we're coaches and you know we need to. It's us. We look at ourselves and where can we get better?
What's our opportunity. But at the same time, you know, maybe we should get credit for coming back three different times, you know, on the on the number of times we came back from double digit deficits sort of.
A microcosm of the way things have gone this season.
Where you start out on to ninety one three straight, you're right there in the first place.
I mean, a sense of where the team's at after the rough.
Beginning, Well, I mean I like where we're at. I think it's just it's part of it kind of goes together. You know, we we were, we were in a good place, and we're in better place now because we're continuing to improve. But we have a lot of improvement to do and a lot of opportunity to get better. So I'm excited about that opportunity.
And a lot of people in this rand talked about Derrick Henry professionalism and you know, not a lot of touches in the fourth quarter because.
Of the game situation.
Then you know, over time through.
A workforce where what goes into Derek's ability to kind of stay ready to break off they played even if he's not seen a lot of game actions.
Were Ty said, Yeah, that's a great, great question. I mean, I'd say the first thing Derek would tell you is really good blocking. I mean, you had that play happen, and the play before that too on the right side before the fumble was a really well blocked, cracked toss play. This was a zone crack play to the left that man. I mean, just the fact that it was a point in time in the game where fatigue was a big
part of everything that was going on. And to see our guys pull around the way they did, Tylan Wallace block, pat Riccard's block, Ronnie's block, I mean, those guys had some great blocks. And then you have, like you said, Derek his time on that it was over twenty one miles.
I think it was twenty one point four maybe, which matches the fastest time that he's ever had, uh that I'm aware of that according to our people, in a game in overtime on a hot day like that, towards the end of the game, you know, and after he's been tackled numbers number of times. You know, it kind of the kind of speaks for himself.
I'm hunt the rolled out of the two yard line in the second quarter, How do you coach off that? What should have happened on that play?
Yeah, I mean that's gotta be caught. You know, he knows that he's he's gonna he's gonna want that one, you know, caught, you know, And that's that's definitely you just gotta get over there. You gotta get over and get squared up on it. Fair catch it if you have to, just catch it. But what I what I'm impressed with talking about Thailand is how he bounces back two huge catches in the fourth quarter that we don't win the game without, and the block to spring the
game winning run. Right. So sometimes you have a bad play, he knows that it put it put us in a bad spot. He's on our offense. You know, he stands that. But he didn't get he didn't get down about it. He didn't sit on the bench and so, you know, pout about it at all. He just just he looks you're right in the eye and says, Okay, you know I'm still here. You know, I'm gonna find a way to make it up, you know. And and he did.
He talked about when we talk about Justin talker, we don't often talk about lack of confidence or his confidence meter for Justin Tucker with his confidence right there. But how big do you think hitting that fifty six order in that situation was for him?
Yeah?
I mean it was big for our team, you know. And that's what he'll tell you too. It's like, you know, our team needed it, you know. And and he did come over afterwards after he made that kick, which was a very difficult kick. He came over afterwards after making that kick, and he was he was pumped up, and he was actually after the kickoff, I think he kicked the touchback comes the sideline, he gets right in my face,
you know, just a little uncomfortably close. You know. He broke he broke into my personal space, and he said, he goes.
Let's go win the game.
Let's win the game. You know, I'm for it. I'm for that. I am for winning the game. I am on board with that. And I think he I think for him to get the opportunity then to finish it with a game winner, that's what you know, it means a lot.
We saw, you know in preseason, looks like Marcus Leaves is back to his old you know starr And so what do you guys have to do? What does he have to do to get him back for that way he can eat more of an entact player.
Yeah, Marcus is is working hard. He's doing a good job. He's he's making a lot of good tackles, a lot of a lot of physical play in there. And uh, you know, I think he's I think he's on the verge of really breaking out. Some balls are gonna come his way. You know, he's he's moving really well. I fully expect him to come up with some big plays for us very soon.
Just an adjustment.
I mean, obviously you're not doing things necessarily exactly the same as you did cover twice with McDonald's going exact words. Some of that just playing with new players, trying to everyone getting comfortable playing together.
Yeah, that's a good question. I mean, it could be anyway, any or all of those things. It's just there's no way to know for sure. I just I feel like it's just like every season is kind of different. Every season stands on its own. Nothing it's not nothing's really there's some there's some continuity for sure, but there's also a lot of things that just stand on their own.
And and like you know, for instance, in this league, I mean it's it's we say it's a one week it's one it's it's it's it's it's a one week league, and it's a it's a one and oh league, it's a one game in a time league. It's one play at a time league. And you just got to take every play, every game every week and stand on its own and do your best in that game, and then you assess kind of where you're at and what you need to work on after that.
About the contesting catches that the Bengals receivers made, Your receivers made a number of them in this game too, especially after two games.
That were really run heavy.
For them to come up and make those plays for Lamar for this offense. Just what's that meaning for these these pass catchers.
That's a great point. I mean, those guys, you know, and hey, you run the ball for a bunch of yards in your head and all that, and then it's like, well, you know, well guys aren't making plays. You guys are't getting a chance and all that. And then but they they didn't. I mean, they want to make plays, you know, they got their chances game, you know, and they made them. I mean in the fourth quarter, all through the game,
but the fourth quarter. These catches that were made by these guys and these throws that were made by Lamar, we were just at the highest possible level and they and every one of them was required for us to have a chance to win the game the way the game went. So I'm just proud of those guys for that.
Leaking back to training camp when Ronnie and Stanley was saying, he feels the best he has since his probole season. Now, I guess, do you see that in him and besides Jessica's health, what is he doing differently this year?
Justin yourself. Yeah, it's a good question. I mean, I think Ronnie, it helps the main thing you know, he he had he had a really bad you know, the whole thing. You know, he guys know the story on Ronnie and and and he's tough. He fought through it. But he I think he had an off season where he could train, and he went to work and train because he was healthy enough to do it, and got strong,
got his strength back. He's always been a good athlete, but to get that power, that strength and anchor back was really important.
Uh.
He's been able to practice every day, you know, right on through He's practiced every day through training camp. He's been out there, and that's it's a practice sport, you know, for anybody. So for him regaining his form, I'd say those are the two things that made the difference.
You guys get pretty healthy.
Any major issues, Uh yeah, I think we're good. We'll see, but I think we're I think we're okay.
John, you mentioned how good the past protection was yesterday. I mean this, this configuration of the offensive line has played two really good games.
Now, I mean will it be?
I mean, is is the tendency to want to sort of go with this line will that's playing so well, even though Voris probably will be ready to play him too.
Yeah, I'm asking a question. You know, Andrew will come back, you know, maybe this week, you know, three weeks with the high ankles about right, and he's a he guys, I mean, you can't believe that hard he's working at it, you know, just it's amazing how tough he is. So it's good. It'll be good to have him back. But you know, an object in motion tends to stay in motion, right, So if we're doing well, we're probably going to try
to keep that momentum going. With the addition and the opportunity to put guys in you know, when where when where we might be able to and we're probably a little more open to that than a lot of teams even still, but I think the offensive line is doing a good job. We'll just have to see where we're at through the week.
I think God didn't played a whole lot, But how did you think he looked it?
And how did he fit as appertained?
Yeah, I thought he looked good, you know, and he had eleven snaps. I was hoping for more. I'm sure he was too, But you know, those guys were playing so well also, and the way he played out, they were pretty fresh. For whatever reason. But uh, we're going to be intentional about you know, getting all of our pass rushers in the game, you know who are up because you know they're fresher. So that's something I think we have to do a good job of going forward.
I think he looked good. He looked really good. A job of David A. Joba looked really good. And so o O Tavious.
Charlie Kohler.
He's been getting more and more involved in the offense.
What did you think from him? And we think about the overall development, would stand that TV.
Yeah, Charlie making big strides, don't you think. I mean we talked about him ecology was he was a pass catcher, you know, didn't do any blocking. I don't even think he lined up. Been lying very much. He's made himself into a fine blocker. He's doing a really good job blocking, very physical. And then now he's now you say, okay, he's a run blocking tight end. But he's always had
the pass catching ability. So to see him get out there in the seam route to get that big play, then to catch the you know, the the goal line route, you know, the low route. The perfect throw that Lamar made I'm just jacked up for him and I'm really excited for us because now it gives you another dual threat tight end.
There's kind of a touch on that, you know, Mark, I think in the last few games he has been really good as a blocker, and you know he was able to get of this game.
You know.
Yeah. I think at each time time work, each of those three tight ends that have been the leader in receiving yards has the goal of that group to just get more versatile period. I mean it as the goal of the player goalment. There have been like able to make sure these guys whos.
Blockers not as part It's you.
Know, it's a great question. I would say, I don't know if it's the goal per se. We didn't say that was the thing, because I think it's kind of an understood goal. I mean, any player wants to be as versatile as they can be. Any tight end wants to be a dual threat tight end because if you're out there in the run game, it opens up the pass game. If you're out there in the past game, it opens up the run game. So you want to be as versatile and dual threat as you can possibly be.
There are some more one dimensional guys for sure, But I think our guys are dual threat guys and I think they've proven that. You have to establish that. I think I believe we always believed it that they were that, you know, but to see him go out there and do it in the games, and that's why they were putting those situations, you know, that's that's really it's powerful for us This week.
With Jayden Daniels, there's gonna be a lot of focus on the playmaking quarterbacks, Jading and Lamar. When you're looking at Jayden, do you see elements of Lamar or do you think there is more differences than similarities to the play I.
Just you know, I see a really good quarterback. I mean, you know, it's every week you look at the quarterback. That's where the offense starts, you know. And Joe Burrow is a top quarterback in the league. He is one of the best guys, and he's one of the best guys in his own unique way, and we saw it on Sunday. The challenges that his his game presents. Jayden Daniels is you know, heck, he's played what five games now, and he's been one of the best in the league
for five games so far as a rookie. He plays different than Joe Burrow. Every quarterback plays their own unique way. Similarities, differences, you know, it is always that part of it. But we just have to look at him and how he fits into their offense and prepare for their offense as run by him. And that's a big challenge and we got our hands full of that. So that's how we look at it as a defense.
John, do you expect Dandy Hardy back this week? Kind of grew surprised to see inaccuration?
Yeah, yeah, that was that was kind of I just kind of snuck up on us there. But that stuff happens in this league, so I think yes. But again, well hope for the best.
John, gonna be so warl with the walking boots, just precautionary and you still feel good about this that?
Yeah, I mean I think just in these games, man, these are physical, tough games. You're on the turf and all that. So I just don't want to make any promises, but I think we're in good shape.
You're listening to the Ravens Press Past podcast. Make sure you hit that subscribe button. Also head over to the Lounge podcast feed for more of a deep dive into everything that happened in that game on Sunday. Thank you so much for listening. We'll be back with you on Wednesday, as the Ravens began their preparations for the upcoming matchup against the Washington Commanders,