John Harbaugh: Ravens Press Conference 9/30/24

Welcome to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. It is Monday, September thirtieth. The Ravens approved it two and two on Sunday after taking down the Buffalo Bills thirty five to ten. It was a complete victory for the Ravens. The offense really relied on running back Derek Candergan on the ground game. Henry had one hundred and ninety nine rushing yards at a pair of touchdowns, and the Ravens Finch with two hundred and seventy one total rushing yards in the game.

All Right, good to see everybody, appreciate you being here. Let's go, Ohs, Let's go. Can't wait for that game tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Got to be honest with probably won't be watching it, but be monitoring it very closely, so sport those guys. We're excited for him and can't wait to see him go get after it in the playoffs. Excited about our win last night. As you look at it, we did many good things and things that we improved on.

What question do you.

Have, John, You know, Derrick Henry you get had another massive game. There was a lot of questions with him being three years old and you know the track record for running backs. Why do you think he is still being so productive at this age when a lot of running backs just are.

Yeah, that's a good question.

I mean, I'm sure it's different for every single person, but I mean There's a lot of things about Derek that make him unique. Talent is one of them, for sure, and work ethic is another one for sure. He's a very, very you know, just tough human being, for sure. But he really the proof is in the results, and you kind of go by what you see. So we're evaluating the possibility of bringing him in here. I think we just looked at how he's been playing, you know, and

It's not a season with two losses, two wins, you're talking about Stint even Keeld.

You know, it's a marathon a season. How do you get your players players may be little more.

Emotional like coaches, how do you get them to buy into that sort of philosophy.

And that stay.

Yeah, you know, the players are pros too, you know, and I think at this level, I think the there's a real collaboration between coaches and players, especially nowadays.

Uh and in the NFL.

You know, these these are these are grown men, you know, these are guys that are professionals.

They they take their careers very seriously.

It means a lot to them and they understand how the season works, and we'll let the players. We do wise words and the players talk to the team. We have different captains every week. They talk to the guys. They say brilliant things, they say things that are spot on, you know, and we have that kind of a kind of leadership, that kind of a culture where where it's kind of grown from within, nurtured from within. Uh, those are the guys that set the tone. Uh, that's what you want.

For these obviously, because that you're what two things? What what went in the decision to get Patrick to start there? And why do you think that works so well with with him? I'm sorry with him and left guard and Rogers starting a right guard, both the first start right.

Well, that move made a lot of sense. I think we all definitely agreed on it. Not not that the other guys couldn't have played in there.

They could have.

And I'll say this about like Ben for instance, he's been practicing very well, so when Ben gets his chance, he's gonna play very well. But Pat Patrick's such an experienced guy and he's played all the positions. Although left guard I think I read was ten snaps in the past, so that was a good stat you guys pulled up. He's practiced a lot at all the positions over the years, and.

He's just a guy.

Just that's his kind of superpower, you know, that's his that's his trait that he can do so many different things so well. And you know, as we go forward, you know, we'll see how how Andrew's ankle is and all that, and but Pat can continue to do it and he's only going to get better if he gets more reps there. And obviously Roger the guy has been coming on. He's a high draft pick, he's a guy we have a lot of expectations for and he didn't do anything in that game to dampen that down at all.

That whole back to back timeout scenario that heart in the second half, Now that you're calling back and looked at it, any thoughts on how that went down maybe back or was that just something that was a game operation thing that was.

That was not good. I mean, that was one I want back, you know.

It just there's a lot of reason stuff happens in a game, and there's a lot of things that happened, but now I want that one back that was bad. Felt bad about it at the time, Still feel bad about it, Gonna feel bad about it next year, and ten years from now, I'm gonna hate it still. So it's just a bad, bad sequence for us, for me, especially.

John Wiggans had some tough moments in the game the week the week before, but you had him out there almost every Wiggins had some tough moments a week before, but you had him out there for almost every defensive snap.

Right away yesterday.

And what game the fifth that he would handle that as well as he did.

Yeah, I me that's growth, you know, just a growth guy, growth mindset, and we trust our guys to learn and grow and gave him an opportunity to go out there and do it again. And he's been practicing really well. And you know, I mean, he and I had numerous conversations. He and Chris had numerous conversations, just natural part of football, you know, and he listens and practiced well last week and went out and played well.

If you look at a lot of the big Henry runs or any of your big offensive players over the last couple of weeks usually find a tight end to full back or a wide receiver blocking in the perimeter or making a play down field.

What about how selfless.

Kind of some of those guys have been that. You know, Mark Andrews hasn't had a catch in two weeks, and Flowers didn't have his normal you know numbers yesterday. But just how kind of people are buying into that?

I mean, that's football is a team sport, you know, it's the ultimate team sport. And when you've got a bunch of players who are team players, team guys, I think you have a chance to be a good team.

And that's what we have. So as we've said before, you know, it's.

You know, if Derek or the running game doesn't quite get going from a stat wise, the questions are always gonna be what about the running game? The running game gets going, and the questions are always going to be what about this player? That player is not getting targeted, or you're not throwing the ball that much, or the passing yards aren't up or whatever.

I mean, it's just it's just it's part and parcel. We understand that.

And the answer is always that, you know, the hole is greater than the parts, and the parts make the hole. And those guys get it. I mean, they're contributing in a big way. Mark Andrews is gonna definitely have big games here catching the ball. Isaiah is gonna have big games catching the ball. All those guys are, We're gonna have, We're gonna have. We're gonna have a big passing game

And it's just a competitive deal.

But you know, my point is is that the reason we ran the ball so well is because everybody was bought into the play that was being run in that moment and executed it so well. Mark had some phenomenal blocks out there, I mean some dominant blocks.

So did Isaiah, So did Bait. You know, so did Zay.

You know, Zay's in their crack blocking, you know, and he's you know, him and him and in Thailand are crack blocking defensive ends in there. That's that's what makes you, you know, gives you a chance to be successful. And when those guys are running outs and catching the ball, people will be blocking for them as well.

John, And I know you kind of explained that they're but with specifically Mark, because there's a level production that everyone kind of expecting them go back to back games without a catch. Is that something that you will talk to the player to make sure everything's okay or you know, how do you.

Kind of handle that?

You know, I could probably try to talk to Mark to make sure everything's okay, but he would just look at me like, what are you talking to me about? You know, everything's fine, everything's good. You know, guys are competitive. I mean, everybody, everybody wants to be the difference because they know they're they're great players. Mark Andrews is a great player. All those guys are special in their own way, but Mark is a star.

You know.

I'm there's no doubt about it.

And the fact that the fact that we were doing well on offense as a team and that part hasn't been expressing itself in the last two weeks gets me kind of excited because that's another weapon that we have that's going to happen. So it's just part of the versatility of the offense, which is really important.

Remember last year when you signed Kyle.

Fannoy and you can said, you know, you.

Played against and William with the Patriots a lot of time.

There are a lot of new things to say about I'm kind of like the Henry question as a coach when you watch him, now, why.

Do you think he is excelling so.

Well at the age that he is?

Well, he'll tell you that he's young. I mean, every time you talk to him, he'll tell you, guys, don't He'll tell you I'm young.

I'm young.

And you know, he's certainly playing young, but he's also playing crafty. He's playing like a very smart He's in the right place. The thing that I'm impressed with and this is not just him, this is the whole defense, and I think the coaches and led by Zach have done a great job of emphasiz this.

But he's playing so hard.

I mean, you see him, you know you're chasing Josh Allen out to the defensive left side and forcing him to make a decision as quick as possible. All those guys doing that him turning and running down the screen passes pretty impressive.

Last time, nond you ahead just great things to say about the way that Zach Orr called the game.

I guess a month in, what have you seen from his development.

In that world?

Yeah, absolutely, that's a great point. I thought both coordinators were really on point, have been on point, but he really showed up in this game and defense, it really showed up. You know, Zach has been in the coaches, I mean not all the coaches together have a great collaboration, but I think they put together a great game plan. I think Zach really called the game really well. He kept him off balance. There was a nice mix of

And I don't think you don't want to have.

An offense have a bead necessarily and where you're going next. And he did a really good job of that. And I would say the same thing about Todd and the offensive coaches. They were moving around different places. It helps to have some success, you know, when you can kind of get some plays and get some reps and get some first downs, you know, then you have a chance to call more stuff. So and I thought they did a great job of it, both both Todd and Zach.

Go back to what you're saying about Kyle annoying giving the age. Is that something you'll you think you'll have to sort of manage as you get deeper into the seasons, or to snap founts and workloading that sort of thing.

I think we'll keep an eye on up for sure, you know, and probably as much as anything you look at practice, you know, I mean, Kyle's not going to be a guy that's gonna need as many reps of practice as a.

Younger guy might.

Or will, so definitely manage that and then we'll see in the game, you know, it's not I mean, I think any player, you know, there's kind of an ideal number of reps. You know, you get gassed out there, so you definitely want to keep your guys as fresh as possible.

Even in game. But yeah, we'll definitely be.

Looking at that, which conventional thought is running backs are usually best on their first contract, right, Justice Hills now playing really good football and when it's third contract? Now, how have you seen him progress as a player? What Justice Hills?

Oh? Justin third contract?

But I mean you know it's not I mean he got a couple of pretty quick ones.

I mean, how old is he He's what year is he in the league? Six? Six?

I mean it's not like, okay, right, he's not thirty years old, but that's still young.

Though. If you ask Kyle to be clear, you see him like grow.

I mean it seems like he's playing his best football. Now, how is he improved as a player?

He has improved as a player. I mean you're exactly right about that. He's he was a good player coming in. He was a kind of a speed kind of a back, you know, and you saw him as a third down back.

But he's just a guy. I mean we said it before about him. He kissed.

Nothing gets this guy down. I mean there's nothing that can can break him. He just keeps coming in and he's got a smile on his face and he works hard. He really smart person, understands the game, understands.

The entire offense.

He could probably line him up at every position and he could, he'd know what to do for sure, and every skill position at least he probably knows the blocking schemes too. I just think he's that kind of a guy. And then just to see him, like even through special teams, here's a guy that if we put him out there on special teams right now, and we probably will at some point when we need him, he'll play great on special teams too. He just does everything he asked him to do.

He does well.

But well, I been just lights out against the man man coverage coming into this game.

You guys, really we're.

Able to be pre effective. I guess what does it say that your guy's ability to hold up man man. I think you had a higher rate than just sort of like how often you kind of call it coverage, and especially development guys at Wiggins, you know, Kyle moved forward of the season.

That's a good point.

I've alway felt I really felt like we were going to be a really good man cover team going into the season, and to see it come to fruition here as we go, and especially in this game because they had done really well against man and the crossing routes. They were really hurting people with the cross routs. Josh is so accurate throwing those things in there. Our guys were on them, you know. And there was a couple of contested catches. I mean everything was contested really except

And all these kinds of things.

What's the teaching point at any on the scramble play that Alan completed. I mean, obviously a tremendous athletic player that he makes on the sideline.

But what would you teach coming.

Out of that one?

Yeah, you know there are that. We had that very discussion this morning. And the thing about scrambled plays are are we have what we call plaster rules that we teach and I think we're great at him. To be honest with you, if you look at us over the last ten twelve years, it's been something that we've we've really kind of gotten good at because we've had to. You know, you look back to Ben Roethlisberger. Okay, that's

I think that.

I think the Bills were twenty percent of their plays were scrambled plays. So that's their most called play, the most run play. It's not the most call play, it's the most run play. Right, twenty percent. That's one out of five plays or plays that that comes up in so you have to be on point, and every one of them is different because you can't predict what receiver

But you know, it's.

Hard to say for all the all the scrambled plays you're going to have over the course of the next season. You're going to be perfect on all of them. I also think you've got to give them credit. I mean, Josh Allen is going full speed to his right, you know, somehow off his back foot, puts a foot in the ground, throws the ball fifty yards across his body downfield. It's just a really amazing play by a great player too. So you know, we want to be on that player.

I would say about Ronnie Stanley from being the anchor at.

Enough tackle, kind.

Of helping to lead a younger group with you off that's line, and just his play both in the passing game and his effectiveness when.

You're running off that other side.

Yeah, Ronnie Stanley deserves so much credit. I mean, he's really having a good year and he's got a lot of football left in him, and I expect him to keep improving. I think he's going to keep on the rise. He's really his level of play has just been going like this, you know. Uh, and it's fun to see both running pass He was a lot of times he was singled up out there in pass protection and and just did a really good job.

And like you said, in the.

Run game, reach blocks, down blocks, had some good cut off blocks, screen blocks, had a couple of really good screen blocks that sprung some screens.

So yeah, it was good.

Obviously, momentum after a win like Sunday Nights is you know, pretty high. Going into an ANC York game with you guys know each other as well.

As you do.

What is the kind of message coming to the start division.

To player, Well, yeah, it's pretty pretty much that message. I mean, the message is this is a division game, this is a rivalry game. These are two teams that know each other really well. When you when you go prepare for these kind of a game and you start, you start pretty far down the road, you know, and there's a lot of shared experiences and we've you know, we've gone there. It's a it's a tough environment to

The official who called is one of the best in the league. I mean, I think that he knows who he is, but I still have never forgotten the call. You know. It's like it's these these crazy, crazy.

Things that happen in these division games, you know, or are pretty pretty incredible, and I think we're just going to have to be at our best.

That's what we'll talk to our guys about. Shoe.

We saw Peers practice in full Friday and then you guys announced he was down break doubtful. Is is that something else that popped up going forward that's come along?

ERM concerned.

I think it's part. It's just kind of the way it works, you know. It's just you never can predict.

Me.

That's why I just hate to predict what a guy's going to do or not going to do, because you just never know. It wasn't something we necessarily anticipated, but that's what happened.

Is it kind of pointless?

Just to look at the record and say and see two and two and think that that easily could or should be poor enough.

Yeah, it's morethless. But yeah, I.

Think last year, you guys screen game was kind of hit or miss. I know, it was obviously more of a had a more of a role in the screen game.

The screen.

Yeah, this year so far, it seem like really affected. I know there's a lot of factors that go into that. But is rating that you can specify that's that's.

Helped that come along? Well?

Yeah, I mean, I think we're just we're executing it better. We have a better understanding of it. Timing has been better, just across the board. We're just executing the play at a much higher.

Level than we have ever had before. Excited about it.

There's different types of screens in there, so some nuances here and there that guys are doing a really good job. But I'm proud of the guys. I think the coaches have done a really good job of coaching it. And it's nice to see because it's a valuable thing.

It's really helped us.

All right, right, all right, thanks, thank you.

You're listening to the Ravens Press Past podcast. If you want more of a breakdown on this game, head over to the Lounge podcast feed. We break down all of it in our Instant Reaction pod. Make sure you hit that subscribe button to this feed as well as the Lounge Feed. Thank you so much for listening. We'll be back with you on Wednesday.