Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass Podcast. It is Monday, December thirtieth. The Ravens are gearing up for the regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns this weekend. The NFL announced last night of the game is going to be Saturday at four thirty pm at M and T Bank Stadium. It's going to be an AFC World Saturday for football fans. The Ravens play at four to thirty and then in the evening and eight o'clock game is going to between
the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals. Today, we had a chance to hear from head coach John Harriball as the Ravens prepare for the Browns this weekend.
Okay, appreciate everybody being here. We're back at it after a few days away since our last game, focus and locked in on the Browns. This is our start, tough opponent division game. We understand that kind of team they are and how physical this game is going to be, and we're preparing for that challenge. What questions you have, John, if any difficulty.
And when you know the last night to go.
Oh, by the way, you're playing on a short week a seventy game.
Now we knew there's a chance, you know, it could go either way, So we were planning on being here today either way, and then you know, the next few days would would be adjustable. So tomorrow we'll be back in. It'll be like a Wednesday, and we'll be on our normal week schedule that.
Way, how you guys spelling? Obviously a lot made at the three games in eleven days, but you come off but by you win all three of those games decisively as well, and seems like for the most part intact health wise. I mean, how do you feel about just making out of that stretch right now?
Well?
Feel good about it. I mean it was a good accomplishment. It was the goal you know, going into it, was to come out of it with that kind of an outcome. So I felt like, you know, we we we got the outcome we wanted, but we also within that we accomplished a lot in terms of improvement, uh, you know, obviously pointing toward the opportunity in this game and then into the playoffs, uh, to be the best team we could be, and and we we made steps in that
direction too. Now we just gotta gotta maximize that and play our best football.
Missed improve and our loves obviously, the defense has vastly improved from the start of the year.
What do you feel like, you know, some.
Of the things that had has been that you guys have been able to do defensively here in the back end of the season going into the posts.
Uh, yeah, we're playing solid football. I think we're we're top down. Uh, you know, giving up as many big plays. The run defense has been pretty consistent. Uh, getting to the quarterback you know, a little bit better, but uh, the bottom line is a pass defense overalls has been a lot better.
Know, son, Charlie Kohler got hectagated for return, doesnted to return?
How much does that help you guys?
Give him you know, gutn't get up block and will for the team.
Yeah.
Having Charlie back is good. Uh he Uh, this is kind of the target game, you know, where when when it happened. It usually when you have a break like that, it's pretty predictable. So they were they were telling us that we'd have a good chance Forting to be back for the Cleveland game. So we'll see how it looks this week. Hopefully he's feeling good and ready to go.
The toughest divisions in football.
I'll see a bit of it as we get a situation, right, you.
Know, to win this week, the win the division very significant. I mean, it's definitely a goal. It's it's one of our our five main goals is to win the division from a team perspective, and it's a big deal. It's a tough division. We respect these teams tremendously. I think you saw you saw the games this last weekend. You saw the Bengals. You know they're still They're still in It tells you a lot about the character of the teams in this in this division. So we know we're
going to have a tough game. We always do. We always do against every team in the division. The Browns, we always have these these knockdown drag outs with so h But if we could get it done, it would be a great accomplishment.
Marlin Humphrey was very complimentary orders Washington the same. Hey, if you ask the players, the Treeny came Hipper Trinny came to say, always one of the best guys in training.
Kid, he's been on a roster bubble and taught for a long time.
But do you recall him as an undrafted guy on the radar when his.
First team in that first year, do you do you remember what do you remember a geam?
Yeah, he was a highly recruited undrafted free agent. He was a guy that was on the bubble to be drafted. He was a draftable player on our board. So we worked really hard to to convince him to come in and he did, and I think right from the get
go he showed it he was a good player. He's always been one of those guys, you know, it's it's not the size of the dog and the fight, it's the size of the fight and the dog kind of guy, you know, And he's always had that fight, and really it's been injuries has set him back over the years. So for him to be healthy now and to get a chance to get in there and show what he can do is it's been great to see.
Marlin said he feels like Ardarius Is maybe had the most difficult job in the second area because he's had to really make.
The team every year. I mean, do you feel like he's a guy.
Who's sort of turned that difficulty into a positive in his career, in his life. I definitely think that that's exactly right. I mean, he's he's uh, he's probably had to overcome that his whole career, you know, all of high school, college and now the pros, and it's made him who he is. You know that he has been forged by all those experiences with Lamari ever since.
He got in the league, talks about the sustainability of his style up play, what do you think has been the key? I mean we're now in seven and he's playing better than.
He's ever has.
What do you think has been the key to kind of his sustainability?
Well, I mean it's just a question. I don't even know why I have to answer that, because I was never I was never proposing that theory, you know, so I think the people that were proposing that theory should have to answer it. But uh, he's you know what we always thought, he's he's a smart player, you know, and he knows how to take care of himself. And he always said that. He always said, I know how to take care of myself. I know how to protect myself.
And not that he hasn't been injured here and there, you know, like every player, but he's just he's a he's the ultimate competitor. I think he's playing his best football. Like you said, he's playing the position at the highest level. Every aspect of the position he's taken continues to take to another level, take his game to a higher level, and hopefully that continues. I mean, I know it will. I'm counting on it getting even better.
John, I would support running back question. How important was it to get Pete Mitchell's before, Like the amount of work he got and with two of those guys knock down out sideline, does that become a position you may have to look to get from the.
Guyame in you Yea, I think I'm just gonna refrain from all the speculation about, you know, roster and all that. But the answer is no, they're fine. Justice is just sick, so he'll play. And it's it's great that Keaton got the time. And then what was the other part of the question, Oh, that was it? Okay, it's very complicated. I couldn't keep track of it. Layers.
I know, you guys have a franchise for a lot of resources into ingyry prevention to be where you guys are right now, to have as small and injury reports you guys do knock on wood. How gratifying is that and just like how much of that experience every year is just kind of done with how it helped falls.
Yeah, that's that's a great question. Probably maybe a better conversation for the end of the season. You know, up up to this point, we're really happy with where we're at with that. I do think a lot of work has gone into it. Couldna give the players a lot of credit to, you know, for the work they put in, and then all the people involved in that have done a great job. But it's it's definitely fueled our success for sure. It's something that is a big deal in
the National Football League. So we're happy with it, but hopefully we can keep it going here.
John, earlier in the season of a kind of back to Lamar. Early in the season, a lot was made that you saying, you've thought Lamar was the best player in in football at the time, and we look at his development over the years, a lot of people are saying that this is the best he's played. When you go back to him at his rookie year, I'm sure you you were always on his side, But did you think that that we'd be here or what year eight, whatever?
Year.
This is that we're still talking about, you know, him continuously ascended.
Well, yeah, I did. I mean, that was the idea, you hope. So, I mean, you don't know for sure. I mean, nobody knows the future, but that was the idea when we drafted him, and that was the idea when we played him in the first year, and it's been the idea ever since. So i'd say we're on schedule, but we have a lot to accomplish, you know, with
all that, all that's part of it. All that's the history, right and that's that'll all be you know, people that study football history in the National Football League, I'm sure you'll have these conversations and write about these things and all that. But right now, it's just a matter of kind of trying to make that history, you know, trying to do what we can do, to do what we do and try to win the next game and carry it forward from there.
The MVP in your mind this season, you know.
Hey, he's my MVP. You know, he'll always be my MVP. I promise you that. Yeah, as far as I'm concerned, he's he's our MVP. He's he's our guy. But you know what, that's really not what we're thinking about. I mean, I haven't heard anybody talk about that. I haven't heard Lamar talk about it. And we're just trying to win the next game.
John's three day, three games in eleven day winning on a Wednesday.
This is not a world map that the league has used before.
Who don't we see in your organization that should really get credit for making all that happening go winging.
At Oh, it's just everybody. I mean, everybody's involved in that bough. It's a team effort for sure. I think a lot of people do a great job, you know, even the travel logistics and all that, with Joan and uh Dan Parsons and Megan and everybody.
It's everybody'd you I hear from him anyone around the league and after they saw your your workout montage on my partner.
I did, I guess if I guess if I got a couple of couple of a couple of nods, you know, I didn't hear from my brother. I was kind of disappointed. Yeah, yeah, I think he took it as a challenge of some kind.
Uh I didn't see stand there of the carry out there today, any any concern.
They're Yeah, they're dealing with some some you know, flu like symptoms and sickness type stuff. They should be back tomorrow.
And do you have any New Year's resolutions this year?
I don't do New Year's resolutions, you know, try to try to stay consistent.
You know, with the uncertainty at quarterback for the Browns, and there's different styles of the quarterbacks that they could throw in there. How much added work does that put in for the coaching staff, you know at that position when they could go maybe one of three different directions.
Well, well, we'll have to build some tape on on on the guys that we don't have tape on right now.
ZAPPI.
We'll go back and pull some tape from New England in different places, but we won't probably go back to western Kentucky on him. I won't go back quite that far. But Winston we know, dtr we know, and then then him will have to prepare for I do think we'll probably know tomorrow or.
The next day.
I would think what we'll see, you know, maybe they'll try to keep it under wraps. But whichever way it goes, we're playing the Browns, and Browns are playing the Ravens and we'll be ready to go.
John. There's several running backs I guess.
We're going to the playoffs who have made big impacts with new teams this year. What made Derek such a seamless fit for what you guys like to do.
That's a great question. I mean, I think it's just Derek being Derek, you know, Derek Henry. All he had to do was come in here and do what he does and be who he is, and and he fit right in and fit like glove, you know, and like it was always meant to be that way.
In the locker room today, we also heard from tight end, I say, a likely.
You know, if that happens, playoff football is back at Baltimore. You guys at least get one game.
How big is that? I mean that's big.
I mean, you know, the bank helps us, helps us a lot, I know from the defense standpoint, from the offense, you know, just handing the crowd or the fans being into us.
You know, you love was letting get home.
Yeah, I know it probably takes some time, but Charlie was back on the practice field. This topic is that for you guys in a tight end group, that it's not just too.
Yeah, I mean that's love.
You finally get brother back out there with you, I know, like he's been eager to get back out there, finally going to make plays again. I mean that's just a blessing. You know how hard it's been working.
They can't.
I said, what's that meaning? To be in a situation where you win and you win the division? Like you don't have to scoreboard watch you.
Just know if you take care of your sustayment, play the.
Division as yours.
I mean that just you know, a testament to everybody putting their head down and really just you know, blocking out the media and really just you know, focused on wanting no mentality to put us you know, back in the po uh possibility of being able to win the Vision. But yeah, I'm about to about you and mar or see now Satis prize?
Is that think you got to have sixteen touchdowns to bind? The kind of work? I mean, it's great.
I mean, you know, watching you know, Mark day in and day out in practice, you know, makes me go harder. And then that's not really just only Mark, but that's the whole tight ending room. I mean the testament to old line testament to L, Derek and the receivers. I mean that's just everybody trying to get better in them and then me and Mark just being have, uh have the finally have the tandem that we wanted, being being out there making plays and you know, smiling head bund each other.
I mean that's always a blessing. Is there?
Where your reaction going back and watching that touch down past to you and Lamar kind of knowing it was going it was just what were the talks about that play? I mean I didn't even see him doing uh the three pointer shot that he did with Bait last time. But I mean that's just L being in his element. I mean I feel like when he's you know, at that that height right there in the middle of games, he's untouchable. I mean he's just you know, a magician
back there. So I feel like, you know, when L's being L back there and when nothing feels like anything's impossible for him, I mean, that's the L that's really scary in my eyes, and that it just made it easy for me to just catch it overpass, Like how do you how do you.
How do you practice?
How can you practice?
Those those kinds of players really just knowing, you know, the play is never over until eight's on the ground. And I feel like, you know, having him back there any plays a touchdown, uh, And I feel like, you know, when he's running around at that point, it's just you trying to get open because it don't matter where you are. Sometimes they just throw it across the body, across the field. As long as you're opening you you show him that you make the play, He'll do it ten times out of tense week.
What did you think celebrate?
Yeah, I mean I was crazy. I mean that was just like like Mark said, that's street ball. I mean, that's just him having fun back yard football, you know, just celebrating when it plays.
Me.
Here's center Tyler Winderbaum going into this game. Obviously you win it, you win the division. What's the mentality knowing what's at stake here?
Yeah, it's a huge game, opportunity to win the win the North, put ourselves in a position to have home field advantage for the first game, which is excited for the opportunity.
And you know it's a team that got us, you know, earlier in the season.
So just gotta go there, play our game, execute and.
And know what's at stake?
What does it mean? You know, you don't have to be scoreboard watching or anything like that, but it needs to know that that you're firmly control of your own destiny here at the last game of murder season.
Yeah, I mean, you know, this is this is why you know, the regular season's played, you're and try to put yourselves in these positions. You know, it certainly wasn't easy road, but it's it's made the team that we are up to this point and just got to carry that on into this last game and then push her forward into the playoffs.
The offensive coming off of a team of roll come off the big game against Houston, But how do you keep things continuing to roll offensively? You guys been so good this year, but how do you keep that momentum?
Yeah?
Just it just comes out of execution, you know, limiting you know, one, just taking care of football turnovers, you know, limited in the penalties, continue to you know, gives ourselves the best advantage possible, you know, in first second down, to be favorable in our position, and just at the end of the day, just you know, trust ourselves, don't try to do too much, know that we got playmakers.
And the rest will take care of itself.
You mentioned just kind of have a times been a challenging season, up, a little bit of a down at ten times. But how do you think those lessons will serve you well, getting you know, the postseason.
And just breaking.
Yeah, it's big.
I mean, this is why the season is so long, you know, just to you know, figure out, you know, figure yourself out as a team, figure out the things you're that bad at, how teams are going to attack you, how you're going to attack teams, and you know, just at this time of the year, it has to all come together if you want to succeed down the road.
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