Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass podcast. The Ravens took down the New York Giants thirty five to fourteen at MetLife Stadium to improve to nine and five on the season. This was an important game for the Ravens who are in a four game sprint to the finish of the regular season, and this was a big day for quarterback Lamar Jackson, who had five touchdowns in the victory. Here's what Lamar had to say after the win.
Was that something coming into this team that you thought might be there for you guys?
Yeah, just watching film one of those guys a lot of man, a lot of z own.
Here and there.
It was doing a lot of three. It was running a lot of three versus us a lot of man sometimes. Now, guys, they did a great job and getting open and just running the rocks, catching the ball off the line, did a great job protecting. So he's just an all around team effort.
Mark. You had four touchdown passes and incompletions today. How much in a rhythm did you feel like you were out there just from you know, off the bye week and and and having that kind of game.
Yeah, I felt I started off slow with that that turnover, so that I was hot about that, you know, with the return team doing a great job of getting us positive yards, you know, flipping the fields for us before we get out there and then for us to draw the ball and then just.
A mishap like that. You know, I was, I was, I was ticked off.
So UH just had to lock in and just played raven football and that's what we did, alright.
So uh after Mark Andrews coffee touchdown, it looked like he came right up to you with him setting the all time record, to say, what does that mean to you?
Man?
Like I say, I got a guy with me. Man, that's a guy right there, like one of the ghats. Uh to just play football. Ever, I I believe, you know, just entering the lead together and from from then to now, it's like each and every year we were just trying to get better and perfect our craft from years previous, and I believe we doing that. You know, he got injured last year, came back. You know, people was talking
about this and that we need to trademark. This's not like I didn't forget that, you know, and I know he didn't forget that, and he just showing it each and every game.
Well, Maria, another one to the contest walker, his first catch is a touchdown. Take us through that play and then what do you say to some guy like that that clearly isn't incatiently waiting to be productive with this offense?
Yeah?
Absolutely, Uh this week, we uh pretty much just had that play drawn up. Uh, just from what they've been doing showing on defense. We caught him in that look and Tesz just did the rest. You know, I just had to deliver him a strike and he did the toe drag at the end. So he just test to tap from our own Yeah.
The office you know, allowed you to see the field and you know on to the second level.
Yeah, that's just hard work and uh, preparation dedication. Uh, our guys just you know that by week I feel like we we all needed that. And my guys just ready, man, they just bought their tail off. Probably had one misshat, but everyone not perfect. You know, everyone's not perfect. That's our goal to be perfect. But they did great today.
H was they even's first time scoring two touchdowns in the game.
Just how good does it feel for you seeing him get in there and score as many touchdowns as he has this year.
Yeah, man Bait is that guy like Batman. We call him Batman for a reason, you know, and that's just amazing. It was long overdue, I believe, you know it. It's been plenty of y times. I felt he should have had, you know, multiple touchdown games, but things happened in the batfield. You know, can't get to him sometimes, but he he's just working. He grinding, no head down and just just trying to win already.
Lamar, you sort of set the tone coming out of the buy with what you said after the Eagles game. How how much did you appreciate the team's response during the practice week and today and how does this set you up go forward?
Pretty much didn't have to say anything. I believe like Brody really kicked it off, you know, earlier this year and our indoor practice when he said what he said, and I I felt like we all felt that way, you know, and we just gotta play raven football to the rest of the season.
Mark you said you were, you know, anti to play this game after you know, being on the buy to get back on the field with Steelers. I know, this game just that day and you were focused on this. But with the Steelers coming up in six days? How were you here? Are you for that game? Given the importance of it the same? You know, uh h our.
Record just been nine to five and those five losses just coming time. Like those those losses just like sitting in the back of our minds. I feel like, alright, everyone's mind is like we gotta go into every game with the same mentality from this day four you're two more.
There was a scramble I think in the first half for it looked like you maybe.
Having to hold up your pants, alright, So look, they was asking me that. So I'm like, I felt like wind was touching my butt, you know, So I was trying to keep my tights up.
For real.
I feel like the tights just like gotta lott looser some who knows, So I like just kind of keep my pants up.
But that's all it was. It was too cold, like you might have ended on that.
Three was an out fourteen and three after the bile week under head coach John Harbaugh. He talked with the media after the game and discussed the team's focus and mindset going into this game.
All Right, appreciate you guys being here. A great win, a lot of faith. A lot of faith our guys have in each other and and uh powers, a lot of trust. So proud of our guys.
Man.
What question, Jeff John.
It was another game for Lamar where he finished with five touchdown passes and just four incompletions, more touchdown passes than incopletions. What do you think that you know, a performance like that again kind of says.
About themar Yeah, I think are all around you know, Yeah, he just had a great game. He was He's been locked in. He's been locked in all season, he was locked in all week. He was he's on the guys meetings, walk throughs, everything, just just just keeping it, keeping about football, you know, and making getting the football right. I feel like I feel like all the guys are like that. The guys came back this last week Monday. They were
ready to go there, full of energy. You could tell that they were They wanted to get back to it, and I think they felt like, man, you know, this is okay, We've got nothing else to do. Last week proved it. Let's go, let's go do some football. And they took they took the Giants, seriously, the Giants every series football team, and it's it's a really good win for us.
John the play for Devonts Walker. He obviously want to win the game to get a young guy like that experience and a play like that. How meaningful was that to see?
Yeah, yeah, really meaningful, Jeff. I mean for Test to get that kind of talked about it all week. It was a play had a couple of plays in there like that, take take routes like that. He'd have a shot at and worked on them all week. But you know, he's been doing great. He's been, he's been. He gets down feel fast and he sat, he can track and he can catch. So to see him make that play was really awesome. Everybody's fired up for him.
You had your longest kickoff return of the year, longest punt return of the year.
Do you feel like special teams wise and then make new mechanics of that play, especially on a kickoff since kind of coming together now.
I just think the guy's been working hard. Chris is doing a great job. Randy and Sam, but the guys man, they're working on all the details. It's just it's a detailed technique, uh fundamental type of of of a play. All the specialties plays are and they're they're doing a good job, and all of a sudden you start doing that well and guys in the right spots, you start making the plays like that. I thought, I thought Machine
did a great job. Man hit that thing, and then Justice did a great job and hit that thing the one Machine had a call back, and then Dez on the punt return. You know, it just looks solid back there and got norse. So those are all really big plays for us. John Mark Anderson, it's the all time touchdown record today.
From your point of view, what did what?
What have you seen the relationship between Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews.
Over the over their career.
Really, that's something I think that's gonna you know, it's historic. Really, I mean those guys that's proven now with the record, right, I guess it's it's a it's institutionalized now. They these guys got a feel for one another. I mean they make route adjustments that you know, they're not always in the playbook. You know, they make the kind of adjustments that you make because you've been playing to get it for so long and all these reps and they continue
to do it. You know a lot of those touchdown passes of those two guys just having that chemistry.
I know you can't, you don't take it for granted, but the opportunity to get the rookies in the game, the reserves in the game, just get some snaps for guys who have not been huge contributors but might be called upon.
Just what is the value of a game like this?
Great opportunity and it's a great point. I mean for Auley to get those those carries and you get hit and you feel what it's like, that's massive. You did a great job, you know. And the linemen to get in there and get those reps. I can't wait to see those guys on tape and see how they did. And I think they did well. Same thing on defense. It's you know, obviously you hope, you hope to be in a positioned to do that. You gotta earn it, and our guys earned it, and you don't.
Punt too often on fourth and one in the opponent's territory for that to work out exactly as I imagine, as you plan to force some deep, get the park back and go to the point. How much did that kind of set the tone for the rest of the game. That's sequence.
Take me through it again.
When you punt it on fourth and one, you forced a punt right away, and then I think Desmond King had the big return.
You threw me off with the don't punt off and I said, oh, what direction we're going here? Kind of I kind of forgot about that. But that's how we planned to play this one.
You know.
We just decided that we were gonna play that field position game early in the game. And you're right, you know, there's nothing wrong with that.
You know.
We do celebrate going for it a lot, you know, and all the analytics folks you want to talk about that, but sometimes you pin them back in there. You trust your defense, you force a punt. Pump returns a big play. It's hard to punt the ball off your own goal line, you know, it's a big challenge. Sometimes you get a very returnable pump and you get a big return and you're right back in business. We did it in the Super Bowl right all the way back in twenty twelve.
We had a similar situation when we tried to fake field wasn't the pump, but we tried to fake field goal and got the return and got the touchdown. So yeah, it worked out just kind of how we'd how we'd thought we were gonna play it early in the game at least.
John, how quickly I know this game is sent? But how quickly now with the short week the attention turns to the Steelers.
Yeah, I already has, We've already talked about it. We'll we'll be working game plan tonight tomorrow and into the short weekend and we'll see the Steelers on Sunday and and we're excited, excited looking forward to it.
The penalties, sorry, on the on the you.
Both couldn't wait to ask that question. Too many, too many, too many, too many?
What is uh?
What is the what do you need to see more of? Well?
I think I think the biggest, the biggest thing of the passing interference calls. You know, I don't know about the one lad against Dez. I have to see that one. The other ones, you know, just get our head around, quicker, play the ball, play the ball sooner. One time we were playing the ball, but there was a grab. You know they're calling they called it tight. You know, they called those are tight, tight tight called plays there in terms of passing interference. So we've got to adjust roughing
the passer. You know, you got to find a way to get off the side. You got to find a way to do it. So we'll be drilling it. We're working those those are those are kind of technique things that we've just got to do a good job of working on because that's that's really Their drives were penalty inspired. It wasn't for the penalties, those drives wouldn't have happened. So it's obviously something is very important. All right, thanks guys.
Next, we heard from a veteran linebacker Rokwan Smith, who said that the bye week was a reset for this team and they looked at the final stretch here as a new season coming out of the boy. Here's what he said in his time with the media.
Thirty six yards. I think I like the season low for you guys.
Did that kind of show how seriously he kind of took the Giants this week.
Yeah, you take every single oponent throughout the league very serious. At the end of the day, each of those guys on that side of the ball have a job, and at the end of the day, they're gonna do what they have to do to the best of their ability. Because it's their job and it's our job to do everything to the best of our ability. And we just got the mindset after the bye like this is a new season for us, so focus one game at a time.
We checked this off, enjoyed this for a couple hours, move on to Pittsburgh.
So that's the focus.
John usually talks about the twenty four hour rule after a game, but he just told us, you guys have already turned the page to the Steelers. So does it already look a different kind of week for you guys.
Yeah, it's a short week for sure, so you know there's one less day. So I know myself personally, like I'm not gonna watch Pittsburgh to night, but tomorrow I'll definitely get on the Pittsburgh. I'm personally gonna enjoy this one on this bus ride and then at home tonight. Just relaxed a little bit. Maybe hang out with Dolphin. Is his birthday, so maybe kick it with him or do something like that. But yeah, I gotta shift the
focus of pittsburden on that. It's gonna be a very important game, and we control what we control and that's our focus, and just got to go out and do what we do and be our sales and we know we be ourselves, everything will falling off favor.
Bro Kwan, You've been asked about Lamar countless times since.
You've been on the Ravens.
What did he's probably have the best season of his career or what has it been like to watch him this year, you know, not just from a number standpoint, but how he's led the team offensively.
Yeah, absolutely got a great deal of respect for Lamar knows that, and everyone one around the building does as well. And like I actually was chatting with him. I don't know when this was, but recently, and I just told him like, yeah, bro, you know you done have MVP years and different things like that, But I told him, you playing a different style of ball like right now, and it's not like just he wanna beat you from the pocket, and then you know, if that's not available,
then he can take it down like running second. So it's kind of crazy. And then like how he can get through his week reads and create more more time, make his line better, like everything, man, Like what the guy's doing is truly special and you just have to actually be next to the guy and actually just watching him from a view to truly appreciate like some of the things that he's doing.
So I've always said scremely happy that he's.
On my team and I'm not playing against him because a lot of headaches for sure.
Real Quid, I know, like you said, you're gonna take this and enjoy this game.
But with the magnitude of that Steelers team coming home on Saturday, do you think it's gonna be more than justice? You know, you're your typical division game in that one.
It's gonna be It's gonna be a hostile environment for sure, make no mistake about that. Like those guys gonna come in and we knowing what's on the line, it's the division title. Each and every team in the division want to win a division. So you're willing to put everything on the line for that. And I know myself personally, I'm ready to go out on my shield one way or another.
And I know a lot of the guys.
In the locker room feel the same exact way, And so that's what it's gonna be. Check your manhood, do your job. You do that will win the game. So that's all of what it's about. Every single person do their job, and if we do that will like the results. It's just that simple. Bro.
What have you seen from Malik and Chris Borden.
Playing next year?
Yeah, those guys are great. Got a lot of respect for CB. Been a great teamer his entire career, and you know when he's asked to play linebacker, play linebacker pretty.
Good as well.
And Malik Man, I love that guy physicality, Like the guy will knock your face masks off like I would love. Yeah, it's pretty crazy, but I just enjoy being out there with those guys, veteran guys. Got a lot of respect for him, and just like when they see things, they don't let the same thing beat them twice. So it's awesome just being out there with those guys. Got a lot of respect for him, and they're just gonna continue to keep getting.
Better as well as train.
I got a lot of respect for him and who he is as a person as well as a player. Young player, do all the right things and like gonna have a bright future in this league. So I'm just excited of our room. Got a great deal of respect for every single person in there. They bust they tail day in and day out, so you can't argue with that. And that's just something that I truly look forward to every day spending time with those guys.
It seems like you guys got out of this pretty good health buys coming off the buy, I mean just the overall injury like that you guys have this year.
How good do you feel kind of going.
Into a week sixteen, maybe compared to other Decembers in years past.
Truth be told, I feel really really good.
Like the bye week was awesome having that, even more so mentally for myself, like just having that bye week and then just getting back in like it was just almost like a breath of fresh air, like just being away from it because you're tied up and every single day regardless of what days you're coming into the facility or truly one day off, but that day is really not off because you're still doing things focused around work.
So when you think about it, just being able to truly get away, it was a lot and it was very meaningful. So I'm grateful for that, and now it's just like get going. I feel really good. I can't speak for anyone else, so I feel really good. So I'm just excited about that and just to keep going. Then coming out of this game a little sooner, so I'll be on ten Saturday.
It looks like you guys had a pretty big celebration for areas for kind of icing the game there at the end.
Just how good to see a guy like that make that kind of fun.
Yeah, I got a lot of respect for Ad the type of player is and the type of person that is on the daily buses. Tail never ask for any handouts. Go get everything out the mud. And when you're an individual like that, this can't oh too short, too small. Oh maybe not this and maybe not that. He got the mentality if everything you know, I'm gonna prove it play in and play out. And like when things like that happen to people who bust they tail day and
the day, I just love to see it. The guy prepare just like no other than he just showed those bunnies on that play. I told him he got the best bunnies on the team and like he needed no for his hype, but he's.
He's a damn good player. Yeah.
In locker room today, we also heard from tight end Mark Andrews to set the Ravens franchise record with forty eight career touchdowns. He scored a touchdown in the first half of this game, and that put him alone at the top of the record books. He previously was tied with Jamal Lewis, but now Andrews sits alone at the top. He talked about that after the win.
How big is how big is that game going to be? Though?
Steegs it's a great game, great game, great big game for us and at home M and T Bank Stadium. We want to get this one. Obviously they did too, and two great teams going at it.
Mark.
I'm sorry if Peterdy said this, where's the ball going?
Probably probably you know my house, get at you know, a ball game for that one. But yeah, there's a couple of cool balls that I have and this will be wonder them a lot.
So yeah, I think it's more so just the guys that you play with. You if they contribute a lot of what you do.
You can't.
I can't do this alone, you know, and none of us can. And it's the guys that block. It's the guys that it's leaning and Lamar and then the guys that have you know, played with so and the guys that have done this before. You know, I've been able to pave the way. So I'm thankful for all that.
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