Welcome to the Ravens Press Pass Podcast. The Ravens wrapped up the preseason Saturday night in Tampa Bay. They filled to the Bucks twenty six to twenty and after the game, head coach Jean Harball talked about the preseason and some of the tough decisions that the team has to make with roster cuts looming. The deadline to set the fifty three man roster is coming up on Tuesday, and the coach Hardball talked about all day.
All right, good seeing everybody here.
Appreciate you guys being here, very much, good heart, fought game, Proud of our guys. I thought those guys were out there who played in the game did a heck of a job. Obviously we were kind of a skeleton crew there, and those guys again played very played your hearts out, played super hard. I thought fundamentally, very good, operationally, very good. You know, very few penalties, kept the ball in front
of us, all those kind of things. So there's obviously numerous things we can do better, but I thought those played a really good game, especially going against the ones in the first half, you know, they showed up. So we're proud of those guys for that. Going forward. You know, it's it's all hands on deck and all eyes forward to the opener and we'll have a good practice this week and then we'll be in the game week for
the Texans, and we're all excited about that. All right, what question do you have.
Serious?
You know, that's a good question. I think it doesn't it's not really like a strategic type deal. They'll probably be there'll probably be two levels to it maybe, but it doesn't have to be. We'll talk about that probably the next twenty four hours. That's a good question. I think you'll see that when the move gets made, you know, you'll know.
Obviously.
Yeah, yeah, I mean Josh did a great job. You know, I felt like I feel like all quarterbacks did you know, Josh taking that taking the offense down to that first drive like that against their starting defense is pretty impressive. You know, in five plays and what maybe four first downs in a touchdown, it's hard. You can't do any better than that. That was impressive. All the guys did
a great job. I was really really impressed by that, and even the rest of the you know, second first quarter into the second quarter.
Uh, he did well.
Then I thought Anthony Brown came in and did a really nice job, you know, and made some plays and learned from a one mistake, you know it came back the next to the rest of the game and did better with that with ball security. So uh yeah, it was it was good. Uh who's that, oh, del se del Sean? Yeah, yeah, del Sean's played really well. I think, you know, special teams you kind of expected he's established as a special teams player and he's done well with that.
We he hasn't had too many reps on that because we kind of know what he is on that. But defensive, I thought he really shined, you know, especially first two games. We'll see the tape on this game. Seem good this game too, But uh, he probably took a step forward definitely as a linebacker this offseason, this training camp. Yeah. Yeah, I think Sola is kind of what he you know, kind of what you would expect. He's done really well. He moves his feet well, he's very physical at times.
Uh.
And then again, he's a rookie, you know, so you do you get, you get, you get fired up for a guy, and you got to remember that this is the first time these guys are playing this at this speed, with this level of communication, this level of scheme. So I think this guy, you know, this s guy's the limit for him. Uh you know, he's uh, he's got a great future and he's gonna be. He's gonna be, He's gonna be part of it this year. I mean, we need to get him ready to play soon.
You know.
You know, uh, John's gonna be the starter. You know, he's earned that. So you guys got your news flash there. But uh, you know, I think I was pretty clear, but I'm really, I'm really I think John John deserves that. He's had a great camp and vet and physical and just love the way he played. And then Salah, he's gonna be just fine. He's going to contribute it. Does I mean, you know we've got We've got, We've got
I think we have. We also have h Tyler Huntley, so you know we've got decisions to make along those lines. But I'm happy with both those guys. And even Anthony is a developmental type guy. But uh, uh, you know, Josh has jump done it for a long time. He's a guy that's always had to do it the hard way. He's always had to fight his way up. He talked to the team about that recently, and uh, you know, here he is again fighting for a spot, you know, and I think year seventeen, and uh, what kind of
a career. What does that say about a career? You know, that's a career that kind of speaks for itself. I think it's something that really deserves a lot of it deserves it. There's a lot of honor, you know. It's it's an impressive thing to be able to maintain that type of tenacity, resilience, you know, that's that's something that I think people should look at and say, you know, I could learn something from that.
Expectations.
Yeah, I mean, he's just gonna keep working. He's doing a good job out there. He's playing good football, you know, and uh, he's gonna play in the regular season, and I I expect him to play very well.
You know.
All these snaps have been great for him. It's how you learn how to play, you know, and he's had a chance to get out there and learn how to play, stayed healthy through it, which was great, a great benefit to us. You know, we're very grateful for that. Thank you God for that. And uh, I expect him to play very well.
This year.
I think he will back job. That's right, Cliff, I high hopes for the offensive line, high expectations. That's that they're they're gonna drive us, you know, they're gonna be our rock. And uh, I expect him to play at the highest level.
These guys like.
That especially.
Very difficult because these guys deserving to make the team, you know, And and then we'll we'll we'll hope that guys will you know, be interested in staying on the practice squad who don't make it and understand that they are part of the team. When you make the practice squad, you are part of the team because you're going to play, you know. And uh, that's something I hope, I hope some of these guys understand, and I know they do.
It's it's a good team. It's a talented team, you know, and there's gonna be guys who and there will be there'll be guys get claimed. There's no doubt we'll have guys who get claimed as well. So we understand that. Yeah, just making those you know, he's become a much better blocker and the contested catches, you know, I think that's something he's really taking a step forward. With a big plays middle of the field. Controlling the middle of the field,
that's his goal. You know, I think as a receiver, get in there and control the middle of the field. He's very capable of doing that. And you saw it and you start flashed really well in the preseason.
That was head coach John Harball. We also heard from quarterback Josh Johnson. Johnson had a strong game in the preseason finale. He's made it difficult on the Ravens as they make the decision about who's gonna remain on this fifty three man roster. Now, Johnson has seen it all over the course of his career, and he discussed the mindset, the perspective that he has through his NFL career and what his approach is going to be heading into these custs over the next couple of days.
Dad just went and saw how he felt, you know, a rhythm right off the name. I felt good.
Coach mon cast some great plays, gave some great protection, guys getting to their spots.
Just you know, we're in good rhythm.
While was coming out going to the guys I was supposed to and you know it was just you know how I feel like that's what we're capable of doing. So we just got to you know, more ways to stack upon those type of drives and I have more points so we can come away.
With a victory.
Uh.
It's the same level of anxiety that you experience any other year, you know. So for me, just you know, I pray, you know, I put my faith in you know, my savior and allow you know, to play out. And then you know, all I could do is control what I'm putting position to do. Is what I go out in the field, get the opportunity, and then uh from there, just you know, let the chips fall how they may, yes for that, just you know, just evolving each day.
Uh.
You know a lot of people try to put you in a box when you go through things that I've go through and try to you know, it's it's it's kind of the way of the world to try to lab you and do all these other different things.
And I won't be I won't be defined by that. You know.
That's kind of where my story shows that you know, there is you make your own story, you know. You know, for me, it's keeping that mindset daily and and evolving my game based on my you know, my skill levels at and UH, for me, I've been able to show you know, different things with my legs, with my arms. You know, the guys get to be who and the huddle with me understand my experience that I bring to it.
And you know, hopefully you know, I've done enough to be able to earn a spot you know, somewhere.
So so like your perseverance in your care.
What ass set you go on, just able to deal with the ups a damage that uh, A lot of faith, uh, a lot of growth and just always you know, just grateful for where I came from. Like uh, I grew up, I grew up in a situation to where you know, I never thought this was a reality, and uh, just always getting another opportunity to me was more valuable than anything else.
And I always saw it that way.
You know, even when you get cut or whatever, there's another team that call you, and when you look at it from a place of gratitude, you know you still
have another opportunity. And UH, for me, I always been you know, lived lived through the truth of where I'm at and not you know, point try to point fingers or do different things or listen to the noise, but really just focus on where I need to go as a player, and uh, and now at the luxury that I've been so well traveled, I feel like, you know, I bring a lot to a organization and uh, for me, it's just going out there daily and trying to show that the best way I can with the things I'm
able to control.
So, you know, like just to answer your question, you know, a.
Lot of faith, a lot of gratitude, and a lot of focus on you know, the reality and not you know, the perceptions.
Are you hear you know you got? I mean that's what that's your world, man.
The world of the media, you know, the world of labeling people, the world of saying where a guy's supposed to be. For a lot of people who never really been in this situation, you know, you can, you can fall victim to it.
But to me, you know, I know ball and I know what it takes. I wouldn't be here if I didn't.
And then, uh, you know, I also just looked at the situations that I was that I've been in. At the end of the day, that's my opportunity. They all have never been ideal, like some people would like to say, But to me, it's about how do. I make it, take advantage of those opportunities and build upon them. And in each year, I've gotten better and I feel like even at thirty seven years old, I'm still getting better. Like I'm a lot different quarterback than I was when
I got drafted. Here you know what I mean, and and to know me, you would know my growth. And if you don't know me, you could put me in the box. I don't really care feel me because I'm just focused on being better and being the best I could be.
Those quarterback Josh Johnson. We also heard from tight end Charlie Koher. He missed most of his rookie season dealing with an injury, but he looked good over the course of the last three preseason games, and he said it's really valuable for him to get those preseason reps and he feels good going into his second NFL season.
What I guess what eras you feel like you're better than last year, you.
Yeah, I mean, I'm playing serious and that helps.
Just trying to like just in the awest and just become like all around just better athletes, bigger, faster, stronger, And then when you're better athlete translate to a better player.
And then just working on technique stuff.
I felt I got better in training camp, got better in the run game, get better in the passing game, and just want to keep building from there. Mind you said I get march or something.
Oh, yeah, I definitely got better.
Yeah, I mean I I feel like I showed some things I want to show and some things always like i'd do better. I had to drop this game and the contested catching the cross, I like to catch that one.
Some stuff in the run game, go clean up.
Yeah, I feel like overall I got better during any training camp, but it's just like the start of the problem.
So I try not to.
Set too many tryna. I'm not a huge goal setter cause and if you reach the goal, like what do you do next? So I just try to like keep improving and just keep it day to day. And I feel like I've gotten better every day. And I got better from the first preseason game to the third preseason game and sexually lost them. You always wanna win, but as a team, I feel like we show us some progress.
Probably important that was earlier when you saw a life in the tis and you know that kind.
Of like as you're getting back the game.
Yeah, I mean I'm more just meant like when I actually got on too practicing and stuff once I got out of the rehabit. Yeah, I mean I feel like I may have I said, like dancen all it sounds like I'm like going through something really bad, but like we're so blessed, so I try to keep it in perspective, Like I'm we're in the NFL. Like, if the worst thing in my life is I get injured, I'm pretty blessed. So I just try to like really just try to take it one day at a time and be grateful
for what I have. You know, if you're always worrying about when am I gonna be healthier, what snaps am I gonna get? Or what day, like you never gonna just be present in what I have. So like, yeah, it sucks, we lost, Like it sucks, it hurts, but still take a step back and just thank God for like what we have in the moment and that we're here.
So just trying to put in perspective. Feel like that's a good question.
Yeah, I believe myself as a player, so when I go out there and do it, like I'm happy how to show it. But at the same time, you d like when there's a big part of like earn confidence just doing it, like just getting the reps and when I play two games last year and so just getting the reps. I guess why I'm happy to get many reps as I can these games cause I need them.
So yeah, like just getting on the field, getting the reps, getting the bats pop and running the routes, you know, making the mistakes like the first game, the stupid mistake that I make, not get out of bounds, like just things. I haven't played that much football in the NFL because I didn't play last year. So just the reps and this preseason are so valuable, you know, just try to take advantage of them.
Just keep getting better.
Outside.
Yeah, I mean Monk obviously like us tight ends. We both tight ends with quite a few catches in the preseason. And Mark's pretty good too, so I think it gets some catches too. And we've been a good room, you know, Mark z Pat, myself and de Vok and Ben. I thought we had some good stuff. I'm excited. You know, every offense has its pros and it's cons from last year and last year we've run so much thirteen personnel, we have a ton of guys maybe to open up
the playbook as much. Though with the past game this year, as you can see, it's a little different here and there. So just try to take the blessings that come with each offense. This offense, you know, among does some some fun stuff with the tempo and open up the field, and I think it's gonna be fine to keep learning, to keep getting better and try to keep earning snaps for the field and just contribute any way I can offense or specialties.
That was tight end Charlie Kohler. We also heard from linebacker and special teams Ace del Sean Phillips.
Just, uh, I guess see this is how rapping out.
Just how you feel.
Yeah, uh my mom set for me this year.
It was just focusing on like how good can I be personally, like to be more valuable to the team. And that was like a switch from previous years. It was more so previous years I was focused on just getting better every day, getting better every day, But this year I wanted to see where my ceiling was on how much better could I get every day? You know, so how much more valuable could I, you know be
to the team. And you know, provide my teammates some more help, not even just all throwing the field, but mentally too. So that's kind of how I feel. I feel like I still got some stuff I would need to approve on, some stuff I wanna fix, grow from a lot of areas.
But like where I'm at right now, what particular did you focus on?
I guess I was just satisfied with getting better every day. Like I said that, my mind said, all right, let's go in camp. Previous years, my previous years in the league was just get better every day, get better every day. That's what I was telling myself. And even if I was a little bit better, I was satisfied with that.
But this year is kind of like, even if I did get a little bit better, if I didn't get as good, if I didn't do as much as I needed to do that day, I still wasn't satisfied even though I did get better.
So that's that was really good switch.
That was del Sean Phillips also heard from Charlie Kohler, Josh Johnson, and head coach John Harbaugh. If you want a full breakdown on the game against the Bucks, and also a discussion around who's gonna make that fifty three man roster head overs the Lounge podcast feed, Ryan Make and I break it all down for you and give you our thoughts on what we saw against the Bucks and who's gonna be on that fifty three man squad.
Make sure you leave a rating and a review here on the Press Past podcast and on the Lounge podcast as well. If you haven't done so already, go ahead and hit that subscribe button so you get these podcasts delivered to you as soon as a new episode drops. That's it for us, Thanks for listening, and we'll be back with you again soon