Ravens vs. Chiefs Week 1 Postgame Press Conferences

Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass Podcast.

The Ravens fell to the Kansas City Chiefs twenty seven to twenty in the season opener Thursday night.

After the game, we heard from head coach John Harball.

Good heart fought football game, very exciting football game, a lot of a lot of a lot of back and forth. I'm proud of the where our guys play, you know, I think the way we fought, the way we competed, the challenges that we faced, just by the situation of the game and all the things going on around the game, and obviously the challenge that our opponent presents us, which is a great opponent, and then the university throughout the

John.

Just starting with obviously, Isaiah was huge for you guys all the night.

And even battle and acted game on the deal.

That last position of what you see.

Out of him and what do.

You tell him after coming so.

Falls Oh, I think Isaiah played just a great football game of courageous game. I made so many plays, especially down the stretch, play after play put Lamar obviously in the same category. All those guys. I mean, those guys were making plays and fighting. The offensive line I thought did a heck of a job out there. A lot of question marks that you know, the pundits and the prognosticators had about the offensive line saying that with that

What are kind of emotions though, at the end of the game, when you feel like, okay, you've tied the game, and then you're told.

What you're talking about motions, you're disappointed, he thought. I mean, I don't know what it looked like on the replay, so I can't say, but I really couldn't tell them the big screen, you guys probably had a better viewpoint of.

It, so.

Legal perm.

Yeah, they put a thing out.

That they said they were gonna call that differently. I think understanding how differently we were the first offensive series of the season with that, and I think they saw probably everybody watching it. It'll be interesting to see if they call it the same way the whole season, and I'll challenge him to call it the same way to call it tonight the whole season, so hopefully they'll be consistent about that.

Lamar has called Kansas City his kryptonite. I feel about his late drive and just give me a confidence moving forward if you played them again.

I thought his late drive was great, and I thought he had some other good drives in there, some great conversions in there. So we'll be looking forward to the rate. You know, we've got to get ready for the for the Raiders, and that'll be a big challenge for us in our in our own home stadium a home opener, so that's what we'll be getting ready for.

Check how much was communication defensively early in the midway through the third quarter difficult where you had to take the two timeouts.

Yeah, we just had some issues with uh, the substitutions back and forth. They were running, you know, different groups on the field and stuff like that, and and we did have some communication problems. That's something that we'll have to iron out. For sure. We can be better with that. We will be better with that, uh and that you know, it wasn't what we wanted, so we'll have to improve on that.

We will challenge is something happened on the TV pass where Worthy slipped behind.

Yeah, we just didn't play the defense exactly where obviously we didn't play the defense right. There's nobody deep back there. So that was a that was that was We had certain mistakes during the game that were problem. Substitutions weren't issue. That was probably the one big mistake we had. The rest of the way, I thought our defense played really well. I mean, you know, that's a heck of an offense out there, and our guys played so hard, fought, uh,

All right, there's great thanks.

We also heard from quarterback Lamar Jackson.

So he's touched down pleas.

He's saying, you said that, James, I thought I wasn't touching me. I thought it was a touchdown, though I still think it's a touchdown.

Lam are also fault targets for as they have Just what what goes into that connection? And how did you kind of see him beside from the last way really, M.

Mean, he was just opening you know what I'm seeing.

I don't wanna get it wrong, but it looked like thirty two and twenty was like turning to like pursue him when they realized where the ball was going. So I threw af threw it so he can like make a play on it, just so I don't throw it like a line job to hit him in the face mask and they turn around to pick the ball. So I give him, give him balls so he can jump.

A little bit.

But I thought he did a a great job acrobatic catch. And I believe it was two fee down.

You know what, I'm staying on that m little more of the press boxes in the clouds, so it's hard to see what's going on there to play before the flowers. Did that ball get tifted out of your hand or was that just just missfiring?

No, I'm actually it was uh. I went scrambled.

I seen Chris Jones was on uh Justice Hill. Justice Hill was blocking Chris Jones, so I was trying to help Justice out and I try to get out of the pocket, and I seen Bateman like flying across, so I'm thinking baitman gonna stop And as them throwing the ball, I see Za flying cross. I'm like, can't ms I that wasn't the intended.

For uh uh l ja flowers. So yeah, I was. I was.

I was teeed off about that cause I'm like, if I wuda held on to a little bit more I would have just fired at the za the touch.

So you didn't see it until the very end.

Yeah, Like when I threw the oh I seen him. I'm like like, I wanna say something other, but I'm like, damn.

Like.

Lamar m is what you guys as an offense go in to expect the crackdown on illegal formations? Or was there a confusion with how that was being called?

Oh man, we would definitely were in practice. We we didn't have that, you know, we had rest that practice, you know, throughout camp and stuff like that. We didn't feel like we rarely had a call like that, you know, So for that to go down at in a game like this first game of the season, things happening you.

Called Kansas City or krypton Nite in the past.

Is the last drive is not my Kryman Knight?

What's that?

It's not my Kryman Knight.

Okay, So does that last drive give you encouragement or does it give you frustrated that you were two inches short.

The whole game? Give me encouragement, you know, cause I believe our guys are fighting, you know. Unfortunately we had penalties every time we had a almost an explosive every time we had an explosive lamar, when you guys are going.

To do tempo there in the fourth quarter to the offense really seemed to click there. What was what was kind of working?

There? Was it?

You guys got into the rhythm that that.

Had no Actually, we do that a lot throughout practice. You know, just started, just go a two minute er or just go fast, you know, uh, keep our win and just go. We we do that sometimes throughout practice, So we work on that.

Mark how much did your your completion night, I said, the forty nine yard touchdown? How much did that really infuse you guys with the energy?

Changed the game a little bit for you?

Guess just cloud it was a touchdown and nothing happened. We didn't it didn't call it ain't call back or anything like that, cause he made a spectacular run and catch. You know, Uh, he did his thing. And I like to the step back at the end, you know, right before the touchdown. That was amazing, you know school but yeah, that look that looked crazy. Nah, his was his was a I said his was dope because it's in the NFL. I was in I was in high school.

They go, mark you you say the Chiefs are not your kryptonite, but nuh seeing how last season ended. In this season, yeah, as the gun, what did it say about your team and measuring up against the two time champs?

Yuh went t uh.

I believe our offense got a lot of we got no additions and we just getting a trusted you know. I don't wanna say preseason it is the reason, cause it wasn't cause we battle. You know, you could see what we put points on the board, and you just gotta do what we gotta do it bewoe of those games simple.

Uh, a little one roop coruner in Isaiah, we'll talk about how just the fight, if the fighting you that shows today kind of gets him optimism in moving forward? Man, how how do you describe kind of got farther out in the optimism and the outlook of his team moving forward?

Yeah.

I I believe everyone in our our locker room hate losing, point blank period. Coaches, s, trainers, uh, equipment, guys, cafeteria women and men, and definitely the players, you know, cause we out there put it on the line, blood, sweat and tears, and for us to lose to those guys and the way we lost even though I don't wanna lose, but uh, I can't be mad at my guys cause he batter no longer.

It's a long season. So you guys, you're constantly evolving. What do you focus on evolving to get to the point where you do pasts?

Clean up penalties, clean up, clean up completions and and things like that. You know, when we go scramber drill, we wreak on that scrimmer drills, complete those catch those We just gotta do what we gotta do to one of those games.

Lamark.

Uh, how frustrated specificallyg brothers illegal formation penalties and think it's generally the one time winning.

Penalties that you guys got out the team and now you guys about foss script.

I mean, it's very frustrating cause we busting out behind out there. You know, we tryna win the game at the end of the day, and we it's it's like every time we got a big play, it's like a flag down. It's like, God, we can't we can't be having that, you know, But we gonna watch fam and and see who we can clean those things up. Cause I believe we got the best fan base in the in the NFL, and they wanna see that through what

Next up is linebacker rokwand Smith wait too?

Or in the likely touchdown? What are you watching on the big screen? Did you think it was a touchdown?

Yeah?

Absolutely?

I thought it was a touchdown and that's what they called on the field, and I didn't think it was enough evidence to overturn it. But I feel like that'll be something that the rests would have to deal with whenever that time comes, and that's out of my control.

Rowan, you know, obviously cool mistakes is John referred too.

But how'd you kind.

Of feel and taking the field against one of the league's best and touch with Mahomes and now you guys.

You made out overall?

Yeah, it felt great heading into the game, but obviously there was a lot of mistakes out there, and that's not what we pride ourselves on. And I think that starts with me communicating each and every detail throughout to the guys and making sure we're all on the same page, and if we're all on the same page, we're a tough defense to move the ball on. But a lot of the things that happened was self inflicted. But hats off of those guys. They made us pay for it, and hey, it's a game of inches.

Was it just first game stuff stuff that you kind of just have to work your way through, or was a crowd noise? What do you what was the kind of the infatus behind some of the communication issues.

Yeah, I don't think it's the first game things at all, And I think it's just more so each and every individual holding themselves to a higher standard. And I think that starts with me leading to guys and making sure the communication is up to par and then echoing it throughout and doing that throughout the game regardless of the circumstances. There's no excuses whatsoever. And you know, has off of those guys. They won the game, but we'll definitely see them again.

Brokon what do.

You as a team do you feel? I mean, you nearly keep back and type this game of it. As a team, what are you taking from from from this game?

All the great things and then all the negative things? Just building off building off of those. You know, you have to look ourselves in the mirror, each and every individual. There's a lot of players personally out there today that I wish I could get back. I didn't feel like I played my best game, and I think, you know, when I play my best game, I feel like that

Why saying it starts with you?

Why is it that you're putting that responsibility of yourself.

I'm the leader of the defense, and there's countless other leaders out there as well.

But I look.

Myself in the mirror and I hold myself to the highs of high standards. And at the end of the day, I get the call in from the DC and I echo the call out to the guys, and I have to make sure we're all on the same page. So that's what it is, and it'll be that way. So it is what it is. But you know, just take things and you build off of it.

Okay, would you guys do the second half because the first half they're clear in the kind of the middle of the field, and the second half, you guys, you would deny that make them arial a little bit.

Yeah, I think it was just uh some adjustments. Hats off the zo for that making adjustments at halftime knowing where they was hitting us at. And a couple of plays like myself personally when three uh ran the option right on me. I think number four ran the option right on me. So gotta be all over that. Yeah, that's what it is. Thought it was a bs horse caller, but it is what it is.

What was your perception that play along the Chiefs sidelines.

Of oh he f he flopped?

Uh?

Yeah, he flopped. Uh that's why the referees didn't call it. It was a great call by a great noe call by the reff But whoever eighty eight is, I don't know who he is, but he better watch watch himself.

He did he did a little slick push.

Was there somebody on the sideline that pushed you as well?

Yeah?

Whoever number eighty eight is, I have no idea who he is, but I'll see him when I see him in.

Rokann one of the other leaders on the teams, obviously, Lamar, what did you feel back.

His effort tonight?

Uh, it was a great effort by Lamar.

Uh Personally, as a defense, we should have never put in put him in that position, uh, being being able to come back from like that, But it was hats off to him some reason. He's a two time MVP. But as a defense, we should have never put those guys in the position. So it starts with us as a defense and eliminating explosive plays, eliminating countless mistakes that we had, and then given the offense many opportunities to.

Do what they do.

And we'll do that the rest of the way. So this is the worst will play off season, so I can promise you that.

All right. Thanks.

We also heard from tight end Isaiah Likely, who had a big game in the loss.

It looks like when the replays that maybe the foot was l What's what's your perspective for whether that was a touchdown?

Unt.

I mean, at this point, it's just you gotta live with the call. I mean, you gotta look on obviously, watch the films here. We could diet better to not throw ourselves in a situation where you know, to leave in the ref's hands to be able to call that call and call the game. So you know, I say, just watch the films here what we can improve on and go into next week.

See we also, so you go down in the corner, you looked pretty.

Hurt us side.

What happened?

And then what was the sequence that led you back on the field for that minor play?

It was you know, it's just a high ball. You know, it was just us and nobody kind of kind of passed from l I try to go make up make a play, got uh pushed by the DV laying it kind of hard, and then you know, got up, shook a little bit, and then adrenaline and running. Mean, it's last player of the game. Would you wanna be out the game?

What do you guys take away from la final drive?

Uh?

Really, just keep going, I mean, just m major in the minor details to be able to execute and be able to put that last touching on the board, I mean, and not leave it into ours hands, you know, at the game as easy as possible. The first th th, three, third, quarters. So when we get to those situations, we could just go in victory formation D and go and then the boss is hard.

But your long touchdown that you score.

Can you just break down that play? And and did you just see that defender coming right before goal white and then your periphery or.

That you take?

Yeah, I mean, uh when I caught it? Uh, I just seen thirty two. Uh really take a bad angle, So I try to get to the sideline. Uh za you know a little twin made a great block. Uh, And I felt like, you know, every time makes a good block, I always gotta make, you know, go for six. And then I've seen six out my peripheral, so I it's you know, that close to go line. He thinks like, you know, usually gonna dive or something. So I just seeing how good it breaks for it and stop you guys.

I mean you guys win.

I mean this is a two time defending Super Bowl champions and in their place, you almost went to the tail with him. I mean, what what do you take away from a competitive game like that against this team?

I say, this is probably the worst game we gonna play all year. So if this is the best that they got, I mean good luck in the postseason.

I said, to that point, we hear brow talk about you know, self inflicted runs. But it comes down to the end, you guys have a chance to tie it. But was the kind of the message you'll look to look at the talk and the locker right after?

Uh?

I say, really, just you know, holding it in on the minor details. You know, understand that, like I said, this is gonna be the you know, the worst that we're gonna look on on television, you know, being week one and really just build I mean when you leave into the ref's hand, I mean, it's that is their call. So at this point it's just you know, major in the minor details, do what we can to stay out the ref's hands. So, like I said, we can get victory. Formation always go home with a smile.

I say, was there a confusion with the illegal formation calls? Like I know, you know they're postal cault on alignment. But in the huddle, were you guys talking about that adjustments you have to make because of it or did did you anticipate that that they were gonna call that tight? Uh?

I'd have to I I honestly couldn't tell you. I mean I guess they were gonna harp on it this this game or this season in general. But I mean, like tho, those you know, self inflicting wounds obviously gonna put you behind schedule, so you know, watching film, getting better in that situation, making sure we you know, eliminate the penalty so we can stay on schedule and put a lot of puns on the board.

How is it?

I mean, I know, this is pretty much as close as it gets or class catch.

Can you think of any catch that that closer or even a catch that you've seen that that's closer than the one?

Yeah, that's it, Uh not that I know, I mean, I just I mean, that's that's what I mean. Man, I just gotta I gotta get both feet in. I I gotta I harp for myself to you know, catch everything. Make sure everybody put us in the best possibility. So I'll take, you know, responsibility. I next time I get my feet down, Hey.

Say in real time, what did you think when you caught it? And when you saw where you were did you think you were in?

I mean I let it the ref rep plated me. I let it the ref when he signal touchdown. I mean I thought it was what it was, and then we was obviously going to win the game, and then it is what it is.

At this point, he didn't see where you where you landed?

Nah, I d well, I mean so fast? Uh yeah, it's it's so fast. I mean I just you know, second nature, try to get my feet in, both feet in, and then once the re ref signal touchdown, I just knew you know what it was. But this point is what it is going to next week, looking the next week.

How would you scrape that that for pos lamorrow tonight?

Uh?

I mean he showed you what type of player is. I mean, the two time MVP. Don't go down back down to nobody, no matter where we are, no matter whose environment, who were going up against. He gonna show you who he is every snap, every play, I mean, whether it's running or passing. I mean, he shows you that he's Lamar Jackson.

And how impress were you buy the stuff he did before the Stampa?

I know we talked that seemed like something he was really trying.

With all those pointed gesture.

And emotion guys around, Uh, I felt like he was, you know, being great. I mean obviously we you know, had minor detail, uh details at uh penalties, but I mean Lamar's Lamar, I mean se first and fifteen second whatever. I mean. He always gonna make something happen. So when you have him as your quarterback, it's easy to always look positive.

Alright, thanks, thank you.

In the locker room, we also talked with several players, including left tackle Ronnie Stanley.

Uh.

We knew that they were gonna make a new emphasis on the legal formations, and we were talking to rest and OTA's actually and we got pretty good clarification and we were doing a good job in OTAs and you know, all of a sudden today, you know, the rest whatever calls they made third decision, but didn't feel consistent with what we were told.

Yeah, from the other refs earlier on did you say you were surprised if it was the first time it was called on you?

Uh yeah, I mean second play of the game, first pass play of the game, no warning before that. You know, I thought it was a little different. And then the way it was going through the game, you know, I really feel like they were just trying to make an example and chose me to be the one to to do that. And you know, as far as I saw, they weren't doing it on both sides of the ball. And I know that I was lined up, uh, you know, in a good position majority of those calls they made.

After Derek got called, you know once and then twice did did Was there any conversation or dialogue you had with with the officials a bit about it.

And so forth.

Yeah, there's plenty of plenty of dialogue. They just kept saying you need to move up, and I'm like, how much more do I need to move up? You know, And it's not my first year playing this thing. I know where to line up, and I was lining up a lot ahead of where I usually do, and I know my helmet was breaking the centers. But so we'll see on film, and you know, this is their call to make. But like I said, I they were trying to make an example out of me.

Would say, you were lining up consistent with how you've lined up every other year of your career.

Yeah, I would say, I'm line line up no different, And you know I would say I would even I would even go as far as saying I was lining up more in front of what I used to do in years past, you know, so because the emphasis, Yeah, because of the emphasis. So that was something we knew about in training camp and you know, we were working on as lineman, you know, and we have rests at practice all the time. You know, it's never been an issue.

You know, so how all is obviously disrupt the rhythm of the game, but how much.

More did it disrupt it?

And that you guys weren't exactly sure, like how it was.

Just trying to just figure out the map role.

I mean, it definitely, you know, hindered us as a offense, you know. I mean there's a lot of big plays that were made that we had to come back. But luckily we overcome a lot of those things. But you know, we we we know how we we we see now how the rest are gonna you know call it and you know, just against us the whole time. So I think that's just something we need to overcome, you know, but you know, it definitely was a heindrance, but yeah, we're gonna fix it.

Lastly, we heard from running back Dereck Henry, who talked about his debut as a raven.

Derek Gott impactful touchdown in the beginning.

Uh, how do you feel the rest of the game for you?

Uh, A couple of runners off probably won't back. I wanted to do different, but I'm just trying to do the best I could to help his team win. And you know we came up short. One game goes then to final the whole season. We got play more to go play, watch the field not fly, get better and you know, be scept critical of myself and you know, continue to improve as.

You were watching live and then I guess watching the the replay on the big court, what did you kind of think of Isaya it's a touchdown play?

And were you surprised that it got turned to I mean I thought it was a touchdown. I thought what they called him the field was gonna be a touchdown. I got out of turn and you know it was just what what what they called and you know we'll be we'll get back and get better.

What kind of momentum did that first touchdown drive do you for you personally?

Oh, I mean it was good to get in there and they did a great job blocking, had a hole, just had to hit it, get in the end zone and we we'll ever get on the board. Uh uh he on the board, getting touched down. Uh felt good. But you know I was early in the game and so just came up with short to day and uh, Washington fel like I said, and get better and grow from it and hm, you know, come out and be better next week.

I mean this team, you guys competed. I mean, this is a two time to than Super Bowl champions in their place. Came down to the very end. As a team, I mean, what do you take from from the game, Like, yeah, I.

Mean we uh, you know, we were able to uh put ourselves in a position to be able to have a chance to to win the game. You know, even you know the things were happened in the game as far as went outside of the ball, but you know, so a lot of things we can learn from and a lot of things we can continue to build on. And that's uh so what he wanna do as a team, learn from the mistakes and built on the positives.

Martin talks about did the penalties really having this halting effect, especially in those.

Middle two quarters, especially the illegal formation calls? What did that influence do you think that had on the offense?

Well, I mean anytime you have anx self inflicted wounds, you know, it's always gonna be tough to try to overcome, you know, especially with a team like this who's uh very good and very sound and uh capitalize on uther on uh hoosing team that's mistakes.

We just gotta just gotta learn from it the first game. Get those michigues out the way and be better the next time we out.

There, they're there still playing out to city. Lamar, what was your own you know, he get you kept you guys into it, among other things up to the end there. What what would your take on of his performance.

To I mean, Lamar's tomorrow is like everybody else seeing. You know, he's gonna do him and make plays and you know put us a position to win. So yeah, Lamar's Lamar's.

You like, did you look at him?

What are some things that you want to take on this game that you'll be able to field.

Out who you called with?

You know, I think selectively as a group.

You know, we know that, you know, as long as we were resilient, you know, no matter what happens, you know we can still be in the game.

You know, we got play makers all around the fields. You know it could be back in the game.

In the drive we saw that with Uh uh was they likely you know, making that big old play getting us back in the game just just that fast, you know, just got to stay locked in, happy, believe for one another and let h let the rest take.

Everyselfagine touchdown catch, but likely how much? What kind of effective they have on the energy of the game, you think?

Oh yeah, I mean that was a big momental swing for us. You know, we needed that score and we needed to score it quick, and you know he made a big play. You know, that's type of players is that he has seen maybe the plays and his name's called y Are.

Your first game off? Your your first game playing alongside of Lamar to see well he was kind of putting on his back taking off run in the spin mows all that stuff, Like what what do you take away from your first game playing beside?

I mean, I don't expect nothing less of enough from him. You know, he's been doing his whole career. Uh, that's the type of player he is. And you know, you know we're teammates now, but I've been seeing him when I was on the on the other side. So that's just just hopped playing Lamar is he's gonna lay online every single time.

Yeah, doing something up.

Funds to where you guys, you gotta pushing more so.

To the perimeter. It seemed like you guys are throw the swing pass and then take that outside.

Maybe not punchment for middle as much.

No, not at all, just what uh Monk saw and wanted to call. So like they gave us the best.

Opportunity to be able to make plays and we get the ball down the field and that's what that's what we try to do.

You're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. The Ravens have the weekend off before getting back to work next week for that home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. Thanks for listening. Make sure you hit that subscribe button. We will be back with you on Monday.