Ravens vs. Commanders Week 6 Postgame Press Conferences

Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass podcast. The Ravens approved a four and two on the season after a thirty to twenty three victory over the Washington Commanders. After the game, we heard from head coach John Harbaugh.

Okay, appreciate everybody being here.

Heck of a game, heck of an environment, playoff feel out there with the crowd and everything fans from both teams. A loud, very tough, physical game against a tough physical football team that was playing at the high has been and did play at the highest level. Very I guess the ultimate team win. You know, all three phases contributed

So what question do you have.

John how Well, was the mare throwing the ball.

These days, I thought them are a great game, you know, I mean it's uh he he was on point against man coverage.

They were.

They were loading the box up against the run and playing a lot of man coverage which had not done a lot of.

Throughout the course.

We had a lot of first and second down play action passes up guys like Zay running crossing routes and sale routes waiting those guys, and they were on our guys. But enough separation, lamar dot it. These guys made contested catches on the run and then made guys miss with the h after the.

Catch as well.

So I just proud of all those Guysay, Mark, Isaiah Bait, everybody did a good job.

So yard receiving.

It's kind of what kind of weapons he turned after you.

Guys, Yeah, I mean exactly the weapon.

We absolutely knew he was and would be and has been, to be honest with you, I mean, he's been there all along, and the opportunities came up today. You know, sometimes the defense doesn't allow it, sometimes the ball doesn't come your way for whatever reason. But today the opportunity showed up and we had to have those catches had to be made. I mean, those passing, those those plays had to be made in the pass game, and Zay made him. That was the difference probably in the game.

How happy are you?

You know teams are going to try to take away the run you lamar, Derek Kerry Steel ran the ball well today. But you mentioned Zay in the first half we had and then the second half it's a lot of Mark Andrews, a lot of her shot. Maybe just how impressed you to see you your offense be able to click and both to run the.

Handle past game.

Yeah, I definitely think that's the offensive story of the game. You know, absolutely, the fact that they did that. We expected that.

We didn't know if they were gonna play a lot of man or not.

But they did, and I understand why they did with all the quarterback and the run game stuff. They felt like they had to. They know how to stop that stuff. It's our if they run that those plays and for Lamar to put those passes where he did and for the guys to make those plays was the.

Game that's up is quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Lamar, you know a lot of expectations and talk about this game, a lot of hype coming into this game.

Do you guys feel like you can prove that there the best offense in the NFL right now? Nah?

We just proven we can win games just playing raven football right now. I don't think that really proved anything like we we the best offense. You know, Uh, there's always room for improvement. It's only like the what fifth, sixth game? Sixth game? There's always room for improvement though, cause it was still in means happening out there. You know, we still had tries, well, we we shoulda put points on the board, the interception stuff like that.

Do you feel like this is the most balanced offense you've had here in Baltimore?

Mm mmmm somewhat in a way you can say, yeah, Cause twenty nineteen we we was pretty balancing to gods, like you know, went down at the end of the season.

But uh yeah, you can say.

That, Well, why are you talk about like you can for all the gas in games and you guys said it scoring five straight posessions before closing their hoality?

What did it need to be able to just consistently put up in what this rack?

This game?

I I really feel like we just proved ourselves right, you know, instead of just talking about it. We we was about it today, just putting points on the board. We started off slow. Even when we was sc scoring on those drives, I still felt like we was kind of off some way. But uh, like I said, it's a room for improvement. We just gotta keep stacking.

H y, Well, there's so much, so much about Jane Daniels this week.

I know you always say, I.

Don't play against the other quarterback, I play against their defense.

Are you motivated by.

That by all the hype about Jane Daniels coming into this building?

Nah?

I I believe he deserved all the hype he's getting. You know, he played a tremendous game out there. They just came up short and he's been proving it. You know, uh his rookie season, first six games, he he's been playing amazing more.

Two two ninety plus yard touchdown drives.

It's not very common in the same game. What's the mentality when you take care of there in New York deep in your net.

Well the get from my backs against the wall, or just get positive yards and try to finish with some points on the board.

And that's pretty much what we did those two jobs the mall.

We heard what they thought.

You know, when he sees man coverage, he thinks, when what what is it in your mind when you see man coverage kind of across the ball with these weapons that you have.

Who I'm gonna throw it to?

Cause I know once uh, whoever get the ball on that uh play, somebody gonna come back and be like I was open.

It's like bruthers on it. One football like.

I I can't throw throw like this like you know, so like just pretty much is getting into our Uh one of my guys, one of my guys, let them.

Do works in the spad uh double digit league center in the fourth quarter, win with one fourteen points that never gets relinquished cause it's like you were eventually previously that scoring and the fourth was important for.

You guys, and we're able did that today.

Just what's the satisfaction of there?

Uh, not just scoring in the fourth, you know, Uh, just every opportunity we out there on that field. Uh, my offense, we just tryna put points on the board. We don't like coming up short. You know, we bust out behind and practice you know against our our scout team, first team, I don't really matter. Tryna put points on the board so we get in the game. It's like

And that's what we did.

Mar, guy, is that d having Derek Henry increase your confidence of when you have to eat clock and and have those game ending drives?

I always got confidence, but definitely, uh, definitely, Man, we just know he just need a lane. Uh he gonna do the rest, man, And every time it's like a little crease. He always just go forward for us and just get get many rs.

Mar, How after the uh interception on the first drive and the un characteristics skap like Tyler on the second three, what do you sending to your guys on the sideline. Mo, what was it a frustrated sideline for for a minute there or.

I mean, we know we just gonna have to deal with it. When we watching film, we gonna get on each other like that was some bs right there. But uh, we was good, you know. But we didn't blink at all. We was you know, we gonna get an opportunity. We just gotta put points on the board out defense stopped him. We went down and execute it. We just gotta keep doing that without the Uh it means to the mistakes Mark side, he.

Wants to give Mark Andrew's involved in the office and that, oh it was dope.

Uh.

I told him, La, last week he's supposed to score. I threw a bad ball. I threw a bad ball.

He was open on to the left side of Cincinnati, and I told him, I'm like, bruh, I gotta get you in the end zone next week. You know, I w I was ticked off of myself. He was mad at me too, but he didn't say nothing about it though, he like, he like we good. Like he told me, he was like, I'll mad at you at first, Like bruh, I was mad at my damnself like y he ain't gonna be mad than me, you know, but uh, it was dope to get.

Him in the en zone.

Man.

He hasn't been there since what like week ten of last year something, But it was dope.

Man.

It's many more, many more to come.

Oh, Mar you know you're the now the second leading rusher Russian QB in NFL history. It's only Michael Vick ahead of you.

I know you grew up.

Really liking Mike. What does that mean to kind of it's it's just the two of you at the top of that particular leader board.

I mean it's dope.

Uh not just because you know it's Mike vic Uh, number one, but it's like all the great guys who I'm in great company with, you know, Cam Newton and stuff like that. Uh, Stephen McNair, like all those great guys and who was before me is it's just great to be in discussion with those guys.

You do two more?

But why did you come into today feel like it could be a big.

Yet versus flowers?

I come in feel like any god can have a big dayg I'm not gonna lie to you.

Uh, we just got that type of that type of mentality and the guys who's around.

Us llabar what's to say about this offensive?

Say you had what night for one thirty in the first dap, you're gonna catch a ball on the second half, But you guys didn't.

Slow down at all. It's a picky poison offense.

That's That's pretty much what I've been saying, uh since camp when we uh got there hearing and stuff like that. Then we got Mark Zay, I say, a likely Bateman, Uh Nelly Charlie, uh Patrick Carr, Like we got all these got Tylan Wallace, We got all these guys on our offense. Justice here, I can't forget about justice in our office line, you know, the whole unit. It's like, we got we got guys who who's who wanna work, who wanna win, and that they're just pretty much what is shown up.

Thanks so much.

We also heard from wide receiver Zay Flowers, supposed to a career high one hundred and thirty two receiving yards on nine catches.

Yeah, I think it's what is the mentality when you see the commanders playing as.

Much man and man as they were.

I mean, it's just win.

I feel like that's that should be the mentality for all of us, and that was the mentality for all of us today to just go in because we've been doing so well running the ball that they gotta pack the box and we gotta go in. So I'm glad we'll be able to show that we can win.

See how could It's this offense trick.

Were real good, but I feel like we can we can get better. We could keep getting better as a year ago and just at everything we do. So I think we won the best We won the best office in the league.

So you have one hundred and.

Thirty two yards on the first half. Just what's that feel like after having, you know, a career high last game with one hundred eleven and we do all that more just the first half of this game.

I mean, it's those guys, It's like it's l it's there, it's bait cause you gotta respect all of us.

So they helping me get open.

And Rashat Bay been doing a great job of making his players when they come in his way. Mark Andrews getting better and better every week. You everybody know Isaiah gonna do what he do. So it's just all the guys around me that help me get open and help me do what I do.

Say, what's you.

Guys have two drives ninety three yards ninety four yards?

H help big?

Where those just as an offense to kind of keep things moving and and kind of did you feel.

Like that sort of I would say broke the will?

But what the impact did that?

I have?

Yeah?

I feel like I feel like we needed those drives to set the tone or like that this offense gonna keep going all game and we just gonna keep scoring either running or passing. So I feel like those two drives right there was much needed and we should We needed that and we show what we needed to do it.

I know it is it was last summer of this training camp and this is a game and all that, But the way that you practiced against the standards and the joint rags last year and you were just getting there all the time, yup mentally, did that at all roll.

Into this game for you?

Uh?

Not really cause it was joint practice. But I knew, like I knew what they do, what they did, like what type of man they ran, what type of zones. So I was able to get a film for him for that from Joint practices and able to run my routes off that, so it helped a little.

So what what is the connection like with Lamar right now?

And then what do you think is gone into it?

To advance what you guys, I just gotta keep earning his trust on catching the ball when it needed to be contested, catches no matter where it's at, and you know, just keep playing football the way I am.

Za how much is Lamar hitting you and stride allowing you to do some of the things you can do.

After you make it kipt?

I mean every time, every ball, every ball today was in shot and I was able to pick up more after So we we been working on that a lot.

Is it?

Is it still an adjustment as a playmaker to say, well, maybe I won't see the ball for a quarter or a half, but that doesn't matter if the working Yeah.

Yeah, that's absolutely because you know, Dereck Hearry, you gotta feed him the ball like, no matter what, no matter who you got at receivers, no matter who you got at tight end, like, you gotta get that man the ball. So I just I just wanted to wait, just wait, and I knew he was gonna open it up for us. Now we able to do both running in passy.

The Ravens have seen so many different kind of defenses over the years to try to combat with you guys and lamar to the past. Do you feel like you guys are nearing the stage or you have an answer or pretty much whatever the uh opposing defense turns to.

I mean, I just feel like we we good at we good at what we gotta do. Like, if we gotta run the ball, we gonna run the ball. If we gotta pass it, that's what we gonna do. And if we gotta do both like we did today, then that's what we gotta do.

So if you hit the uh the spin move after the catch when the defender's trailing, you think twice you might have done even more than that. Just continue to get the gartage?

Is it?

S I what's your mentality?

Would you keep using the same move to get open and to separate from somebody you're making the catch and trust that it's going to keep working instead of them kind of taking up on that.

I mean, like, it's not not like I'm saying, oh, I'm about to spend right here. It's just a feel for it. It's just a feel for how fast they running in front of me or the type of angle they got on me. I'm just I'm just trying to go get some more yards and do what I.

Do in the locker room. Today we also heard from running back Dereck Henry, who put up a pair of touchdowns and topped one hundred yards.

Again.

Just obviously a big win today. With what was working so well for you guys as an offense.

As a whole, I felt like everything was working. It's kind of like pick your poison. Everybody did a great job being locked in and executing, you know, just hats off everybody on offense of you know, of putting plays together and be able to fill in the drives to put ourselves in a position to win.

There there's been multiple times that you've iced the game with last drive runs. How does it feel to be able to put the team in position to finish at it strong after a big runs like today and a couple of weeks ago.

Yeah, I mean probably about thirty twenty thirty minutes ago. I was just thanking the office of line. Mean, it's all those guys doing a great job of me blocking making my job easier.

You know.

I just had to get the ball, make a read, getting north and south, and you know, finish runs. So credit goes to the old line tight ends, uh, fullback receivers blocking, doing a great job, being unselfish for me to be able to have success there.

How much pride do you take and being the closer? I mean you've been that way your whole career to help ice games.

Yeah, I mean yeah, definitely wanna be able to close the game so so we can win and everybody's happy and everybody's high five in the locker room. So y y you you know, you gotta take pride in that to be able to finish games and you know, uh, how the ball last.

When you guys Gota talking about picking poison, that's kind of a common phrase amongst the offense. How does that affect things when you have so many different weapons you can.

Get it, dug Well, I just think it's it's great. You got so many guys that can make plays. A lot of guys are getting chances to get the ball and be able to you know, showcase their talents. That's that's what you want those offenses, everybody being dynamic, having played makers who can make plays on any any side of the field and Mark they they had one hundred yards in the in the first half. I was like, Boa, he's going crazy and you know, l finding guys bait.

When you guys are closing those games out.

You know, a lot of said about, you know, wearing teams down when you run the ball.

Can you feel defenses kind of being worn down?

No, I don't think we try to make about them and being worn down. I think it's us just being locked in and making sure we all focused. You know, it takes all eleven and just keeping rinding each other while we were in the huddle, you know, when we're on offense.

The toss, you know, it's kind of the ice icing run there at the end of this game, it seems.

Like it's having a lot of.

I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know what you're talking about.

I think I think it was a handoff, wasn't How good?

How good is this offense?

R announce?

I mean, we're not, like coach said at when we came in here, We're we're humble, being humble, take 'em one week at a time, and you know, approaching every week of focus on being wanted to know, keep pushing each other, keep working hard and let this trans to the game.

But it's humble approach for sureship.

Do you feel like this?

How offense is huh?

How versable?

Do you feel like the r being humble? Guys?

Uh?

Making plays?

Great?

To see you guys being able to get up and catch the.

Ball and officer lint.

Everybody's doing a great job. And you know we're wanna contique continue to do that, and you know, and we know it starts, you know, early throughout the week to be able to have success on Sundays and then that's been the main focus here.

Is this what you had in mind when you came here being humble?

You know what I mean? I just wanna come in and be an adding piece and help this offense have success, cause they've always been dynamic and been one of the top offenses. So I'm glad I'm able to do that, and you know, hopefully keep it going and you change to work and chane to do my best to help this team.

I know you've been one of the best of this job for a long time.

But but how does playing with Lamar and backfield facts?

Yeah, what you see from defenses in a fact, how easy it is to do what you did.

Yeah, I think you gotta respect him. I mean there's it's no question. I mean, Lamar is Lamar, and every team knows that. I mean even playing against him, I mean we knew what the camp playing was. You gotta you gotta stop him to be able to give your supposition to win. And I think that's always approaches different teams. You know, he's two time MVP for a reason, and I'm glad I'm on his team now. And you know, it's been fun, Derek.

When you're getting to the red zone, everybody in the stadium news.

You're gonna get the ball?

Stop?

Yeah, I mean what are you to score? Credit to everybody blocking? That make my job easily. I mean that's I mean, it's it's not just me. I can't get the ball run through eleven people. I mean everybody's been doing their job blocking and me getting.

To his own.

So I'll give a credit to everybody blocking.

Man, for sure, How impress.

Watch who say?

Yeah?

Yeah, I mean there's no shock to me or nobody on this team and we see it all the time, so you know, we knew was coming. I told him, you know it's it's coming, and you know he's been. He's been getting off and doing a great job getting open. They can plays with the ball every time he catch it. I mean, I don't never think he's going down when he catches. He's here and there, there that that way. So that's just who that is. You know, Florida boy is different.

So we also heard from better linebacker Roquan Smith, what was it like to.

See Travis Shuns get that first sack.

And how big has he been?

Yeah, yeah, it was pretty sweet to see him get that sack.

The guy's a animal, as we all know.

Just sometimes you know, the sacks you may not see him, but his presence throughout the game and just the impact that he has throughout the game is not taken for granted. So I definitely appreciate him a lot and the way he busts his tail day in and day out and the type of person he is. But yeah, so I'm just I'm a big fan of Travis Dick Jones and yeah.

What'd you think of Jayson Daniels.

Look like he had a couple of welcome to the NFL.

Hits on him.

He no, I think man, uh Washington is in uh good hands with him. I think the guy's a he's the truth for sure. Like you know, he can run it, he can throw it, you know, whatever you want. And for him to come into a hostile environment and perform the way he did, I got much respect for him. And he took some licks to so like the co I heard he was tough as nails anyway, and even from watching him in college at a couple of games, like but he showed that. So like much respect and

Bro.

How would you describe the game plan against him today?

It seems like you guys didn't send a whole lot of extra rushers.

I mean he kind of made him play target practice against the secondary.

I mean, how would you describe it?

How did you feel like it worked?

Uh?

Yeah, we we definitely had a good game plan versus those guys, and uh, you know, definitely they're pro, they're in the league, They're gonna make plays. There's definitely some plays that we would all want back, including myself, and like you know, there's definitely things throughout the game, but that's why you're in the lab and you try to get better day in and day out. But you know, it was a tough, tough, fought game and we knew it wouldn't be easy. So that's what it's all about.

That Jaydens took a lot of guys have been hits for you guys in this game.

How much with physicality is something that you guys talked about. I think you always want to be physical, but seemed like this game.

Yeah, no, absolutely.

I think the Ravens in general, well before I got here and it'll be the way well after I'm gone. Like Breede itself on physicality, and that's just something that we pride ourselves on and just knowing that it's a rookie quarterback and like you gotta lay the hits on him and try to affect him because most of the time when you hit people in a nasty way, you definitely affect them. But the guy's toughest nails, he hopped

Offense is rolling right now? You know Laura has the offense rolling. How much does that affect things for you guys as a defense though, with the offense, is there.

Oh, that's awesome. That a lot of respect for the offense, every single person on that side of the ball and the head of the snake lamar. So you know, when those guys are rolling, is definitely great. But as a defense, we can't focus on that. We have to focus on ourselves and getting stops throughout the game and getting those guys the ball back as much as we can because we know if we do that, we're in good hands.

Did you feel like you guys took a step forward from last week?

Yeah?

Yeah, I felt like we definitely all took the stuff forward. I felt like there's always plays throughout each and every game throughout the league, like we're chasing perfection, but we're humans at the end of the day. So that was definitely.

That talk with center title Liderbomb.

I mean, isn't that special? I mean that's awesome, you know, just finding a role, you know, I mean, he's the biggest human being I've ever seen. So it's it's incredible that, you know, just going there. I as first or second game.

At that noticed.

Okay, he might have played last week.

I can't remember, Okay, but it's crazy.

I'm proud of him just to be able to you know, find find a role on the team. And that's a crucial block that he had, you know, kind of it set the tempo going into that second half.

But yeah, just proud of him.

Coffee, you guys can well you can attack teams to run the ball. They stacked the bucks and you throw the ball.

How much coffee did you guys playing when you could beat the first several ways?

Yeah, I mean that's a that's the goal to be efficient like that, you know, if they stack the box, you know, being able to throw the ball easier said than done. But you know, I thought we'd get it, did a good job of that today. I was just trying to be efficient as possible. When the runs are there, take it, and when the throws are there, take it as well.

How does defect the mentality in the fourth quarter when you know you have Derrick Henry that you can give it to, and that's what he seems.

To be at his best.

Yeah, he's a special back. He's a Hall of Famer back. So it's our drop to block for him, and he's gonna make one or two guys miss. He's certainly, just his size and speed, he's gonna wear down people. So it's our our drib just the block as long as possible.

Does it give you a different mentality that that you can close out games when you have him in the background.

Yeah, I think you know teams ppreciate all the time. But I mean, he's certainly a guy that absolutely does it just with his size and speed. You know, he's a fun player to play with. And then you know, just have an eight back there as well. You know, it's it's challenging for defenses. How much confidence so you guys playing with right now?

It's an offense?

Yeah, continue to improve. You know, it's it's it's better to be on the winning side and learn from things then to be on the losing side and learn from things. So just got to keep getting better, keep getting better, keep improving. Yeah, but just keep stacking wins is the main goal and then learn from it.

That's heard from defensive lineman Travis Jones, who came up with a sack in this game.

And now you guys have four straight wins. What have you guys shown in each of those wins now.

I'm just saying shows that going through adversity the first two games and not being a bounce back from that, and we got just gotta keep going.

The defense, the communication, Where do you feel like that level of communication is right now?

After this win?

I feel like the defense we are going through the six weeks, we're starting to jail together and play together and play for one one on each other.

What have you seen from Nate Wiggins?

It seems like he was everywhere.

Him and Marlin Humphrey who was flying around.

Yeah, Nate just a young fund guy. A lot of energies been bowling.

Out inside too. Then you see Roquan Smith getting after guys, great rush defense, from you guys. How does it feel after a game like that where you keep them real locked in?

Yeah?

I thought the whole week we was talking about keeping him in the pockets because most of the rushing girls coming from scrambling. So I feel like we went out there and executed at a high level.

I'm sure it's another day where you guys shut down the ground, the tackle your opportunities in there. I said you were the candidate for the breakout year. How much do you put that on? You feel like that's on your shoulders.

I don't pay I don't pay too much attention to like people saying breakout here and stuff. But that's why I've out there doing my job to the highest.

Levaca, you were doing that as bed as well as any d tackle in the game. What is anything change? Like you just got a little slower for you or you should what's a little different this year?

I'm starting to see things a little slower and going to my third year on my body and stronger.

Game.

Used to throwing guys around.

Off against the quarterback. You've throwing Josh Allen down there and then you're getting on jam Ns are not like bigger guys than course but you're throwing them down. Yeah, you feel like you're putting a lot of pressure on them.

I feel them getting when when I get to a quarback, I want to make sure you feel me for sure.

And lastly, we heard from pass rusher Yannique and got Way, who came up with a sack, his first sack of the season for the Ravens, a big.

Game like this, just second back to his team. Take us through that a little bit.

I mean, I'm a big believer in God. I'll give him all the praise. Everything happens for a reason. I've been I wanted to be here, you know, week one, but you know, things had to happen for me to be able to ultimately join the roster. So you know, I'm just thankful for the opportunity, thankful to the organization, uh, the front office. So just blessed to be here.

When you come into the situation where now it's a four game win Street, you guys are playing some exceptional football. Just feels like the title wave going forward.

Huh absolutely, I mean we're just rolling with him, man. You know, like you said, four game win streak, everybody's having a more cohesiveness. We just I could just put the energy on all three phases special teams, defense and offense.

We're just clicking the.

Kid over there on the other side playing quarterback.

He was for a hookie.

He didn't sure even look like.

It about him.

He's going to be special, you know what I mean. He's still young. He has more time to grow, you know what I mean before somebody of his age and somebody of his youthfulness. You know, it's great to see him do those kinds of things. And this guy's a limit phone.

Appreciate you that.

So you're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast, also make sure you're headedward to the Linenge podcast feed, where Ryan make and I do a deep dive into everything that happened in the game on a Sunday. We'll be back with you again tomorrow when we hear from head coach John Harble.