Welcome to the Ravens Presspass podcast and Happy New Year to everyone. The Ravens had practice today as they gear up for their game on Saturday against the Cleveland Browns to close out the regular season. If the Ravens win that game, then they will be AFC North champs. Today we had a chance to hear from the coordinator. So let's kick it off with offensive coordinator Tom Lunkett.
With Lamar, he's putting up some numbers bats so he has been done with yet end up with more than forty touchdown pass is less than five the receptions with Albany guards eight hundred rushing yards.
I mean, have you have you.
Anything comparable that you've ever been you know, an athlete or a player like that you've ever been around.
No, I mean, it's it's been amazing, you know. It's it's a credit to him, the work he's put in, you know, and the work he puts in every week. It's a credit to our coaches, Tea who works with him every day, to our coaches who've gained plan every week.
You know.
The other thing is we've been healthy. You know, Rashad has been healthy for most of the year. Zay In his second year, tight ends have been healthy, our old line has been relatively healthy. So that allows you and in our second year as a staff, allows us to continue to push forward and eliminate some of the drag that we had at times last year. You're gonna have that year in the NFL. But the credit goes to him.
I mean, you know, he's an unbelievable playmaker, wants to be coached, wants to be great, and he's about as humble as you could ever ask for a star player. I mean, super humble. That's why his teammates love him, because he works hard and he's humble.
And owns it. Teams obviously evolved through the course of the season.
You guys were getting under center with the fullback and Derek and Galts and people that way for a while, and I know there's always adjustments in coming out of the whether it's opponent or related or not. Derek went from running sixty plus percent of the time on the center over sixty percent of the time out of pistol on the shotgun with Lamar and now that's been super effective.
Was that a self scout thing? Was that something you guys talked about during the.
By or some of it's some of we didn't have Charlie. You know, Charlie's kind of our sea gap tight end blocker. So it's got a little bit of both. And who we were playing certain teams presents itself, you know, for us to be under center a little bit more, and then so combinations of self scout, combination that we're playing in combination of Charlie, all the all the above, one other.
Thing along those lines.
If I could, I watched there, all all the cut ups on everything you guys have done out of there, out of pistol on the shotgun since the buy and Lamar does not have a keeper against an eight man box, but he's averaging over eleven yards for carry when he does like every single time, like he it's it's Derek like it's it just seems like how much of this is just is what he does in those situations?
Knowing what is do we pullet more often?
Anybody? I'm with you, Well, I'm gonna have to go look at that.
I mean zero literally it's a zero percent keeper rate against the eight man like is that is he We talk about his evolution as a passer, but what about his mind in that part of.
The run game.
Well, he does a tremendous job of being disciplined. You know, one thing that happened early last years we put the ball on the ground with some of our exchanges. That's would but it's like, okay, so we've been better with our exchanges. You know, you can trust that in all situations, red zone, four minute critical situations. But whether it's eight man spacing or whether it's a two shell and a seven man box, most of the time doesn't have a
lot to do whether he pulls it or not. Usually the edge rusher, somebody that we're reading is a part of that. So certain teams that we've played have decided that they want to jet up the field. The Steelers are one of those, and at times the Texans were like that to try and not let Lamar beat us and get the ball in the perimeter, which that's their decision.
You know.
Obviously having Derek and getting him running downhill has been good for us, and there's certain things that we've evolved to and there's other things that I think are better for Derek and us. We're under center, but I just think he does a great job with it. Derek is really blended and well with what we've asked him to do.
Before the season started, I asked you the identity you wanted for this offense, and you said, a nightmare to defend.
Would you say the offense has evolved in that way as.
You envisioned it.
I don't know that. You'd have to ask others how they view us. I don't make that decision as a coaching staff, and for us, we just try to use the personnel that we have to the best of our ability to give us the best chance to score points. That's what we're paid to do. You know, I don't care where we're at statistically, it's week to week. Can't carry over points, can't carry over yards. The challenges this week. Like I said, we've we've got really good coaches, we've
got really good players, We've stayed healthy. I think our guys do a really good job of trying to attack who were playing. Like I said before, I think our system gives us the versatility to whether it's zone schemes, gap schemes, perimeter run, power our belly, throw the ball, quick play action, stretch the field vertically, horizontally, all the things you want to be able to do. And having really good coaches and having really good players allows you to do that.
Save Flowers had a really strong rookie season. What do you see in his game? What's he done this year to kind of take it to another level in the year two.
I think just I think any players should take that leap in their second year. In terms of being comfortable, it is a long season. I think, learning how to take care of your how to prepare each week. I think the other things that go unnoticed is we're all the same offensively, especially the skill guys. The terminology is the same, the way that they're being coached is the same. Little nuances of routes, what you're asking them to do that they're now able to fix it. It's the same
with Bait being healthy, Zay being part of that. All of our players kind of get what we're trying to do and you can say, well, why does it take that long, Well, didn't take that long. It's just your you know, you become more comfortable, more confident and what you're asked to do. And when you carry over those concepts and carry over the teaching and the coaching, I think we play at our best when we are confident and comfortable. And I don't mean comfortable and neglecting.
The work, but just in terms of how we go about things.
I think John a couple of years ago said that one of the most impressive things about Lamar was just his memory and just how he was able to access that and use it to his betterment. You know, you've been with him for for almost two years now, how has that kind of played out in your experience?
Well, he's been great. I mean, you know, he sees the field extremely well. He understands what we're trying to accomplish super smart. I mean, he understands, he can picture what we're trying to get done. And with every week, with every month, with the year, he becomes more comfortable with being involved. I mean it's a rarity that I don't agree with what he's thinking, or tea brings to me, or someone says, hey, what about this with the running back?
What about this? In terms of our spacing? What about this? And that's when you get that from your coaches and your players. You get this collaboration. It gives you a chance to really shine. It's not it's not a one way street. We're doing this together and he's become more and more comfortable that way, and it's just going to continue to grow just the way it is, and you
empower him in that manner. That's where we've gotten to at this point, and we've got so much more that we can continue to grow as an offense.
A great running back give you extra peace of mind in the same year going into these high six games. You don't know what the weather's gonna be like, but you know you have that guy you can sort of lean on no matter what the context is.
Sure, I think physicality travels, you know. I mean, there's no question you can't control wind, rain, snow, whatever it happens to be. You're gonna need to convert in short yardage situations. The game are really close. So where does that come up? Third and short fourth downs, when you go for it and you get it, and when you don't, you go for it and you don't get it in the red zone scoring touchdowns. That's why we've been really good in the red zone. That physicality, Derek, and then
Lamar as the playmaker. You know, we're gonna run it if we can run it, and if not, Lamar is gonna make a play to give us a chance in the red zone, and that's kind of been the formula, and most really good red zone teams have that they have that ability. But having a great running back like Derek and him being healthy all year year and you know,
your ability to come. Less Miles used to say this years ago, and of course then I was a receiver coach, and you know, but he used to say, you know, there's nothing like being able to turn around and comfortably
hand off the ball of the running back. And there's something to that, and some of those times, like we were talking about under center, it's kind of a smoke break for your quarterback, like there's not much processing, Like you know, you just turn around, hand the ball off, and there's not a lot of okay, reading it, throwing it protection. I can hand the ball off and that that's big. That's really big. Get to exhale a little
bit for the quarterback. And now Less was an extreme because he loved to toss it to Jacob Hester on fourth and fourth. That was a little extreme and okay, I'm not trumping to go there, but there is something comfortable being able to turn around, hand and the ball off to a running back and know you're going to gain yards.
We saw in a hard knocks that you know practice leading up to the Christmas Day game, several players were running as fast as they've run all year, some faster than they ever had. And after it'sburgh on such a short week, obviously they have how it looked like they
played as well too. So what is I mean is when your game plan getting ready, how surprised were you at this point a year to be able to have that at your that kind of resource And have you seen that before with a group that's this latest season and that ready to roll?
Oh, I don't know.
I mean I really before Houston we walked through, so I didn't know we were fast. It might have been the fastest walkthrough we had. But they did play fast. I mean, they played their rear ends off. They were ready to go. They knew it was a stape at stake. That's that's a credit to our guys and our staff that gets them ready, you know, and to coach, you know, in terms of reading their bodies and where we have to be come game day to be at your best.
I mean, that's really what it's all about. I mean, and that balance between the physicality the reps that you get and then being able to take that to the game. That's everything you know, what you do and how you do it during the week, your meetings, your preparation, your practices, and then carrying over to the game and let it come to light, you know, because that's what it is. I mean, everything we do tries to eliminate the drag and make it as clean as we can because the.
Players that make it come to life.
We're the ones that have to get it to a point where they understand what we're trying to get done and let them make it come to life.
Two more, Please, No matter what happens in this game, you guys are going to be in the playoffs and sort of around here that's kind of when everybody gets judged.
Right.
It is the team that every year has Super Bowl aspirations and for whatever reason, and a lot of this predate you, the offense just hasn't been able to play at that regular season level in the playoff.
Did you go back and look at.
Any of those previous games with Lamar in the playoffs before you got here?
And are there anything you guys think you can do?
Obviously, playing tough teams, I get that, but to keep it humming at close to the regular season level.
In the postseason, not really, unless it's an opponent that we were getting ready to play, then you might look at you know, that's a big thing with them about how they play other teams, how they play Lamar.
So that comes up with whoever that is.
But I can only speak to last year, and we didn't play good enough in the second game. You know, we played good enough in the first game. So just having the second game that we just didn't play well enough, didn't coach well enough, didn't call it good enough. And so you know, try to forget as best I can. That's hard because you're always gonna have scars. That's just what you do. That's how you learn, that's how you get better. And but the bottom line is, I'm worried
about this year and who we played this year. And once we get in and you know, playing our best football, then and you're right, you do play you do play tougher teams. It doesn't matter in what professional sport you get to the playoffs. I mean, you're seeing the best pitchers in baseball, you're seeing the best defenders in basketball, You've seeing the best teams. So and we are one of those teams, and we need to be able to do it when it counts, that's for sure.
Next, let's hear from defensive coordinator Zach Or.
Was that the most awkward landing you've had on the sideline playing.
Or not playing?
Definitely?
Definitely, i'd even know it honestly happened. I was till after the game and my mom she showed me to like, boy, you crazy, look look what's going on. I was like, man, I was just so amped up. I felt pretty hard, though, I'm not gonna lie, fail pretty hard. So I was a little worried at first. See a couple of days like, man, I hope I didn't hurt anything. Two serious, But I'm good though.
But it was. It definitely was awkward landing, for sure.
What were you trying to do?
Honestly, I don't even know.
Like, I was just so amped up, man, that was like one of the best players I've seen in recent memory, and I was just so excited just trying to celebrate and support support my guys, and then that ended up happening.
So that was just a lot of emotions just being expressed right there.
How cool was it to see a guy like Gardarius having moments. We've seen him multiple times, so moments like that in these huge games when he wined so long and went through the injuries, all that stuff.
To I mean, it's great, man, that's what you kind of getting this profession for man, to see the hard work that guy's put in behind the scenes.
I mean, obviously his story, he had a.
Lot of injuries, battled earlier on his career, rehabbed, never complained, battle back, always on the kount of the bubble, the roster, making plays out here in practice, and then when he gets opportunity now he's.
Making big time plays for the world to see. I miss. It is a great thing to see, man.
And just one of the things I personally always believed in is hard work always gonna pay off, no matter it might not happen, it might not show when you wanted to, but if you keep on putting the work in, it's gonna pay off. And I think that's what's happening with a d right now. So it's real neat to see. It's no surprise to us. I'm just glad that the world's starting to see that all the hard work he putting in and what type of player he is xactly.
So do you see yourself and him a little bit too us, you know, as for undrafted guys getting up there and playing at a really high level.
Yeah, I definitely feel I could relate to it, man. I mean, you know, obviously I understand what it's like to be, you know, undrafted, where you've I gotta fight for everything, you get, get counted out.
A lot of people.
You know, you really can't make any mistakes because that undrafted label is always gonna follow you. So I could definitely relate to what he's doing and where he's come from.
So it's really good to see.
Zach Calvino is at a career high sacks at thirty three years old. I'm curious from your perspective, what's made this season so successful for him and at what point preseason or during the season did you realize that he was on the street directory to.
Reach that mark.
Yeah, I mean, I think last year he had he had a great year, and we got him in the middle of what September or something like that, so we anticipated him having a great year from the standpoint off. He had a full offseason, a full year uneath his belt, just from a physical standpoint, and then just him another year being with us, us being familiar with his game and him just putting.
The work in. Man.
I mean, he had a great training camp, and anything that he's doing right now not surprising us because he works hard at it, man. And like I've always said, he's one of the best students of the game that I've personally been around. So he's able to apply everything he sees on film, everything does out on practice to the game, to the game at a high level, man, and what he's done for us being real valuable. So
I'm happy with kV Man. I'm proud of him. Another testament of a guy who's putting in the work in and it's showing on game day.
Being in the old head in the room.
Does his success kind of permeate through a lot of that group.
I think that it just shows those guys man, that there's no limitations that you know, even people you might try to put limitations on. You can't pay attention to the outside noise. You block that out, You show up that work every single day, and you you put into work, it's gonna pay off. So I think he's been a great example for not only those guys, in the outside
linebacker room. But for our whole defense and our for our whole team that no matter you know, how long you've been playing, no matter what people say, if you do if you do things the right way, it's gonna work out for you.
Yeah, we never know really what we're gonna get with Marlin, whether he's gonna be interested in talking and what he does, what he's gonna say. How unique of his personality you see, and you know how well have you gotten to know him over over.
The years you've been, Man, I've got no Marlowe real well, and he definitely has a unique personality. But the thing I love about it is he's gonna be himself and you're gonna get Marlin. He gonna tell you the truth. He gonna tell you how he feels, and that's always coming from a good place. So, you know, I think Marlowe really stepped up his leadership this year here. And
he's always been a guy who's always been himself. He's been he's been a little bit more vocal, which I feel like he realized he has to because he's he's he's you know, he's what you're eight year seven, He's one of the longest tenured ravens here. So gods look up to him, Gods listen to him. And he's not only leading by with his words, he's leading with his actions most importantly. So we love Marlin. We want Marlin to be himself. He's not himself, then something's wrong, you know.
So we want Marlin being his crazy self, and we appreciate it, and I think he appreciates us for letting him be himself.
Speaking of outside noise, just curiously, when there was so much noise earlier as the season about the defense and so what is that just like for you personally to go through that and deal.
With it, I mean, it was it was tough. It was tough for me personally. It was tough just because you know the family, my family and all that, My family that you know, they see stuff and everything. So I'm not gonna sit here and act like I'm naive or I don't I don't you know, hear that stuff. And you know my family, they the ones that that were really affected.
You know, by it.
But you know, I told them all the time, it's nothing new, man. It's like adversity always gonna hit. And if I'm ana preach it I gotta live it. So, like we always say, there's no testimony without no test, So we're just going through a little test, and hey, there might be more tests to come, but we know how to handle it.
So you just gotta block out.
The noise, whether it's good or whether it's bad, and stay focused at the task at hand.
On the flip side of that, and I know you're always sort of looking ahead and planning for the next thing, the next thing, you know, always trying to improve. But did you allow yourself any gratifying moment or did you feel any gratifying moment when you saw the guys kind of turning the corner on some of that stuff.
Yeah, I mean definitely, like you always appreciate when the work starts the show, when the work starts to show, you know, when you, like I said, we keep talking about putting the work in, when it starts to show and it starts to pay off, you definitely appreciate those things. And I think for us and me personally and for us here in this organization, it just makes you even hunger man, it makes you won't even go even that much harder. So that's what chasing now. So it's good
to see the work to pay out. But we know we got a lot more work to do, and that's what we chasing, that's what.
We're hungry for.
Backing off that, Zach, how special was the defensive shutout that you guys pitched and then especially for you so on the anniversary eight year anniversary of the Christmas game for you as a player, was there any special significance with them?
Man? It was funny. I wasn't even really, honestly me personally thinking about that.
I was just so focused on man the game and make sure our guys ready to roll, which they were. But it was special, man, because I mean, that's what you strive for, man, you strive for perfection and you achieve excellence. That's what That's one of the things that another thing I lived by you guys. Gonna know, I got a lot of quotes and stuff that's in my mind, but you know it was. It wasn't perfect, but we achieved excellence that day. So I think it was good.
I was proud of the guys because, like I said, man, these dudes sacrifice a lot, man with their bodies, with their mind, families obviously, Christmas going on the road, short, short turnaround. You know a lot of people didn't see their families on Christmas, so for them to go out there and put a performance like that, it was great.
And I think it just shows us like if we play together.
Were on point, we do things we can do, we could put performances like that.
So now we're looking for the next one.
Learn quarterback situation, uncertainty, not knowing who you're gonna get at all Saturday?
Is that complicate preparation at all?
It definitely in a sense it does because you don't know.
But the good thing about it is we got great people around the building who make cutups and and give us get us information to be prepared for both guys.
Man.
I mean, we're obviously familiar with Robinson Thompson and you know now we're doing some work on Zappi, So you know, our game plan really won't change much how we approach these guys.
The system is gonna be the same.
You expect a little bit more QB runs with Robinson and Thompson in there, and but you know, we're gonna do what we do and we got to go out there and handle business. We got to play clean football, play physical football, play sound sound football, no matter who the quarterback is.
And I think would be good.
Zach, because because you're kind of getting to point of the season where the stakes are the highest, and you know you're pretty contentsive, it might be weak you guys in the playoffs. Is there any thoughts to pull me back some of the cars just because you know that you know there are kind of higher stakes ahead.
Nah, man, I mean this game right here is for the AFC North and that's one of our goals. First goal is to go want to know that week make the playoffs.
We did that.
Next one is the win AFC North, So we pulling out all the stops that we need to do to go get this win on Saturday.
Man, Next up is special teams coordinator Chris Horton.
Happy New Year, Good to see everyone. I hope everyone's doing well. Hope you guys all had a great Christmas. What do you guys got for me today?
Chris?
Just how crazy was the process getting Stephen Simms off of waiver claim and then he's returning punts for you a day or two later.
I think, man, it's just it just goes to show you know, the guy's are true pro He's got he's got one job, right, he comes in here, catch punch things that he's been doing is high career. Uh, and it's it's fairly simple for for what we were gonna ask him to do on Christmas on Christmas night.
So I thought he came in. He did a great job. You know, we were have a conversation throughout the game on the sideline. Uh. Just hey, think about this.
Think about that because we didn't have a meeting, you know, so it was it was good man.
It's good to have him around. And he's a he's a heck of a player.
You say, the puling prince ofvirus.
I think you're still trying to figure out that it's a week to week thing and you're trying to kind of put the the lane and relays for the postseason.
I think so. I think it's one of those things.
You know.
Obviously, once we lost uh, once we lost Hardy, you know, it became okay, we can throw Tyland back there. We we we know what we got, uh, and it just become who's available to us, you know, and if if we can continue to try to add value at that position, which I which I think we've done over the past over the past couple of weeks.
Uh, we just we just rolled with those guys. So for us, it's it doesn't really matter who's back there. Uh.
We know if we take care of our business, we're gonna get the job done.
In the locker room today, we also heard from linebacker Roquan Smith, Happy New Year to you.
Happy New Year to you.
So as you get ready to take care of business, you win win.
Wo more, is there also any sense of, man, we gotta pay back what.
Happened we gave you know, that's definitely uh something on the forefront of everyone's mind, knowing that we didn't play the way we wanted to play during that game. But I feel like we're a totally different team from what we were doing. So it's about showing exactly who we are. Keep building up, building on our momentum and got to take it to him. We gotta defend on turf by any means. But I know it's not gonna be an
easy one. Like these guys are fighting for their livelihoods, they got jobs, they got families they have to take care of. So I know it's not gonna be anything likely, but prepare for whatever.
See your Darius Washington make plays that he does. That's someone who I think is actually my size to be able to do what he done. When when was the first time you noticed him? You're like, oh, that's oh he's not that big.
Yeah.
No, I got a great deliver for uh Ad the way he played the game of ball, uh ultimate competitor, where he come come to work day in and day out.
And I saw it when I first got here.
Uh.
I was like, I realized, obviously he was small. But you know, it's not about the size of the dog. It's about the heart and the man. I tell you, he he plays a lot bigger than uh his size, And I give you everything he got every single play, So you always willing to put it on the line
with the guy that caliber. And I'm just grateful that grateful for him and also glad that he's able to unleash his talents and show the world exactly uh what he can do, because I thought he should have been and last year he was starting obviously before he got hurt. So obviously he's a guy that belongs on the field.
Rob what do you think is the key for the defense to continue playing the way that you have over these last six games.
Just do your job. I think that's the key to UH.
Each and every defensive player doing your job, including myself playing and play out, not trying to do anyone else's job, just focusing in on that every single play.
And I feel like if.
We do that, everything else will take care of itself, because we have the talent to do every single thing we want. But it's about showing that play in and play out and not h getting complacent again, giving a UH opponent time to breathe. In a sense, with the UH ball constricted mindset, what.
Did you see?
What did you see from Zach Orr mid season when you know things weren't going as well for the defense and and all of you rally, what'd you see from Zach during that time?
Yeah? No, I he kept his composure.
He was the same guy UH day in and day out, and you know he didn't UH change it all. So you know, respect that a individual, despite going through adversity, still got a smile, still got the same type of energy every single day. So when the individual is like that, you can't do anything but respect it. But just knowing that who's gonna iron things out and get things going? And I knew that and I had c ultimate confidence in that, and that's every single person that was going
to war with out there. So we never had a dobt.
In our head.
You know a lot of.
Others did, but we don't care about the naysayers. Still don't, never did, never will well right sert.
A different field for a game like this where you know you're a heavy heavy favorite. Everybody in the poposed world expects you to win and win big, but his players playing this game.
Is there a different feeling when you're going into that type of game.
Honestly, man, I don't really look into a person when we ill don't look into what people say far as oh, we should win this, so we should win that. If it was based off that, the game wouldn't be played. The game is played for a reason. Those guys are in the NFL. Those guys have a family to feed, kids at home, wives at home, so they're gonna put it all on the line and play for opportunity for
them to have a job next season. And that's why I know how I'll be if I was in that position, and I know guys on that side of the ball that would be the same exact way.
So That's what it is. Nothing else about that we're going.
Zach Or said a couple weeks ago that he thought Trent Simpson, you know, taking step back would help things kind of slow down from him. What have you you've seen from him? I guess though the past month or so.
Yeah, man, I got a great deal of respect for Trent. Who he is as a person first and foremost, and then who he is as a player. Got tremendous amount of talent, as we've all seen. And yeah, I think sometimes things, you know, things are moving move move. Was probably moving a little bit for him, but you know, he never dropped his head one bit, never wavered, stuck true to himself, didn't play I guess you know, didn't play off the ball linebacker much, uh in college, So
you know, still with the learning curve. But I think he's definitely still gonna be a really good player in this league. And you know, despite him not being out there these last couple of weeks, man, the guy's been the same, Still got a smile on his face, coming in every single day, busting his tail. And you can't do anything but respect a guy like that and so young but so mature at the same time, So I can only imagine how I would feel if I was in that position at his age. But the way he's
handlet man, it's like an ultimate pro. So I tip my hat to him and UH always a uh have a great deal of respect for him.
Robe of on the other side, of guys like Lake Harrison and Chris Bord who had a certnificiematic experience, what have they brought to your room, especially these.
Last couple of weeks.
Yeah, no c b uh in the league.
Yeah, Uh, those two great guys, two veterans as we know, uh, big league as I call him in CB. He's been around the game for a while. Those guys are seen a lot of ball and just uh being out there with those guys, you know, it's just another veterans. You could talk to those guys and not saying that you couldn't do it uh with Trendy either, talk with him. But obviously those guys have seen more stuff and that's just based off experience, and that's something Experience is the
best teacher in life. Those guys has got a little more experience than those guys are you know, daidly owners preparing us day in and day out to get us going. So always respect that, and I respect those guys just the way they come in each and every day. Despite them not starting early in this season, neither those guys kept the same mindset. Whatever the job they had to do, they took full control of it and just focused on that.
And you know, and guys are that way. Those the best type of teammate.
You can have.
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