Steelers-Ravens Week 18 Postgame Press Conferences 1/6

You're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. The Ravens closed out the regular season at M and T Banks Stadium. They fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers seventeen to ten. It was a wet, rainy, sloppy day, cold day in Baltimore, and the Steelers were able to take down the Ravens to close out the regular season. The Ravens had a number of players who did not suit up and play

All right, appreciate you guys being here. First, just want to say that I appreciate as this closes the regular season, kind of the final chapter has been written on a story of the regular season, and now we have an opportunity to write the next chapters. At least we'll get a chance to write two next two weeks and then

Have, John, how'd you get how'd you get through this game? Helpwise with Gino and del Sean.

Yeah, I think it looks like we got through Okay. Some of them looked a little tough but right now it looks like we would have all those guys back for the playoff a week for the divisional game.

Je So forwar So just didn't wake get hurt early on because we didn't see him.

Yeah, he had an ankle early on. So but again same same outcome the season.

There's like mandady days off for the bye for for the bye week.

Now you have a bye week, what what's your plan in terms of the team this week? For our plans to practice Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. We'll we'll organize those practices in the next few days. Uh, it'll be uh preparation, you know, preparation for the postseason. And that'll be what we'll do. We'll try to push it back a little bit to have sort of sort of a rhythm as if we were playing a game, say on Saturday, kind of that idea. Uh, and then we'll un we'll have

How well he played.

Against him tonight? Right?

And me I thought we played really hard, you know. I thought we played tough. You know, we didn't play great by any stretch. We can we can certainly stop to run better. We give up the big pass play. I thought the pass prush was really good, you know, and the coverage was good for the most part except for one play. Offensively, I thought we fought thought stoop out there and fought and played hard. And the circumstances and you know, the rain and stuff like that, and

That was it. You know.

I think we take that into the playoffs. We already know that we understand how to win, but it's a nice little reminder that, you know, you got to protect the football to win games.

Uh.

Jamn And and Kyle both had sex today, and you know they've kind of been, you know, pulling.

Some rope for your defensive line all the year.

What is their influence, man, just from a season long perspective, Oh.

No question. I mean, we wouldn't be where we're at without those two guys. I mean, those two guys have have you know, we knew where they were great play. You don't know exactly how it's gonna go for sure, but talking to both those guys when we signed him, they were you know, they said the right things, and I would say that they followed through and everything they would They said they wanted to do it more.

What do you think the way Trent and Simpson played out there today?

He played really well, flew around, made tackles, played played a really good football game. Very excited for the way he played. Yeah, Trenton absolutely John. Shortly before this game, a couple of days ago, rather, the team signed Alvin Coach to the practice squad.

What can you say about him?

Yeah, I mean it's kind of gives just kind of an opportunity. I think that Eric was uh once he once he was released, Eric was in contact with the agent and UH and Dalvin wanted to come here, you know, he wanted to be here. So we'll figure that one out, you know, I think we'll be in the process of figuring out hell that fits. But you sure, you know, appreciate having another really good player on your football team.

That was Hey, coach John Harball.

As I mentioned, quarterback Lamar Jackson did not suit up in this game, so Tyler Huntley got the.

Start for the Ravens and here's what he had to say afterwards.

I feel like when you talk about just how challenging the elements of this game work, you know, I.

That elements uh you know, as everybody can see, it was ranging from start to finish. Uh and it was cold, so you know, we just try to batter it through and it that's how it went.

How hard does it get?

You know?

I try to ask the offense throw ball particularly.

Uh their just uh y you know, start with feeting feeting slippery out there. Uh just uh throw to catching uh the ball that's wet and uh it just you know, it just you got a lot of elements to work through, just the uh you know, complete passes out there.

Tyler, Will it be easy for you guys to turn the page from this loss, given given.

What's ahead of you?

Uh definitely, Uh we on we on the right path.

Uh we got a lot of uh starters that uh set out this game and uh just getting ready for for the postseason.

And yeah, we on the right path.

He talked about the the touchdown past the likely and he kind of just the plays he's been making.

You go to last for five weeks.

Man, he's a he's a great player, and you just try to get the ball to him and uh see what he could do. He he made a couple of guys miss get off me and he scored. So it's nice to have a element like that on the team.

That was quarterback Tyler Huntley. We also talked with linebacker Patrick Queen.

Patrick, what are your emotions after the scheme and the loss is not pleasant?

But also knowing that you have to focus on something's.

Apartment or yeah, uh, I mean can't dwell on it. Uh, even though you wanted to go out there send him home. Now they got a chance to be in the playoffs, so you know, it definitely sings a little bit. But by at the end of the day, you know, we we written a lot of pages in our book right now that set u up. Set us up pretty good right now. So you know, we got a week to prepare,

Patrick w like, you know, you weren't in the game to start the third quarter. Then when Delle show Me goes down. Is there a kind of whip last year to deal with going back in?

Yeah, I'm cool with it.

Just football at the end of the day, going out there having fun against Pittsburgh. So uh, you know, I'm I'm ready anytime, whatever it may be. Whenever they need me, I'm I'm ready.

So co coach.

Said that you guys got out of a good health lives.

How big is that, you know, knowing that's at the playoff for two weeks?

Alack?

Yeah, that's huge, Uh cause you really want to be swinging full throttle when you get into the playoffs. So you know, with that extra week of preparation that we get to get everybody healthy and seltian as we can and go in there full swinging.

Did you feel like this was another example of how this defense never seems to let up. I mean, you know, they had that good early drive, but then you usually did help help, you know, help older the jack until the the one big player and fourth forth.

Yeah.

Uh, even even with all that good stuff, man, it was still players out there to be made that we ain't making.

Uh.

Man the end of the day, us just got to tip your head off to them, uh on the execution that they had on they part, and from a standpoint of us on the fence, you know, w we was making players, but we didn't make enough plays.

And that's what happened today.

I've been kind of impacted and when they have think, I.

Think I had a good impact. By the end of the day, I mean, they they playing in the same condition. So while we couldn't do what they did, you know, so uh you could play outside. Uh both it could have went that way or this way, but they had the same opportunities. We had the same oportunities they had.

You what what's stood out to you about the Lake trip and Simpson playing today?

And what have you seen from the rookie over the course of the CCS.

He's road incredible. Uh, proud of him. Couldn't be happier from a great dude.

Uh.

He had me nervous when uh we were going over all the calls and stuff. He's just aksing hell of questions trying to figure out everything. But that's why you see he playing the way he played. He just on top of all this stuff, dynamic might be faster than me, and uh just a love of guy, man, great player.

Uh just watching him kind of take you back to maybe some of your early stages and and what it's like to kind of fight for your way early in your career.

Yeah.

Uh, I think my situation is just a little bit different cause I was thrown him to the fire immediately, but uh with him bruh, Like, uh I didn't even ask questions how he asks him questions right now? So I mean, uh, you know, I just gotta give him all the praise right now. Like he's a terrific player right now.

Man.

Uh we finally got to see that. Everybody finally got to see that. So uh, his name is definitely gonna be hot for the rest of his time.

Patrick. How much uh impact has uh a guy like jad clown?

Yea, I kN I know you probably knew a value and forget him. How much of an impact way he makes.

Today and throughout the season all the time, every play? Uh, he he's d he a different beasts.

Uh.

I don't even could find words. It is just ascribe him. Bro.

It's like every player is just a training wreck and he making a play. Even if he don't make the play, he made the play. So it's just I love having him on our team. I love having him most most of the time on my side especially, so you know, I'm I can't wait to see what he do the rest of the season on the field.

When he got the sack and hit that the.

Center finally, finally, I mean, that's that's the stuff you wanna see, you know. Uh, all the opportunities that he had previously missed, and I was getting on him, like, bro, just finish it, just finish it.

Just finish it. You're there, just finish it. You know.

He was getting down on the sell, but he still knew that he had a chance. And I'm just happy for the guy.

Honestly, I had huge shoes to fill today with Roquan giving him the pregame speech.

How he do He did? All right? He did all right? All right.

He's kind of like on the more calm side. He doesn't occurs, he doesn't, you know, get extremely hyped. He tried to do the little bouncing around stuff like we were in high school. But h out of ten, I was probably say, like a three out of ten.

I'm scared to ask to follow up that season long. I mean Jamison was mentioning JD and Kyle. What has their experience given to this group?

Do you think?

Uh, that's a great question.

Honestly, I think just a lot of like calmness and situations of knowing what your opponent is about to do and just going capitalize. Like you know, when you playing a defense like ours, everybody to do their job. And when you got guys like that to know the game so well that been in the game, uh for a long time, they kind of get find ways to like still do your job, but you know, try to weave your way through and do something else on your own. So you know, those guys help every single person in

Uh here, cool?

What do you want to the next two weeks are gonna be like mentally three you guys? I mean, I think if you guys aren't your vote favorites for a lot of people, you're at least talk two.

So what what is the the next two.

Weeks, kind of keep you focus, going to be uh next two weeks, This next week, rest up, practice, get sharp, do what we gotta do to get healthy, find out who we play, and then go up there and kick that A's as simple as that.

That's uh, green out and looks like and focused like navigating that responsibility.

And then also for the elements of the foot part that factor.

It's are you just hearing the coach state of playing just giving them play the rest of the defense. I mean, you know, I always wanted to wear the green dye, and I never had the opportunity. But when I do have opportunities like today, I just take advantage of it and just be able to make those players and get those calls. You know, win, rain, noise, whatever it is, you can't let that defect you when you got the mic.

So trying my best to get those guys a call.

That was linebacker Patrick Queen. In the locker room, we heard from veteran outside linebacker Daveon Clowney, who came up with a sack in this game, which earned him a seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars contract incentive. He was clearly excited about that, as well as finishing out the regular season with a career high nine and a half sacks.

Had the playoffs and could put your fights for the group, the group of man in the black room and you having fun.

There's an impressive number of guys on this team that had season high careener hiding.

Sacks concluding himself.

You think the difference, like you said, Lockwood, the guys believing in each other, believing in the game, playing and coming out to executing on We got a bunch of playmakers out there and frightful each other executing at a high level. You know it's coming together well and U y'all continue to do that throughout this playoffs.

What was the moment like for you when you had that sacking.

I didn't even know it was the sack. I looked bad. It was like, I think you got it. I was like what I needed it. I was excited about it. That was my goal coming to this game, try to get.

On the board, and people's text me about it, sending me dms about the the centers and stuff.

I was like, just gonna.

Play my game and have fun and be able to rain and all that going on.

It was it was crazy.

You tell me about that celebration.

I mean that was kind of wild.

Oh yeah, the whole half.

Right, Yeah, it was funny all right cause I didn't know I had a sack and then they told me.

I was like, oh yeah, we just start tunging right now. You know, I feel I had a good time out that it was fun. Man, what are you gonna do with the fiends? I put it with the rest of my.

Say, continia under the mattress, under the matter in the bank. You know where a man just you know, I got three kids. I gotta continue to take the guy. Whatever football gonna be go.

One day you had, you know you you most shocks. You've had some fuss two years and now I last completely two years ago. Why do you think you've.

Had the success that you've been you know, disrupted as well?

You have the success you had the work out put in an office. That's when I.

Started at uh uh shot at the bend. Fair Child and Toko and Marvin and all the guys for working with me all off season. Man, we could up playing together and executed all off seat.

And when missing daves, you.

Stay consistent, stay going to work out, even when I ain't want to even going to the club after the clubs wake up next morning, go in, work hard, play hard by and uh, they just stayed doing that all off season. And I said when I got when I was going.

This year, I felt better, my body was feeling better. I was gonna ball out. But uh, that's a job not done yet.

I got continued to be with about these playoffs and I'm looking forward to it.

It was also three, how much your teammates sort of got to kick out and you're getting this extent you feel appreciated.

Oh yeah, man, I love this being guys. Man.

We hang out to hang out with each oil outside of football over their house, chillingwood to summer guys. And it's just like I've been here for a while. Man, That's what it felt like since I've been got here and I'm having fun here.

That was your Dave on Clowney. Someone else who had a really strong game was the rookie Trenton Simpson. The linebacker was flying all over the field and he talked about that afterwards.

It was a blessing.

Man.

I give all the glory to God.

Man.

I'm just so excited to get out get out there and get an opportunity and then go out there and make a couple of plays.

Uh.

The excitement that my teammates had for me met the most from me, from like Rokwan and Peak. You like them guys just hyping me up and give me the confidence all week to just go out there and just playball was just the best thing I could have. And then just to go out there and have the performance I'd give all cared to God and them boys in my linebacker room, they say you.

Always remember your first with that first sack, feel like.

Who I never forget that, The feeling when I seen it open and I was like, Okay, I gotta make a play. And then just the excitement on the celebration was just all the trusting the process throughout the season and keeping my confidence. It was a bless feeling in the world.

Going into this game. What were the emotions? Were Nervous, anxious?

How would you describe kind of if I going into this game.

I would say I was super prepared, just standing up, studying and just knowing my opportunity was coming this week and I knew for sure that I was gonna get a chance to go out there and play. I say I was super prepared all week. I was asking rocoan peak, you, everybody in the linebacker room, just questions just to you know, pick up Tennessees on what they've seen playing the stillest from their time in the league and just getting a

Then how hard has.

It been to be patient and wait for these kind of opportunities knowing just what the linebackers ahead of you are on the roster.

I see, I'm very strong in my face. So I just always knew God had a plan for me, and just trusting the process and knowing that when whenever God wanted me to go out there and my opportunity was to come, that I know that I would be ready. And I feel like today God gave me a chance and I went out there and I just made the most of them my opportunity.

Today, you were.

Flying all over the place for you know, a ton of speed.

What allows you to play that fast?

To that, I say, film study and then just uh, just being myself like Rocorn say, just go out there and let it rip, man play uh and whatever you do, just make be a one hundred miles spour and if you make mistakes, just continue to play hard. And I feel like today, uh my film study and uh just trusting the calls I was getting and just playing as fast as I can, just being me.

Playing behind broke. I mean, obviously we're talking about questions, Pek.

You were talking about how many questions you ask for What are you kinda pick up on from their habits.

And their behaviors?

I say their mentality. They have that alpha dog mentality. And one thing I can say about both of those guys, man, they put in the extra.

F the film work.

Their film study is amazing, picking up tendencies on what the offenses just do. And I say this mentality and just the film study, and then also just being prepared and uh, just trusting your skills. You know, God gave us the talent. We're all here for a reason, and uh just putting on display.

What do they say to you about your future? Are obviously free agent?

You know, does he say anything to you?

Just keep going, man, just this is just a stepping stone, stepping in the right direction. Just keep going, continue to get ready to go to practice Wednesday and get better, you know.

And this is just the beginning.

Just continue to keep going, growing, every day, trusting the process, and every day just asking keep asking questions. You know, every time I ask a questions, I learned something new. So you know that's good for me as a rookie. And I'm blessed to just be in the linebacker room like this.

That was linebacker Trent and Simpson.

We also talked with tight end Isaiah Likely, who scored loan touchdown for the Ravens in this game.

A lot of people are going to talk about the Russ factor.

Can this team get rid of that going forward into the first round?

What do you have to say to that?

How positioned does this team to deal with that going forward?

I really just say, you know, just turn on Sunday and you tell us how rested we be.

Can you talk about I'm try to keep here, talk about that. That twenty seven.

Yard touchdown a rule, I mean, pretty pressive individual after the catch.

Really just you know, trying to help us soon the best as possible. I mean, what's making a making a catch in the in the win and just finished out give them a touchdown.

How challenging were the uh conditions out there today?

Uh?

I mean it was raining it was windy, it was cold, so you know, just trying to you know, focus on winning as as best as possible in those conditions. I mean it was hard out there, but we we did child best to win.

Isaiah, can you collectively just kind of encompass, you know, what this team did this year and I guess you're feeling going forward the next two weeks off and what's a what's at stake and what's on tap?

Uh?

We I mean we stay connected. I mean through all adversites that we face. Uh, throughout the area where it was you know, losses, injuries, anything. Uh, we all stay connected. We all you know, kept the main thing, the main thing and kept you know, the focus on winning the Vision, win AFC and then giving us a shot in the playoffs. So you know, now now it's just win that everything.

Concert last five weeks and going to the playoffs.

How you know feel about.

There such a big part of saying it's going going to such a big games?

Uh, really just keeping my chemistry with the offense, you know, keeping the trust that Lamar hasn't you know, making the play that I'm capable of, and really just you know, instilling that that focal points off.

Is it You've talked about your confidence growing and stuff.

How how would you describe it now versus a few months ago, you know, giving a role.

On two families to Uh, I'd say, you know, just the confidence bills you know every day in practice. So really just you know, trying new things to practice, asking you know, Lamar, because you got to see because Monk and if if if it works, if it's taking too long, if it's too quick, and then going from there and then trying to put it out on Sunday?

Do you feel like things slowing down? The joys off a games slowing down? It is it feeling like that to us?

It?

Both them? For sure, he's definitely slowing though.

I mean how healthy was it to get out of this game healthy collectively? And coach Arbal said that you guys are you know, avoiding anything major and knowing the playoffs.

Right around the core?

How big is that? That's real big?

I mean it gives us, you know, the opportunity to play you know, fully healthy against it a great opponent whoever we play, and you know you.

Had the one big step for him, you know a little while ago today you actually has that always been kind of in your repertoire of the.

Yeah, I mean it's just really me just trying to fight for actually y'ars as fast as possible.

That was tight end Isaiah likely and last but not least, we also heard from veteran defensive lineman Michael Pierce, who agreed to a contract extension going into this game. He signed a two year contract extension. He talked about that, confirmed that report, and he was clearly excited about the news to get the extension and continue his career here in Boltimore.

There was a group work for this game that he agreed to a few year contracting. Stasi, What's what made it important here and how are you feeling about that?

It was very important for me to stay here. I didn't know that was a possibility at the beginning of the year. Just kind of prayed and just let God leave me and thanks for having healthy and I'm super super grateful they wanted me back. So just working and try to putting myself in the best position and be able to play.

Do you feel like do you feel like it's part there is in this organization is to a success or was it.

Even you know you're in the middle of it.

It's very important, you know, pushing the posts, but they're always started thinking about it.

This is ahead of two?

What was that?

Yeah, definitely, I've been a part of just a lot of teams were great vets. So obviously you know Marshall Yon at every Wedell, but they had guys like Albam McClelland Anthony Levine, those kind of guys, those blue guys who do dirty work. And those were guys who took a liking to me when I was undrafted and kind of showed me the way and so honored at them that I'm still playing and I kind of know what's going on, so I just kind of try to.

Follow in that kind of moment. I'm not.

That was awesome, Like I said, I n I didn't expect it, but I'm super super grateful that, uh if they want me back, and I'm just happy to be here.

It's pret like weig like didn't wasn't a prolonged situation.

You got this gun knocked there?

No, no, no, uh, Like I said, this is I played for two organizations. I played at the longest.

This is like home to me.

So for me to be able to wrap my career up here it's a dream cometry.

Like how just say, the circumstances are different today with you guys having finished, Yeah, what do you take away from this performance?

And you know, how do you apply it? Maybe to help you guys as you.

Rap off for the next Yeah, we got a lot of young guys that got that was able to play today. Like I said, if you made any technical errors and then m as any kind of little things, uh, you gotta clean that up. But like I said, for us, it was just wanted to win obviously, but we got a lot of guys who don't normally get those reps, a lot of game experience, so that'll play.

Obviously a big road going forward.

The injuries happened anything like that, but said we we came on short today, but uh we got we got some messas we don't.

Like for that. Mike, Mike, Mike, you were here in the Friday night season. How how do you guys make.

The best use of the next two weeks.

So from what I understand, we'll be doing the stadium practice and uh just being more mindful of uh not coming out slow. I remember we came out really really slow in that tight game. Dare Henry ran for if Jesus knows, I mean in yards but uh no, we got a good plan and uh coach Hall just on top of it. So we'll be working mostly through the break and obviously a getting guys healthy, but we'll be working and definitely mind for what happened let.

Defensive here.

The m yeah, and was aware that there might be in Yeah, certainly, certainly he's been all right, So he's been talking about that for like the past two weeks, so this is.

Yeah.

So that was a very long celebration that might have been a record for like the longest celebrations. So now we're happy for JD Man. He's having a career year kind of like me. He's uh but thirty thirty one, So for him to be able to prove that he can stay healthy obviously and h play the whole season and still dominates Big KB as.

Well, he's having a career as well in sex. So we're super happy for both of them.

Asking asking pe Q, what's the other guys on this defensive line in the front do for, he said, this is such a promises everybody comes those rules, I.

Mean including yourself. Came in and JD, what do you think guys who provided.

Overall, we just got a whole bunch of guys. Obviously kV is a two times Super Bowl champion. Uh, myself, I've been in a lot of different situations as well as JD. So I don't think between any of us HERB as well, then probably any situation that we can be in, somebody's been in it.

Uh.

Obviously the higher stakes games the kV has been in and he's been giving like a lot a lot of good advice just you know, keeping guys mentally focused throughout the whole season. Obviously today as well, then we came up short again, but now he's doing He's served us really really well.

So now we got a good group man.

And like I told everybody before the year, we don't have the super super big names. Beats is turning into that, but we do it by committee and that's something we're proud of. And they said it's it's really truly a group, you know, happy to be a part of.

Speaking of health, how much did your health this season impact your your two year extension.

I don't doubt it at all. If I don't if I'm not healthy, I don't think I'll be playing. So no, I've certainly will not be plan to retire. So nah man, thanks for the God first and foremost, thanks for the training staff helping me get back my bicep. Thanks for the weight room just busting but every day throughout the summer. So no, man, if I if I wasn't healthy, I would not be standing here talking to you about anything past this year.

Like how big has this year been to you? In that regard?

I mean kind of a challenging a couple of years and to play at the level that you are and then to get the succession.

I just walk out there with a different level of great gratefulness. You don't take any snap for granted when you had two years with injuries. So, nah man, this has been, like I said, the dream come true. Obviously we still got more to play for, but for me just to make it through seventeen healthy, being able to play well, have a.

Career in myself, it's uh, it's fine.

It's a blessing and uh, like I said, I'm just focused on the next round.

But no, it's been.

It's been a very great blessing.

That was defensive lineman Michael Pierce.

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