Stephens, Monken, Orr & Horton: Ravens Press Conferences 9/19/24

Welcome into the Ravens Presspass Podcast. It is Thursday, September nineteenth. The Ravens are preparing for Sunday's game coming up against the Dallas Cowboys. Today we had a chance to hear from the coordinators, so that's kick it off with special teams coordinator Chris Hord.

Good to see everyone today. Hope everyone's doing well for us. You know, what a great opportunity for us to go out play another football game against against a team, a good team special teams wise, and uh, we're.

Just looking forward to it.

But you know, we gotta we gotta start focusing really focusing on us and taking care of the things that we need to take care of fundamentally so we can go out and play our best football questions.

John brought attention to Jordan's pine in the in the fourth quarter.

I Geordans had some good punts this year, but what specifically about that one you think kind of win went sideways?

You know, I just think you know that that that moment, that time, that situation, that that time in the game is really we gotta you know, we want to be perfect on everything that we do. And uh, for Jordan has just got to come out and he's just got to go.

Through his fundamentals on that punt. You know.

Uh, I think he might have felt he might have felt rushed a little bit, given given the given what what happened with the with the snap. But uh, just just like we always say, man, just just come out here. Uh go practice, go play like your practice. This guy's been having a heck of a practices and we've been we've been really fired up about what he's done in the practices. But we got to carry those things over to the game. And he's a good enough player where he should be able to do that.

What happened with his snap is there's something that variety.

All.

Yeah, you know, so I thought, you know, looking at the tape this the snap was a little bit was a little bit high and then but but regardless of that, you know, we practice, we practice these situations and these things. Uh we like to call him ugly balls, you know, and just you go through the same footwork, you go through the same drop, you go through the same swing. Uh, those things shouldn't change. And I think if we if we do that, we have we have a lot better put.

Chris to this past. We suggest Tucker's kicks Memember fifty yards. So what do you say in there? As far as him, he seems like he has a distance, just the angles a little bit different.

Yeah, you know again it's uh, the the distance is there. Uh, I think the confidence is there, and I think it might be every now and then a little bit how he strikes the ball and foot placement on the ball and things like that.

Other than that, that's all it. That's all it is.

It's ah, there's no Those are things that that justin justin himself I know, will get will get fixed.

Things that things that he's working on. I'm not worried about when we send him out there.

Uh, from a confidence standpoint, whether he's gonna make the kick or not, Uh, that's a that's a done deal. We got full confidence in him making that kick. But from a just from a fundamental standpoint, I think he's just gotta he's just got to go through it.

Like everything that we do.

Idea of the dynamic kickoff, right, and then I think the first eight or nine kick.

To you were touchbacks and it wasn't that dynamic.

Does your do you go into a game telling your returners do not bring it out of the end zone.

It's personal choice every single kick.

What what's your what's your outlook on a kick.

That goes into the end zone, you know, for us, we just try to figure out how can we maximize the play? Uh, And we feel like and we've always felt like this, even when the when the play was in the old system, if the ball was in the end zone, they didn't really benefit us as much. So if the ball is in the field to play, let's

So that's how we that's how we operate.

We saw it made the change if Tyler Wallace was next to Dr fel later.

Is that kind of a moving target just trying different guys out or what kind of goes into your thinking there as to that role.

Yeah, I think for us it's It's always about decision making. Uh, you know, the the guys we want to put back there, we're going to make sure first, uh we're we're we are making the right decisions when we are back there. And and and that's everyone that's making sure that the players understand what would would we as coaches want and then uh, the other player, the off re turner understand kind of what we want from those uh, from those type of kicks. But there was there was really nothing

John late in the game.

Is that just you know, young player, a little a little indecision and that then ends up at the twenty yard line the ball that could have maybe been caught in your state in the The answer is that just youth and the experience at that point.

Yeah, you know, I think I can't tell you off the top of my head how many how many returns JK has in this league, But just from a just from an idea and just consistency and things, that's just putting him in that situation. You know, having him float the ball traveling into the end zone.

You know.

So I think a lot of that we could we could take care of when we're in practice, have him have to go backward for a ball. That way he understands where he is on the field as well.

Chris watching the Cowboys and special teams unit.

Talent snapper, punter picker in particular, what have you seen Aubrey and makes him kind of special for their unit?

Yeah, I think, Uh, this guy's got a he's got a good leg, you know that, and that that could be seen on the tape. Obviously, they'll they'll try field goals from from wherever with him, right, He's a he's a young he's a young guy. Uh, and he's been he's been consistent, and I think that's the most important thing when you talk about guys kicking and things like that.

And he can do He's got a soccer background, so, uh, he can.

Do a lot more with the football when you watch some of the some of the things that he's doing with.

The kickoff play with that soccer background, you know.

So he's got a he's got a little bit of advantage there. But other than that, man, I just think that the kids playing great have given the year and two games that he's played so far, do you.

Given Justin's track record, and you know how good he's been over a long stretch of time. When he's going through a bit of a patch like this, as his coach, you say anything to him. I mean, he's so critical of himself and has such a high standard. Do you or Randy say anything to him? And you just gotta let him.

Bill, we kind of just we kind of let him be.

I think we'll each individually talk to him on the side, just kind of see where he is. But as it's Tucker Man like nothing in my in my opinion, just being around him for as long as I've been around him, I don't think anything really truly fazes this guy because he has a process and he has a way how he's gonna do things, and I think he knows how

I just want to know how he's doing. You know, it's it's okay, it happens.

He's human, right, He's still I still believe he's still the best kicker in this game.

So you just let him go out and let him be himself.

Next up is defensive coordinator Zacharyor. This is going to be a bit of a homecoming for Or, who grew up in Texas. Now he's going back to be the Ravens defensive coordinator for this matchup at at and T Stadium in our Arlington. He talked about this game and what his defense needs to do.

You expect to see, man, I know, shoot, my immediate family, mom, dad, brothers, nieces, nephews. I'll probably say about fifteen, fifteen to twenty that I that I know for sure. But I know it's people who said they were they were gonna be showing up. So you know, I'll be interested to see how many actually come to the game.

That's time the Ravens o to you were homeless roster spect the teams just what do you remember kind of this mentality you had done that something to draw from, but also what the outcome of that season was.

For this time, Yeah, I think that.

You know, it's a long season and obviously it's not the start that nobody in this building, you know, wanted to get off to but.

You know, we're here. We can't change the past.

Yeah, the first two weeks of disappointing, but it's about what we what we do going forward, and we got fifteen more opportunities in the regular season to become the best football team we possibly can be, and that starts with this week right here. So I think the thing that you learn and you try to tell guys is that, uh.

You know, nobody gonna feel sorry for you.

You know, at the end of the day, whether you won the first two games or you lost the first two games, you can have to go out here and play in Week three, and you're gonna have to continue to get better as a football team because it's a week to week league, and uh, you know, you've been around long enough the season can change fast in one way or the other. So you just got to keep grinding and keep finding ways to get better and you know, continue to move forward.

The best two weeks two games, our receivers catch word undred yards. What's been the challenging the secondary, the key playmakers.

Down And I think that you know, I thought we took a step this past week, but it still wasn't good enough. From a sense of uh communication standpoint, and it's a very it's a various different things. A couple of times, you know, receivers make you know great plays. We played a couple of good receivers, obviously, DeVonta Adams, he been one of the better ones for for over a decade.

But I feel like we're right there, We're real close.

We just got to continue to tighten up the the screws just a little bit.

And I think as coaches we.

Could do a better job just making sure that guys are fully locked in, fully understand what's going on. So I think that we are on our way. I thought we took a step. The step wasn't good enough, you know, obviously, but I'm excited about what we're gonna look like this week exactly.

It's a small sample size, but how would you evaluate the play of the sort of trio of leaders of Nom de Row and Kyle Man.

I think they I think they're playing well right now.

I mean, those guys, those all three of those guys are great players, are real valuable to us. But I think if you ask them, you know, they can go to another level. And that's what we're trying to do.

The difference between where they're at and where they want to be. Do you feel like that's more communication execution or sort of just a mix of both.

I think that is just uh honestly, I don't. I don't think it's like a right or wrong, you know, direct answer to that. You know, I think obviously you can look at those things and maybe say that because we are you know, oh and too. I feel like if we were too or no, you know, the conversation may be different, whether the whether the play was the same. So I don't I don't know if I have a real answer for that exactly.

You have another really talented receiver this week and get to go up against Ceedee Lambs.

Yeah.

Do you take any lessons from you know, last couple of weeks and Delante Adams and how them you know, in terms of how you defend Lamb?

Uh?

Yeah, I mean Ceedee Lamb.

He's been You've been very impressed watching him on film, just really studying obvious see you you you you know you know about him, hear about him. He's one of the premier, premier players in this league. But just really diving in and watching him on tape.

Been really impressive with him. He's really good.

And Uh, I think the lesson we take is that, you know, when you got these guys at receiver, uh, guy like Ceedee Lamb, they can change the.

Game in an instant.

So, uh, we're definitely gonna have to have a plan and we're gonna have to execute that plan to its highest level to uh try to contain a guy like that.

Zat When you go back and look at the second half of the success that they started having throwing the ball, do you feel that you were were aggressive enough in calls and trying to get after a minshut when you back saying this was threakn and just they just executed.

How do you how did you see that?

I think the first thing I gotta give him, give him credit. Man, they executed you know what I mean. You know, he moved around and made some plays of things we didn't want to happen.

And I'm always a person that's always gonna self evaluate myself.

So looking back at it, I felt like I could have did some different things to to help help us team, help our team out and help us, you know, try to control that. So, uh, you know, hats off to miss You and the Raiders. You know, they they came in in the second half and uh, you know, they out executed us and they beat us.

So but I'm a person like.

You guys are gonna know, I'm always take accountability and looking myself in the mirror. So looking back at the film, it's definitely some spots in there where I feel like I could have did some things different.

Have you gotten the accountability you were kind of searching for from maybe the guys in the field when motion kind of you know, message you guys up a little bit obviously kind of looking back to the table and some guys just kind of left alone after go up and down.

Yeah, definitely, definitely, And you know, guys, that's that's one thing that I think nobody's hanging their head around now and why we're so excited and we still motivated the king continue to go out here and get better and try to get try to get some wins on the board because guys are holding themselves accountable. You know, I'm holding myself accountable. The players hold themselves accountable. Every coaching

So that's what I'm excited about. We know what we gotta fix.

Guys are owning up to it, and we're working hard to get those things corrected.

Zach, we see Travis Jones. You know, it seems like every game now make the play where that strength is just so readily apparent. He came into the league as a pretty strong guy. I'm sure he's got a little bit stronger. But what's separating, like the rate at what he's doing at right now from when he came in a couple of years ago.

I think he's just you know, he's in his third year now, so now he's he's uh, he's adjusted to this the game speed. He's seen a lot of schemes now from offenses, different blocking schemes, different pass sets from offensive linemen.

So nothing is really new for him.

So he's seeing everything and he's playing fast and that guy work, He works hard.

I mean he came in strong, and I know he's.

Gotten stronger because every day he's in the weight room, even on the players off day, I see him in the weight room. So hats off the Travis man. We we're excited about him. What he's doing is no shock to no body in this building because we've been seeing it, you know, every day and practice, you know, this whole offseason, whole training camp, and I think he's just getting started. I think he still has another level that he's gonna show out here throughout the season.

With trying and you know, employed sixty sin it's not just League one but last week, but one hundred percent.

Is that kind of what you expect to see you going?

Like It's like I think it's just it's a it's a it depends on you know, who we're playing and what we're trying to get accomplished, and what the offense is trying to offense we're facing trying to get accomplished. So, uh, like I said, Trent, he's gonna play a lot, He's gonna have a he's gonna have a big role for us this year. He's been having a big role for

Is that this secondary is pretty better in group, and we got a lot of talent. How much do you get a sense of you just the pride factor of kind of wanting to get back on track for that knowing just what they're capable of.

Yeah, I mean those guys, like I said, the thing that's moxcited about it, guys are you know, they're they're prideful group. It's a talented group, and you know, we haven't lived up to the standard that we expect of ourselves. And that's not just on them. That's that's on you know, that's on me and that's on us as well. So we're working hard every single day to figure it out. Those guys are busting their busting their butts off in the meeting rooms and on the practice.

Field to get to the level that we know we can get at.

And you know, I'm proud of you know, how they're approaching, you know, this adversity and you know, like I said earlier, it's not it's not a spot that nobody envision specifically, especially that group, but you know what we're gonna do about it, how we're gonna respond, And that's the approach they've had, and I'm excited to see, you know, how they take on this challenge this week and going forward.

Not specific, but how did how nicely the practice field?

It was It was good to see Nate back out there. Man. Obviously, you know we we love Nate. Nate's Nate.

We you know, we plan on having Nate and him doing great things for is It year. So I thought he looked good out there for a guy who hasn't practiced in a minute. And I thought he moved around real well and was in tune with what we were trying to do on defense. So you know, I'm excited about him, and you know, hopefully we can get him back.

Next up is offensive coordinator Todd Monkett.

When Derrick Henry I.

Think had five yards in the first half, it's like seventy something in the second half.

What was the big change, What was the big difference for him to be you know, helped so limited and then have a breakout.

I thought our coach did a great job, you know, talking at halftime of how we could attack him.

We just did it better. We just executed better.

We had some opportunities the first half, and we just didn't take advantage of it. We had a couple of lost share of drums, but we just we just did it better in the second half.

You guys have faced some pretty good pass pressures first couple of weeks, obviously another one this week. How does I guess does your approach change it all in terms of how you go out trying to scream against those guys and so forth, and they particularly.

Would know.

Those guys are hard to handle.

I mean, they disrupt the game, I mean obviously, so it's the starting point of everything you do. And like it's been every week, you know, in terms of those guys and doing everything we can within our power, within our power, you know, within that to try and neutralize those guys, and at times we haven't.

At times we.

Haven't shift relative to to like their skill set or to what you guys maybe want to accomplish.

I guess the all the above. Really, I mean it. It certainly challenges you. I mean, offensively, it all starts up front, and defensively, those guys make it hard. The elite defensive lineman make it hard on you. You know, they have a chance to disrupt the game. So it's our job to with those guys to do as best as we can to stay ahead of the chains, you know, not get behind the chains and allow those guys to tee off.

How would you? You and John have both said that offensive line work, gonna play the.

Best five guys, We're gonna work.

We're gonna work and figure out who they are and what they are.

There's a lot of talk about the offensive line so far.

When you watch them play, what what does this group do well that you say, yeah, that's that's the best five.

Well, I think they're getting better. I mean, I do think that nothing of what we've done so far has been perfect. That starts with me, and then every position. We have a long ways to go. We've taken a lot of steps this week to get there, you know, in terms of execution.

But I've liked what I've seen, you know.

Now, we just got to put it together consistently and everything that we do. And those guys as well, I've seen them come along, and we're gonna continue to play those guys and play the guys that are in the opportunity to play.

Yet those these two really depressive second half, the touchdown drives and then take to final three drives of the game in the fourth quarter.

What was the biggest thing that you felt came up short.

Was it getting behind the chains as you were sort of mentioning.

Earlier, or it was more disappointed in the first half. You know.

The second half, we have the two drives we had to you know, turnover on the in between the two drives that we had, you know, and then the fourth drive that we had, uh you know, they jumped off sides, gave us an opportunity one inches and we didn't convert and we didn't get the third down, you know, and now obviously the sack on the opening you know, the opening play of the last drive.

So but.

You know, in order to be consistent, we got to prep and prepare and execute at the critical moments. I mean, that's just the way it is, you know, starting the game off and then.

Finishing the game that that's really what it is.

I mean, we've had moments we flashed, but the consistency is where we're where we're headed because we have it. We have the guys to be able to do that. We just got to put it all together and it's been it's been a great couple of days.

Sorry, when it comes to play action, you guys had some of my success with that this past week. Haven't run a ton of it.

How do you wait how often to use that?

You know?

I mean it's easy to say we'll run all the time because it works, but then obviously you can't run all the time because it wouldn't you.

But how do you balance?

Well, the years started off kind of a little bit different than then we're anticipating. You know, we've had Last year we had one hundred and twenty six total STAPs of two minutes.

This year we've had thirty three already.

All right, So if the snaps we've had you're not in play action mode. We've gotten ourselves behind the chains, you know, So when you're in get back on track and then third downs there's not a lot of play action there. So in order for us to get back into that, like most teams, what are you gonna be able to run? Play action, move the pocket, do those things.

I know you guys are you know, committed to Daniel a eric guard, but last year you used been sometimes as a six levettive lineman. We've seen that, you know, around the league teams kind of leaning into those jumble looks. Do you think that's a look that could work for you guys, especially with you know, some of the injuries as Alyss it's dealing with it.

Could?

I mean it could?

I mean those guys are good football players and you know we're just not able to get them all on the field at once.

One of the outside criticism is offensive identity and what is your identity? Do you think that's a fair criticism and how would you answer that question about what is your offensive identity?

Well, I mean, let's just say it like it is.

I mean, it's when you execute at a high level and you move the football and score points, there isn't criticism. I mean when you don't, that's part of.

What we do.

If you if you don't want that, then you don't take this job. That's part of what we do. I mean, when we have success, then it's good. I mean I get that.

Okay, what do we want our identity to be?

A team that executes at a high level, doesn't shoot itself in the foot with penalties and execution. I mean, that's the way it is. Our guys will play physical, our guys come to play every week. We got to do a great job as coaches of putting our players in the best position to be successful and then going on the field and executing at a high level. That that's that has to do with us, nothing to do with

Shouldn't say that.

Where we're headed is to find that and we've had a couple of great days. That's our job to do it and move forward, and we're certainly more than capable of it because we've seen it.

Now.

We just got to put it all together because like I said, I mean, it's we're moving the football. I mean, we have opportunities out there, but we have to collectively execute a high level thought.

The doesn't line You're already asked bee bit.

Under fire and you had to approach them with a message or that talks about what's being said on the out side.

Well not really.

That's what That's what our players have to deal with now is social media that didn't exist when when I was a kid.

You know, I mean, they have a day off on Monday. How do they not look at what's being said?

Right?

How do they? How do they not? It's very difficult for them not to see that, do they?

And I prefer to look at it when it's going good, of course, Holy col you know you much prefer that, but you got to own it. That's the way it is. That's what they ask us to do, is to look in the mirror and say, how do we get it better? I don't feel sorry for yourself. How do we get it better? Like, how do we keep working? How do we help the guys out? It's not all them. I got home the things that I can get better at. What can they get better at?

What can we do?

Community schrammatically, we can help ourselves by staying ahead of the chains right now, putting ourselves in passing situations. But that's that's the nature of what we do. Right when you're not having success. Uh, that's the way it is. I mean, we're paid to have success. And uh, I think we're heading the right direction.

I really do.

I think we're close. I mean we really are. We're a couple of plays away from being two and zero.

We're not.

That's the nature of this league. How do we find those little percentage points to get better?

That's our job.

So just a red zone scoring Like I said last week that what points not just the yards at together howboys at lowest said the highest way of allowing touchdowns in the red.

Zone to a been over similar location.

Just see.

Could be a opportunity to take advantage or capitalize and you know, a huge points put the struggle.

Well, it's a short it's a small sample size. I mean it's two weeks. I mean, you know, I'd hate to.

Think this is what we're going to be the whole year, and it's a small sample size for us and them. So obviously it's a big part of winning football games and scoring touchdowns on the red zone.

We've been pretty good there.

We've got a few times we've ended up in two minutes down on the clock a little bit, But obviously it's a huge emphasis for us. Obviously they understand that in terms of winning games. So, uh, when we get down there, we expect to score against It's it's not just themb it's anybody we play.

We also heard from cornerback Brandon Stevens.

Brandon, for you guys going into this game, is how do you view the challenge that the Cowboys percenting.

Yeah, you know, we're definitely looking forward to it. Uh, it's gonna be, you know, a good challenge for us, you know. Uh, you know, our goal this week is you know, to be one to know and that's that's the goal every week. Now.

I know that you guys are a prideful group in the secondary and you know, the first two games haven't gone your ways? How how I guess focused are you guys and kind of writing the ship in that regard?

Yeah? Man, we we know, uh you know the numbers of the numbers. Uh, you know, we we just got to continue to you know, you know, lock in, you know, to the details, you know, finish our games, close games, and uh you know, and you know, just continue to you know, turn forward, you know, and you know, just just play our style of defense.

How do you describe the mentality and the mindset and the room as you guys are going into this matchup?

Yeah, I think you know everybody, you know, the guys you know definitely you know, pissed off. You know the numbers of the numbers, Like I said, But you know, all we can do is just you know, focus on this game. That's the only game that matters right now. And you know, just you know, this game needs to be our you know, our best best ball yet, so you know, just to help this team. You want to know how.

Important is communication and how much of a point of emphasis has that been in practice?

Yeah?

Communication, it's I mean, it's it's huge at all aspects. You know, all phases of the game, and you know that's something that we're trying to perfect each and every day.

You're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast.

They will get back on the practice field tomorrow and continue their preparation for the game coming up on Sunday. Make sure you subscribe to this feed as well as the Ravens Lounge podcast feed. We had tight End Mark Andrews join us this week for an episode, so make sure you check that out. Thank you for listening. We'll be back with you tomorrow.