Texans-Ravens Week 1 Postgame Press Conference 9/10

Welcome to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. It is Sunday, September tenth, and the Ravens kicked off the season with a twenty five to nine victory over the Houston Texans. The Ravens were able to get the win thanks to some strong performances by the running game. Justice Hill had a para touchdowns with JK Dobbins also had a touchdown. Now, the bad news for the Ravens is that Dobbins was lost for the season with a torn achilles. Really tough news for the running back who is at store for

Okay, hey, appreciate everybody being here. That's the beginning start of the season. Now we're off and running, you know, we have opportuntunity to kind of see where we're at and we get an opportunity also to do with a win, so we're very happy about that. That's the way you want to open the season with that. We know there's so many things that we need to work on to get better at, and that's what we'll do starting on on Monday. So we're excited with the win and proud

How challenging was it to kind of finish off that game, But it seemed like the injuries.

Started pulling up with you guys that think the whole Yeah, I mean would have been good to put it away. That's something we need to work on, try to put the game away a little sooner in terms of you know, getting those first downs and things like that. So, uh, with the injuries, just to kind of brief you on that. Uh, JK has a torn achilles unfortunately, so that's going to end his season. Just feel bad for him. It's not the way we expected this to go, and he's worked

From a personal standpoint, how how.

Much do you feel for JK just for everything he's been through and to start with this.

Injury today, Yeah, just just kind of crestfalling for him. You know. So it's so many guys, you know, there's so many guys you feel excited for so many guys you look at and say, okay, we got to work on this, and then JK, who has this just unfortunate thing happened to him, you know, and he was playing well, so but really we'll put our arms around him. You know, he'll get into rehab and and he will be back. He's a young guy, so that's where it But yeah, it's kind of it's really hard for him.

That opens the door for Justice Hill.

Now it's his production today.

What if I have Justice Hill? Yeah, Justice stepped up. He played well, he's been playing, He's had a heck of a camp, you know, and I think Justice has done a great job. He's ready to go. Uh you know, of course, you know, Gus really played well, so that was good to see. And then we've got Melvin opportunity to come up, and we have our young guy keating on the on the IR coming back after four weeks. So uh, those guys I'm sure will step up. Well, I know injuries are.

A part of the game, and you guys have done a lot in the all season of preseason.

They try to minimize it as much as possible.

But how frustrated it is it to see some major injuries still happen We've wanted despite everything we're trying.

To do it.

Yeah, I mean, it's football, It just is. It's just

After halftime seemed kind of stabilizing. Where do you think went well there and set?

Yeah, that's a great question. I just think we operated well. You know, we we we we hit our assignments, we lined up, We had a little rhythm. Of course, Lamar, you know, Lamar made some great throws. The play action stuff is really working. I thought the guys ran some great routes, you know, the deep out routes.

Uh.

And then you know, Lamar made it happen in that drive, and that was the drive that stabilizes, kind of got our feet set just a little bit there to start the second half and and got in position to start to take the game over. So you anticipate this week today. Flowers were such a big role in this offense. We wanted a ripe. Yeah, I saw the plays, you know, he was he was out there, he was gonna play a lot. But you know it's I'm proud of him.

It seems like their blitzes were very effective against you guys in the first stop. Did was there a specific adjustments that allowed you guys to be a little better against them?

And second half, Peru, I think we s we just think we got a sense that they were gonna run the zero blitzes, you know, and h and Lamar did a great job with uh Todd and with t and with the guys and just kind of got lined up and got a plan for it. And we did a good job against it.

So have you had a lot of guys who didn't play on offense during the preseason.

Ivn't too assess how they played.

The new office is steep.

Say you had a lot of guys who didn't play during preseason or offensive side, I would just asked to play of them.

Uh, play for the first time in the scenes. That's a big thing. I'm even I was talking to some of the guys. I mean, it's just different getting out there in the game, the game, speed, operating, the crowd, noise, all of it. It's something you get sent for. Not that kind of goes with not playing in the preseason a little bit. But they handle it and now we're off and running. How did you think the offense. I thought the offense could a winning football game. I'm proud

They looked at times like there's i don't know, like some cluckiness or you know, guys are getting comfortable. You said, did you ever think about, you know, conversations about you know, pre playing guys in the preseason.

You know, the new offensive system.

Does that come to mind.

It off. We'll have those conversations probably every year. Yeah, absolutely, that comes to mind. And that's something that you really got to take into consideration and just decide what you want to do.

John, What did you think about your cowner guy you have seen, I think got in their way, but Stevens and Darby went the whole way.

How do you think they held up? I thought they held up well. They you know, no big plays. You know, he had a couple of stop routes, which of course CJ throws us so well, you know, and they got good guys running those outside routes. I thought our guys were right there on them. They made a couple, We made a couple, We made all the tackles. I was happy with those guys.

Seen still working his way back and just giving everyone different guys.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, he just can't start practicing by a week ago, you know, so he'll be ready to go. He's he's in a good kind of good uh curve right now?

Do you hop Dabas was on contact or was that or you know, was he what was it on contact on the tackle or I.

Haven't seen him? Yeah, I'm not sure. Thanks, I don't know.

That was head coach John Harboff. We also had a chance to hear from quarterback Lamar Jackson, who talked about this new look offense under Todd Bunkin.

Obviously, I know you're excited about your name, but try trying to towards about JK.

Yeah, your charents and twice here, what's kind of your thoughts to night.

That's that's very unfortunate, you know, like I feel like jkman bust is behind, you know, to get back on that feeling, you know, just show the world where he's capable of and to help us out along the way, like like I spent I spoke lot of 'em, you know this all seasons.

Just letting to everybody know, like we really need him, and for him to go down.

With a season and injury, that's just very unfortunate for us, not just him, for all of us, cause that's our brother, Lamar.

I mean not till later on this too long, but you know it's been so rare since that two thousand nineteen season for everybody on that team, or twenty twenty to everybody on that team, at least help.

You on the field together, Kay out for all twenty point one, you'll missing the end of last year mark out today? What what what do you what does that make you feel when to.

Think about maybe some opportunity missus of injuries.

I mean, like, you know, that's part of the game.

You know, it's it's just unfortunately it happens, and you know in certain situations, we don't need it to happen, you know, but you know, not just we have angwis like all across the league, people have angels, you know, and it could happen in a given moment, in a given day.

You know why you're on that field.

Last time we more there was a couple of pre snap stuff for more interception.

I know you have a highest the highest expectations for.

Yourself, but knowing that none of you guys really played other.

John Simpson in the in the preseason and this is a new offense, did.

You expect that you were gonna have to work through some stuff from a ross uh standpoint thera in this game.

To be honest, Jeff, I didn't think that, uh uh just having a little past the fumble like uh, the the bs in this session, I wasn't. I wasn't expecting that at all. But you know, like you said, we haven't been playing, you know, I haven't played since like November, didn't play preseason. But I feel like it's the first game, and you know, things like that may you know, may come up not just with us, you know throughout the league.

Mar first time in this new offense with all the guys.

You guys didn't play in the preseason.

How'd you think it looked?

How do you feel like you playing too? I feel like we was.

We had our ups and down moments like you know, you can see you can see where uh my ceiling would be, you know, and then some moments is like what we was doing, you know, like what we're doing questioning on ourselves out there.

But like I said, you know, it's the first game.

Little hiccups, first time with each other, you know, on that field, I feel like the scuy's limba though, la.

Ma, how well place for you with to get Zay involved?

And you know, see something plays a email right off the back.

Uh, Like I said, I already knew it was was it was capable of you know, and he showed it himself, you know, making guys missing and running great roads catching the ball and you know, getting up the field getting yards after the catch.

But we wanted to get everybody involved.

You know.

We got a lot of great guys on that field, you know, in our receiving room, and I feel like we we were on something special here.

Sure in the off season training camp about having more uh opportunities for checks and calls at the line of scrimmage, more autonomy. What was it like first game in action to have more of that than the Linus scrimmage.

Uh?

Yeah, we actually uh made some checks and made some calls out there on the field. Sometimes it went outways, sometimes it didn't, you know, but that's what practice, com man U.

You know, we gonna break on that.

Tuesday, Wednesday, you know, all the way up to Friday.

That was quarterback Lebar Jackson. Now, one of the stars of the game was rookie first round picked Za Flowers. The Ravens leaned on him in a big way. He had nine catches for seventy eight yards in his NFL debut, and he talked about what his impressions were of his first NFL game say what you think of the NFL action.

I remember I was up here last time. I told y'all that I get used to it. Uh, I said something like, I'd get used to the speed of it, And today I slow it slowed down for me and it was better.

It is.

How pleased were you to come out and you know, make the way as heavily involved in the offense?

Well understly, I was just pleased to get some catchers. I was gonna take you what?

Uh?

In my head, I was like two catches.

I'll be good with that first.

Game, get to win long as we win.

I was alright.

Did it ever dawn on you with uh?

With Andrews not playing today that you could be a lot more involved than maybe you thought initially?

Honestly, I ain't even know he wasn't playing. I I I seen him practicing the whole Weekdan he just like he ain't he ain't practice today, so I mean he ain't warm up today. And I was just like, I don't know, Honestly, I just gonna go out there and play.

Say, does it feel like the Ravens are committed to using you in as many ways as as you were being kind of used? You know, running the ball or off the screens as a deep threat at at Boston College.

Yeah, I feel like they use us in every way. That's a for all receivers. We Uh, we all played different positions. We all can play every position, we all can run every route, so there's no limit to our receiver room.

How much do you think the the loss you know JP is thumbing the season get the big chills us.

Uh, It's gonna be a big loss cause everybody know JK can really run the ball and he was a big part of the offense in our run game, so losing him can be a big part. But I feel like, just as in gusts are gonna step up saying, was.

There any you guys came out and and really moved the ball a third quarter?

Was there anything said at half time?

Uh?

Cause it seemed like parts of the first stelf were struggle offensively.

We knew we had to move the ball if we wanted to win. We we knew it was capable of moving the ball. It was just we had to get everything together as a f our first game, first time running the offense in the game, so we just had to get used to just being playing on the field with each other and just going.

Do you expect the offense to get smoother in a hurry now that you guys are out there all together.

Oh?

Absolutely.

I feel like next game it'll be way better. Operation to be smoother. Everybody will be way more comfortable with each other.

Said, you know, I don't know what those play calls were early.

The gutsh just touches down on the outside.

But with the defenses focusing on stopping you guys run, do you feel like he'll have plenty of opportunities if y Lamar as the RPO tacks to just throw throw that.

Oh yeah, absolutely, because I feel like we got one of the best run games in the NFL. So you got to you always got to her about stopping that first ind you got to her about stopping Lamar. So that's just gonna get us open even more. And when Mark come back, it's gonna get even scarier.

That was rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers. We also talked with Patrick Queen. He had a strong showing as well as the Ravens defense only allowed nine points. He didn't give up a touchdown all game. Pete Q had a sack and was flying all over the field in this victory, but he still thinks to Ravens could be even better defensively than what they showed today.

Patrick, A couple of couple of good plays for you. Today. We hear a lot about the past rush. Do you take any type of uh, how do you feel when you hear people question in the past? First, do you see yourself as a guy. It's a big vocal part of another party.

Yeah.

Uh, you know the four guys that we got up front when we rotating them in, each guys get the job done. And uh, whenever they call my number, I'm just a another piece of that that four man rush. So uh, anytime they call my numbers, just happy to go in there, you know, help my team out.

You feel you playing going to have this team was anyway different just because it was a an an experienced.

Quarterback that you guys.

Uh, Nah, our game plan is mostly you know, the same every week. We just we got so much different stuff that we run. You know, it's just whatever we feeling comfortable at the time. And uh, you know that guy, he's gonna be a great quarterback coming up. It's just you know, it's tough coming in here. Week one against US as a rookie, so you know, uh, you know that's what we do.

Patrick, you would talked about this off season about your situation compared to Jk's.

How difficult is it to see if temate like.

That go down?

Yeah? Uh, obviously, you know the news came out by him and I text him. Uh that guy, you know, a good brother of mine.

Uh, it just.

It hurts to see that type of stuff happened to somebody's so good. So that's a good person, good good athlete. Uh, obviously you got all the stuff going on, and.

It's just tough.

Uh.

I just aks everybody.

Just pray for him, Pray for his mental pray for Marcus and mentors, pray pray for those guys. Uh, just stuff like that. That's why he win the situation that he went and you know, Uh, it's just tough. It's just it hurts, Honestly, it hurts.

A lot, Sorry, Patrick, especially with the way the first happened.

Don't you guys giving up the field goals in the last two guys, how pleased were you with the way.

The defense came out the second half?

We gave up three points? If it's only a shame situation.

We not please, were not please.

A lot of that stuff they we gave up. Uh, we wasn't communicating how we needed to be wearing the spots that we bought. We weren't lined up fast enough.

We weren't our spots.

Honestly, we should have dominated them, uh even more than what we did. And uh that just starts at practice. We just gotta get better. We just gotta communicate better, line up faster, communicate fast, communicate better. Everybody gotta go on the same page. So, uh, whatever we gotta do to make that happen, that's what we want to do.

Patrick John came out specifically citing David's performance. And obviously, you know you and Rope want in the middle. People seem to know what that is. But the guys in the edge, and how do you think.

They responded to a lot of the questions about how they mean to come out season.

The guys know what they could do. We know what they could do, They know what we could do, and that's all that matter. Were confident with the people that we got. That's why we just let them go. Let them pass us for Man and Usk, well, get out the quarterback. We know what those guys could do. They know what they could do, and that's all that matters.

Patrick.

Sometimes people talk about inside linebacker like it's not one of the most important positions in the game anymore. But you and Rope want clearly sort of set a tone for the defense right right away. I mean, is that is that something that you took in meeting something to you?

Definitely?

I think when you look big picture of the organization, who was here, what they did in the center of the standard that they set, and then you gotta look at how do you want to be as an individual? Do you want to be great? Do you just want to be average? And I know Row want to be great and he's already headed there, and I know I

That was Patrick Queen. Now, another player who I know a lot of Ravens fans wanted to see an action was Odell Beckham Junior. He played his first game in a Raven's uniform relatively quiet, but still came up with a pair of catches, and he talked about the emotion of getting back on the field and what he thought about his first game as a Raven.

It's truly a blessing, you know what he's in the coming to the game and say, no matter what happens, as long as you stay healthy and we win, grab a smile on my face. And obviously I do have a smile on my face. But the competitor of me, the you know, the stride for greatness, you know, all of those things, is not necessarily happy with uh my performance so much today.

But it's so not about me.

You know, it's been a it's been a long journey. I always just said I was I was working that hard just to get back on the field and and even if it was to catch one football again, I just feel like I couldn't go out that way in my career. But you know, to see uh Sean Babman, who came back from injuries, to see Za for his first game, you know, just do the things that we know he's capable of doing. It's hard to come out wins in the NFL, so I it's all smiles.

You know.

It's back to the drawing board. You know, we gotta start thinking about the next one, uh right now? And yeah, man, I just I feel blessed to be able to go back out there again.

The emotional when you got that of Station Maker, it just is.

It's just what I was waiting for, you know, not necessarily I have to say I did, didn't expected, but it felt it felt like busy.

I felt in love.

And that's what I wanna give back to this place. I wanna give on everything.

Uh.

You know that's why when I came up the quote come out, oh this.

Is my last No, I mean, I'm gonna play like this my last like this is my last last route I could run, my last past I could catch. I wanna give that effort to this place, this organization. So it's truly special to be able to go out there again. And I just I mean, I'm I'm I'm happy.

What about having to go aboard to you for the first time.

You know, it's funny how God works.

Uh got injured last year and if I woulda came back from someone on have been five, six, seven months, you know what I mean, Like he's not really able to watch a football game, and now he's you know, going on close to two.

Years keep keep.

He was going on close to two years, so he really knows what's going on.

You know, he sees football out there.

He's like that that.

So it was truly special to be able to see him before the game. You know, get I love and he's the reason that I keep going.

He's the reason that.

I'm still doing it. You know.

He Pampers cost a lot, you know, toys costs a lot. So I gotta keep I gotta keep hustling, man. So it's just truly a dream. It's truly a blessing to be able to still play out my dream and play the game that I sacrificed any other sport.

On my entire life for watch.

Thing could be a little bit of a clumps today of what this offensive would be.

Yeah, it was, yeah, and and and you know the funny thing about it is it's we're gonna go watch the film, and I don't think too many people are gonna be happy. You know, a lot of little mistakes, a lot of things that in a bigger game, uh, you know s another team might take.

Advantage of that.

So there's a lot of things we need to do. Get back to the drawing board, you know, but it's it's still cool to be able to see a w in the ugly one. You know, so a lot of things we canna prove on.

I'm excited about that.

I don't like Sorr.

I apologize.

I just got into here say I'm sure if you're Atwally, are ready the the loss of j K.

Dobbins to be honest and sees that again.

Yeah, he just made my stomach head again. It's it's the ugly part of this game. And you know the these people are your brothers. You you blood swin and tears with 'em. Uh let me see. And it just it's a sick feeling that I have over me just to know that that's what happened. Okay, so my parents, brother in this family. I text with h'm'na say wherever you need me, whatever you need for me, like I'm there at the drop of the dime.

It's just you just that question has.

Made me very It doesn't.

It doesn't feel good losing Jake. Care How does this offense, especially in the running and go forward without.

Your gam It's it's the same, you know, across the boarder.

You know, it's always been that next man up mentality, and it it sucks to say because it's you know, truly and brotherly, but we have no choice but to play for him. Those those running backs have no choice but to play for him, to run for him an and and just find a way to make him proud. So uh, my parents go out to him and his family and JK, you know.

We love you.

Uh yeah, well that was a certain as sorry you won't what y'all't you first came back or the the wide receiver or you know you with you two you know, catch your parents' cause you had that long catch out sideline you say, you know, big day and I'm trying to catch a click. Do you feel like this was kind of like a you know, an appetizer for what's coming you know who the word or like really.

But it was undercooked appetizer, you know what I mean? It wasn't It wasn't necessarily what you know, none of us want that. But f you know, for Zay to come out and this is his first game, like I said earlier, was to see him.

Do the things that we know he's capable of doing.

Bait and who came back from fighting injuries and and a surgery and just to be able to see him out there playing with confidence. All of our guys, like we all played hard in our room. You know, there was mistakes, there was things that we can get better at and correct and you know, do this and that, and it's sir, like I said, it was a it was.

A ugly win.

Uh.

But it's hard to talk about in this in this league. And you know, for me personally, it's not the day that I was expecting to have. But I feel like that's how God works. So you just gotta you just gotta know that trusting is playing this process. And uh came out the game healthy. H So that's a very good feeling. Get to go home, see myself, my family, uh, and and and get ready for next week.

It's like, I don't know how many times when I look back around, many times you played and then the.

First love I'll see you live this like the first year.

If it's important, right playing in the system, just in general, is it is it generally like this one like a first game, cause it looked kind of cooky out there at times.

It like you'll get comfortable or yeah, it just it was a ugly day. You know, a lot of a lot of mistakes across the board. I made mistakes, yeah, you know, but we got great coaches in that room, Coach dub and g Lou, you know what I mean. And these guys are gonna coaches up hard and we're gonna watch the film and everybody's a man in that room. We can take the criticism. That's the only way to get better. So I know, I messed up on a.

Lot of things.

And uh, it's the first game, you know what I mean.

It's a long season.

I don't think anybody want a super Bowl on week one, So got a lot of work ahead of us.

Which just true that you're checking that to happen, those mistakes and things like that.

But is there a sense of like needing to building into it because you guys hadn't played together any game.

I mean, I guess you just related to life. You know, you never know how thing's gonna go. And at the end of the day, we can control, you know, certain things, and today we didn't do that, but we were fortunate to get to win. And you just gotta get better. You just gotta lock in, just correct your mistakes. You know, happy that it didn't cross us today. And just get it rolling. You know, Like I said, I don't think anybody's ever won a Super Bowl on Week one, So got a lot of room for improvement.

And lastly, defensive lineman Justin Matabik was a big part of the Ravens strong showing on the defensive side of the ball. He had a sack and he talked about that sack and also how tough it is to lose JK. Dobbins for the season.

We're unna fight for him. We're gonna fight for him. We're gonna do our job doing my one eleventh. I didn't know that. That's crazy, that's yeah. That gets me in a sad place right now. But you know'na be praying for him. I'm'a'm i'm'a hit him up. That's so tough, and so I did not know that.

So the Ravens have dealt with injuries before. But moving forward into twenty pray three the first game of the season for him to go down the step ups with Justice Hill. We saw that in two touchdowns today. How proud of you are of him?

Oh yeah, he stepped up and got two touchdowns. I think right it was two. Yeah.

Yeah, he's bowling. He's always been like that. He's always always been like this, and I've been a Ravens, so there's no surprise to me. You know, if anybody else is surprised, you just haven't been paying attention or even pop some popcorn while the game's been going on.

But he's a baller, He's a dog. I love him. He's my dog. So you know, back to work.

We're gonna heal up. Pray for my brother JK and all these guys. A lot of guys got hurt today. This kind of sucks, but you know, I'm hopefully they can get back and uh a healthy soon and then talk.

About a job on the end of the games.

The strips sack, I mean, that's ridiculous.

Yeah, that's my brother, that's my dog. I love him.

He a lot of them, they says, a lot of he says, she said, a lot of people talking crazy on Twitter.

I said, man, put your head down to work. Man, you're a dog here for a reason. You belong here. And uh, he showed it today week one and I'm excited for his future. Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Talk about people equate the pass rush with the edge, right, Yeah, but all your guys have said, are we gonna get the pass rush from a lot of different places like inside linebackers where you had one or there's.

Washington had one.

Yeah, what's the key to that for you?

Specifically coming in and generating pass rush?

Just winning you're one on ones, doing your job, pushing that pocket, making the quarterback uncomfortable when it comes to the outside guys inside guys like me, roke On in the back of even On Darius on the on the edge edge. So you know, everybody just doing the job and playing hard for each other.

That's the key, how fully said, for you personally get a sack.

It's fun, but it's not fu It's funny if you lose, but we gotta win. So I'm a celebrated Thursday and it will be the wrong and get back to work cause we have a big one next week.

So just ti to to too, as well as you guys did about Marlin.

With Marcus missing more than half the game, if some guys coming back to the strength, obviously it's work a quarterback office a little the thang up, But what would you say at this overall DEFENSI performance.

We have each other back, We we love each other and and we play like that and you can see it. You know, we all know that we didn't play it to the level that we wanted to play. Gootar Ball said that we all know it, and we're all gonna go back and look at the tape and just clean up things that.

You know, we're not really proud of and just get back to work.

So see, you could ask you before about you know, the pass rush and all that. Did you feel like you're coming into your own to another.

Level this year? I believe? So, I believe.

So I worked really hard this off season in Atlanta. You know what I'm saying, I'm just tryna get better, better in all aspects. But definitely in the past rush definitely was an emphasis on just not just me, just the whole the lineman and job O'dafe, Brody, Mike Herb. So you know, those are things that we worked on and you know, when you put in the work hardway pays off. So this week one, you know what I'm saying,

So that was justin Matambik, and you're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast Now. If you want more of a deep dive into everything that happened in this game with some INCIDT analysis, check out the Lounge podcast feed. We're gonna have an episode dropping Monday morning breaking down everything that we saw in this game and what it means for the Ravens moving forward. So head over to the Lounge podcast feed subscribe there make sure you check