Head Coach John Harbaugh
Postgame Press Conference
September 25, 2022
JH: We're not there yet but we're on our way, and I feel like that's something that we're working hard on to improve. But in this particular game, I think the thing was guys stepping up and making plays. Josh Bynes just walked in the room, made that interception in quarters coverage back there in the perfect spot, right where he's supposed to be relating to the route and makes a huge play for us and stops the drive. Two interceptions in the fourth quarter by our two star corners, to come up with those plays, needed to make them, needed to get off the field. That's what guys do. This game – as the late, great Clarence Brooks said, this game is, always has been and always will be about the players, and our players won this game. Questions?
Q: What do you think it says, obviously he stepped up and produces those turnovers in the fourth quarter, but to do so after last week when that adversity hit them –
JH: I haven't thought about it that way really. It's a good story to write, but I'm not thinking about it that way. Every game stands on its own two feet. If something was learned by that, that's fine, but it's not about redemption. It's just about – I think the story there is when you face adversity – all right, you want to know the real answer? 'There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss contains its own seed, its lesson on how to improve your performance next time.' That's Malcolm X. That's the lesson to me.
Q: About the turnovers, can you talk about the play that Kyle Hamilton made?
JH: Oh, Kyle Hamilton, I should have said that one, too, yeah, thanks. That play, you know, it kind of goes in the good category. They make a great throw, our guy is right there, fingertip-type catch, right out of reach, looked like they're running for some yards. Kyle Hamilton with the effort play, knocks the ball out, Marcus Peters with the unbelievable recovery on the sideline of the fumble. Those are plays that just – they're just great football plays.
Q: Did you read that quote to the team?
JH: After the game I did, yeah. That was our linebacker coach, Zach Orr, gave it to the linebackers. I noticed it in the tip sheet, so I just put it in my pocket, and there it was.
Q: Offensive line, you lose Patrick Mekari early, looked like Daniel Faalele struggled a little bit early and then the second half seemed like that whole group solidified. How important was what they did and just the ability to get the run game going there?
JH: They really did. Early on we needed to help the left tackle, and we did a couple times but then we didn't need to. Then he kind got his footing there, and then the run game started perking up. I thought the offensive line played just a tremendous football game. They played really well last week, too, so they're whipping into shape there. Pat Mekari is going to be fine. It's a sprain. He'll be okay. Won't be long-term. But yeah, that was a good point.
Q: What did you think of your running backs?
JH: I thought they did well. I thought Justice Hill really stepped up. Just start with that. He was kind of the bell cow today. He made some exceptional runs. He and I have been talking about that for a couple weeks, that he was going to break out and run like a star running back, and he did it. And I thought J.K. came in and was exceptional. First game back, couldn't have expected any better than that. Mike [Davis] does a great job. Still Kenyan [Drake] is doing a great job. I love all four of those guys.
Q: John, you've seen Lamar's stats. Four touchdown passes, running one, 100 yards rushing. You see him every week. Does anything surprise you with what he does on the football field?
JH: No, I'm kind of getting used to it. It's a good thing. But you never do get used to it because he plays his way, and he's kind of determined to play his way, but he plays – it's not – his way is winning football. It's fundamentally sound quarterback play. He's running the show out there. He's making the checks. He's managing the clock. All the things that you would say an operator or a manager does, he's doing all those things, too. He's doing those things, and he's making plays sometimes when the play doesn't make itself. And the receivers have such confidence. You've got to give those guys credit. They keep running routes, they keep getting open. The offensive line, to continue to pass protect when Lamar is holding the ball the way he does and moves around the pocket not have holding calls – that's great technique. That's great discipline by those guys. [Offensive line coach] Joe [D'Alessandris] does a great job with those guys, too.
Q: We saw some more read options this week than we have maybe in the previous two. How do you think that affects the running game?
JH: Well, it makes it really tough to defend. I think it makes it challenging because if I was assessing what they were doing, I think they were going to force Lamar to run a little bit and say, okay, are you really willing to do that. Is he willing to do that, because they basically took away the sweep lanes. They were playing tough against the running back stuff, especially in the first half and into the third quarter between the tackles, and then they were saying, 'Okay, run Lamar,' see how much he'll do it, a little bit. A little bit. They played good defense against him. But Lamar is a tough guy. He made a lot of plays that way and made the running game go.
Q: Do you think Lamar doesn't get enough credit for commanding the huddle?
JH: I think it's a great question, and I'm trying to answer that question for four years now. I answer it here every time we have a press conference. I basically say the same thing because it's true every week. Yes, if there's people out there that doubt that at this point in time, I don't know what to say to them. I don't think we can help them at this point.
Q: How did Dobbins look to you, and was this kind of the plan all along this week, to get him more involved, or was it something you saw in practice this week that convinced you that he was ready?
JH: He was kind of getting to the point where this week – we kind of felt like – we were looking at last week and just felt like this week would be the kind of week, and it just kind of made sense this week in terms of how he looked.
Q: Can you talk more about Pierce –
JH: Pierce is – we'll have to see tomorrow. It's not definitive yet which way what it is exactly in terms of seriousness. A decision will have to be made on that.
Q: Justin Houston is the other guy I asked?
JH: Yeah, he's got like a strain, a soft muscle thing – I don't know if it'll be a week or not. We'll see.
Q: Lamar is really throwing into some tight windows. Has there ever when you're watching been a situation where you're like, okay, that was –
JH: You know, I mean, no one has to tell me about Lamar Jackson. I believe in him. I love him. I just believed him the first day we drafted him, the first day we talked about drafting him. Felt like he could be everything he is. But it's just like Marlon [Humphrey] said, we're not there yet, but we're on our way, and he feels the same way about the play he's playing, too. We've just got to keep working. But I'll say this about his process. What's he, in his fifth year now? So, his process as a quarterback in terms of preparation has taken another step. He's always been going this way. That's another step in that direction. I think he's really kind of gotten to a point where he's really kind of found himself in terms of his quarterback preparation process.
Q: If you put yourself in Devin Duvernay, the contested touchdown catch –
JH: Yeah, Devin's game – and he's mad about a couple other ones that I thought were still pretty darned good plays. I told him, I said, you made two plays there, and he goes, the punt return doesn't count. I thought it was pretty good. He looked hemmed in, guys made some blocks, he got up the sideline. Dude continues to do it. And how Bateman, Rashod? Has the one play. It's a tough play. He never had possession of it. You've got to have possession of it. So we'd like an explanation on that, and we'll be asking for one. Thanks for asking about that.
And then – but for 'Bate' [Rashod Bateman] to come back and make that catch and get up the field and make the play shows you about his character and what he's about.
Q: You said that Lamar was making the next step in terms of his preparation. How specifically would you define that next step?
JH: I just think it's a natural next step in terms of like finding his rhythm during the week, what he's looking at, how he studies defenses, how he breaks defenses down. It's not a lightbulb thing, it's an evolution of studying the game that you see quarterbacks go through. He's still a young quarterback. You watch him play, does it look like he understands what he's going up against and what he's dealing with out there? Right, and that's the result of that process and that work effort that he's putting in. It's really impressive.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson
Postgame Press Conference
September 25, 2022
Q: Lamar, what do you think about what it took for you guys to put up a performance and close out a game like this after what happened last week?
LJ: Just focus, determination. I feel like we build more off adversity, and we play better off adversity. We've just got to keep going though, because we have a long season ahead of us.
Q: Obviously another injury at tackle; how tough was it for you early in the game to kind of get cohesion within the offense when they were bringing so much heat?
LJ: You know, [Daniel] Faalele is a rookie, so I knew that was kind of happen to see where he was, but I guess one sack happened after that, and he just started dominating like he did in college. I didn't doubt him at all. None of us did. It was for Pat [Mekari]. Mekari left it out of the field for us, and the linemen said it; we was all dialed in, and shout out to Faalele because he stepped up major.
Q: Lamar, what was your mindset after they took the lead at the start of the second half? Seemed like it changed a lot for you in the game at that point and you started making plays.
LJ: We've got to score, too. We've got to respond back because last week when Miami started scoring, they went on that run, I think we put up three points, and I wasn't having that. Like none of us on the offense was having that. This game, we were going to respond back, as well, because they were doing a great job on their offense, Patriots was, and we felt like we had to do the same thing. Our defense came alive, and they do what they do, play Ravens football.
Q: Were there any adjustments made, did you think, to get the run game going like you did?
LJ: No, our running backs was running the ball hard. Shout out to J.K., he was doing his thing, Justice Hill was running it unbelievable, and that line, they had to push. They were blocking their tail off, so that's where the success came from the linemen and from the backs.
Q: What was practice like for you guys coming after that game last week?
LJ: We were locked in on the Patriots. We didn't dwell on that loss. Probably Monday we dwelled on it, Tuesday we dwelled on it. After that, it was on to the Patriots. I feel like we showed that today.
Q: You're having a lot of success throwing into tight windows. Some of those passes, not a lot of separation there. What's going through your head when you're throwing it knowing there's not a lot of separation there?
LJ: [I'm] just getting them the ball, that's all. Getting my guys the ball because I feel like I've got 100 percent comfort in my guys that they're going to make that play, just give them a chance, and that's all we talk about, giving them a chance. That's all.
Q: What's it like to see the defense come through with those big forced turnovers in the fourth quarter?
LJ: You know, even though the hiccup happened last week, we're used to seeing that from our defense. We see it all week in practice, so there's no doubt in my mind that that's going to happen, and they just showed it today. They were locked in. They were not letting Mac [Jones] have his way. They started forcing fumbles, Kyle [Hamilton] forced a fumble, Marlon [Humphrey] caught the interception, then Marcus Peters caught the interception. It was tremendous. Like I said, Ravens defense.
Q: Coach Harbaugh said you took another step forward preparation-wise this season. Are you doing anything different preparation-wise?
LJ: No, I'd just say maturity just because of my age, just knowing the game of football, just basically inside out. You've just got to stay locked in. That's probably the thing, just being locked in no matter what's going on during the game.
Q: I know that there was something made you of gaining weight this offseason. How much has that helped you or how has that helped you?
LJ: I feel good. I told you guys plenty of times I was going to be good, and I feel like I'm showing it. Like I said, health, nothing has changed.
Q: No one gets more criticism after losses than Greg Roman. Do you think he showed he had a hot hand in the second half? Did you guys really get in a rhythm with his play calling in the second half?
LJ: Yeah, he was dialing it up. That's what we've just got to keep doing. We've got to keep doing that the whole season, playoffs, whatever. We've just got to keep doing that. He did a good job.
Q: You've faced a Belichick defense a few times in your career. Did they do anything different to you today? How did they try to defend you?
LJ: A lot of 'man' [coverage]. They had the linebackers blitz the B gap, throwing a couple zeroes. We had seen that during the game. We didn't catch that on film. It was raining… The rain really killed us in 2020, too, when we played them a lot. We felt like we had them figured out a little bit, but yeah, they did a couple different things, but they was going 'man' a lot, so we just had to execute.
Q: Were you not expecting that?
LJ: I was.
Q: We saw the treadmill that landed in your hotel room –
LJ: All right, actually that wasn't my room. That wasn't my room. I was just kidding around. Yeah, that wasn't my room.
Q: Seemed like you guys did a better job of running pass protection in the second half. What happened there and what adjustment did you guys make?
LJ: Like I said, our rookie lineman, [Daniel] Faalele, he was just getting used to the game. He wasn't expecting to just have to get in there and play left tackle for someone else. He got in and started executing, he got his feet wet, got out there and started doing what he was doing. 'Mo' [Morgan Moses] was doing his thing, 'Zeit' [Kevin Zeitler], our other rookie, our center, Tyler [Linderbaum], and Ben Powers, they were doing a terrific job. Everybody was locked in. They were determined, as well, more than the skill guys. Shout out to my linemen.
Q: You're doing things again that no other quarterback in the NFL this year has done. Three plus touchdown passes and 100 yards rushing in back-to-back weeks. Do you take pride in doing things that some people might consider is groundbreaking?
LJ: I want to win. Like I told y'all last week when someone asked me that question, I just want to win, and by doing that, I just got to do what I do, play Lamar football.
Josh Bynes, ILB
(On how significant forcing 4 turnovers was for the defense after all the criticism the Ravens received this week)
"It was huge to get those turnovers. I think guys just responded really well, and like [head] Coach [John Harbaugh] talked about, we fought through some adversity. Each week has its own lessons and then some. We just took this week as it's a week-to-week business, a week-to-week league, and guys just fought hard until the end and finished. Obviously, we came up with the victory, and the defense we came up with a lot of turnovers."
(On what he saw on his interception)
"Really honestly for me, it was something that I saw before, and once I saw the play, I started running down and taking off to it and just trying to make a play on it. It was a low throw, and I just slid under it and made the catch. I felt like it was a good turning point in the game to get the momentum going our way, and it turned out to be a win. That's the most important part."
(On if the defense said anything amongst themselves heading into another fourth quarter with a double-digit lead)
"It was really this week, like I said before, has its own things. Every week is not necessarily the same exact week; this is a whole different team, a whole different gameplan, a whole different this, and you have to take the week as how it goes. Obviously, with this game, and the way it went, for us, it was just making sure we fought until the end, making sure we finished the right way. Obviously, our offense was doing really well, getting the ball back to the offense as much as possible and letting those guys do their thing. We just fought until the very end and just made plays when we needed to make plays."
(On if losing last week was a tough lesson)
"I don't think it's really a tough lesson; I just think just like [head] Coach [John Harbaugh] said, 'It's just about overcoming adversity.' My son is 12 years old, my oldest son Joshua, and he did a whole project I had to help him on Wednesday about overcoming adversity. And then, you hear Coach talked about with the Malcolm X thing, talking about adversity. So, this league and this business, it's all about adversity, and it's all about how you overcome it. You can't let last week, the previous week, get to you. Otherwise, it's going to take you down. I think guys just did a really good job with taking this week as it is and just went out there and [played] each series [it was] just one play at a time and [executed] one play at a time. We just never gave up and fought through some adversity and got the win."
(On if he got tired of watching Dolphins highlights from last week during this week)
"I don't even watch football outside of the film. During the week, I really don't. I don't turn on Thursday Night Football, I don't turn on anything that doesn't pertain to the opponent. That's all I care about, so as far as those highlights go, it's for you all to comment on, not for me."
(On what the defense's keys were to approaching the Patriots offense)
"Really just making sure we were efficient on first and second down. That's just obvious; that's the most important thing week in and week out to try to make it a one-dimensional game. Obviously, they got some plays made, but at the end of the day like I said before, it's about not giving up, and giving our offense the chance to make plays as well. I think we just did a good job of that, like I said, with turnovers, making plays when we needed to make plays and coming out with a victory in a tough place to play at."
(On if the environment was as intense on the field as it seemed from the press box)
"Playing in this league as long as I have, it's just … I don't know. It's tough; every week has its own identity. Coming to Foxborough, it's just crazy; it's insane. You never know how the games goes. All you can do is control whenever you step on that field, what that down's going to take, like one down. First, second and third, and go from there. I thought guys did a really good job of that today."
Mark Andrews, TE
(On what stands out to him about QB Lamar Jackson's performance)
"He's just elite, man. Just everything that he does for this program, the way he plays on and off the field, he's in an 'elite division' for sure."
(On what it was like during the third quarter falling behind before TE Josh Oliver's touchdown)
"[It was] huge, and I think all game, there were things that we were kind of up and down. Offense, defense, there were things that we need to get better at, and we will, but the best thing that we saw from today was just being able to fight through and finish. That's what we did today. It mattered in the fourth quarter, and this is a tough place to play. For us to be able to come out here and get the win, there were some incredible plays made. Some incredible drives, back-to-back-to-back scoring and stuff like that. So, I was really happy with the guys."
(On what it means to have a quarterback like QB Lamar Jackson who is able to make tight throws)
"He's always been able to; he's just special. He's one of a kind. Like I said, he's in an 'elite division;' there's no one who's really able to do what he can do for a team. For us, just being able to surround him and try to help him out as much as we can, that's what it's all about because he's that special of a player."
(On his touchdown catch off a shovel pass from QB Lamar Jackson)
"It was just trust; it's something that we've done time and time again, year after year. It's just one guy, so he trusts me, threw the ball, and I made a play."
(On if he felt like getting the run game going lifted the whole offense)
"Yes, it was huge. I think the O-line, shoutout to them, the running backs, really everybody just working their butts off creating lanes. [We] has some huge runs that I think affected the game and helped open some things up."
J.K. Dobbins, RB
(On how good it felt to play football again)
"It felt great. [I'm] blessed to be back out there. I'm the type of guy that – yes, I got back out there, I'm blessed, [and] I'm happy about that, but now it's time for me to try to do what I do. And that's run for 100 yards and stuff like that."
(On how tough the recovery process was for him)
"Very tough, very tough. But, it's made me a better person, a better man, and I keep chipping away, keep getting better each week."
(On the emotions of today's game)
"The emotions were high. When I got out there, I wasn't even worried about taking that first hit; I was just worried about making a play. The night before, I was thinking about it, but it was good to get back out there."
(On his thought process once he knew he'd be playing)
"The thought process was the same. I prepare the same either way. I work hard, practice hard, be prepared and ready for the game. When they told me, I was just excited."
(On what it says about the Ravens facing adversity today and getting the win)
"It says a lot about our team – we're resilient, and that comes from last year, all of the things we went through and things we had to do to stay alive and in the playoff run. We didn't make the playoffs, but now, having gone through it, we'll keep getting better."
Marlon Humphrey, CB
(On what he saw on his interception in the back of the end zone)
"When I looked up, the ball was just there. (laughter) And I knew DeVante [Parker] … A great player he had been out on that. He had went over 100 yards [receiving], so I kind of knew he was a top target. So, they just threw it up to him. He [DeVante Parker] wins most the 50-50 balls, it really ties it at like 80-20 [his way]. The ball was up, Mac [Jones] gave him a chance, and the ball got in my hands."
(On what it's like to come up for S Kyle Hamilton to force a turnover, in reference to what happened in last week's matchup)
"Yes, [last game was a] great teaching moment. I think the good thing about 'K Ham' [Kyle Hamilton], he isn't one of those like, 'I didn't do anything wrong last week [referencing the entire team's attitude].' A lot of guys did things wrong, but we owned up to them. We all, as a secondary [and] as a unit, we just knew we just got to play better. We have the skills, we just got to execute the calls. To come up with that play was huge. To me, that was the play that kind of won us the game."
(On Head Coach John Harbaugh's message this week, and how he feels the group responded today)
"I think I said that to him [head coach John Harbaugh] at the end of the game. I was just like, 'We're not there yet, but we're working towards it.' I think there were a lot of things we could learn from this game. A lot of things we can learn from last week too. So, we fix these things, and we keep stacking good plays. Bad plays are going to come, but stacking as many good ones as we can and not having those lapses."
(On the injury bug carrying over into this year and guys having to step up)
"I kind of started seeing some things, but I was kind of like … I realize there's something missing. The game was going [and] I didn't really realize guys were out. We kind of had to adjust. I think we came out mid-way through the second half [and] kind of made some adjustments. We made some [adjustments] early, but it's just tough to replace some of the guys that went down. Those are star players, key players for us. We'll have some guys -- there's a lot of hungry guys. But anytime those guys get taken away that are elite, and just that suddenly, it's very hard to kind of mix-and-match."
(On QB Lamar Jackson making special plays)
"I was watching [former Raven Matthew] Judon try to chase him down. I was like … We all used to be on defense like, 'Dang, I don't want to play against that guy.' [Matthew] Judon had a good game, but I think a couple of those sacks he should've had, he probably would've had if it wasn't such a dynamic quarterback like Lamar [Jackson]. So, I'm going to enjoy watching him [Lamar Jackson]; hopefully we're wearing the same jersey forever. What the guy does day-in and day-out, I think nobody can duplicate it in the league."
(On what it means to get the turnovers late to help seal the game)
"It means a lot. It was tough last week knowing that our offense scored that many points, and then in the fourth quarter, our defense just could not get a stop – It was touchdown, after touchdown, after touchdown. So, for us to come up [and] have those big plays at the end, it was huge. It was a confidence boost. It was just a pride thing, that we can be this defense, but talk is cheap – we've just got to go out there and show it."
Calais Campbell, DE
(On how he feels about the way the team responded to last week)
"Fantastic. Obviously coming off of a loss, you don't want to lose two in a row. Teams, they smell that, they know, 'OK, this team can be beat in the fourth quarter.' So, we had to hold ourselves to lock in and really play good ball in the fourth quarter. That's a really good football team, too; the Patriots played a great game today and they gave us a lot of fits, so we had to keep making adjustments and playing good football, but when the game was on the line, I thought we started playing our best football. If we're going to play like that going forward, that's fun. We're going to win a lot of ball games."
(On making adjustments due to injuries)
"Yes, it's always tough when injuries happen, especially because you only get to dress 47, 46 [players], whatever it is. So, you're just short at positions, and guys have to step up and make plays, but I think that it's a testament to our front office; I think our team is pretty deep. We can't use excuses that someone got hurt, because we really do have a lot of talent on this team, so just hopefully this is it [for injuries], but at the end of the day it is what it is. It's football; things are going to happen. [We] just have to take it as it comes and be the best you can."
(On QB Lamar Jackson having 100-plus rushing yards and three-plus touchdowns in back-to-back weeks and if he is still amazed by him)
"Yes, I'm amazed every time. It's a front row seat, you're watching greatness. That guy is very special, he's fun to watch. I'm glad I don't have to play against him; I'm glad he's my teammate. That's the No. 1 thing because he is quite spectacular. As a defensive player on this team, our whole goal is to just get the ball back in his hands; he's going to do something with it. Just make a play, get the ball back to him because you know he's going to do something with it, it's just a matter of time."
(On how QB Lamar Jackson's performances affect the whole team's mentality)
"I think as a team, it's really just, 'Do your job, you know we're going to make plays.' So, I think that if you have belief it the system and who you have as teammates and your coaching staff and all that stuff, you're going to play harder. You're going to go out there and lock in, you're going to give it your all, and you're going to sacrifice because you know that you have the players to win the ball game. So, it's easier to be like, 'OK, sacrifice self and be a great team player,' knowing that you have '8' [Lamar Jackson] on your side, that's going to put us in the place to win football games."
(On what it says about the defense coming up with multiple turnovers in the fourth quarter to seal the victory)
"After last week's performance, I think we were really motivated to just go out there and play good football for four quarters, for 60 minutes. They fought hard, and they made it tough on us, but we just kept making plays, and I just think it shows you what kind of fight we have. The Baltimore Ravens defense, we have a lot of fight. We're not ever going to quit; we're going to just keep coming and hopefully good things will happen."
