BALTIMORE RAVENS POST GAME QUOTES
Head Coach John Harbaugh
(opening statement) "Hard-fought, very disappointing loss. Congratulations to the Bears. Obviously, they made the plays that they needed to make, especially with the turnovers and interceptions. I thought our guys played their hearts out. I thought our guys played hard. They fought their way back. The two special teams touchdowns were huge, obviously, in the game. It's not for lack of heart, that's for sure; it's not for lack of effort. It's for lack of execution at times, and that's what we have to get better at. We just have to improve all the way across the board."
(on the success of the Bears' run game) "[I saw] too many yards rushing – I don't know what I saw. We'll look at it. It's not going to be one thing, it's going to be different things on different plays. They blocked well, they had good backs that broke some tackles. That's always how it is when you run the ball for [many] yards."
(on the way today's turnovers happened and if they were more frustrating) "I don't think so. I think every turnover is frustrating. It's about as frustrating as it can get. Each of those is its own entity – whether you catch the ball or you don't – we'll see later. I don't know if anyone got their hand on that second [interception], so we'll just have to see."
(on if it was disappointing to not see the young receivers step up) "Yes, I don't really want to get into what's disappointing, and what's not disappointing. You want to see guys step up and play well. You want to see guys make plays. Offensively, we want to score points and we want first downs. That's what we're shooting for, and that's what we're working for. We're certainly capable of it. We need to get it going."
QB Joe Flacco
(on if he has levels of frustration after certain losses) "The fact that you got back in it like that and lost, I get what you are saying. But all losses sting. You do not feel good coming into the locker room after a game like that. The fact that you are feeling a little hopeful there at the end – I don't know if that makes it any worse. It is just all bad [after a loss]."
(on the team's turnovers) "Turning the ball over hurts you, no matter when they come, how they come, where they come – it is going to hurt you to turn the ball over. It is going to be tough for you to win football games when you do that."
(on getting in scoring position and not being able to capitalize) "I'm trying to think, we got there at the end of the half, right? Then, what else did we do? *(Reporter: "There was an interception in their territory.") *Right, we had a turnover. We are a team that is going to run the ball and take shots, and we just have not been able to take any good ones or take advantage of one-on-one matchups here or there. Like I said, we turned the ball over, so that hurts, too."
(on what the Bears showed defensively that made it hard to take shots) "I think there were some opportunities, maybe some play-action and things like that. They have a good front. They get after it there. In terms of straight go-routes and things like that, it was not like they were going to come up and press us all day. They did play some quarters on either side, so there is room to take shots. We weren't able to get it done."
(on coming to grips with losing a disappointing game after a big win at Oakland) "It is part of it. It is part of being an NFL player. It is part of being a leader, and it is part of being a player on this team. You have to be able to deal with the ups and downs of a season and continue to roll through. It is still early on, and we are a 3-3 football team. We have to look at ourselves hard and look at ourselves as the reason that we are 3-3 and just correct what we can and move forward. It does not feel good. Obviously, losses are going to affect you in a certain way, but we have to keep our head down and keep going."
(on having to make sure his teammates keep their confidence after turnovers) "It is huge. We have no other choice. It is what you do on offense. You keep going back at it, and you keep slinging it around, and you keep handing it off. You keep doing everything you can. No matter what happened in the past. Everybody always says – and it is a bit cliché – about putting it behind it you and moving on to the next one, but it is what you have to do. It is easier said than done, but it is what we have to, and I think we have the guys that can do it."
(on if it's most frustrating that the offense couldn't score in overtime with good field position) "Yes, it is disappointing. You need a field goal, and we can't get it. It is definitely tough. They came out and played basically cover zero on that last play. They did drop a guy out. I just could not hold the ball long enough to kind of wait for Chris [Moore] to clear him. It is tough. It is definitely a tough pill to swallow. You have to do it."
(on the Bears' defensive gameplan) "They are a good defense. We knew that coming in. We definitely didn't execute well enough."
S Eric Weddle
(on his missed tackle in overtime) "It's an unacceptable play. I have to make the tackle. I had a good hand on the ball, but you just can't do that in that situation. You have to get him down. We were playing so well as a defense. It's unfortunate to lose the game because of that, but I've got big shoulders and I can man up to my mistakes. I'll move on from it."
(on coming back and then losing) "When you lose they're all the same. Honestly, we had no business being in that game, the way we played as a team. We did come back, and that shows a lot. It shows a lot about our toughness. It's unfortunate we didn't capitalize after we got them off the field in overtime. I've got to make that tackle. It is what it is. That's the deciding play. That's why we lost. It sucks that it happened, but life goes on. We've got to get ready for next week."
(on how close he was to forcing a fumble) "I thought it was coming out, then I slipped – not slipped – he's just a big back. In that situation, you have to grab on and then if you're going to do it (strip the ball) you have to hold on and wait for the cavalry to get there. It's unfortunate, but I've been on the wrong side of a lot of losses. I'm tough. I'll get through it and I'll make a better play."
(on the Ravens being 3-3) "I really don't have words to explain the performance we put on today. It's hard to fathom. Defensively, we gave up a toss-pass and then a broken play for another touchdown. We held them to 80 yards passing through regulation. Our offense didn't do anything, [but] luckily our special teams scored two touchdowns. One was lucky, the other one was a great play. We have a lot to work on, that's the reality. But shoot, we come back tomorrow and nobody's going to feel sorry for us. We have to be more disciplined on defense. Too many little things are creeping up. Like three, four and five yard gains when it should be two yards. Eyes in the backfield and some communication issues, there's still things that we can correct on our side of the ball. Our offense will get it going. Special teams was a huge factor today. It's a long season. We're 3-3, but who knows what happened this afternoon. The arrow needs to start pointing up sooner or later."
(on feeling pressured to make a play) "I don't know. I can say a hundred different things on why I did it. It was the wrong decision and wrong play. I just have to be a sure-handed tackler. The one time I'm not it loses us the game. I thought I had a good feel on the ball, but I didn't. Consequences happen and you have to live with them. That's where I am. I can live with the good plays, the bad plays, I'm very honest and I believe in consequences. Unfortunately, we lost, but I will battle back from it. My teammates know that."
(on the ebb and flow defensively) "There was definitely none on offense. Whoever could muster up some offense was going to win. We got enough stops and the two back-to-back turnovers were huge. That gave us some momentum, I just [thought] we could've capitalized on it. We got the big punt return to give us a chance to tie the game and then we got the two-point conversion. We felt like we were going to win the game. They hadn't done anything for four or five series. All the momentum was on our side, we just had one bad play. That's what happens."
DB/RS Lardarius Webb
(on the loss) "We fell hard at the end, we just didn't finish it."
(on the defense) "We have to watch film and see the mistakes and correct them. Then we have to move on."
(on the long run in overtime) "Yes, that was really frustrating for the defense. We had our chances to win, but we didn't take advantage of them. We lost. It's a hurtful loss, but now we have to move on."
(on the third and eleven conversion in overtime) "I was hoping to make a play, but he made a great play. I tip my hat off to him [Kendall Wright]. He's one of the best receivers on that team and he made that play."
(on regrouping) "This is where our leadership is going to have to step up. We need to keep the young guys' heads forward and that's all we can do right now."
(on his sack and forced fumble) "I'm just enjoying the role I have on this defense right now. I'm just making plays whenever I get the chance to. I just want to be an important piece of this defense."
TE Benjamin Watson
(on the outcome) "Any loss is tough. They're all tough, but we had a chance to get a 'W'. We could have closed it out, and we didn't – we gave the ball back to them. Give credit to our defense for stopping them on the first drive. Also, special teams for scoring two touchdowns today. It really was, I guess you could call it, all three phases trying to win the game, and then we had a chance in the end, but we just didn't finish."
(on if it was frustrating for the offense to watch the defense and special teams score points) "Of course it is. As an offensive player, I want to score every time we get the ball. That's my goal, and I think that's what every offense wants to do is to score points and hold up their end of the bargain when it comes to playing complementary team football. Sometimes it doesn't work that way. Sometimes your special teams kicks in and scores two touchdowns, which is great. We were still in a position in the end to win. Chicago did a better job of closing out than we did."
(on how the offense can do a better job scoring points) "It's a matter of starting fast. Last week, we started very fast with a big play. That's always our goal – to start fast. I think the coaches do a great job of scripting it that way for us to get some chunks early, and then it comes to execution on the field. Everybody has a role to play, and the coaches do a good job of scripting it, but when we get out there, we need to execute it and get the ball moving early. When you look at games, it's tough in this league to come back when you're down. So, that's why it's very important to be able to start early, score points early on, at least to sustain long drives early in the game."
OLB Terrell Suggs
(on the loss) "This one definitely hurts. Despite everything that happened, we still had a chance to win the game, and we didn't do it. It sucks to lose a game when the defense is on the field. It's just unfortunate. This one sucks. Six games in, and we have 10 more, and what we do with those 10, we can pretty much control our own fate."
(on the team having to do a better job offensively) "That's not my responsibility. That's not me. I think, still, we've got a really good football team. We've just got to get rid of the inconsistencies. You can't go out and play like we did in Oakland and then come back, we just didn't play well today. I'm just talking as a defense – that's all I can speak for. There's nothing more disappointing in the world than mediocrity. You can't play good last week, and then we come out here, and we don't play too good. We gave up a ton of yards rushing. It just sucks, but we're going to get it fixed. We're all committed. We all bleed purple and black, and it's going to stay that way."
(on what hampered the run defense today) "Nothing. They have a really good team. They have some really good backs. I couldn't tell you one reason, one way or another. They executed, they got on angles, and their backs really capitalized. We've got to stay consistent on defense."
(on the challenges presented by their running backs) "That kind of running game is very difficult to stop, especially when you have explosive backs like that that can pop it anywhere. We've really got to be technically and fundamentally sound and gap sound. They just found some leakage here and there, and they popped a few, especially the one at the end. It sucks, like I said, but we're going to go to work, and we're going to get rid of this mediocracy [expletive]."
(on the type of lift special teams provided) "They gave us a chance, and we knew we were capable of those types of plays on special teams. They gave us a chance, and we fought all the way back. Like I said, it's just disappointing to lose the way that we did."
ILB C.J. Mosley
(on the loss) "We just can't put ourselves in a hole. We had a good fight coming back. As far as the defense, we just can't give up anything. They ran the ball on us when they had to and they got two plays in the passing game."
(on both teams making big plays) "It's the NFL, it's going to happen here and there, but that's what we always pride ourselves on the Ravens defense stopping the run. The last few weeks we haven't done that. We have to go back in on Monday and Tuesday and correct the little things."
(on his fumble recovery) "Sometimes you have to be in the right place at the right time. I just have to keep trying to make big plays like that. We have to get off the field, three-and-outs, interceptions and things like that. We just have to find a way to be a productive defense."
(on how much they miss DT Brandon Williams) "It hasn't affected me too much. The Bears run that stretch game. It's a little different with the stretch game. With the stretch game, offensive lineman have an easier chance of getting up on the linebackers. For the most part we did a pretty good job today. We just have to be able to sustain those type of plays. For the passes and the runs that they got we have to do a better job of trying to avoid those big plays."
(on how to regroup) "If you want to be a great team and a great defense, leaders have to make sure that everybody's in the right mindset. Everybody has to hold themselves accountable. Like [Eric] Weddle said, everybody has to be their biggest critic. You need to figure out what you need to improve on. We've got to move on because it's still a long season. One loss doesn't end our season. This is one loss against an NFC opponent, so we have to make sure we're ready for next week."
RB Bobby Rainey Jr.
(on the loss) "It's odd, but that's the way it went. Usually you think you're going to win the game when special teams comes up big. We got two scores in the end to tie the game up, but it didn't go our way. We have to come in next week and deal with that."
(on the punt return to tie the game) "That was a big play on that return. It gave us a chance to tie the game up, and it gave us life. Guys were digging deep to finish the game. We came from behind to get ourselves in position to win the game. There's a lot of fight with these guys."
(on getting up and continuing his kick return) "That's what you're taught, to play until the whistle. That's when you stop, if you don't hear the whistle, you keep going. I kind of knew that the guy didn't tag me down. My own guy flipped me. When I got up, I only saw my guys around me, and I didn't hear the whistle. I saw the ref to my left – he didn't stop, so I kept going."
(on rejoining the Ravens) "I kind of knew they brought me in here to play. I knew I was coming here to play. In the position I was in, I had to learn quickly. As a professional, you just have to pick up and go. It doesn't matter what your circumstances are. I knew I had a big role coming in on special teams. In the position I play, I try to bring a spark to the team."
(on the Ravens' offense) "I think we're fine offensively, it just didn't go our way this week. This will not define us. Next week, we'll come back and execute the plays we know we can."
WR Mike Wallace
(on how tough the loss is) "It's always tough to lose any game, but to just give yourself a chance to come back, and have an opportunity to win, and fall short – that one hurts. We just have to be better earlier in the game. On offense, we have to find a way. We have to make some plays. We're not making enough plays to give our team a chance."
(on if he can pinpoint the offensive struggles) "No. We just have to get the playmakers the ball and let them make plays. We have to make those plays. For one reason or another, we're just not making enough plays. The playmakers on our team … Big plays – we need those, just to give our defense some rest and get them hyped and the fans on their feet. We need to do that just to give ourselves a spark. For one reason or another, we are not doing that right now."
(on if it's frustrating to not score in overtime with good field position) "Yes. When you get the ball like that, you automatically think you're going to win the football game. You make a couple plays and the game is over. Obviously, we didn't get that done. They made the plays we couldn't in overtime and came out with a victory."
DT Willie Henry
(on if it's problematic that opposing teams' running backs have had good games in each of their three losses) "I don't think we're going to press the panic button. There's always stuff we can correct with the right mindset going in to the work week and getting the small things corrected."
(on the potential impact of DT Brandon Williams returning) "It will be a big difference. He's a guy that demands two blockers at all times. So, that leaves a lot of one-on-one matchups for the other defensive linemen like 'Sizz' [Terrell Suggs], like [Michael] Pierce and other players that make plays. It keeps linebackers free and clean. It'll be exciting when he gets back."
WR/RS Michael Campanaro
(on how difficult it was to lose after such a big comeback) "We didn't play the way we wanted to, obviously. But I think we showed fight all the way until the end. Just getting the game into overtime, and you know, we've just got to play better in the first four quarters. We turned the ball over, didn't play the way we wanted to. I think guys showed fight. We're 3-3; hats off the Bears, a big win for them. But we're going to bounce back next week."
(on the emotion involved with losing after a big comeback) "It's tough; I mean, we had all the momentum going into overtime, and then to get the ball back around midfield, we're expecting to drive down, get a few first downs and kick the field goal, score a touchdown and win it. We just have to execute better, and we have to make that play, and we will. We're just going to get back to work, keep working hard, go back to practice and just keep improving."
(on how the improve on the dropped passes) "We've just got to focus in. That's just repetition; that's practice. I mean, we're catching passes every day in practice. It's just got to translate over to the games. Those are plays as receivers we can't have, we can't make."
(on the punt return for a TD) "It was just designed great. [Special teams coordinator/associate head coach Jerry Rosburg] had it lined up, and we were just able to get an edge on that sideline, some key blocks, no penalties and we were able to take it to the house."
(on him getting a TD and having a big game) "I've been putting in work, keeping my head down, working hard. But I would have loved to come out with a W, for sure."
OLB Matthew Judon
(on the problems stopping the run) "We're going to have to go back and watch the tape and correct some things. We knew they were going come out running the ball, and they did effectively."
(on how disappointing to lose like that) "Every loss feels the same. It's one loss, like I said, we're going to have to get back on tape [and review it]. Every loss stings the same way."
(after tying the game, if they felt this game was theirs) "We feel like every game is ours. We go out there, put our best forward. Today, they just got it. We went into overtime, and we kept fighting and [we] did our best."
(on how good it felt to get his first sacks of the season) "I've been rushing the passer well. I just haven't gotten some. Sacks didn't fall in my lap, and today, I was able to get two, get off the schneid. Like I said, every loss stings the same way. It doesn't matter if I have 45 sacks and we lose, it still [hurts]."
