HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
"The effort the intensity. Everybody [was] trying to do whatever they could do to play their best out there. And like I told them, these are opportunities to learn, and you have an opportunity – very single person. We learn a lot as a team. We will [learn] when we watch the tape, and every single person can learn something – whether they played or not – about themselves through the course of this game. So, now what do we do with it? That's what determines where we go from here. So, hopefully we'll make the most of it, and I believe in our guys, and I believe that they will make the most of it. [It was] a great game, a fun game. I thought our defense really stepped up in the second half, big time. [There were] two sudden-change stops [and] two turnovers. [You] see those guys make the plays. [We] stiffened up against the run quite a bit, which was great, and that actually ended up being the difference in the game. Then the offense closing it out at the end in the two-minute [or] four-minute drill, that was really good to see. Great, what questions do you have?"
*(on what he saw from K Justin Tucker's 60-yard field goal to close the first half) *"He [Justin Tucker] hit it perfectly. He hit it perfect. He hit it right on the screws, and it carried … As soon as it came off his foot, I just thought, 'Man, that's going through.' You could tell, and he hit it straight. But also, credit to the offense. Credit to everybody from the quarterbacks [to] the receivers. 'Tread' [Laquon Treadwell] made a couple great plays there. Josh [Johnson] made some nice throws. The offensive line protected. [We were] pretty much penalty free, which is big in that situation. So, they got 'Tuck' [Justin Tucker] to field-goal range at 60 [yards], I guess."
(on having K Justin Tucker kick tonight instead of having another kicker) "No, we just haven't been able to with the roster. We wouldn't be opposed to having another kicker in here, [and] we may still do that. We've looked at some guys. We have a good list of guys. We might want to take some workload off him [Justin Tucker]. That's something we definitely have talked about. We just didn't feel like we had the roster freedom to do it right now."
(on if there are any update on QB Tyler Huntley after going into the locker room) "No, there are no major injuries. I mean, there are little things here and there. I'm not really going to comment on them too much, but you can know, there is nothing major with anybody."
(on how he thinks OLB David Ojabo did with the time he had on the field tonight) "I thought he [David Ojabo] looked good. He was physical as could be. He had one he wants back on a quarterback scramble, but other than that, I thought he was physical and tough and had good power rushes going. He looked good. I know he was excited to play. That was a good thing. There are two guys sitting here; these two guys taking the lead. Daryl [Worley] going to safety. He told me towards the end here, 'I'm going to close this thing out for you,' and he did. He made that play. And then Malik [Harrison] was just all over the field throughout the course of the game playing great football, but [it was] not just those two guys. They'll talk about it, and they're the kind of guys that you saw, but there were a lot of good guys out there playing well."
(on what he sees from WR Zay Flowers that forces defenders to draw penalties) "Well, if you're hard to cover, guys will tend to grab sometimes, so that can be part of it. That's probably the basic premise of the whole thing. He [Zay Flowers] is hard to … He's got great feet and great acceleration, change of direction. And the defensive back, if he's in coverage, has to match that. It's the same in tackling; you've got to match that, as well. So, that's what good players do, and I'm excited to see him continue to grow."
*(on what he made of RB Keaton Mitchell looking explosive offensively and on returns) *"He [Keaton Mitchell] did. He did. He looked good. [It was] good to see the return game. I thought the way he carried the ball was good. He got the ball north and south most of the time and did a great job with that. That was good to see. I thought all of the backs did a really good job. I mean, Melvin [Gordon III], he was making people miss, and even when he didn't have blocking, he did well. And Gus [Edwards], he had a couple good, strong runs. That third-down run, where he almost got the first down, that was a physical run. Justice [Hill] had some good runs. And at the end, our guy [Owen Wright], he did a nice job of closing that thing out. He was physical and downhill. I told him, I said, 'It's a first down, get down.' He almost got the first down, and it was a great run. So, [I'm] happy with those guys."
(on how he's seen WR Tyan Wallace building on things from training camp) "Tylan [Wallace] has had a really good camp. You could see it in camp – the way he was moving, the plays he was making – and I was just hopeful. We talked about it before the game. I was just hopeful he'd get some opportunities, because you know he's going to do well; [it's the] same thing with Devin [Duvernay]. On that fade versus off-man [coverage] – half the distance in the red zone – that man-coverage technique that they use, it couldn't have been a better throw and a better route on that play [for] the first touchdown."
*(on how it feels to see the reps from practice translate to an actual football game against an actual opponent) *"That's what you wait for. You're excited. That's why you're excited for the game, because you want to see it in a game – when guys are tackling people and playing the game. So, it's not like we doubted that they were going to play that way, but you see it in real life [and] kind of … That's why we do what we do."
(on how he thinks QB Tyler Huntley came in and played) "I thought he [Tyler Huntley] played well. Yes, I thought he played well. He came in there and was a spark. The timing passing game was good. He was accurate [and] got the ball out, moved around and made some plays with his legs when he had to. Yes, I thought he played very well."
ILB MALIK HARRISON
*(On the first quarter sack he had and how it developed) *"It was amazing. I haven't had a sack since college, so that felt great. [They] called the right play, and then I just made it."
*(On what it means to keep the streak alive) *"It means a lot. We take pride, really, in these preseason games. We just want to keep it going and be the longest win [streak] in preseason."
(On the importance of these preseason games for a player like himself) "It's very important – just for my teammates, just being out there [and] just having fun, for real. It feels like a real game to me."
*(On how much he talks to rookies and younger players on the importance of preseason games) *"I talk to them every day, especially on special teams. The guys behind me … When I see something that's not really up to our standard ... [I] just give them little tips of what to do and what not to do and what to look for when they're out there."
WR ZAY FLOWERS
*(On playing in his first game at M&T Bank Stadium) *"I was excited. I was super excited – to the point where I didn't really know what to do. So, it was fun. It was a fun experience for the first time."
*(On playing in his first NFL game) *"It was a little bit faster – a little bit – not too much faster, though. Like, I can handle it. Yes, I'll be able to handle it. It was good experience for the first time, though."
*(On if he takes pride in making things happen even when he's not catching the ball) *"I take pride in everything. It's football, [and] I love playing football, so I want to try to be as complete in every aspect of the game that I can [be]."
*(On if he chalks up the false start to his excitement in the moment) *"No, no. He [the center] snapped the ball fast. He called the play, [and] he snapped the ball like two seconds later. So, I was kind of surprised, and it was on me. Me and 'Duv' [Devin Duvernay] were moving at the same time, but they called it on me." (laughter)
*(On what he did before the game) *"I kept running around, catching the ball, because in college, you warm up with the team; you don't warm up by yourself. So, that was my first time trying to warm myself up and try to get the timing right. Then Coach was telling me what we're going to do and when we're going to do it, so I'll have a better routine next time." (laughter)
QB JOSH JOHNSON
*(on his blocking on RB Justice Hill's 37-yard carry) *"I was more so shielding. I was just trying to get in his way. I told Justice [Hill], I thought he was a little closer to me, so when he went behind me, I was expecting Justice to be ahead. It was [a good run] by him. He really got us going. [He] was able to set up a touchdown and as [far as] running backs, they had a great game tonight."
*(on if the plan was for him to start and then play only the first half) *"I didn't really have an indication. Yesterday, we talked about it, but the mindset for us in our room is to be ready for everything. We all know that we're backing up Lamar [Jackson], so we really don't try to worry too much about when you're going in. It's about getting yourself ready for any opportunity, because if real situations, when [they] come up, that's what it's going to be like. [They're going to be] unexpected moments."
(on what it's like being part of the preseason winning streak seven years later) "It's always great to win in this league. I understand how hard it is to get a victory. The one thing I learned at a young age; you cherish victories. They're hard to come by in this league. That's a credit to Coach [John] Harbaugh and the rest of this organization that this streak has been able to go on for so long. With so many different guys playing in the preseason and to go over there and play above the standard, as he likes to state … And for us as players, it's always great when you win. It's better to be on a winning team than a losing team."
*(on what he likes about the tempo of this offense in Baltimore) *"We have a lot of explosive guys; I would like to say, and this offense is going to put guys into position to do what they do best. It will be a different look than what people have seen in the past around here, but what I'm seeing every day on the practice field on what we're doing out there together and where we're headed, I think it's going to be pretty exciting when it's all put together. It's a process and we're going through it daily, but with the talent that we have, guys like him sitting right there and the other guys in that room and then the running backs and the tight ends, it's going to be a pretty fun year in my eyes."
*(on quarterbacks being able to make more adjustments at the line of scrimmage this year and how that worked for him tonight) *"It was a pretty clean night for us. It's the first preseason game. There were a lot of basics on defense, [there weren't] a lot of complicated things going on. For us, it was just getting out of the huddle, playing clean football, [and] making sure we execute as clean as possible. We had a couple mishaps early, but we were able to overcome it and put some points on the board, and then when 'Snoop' [Tyler Huntley] came in, he went right down the field and did the same thing. Then we were able to close out the game. So, it's not always good and always bad, if you want me to tell you the truth ... But for us, we just want to start out on the right foot, and I feel like we did that."
QB JOSH JOHNSON
*(on his blocking on RB Justice Hill's 37-yard carry) *"I was more so shielding. I was just trying to get in his way. I told Justice [Hill], I thought he was a little closer to me, so when he went behind me, I was expecting Justice to be ahead. It was [a good run] by him. He really got us going. [He] was able to set up a touchdown and as [far as] running backs, they had a great game tonight."
*(on if the plan was for him to start and then play only the first half) *"I didn't really have an indication. Yesterday, we talked about it, but the mindset for us in our room is to be ready for everything. We all know that we're backing up Lamar [Jackson], so we really don't try to worry too much about when you're going in. It's about getting yourself ready for any opportunity, because if real situations, when [they] come up, that's what it's going to be like. [They're going to be] unexpected moments."
(on what it's like being part of the preseason winning streak seven years later) "It's always great to win in this league. I understand how hard it is to get a victory. The one thing I learned at a young age; you cherish victories. They're hard to come by in this league. That's a credit to Coach [John] Harbaugh and the rest of this organization that this streak has been able to go on for so long. With so many different guys playing in the preseason and to go over there and play above the standard, as he likes to state … And for us as players, it's always great when you win. It's better to be on a winning team than a losing team."
*(on what he likes about the tempo of this offense in Baltimore) *"We have a lot of explosive guys; I would like to say, and this offense is going to put guys into position to do what they do best. It will be a different look than what people have seen in the past around here, but what I'm seeing every day on the practice field on what we're doing out there together and where we're headed, I think it's going to be pretty exciting when it's all put together. It's a process and we're going through it daily, but with the talent that we have, guys like him sitting right there and the other guys in that room and then the running backs and the tight ends, it's going to be a pretty fun year in my eyes."
*(on quarterbacks being able to make more adjustments at the line of scrimmage this year and how that worked for him tonight) *"It was a pretty clean night for us. It's the first preseason game. There were a lot of basics on defense, [there weren't] a lot of complicated things going on. For us, it was just getting out of the huddle, playing clean football, [and] making sure we execute as clean as possible. We had a couple mishaps early, but we were able to overcome it and put some points on the board, and then when 'Snoop' [Tyler Huntley] came in, he went right down the field and did the same thing. Then we were able to close out the game. So, it's not always good and always bad, if you want me to tell you the truth ... But for us, we just want to start out on the right foot, and I feel like we did that."
WR TYLAN WALLACE
(on his touchdown catch) "Going into it, I knew the play call and we called the back shoulder in that situation. So, I was thinking, I just have to make a play right here. We were in the red zone and 'Snoop' [Tyler Huntley] couldn't have made a better throw; great throw. I just had to make a play and it was great that we drove all the way down there and that I was able to make the play."
*(on the tempo of the offense) *"Especially in the receiver room, we have been talking about that a lot. We are trying to talk to the line quickly and run that fast tempo offense. We've been working on that all training camp over the past few weeks and that's a big emphasis and we are working on getting even better with that."
(on this year's receiver room) "Oh man, a bunch of great guys in there. Great guys, great athletes, great players. It's a big room with a bunch of talented guys. And I am learning so much. Everybody is just going out there and doing their thing and making plays."
*(on how he feels about himself) *"I feel good. I feel confident. I'm just going out and making plays. At the end of the day where everything lies, it lies. But I am going in there every day just doing what I can do to get better, to do what I know I can do and make plays."
S AR'DARIUS WASHINGTON
*(on his breakup of the two-point conversion) *"That play obviously meant a lot. So, yeah, it was a huge play for us, we wanted to keep the streak alive and it's all about making plays. I was glad to be in a good position to make that play."
(on the cornerback situation regarding injuries, depth, etc.) "There is a lot of competition in that room, but the thing is, we are all together. Everybody believes in each other and that we can make plays. We all want to compete with each other, but we are also tight and together."
(on what he's learned about the NFL year over year) "The thing about preseason is that you have to go out there and put good plays on tape. I've learned a lot about the defense from last year to this year. I feel like I can contribute and make plays for this team this year."
