POST-GAME TRANSCRIPT
Head Coach John Harbaugh
(opening statement) "Winning is better than losing, and it's a lot more fun. It was just a great football game- Ravens and Redskins. Hats off to the Redskins, they played really well. It was a fast start, especially, and the best part for us was to be put in that situation. Put in the hole 14-0 right out of the gate, and to have to knock that off and come back and play football. We did. We got back to 14-14. I was disappointed with the two-minute drive when they had the chance to go 21-14. It was really well executed by them. That's kind of where we're at. The second half speaks for itself. It was a very exciting game- the young ones getting in there and getting after it. It was a fun game to watch."
(on the offense bouncing back from the first two games) "I thought we played well the first two games. You're talking about two series. I think they bounced back in this game, and they played well in the second quarter. I think that was good to see, because in this league, that's what you have to be able to do."
(on giving up the touchdown at the end of the first half) "It was just bad defense. We have to play better. We have situations where calls were made. We just played it bad."
(on WR Lee Evans and TE Ed Dickson stepping in to replace former players) "It is good to see it. The play that Evans made… wow. To be able to go get that ball the way he did- there was a point in time where I didn't think he was going to be able to catch up with the throw. I guess Joe [Flacco] knew he would be able to catch up. He put it right where it had to be. Of course, Dickson made some huge plays. I'm just thinking,Tandon Doss made some big plays for us. A lot of guys came up with some plays. How about Brandon Jones? You talk about an athletic play. Here's a guy who has been in the league. He's played football for Tennessee, and made some plays against us in that divisional game a couple of years ago. For him to have the wherewithal to get the foot down and get the ball across the pylon, it's just a big-time football play."
(on the play of WR LaQuan Williams and QB Tyrod Taylor) "Well, Tyrod, I would say he's made the team. Newsflash. Tyrod, played well. There are things that he needs to learn from. You have the ball third-and-two down there, you don't take a sack. I think that's something he'll learn from. Yet and still, some of the throws he made in the teeth of pressure, were just exceptional for us. He was using his feet to get out of trouble a couple of times. Just really great plays.LaQuan- obviously the punt return was big. Just good field position. He had some big blocks on that. How about TJ [Talmadge Jackson]? The interception. He was mad at himself for not staying up the left sideline. The quarterback wasn't going to get him. But he cut it back. What a great play to get us back in field position."
(on the relationship between QB Joe Flacco and WR Anquan Boldin) "How do you describe it? It's two guys getting to know each other, and Joe learning where the ball needs to be for Anquan, and Anquan understanding when he has to get out of breaks for Joe. You talk about timing and chemistry and maturing together. I don't even know what the word is, but I think they are getting to know each other in the passing game, and that bodes well for us."
(on the relationship between QB Joe Flacco and WR Lee Evans) "I guess when you're that fast, you just throw the ball out there and go chase it. Maybe, that's an easier transition."
(on T Bryant McKinnie) "He's been working out and he's been eating right. He's been working on football. We just had a great meeting with him. I'm very impressed with him. He's a very mature guy, very excited to be here, very intelligent guy. He picks up football like that, and I'm looking forward to getting him to fold."
(on RB Anthony Allen) "The funny thing is he has great hands. He's one of the best hands guy on our team, especially in the backfield. He'll make a lot more of those [catches] in his career than he'll drop. He had some huge runs, north-south running. He had a good game. Pass protection did a good job too."
(on if he was aware of Tandon Doss' tweet about breaking up an altercation earlier today) "I'm not on Twitter. I'll be looking into that."
(on the offensive line) "Well, I think you're going to find, probably, the offensive lines that our veterans with everyone coming back together, are going to gel much quicker than those who are piecing it together right now. Did we get beat up one-on-one? Did we miss a sight-adjust? Did we not pick up the twist? I don't know right now. We're just going to have to figure that out as we go. We're going to be putting this offensive line together for the next couple of weeks before we play, and realistically, we're going to be improving throughout the early part of the season. So, that's just where we're going to be."
(on playing T Michael Oher at left tackle) "Our plan right now is to move Michael to right [tackle] and to move Bryant [McKinnie] to left. We'll see how that goes. Everything is fluid. I'd love to say that's set in stone, but that's not set in stone. Bryant has played there, Michael has played the right side. I'm going to tell you what, Michael is about as good a person and as great a team guy as I've ever been around in my career. Ozzie and I brought him in, and we talked to him the night before last. He said it before we said it, 'Whatever I need to do to help this be the best football team and the best offensive line it can be [I'll do], all the career stuff can wait.' We're trying to be the best football team we can be, and that's exactly what he said."
QB Joe Flacco
(on how he felt about bouncing back from a rough start) "You don't want to get off on a rough start like that but DeAngelo [Hall] made a play. He didn't even budge - he just sat out there and did a good job. After that, we bounced back well by the end of the first half and had a strong drive to begin the third quarter.
(on if throwing to WR Lee Evans is as easy in practice as it looks in games) "Definitely. He has the ability to get separation and go get balls. So, he has been a big help for us, and we are just going to keep going to him."
(on having a big-play threat when trying to make a comeback) "It's big. We had one-on-one out there and all I had to do was lay it over the top, so I just threw it out there and put some air under it and just threw him the ball."
(on his chemistry tonight with WR Anquan Boldin) "It's been great. Me and Anquan have been hooking up this training camp, and we have been talking to each other about what we're seeing. I am really confident about where we are at right now."
(on what WR Torrey Smith has to do to solidify his game) "Torrey just has to go out there and play – use his abilities. Got to make a move, run by guys, use his hands, go out there and play confidently and use his ability and make moves. I think he has a tendency to overthink things. He always wants to do the right thing. He always comes up to me and tells me he wants to do the right thing. Sometimes when you go out there on Sundays, you just have to let it go and play. If you go out there and make mistakes, you make mistakes. You just have to go out there and play. He's just going to have to learn that. He has all the ability to go out there and let it come to him."
(on if he felt he had another step to take with WR Anquan Boldin after last year) "I don't know. I don't know if we felt like that. Obviously, we want to get better, and we continue to improve, but I don't know if we had a specific thought about that. The way I see it, I think we are getting better, and we are playing better together."
(on if he is excited about the potential of the offense coming together) "I really am. When you have a lot of young guys, there can be a little worry there but the bottom line is that if you get those guys to play right and play confidently, we have a good group of guys that can really be effective. I really think our guys are getting it together now and I can't wait for our offensive line to settle, and I can't wait to see what happens. I think we are really on the way."
(on his thoughts about CB DeAngelo Hall's interception for a touchdown) "The guy just made a play. It could have happened in the first series, or it could have happened in the eighth series. It'll happen when it happens, we just have to be able to go out there and bounce back from that, pick up your guys and just get back into the game. Our receivers did a really good job of getting open quickly and, like I said, they just made things happen, and it was a matter of getting back in the game. Our first drive in the third quarter, I thought our guys did a great job and then the guys we put in there for the rest of the game did a great job. I think it was a great team effort, and as far as preseason games go, it was one of the best."
WR Anquan Boldin
(on how he and Flacco are getting a good working relationship) "That's what we're working towards. We kind of spend a little time after practice making sure we're on the same page, going through extra routes. It's not something that happens overnight, like I said. You know, the great ones always put in extra time, and that's what we're trying to do now."
(on how last year's ending pushes them) "You always look at every season and you [try] to see how you can get better, and for us, we can use last year as motivation to get over the hump this year."
(on replaying how last year's final game ended) "At this point, we're over it. But it's definitely something that motivates you throughout the off-season."
(On what Lee Evans brings to the team) "He's the guy that pretty much takes the top off of defenses, opens up everything underneath for guys like myself and Ray Rice and other guys. But he's definitely a guy that can stretch defenses."
QB Tyrod Taylor
(on his job) "I'm learning and continuing to [try] to get better. My job is just to move the team when I'm out there on the field...that's what I'm focused on. I know I have to impress these people that will be watching me as far as the number two job, but at the time, I'm just trying to be the best quarterback I can be and show the coaches that I can do [the job]."
(on if he's improved since the start of camp) "I definitely think so. I think I've made steady progress, and that was my goal from day one."
(on the challenge of a short pre-season) "Just learning as quickly as possible. It wasn't a challenge, just something you had to get used to. Everyone's put in this situation. I had a chance to work out with the team early. During the lockout, Joe went over the playbook with me, some things that I should learn. I kept those in my head and studied that book as much as possible, so I think that kind of helped me out."
DE Cory Redding
(on the Ravens' defensive performance) "It's still the preseason and we've got a lot to work on. We gave up 31 points tonight, right, so we still have a lot of work to do, and that's a good thing. We need to work on those things right now, iron them out, and get ready for week one. We didn't play well, but we went out and kept fighting and played all four quarters. It wasn't pretty, but the bottom line was that it was a win, and that's all that counts."
(on his second year with the team) "I've really adjusted to the system. I understand the system a lot more and what they expect out of me, and how I can be myself in the system. The guys have really helped me out a lot, and Coach [Clarence] Brooks has really gotten me up to speed."
(on the Ravens defensive' line rotation) "We have a lot of guys that do a lot of good things. Young guys right now are stepping up and making big plays. The veterans are out there playing hard, and really playing good ball right now. We have a nice rotation, whenever one guy comes out, another guy comes in and makes plays. We're doing some good things right now."
(on competition among the defensive linemen) "That's definitely a good thing, you love competition. And it's also good for the team. There's not a second team and a first team. Whenever one guy comes out, the next guy comes in and plays like a starter. As long as you have that with the type of guys you have in this locker room, it's going to be awesome."
OLB Terrell Suggs
(on tonight's defensive performance) "We started out rocky, but we finished strong. We were supposed to go out and play one series of the second half, but once we saw they put out their two's, we put out our two's. Both teams walked away with some positives, they're a great team. They're better than they were last year. As far as we're concerned, we're good, we definitely have some things to work on, and we have two weeks to do it. It's one thing to go out and play natural, it's another thing to game plan a team. Don't take anything away from the Redskins. I think they played an amazing game, and I think they're going to be a good team this year."
(on being ready to play the Steelers) "I think we're pretty close. We have the advantage because we don't have to travel. And these next two weeks, we have some work to do. It's not a lot of work, but we definitely have some things we have to address. We have some young guys, but once they get up to speed, I think we'll be alright."
(on the Ravens' young defenders) "One thing that is key is that we have depth. You look at every Super Bowl team; they won because they had depth. They had guys who could step up and play. We are showing signs of that on the defensive end of the ball. We just signed one of the best left tackles [Bryant McKinnie] in the league. We're going to be something special this year, I think this might be it."
RB Ray Rice
(on carrying the ball in short yardage situations) "It's one of those things, where once your turn comes up, you have to prove you can do it. I think it's been proven, from two games, that I can handle it. It's easy to look at a guy who is 245 pounds compared to a guy who is 210 pounds and give him the ball. I just waited my turn, and now I'm taking advantage of it."
(on being in the last year of his contract) "I'm just playing the game. I have put a little bit of thought into it, if it ever came up. The bottom line is I want to be a Baltimore Raven. Whenever they get to it, they get to it. I expect Haloti [Ngata] to take care of his business, and after that I'll be ready."
(on starting slowly) "This was a great thing for us, it's preseason. We fell behind, and we found a way to come back and win. We found a way to come out in the third quarter and play fast. This was the best thing that could happen to us, because it gets you ready for Week One. Everybody knows what the third preseason game is about. It's the closest you're going to get to a regular season game."
(on his touchdown run) "You know what it's like on the goal line. There are piles down there. Anytime I can have a one-on-one, I'm just glad. I tell my guys, get me a one-on-one, and I'll do the rest. They did a great job of getting guys cut down. We lost a few yards on the play before, but we have the mentality that we're going to run it in down there. We definitely took a step forward today."
(on FB Vonta' Leach) "With him in there, you know he's going to draw a crowd, so I'm going to follow him and then make my cut off of him."
(on his pass-catching skills) "Where I come from, if it touches your hand, you catch it. I don't believe in it's a bad throw. Joe [Flacco] and I have great coordination. It doesn't matter if the ball is high or low, if he's in trouble, I'm his outlet. We've developed that over the last three years. It's a special bond. It's a you-and-me kind of thing. I'm just going to catch it and go fast."
(on WRs Lee Evans and Anquan Boldin) "They make it easy for the run game. You can't cloud one side or the other. You watch what the Redskins do; they had the safety down [in the box], anytime we motion, and we ran the ball, they had that extra guy in the box. Anytime we got a big play and then ran it, we got a good run out of it. Those guys are going to make plays, and that helps everybody."
CB Jimmy Smith
(on the Ravens' first-half pass defense) "I think the defense did pretty good. They gave up a couple of plays, but I think [they were] minor mistakes [and] communication problems; nothing that can't be fixed. But overall, it was Baltimore defense; physical and looked good, I think."
(on whether it's a good thing that the mistakes are happening in preseason as opposed to regular season) "Yeah definitely, it's like practice. You go out there and you make a mistake, and you can correct them. So, when the real time comes you already know when you made that mistake, so you already fixed it."
(on whether WR Santana Moss was his man on the touchdown play) "It was miscommunication. It's on all of us, but we didn't communicate, and I took the wrong guy at first, and then once I saw two guys stuck on one, I tried to turn back and tried to make a play, but it just didn't happen. It was just bad communication."
(on whether that is something he'll study on film to correct) "It was literally just really bad communication. We knew the technique, it was only [the] communication. If we would have communicated better, that play wouldn't have happened."
CB Lardarius Webb
(on whether he's pleased with his performance) "I've got to come back and get better and improve on the things that [are required to] covering the guys one-on-one in the slot. So, I guess you all could say I had a good game, but I don't think so."
(on whether the competition at cornerback makes him better personally) "Oh, it's great. Everybody is learning for each other. And you're watching the guy in front of you, who is just balling his butt off, and that just makes you want to go out the next week and be like, 'Oh, I've got to bring my A game every day, because he's having a great camp.' So me, personally, I just want to be beside him or near him anywhere. I don't want to take him off the field if he's playing that great of ball. So, I just want to be on the field with him."
(on his interception play) "I knew [Donte'] Stallworth wasn't going to stop. I knew he wasn't going to be doing a stop route. We went against him all last year, so [it was] a double move, all the way. And then they want to make a statement with Stallworth. So, I just felt disrespected because it was the first time I was at corner, and they took me deep." (laughter)
(on whether he was going to get on Stallworth for the play) "Oh, he already got on me about it."* (laughter)*
WR Lee Evans
(on his touchdown reception) "The ball Joe [Flacco] threw was great, and I just wanted to go up and try to make a play on it. He put it in a good position, and I just tried to run and catch up with it. It was a well-executed play."
(on whether he and Flacco are gelling well) "It's still a work in progress. That's what we come to practice for every day. We try to get better at something every day, and we're still trying to get a feel for each other doing things, but it's good to be able to come out and make some plays."
(on whether he's spending more time with Joe) "We're working in practice and communicating. As we get along with this whole thing, it'll just get better and better. So, we're spending time working-routes, and still getting the feel, so we're still growing."
(on how much of the offense he knows now) "I pretty much know the offense. I pretty much know the offense, and it's just getting comfortable now. You know, as we work through this game and get ready for the regular season, things will be tuned-down a little bit and be a little bit more specific. But, that part of it is good. Now, it's just about gradually learning the offense as a whole instead of one position."
WR Tandon Doss
(on what happened with the fighting incident he witnessed before today's game) "I saw somebody start fighting and I broke it up. That's all it was to me."
(on whether he was at all concerned about getting involved) "It was two dudes on one; I was just trying to help the situation out, [so] I broke it up."
(on whether he had any concerns about his own safety) "No, I just broke the fight up."
(on some people feeling like him stepping in is heroic) "I mean, I saw a guy on the ground bleeding, and I saw [another guy] on top of him hitting, so I just had to stop him."
