HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening statement:"Good to see everybody; good to be back outside again. What questions do you have?"
We didn't see QB Lamar Jackson at practice today. Do you have any updates on him? _(Jamison Hensley) _"Yes, it was a day … We had an issue from the game. He's going to play in the game [on Sunday], but I just wanted to hold him back and let him rest today for practice."
Did T Ronnie Stanley's MRI confirm your optimism on his ankle? _(Luke Jones) _"It does, it does. We'll still kind of work our way through the week. I'd put him in a day-to-day, gameday decision right now. If that progresses later in the week, I'll let you know. That's up in the air right now."
Is S Kyle Hamilton also day-to-day? _(Childs Walker) _"Kyle [Hamilton], yes. Kyle would be in the same category."
While we're doing this, how about TE Mark Andrews? (Pete Gilbert) _(laughter)_"You saw Mark [Andrews] out there. He was full go today, so he's good. The only other one I would just add since we're in the spirit of the holiday here, Marcus Williams was out at practice today, but he will not play in the game yet."
How did S Marcus Williams look to you? _(Melissa Kim) _"He looked good – it was individual – he looked good. He moved well. It's his wrist. We have to get him back moving, get him back in shape, and he has a week or two of all that before he'll be ready to go, but the main thing is the wrist will heal; we just need to make sure he's in football shape."
Jacksonville is 3-7, which is kind of deceiving because they have a really good running game and front seven on defense. What kind of challenge do they pose for you? _(Todd Karpovich) _"I'd agree with that. You talk about … I've heard it said: this is the best 3-7 team, whatever that means. All these teams are really good. This is the NFL, and this is a really good team. We talked about Carolina last week – the same exact conversation. This is a young team, they've lost a bunch of [games] by one [score], they have a bunch of physical players, a physical offensive line. Their quarterback – you know their quarterback – he's the Number One pick in the draft. They have a great back [and] wide receivers. The defensive front seven is just outstanding; they're very physical. It's going to be a very, very physical football game, much like the last game. We're going to have to play our best to go down there and win. We've had a lot of struggles down in Jacksonville. We haven't been at our best down there over the years. That's not this team, but historically, maybe I've got some scars. So, we need to get ready to play our best football game."
The Jacksonville offense has excelled with some big plays from their wide receivers and RB Travis Etienne. How do you try to put a lid on those guys? _(Cordell Woodland) _"No question about it; that's kind of our focus, those guys. He's [Travis Etienne] probably public enemy Number One; Christian Kirk's another one. You have two veteran receivers that do a great job in the Jones brothers [Zay Jones and Tim Jones]. They do a great job. Then of course, Trevor Lawrence. He has the big arm, but he can also run. The guy is huge, and he's fast, and he's a straight-line runner and he doesn't like to slide. So, we have to take care of all those guys."
Will we have to wait to see the injury report to see what injury QB Lamar Jackson is dealing with? (Jamison Hensley) _"Yes, you'll have to wait for the injury report. I'm done now. _(laughter)You were on a roll, you had your momentum and you let your momentum slip away. (laughter) That's what happened. I'm not going to walk off the podium. I've never done that, have I? (Reporter: "No.")I don't think I have; I haven't done that. (Reporter: "You haven't been happy at the podium.")Well, that's true. (laughter)
"Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's great. First of all, it's for the right reason, to be grateful, to give thanks for what we've been blessed with; that's how we look at it. Then, you don't really have any obligations. You have to clean. Guys out there: if you're not cooking, wash the dishes. It's the least you can do before you go sit on the couch and watch the game, wash the dishes. That's all you have to do; wash the dishes. Now, if you're cooking the meal? You may be washing the dishes, too. (laughter) That's alright, but other than that, you don't have to buy any gifts, you don't have to write any cards. It's the greatest holiday."
Did you ever have any traction trying to get a Pittsburgh-Baltimore matchup on Thanksgiving annually? You had talked about that. (Pete Gilbert) _"I know, I wanted it. I didn't get any traction on it. No, they just looked at me and just like they always do, 'Whatever. It's Harbaugh again, Harbaugh.' _(laughter)Wouldn't that be amazing? Baltimore-Pittsburgh Thanksgiving night. It'd be iconic. It should be in there. (Reporter: "It should be here.")Yes, it should be here, of course, of course." (laughter)
TE MARK ANDREWS
On if eclipsing 4,000 receiving yards meant anything special to him:"Honestly, no, not really. It's cool. It's a cool recognition, but I'm just worried about winning [and] this team, and it's a long road ahead. So, I'm excited about the future."
On how he feels:"I feel great."
On what he sees from Jacksonville and how he makes sure the Ravens keep their focus:"[The Jaguars are a] tough, physical team. They play very, very hard. This is going to be a good match. So, we're going to be preparing and doing everything we can this week [to] just be ready to go. Every week, it's bringing that focus, taking it one week at a time; that's what we're doing this week."
On if he believes the Ravens are starting to hit their stride:"No doubt. I think every phase has helped us win a game at some point. Special teams [and] defense are absolutely balling out, and offensively, we've had some really good games. So, I just think we need to bring it together, all play together, and the sky is the limit."
On if the defense playing at a high level allows for a little more room for error on offense:"Yes, it does. But every game is different. Marlon [Humphrey] says it best: 'You've got to bring it every week.' It doesn't matter what the media labels you as – 'You're a great defense; you're one of the best defenses ever' – they've got to go out and prove it every week. That's our mindset, so we're not taking anything for granted. We're going to go out there, work and do our jobs."
On how different practice is without QB Lamar Jackson:"It's a little different. Obviously, 'Snoop' has learned a ton from Lamar [Jackson]. He's an incredible player – I think you guys have seen that time and time again – so we get very good looks with both quarterbacks."
On the value of adding back a guy like S Marcus Williams:"Yes, he [Marcus Williams] is an All-Pro-type guy. So, any time you're going to have a guy like that, it just makes [us] that much more dynamic. So, I don't really know what's going on with that whole situation, but if he's getting back, I'm excited about that."
DE CALAIS CAMPBELL
On what it means to be going back to Jacksonville:"It's a little sentimental, I guess, but really it's just another football game. It's cool because I did spend three years there. It seems like it was a lot longer than it really was; it was just three or four years, but I had a lot of fun there. [I] had success on the football field, but at the same time my mindset is like stay in the moment; you don't really dwell on the past, and you can't really look too far forward in the future. It's kind of stay in the moment, so for me, it's just another opportunity to get a big win [and] put ourselves in position to go where we want to go."
On what it means to the defense to have S Marcus Williams back at practice:"Yes. I've been giving him a hard time, teasing him and stuff because obviously his presence is felt always. I'm like, 'Man, it's good to have you back,' giving him a hard time, and he's like, 'I've been here; I've been training; I've been working hard. I just get to put on the jersey for the first time in a while.' It looked good on him, it did."
On his increased sack total this year and what he attributes that to:"It's probably a combination of all of it. I think we definitely have put ourselves – from scheme-wise – in a position to get more sacks. I think there's a lot more rushing coverage, and that's usually like the Number One indicator for D-lineman to get sacks, but we're still blitzing to get free runners in the nickel and safeties coming free and making plays, too. So, it's a good balance. Also, I put myself back in my 300-pound range, which I was at when I was a little bit younger and had a lot of success, and movement and stuff. So, I think it's a combination of all of it."
On being two sacks shy of the 100-career sack mark and what that would mean to him to reach that:"I don't make a lot of individual goals in my life; I've always kind of said, 'I just want to help the team be better,' and [did] whatever I could do to make the team better. I never really chased sacks, never really tried to go outside my job to make any plays. I just wanted to do my job at a high level, and if that was getting sacks, if that was batting balls, or tackles for loss or whatever it may be, just do my job at a high level. That's one of the few goals I set when I was a rookie, or really before I was a rookie and I knew I wanted to play in the NFL, of, 'It would be really cool to get in that 100-sack club.' That's a rare club that only a select, special group has been able to do [and] get in. For me, it would be cool. I feel like at the end of the day, it's just playing good football and it'll come if it's meant to be. I realize I'm tied with Joey Porter, and I played with Joey Porter when he was chasing 100. I remember he had five his first year, and he got injured. Then, he came back the next year, and we thought for sure he'd get it. He's sitting at 97, and then he gets one and then he ends up getting injured and never played again. It's hard to get to that number, so I don't take any day for granted. I know that at any given time, this could be taken away from me from a football standpoint, so I just want to enjoy the ride and play some good football. If I'm able to play out there, if I'm able to be healthy, I feel like it's just a matter of time."
On if it's cool to see teammates such as TE Mark Andrews and QB Lamar Jackson hit career milestones themselves:"Yes, especially because I'm a football fan, so I like to pay attention to all that good stuff. I watch all the shows, all that good stuff too, when I get time. When we stopped the game [last Sunday] and kind of gave Mark [Andrews] a little shoutout with the 4,000 [-career receiving] yards, I think that was pretty cool. He's going to hit a lot more milestones though. He's a great player, and as long as he stays healthy, he's on his way to getting a gold jacket. He's one of the more dynamic players in this league. I love the way he practices and prepares and stuff, so it's cool, but for him, he doesn't care that much. It's just, 'Keep playing football; let's have some fun; let's win some ballgames.' So, I think it's good for the rest of us to kind of like take a moment and be like, 'You're a beast. Much respect.'"
On whom he will gather with for Thanksgiving:"I did ask around and make sure that guys had a place to go. It seemed like everyone had a place to go, so it'll just be me and my family. A lot of family came to town for it, so I have a big family, so it's kind of nice to be able to have my family come down and enjoy Thanksgiving with me. It'll be special."
On if he gets his Christmas tree before or after Thanksgiving:(laughter)"I'm a big holiday guy. I love getting in the spirit. I was really joking with 'Tuck' in there – Justin Tucker – and he was talking about how he's a Christmas guy [and] like right away, he's already got a tree up. I was like, 'Yes, we've got a tree up, as well.' So, I'm definitely a Christmas guy before Thanksgiving, but I still appreciate Thanksgiving."
On if there is a challenge for a cold-weather team playing in a warm-weather city:"When it's like in the 90s, when it's earlier in the year, when it's really bad, that's when you have an advantage [as a warm-weather team], but in November, I don't really think it's an advantage. It's going to be just fine – playing football in 78-degree weather. (laughter) I'm looking forward to it, really."
On Jaguars RB Travis Etienne:"The guy is really good. I'm a football fan, so I've kind of always followed stuff going on in the league, and I was a big James Robinson fan – I feel like he was balling – and for them to trade him, I was like, 'This guy [Travis Etienne] must be doing something good in practice.' Then you turn the tape on, and it's like, 'Wow.' The way he hits the hole, his acceleration, he has a different gear, right away, that is unique. [He has] a mean stiff arm, he's a tough tackle, has great contact balance. Our coaches compared him to Alvin Kamara, but faster, and I'm like, 'Yo.' That's a good comparison, because he really has that kind of balance where he's just a tough tackle, but then that acceleration is so unique. He has pretty good vision. He's an all-around back. He's special."
