HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "I appreciate everybody being here. I'm happy with the win which we needed to keep pace, and now we're heading into the challenge this Saturday against Pittsburgh. [It's] a very important game for a lot of reasons, and we're going to need to be at our very best. They're an excellent football team. We're ready for the challenge. What questions do you have?"
We just saw a statement that was released about WR Diontae Johnson about mutually agreeing to not participate in team activities this week. After this week, do you foresee him practicing with the team again? (Jamison Hensley*)* "What I foresee really, to be honest with you, and all I'm really thinking about right now, is Pittsburgh and getting our team ready for Pittsburgh. So, he won't be here this week, and next week will take care of itself."
Just one quick follow up on that. Why did you guys decide to handle it that way and not simply release him? (Childs Walker) "I'm really interested in the Pittsburgh Steelers, to be honest with you. I know you guys want to hear the story. There's a lot of moving parts, [and] there are reasons for doing things that are front office-type reasons. Do I want to sit here and get into all of the different calculations that [executive vice president and general manager] Eric [DeCosta] makes? I really don't. I want to think about Pittsburgh and our team getting ready for Pittsburgh and the guys who are going to be here playing against Pittsburgh. That's my focus – 100 percent."
You talked about how big of a game this obviously going up against the Steelers, but playing them on a short week, what are the challenges for those off-the-field challenges at this time of year, and also just how big of a game this is in the grand scheme of things? (Cordell Woodland) "Well, it's a challenge for both teams – we're both playing on the same deal. We both played Sunday, and we're playing each other on Saturday, so that's just it. You adjust the schedule. It's a little shorter game-planning type of an operation than you would have, but we play each other enough where I don't think that's a problem for either team. Guys have to do a great job of taking care of themselves and getting ready for the game that it's going to be in terms of their bodies and making sure they get the gameplan right. We want to get our football right – that's what we want to do. We want to prepare to the best of our abilities, so we can go out there and play our best and be on point in that game just like we do every week really. It's really not different from any other week. So, we're ready to do that, and we're excited for it, and I can't wait for the guys to come walking in tomorrow morning."
How much does that last encounter eat at you if at all just because of the fact that it was such a winnable game? (Jerry Coleman) "I've watched that game a number of times now, actually in the last week. We got ahead with the bye week and everything, and I watched it again this morning. There's so much to learn from that game, there's so much to learn from all of the games, really, but at the same time, every game is different. Even though they seem like they're same, the scores are about the same, it seems like. I'm talking about over 17 years and even beyond that, but every game is different. You try to learn from it and try to [see] where we're at [and] where they're at [and see] what we need to do to win this game [and] play our best football. That's what we're focused on."
A lot of the players said that when playing the Giants, you didn't even address their record – that was not even brought up. Will you bring up the magnitude for this game – because this is such a big game? (Jamison Hensley) "I probably don't have to. I always talk to the guys about the big picture. We talk briefly about the big picture, then we always come back to 1-0. Where do we start? 1-0. That's our focus. Here is the big picture – the big picture is this is our opportunity to win the division, and we have to win this game to have an opportunity to win the division, and then do everything we can do to be 1-0 and put our best foot forward."
Can you put it into perspective just how big of a game it was for those rookies to step up like they did against the Giants, especially needing them down the stretch? (Grace Grill) "I think that's a great point. For those guys to get a chance to play as much as they did in the fourth quarter, and even guys who played throughout the course of the game like 'Tez' [Devontez Walker], he played here and there the whole game, he played on special teams – they all played well. That was great to see. I just appreciated seeing that. I think this rookie class is really good class. I think they have a great future, and they're already contributing."
We've seen movement over the last three, four to five weeks at inside linebacker – the spot next to ILB Roquan Smith. Do you feel like you're getting a good feel for what you want there in terms of what ILB Chris Board's doing in maybe in more of the passing situations and LB Malik Harrison playing against the run a little bit more? (Luke Jones) "I do. We're kind of finding that a little bit. You mentioned those two guys; they played really well. Malik [Harrison] played well. Chris [Board] played well, and Trenton [Simpson] played well when he went in. So, to see that, from a standpoint of Trenton, it's good for Trenton to maybe take some pressure off him a little bit. He's a young guy, and he plays all heart – all heart, and [he] cares so much. So he can kind of take a breath a little bit just in terms of his picture [and] his side of it and come back in there like he did in the game and play well. Then for Malik to get this opportunity to prove himself – he's been working hard for that opportunity, and he's done great with it. And Chris Board same thing – he's even more of a veteran guy. I know those guys appreciate that, and they're making the most of it."
With ILB Trenton Simpson, is that kind of the gameplan moving forward for now, or you'll sort of see how things go with that? (Brian Wacker) "Yes, we'll see. [It'll be] week-to-week; week-to-week."
We saw P Jordan Stout kick off. Was that just a function of the score, and you felt like why not give it a look and get some game reps on it, or is that kind of a plan going forward? (Jeff Zrebiec) "That was ... It could be the plan going forward at times. The fact that [Jordan Stout] can do it, getting him out there in the game is a big deal, you know what I mean. He hadn't really been out there in a game – a real regular season game yet. Just to kind of get the feel for doing it, and you could see how good he is at it. We've seen him in practice pretty much every day when we do kick off. [He has a] strong leg, [so] to have that option is a plus."
You mentioned the rookie class. CB Nate Wiggins had a lot of action in this game – a lot of one-on-ones with Giants WR Malik Nabers, and he held up really well. Where have you seen Nate make strides? (Ryan Mink) "When you watch corners, it's a technique game out there. It's a fundamentally sound game. It's a tough position to play. You're on the island, as they say, and you have to do everything exactly right from beginning to end. From when the ball's snapped, and the receiver makes his release, or if you're in zone, or you make him [make a] run-pass read, if you're a primary force guy, or if you're not ... All those different things – where your eyes are at, where your feet are at, where your hands are at [and] your leverage. There's a lot of detail to the position. [Nate Wiggins is] making progress across the board with that, and yet he knows he has a whole career's worth of improvement in front of him still, but he's doing a good job. He's made a lot of progress, [and] he's doing well."
With the kicking, K Justin Tucker obviously didn't have to be used in the field goal game, but on the extra points it looked like he went from a couple times on the right hash and then I believe he moved to the middle of the field as well. Was there a reason for that? (Cordell Woodland) "Yes, it was kind of a wind decision that [Justin Tucker] and [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown] made. They've done that before in the past. He's kicked it from all three spots in the past. That's what they talked about in terms of going to our right – [the] right side of our bench, I think it was. He was on the right hash [and] then going the other way, I think he was in the middle, if I'm correct about that. That's how I remember it."
QB Lamar Jackson always puts up some fantastic numbers. The one team that has kind of been his challenge has been the Steelers. I'm sure there's a lot of intricacies, but is there something generally that the Steelers do and that they have done well to kind of limit Lamar that other teams have not been able to do? (Jamison Hensley) "Well, I mean [the Steelers have] created plays. They've created plays against us. They've had sacks; they've had some timely sacks, some timely turnovers and timely stops. They've managed to do that, and that's what it is. That's what winning games is. They've done a good job of that."
It seemed like T Roger Rosengarten had another really solid game yesterday. Do you feel like over the last month, he's kind of gone from a really promising player to just a good starter? (Childs Walker) "I think Roger [Rosengarten] is doing a great job. He's definitely playing winning football at right tackle, so that's what you look for. That's another guy – kind of talking about those rookies, about the question about the rookies – he's really established himself out there and done a nice job. I like the way he looks out there."
Similarly, with OLB Tavius Robinson, we talked about him last week, but how significant is it to have him be seemingly pretty dependable throughout the course of the season and continuing to get better every week? (Brian Wacker) "Yes, it's very significant. [Tavius Robinson] has established himself as a three-down player. He's gone from a run-down player to a guy that's out there all the time. [He] had a play where he retraced on a draw and made a great play. He's kind of doing everything well right now."
I know you're focused on the Steelers game, but you're in a span of 3 games in 11 days. I think you're losing one day this week. Do you have to adjust anything with practice this week losing one day, or will it be kind of similar? (Jamison Hensley) "Yes, we will. We will. We still have to get our guys going, and we'll still be out there tomorrow. We'll go out there and practice tomorrow and try to move a little bit. I'll just kind of decide as practice goes along, and then for sure, [we'll have] the full practice the next day, and then Thursday, that will be kind of a see-where-they're-at numbers wise [depending on] how we're looking and feeling. [We have] a little bit of a plan, but also, [it'll be] a little bit of a feel."
Then, for next week, will it be the usual Wednesday when you're not doing much, just because it's such a short week? (Jamison Hensley) "Right, the four-day week ... It will be a four-day week schedule. We usually go one day fast on that week, but again, whether we do that or do less or do a little more, I don't know. It will be along those lines, yes."
We asked you about the penalties yesterday, but now that you've had your eyes on the film, is there anything that sticks out specifically from the defensive pass coverage penalties? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, they're calling them tight; that's what sticks out. We play man [coverage], and when you're covering downfield, and you have your back to the quarterback, it's important – really important – to get your eyes around and play the ball, not late. We got [our eyes] around, but we were probably – in the eyes of the referees – a little late, so we have to learn from that. Then, [we have to] be careful with ... We say to the guys all the time. One of the things we say is, 'You cover with your feet. You play the ball with your hands, and you play the ball with your eyes, as well.' So, we just have to keep working on that. It's a technique thing, and we've covered well, so eliminating those pass interference penalties ... It's a very costly penalty, especially downfield. That's really a big part of it. Like we said, if those penalties hadn't happened or just a few of them hadn't happened, they wouldn't have probably had any points. I think we played to the level of that, of them not scoring, especially because we had a couple of big stops. We had a stop on the goal line, and we had the stop on downs, and we had a turnover at the end, so you kind of want to get rewarded for that. So, if we can eliminate the penalties, that would be a little truer in the case of how we played."
What's your approach to coaching those? The two penalties that DB Brandon Stephens got, do you sit down with him and break those down in micro-detail, or is it more just sort of re-emphasizing the broader rules that you teach? (Childs Walker) "It's micro-detail. It's both. You look at the ... It's always an application. It's an application of the big picture, the understanding of how you do it, any kind of a technique, right? Then, you apply the principles of that to the situation, and sometimes it's unavoidable. There's not much you can do there. We might have had a play where one of our players was in pursuit, and another guy kind of ... He should have stayed inside out on the ball carrier. That's a principle when you're inside out – inside hip, inside half. You go full speed, drop your weight, run through the tackle, and he ended up ... The ball crossed his face back inside. It should never really happen, but when we watched the tape, I told him on the train, 'Man, when I watch the tape, I can see what happened. You got fooled a little bit by the angle of the other player.' So, sometimes there are mitigating factors. Other times it's pretty clear, but we do. We break it down. We break every play down with every player, about as detailed as you possibly can. That's where the position coaches really, really break it down. Then, for me, I'll pick my spots, and the coordinators pick their spots."
With DB Brandon Stephens, in particular, people talk about how sticky he is in coverage and that he's in good position so often, but finding the ball, for him, is an issue. Are there concerns with the penalties and the fact that teams could be targeting him deep, because they're seeing that same stuff on film? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Sure, that's what teams do. That's what teams do; they look for their opportunities."
When you look at DL Namdi Madubuike's penalty for driving a quarterback to the ground – I know, technique-wise, 10 years ago, that would have been great – how do you kind of teach these guys to hit the quarterback these days? (Cordell Woodland) "We do it with pads, so we have ... Sometimes it's [with] the dummy. We've never put ... It's hard to put a live body in there and do that. I might volunteer a couple of our coaches to do that this week." (laughter) "Matt Robinson, our [assistant defensive line and] outside [linebackers] coach, seems like a good guy. Maybe ... He's kind of built like a quarterback. He's young; he could probably take it. But yes, we try to drill it. I mean, to me, it's as much of a feel thing as anything, but it's not easy to drill. [On the play yesterday, Nnamdi Madubuike] came around there a little bit blind. [I'm] not making excuses, [but] I think the quarterback was on him pretty quick. But that's something you just have to do. You just have to hit him, and you have to come off to the side – you've got to turn off to the side – and he knows it. He knew it right away, and he was disappointed with it, as well. So, we'll drill that. We'll drill all those things. Those things will be drilled. You'll go to practice, you talk about it, you look at it on tape, you study it, you break it down in detail ... then you go out there, and you have a drill for it that applies to the specific situation, and you're always chasing that execution."
You changed your starting punt returner from WR Tylan Wallace to CB Desmond King II. What did you see over the bye week and practice week to promote King from the practice squad to that starting role? (Kyle Phoenix) "Yes, 'Des' [Desmond King II] has been a really good player in this league – both as a defensive back and as a special teams guy and as a punt returner. He's always been good back there, and he's always caught the ball well, [and] he's made yards, and he looked good in practice. He looked really fundamentally sound. He's just got a lot of experience. He's caught a lot of punts over the years, and you could see it; you could just see it in practice. Definitely, I was anxious, I was excited to see him out there in the game doing it, and I thought he looked really solid [and] sound out there, and he got the big middle return. So, he did a good job."
Do you view that punt return role as a guy keeps that position until they make a mistake? Is it more of a fluid thing, because WR Tylan Wallace was there, and then he kind of moved back? How do you go about the rotation or role of return duties? (Kyle Phoenix) "Just like every position. Yes, just like every position. It's based on circumstances, production, performance, opportunity – all those things. In the end, it's [about] what's best for the team. What is best for the team? And 'Des' [Desmond King II] will be the punt returner next week, starting, and Tylan Wallace will be right there. We're not getting down on Tylan Wallace at all. He's a young punt returner. He's only had – what – 20 returns or something like that in his whole career, but he's done a great job. He's had a couple ... [He's had] a touchdown and some big returns. So, I like the fact that we have a little depth now, too. It's a good situation for us."
Did you get out of Sunday's game pretty good health-wise? (Jonas Shaffer) "We did. We did."
CB Jalyn Armour-Davis didn't play. Was that due to anything specific? (Jeff Zrebiec) "[Jalyn Armour-Davis] had a pre-game issue – an injury issue. [It was a] soft-tissue issue. Injury-wise, it's not too serious, but, probably, it would have been risky putting him out there, as it turned out."
