HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "That was exciting. That was a great football game – everything wasn't great about the game performance-wise, and there's plenty of things to look at and pick apart – things that we'll be working hard to improve on, without question. But, that's a great win against a team that was playing at a high level. I have to give Joe Burrow and their offense – No. 1 [Ja'Marr Chase], No. 5 [Tee Higgins], No. 88 [Mike Gesicki], No. 89 [Drew Sample], No. 30 [Chase Brown], No. 31 [Zack Moss], all of their guys – credit because that's a potent offense and they showed it today. [I'm] proud of our guys for getting the stops when they did [and] when we needed to, to find a way to win the game, and I'm proud of our guys to keep believing – keep fighting and ultimately winning the game. What questions do you have?"
You guys have talked all along you're going to stand by K Justin Tucker – you believe in him, and you trust he's going to make the next one. To see him kind of step up in that situation and drill that, did that kind of verify everything you said the whole time? (*Jeff Zrebiec)* "I'm just so proud of [Justin Tucker]. Just so proud of Justin. That's not an easy kick by any stretch and he drilled it. You saw later [it was] not an easy kick – there was a lot of wind up there. The protection was outstanding. I'm proud of our guys for getting us in field goal range [and] I'm proud of our defense at the end for getting that stop at the end of overtime to keep them backed up at the edge of field goal range – making the kick tougher. That was a big deal at that point."
Talking about QB Lamar Jackson – the plays he makes out there just seem to amaze everybody? (*Cliff Brown)* "I mean it speaks for itself. I never cease to be amazed but I'm always amazed. I just think so much of [Lamar Jackson], and I think so much of his work ethic; and then just the way he plays the game – it's unparalleled. He made plays [and] moved himself out of trouble – had the ball thrown away – so many unsung plays where he saved us lost-yardage situations, and he came through. [There were] so many plays where he moved around and found guys like Zay Flowers that just stepped up here that were working so hard. Our guys are in shape. It was hot; we were in no huddle, and our guys continued to take advantage of the opportunity of fatigue – knowing that both sides were fatigued, and they locked in and executed in those situations. I saw Zay make plays; I saw Rashod Bateman make plays; Mark Andrews; Isaiah [Likely] – all those guys; our running backs. You just have to hand it to the guys for the grit – the grit. I mean that was a grit win."
What does it say about the defense getting kind of lit up all afternoon and then CB Marlon Humphrey makes that play and then the play you referenced that pushed the Bengals back for the field goal? (Brian Wacker) "It says a lot. It says everything you need to know about [the defenses'] character and their ability to get the job done. It also says that we have a lot of work to do, and we have to continue to improve. I'll also say it is the National Football League, so we chase perfection – we expect to do a much better job against the pass than we had and what we did today. They made a lot of tight throws. I mean, all those stop throws were well covered in the first half. Then there were times where guys were a little more open than we needed them to be, and that's something we have to work on. We're not there with our pass defense yet, but they made the stops when they needed to, to get the win. I'm proud of them about that because that again goes back to that grit part."
How big were those ... You scored quickly in the second half after the Bengals went up. Those two drives to be able to get up quickly and kind of answer? (Garrett Downing) "It did turn out to be big because they had the long drives. They burned up about seven-and-a-half, eight minutes on the first drive, and then they burned up six or so minutes on the second drive; then their third one they hit the pass – they kind of split us in there in the fire zone [and] made a great play with [Ja'Marr] Chase – a great player making a great play – that was a quick one. We went down and scored in a couple minutes on each drive. It was just a shootout – it was just a flat-out shootout in the second half."
People have used the word "closer" for RB Derrick Henry. You guys were in the two-minute drill a lot of the second half, so he didn't ... To get the ball in that spot? (Jeff Zrebiec) "No doubt. [Derrick Henry] came out, and they were determined to stop the run in the first half, and they loaded up the box, and we made some plays against it. We still tried to run against it, but they had a bunch of guys up there, and we still did OK. Then we went to no huddle, and that broke things open just a little bit, like you said. For [Henry] to still be there and to finish it the way that he did is a statement – I think it's probably an apt term."
What did you see from QB Lamar Jackson? When you're down 10 entering the fourth quarter, and you see Lamar – what was his demeanor? Did you sense anything from him? (Jamison Hensley) "Lamar [Jackson]'s demeanor was strictly, 'Let's get back out there and win the game,' [and] 'Let's get back out there and go score a touchdown.' That's all [Lamar Jackson] think s about. He is like this." (focused motion) "Even when he comes off after making a great play – he's like this – he's looking straight ahead back to his spot on the bench [to] look at the plays, [and he] knows he has to go back [and] he has to go score again. He is amazing. I would say that about all of our guys, and he's definitely the leader –wouldn't you say Zay [Flowers]? All of our guys have that mindset, but this guy is a one-of-a-kind competitor."
Did you get close enough to QB Lamar Jackson after that overtime fumble to know that he was still optimistic? I mean it was looking pretty grim right there. (Jonas Shaffer) "I don't know. You go into a dark place for a minute – there's no doubt about it. But our defense stepping up and getting the stop – it wasn't over; it wasn't over. We weren't walking off the field yet. Our guys just kept fighting; got the stop – I'm proud of them for that. Sometimes teams will pop runs right there – and we did; we popped a run – and we stopped them from doing that. It was probably the difference in the game."
Were you expecting the Bengals to run three straight times? Were you expecting them to commit to kicking that field goal? (Jonas Shaffer) "We didn't know, but I thought what they did was smart. I can understand what they were trying to do there."
It was a little confusing late in the second quarter – from you guys using a timeout on third-and-10. Going into the locker room in a half you guys pretty much dominated... (Jeff Zrebiec) "You can play it two ways. I'll say I was kind of aggressive. I was kind of believing in ... I wanted to go for it. I thought it was going to be a high-scoring game; I [was feeling] like, 'Our offense can get this.' I didn't necessarily expect it to be third-and-10, in all honesty. At that point in time, I just felt like l, 'Let's go for it here and see if we can get it done.' Was it a little over-aggressive? You could probably already argue that – looking back I probably would argue it. I felt like we needed it, and I thought we'd have a chance to get it."
You said you never stopped believing, but when they're driving before CB Marlon Humphrey's turnover, what were you thinking before that turnover? (Jamison Hensley) "I don't remember. I remember it was kind of dark." (laughter) "I remembered I looked at my sheet, and I looked at my sheet right here – I looked down there and I saw the most important line on my whole sheet – it says, 'The victory belongs to the Lord.' So, there you go."
TE MARK ANDREWS
On how big of a win this was for the team: "It was an incredible win. Really just the word that comes to mind is 'belief.' We felt that the whole time. Things didn't go always our way, but I think the guys fought hard through four quarters, through overtime, and it was really good to see. There were a lot of players making plays and kind of showing what we can be and what we're starting to be, and it was really cool."
On how he would describe the rollercoaster of the game: "[There was] a lot going on – a lot of back and forth. [The Bengals] played a really good game; they're a good team. But for us, [we're] just resilient, believing and things went our way, and when you have belief like that, they're going to."
On QB Lamar Jackson's performance: "It's a big game. It's a big game for us. Being 2-2 and now 3-2, it's obviously better than the alternative. Lamar [Jackson] fought his butt off, and everybody in this locker room did. It's the O-line; it's Tylan [Wallace] making big plays when they matter. it's all the guys; the tight ends – we had three in the room – that was incredible. It's really just everybody doing their job [and] executing. that's what it's all about."
On what allowed the Ravens passing game to flourish: "They packed the box, so we were able to kind of spread it out. We went big, and Charlie [Kolar] had that big one. [It's] just different things, guys making plays, stepping up and catching the ball. There are so many different instances of guys getting the rock in their hand and making somebody miss, getting the yards [and] getting the first down. That's awesome to see."
On QB Lamar Jackson's stiff arm before throwing a touchdown: "It's incredible. It really was incredible. I went to [Lamar Jackson], and I said, 'I've never seen anybody throw anything like that in my entire life.' Thats just the type of player he is. The play's never dead. He's so special, and that was a really cool one."
On a moment that stuck out to him in the game: "I think just the whole thing. I can see it pretty clearly – all the plays that happened. It's not just one play; it's offense [and] defense. It's special teams. Everybody had their hand in this one, and that's what is so gratifying about it."
On if there was significance to playing the same team he got injured against last season: "I don't think so. I think for me, it's just coming out here and trying to do my job. That's what I have been doing since I've been in the league, and this game is no different. I'm very happy that we got this win against a really good team that fought really hard."
WR ZAY FLOWERS
On how he'd describe the performance of QB Lamar Jackson: "That boy [is] different, man. We talk about it every game. He just proves it every game, so I'm just wondering when we're going to stop talking about it. That man is different. He [does] everything."
On what the mindset was for the offense: "Just score. We knew we could move the ball whenever we wanted to or however we wanted to. Whether it was running or passing, we knew we could move the ball, so we just knew we had had to keep scoring. Every time they go score, we had to score."
On what it was like being part of a shootout game in the second half: "It was kind of tiring. You don't want it to be a shootout, but if it comes down to it, then that's what it is, and we have the players to do it."
On if the team answered the question about winning games in other ways: "It's timing. The run game was working [in the previous games], so what – are you going to stop running the ball if it's working? But it was our time to get open, to catch passes and make big plays. That's what we did."
On QB Lamar Jackson's poise and the way he played today: "It's what [Lamar Jackson does]. It's what he [does]. That's how he plays. No matter what's going on in the game, he's going to be calm, and he's going to tell us, 'Let's go score. No matter what the score is, just chopping away,' and I have to give the receivers [credit] – 'Bate,' I have to give it [to] 'Ty' [Tylan Wallace], I have to give it [to] Mark [Andrews, and] I have to give it to 'Like' [Isaiah Likely]. Everybody came through and made plays when they were supposed to make plays, and [Jackson] kept us alive."
On if there is a play that he's most looking forward to going back and watching from this game: "No, not really. I'm just glad we won." (laughter)
On if that touchdown pass from QB Lamar Jackson to TE Isaiah Likely is going to be part of the highlight reel: "I don't know. That's tough. That's tough. That spin move, that was legendary right there, but 'Like' [Isaiah Likely] coming through on that play right there, that was big, and it was on Geno [Stone]. Yes."
On how much the emotions of this big win will help the team this season: "It just gives us a test. I feel like you can never go wrong with having a test and just moving forward in the season, so we know what we can do. If we get tired, we know what we can do. If we're down with 8 minutes left, we know what we can do, so I think that was a good thing that we went through, and we came out on the right end."
On the lift the team got from CB Marlon Humphrey's interception: "It just shows you, like, no matter what happens during the game, it just takes one play. It takes one play to reverse the whole game, man. I went up to [Marlon Humphrey], and I said, 'That's you,' because some people will get down in their head and just keep going down. He stayed up and made a big interception, so props to Marlon."
On if he anticipated a big play from RB Derrick Henry in overtime and what it was like to see him break off: "[I'm] not going to lie, every time [Derrick Henry] gets the ball, I'm thinking he's about to break [one], and he's going to score, because we've been in the locker room, [and] he's called himself a 'home run hitter.' He'll be like, 'I'm a home run hitter. I'm a home run hitter,' and he just keeps showing it."
On if he ever allowed himself to get in a dark place after the fumble or if the sideline still felt pretty positive: "I feel like yes, a little bit, but I knew what we could do. We just kept scoring, and we just kept scoring, so we just kept moving the ball; that's all we had to do, and I don't know how [Bengals K Evan McPherson] missed [the field goal], but thank you."
RB DERRICK HENRY
On if he's ever been in a game like today's: "Yes I have. It's not how we drew it up, but damn. I'm glad we got the win, but that's [how] division games [are]. It comes down to the wire sometimes. It [was] a four-quarter battle; we were prepared for it."
On what he saw during his game-closing 51-yard run in overtime: "[I saw] green grass; green grass and getting as close to the end zone as possible. I didn't get in [to the end zone]. I probably should have stiff-armed [the defender], but 'Tuck,' the G.O.A.T., he kicked the field goal to win the game, and we're going home with a victory. That's all that matters."
On his admiration for Lamar Jackson's second-half performance: "That was like [a] third MVP level for [Lamar Jackson]. It was a one of a kind game, especially the [play] where he was getting sacked, got out of the pocket, kept running down, almost went out of bounds and threw that ball back to 'Zay' [Isaiah Likely], that's why Lamar is. [He's] the best player in the league; [he's] the G.O.A.T for a reason."
On what Lamar Jackson was like in the huddle in the second half: "He was ready. No panic; he was ready. No wavering, [saying], 'Let's go, let's get to it.' You could see it on the field; [he had] no nerves, no panic, 'Let's get to it.' Guys were gassed, but that's the fight. That's the work we put in during the week to be ready for these moments."
On the mood swings during the game: "That's why we love football, right? Because of those moments. All those things happened, but we are leaving Cincinnati with a 'dub.' That's all that matters."
On how big these emotional comebacks are in the big picture of the season: "With this win, it's big. What transpired today, it puts us up two [wins over the Bengals] in the division, so we definitely needed this one. This was as important to us as it was for them, but [I'm] just glad we got the victory. With everything that happened, that just shows you the resiliency of this group and of this team, and we're going to keep on fighting until the end."
On Marlon Humphrey's interception, after being targeted quite a bit during the game: "Marlon [Humphrey] has been in battles before where he's gotten the best of someone, and someone got the best of him. But you just have to keep on believing in your technique and your fundamentals, and he did it on that play. He made a big play for us."
On what he will remember from this game: "Leaving here with a 'W,' getting on that plane happy and not being mad. I'm just happy for everybody. We put in a lot of work throughout the week to be able to get these victories, and [I'm] glad we were able to get three in a row."
QB LAMAR JACKSON
On where this game ranks as an exciting game in the NFL: "This is not an exciting win for me at all, not [with] how the game ended, especially with us in overtime dropping the ball, and then the fumble happened. I'm ticked off about that. I didn't want to put my defense back out there, and our offensive line was doing a great job, our receivers were doing a great job, but we got it done, so it's cool. We got the win; that's all that matters."
On being down by 10 points and the conversations with his teammates: "I just looked at how much time we had left, and I was like, 'We just have to go score.' I always believe in our defense. I have to give my hats to the Bengals though, because that's an extremely talented offense over there, on all phases, and we have a talented defense. It was just one of those rival games, a division game, and we know anything can happen in those types of games; it's not necessarily a blowout. I just told my guys, 'We just have to put points on the board. We just have to keep scoring, as well.'"
On where his touchdown pass to TE Isaiah Likely ranks in his highlight plays: "It's cool. I don't know. It's cool."
On if it felt good to see the team rally around him after the fumble in OT: "It's right on the front of my mind. That's how it's sitting with me right now, because I just don't like putting our team in that type of situation, when those guys can just go up and kick a field goal to win a game. That was just God on our side. He's always on our side, but that was just God right there. Our defense [made] a great stop when it counted. Those guys held their own, and then, Derrick Henry and the offensive line did a great job, and 'J.T.' [Justin Tucker] just finished it."
On where he was at from a mental standpoint walking off the field after the fumble: "I was furious. I didn't want that to happen. Like I said, we [were] driving the ball. I feel like we would have scored on that drive, but the time was going down, and I was just trying to hurry up and get the snap from Tyler [Linderbaum], and as I'm looking to see if it's a delay [of game], I took my eyes off for a split second, and ... yes. It was a fumble, but we got the win."
On if he's the least excited Ravens player after the win: "Probably. Like I said, I just don't like how that situation happened [in] overtime. If that probably wouldn't have happened, I would be the happiest person in a Ravens uniform right now."
On if he was aware that he stiff-armed a Bengals defensive lineman on the touchdown pass to TE Isaiah Likely: "Yes, I knew what was going on. We just had to put points on the board. That's what was going through my mind, but without [making] a costly turnover. We were driving the ball down the field, trying to make something happen, because those guys, I think, [had] one play that went 80 yards, so it's like we have to respond back fast because time is running out, and time was on our side today because we were able to make something happen."
On what he was thinking as K Justin Tucker was lining up for a 56-yard field goal: "I had all the confidence in the world. I know who [Justin Tucker] is. I wasn't worried about what happened earlier in the season, because if you pay attention to the whole unit, it was all of us – we all had mistakes [we] made in the first few games and stuff like that, so it's the NFL. Sometimes the 'G.O.A.T.' may miss, but he came back, and when we needed him, he conquered."
On what this win says about the talent on this Ravens offense: "I would just say we're a balanced offense but still have work to improve on. I don't believe we've reached our ceiling yet. There is still room for improvement throughout this whole season, and it's a long season."
TE CHARLIE KOLAR
On what the most fun or ridiculous part of the game was: "Just the end. Obviously, it was a disaster [of a] play. We were driving the ball well, give them the ball, the defense did a great job of holding them to two yards, tough field goal, and you can tell by the operation [that] they had a little bit of a mishap with the snap and the hold, and so, the ball didn't come out great. And on the first play [after their missed field goal], 'Big Dawg' [Derrick Henry] takes it like, I don't know, 100 yards. I was trying to run after him, but he kept getting faster and farther away from me, and I was thinking in my head, 'This is how the Bills felt last week.' He's so fast. It doesn't really make sense, but I was running hard."
On how it feels to be more involved in the pass catching of the offense: "It's beautiful. They get so focused on Mark [Andrews] and Isaiah [Likely], they forget about the fat white guy running up the seam. I was so open; I didn't know what to do, and Lamar [Jackson] threw it, and I got yelled at for not scoring again, so we have to fix that, but I think it was a little chain reaction because I didn't score, so Isaiah [Likely] could score. Then, Mark [Andrews] paid me a favor and got tackled on the two-[yard line], so I could score. It was a beautiful day."
On the vibe in the locker room after the win: "It's just amazing. 'Monk' [offensive coordinator Todd Monken] always says that there's nothing like a locker room after a win. We put in so much time and effort, and there are so few games in football compared to basketball and baseball, so you have to just cherish these moments and be grateful, because this is the NFL. There's a lot more season. There's no bowl-game break, so just cherish this moment, be grateful, get everyone healthy, watch the film and talk about all of the bad things we did too, and then get better for next week."
On if the emotions were more relief or ecstasy: "Ecstasy. It was incredible. We were down 10 [points], we scored and cut it, and everyone is very well aware of 'Tuck's' [Justin Tucker] struggles recently, and then he just drills a 56-yarder. That ball would've been good from 70 [yards]. You could hear the way the ball was struck. It was a good snap, good hold, and the ball was just nuked, so it's good to have him back. He's just so talented, and we all knew that he would come through, and the fact that the whole team contributed, and himself – he bounced back in a huge moment and made a big kick – is just incredible. [It's] a testament to his character."
C TYLER LINDERBAUM
On snap that led to the fumble in overtime: "On certain looks, you have to communicate, and I can do a better job of getting faster with that, but at the end of the day, I want to make sure we're in the correct protection and blocking the correct guys so we can have a good play. It's on me to understand the play clock. Overall, I think that's something that Coach [Todd Monken] preaches, is trying to gain extra time, get in the huddle, get the play in, get up to the huddle and make the calls. I'm not exactly sure what happened on the last one – I know we were running down; I know Lamar [Jackson] was clapping. It could have been a bad snap. It's certainly not something that you want to do, because that causes anxiety when the play clock is getting down, but hey, we got the win, you learn from it, and we'll get better from it."
On the emotions during the game: "The whole second half, we were like, 'D [defense], just get us one stop, baby. Get us one stop.' They got us our stop, and we have the greatest kicker [Justin Tucker] in the game to put it in and tie it up. [The fumble in overtime] can't happen. We can't be putting the ball on the ground and putting ourselves in that situation. That's on me just being better at clock management and giving it a better snap. At the end of the day, I'm happy it happened, and we're going to learn from it. We got the win. [This] is just a resilient group."
On where QB Lamar Jackson's touchdown pass to TE Isaiah Likely rank on Lamar Jackson's highlight reel: "I haven't seen the highlight, but I was tired on that play." (Laughter) "I blocked my guy, for maybe two to three seconds, and I watched the whole play, and I thought it was pretty awesome. That's the type of player [Lamar Jackson] is – [he] just has the capability to extend plays. Our offense goes through [No.] 8. He's a difference maker."
On what CB Marlon Humphrey's interception does for the team mentally after giving up touchdowns on four straight drives: "That's going to happen, but we have some dudes on that defense – guys that are fully capable of dominating. Just like us, I'm sure they have plays that they want back. But, they came through, 'Marlo' [Marlon Humphrey] came through. That's a huge interception that shifted the game, giving us chance at either to go win it or tie and send it to overtime."
On the emotions of playing in a game like that: "I don't know if I've been in a game like this. This is what you play the game for, stuff like this. It wasn't pretty, but if we want to get to where we want to be at the end of the season, you have to go through stuff like this to get better. I'm just happy that we got through it, and we won the game."
ILB ROQUAN SMITH
On QB Joe Burrow's performance: "I think you just have win your one-on-one matchups. I think that's all across the board. There are 11 players out there, and when those opportunities come, we have to win our matchup, but it's a lot easier cleaning up after a 'dub,' as opposed to losing."
On why Baltimore and Cincinnati always play each other closely: "The intensity is very high throughout the game. I think it's [the teams] not liking each other, and then just knowing what's at stake. [It's] a division game, they count as two even though it's just one game, and when you think about it from that perspective, a lot is riding on that. Your livelihood is riding on it, and when that matters to you, you're going to go out and put everything on the line for that."
On his thoughts watching Baltimore's offense operate: "It was big. It was definitely big for us, [our offense] helped us out a lot this game, [I] can't thank those guys enough for the work they put in, but we just have to continue to get better on the defensive side of the ball. And we know that the offense, anytime Lamar [Jackson] gets the ball in his hands on offense in general, we have a chance to win any and every game."
On where he thinks the team is as they head into next week: "I think we're in an OK spot right now, but we have to keep advancing as far as defensively. Like I said earlier, each and every person just has to look at themselves in the mirror and have to win your one-[of]-11 [matchup]. And that goes from the D-line, linebackers, as well as in the secondary. I feel like when we do that, and challenge ourselves, we can do that. Granted, there's some really good receivers on that side of the ball, and some of the top receivers in this league, so they're definitely going to make plays at the end of the day, but I like our DBs any given day and twice on Sundays. Those guys had a good game, but they lost, so it doesn't really matter."
On what Bengals QB Joe Burrow was doing that was effective against Baltimore's defense: "I don't think it was anything really special at the end of the day. [Joe Burrow] was just putting the [ball] up and giving his guys a chance, and they were winning their one-on-one matchups. There was definitely a call or so that maybe he got us in, but that's part of it. He gets paid a lot of money, just like their offensive coordinator [Dan Pitcher] as well as our coaches. So, they're going to make plays, this is the NFL at the end of the day. But also, at the end of the day, we have to be better at our jobs, and that goes back to each and every person doing their one-[of]-11 [matchup]. I think that starts with myself, looking [at] myself in the mirror, and making sure I'm on my stuff every single day and echoing that down to the rest of the guys on the defensive side of the ball."
K JUSTIN TUCKER
On the team's motivation: "They encouraged me, and they encouraged us. At the exact same time, when somebody else is having success, we give them their flowers every single time, but whenever somebody is going through a little something or they make a bad play, or they let up a touchdown or whatever the case may be, this team is special in that we really, truly find a way to come together and maximize our next opportunity and encourage and pick up whoever needs to be picked up."
On if he had a game ball today: "This is a ball that we kicked. I have a little collection of them in my basement. This one will get painted up and go right up there with the rest of them."
On when he felt that he was able to fix that technical issue with the kicks: "Well, the thing is, it wasn't necessarily every single kick [that] I was making a technical error. It was ... I would have 5, 10 [or] 20 good kicks in a row, and then one of them I would let just get away from me. I wouldn't be as technically sound, and it's not necessarily a discipline thing. It's not necessarily a physical thing. It just sometimes a feel thing, and while you're working through it, you hope that you're continuing to make kicks. There have been plenty of times where I haven't felt 100 percent, or the ball isn't coming off my foot exactly how I want, but we're still finding a way to make kicks [or] we're finding a way to make par. We're in a competitive division. We play in tough environments and tough conditions where par isn't necessarily going to cut it, at times, so you have to find out how to play birdie golf out there, and I say all of this being a really poor golfer. But, understanding that working through technique issues but your teammates having your back, it does make it a lot easier to manage."
