HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "I appreciate you guys making the trip down and being here. It was a really good win. It was a tough win, a hard-fought win in the fourth quarter. [There are] a lot of things in the game to look at, a lot of things to be very proud of and a lot of things to work on. But, I'm proud of the guys. We got the victory, and we'll start getting ready for Buffalo."
How was the atmosphere in the fourth quarter, when you had that big lead, and then things started dwindling a little bit? "I thought everybody really got locked in on trying to get the job done. Everybody understood what needed to be done. We were trying to get stops, and we were focusing on that. And then when we got back out there, we were trying to end the game with the offense on the field."
What did you see from QB Lamar Jackson on that final drive? [He had] that big throw and then the run obviously? "I thought Lamar [Jackson] was just phenomenal throughout the game and then took over the last drive. I thought the big throw at the end, the big catches at the end; Zay [Flowers] made that huge catch, [and] 'Bate' [Rashod Bateman] had a big catch. We had some big runs at the end, too. We ran the ball well at the end, and to finish out that way was really important to win the game on offense at the end, and that's what they got done. You want to do that in that situation. [I] didn't really want it to get to that situation, but it did, and they came through."
A lot of the talk all week was about the offensive line. You never said definitively there would be changes, but it was brought up a couple of times. What made you stick with that group? And how pleased were you with how they performed today? "I was pleased. What made me stick with it was they were doing so well. Running the ball, pass protection – they were doing a really good job of blocking. They took care of their pass rushers, especially Micah [Parsons] – they did a great job there. So, I just felt like there was no reason to make a change there. I just felt like there was no reason to make a change there. We had the possibility of rotating some guys in, but [the starting offensive linemen] were playing too well to do that."
Did you view this as a must-win type [of] game? "We consider every game a must-win, but if you don't win a game, your season is not over. There's a lot of football to be played. [The Dallas Cowboys] are a very good football team. You saw it out there – they're very capable, they're a very tough team, [and] it's a tough environment to play in. And I'm just proud of the way our guys handled it. We're trying to get a win every week. We're trying to be 1-0. Last week doesn't matter, the next week doesn't matter, it's this week that we're focused on. Lamar [Jackson] preaches it to the guys all the time; I'm proud of those guys. But to get the running game going that we did with Derrick Henry and Justice [Hill], and the offensive line playing as well as they did – they had 274 yards rushing – and to have Lamar take over the game the way he did, to me, that's our identity. That's our personality. We just have to keep building on that and keep doing everything better. The penalties are a problem. [There were] too many penalties."
You said from week to week, it's going to look different as far as who steps up. Today TE Charlie Kolar had a big play, so did WR Nelson Agholor and G/T Daniel Faalele. Is that what you envisioned offensively for the team? "It is. You see Nelson [Agholor] made the play down the sideline and ran it all the way down to the two-yard line. You see that Charlie [Kolar] made the play on the boot right out of the gates that Lamar [Jackson] hit him on. We want to use all of our guys. We want to spread the ball around; we want to make it tough. We don't want them zeroing in on anybody. We want everybody to take part."
You mentioned the penalties. Why do you think they keep happening? "We need to eliminate the penalties. That's what we need to do. They're hurting us, [and] they're costly. Whether you think they should be called or not – I'm sure we'll look at the tape, [and] I'm sure there's some questionable ones; you guys might know more than I do. It doesn't matter. We just have to eliminate the penalties."
What do you think clicked to help set up RB Derrick Henry's breakout game? "I think we blocked really well, and I think Derrick [Henry] ran really well, and I think Lamar [Jackson] caused a problem for [the Cowboys] too, because they had to defend Lamar as well. You saw Lamar getting out and going the other way. He read all of those plays really well. Some of those plays are read, some of them aren't. So, this combination [of Lamar Jackson & Derrick Henry] that's sitting right here in this room, is a tough one to defend."
It seemed like RB Derrick Henry had some zone run plays where he could bounce and bang. Do you feel like you wanted to give him more of those kinds of runs today? "We've been running those all year so far, but we had an opportunity to run more because we were having success. We kept them off balance from a run defense standpoint for sure. Lamar [Jackson] hit some timely passes, play-action passes. Lamar kept them off balance, [and] Derrick [Henry] broke tackles. A couple of times, we had inside runs that bounced outside because of [Derrick Henry's] vision and speed. That's what we want to do."
There's going to be a lot of attention on the fourth quarter. Do you think about maybe being more aggressive at times late in the fourth quarter? "Well, we did call blitzes in the fourth quarter. Just to kind of define it, we did call blitzes in the fourth quarter. It wasn't that we were just playing coverage the whole fourth quarter. I bet we called four or five blitzes."
What about offensively? "You can look at that, but we were running the ball pretty darn good. We did throw some play-action passes, [and] we had a boot in there. You get away from something that's clicking, and it's like, 'Why are you getting away from something that's working for you, too.' Lamar [Jackson] can beat you in all kinds of different ways. He did that today in the fourth quarter. I understand what you're saying, but you can always look back and say, 'There is maybe a play call here or there you want to have back based on the outcome of the play,' but I don't feel too bad about it. We probably got a little conservative, I'll agree with that. I think it was for a reason with a big lead like that, and we were burning the clock. I didn't go for a fourth-and-1-and-a-half. I could've gone for it; I know Lamar [Jackson] wanted me to do it, but we punted it down in there, we stopped them, they punted it back to us, [and] we went down and scored a touchdown. We [chose to] kick a field goal. We could've gone for the fourth-and-3, but we wanted to go up four scores, and we missed [the field goal]. That's not going to happen too often. Sometimes you have to play that kind of game as well."
On the last touchdown, it looked like ILB Roquan Smith and CB Marlon Humphrey were talking. Was that like a coverage situation? What happened there? "I'll see the tape. I'll have a better answer for you on Monday."
Is it concerning for you that two straight weeks now you've basically forced the opposing offenses into scripts where they only have to pass? And you haven't had a lot of luck in actually stopping them in the third quarter and the fourth quarter? "We want to get those stops. We definitely want to get those stops."
G/T DANIEL FAALELE
On what forward steps he made from last week to this week: "It was me just being more confident in my pass set, just trusting my technique, trusting my length and executing the play call and taking one play at a time. I was just working on doing my best."
On what was his particular focus regarding his pass sets: "My focus as far as pass game [was on] just not over setting, staying square, trusting my technique and understanding the blocking scheme and knowing what's happening."
On what it does for him as a first-year starter having success against a guy like DE Micah Parsons: "[It gives me] a lot more confidence in myself and in my ability and knowing that I can and just keep on getting better."
On what was different in this game to have so much success with RB Derrick Henry and the run game: "I just feel like we were all just leaning on each other more and trusting each other, believing in each other and just trusting ourselves."
On what's next to come: "Just next week, [we will] focus on being 1-0, and we'll just go from there and get better in practice with what we need to work on."
On how big it is to have his first win under his belt: "It's a big relief [to get my] first win as a starter, and I'm just happy."
RB DERRICK HENRY
On if he felt he was getting into his comfort zone with the Ravens during today's game: "Yes, I think the offensive line allowed that to happen. They came out with a mindset of moving guys off the line of scrimmage [and] being physical and playing the Ravens style of football – and I think they did a great job of that today. For me to have success – I told them before the game – I said, "When [you] go, I go." We [are] all tied together, so hats off to the offensive line – Ronnie [Stanley], Andrew [Vorhees], Tyler [Linderbaum], Daniel [Faalele] and Pat [Mekari]. Those guys did a great job, so hats off to them. For them to [allow me to] do my job – even fullback Pat Ricard, the receivers [and] tight ends – I appreciate all of them – they made my job easy today for sure."
On if there were any extra positive feelings following his performance in his offseason home of Dallas: "I hold myself to a high standard. I definitely wanted to come out here and be able to have an impact to give us a chance to win by the way I played. I feel like the first two weeks I kind of got going a little slow. But like I said, we're all tied in together, and we all just want to come out here and execute and be able to win – and we did that today. Being in Dallas – this is where the offseason is [for me and] where I spend most of my time in the offseason. It felt a little good today for sure."
On if he was aware of the criticism surrounding the Ravens' offensive line: "We all see [the criticism of the offensive line] – you can't miss much of anything nowadays – it's going to be right in your face whether you want to see it or not. At the end of the day, we all [have] to sit together. We all [have] to go out there and do a job, and we all [have] to change the narrative. Would we wanted to have started off [the season] on the right foot [with] everything just going the way we wanted to, but that's not how it started. You find out who you are in tough times, and I felt like we accepted the challenge, knowing what was being said and everything that was going on; but as long as we stick together and believe in one another, we'll be right where we want to be."
On how he and RB Justice Hill complement each other: "Yes, I think it's great. Justice [Hill] is a great guy. He's very smart. I think that's the underrated thing people don't know about Justice – he's really smart [and] really intelligent. He got that [contract] extension, which is much deserved, because he's one of the hearts and souls of this team. [I'm] very happy for him. I think we complement each other well. As far as teammates, he's a great teammate, and we've got great chemistry when we're out there on the field. He's dynamic in his way, and [I] can't wait to get Keaton [Mitchell] back, [and we] still [have] Rasheen [Ali], so we've got a good group of RBs that we have in that room."
On why he decided to work with the Ravens' O-line during practice this past week: "Like you said, [there was] a lot of criticism [around the offensive line], and I was letting them know, "I believe in [you all]. We've got to do this together." It's not an individual thing – we're all tied in together. It's not going to be perfect – I'm [going] to make a mistake and be wrong when they did their job right and vice versa. It's a long season, so [there's] going to be adversity. As long as we stick together and believe in one another, then we'll be good."
On how QB Lamar Jackson helps him be effective: "We got rolling, but like Lamar [Jackson] said, we feel like we could have done more, and there's still more out there for us and still so much more in store. We've just got to stay locked in, keep working, [and] keep making each other [better] each and every day. We feel like there's still more out there. It's a great win today. [I'm] glad to be able to get this win. Definitely ready to look forward to next week and get better next week and put it together again next week."
On where he works out in Dallas: "It's kind of like near downtown on [the] south side [of] Lamar. SandersFit – if you want to get a workout in, come on over." (laughter)
RB JUSTICE HILL
On G/T Daniel Faalele's progress on the offensive line: "I mean, honestly all I know is there wasn't [anybody] in the backfield. I didn't watch the film or anything – I didn't know what each individual [player] did, but as an O-line, you've got to be together as a unit, so we [were] able to run the ball [and] pass the ball effectively. They did a great job up front."
On QB Lamar Jackson praising G/T Daniel Faalele after today's game: "You have ups and downs, but that's life, and that's the game of football. You keep moving forward. You can come out, and you have a good game, you build your confidence, and you keep moving forward, and that's what [Daniel Faalele is] going [to] do. He's a strong dude; a powerful guy; he knows exactly what he needs to do to keep doing that. [I'm] proud of the whole O-line today, and we've got to keep doing better."
On what made the Ravens' offense effective on the ground in today's game: "Just sticking with it. Just getting our feet wet. The first week you [are] going [to] have some hiccups, [and] you [are] going [to] have some things that you [have] to work through, and then we're here on Week 3 and you just [have] to continue to get better every single week, and that's all you can really ask for is continue the progression, and that's what we did today. [We] came out and [were] able to run the ball effectively, and we [are] going [to] build on that next week."
On RB Derrick Henry's performance in today's game: "It's crazy. It's like seeing a superhero in real life. It's dope to be in the backfield with [Derrick Henry and] see him do this thing and be able to come out there when he gets all those guys tired and make a little splash myself – so it's dope."
On if the backfield split was what he imagined when the team signed RB Derrick Henry: "Yes, for sure. Whatever they [were] going [to] call up, I was going [to] be ready to run. It's definitely been a great trio-duo, whatever you want to look at it. It was a great game [and a] fun game. We [are] going [to] get better for next week."
On what felt different in the fourth quarter compared to the first three quarters: "Not much [of] anything. We just [weren't] executing as well, but it's part of the game. Everything can't go your way all the time, but we won the game, and it was great."
On how important it was to get the team's first win: "You got to stack wins. In order to get to [two wins], you got to get to [one first], so that's what we did. Today we got No. 1, so now we go on to No. 2."
QB LAMAR JACKSON
On his mindset during the team's final drive: "Just, we need to get a first down. They were making good plays – the opposing team's defense – and we were getting short gains here and there, but we were getting positive yards. I believe [we got] four yards [on the] first one, one yard here, two yards here, and it was like, 'We've got to make something happen.' Coach [Todd Monken] called a good play, [and I] threw it to Zay [Flowers]; Zay made a great catch, and [Dallas] wasted their timeout. The rest is history."
On telling the guys to finish strong during halftime: "Yes, we've got to finish. I didn't like how things were going; we were getting off the field. I believe [that] we shouldn't be putting 'Tuck' [Justin Tucker] on the field around that time. We should have been punching the clock in right there. We're up, 28-6; the game is not over. We've been in those situations [for] years in the past – when we go up [to] halftime, come back, and we lose [after] we're up 35-14 and stuff like that. I believe [that] we've just got to keep doing what we're doing [from] the first half [and] just keep putting our guys on the [field] and keep the defense guessing. I believe that we're going to be in these situations."
On his game-sealing run: "Yes, it was an RPO [run-pass option]. Zay [Flowers] did what he was supposed to do; he carried out the fake well – I believe – to keep the defense on him, and I just had to make a good read. The whole offensive line did a tremendous job of giving me a lane to get that first down, and we sealed the game."
On if he knew that a first down would seal the victory after that aforementioned run: "Yes, no doubt, no doubt. [Dallas] was out of timeouts, and we just had to get that first down. We go through these situations in practice, and for it to come up in a game, we know what we were supposed to do."
On hearing the Cowboys crowd erupt when WR Zay Flowers was tackled, even though Zay didn't have the ball: "Yes, but I heard Flock Nation in the building, too, so I wasn't really worried about the Cowboys' fanbase at all. Hats off to them. They did a good job."
On how important this win is: "To be honest, every game is a big game for us, because we're trying to get somewhere. We've got to win these games to get to the playoffs, man, and win these playoff games to get to the Super Bowl. But it starts with the game that's in front of us. So, the 0-2 start, we didn't want that to happen. Obviously, it's the [National] Football League; everyone is good. We can't look at [any] opponent and think [that] we can just go in there and roll them over like this is high school or something or college, and we're playing walk-on guys. Everyone is a five-star [player] – I believe – in the NFL. We just go into games knowing [that] we've just got to give it our all, because every time a team plays us, we might see something on film, and it might be different when we're playing them. They're going to play their heart out against us, like it's the Super Bowl, so we've just got to go out there and do what we're supposed to do."
On if he was aware of the recent criticism of G/T Daniel Faalele and the offensive line's performance: "Yes, of course. I've seen it; I see a lot of things – when [people are] tweeting and stuff – but that's just social media. At the end of the day, [Daniel Faalele] is getting paid to do what he's supposed to do, and he busted his behind each and every time. It's not like he's trying to mess up. All of us make mistakes out there on that field. But, he came in clutch for us today, and I want the same people who were giving him that doubt to praise him and give him that credit for what he deserves."
On what it was like for him to watch RB Derrick Henry do his thing today: "Oh, man, I expect that from [Derrick Henry]. You've just got to get him lanes [to] just hold up and just let him do his thing. He's busting his behind in each and every practice. That's a guy who doesn't like to make mistakes, and that shows out there. When he made those runs, he felt like he could have gotten more yards or [that] he probably could have scored, and I'll be right [there] with him, because I'll be like, 'You probably could have scored right there.' But he showed off. He did what kings do – [he's] Derrick Henry."
C TYLER LINDERBAUM
On if the offense's identity will be running downhill: "By any means, [it's] whatever it takes to win a football game. Today, it was just being efficient in the run game. There will be other weeks where we have to be able to drop back and throw the ball, but you certainly want to be able to run the ball efficiently, because that opens up a lot of other things."
On what it means to have a leader like QB Lamar Jackson: "In crunch time, you want it in his hands. It was a big first-down conversion on third down to Zay [Flowers], and then obviously him getting that first down at the end to seal the game. It's certainly not the finish that we wanted. Going into the second half, we wanted to score more points, but it's a situation that we found ourselves in. We have to find ways to win those situations. I'm proud of the team continuing to fight [and] continuing to do whatever it takes to try win that football game, and we did that today."
On why the offensive line played so well today: "Just knowing what we are capable of. And it's not easy running the ball in the NFL. You have to have all five guys and the tight ends and fullbacks working together. We did a good job today, and we're just trying to sustain finishing blocks. It wasn't perfect, but it got the job done."
On how G/T Daniel Faalele has handled the criticism over the past couple of weeks: "[Daniel Faalele] is continuing to get better; that's the one thing. Every week, someone is going to have an opinion, but it's our job to come into practice and try to get better [and] work on the things that we need to work on. All five guys are working together – it's not just one guy – just continuing to get better and better. He's not even scratching the surface on what he's capable of doing, so I'm excited for him."
OLB ODAFE OWEH
On his feelings about the last quarter of the game: "It definitely has a sour taste in our mouths, just based on how good we started and what the score looked like, especially those three first quarters that we had. At the end of the day, it's getting that 'W' and getting that win, and we got it, but we definitely have some things to clean up. Same story."
On how big it was to get a win today heading into next week: "It was really big, we needed it. We weren't trying to go 0-3. We weren't going to let that happen, and now we have some good momentum going against another 'big dawg' as in against the Bills too. [We're] at home, [playing on] Sunday Night [Football], so we'll be ready."
On if the team seemed more focused this week: "We're usually pretty detailed and laser-focused, but this week in particular just because we knew what was at stake, and just what the message was, trying to clean up the little details and the self-wounds that we had. I respect the leaders of the team and 'Z.O.' [Zach Orr] emphasizing the extra meetings and then just paying attention to the extra details."
On if he received any explanation on the roughing the passer penalty called against him in the fourth quarter: "No. He was just smiling at me the whole game to be honest. Whenever I would ask [what] the call was and stuff like that, he would just smile at me and give me a little weird smirk. That's just the nature of the game, [I] just have to play through it and find a way to put [the quarterback down] a little bit more gently. We'll see how it goes if they fine me or not."
On if it's frustrating to not get stops in clear passing situations: "It sucks, but [Dallas is] a good offense, as well. It's the NFL, so there's going to be sometimes [when] where we're rushing you in and they get the ball out fast, [or] we rush you in, get the sack, or we don't win, and he's holding it; it's just going to happen sometimes. So, I think we just have to do a better job of staying consistent and getting our wins back up."
FB PATRICK RICARD
On the team being more focused in practice this week: "In our walk-throughs, we were more focused, we were less joking. We want to have fun, we want to joke around with each other, but when you're 0-2, it's like, 'guys, 'We really need to lock in.' That was the big phrase for us [this week] – was to lock in – and making sure we're detailed; hearing the whole play, the whole call and details of what we're supposed to do. The focus was just higher, and it needs to stay that for the rest of the season."
On QB Lamar Jackson's vocality this week: "[Lamar Jackson] has been very vocal this year. But he's the number one guy that wants to win the most for us, and we want to win for him. When he's getting on guys, I think it puts even more fire behind them, like, 'I really have to make sure that I'm focused on the play, I hear the play, I know what I'm doing, and I'm going to execute it.'"
On blocking for RB Derrick Henry: "It's a dream. [Derrick Henry] is such a beast. It fuels me to really make sure I hit my guy and I move him so he can get a little bit of space to hit the hole full speed, because when he has full steam ahead, it's really hard to bring him down. I've played with so many great [running] backs here, and it's been a privilege and honor, and to have someone like him ... I've admired his game over the years. To actually be with him and run the ball with him and be in the huddle [with him], it's amazing."
T RONNIE STANLEY
On why the Ravens have had trouble finishing games: "I can't dial it down to one specific thing, because I feel like we're doing a lot of good things out there. When it comes down to having a lead, keeping a lead and extending it when we really need to, we're just not doing it right now, and that's what we need to figure out."
On the criticism that the Ravens' O-line faced heading into the week: "I think my thing is for the guys aways ignore the noise [and] focus on ourselves. There's a lot of good things that those guys are doing right now. It's easy to focus on the bad things, because they're more highlighted, but it's a lot of good things those guys are doing. Just reminding those guys to keep building on that and getting better and keep that high standard, because they can do it, and they've been doing a lot of things at a high level."
On G/T Daniel Faalele's play: "Daniel [Faalele]'s a big guy. He comes every day working his ass of. Every day, he's sweating. You can see how tired he is [and] just how hard he works. I got to give a lot of credit to Daniel – coming out here, changing positions at the beginning of this year and really just taking the bull by the horns and walking through the storm. He's been doing a great job, and he's just got to continue to improve, and we're going to continue to support him."
On how important it is to have a team leader like QB Lamar Jackson: "It's very important to have a leader, especially at that position [at quarterback]. There's no one I'd rather be led by than Lamar [Jackson]. When he decides he wants to something, we're all behind him on it."
On what the conversation in the huddle was during the Ravens' final offensive drive: "The conversation was just to execute and to make sure we're communicating properly – everyone's on the same page. No stupid penalties; aware for different movements. It's just really disciplined football at that moment in the game. We really want to be on point. One miscue here can turn a big first-down play into a two-yard gain. We really need those first downs in that critical situation, so just making sure we we're all together on the same page."
On if QB Lamar Jackson was the one being vocal in the huddle on the Ravens' final offensive possession: "No, that's just the O-line – we were just talking to each other [and] reminding each other."
On QB Lamar Jackson getting everyone together to talk about finishing at halftime: "Yes, it was just pretty much everything you kind of see on the sideline. It's [Lamar Jackson] just reinforcing the fact that our fate is in our hands, especially in games like this when we really can turn the tides and make the separation [and] the gap even bigger. He wants us to want it just as much as him and I think he just wanted everyone to make sure that we knew this game wasn't over – we had a lot of time on the clock, and we needed to keep getting yards and keep getting points [and] there was no time to take it easy."
On what the Ravens' success running the ball can do for the team going forward: "I just thought we got in a good rhythm. We started off fast. We didn't have a slow start. [We] started getting some yards early on and just kept building rhythm and keeping that going, and I think that helped us."
