HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "Good seeing everybody. I appreciate you being here. [We had a] good day [and] good week. [I'm] looking forward to Sunday night, and we'll be ready. What questions do you have?"
WR Zay Flowers didn't practice all week. Do you think that he'll be able to play on Sunday? (Jamison Hensley) "I think [Zay Flowers will] have a chance."
How were you able to get the field playable? (Jerry Coleman) "Well, the field is still frozen, but we were doing a ... The pace of practice today enabled us to go out on the field. The footing didn't need to be quite as good as it did in the last two practices."'
Have you thought about your sideline attire for this weekend and how many layers you might need to coach that thing up? (Jim Forner) "I have. I have. I will say this, if there's a question when it gets to be the gray area, the question will not be, 'Don't put it on,' it'll be 'Put it on.' If it's gray, I'll be putting the extra layer on, sure. It's going to be great. We're excited about every part of the game. We're excited about the environment. We're excited about the opportunity to play in a game like this against an opponent like this. We're excited about the conditions. We're excited about the temperature. We're excited about everything. But we need to be focused and locked in on the thing that really matters, which is the game, our execution and the way we play. That's what we're definitely supremely focused on."
Was WR Zay Flowers a limited participation today? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, I don't know the designation – either limited or non-participation. [Zay Flowers] wasn't through the practice."
Last week, QB Lamar Jackson said there were times early in his career where he would get a little antsy for big games and that that's something he's worked on a ton. Throughout his career, and obviously last week, he wasn't antsy at all. How have you seen him manage those kinds of emotions going into big games? How has he evolved? (Sam Cohn) "Yes, you just take every situation as kind of how it was. I haven't thought of it in terms of an evolution. I've thought of it more in terms of where we're at right now. All the different circumstances of the past go into where you are and what you become. It all adds to it, right? You are a product of a lot of things, but one of those things is your experiences. Lamar [Jackson]'s like everybody else – we all are. The great thing about Lamar is he's a growth-mindset guy, and he takes those experiences – the good [and] the not so good, whatever they are – just as learning opportunities, and he tries to make the most of them. He strives to just be better at what he does at his craft, like you said. He's done a great job of that. He's been great. He's been great all season with that. He's been great throughout the stretch run in December and in the playoffs so far. He's displayed that all week."
WR RASHOD BATEMAN
On if his performance last week raised his confidence heading into Sunday's game: "I just think that we're ready to play football. We put in the work during the week, and we proved to ourselves that we can be successful in this league, and we have to go out there and perform. We have to go out there and execute."
On why he thinks he's been so successful in the red zone this season: "I would just say Coach [offensive coordinator Todd] Monken has been calling good plays, Lamar [Jackson] has been able to find me, and I've been able to get open. I have to be consistent with that, and hopefully [I] continue to score touchdowns with this team."
On being RB Derrick Henry's teammate now after years of watching him play: "It's definitely cool and surreal playing with a lot of these guys, because when Lamar [Jackson] was in college, I think I was in high school, so I saw a lot of these guys play when I was younger. It's definitely good to have [Derrick Henry] on this side, on our team, but the way he carries himself, you see why [he is] who he is. He takes care of his body, [and he's] a very, very, very professional guy. So, I see why he's having success, and I hope he continues that."
