HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "[It's] good to see everybody here. I appreciate you being here. [It] was a good day, a good workday for the guys, all our attention is pointed toward Sunday, and between now and then, we [are] doing everything we can to be prepared and go play our best game. What questions do you have?"
We didn't see WR Rashod Bateman out there. Is there anything you can say about that? (Jamison Hensley) "I really have nothing to report on any of that stuff. We'll be working through all of those things in the next few hours and few days even, but we'll be in good shape and be ready to roll on [Saturday]."
Obvisouly, it's the second big game going against these guys. Is there anything that was a point of emphasis in the first matchup that you weren't able to check that box that you're hoping to do this time around? (Cordell Woodland) "There's a lot of things, no question about it. I mean, there's different levels of things. There are the big-picture things – offense, defense [and] special teams – that we've talked to our guys about. Then there are details in every position room, in terms of things that we want to do better, but it's never the same game, either. There's going to be different things, different plays are going to be run on both sides – different schemes, so you take them as they come, going forward. And the idea that we can play good, winning football out there, and we've been doing that, for the most part, all season and continuing to improve in those things – that's what we're trying to do – and go play football, go play some ball."
Is there a benefit to seeing these guys so close; you only played them a couple weeks ago and are playing them in a game that matters. (Grace Grill) "Yes, we've had that before. I think we played Cleveland – we had one week in between last year maybe – it kind of happens in the division sometimes. These division games are pretty well ... We know these guys, they know us, but there are always wrinkles, we just try to have our guys ready to play. It's a big game. It's an important game. We're trying to focus on playing our best football really."
On "Hard Knocks," they showed the scoring play that was apparently named after you, but they didn't say why it was named after you. (Childs Walker) "It wasn't named after me to be clear. My point in that thing was it should have been named after me." (laughter)
Why should it have been named after you? (Childs Walker) "It was my idea – being clear. We all contribute. There's a lot of contributions to the gameplan, and I don't have many on the offensive side, but that was one of them, and to see it get in the gameplan first of all, was a huge victory. I was pretty satisfied with that, and then it got called, and then it scored. That was a big moment – a big moment in my career."
You can't just mandate that's it in the gameplan? Would they just give you one a week where they just say, "Hey, we have to do that one." (Childs Walker) "They do not. They do not give me that one a week. It has to be a really good play, but that's probably a good standard. We prefer that the good ones get in the gameplan."
Another nugget from "Hard Knocks" was I think they captured you complimenting quarterbacks Tee Martin on good play. Had he called something in the second half? (Jonas Shaffer) "I'm not sure what you're talking about [in] which play specifically. I'm not sure, maybe. It kind of goes back to – I don't know what specific play you're talking about – but it's good to know. Maybe that comes through a little bit on the show is that everything is a collaboration. Of course, there are decision makers, and in this case, [offensive coordinator] Todd [Monken] is the offensive coordinator, so he calls the play finally at the end. He makes all of the final decisions in terms of those sorts of things. And yes, as a head coach, you can override, and I have input in some things. I say and make clear things I really want to see and things I want to suggest and things that stay out – you try to make those decisions, but everybody is involved. [Quarterbacks coach] Tee [Martin] to your question, he's heavily involved in the gameplan, and he does a great job with every aspect of it, and so does [running backs coach] Willie [Taggart], and so does [wide receivers coach] Greg [Lewis], and so does [tight ends coach] George [Godsey], and [run game coordinator] Travis [Switzer] of course with the run game – all of our coaches are a part of it. Coaching has always been that way. It's always been a collaboration. It's always been a staff – everybody works together. Maybe that shows in the 'Hard Knocks' show, that would be cool if it does. That'd be a real plus if that comes through."
Does there have to be an awareness among your staff, among the players, about how certain ref crews and certain officiate games? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes and no, because you can never say that this crews calls this more – I've learned that. I've learned that by going down that road. 'They call more holding. They call more pass interference. They never call defensive holding,' whatever it might be, and all of a sudden, the next thing you know, flags fly or they don't fly. And I know that the league office – Walt Anderson and Perry Fewell – they really try to communicate with their officiating crews, in terms of what they want the interpretations to be on the different calls. So, they're training those all the time, and we get those tapes. We're privy to what they're telling the guys, so we have an understanding to what they're telling the crews, so we try keep our guys updated on that. What are they looking for with holding? What are they looking for with pass interference? Why are they calling you in that one? We show a lot of other tape. Why'd they call this one in that game? And try to train the guys as much as you can. But the bottom line really, is just play the technique as best as you can the way it's coached in every circumstance, and the penalties should come down. They really should by playing good technique, and we'll be chasing that in this game for sure."
It doesn't seem like there's a lot of optimism in Pittsburgh for WR George Pickens to play. If he is missing on Saturday, what does that do for you? (Jonas Shaffer) "Well, [George Pickens] is a great player. It's no different than any of their other players or any of our guys who play or don't play. It's a factor, but it's not unusual. This is the type of thing that happens throughout the course of the season with every team. You have to find a way to play and win games without players when they can't play, and hopefully we don't have too many of those from our perspective. We've been pretty good this year with the injuries, and I appreciate that. It's been a good year that way, and hopefully it continues. But no specific player changes things too dramatically. The quarterback, obviously missing a game, that would be the most dramatic for any team, and then you kind of work your way through. A player of that caliber is a factor, but they still have other really good players that they'll be playing with, just like we will if some of our guys don't play."
I know WR Nelson Agholor is under the concussion protocol, but does he have enough time to get cleared by the game? (Jamison Hensley) "[Nelson Agholor] does. He does. It's the same question I asked this morning, and it's very good question, and there's your answer." (laughter)
TE ISAIAH LIKELY
On his mindset, knowing that anybody could have a big game in this pick-your-poison offense: "Really, just like you just said, just staying ready. Having that blessing to have that kind of explosive offense, where it could be run or pass on every given Sunday, Thursday or Monday – well, now, Saturday. [We're] really just harping on the little things when you go into the game, so when your number is called, those big plays happen, so they've got to [be] onto everybody."
On the if he thinks about the AFC North race and the stakes of this divisional matchup: "I'll say, everybody keeps in the mindset of 1-0, and then we let everybody else – media-wise or sometimes even Coach 'Harbs' [head coach John Harbaugh] – play into the fact [of] what happens when you finish the week 1-0. I feel like, thinking that far ahead, you don't live in the present, and I feel like that's where everybody's mindset on the team needs to be for Saturday – just in the present, finishing that game 1-0."
On Ravens fans filling up the stadium when the Steelers are in town: "It just shows you the type of rivalry it is. They don't like us as much as we don't like them. So, just keeping a home game a home game, I feel like, that's the biggest thing that the Flock Nation tries to preach on every given Sunday, when we have a home game – or Saturday. [I'm] getting used to it." (laughter)
On how cleaning up the penalties has been emphasized during practice: "Really, just making [limiting penalties] an emphasis. I feel like those are the hard questions and the hard answers nobody wants to hear, but I feel like, as an offense, just a growing offense – everybody is getting older, [and] the vets are leaning on it – [we] just want to see it in practice. So, just understand clean technique and clean footwork – everything – [and] minor details in practice that are going to get into Saturday, when we know we can be able to clean that stuff up."
