HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "OK, good seeing everybody here. [I] appreciate you being here. What questions do you have?"
When you have such a big win like that, what's the message to the team, and secondly, does it almost, in some ways, help to have that quicker turnaround? (Brian Wacker) "Well, our guys understood what was in front of us, and they were in here today ready to go to work. Obviously, the win was a good win, so there's a good feeling about that. We're happy about that, but there's really no time to dwell on it too much. We made the corrections from the game, which there were plenty to make, and all eyes are on Wednesday night."
You've talked about not letting the highs be too high and the lows be too low. After an emotional big win for you, how do you stop from going too high? (Kyle Phoenix) "Well, the guys ... I mean, these guys are pro football players, and they understand, [and as] coaches, we understand [that] you have to come back in, [and] you have to get ready. We had to put a practice together [and] a gameplan together in a short period of time. [It is] something that we had been preparing to do, so it was pretty much laid out, but you have to organize it, and there [are] tweaks you have to make, and we'll be doing that all week up until gametime really. And the players [are] the same, because they know that on four o'clock on Wednesday on Christmas afternoon, we're going to be lining up against a very good football team and that's kind of the sobering part of it – what's in front of you, and we have to be ready for it."
What do you see from Texans QB C.J. Stroud's evolution? How has he grown? (Pete Gilbert) "Well, [C.J. Stroud] just continues to grow. He's just a super talented guy. I remember watching him at Ohio State – he'd make all those outside-breaking routes on the dime on the sideline, and [he] just has a strong arm. He's very accurate, [has a] quick release [and] makes a lot of tight windows throws to his receivers – ironically to a Michigan guy, Nico Collins. [He has] a great back [in Joe Mixon], who is a home run hitter, but he's surrounded with some good weapons, and he gets the ball out quick. He handles pressure well, he can move, he's athletic, [he] scrambles and makes plays. All those things are things that he does."
How dangerous are the Texans' pass rushers, specifically on the edge with DEs Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter? (Jeff Zrebiec) "They have the two top guys [in Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter], of course, but then I look at the roster, and it's not just them. They have a whole bunch; they have six guys – six guys that can get to the quarterback off the edge that we're going to have to contend with."
When you went back and looked at what you guys did so well against The Texans last year when they had the ball, what impressed you about the execution from last year? (Jonas Shaffer) "Well, I really haven't looked at that game yet. I'll probably get to that game at some point in time here, but I don't really remember it right now. [I] looked at their last couple games this year. That seemed more relevant."
RB Rasheen Ali got a carry yesterday. What have you seen from him, I guess, in practice if he needs to fill in for RB Justice Hill? (Noah Trister) "Yes, great, great question about Rasheen [Ali]. He's ready. We saw him the week before in the four-minute [offense], [and he] made some good tough runs, and it was good to see that. [It was] probably good preparation for him, because he got hit [and] had to protect the football. [He] had a feel for the speed of the game, and I believe he'll be ready to go. He's pretty good in pass protection, so in practice, he knows what he's doing, but until you get out there and play in a regular game, and you're challenged with all the things that go with it, you don't really know. He'll have an opportunity to kind of show what he's all about."
OLB Kyle Van Noy set a new career high in sacks yesterday. What do you see about his game that's allowed him to have so much success at this point in his career? (Ryan Mink) "Well, I don't know about the comparison. I just know since [Kyle Van Noy]'s been here he's been a pro. He's always been able to rush the passer – since he's been here, he has. He really finds a way ... He just has a good knack for the game. He has a sense of where the quarterback's going to go. He made some mistakes also in the game yesterday that he was frustrated with, but he also made some plays. Even on the one – the turnover play where he didn't do it well, but then he hustled and [recovered] the ball. He just kind of plays like that and is opportunistic and [a] veteran guy. It's awesome to see him get all of these sacks. It's great to see."
Speaking of Texans pass rushers, T Roger Rosengarten's a guy who had another good game yesterday. What's impressed you about his development? (Brian Wacker) "Steady improvement. ... Roger [Rosengarten] – you remember the first game or two? He was learning and had a couple tough lessons there, especially in the first game. Nothing really phases him. He's a very confident guy. At the same time, he understands that he's ... I don't think he thinks he's ever going to arrive. He's the kind of guy that's just tough. He's kind of a football ... [He has] a football head. He likes football, and he likes to work at it, and he's a competitive guy, and he wants to do well. He's very tenacious, and it's paying off."
Do you think RB Keaton Mitchell is ready to go if you need him to kind of step in on Wednesday? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Oh yes. Keaton [Mitchell]'s been ready to go. It's just a matter of ... there's levels of being ready to go. He's coming off the injury, but I would say, in practice, we've seen steady progress with his explosiveness [and] his quickness and all that, and he's been looking good in practice."
I know it's less than 24 hours after the game, but do you have any feeling for any of the guys who popped up on the injury report today? That they might not be available on Wednesday? I think it was G Daniel Faalele and WR Zay Flowers? (Childs Walker) "Yes. I'm pretty optimistic about [Daniel Faalele and Zay Flowers]."
We've seen CB Marlon Humphrey have a healthy year basically, and he's taking advantage of that and making plays that have earned him All-Pro Honors before and get back to being that guy because he's been on the field when you need those plays that have not been there early on as often as you need them. When you see him do that, how important is that for this team now and going forward? (Pete Gilbert) "[It's] really important. You say it sometimes, but you need your best players playing their best, and they need to be the guys out there making a difference, and anybody can make a difference. But, Marlon [Humphrey] is guy we count on, and Marlon comes through. He's made so many plays for us, and there's a lot of guys in that category on this team, and he was the guy yesterday to come up with a pick-six – it was just a massive play for us. It was one of those plays that are difference-maker plays in seasons. I was pretty fired up when he was running up that sideline. I think everybody was."
CB Marlon Humphrey has said multiple times that he felt like he took a different approach coming into the season, and then he thought it was a big season in terms of the trajectory of his career. Did you get that sense coming into the year? (Childs Walker) "Yes, [Marlon Humphrey] and I talked about that at the end of last year about that, just from a training standpoint and kind of what he's going to do in terms of his conditioning. I think he was going to get back to some things he had done over the years in terms of getting his body ready, and it definitely paid off."
I think the last job that offensive line coach George Warhop had before Baltimore and with you was on that 2022 Texans team. When you guys were interviewing for the position on the staff, did you guys talk at all about what he had learned from that. I know he's been around the block a bunch of times, but what's your takeaway from what he had taken from that Texans job and what he brings to Baltimore building on that experience? (Jonas Shaffer) "I've known [offensive line coach] George [Warhop] since we were both 25-[years old], and he was the assistant line coach at Kansas with Mike Solari. And Mike Solari is one of the legendary offensive line coaches, and he trained 'Hop.' It's not like we were best buddies through the years, but we knew of each other, and [I] kind of followed his career, and I know how highly respected he was. So, there really was no interview. It wasn't like I needed to find anything out about him. I knew what kind of a coach he was and the circumstances as they were – he was available, and he wanted to do it, and it was God-sent. It really was a God-sent for our team, and I think George is happy, and he's doing a great job."
S KYLE HAMILTON
On the quick turnaround and the challenge it poses: "Obviously, it's a physical challenge and mental – just trying to get your mind off the game, and luckily, we won, so it's a little easier to do that – but every team that plays on Wednesday has to deal with it, so we're not complaining. It's just a part of the business."
On if the defense has turned a corner: "Yes, it's a week-to-week thing. Obviously, we've got to stack these kinds of performances. I think there are still a ton of stuff we could have done better during the game, but you see those big plays – what they can do, in terms of making a difference in the outcome – and it would have been a completely different game if we hadn't made those plays. So, shoutout to Ar'Darius [Washington], Marlon [Humphrey] and everybody that contributed and ultimately led to us getting a win."
On if there's a carryover effect from such a satisfying win that allows the team to think that it can win every game for the rest of the year: "Yes, I feel like we think that before every game, though. Even if we were 0-16, going into Week 18, I'm sure that we would be like, 'We're about to go win this game by 30 points.' So, it's something that you can't just pick and choose – your mindset of, 'Hey, I think we can win this one. Hey, this is going to be a tough game.' Every game in this league is going to be tough, but you've got to go in with a mindset that you're going to win."
On if he's aware of and thinks about potential tie-breaking playoff scenarios: "I have no clue how it works out. I mean, we're just trying to win all the games that we can, and if we get home games in the playoffs or now, we're trying to win those games, too. And at the end of the day, whatever cards we're dealt, whatever cards we end up playing ourselves into, it doesn't really matter; we're going to do what we do."
On if there's anything he can take from the Ravens' two matchups against QB C.J. Stroud last season: "I think there is a little bit [we can take away from] playing against [C.J. Stroud]. Obviously, he was a rookie last year, [and] it's going to be different going against him this year. He's seen a whole, full season. We played him [in his] first game of his career, and then in the playoffs last year. Unfortunately, they've had some injuries and stuff like that, so it's going to be a little different team. [I'm] praying for those guys that they have over there. I know they had a few receivers [go down]. Obviously, Tank [Dell] just got hurt – hate to see that in this league, no matter who [we're] playing. It's a part of the game, but it's tough to watch, and [I'm] praying for him and all those guys over there. But yes, C.J. is a great quarterback, and it's not going to be an easy task – getting him off his game and hopefully making him have a bad game. So, it's going to start with the run game, knocking out the run game, and then from then on, just getting after the quarterback."
On what he's seen from CB Marlon Humphrey this year and how significant it is to have a guy like that on the team: "I don't think [Marlon Humphrey] changed really anything. He was struggling with injuries last year. Sometimes things go your way, and sometimes they don't. Outsiders kind of have a quick life shelf with NFL [players] or just athletes in general. 'You have one bad outing, and now, you're terrible.' You come back, and he's doing what everybody is accustomed to him doing, and it's normal to us. I'm just happy to see him doing what he's doing right now, and I know that he's going to carry it on throughout the rest of the year. I think him playing nickel has really helped us a lot, and his mobility – his flexibility when we're not in nickel – to go out to wide corner, as well, helps us a ton, so huge props to him for coming back this year and doing what he needed to do."
On if these week feels different than a Sunday to Thursday week: "A little bit. It was kind of weird seeing the games being played today, but I assume they did that so we could end up playing on Christmas. It's kind of nice getting them out of the way – just boom, boom, boom – three games done, and now we have Cleveland after this week and going to the playoffs, but like I said, we're taking it ... I was going to say one week at a time, but it's really just one game at a time. We're playing like four times a week, but I don't think it's on anybody's mind. We're just going out there to play the game."
On playing on Christmas again after having a big game last Christmas: "It's a blessing. I obviously wish we could be home celebrating with family, but it's not in the job title. We're excited to go out there and play in front of the world. Netflix numbers might be a little inflated, like the Mike Tyson fight, but I'm sure it's going to be posted everywhere, all the records and stuff like that, but it's a blessing to go out and do what we love on gameday having all our families at home watching."
On what he thought seeing Notre Dame host a home College Football Playoff game: "It was awesome. Everybody wants to trash on Notre Dame. 'You hate us if you ain't us.' Everybody in here, especially Roquan [Smith], I'm sure he's going to have some stuff to say about the next game [against Georgia]. We'll see though. I think we're going to genuinely win the National Championship this year, so quote me on that if we win or lose. I don't really care. We're headed that way."
