HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "[I] appreciate everybody being here. [We had a] good practice today. [I] appreciate the guys' effort. What questions do you have?"
When addressing the team, especially after a couple of losses, what was your message to them? (Jamison Hensley) "Well, we met yesterday [and] met again today. We're focusing on the task at hand. There's a long-term understanding of what we need to accomplish and there's a short-term focus which is right now – this week. That is always the focus, [and] it needs to be the focus in this league – it's a one-week league. We have to do everything we can to play our best football that we're capable of right now."
This is the third week in a row you're playing against a receiver who can take the top off the defenses. What kind of challenges does Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb pose for you guys, and what kind of adjustments do you have to make? (Todd Karpovich) "[CeeDee Lamb]'s one of the very best in the National Football League. He's obviously well-respected. He's a threat; they move him around; they motion him; they shift him; they put him inside [and] put him outside; run him on pretty much every different route they have. I believe he's the first in progression most of the time. We're going to have to make sure we take care of him and try to re-route him when we get a chance; try to move the coverage to him or away from him when we get a chance based on what the scheme is. And try to do the best we can to keep him under control."
What are your thoughts on the first-time nominations of former Ravens G Marshal Yanda and OLB Terrell Suggs for the Hall of Fame? (David Andrade) "Marshal Yanda and Terrell Suggs [are] Hall of Fame nominees? That's the first I've heard of it. That's the first I've heard of it. That's awesome. That's amazing. I'm really happy to hear it. This is their year, and I would say that my thoughts are that both of those guys should be first-ballot Hall of Famers – there's no question in my mind that they both deserve that honor. I'll be rooting for them."
On the offense, you talked about the other day trying to be ... Disguise things for your opponents for week-to-week and so forth. Is there any concern or anything in terms of offensive identity? I know that's a hard thing to quantify. (Brian Wacker) "It's a very good question, because when you touch on all those questions [and] point the fact out that all those things are important. You try to chase all those different things. In terms of an identity, it's a great question and a great point – you need to establish an identity for each phase and for your football team, and that's established over the course of the given season. Maybe you have established an identity over time as a type of football you like to play. Your organization [and] what you believe in your program, that's one identity. Other identities are the ones that are made with the new team that you're with this year, because every team [each year] is a new team. So that's something that every team has to fight to do, and I doubt any team would tell you that they've established their identity yet after two weeks, but that's something that we need to do. Yes, you want to have an identity; you want to be known for something. What are you good at? What do they need to stop? What are they saying that they have to defend against you for your offense? At the same time, you don't want them to line up and know what you're doing every single play. Both of those values are important. I don't think they contradict each other; I think those are things you have to find."
You look at the offense, and you guys are Top 10 in yards in rushing and passing. But when it comes to scoring on the back end, why do you think the yardage isn't translating into points? (Cordell Woodland) "Well that's something that we've been looking really hard at. That's the thing we've been talking to our team about – both in team meetings and in the offensive meetings. We lead the league in yards, but the points have to come with it, and that's what we're going to chase. We were in that situation last year at one point in time, too, if you remember early in the season. That's something that we have to translate the yards into points. To me, it comes back to consistency. You can gain yards, but then you aren't consistent enough to finish the drives – so finishing drives; finishing plays; finishing series – really on both sides of the ball and on special teams – has to be, and always is, an emphasis."
We saw T Ronnie Stanley come up a little slowly a couple of times in the game and wasn't out here at practice today. Is anything up with him or is it more of a rest day? (Bo Smolka) "We're working through that with Ronnie [Stanley]. He will be out there Sunday – I can tell you that. I don't mind telling you that right now, but the injury report will be out in just a little bit, and we had different guys not out there today, because I know those questions are coming. We had a few guys with personal issues – family issues, babies and surgeries and stuff like that with their family – a couple of guys with that. [We had a] couple of guys have some things from the game that we didn't want to practice them today. That's where we're at, and you'll see the injury report. It's not anything major."
What do you think is holding you guys back from having those explosive plays that you were so good at, in the passing game especially the last year? (Jonas Shaffer) "It's going to come back to execution. You have to execute across the board. You may have a guy open, and maybe the protection doesn't work as well for you as you need to. Maybe the protection works great, and things don't work out with the routes. That consistency across the board; kind of clicking on all cylinders is something that's really kind of important on offense. You can make broken plays for sure, and our guys have done that, and you've seen our team do that before. Chasing that consistent execution is the thing that leads to those big plays."
On defense, in the secondary, when you watch the tape what hasn't been there? (Alex Glaze) "You look at the specific plays, we've had a couple of times we didn't play the defense right, as you know, we've had two of those. One was a 10-yard gain, and the other one was a touchdown two weeks ago. The other stuff is finishing plays, being in good position relative to the receiver, getting guys on the ground – things like that. We'll keep working on that stuff. Those are all correctable things. That's the thing – we're going to chase consistency, but [when] you watch the tape, it's all stuff that we can do better, and our guys are determined to do better; and that's what I keep saying in terms of how you think about things – every day is the beginning. No day is the end until, in the case of life, God says it's the end, and in the case of the National Football League, football says it's the end. There'll be a day where we all come to an end in our career, and there'll be a day where we'll all come to an end in our life. But until then, you better be growing. Our team has a growth mindset, and I appreciate that about our guys. We'll continue to improve, continue to get better [and] continue to chase the details. We can become a better football team; we have a really good history of doing that. That's what we worked for today out here."
TE MARK ANDREWS
On QB Lamar Jackson saying that spirits were high, with nobody moping around today at practice: "If [Lamar Jackson] said it, he was spot on in his interviews. I think guys were really disciplined today, focused, on point, and that's the type of guys we have – a bunch of fighters, a bunch of resilient men that are willing to fight for this team [and] for each other. I'm excited to play this next game."
On the stakes this early in the season: "It's really ... Our mindset hasn't changed; it's trying to become the best team that we can. The beauty about having lost two games is [that] we're able to really dial in and figure out where we're losing at, what we need to work on and how to improve, and we've been able to see that. We've been harping on ourselves, looking ourselves in the mirror, and I think it's going to show going forward."
On what he sees as the biggest common dominators in the losses: "It's a good question, but there are a lot of different individual plays, individual mistakes. I think everybody has a role in it, and I think that that's the beauty of football – is that we all have a part to take in this, [and] we're all together. If we just continue to be together, continue to be on the same page, continue to work, we've got the group of men [and] the players to turn this 0-2 start and make it something legendary."
On if the offense is still trying to find its identity: "I've been hearing the 'finding your identity' a lot in the last – I guess – days or so, but if you really look back to even last year, we didn't start hitting our stride until maybe [the Week 6 game in] London or after London, and so, that just takes time. I don't think anybody at this stage in the NFL is hitting their stride. So, for us, it's just [about] getting better – and we are – finetuning, tweaking and getting better within ourselves, within our system, and we'll continue to do that and continue to be efficient, continue to be on the same page and be the best football team [and] be the best offense that we can be, and we will be."
On moving the ball but not finishing drives with points: "Football is a game of a bunch of different variables, so I mean, you can look at it ... But I just think for us, like I said before, it's being on the same page, doing the right things, not making mistakes [and] not hurting ourselves. We're all committed to help change these facts and score and keep the ball and help the defense out and do everything we can."
QB LAMAR JACKSON
On the mindset of this team: "Just get 1-0. We're starting the season off slow, but I believe the guys in the locker room, we know what we want to do when we go out there Sunday, and we know we've been busting our behinds each and every game. It's like we're coming up short, but I feel like at the end of the day, we're beating ourselves, somewhat, because its penalties killing us and the M.E.'s [mental errors] we're doing. Even me, making the missed throws, we just have to fix those little things, and I feel like we're going to win our games, like we're supposed to."
On how he'd describe where the team is at with their offensive identity: "I believe we're right there. Like I said, it's the small things we're messing up, and it's causing us to lose those [games]. It's turning into big things, because we're losing our games, but I feel like we had one of the best days we've ever had in practice this season today, and it starts in practice. I believe if we just keep going on the right track, we're going to come out victorious."
On what he's seen in the locker room and on the field that gives him belief: "We're not moping around. Like, even though we lost – like I said, we're starting the season off slow – our guys [are] not doubting each other [saying] like, 'Oh man, is this the reason we're losing?' or this or that. We have to go out there and get it. We have to make the fan base happy [and] have to make ourselves happy, but it starts in practice."
On how special it is going back to AT&T Stadium, the place he was drafted in 2018: "It's definitely special, man. [Quarterbacks] Coach Tee [Martin] asked me today, 'This is your first time playing in Dallas?' I'm like, 'Yes, [I] got drafted there in 2018,' and I believe the stadium was kind of new when we got drafted, I believe. It's definitely dope to go back and play this game and be in Dallas."
OLB ODAFE OWEH
On if he feels like the team's back is against the wall: "Kind of, but it's not how you begin, it's how you end. I'm trying to take that perspective on it and just continue to do the little things right and then correct the little things that we're not doing, and we'll be fine."
On if it's bittersweet playing well individually with 2.5 sacks but not winning the game Sunday: "Selfishly, it sucks, because it would have felt a little bit better. At the end of the day, it's about the win, and what more you could have done. I feel like there's still plays out there that could have been made and changed the game to negate some of those big plays. It feels good to have a good stat line, but there's still more left on the table."
On what his performance last Sunday does for his confidence going forward: "It's pretty good. It does a lot for my confidence moving forward and then for the team, too – they can rely on me, too. It definitely feels good. I know there's still a bunch of more games to go. [There will be] different challenges, as well, and how different teams are going to start playing [me] now that they see some things with me. I'm just ready for the next challenge."
On what he attributes his performance on Sunday too: "Just continuing to keep it on, just staying relentless in the rush and in the run [and] not worrying about what people say ... But just continuing to work hard and just trust in the process. At the end of the day, one little play or one little thing that someone doesn't do might change the play being made or not, so you can't change what you're doing based on the result. [I] thank God that the odds are in my favor, especially after last game, [and] I'm going to keep on doing what I have to do, and hopefully it ends with a win."
On what changed in the fourth quarter during Sunday's game: "I don't know, we just were messing up in terms of the little things. In terms of running the blitz right, just doing our job, little miscues. A lot of these losses are self-inflicted wounds, so I would say [there were] little things like that. [It's] nothing too hard for us to fix, but it's definitely something that we have to get right."
On the mentality of the team currently: "Obviously, we got smacked. We're trying to right our wrongs [and] get our pride back. We know we have the city of Baltimore on our backs. It's kind of tense in terms of, we do not want to go 0-3 – that's not what's going to happen. Everyone is pretty focused and understands what we have to do, even if it's not outwardly spoken."
On how satisfying it is to have made the plays he did in last week's game: "It's cool. I said it after the game, 'I know who I am.' It's a blessing that it's being actualized now. I can't say that I'm not happy, but I know that there's still another level to go, and there's still even more things that I want to do better. It's kind of selfish, but I know I have more that I can do. I'm not even satisfied."
On if him being productive on the field is what it's supposed feel like: "To be honest, not really. I felt [when] I got [the sacks], and I was like, 'Alright.' I was doing this all [the time in] practice, I know the plays, [and] the fact that I did it, it's just like, 'OK, I did it [in the game] now. Now I want to get more.' [I] just keep on getting more hungry, [wanting to make] more plays [and] start chasing that rush of making those plays. It felt good, but it didn't feel as good as I wanted [it] to. I wanted more."
On if he was impressed on how OLB Kyle Van Noy played: "[Kyle Van Noy] is a tough guy. I already knew. If you're that ugly, you've been through a few things [and] know how to go through adversity." (Laughter) "He's a dawg. He got two sacks, [and] I know his face was hurting. He powered through it, and he even kept me into it, in terms of just persevering through little things, too. I give him kudos."
On if DT Nnamdi Madubuike is better now, than when he went by Justin Madubuike: "I would say so, but I feel like we would have to wait until after the season. Justin [Madubuike] has 13 [sacks], [Pro Bowl, second-team All-Pro] and all of that stuff. Nnamdi [Madubuike] – we just have to wait until after the season – I'll say that."
On how happy he is for how OLB David Ojabo is playing: "Like I said, I feel really good about [David Ojabo], I've always felt good about what he can be and what's he done. His sack in Kansas City was just the tip of the iceberg. He had so much more moves, and he's just getting more confident within his body and within the flow in his game, and you guys are going to see even crazier [and] more big plays, because he has that big-play trait in him, and that's all he wants to make – that play, that strip-sack, that fumble, something like that. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do."
