HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "Good to see everybody. I appreciate everybody being here. What questions do you have?"
There were reports of RB Justice Hill signing a contract extension. How happy are you for him and just his growth? He started as a special teams player and has really become a big part of what you do offensively. (Luke Jones) "[Justice Hill] has, and he's still a very good special teams player, I might add. But Justice Hill .... Congratulations to Justice. Congratulations to his family. Congratulations to the Ravens. Justice has become a really, really good football player. He came in here [as a] fourth-round pick [out of] Oklahoma State – lot of talent. We were excited about him [and] threw himself into special teams, like you said. He is still a very good special teams player – we haven't used him there as much so far – but he's ready and willing. He practices every day at that as well. Just to see him get that kind of a reward for everything he's done [is] probably one of the greatest shining examples of, 'Come to work every day, ready to go to work every day [and] be at your best [with a] positive attitude.' You guys see him – you know how he is – upbeat, ready to go; nothing too big for him; nothing too small for him. [He] just wants to be his best and lift everybody up. To see a guy like that get rewarded is, to me, what it's about."
Would you also use RB Justice Hill as an example to maybe a younger player who got hurt in Year 1 or Year 2, as a, "Hey, this doesn't need to be the end of your story?" (Childs Walker) "Yes, absolutely. I haven't done that yet specifically, probably, but [Justice Hill] would be a great example. We've had other guys like that, but for him to tear his Achilles the way he did. Maybe he's faster than he was at this point. [It] shows you how hard he's worked. Credit to the trainers and the guys in the weight room for sure. That's a great point – he'd be that example."
What about just the fact that RB Justice Hill's a Day 3 pick, to get a third contract with the team. When you talk to other guys that come in here, a lot of Day 3 picks don't hang around in the NFL very long – this is his third contract. (Jeff Zrebiec) "It'd be interesting to see what the stats are on the Day 3 picks that get three contracts. How many players get three contracts? I don't care where you get picked. I do believe that when a player – especially if he has the right mindset [and] thinks the right way – no matter where he's picked – first-round pick or undrafted free agent, or anything in between – that's the plan – they want to get three contracts. And here's a guy that's actually done it, so he'd be a good guy to go talk to and seek advice from."
How much did the blocking that RB Justice Hill did on Chiefs DT Chris Jones add to how impressed you guys are with him? (Giana Han) "Well, it didn't hurt. It didn't hurt. It wasn't probably the [determining] thing. Probably my guess is [executive vice president & general manager] Eric [DeCosta] and [vice president of football administration] Nick [Matteo] have been working on that for quite a while. It's an example of [how Justice Hill will] do anything he's asked."
During practice, I saw you spending time with the offensive line this morning – you've done that before, but obviously, that's a point of emphasis. What prompted that, and are you still looking at maybe rotations or any changes on the O-line? (Brian Wacker) "I just felt like in that walkthrough, they needed a little speed, quickness, athleticism out there on the edge, and I felt like I'd be that guy to provide that." (laughter) "I had a nice swipe hop-out move, if you noticed. But, we're definitely a work in progress, there's no question about that. We're heading to where we're going to be. I'm very confident that we're going to be the kind of offensive line that we need to be. We've been down this road before on the offensive line, [and] we've been down this road in other positions, and we have to work at it and we have to build that, because you can't be a great offense without having a great offensive line – I've never believed it was possible. If you go back to 2008, we talked about [how] you start in the trenches on the offensive line and the defensive line. That's been true since Fielding Youst was coaching at [The University of] Michigan, [and] it's going to be true 100 years from now. That's important for us, and we are a work in progress. It's still competition, [and] it's still up in the air for certain spots – that's part of it. We're going to go into this game and play the game, and I'm really excited because I think we're going to play great. I believe our offensive line is going to play great – you have to believe that and feel that way, and I'm looking forward to it. And you probably will see some different guys in spots, so that's just part of it."
What kind of versatility does a guy like OL Patrick Mekari provide? (Brian Wacker) "Tthat'sthe thing about Pat [Mekari]. Pat can play all five spots, and he has. That's a valuable thing – that's part of why he's at right tackle the first two games. That's a valuable thing."
We all know – we've seen you practice – we know how hard you guys practice. But some of the guys have mentioned that there's been maybe a little different energy this week at practice. Have you sensed anything different in that regard? (Jamison Hensley) "Well, we always practice at a high level with a lot of energy, but there are levels to that. And this week, the guys were on it; they were on it. They set a standard for this season for sure, and I want to keep building on that standard, because, to me, it's a practice sport, and it's a race to get better. If you're willing to go out and practice hard and well, then you have a chance to win that race to get better. That was good to see. Now, the next part of that is you take that practice into the game – that's the next part of it, and that's what they'll be working to do. The best way to play well in the game is to play well in practice."
We've seen CB Nate Wiggins back at practice this week. How do you feel like he's doing, and do you feel like he's trending towards playing this week? (Cordell Woodland) "Yes, that's a great question. As you saw, [Nate Wiggins] practiced full speed – he was in everything; had the red jersey on, but he was full-go in terms of moving around and everything. I thought he looked great, so it's up to the doctors and the protocol, etc., and we'll see how that shakes out."
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. said that two high safeties should be outlawed and banned. What's your opinion on that? (Kyle Phoenix) "Well, if you remember in the [Week 1] Chiefs game, it was a two-high safety that was beat for the touchdown." (laughter) "So, I'm fine banning it at this point – get it out, get it out." (laughter) "It's not really two-high so much as it's split-safety, quarters, two-high, the variations that are umbrella-type zone coverages that keep the ball in front [and] force teams to go the long way. So, no I don't think it's going to get banned any time soon – it forces teams to be disciplined and to execute and to not make mistakes on offense and go the long [and] hard route. That's what you have to get good at doing on offense – that's something that we need to get good at doing."
Did you think about wearing the Cowboys' Micah Parsons' number for your pass rush reps in practice? (Childs Walker) (laughter) "I don't want to motivate a guy like that. I probably wouldn't do that, no. Good question."
S KYLE HAMILTON
On how he's feeling after being on the injury report with a back issue: "I'm feeling good. [I] practiced [in] full the last few days [and] don't think it will be a problem."
On if that's something that flared up on Sunday during the game: "Yes. Everybody deals with stuff throughout the season, and mine just started a little early this year, so yes. [The] guys in the training room did a good job to get me back right."
On if he's been dealing with little things over the past few months: "Yes, it's been kind of annoying a little bit, even starting in the spring with the elbow. I kind of fell behind the 8 ball a little bit. [I] had to work that much harder, come in earlier, get treatment [and] get treatment after practice, stuff like that."
On the key for the defense to put together a complete performance: "It's just [about] putting the whole 60 minutes together, and it's easy to say that. It's harder to go out and do it, actually. These guys are probably ... Anybody can get beat any week; it doesn't matter who you're playing [or] who the other team has. Everybody has talent in this league, so we have to play for 60 minutes. We know that if we went down in a game and would claw back the same way the other teams do, so if we get a lead like that, we need to as a defense – from a defensive perspective – we have the opportunity to go out there, get a three-and-out, get a four-and-out [or] whatever it may be to win the game and give our offense the ball back. We didn't do that, and I believe we have at least 15 more games to right that wrong."
On if being ranked the No. 32nd pass defense is sticking with the team this week: "Yes and no. I don't think we get caught up too much in numbers, but I think we're knocking the run out so much that teams kind of abandon it. That kind of skews the passing numbers a little bit, because maybe, I think they might have had five yards rushing in the first half and maybe 30 [yards] for the game, maybe. So, once you can't run the ball, you have to pass it or punt it, so I think we're getting a lot more passes because of that. We have to be more tied up in the back end. We've been having extra meetings as players to go out there and right the stuff that's not going right."
On if his role this year is similar to what it was last year: "No, I feel like it's the same, for the most part. I think 'Z.O.' [defensive coordinator Zach Orr] has done a great job so far and [is] putting us in positions to go make plays and stuff like that. Obviously, the past few games haven't gone the way we wanted them to. If we were 10-0, and we lost two straight, it would be a different conversation we're having right now. It's two games. Obviously, we want to win them, but I don't think it's time to pull the fire alarm yet. I think we have a chance to go silence a lot of people on Sunday. I'm hoping we can do that."
On if communication, missed tackles or missed assignments have been the biggest thing that's held the defense back: "[It's] a little bit of both of those [that] you said – missed tackles and ... I would just say we can be cleaned up a little more on a lot of stuff, actually – execution. It all ties in together. If we get them to check it down to a flat, we can come down and make a tackle or just communication-wise being on the same page. It's something that's very, very fixable, which I feel like [is why] there's no reason for panic right now."
On if changing the defensive coordinator is a reason that communication struggles are something the team has to work through at the beginning: "I don't think that's been a big thing so far, really. 'Z.O.' [defensive coordinator Zach Orr] has done a pretty good job of continuing what Mike [Macdonald] left us and creating his own culture and style with it. I think it's more so on us, the players, to get that part right – the communication part. He's given us all the answers. We just need to go out there and do it. It's up to us, the leaders on the defense and on the whole team as a whole, to go out there and execute the gameplan."
On if he feels like he's being schemed away from by offenses after his breakout performance last season: "Maybe. It's hard for me. I'm not in the [other team's] offensive meeting rooms, so I just make the plays that come to [me], and I feel like I just try to be patient with it, because you try to go make some plays, and then you're playing outside of the defense. At the end of the day, it's about the team winning, so if I don't have stats, and we have a win, then winning can fix a lot of problems. I don't really have a problem with it. [We] just have to go out there and get a win."
On Mel Kiper's suggestion to ban two-high safeties: (laughter) "I saw that the other day. I feel like a lot of DBs would be retiring early, and a lot of DB coaches would be fired. There's too much talent in this league to know what coverage we're going to be in every time. It might happen one day, honestly. People started talking about the kickoff like that; we got a new kickoff. Hopefully it doesn't happen while I'm in the league. That's my thoughts on that."
RB JUSTICE HILL
On signing a two-year extension with the Ravens: "It's a great feeling. [I] give all thanks to God. It's been a journey, but it's been an unenjoyable one, and I'm just blessed to be in this situation. It's been awesome."
On if he could see himself signing another extension after tearing his Achilles in 2021: "It definitely was hard. There were some points in there where you just didn't know, and I just wanted to keep pressing and just fight through adversity, and I knew if I just stayed diligent, then I would get rewarded. It was definitely a long journey, but we got here, and we'll be able to make some plays. I'm definitely grateful. [I'm] just extremely grateful to be here."
On how long he and his agent were working on this extension: "It was relatively quick. It definitely was a surprise, but when I got the call, and we just started going through the details quickly, it was a good deal, and we just pulled the trigger."
On how the extension surprised him: "I just come to work. I literally just come to work every single day, and whenever he called me, I was just shocked. I was playing on the last year of my deal, and I really wasn't paying much attention to it or thinking about it at all, and [it was the] same when it came to the end of my rookie contract. I really wasn't thinking about it at all, and then the opportunity just showed up. It was more of a surprise than anything, and it just truly is a blessing."
On if he entertained the thought of going into free agency at the end of the season: "I'm a [Baltimore] Raven. I've been here six years, and there's no place I would rather be. The grass isn't always greener on the other side, so when I had the opportunity to stick around here for a couple more years, I definitely wanted to make that happen."
On if he feels like his career up to this point is a good example to younger plays: "Yes, definitely. You don't always get what you want right then and there. You have to delay your gratification sometimes; everybody nowadays kind of wants instant gratification, and that's a normal feeling. You always want to have success right then and there, [but] definitely for the young guys, too, 'Just be diligent in everything you do, work hard every single day, and at the end of it you'll be rewarded.'"
On if blocking DT Chris Jones one-on-one helped earn him an extension: "I mean, I definitely got the call after that one." (Laughter) "Maybe so, it might've had something to do with it, but I just think [it was] overall play. Definitely that one, it might've had something to do with it." (Laughter)
On if his pass protection has helped him earn more snaps: "Definitely. That's my role here right now, just to go out there and do what I need to do, whether it's pass protect, catch the ball, run the ball, whatever they need me to do. I just want to be able to be relied on in the fact, no matter what the play is, when they put me out there, I can get the job done."
On how important it is to stay in Baltimore: "It's just awesome. It's a great organization, a great place to be, and I'm growing my family here, and it's just been amazing. I have nothing but great things to say about the city, the fans [and] the state at that. It's just going to be awesome to spend a few more years here."
