HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "Thanks for being out here. [That was] a good hard-fought football game, a very exciting football game [and] a lot of back and forth. I'm proud of the way our guys played. The way we fought, the way we competed, the challenges that we faced just by the situation of the game and all the things going on around the game, and obviously the challenge that our opponent presents us, which is a great opponent, and then, the adversity throughout the course of the game is a challenge. I thought our guys met all those things – all those setbacks at times – and fought like crazy to overcome it. It looked like we had an opportunity there to tie the game up or try to win it with a two-point conversion. It didn't happen at the end, but [I'm] proud of the way the guys fought. We're only going to get better from here on out, and I'm looking forward to that. We're looking forward to getting back to work next week and getting ready for the Raiders."
Obviously TE Isaiah Likely was huge for you guys all night. He even battled back to get onto the field that last possession. What'd you see out of him, and what do you tell him after coming so close? (Kyle Goon) "Isaiah [Likely] played just a great football game, [the] craziest game. [He made] so many plays, especially down the stretch, play after play. I put Lamar [Jackson], obviously, in the same category. All those guys – those guys were making plays and fighting. The offensive line I thought did a heck of a job out there. [There were] a lot of question marks the pundits and the prognosticators had about the offensive line, saying that with that offensive line we couldn't do anything. To see the way they went out there and played against that defense I thought was pretty impressive, and that's a challenge, especially in this environment [with] communication. There were problems on both sides. I thought Isaiah played a great football game. I was proud of him and a lot of other guys too."
What are the emotions though at the end of a game when you feel like, "OK you've tied the game," and then you're told no? (Jamison Hensley) "We're not going to talk about emotions. You're disappointed. I don't know what it looked like on the replay, so I can't say. [I] really couldn't tell on the big screen. You guys probably had a better viewpoint of it."
What were you told about those illegal formation penalties? (Giana Han) "They put a thing out that they said they were going to call that differently. [Not] understanding how differently, we were the first offensive series of the season with that, and I think they saw probably everybody watching it. It'll be interesting to see if they call it the same way the whole season. I'll challenge them to call it the same way they called it tonight the whole season, so hopefully they'll be consistent about that."
QB Lamar Jackson has called Kansas City his kryptonite. How do you feel about his late drive and does this give you confidence moving forward if you play the*m again?* (Reporter) "I thought [Lamar Jackson's] late drive was great, and I thought he had some other good drives in there – some great conversions in there. We'll be looking forward to the Raiders. We have to get ready for the Raiders, and that'll be a big challenge for us in our home stadium – [in] our home opener – so that's what we'll be getting ready for."
How much was communication, defensively, midway through the third quarter difficult where you had to take the two timeouts? (Jeff Zrebiec) "We just had some issues with the substitutions back and forth. They were running different groups on the field and stuff like that. We did have some communication problems. That's something that we'll have to iron out for sure. We can be better with that; we will be better with that. [It] wasn't what we wanted, so we'll have to improve on that, and we will."
D*id something happen on the touchdown pass where Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy slipped behind?* (Reporter) "Obviously, we just didn't play the defense the right way; there was nobody deep back there. We had certain mistakes during the game that were a problem. Substitutions were an issue. [Xavier Worthy's touchdown] was probably the one big mistake we had. The rest of the way, I thought our defense played really well. That's a heck of an offense out there, and our guys played so hard [and] fought against the run. I thought [we] did a good job against the run [and] of covering their guys. It's not easy with all those screens and all the different things they do, and then, you have [Patrick] Mahomes who extends [plays], and I thought our D-line and our rushers did a good job of keeping him in there, especially in the second half. So many good things happened, but there's going to be a lot of things to work on for sure; there's no doubt, and that will be one of them."
WR RASHOD BATEMAN
On coming up short on the final drive: "Yes, [it was a] tough drive. We tried to put a drive together. We didn't execute, so we have to go back to the drawing board and see how we can finish strong. We came up short. They beat us."
On his long catch on the final drive: "I [ran] based on the play that was called. I did what Lamar [Jackson] told me to do. I created separation, got up the sideline and made the catch."
On his matchups with the Chiefs cornerbacks: "I definitely won a lot of matchups today; a lot of us did. We just have to find ways to execute and get the ball to the playmakers – whatever that looks like."
On what the difference came down to tonight: "They executed, and we didn't. [It] was the same thing that happened last year; we beat ourselves, but credit [goes] to them. They're a good football team, and they beat us."
On if he got a look at the final play that was nearly a catch: "I thought [Isaiah Likely] was in. I mean, I was in his face celebrating, so I thought he was in. But in the end, it got overturned. So, Chiefs Kingdom, man."
On what he felt like didn't work out tonight: "We beat ourselves. We didn't execute our gameplan that we had. We weren't successful on the plays that we needed to be successful on."
RB DERRICK HENRY
On how he felt the rest of the game after his early TD: "Good. [There are a] couple runs I'd probably want back and do different. But [I] try to do the best I can to help this team win, and we came up short. One game doesn't define the whole season; we've got plenty more to go play. [We'll] watch some film, learn from it and get better. [I'll] be self-critical of myself and continue to improve."
On TE Isaiah Likely's TD getting overturned to end the game: "I mean, I thought it was a touchdown. I thought what they called on the field was going to be a touchdown, [but] it got overturned. That's what they called, and we'll get back and get better."
On how his first TD as a Raven gave him momentum: "It was good to get in there. They did a great job blocking. [I] had a hole, [and I] just had to hit it and get in the end zone. Getting on the board and getting a touchdown felt good, but it was early in the game. We came up short today, and we're going to watch film, like I said, and get better and grow from it and come out and be better next week."
On what the team takes away from the result of the game: "We were able to put ourselves in a position to be able to have a chance to win the game, even [when] things weren't happening in the game – as far as on our side of the ball. There are a lot of things we can learn from and a lot of things we can continue to build on, so that's what you want to do as a team – learn from the mistakes and hit on the positives."
On what influence the Ravens' penalties had on the offense: "Well, I mean, any time you have self-inflicted wounds, it's going to be tough to try to overcome, especially with a team like this [that's] very good and very sound and [capitalizes] on opposing teams' mistakes. We've just got to learn from it – first game – get those miscues out [of] the way and be better the next time [we're] out there."
On QB Lamar Jackson's performance: "Lamar [Jackson] is Lamar. Just like everybody else, he's going to do him and make plays and put us in a position to win. Lamar is Lamar, still."
On what he'll be able to build on from this game: "I think collectively, as a group, we know that as long as we're resilient no matter what happens, we can still be in the game. We've got playmakers all around the field. We [can get] back in the game on a drive; we saw that with 'Zay' [Isaiah] Likely making that big play getting us back in the game just that fast. We've just got to stay locked in, have a belief in one another and let the rest take care of itself."
On what effect TE Isaiah Likely's TD had on the energy of the game: "Oh, yes, that was a big momentum swing for us. We needed that score; we needed to score quick, and [Isaiah Likely] made the big play. There are some players [like] 'Zay' [Isaiah Likely] who [are] making plays when their name is called."
On what he took away from his first game playing with QB Lamar Jackson: "I don't expect [anything] less from [Lamar Jackson]. That's what he's been doing his whole career. That's the type of player he is. We're teammates now, but I've been seeing him when I was on the other side. That's the type of player Lamar is. He's going to put it on the line every single time.
On if the Chiefs were forcing them to the perimeter: "No, not at all. [It was] just what 'Monk' [offensive coordinator Todd Monken] saw and wanted to call. It gave us the best opportunity to be able to make plays and move the ball down the field, and that's what we tried to do."
On what he takes from this game moving forward: "[There is a] lot of stuff you learn – individually and then as a team. Any time you play, whether it's a win or a loss, you look at the things that you need to get better at and the things that we did well [to] improve on, and I think just having a growth mindset ... It's the first game. We came up short; it's not the end of the world. We've still got a lot of football left to play and just [have to] stay with it [and] hold each other accountable and keep wanting to come in, get better and make each other better."
QB LAMAR JACKSON
On his perspective of the game-ending incompletion that was nearly a touchdown: "You said it; I thought it was a touchdown. I thought it was a touchdown. I still think it's a touchdown."
On his connection with TE Isaiah Likely: "[Isaiah Likely] is just open. I don't want to get it wrong, but it looked like [No.] 32 [Drue Tranquill] and [No.] 20 [Justin Reid] were turning to pursue him when they realized where the ball was going, so I threw it so [Likely] could make a play on it. I [didn't want to] throw it like a line drive to hit him in the facemask [for them] to turn around and pick the ball, so I gave him a ball so he could jump a little bit. I thought he did a great job. [It was an] acrobatic catch, and I believe it was two feet in. I stand on that."
On if the second-to-last incompletion that seemed to be intended for WR Zay Flowers was tipped: "No, actually. I saw Chris Jones was on Justice Hill. Justice Hill was blocking Chris Jones, so I was trying to help Justice out. I tried to get out of the pocket, and I saw [Rashod] Bateman flying across, so I'm thinking [that] Bateman was going to stop, and as I'm throwing the ball, I see Zay [Flowers] flying across. I'm like ... That wasn't intended for Zay Flowers. I was ticked off off about that, because if I held onto it a bit more, I would've just fired it to Zay for the touchdown."
On if he didn't see WR Zay Flowers open in the end zone until the very end: "Yes. When I threw the ball, I was like, 'Damn.' S---S– happens."
On if the offense expected the illegal formation calls, or if they were confused by how that was being called: "In practice, we didn't have that. We had refs at practice throughout camp and stuff like that. I feel like we rarely had a call like that, so for that to go down in a game like this, the first game of the season, things happen."
On if the last drive gives him encouragement or leaves him frustrated: "The whole game gives me encouragement, because I believe our guys were fighting. Unfortunately, every time we had an explosive [play], we had a penalty right after that, so it's hard to get in the groove. Our offense battled, and we battled through the third and fourth quarter. Unfortunately, these ugly games, we have to overcome them, and I feel like we did a great job with that. [The game was] just coming down in the red zone or 10-yard line to the last play."
On what the conversations were like with the offensive when they were trying to overcome illegal formations: "Let's go. We know what type of game it will be. The guys just won a Super Bowl. It's at their house. Things like that are going to happen. The crowd noise, we have to fight through it."
On what was clicking on the last drive: "Actually, we do that a lot throughout practice. Just going [through a] two-minute drill, just going fast, keep our wind and just go. We do that sometimes throughout practice, and we work on that."
On how much the 49-yard touchdown to TE Isaiah Likely fired up the team: "I'm just glad it was a touchdown, and nothing happened and that it didn't get called back or anything like that, because he made a spectacular run and a catch. He did his thing. I like the step back at the end, right before the touchdown. That was amazing."
On the resemblance between TE Isaiah Likely's juke and his viral juke in high school: "That looked crazy. I would say his was dope, because his was in the NFL. Mine was in high school."
On how tonight's performance affects how they measure up against the Chiefs: "I believe our offense has a lot of new additions, and we're just getting adjusted. I don't want to say preseason was the reason, because it wasn't; we battled. You can see it; we put points on the board. We just have to do what we have to do to win those games. [It's] simple."
On the team's optimism moving forward: "I believe everyone in our locker room hates losing, point blank period – coaches, trainers, equipment guys, cafeteria women and men, and definitely the players – because we're out there putting it on the line, blood, sweat and tears. And for us to lose to those guys, and the way we lost, even though I don't want to lose, but I can't be mad at my guys because we battled."
On what the team can focus evolving on: "Cleaning up penalties, cleaning up completions and things like that. We work on scramble drills. [We need to] complete those and catch those. We just have to do what we have to do to win those games."
On how frustrating the illegal formation penalties were: "It's very frustrating, because we're busting our behind out there. We're trying to win the game at the end of the day. It's like, every time we had a big play, there was a flag down. We can't be having that. We're going to watch film and see if we can clean those things up. I believe that we have the best fan base in the NFL, and they want to see that. They want to see that from us. The guys that we got, the new additions – Derrick Henry and the new offensive linemen – [the fans] just want to see us do what we do."
TE ISAIAH LIKELY
On whether the last play was a touchdown or not: "At this point, you just have to live with the call. You have to look on, obviously watch the film, see where we can get better to not put ourselves in the situation to leave it in the refs' hands to be able to call that and call the game. All I'll say is [we just have to] watch the film and see what we can improve on and go onto next week."
On what happened when he got hurt and how he got back on the field for the final play: "It was a high ball, just an us-or-nobody kind of pass from 'L' [Lamar Jackson]. I tried to go up and make a play. I got pushed by the DB, landed kind of hard, and then, got up, shook a little bit, and [my] adrenaline was running. It was the last play of the game. Would you want to be out [of] the game?"
On what the team can take away from that final drive: "Really just keeping going. Major in the minor details to be able to execute and be able to put that last touchdown on the board and not leave it in the refs' hands. Make the game as easy as possible the first three quarters, so when we get to those situations, we can just go in victory formation, knee and go home."
On his long touchdown and if he saw the defender in his peripheral vision: "When I caught it, I just saw [No.] 32 [Nick Bolton] really take a bad angle, so I tried to get to the sideline. Zay [Flowers] – my little twin – made a great block, and I feel like every time he makes a good block, I always have to go for six [points]. I saw [the defender] on my peripheral [vision], so I was just that close to the goal line – you're usually going to dive or something [when you're that close], so I just was seeing how good his brakes [were] and stopped."
On what he takes away from this game: "I'd say this is probably the worst game we're going to play all year, so if this is the best that they've got, good luck in the postseason."
On the message in the locker room after the game: "I'd say really just honing in on the minor details, understand that – like I said – this is going to be the worst that we're going to look on television, [with it] being Week 1 and really just build. When you leave it into the refs' hands, it's their call, so at this point, it's just [about] majoring in the minor details, do what we can to [keep the game] out of the refs' hands, so like I said, we can get in victory formation and go home with a smile."
On if there was any confusion with the illegal formation calls: "I honestly couldn't tell you. I guess they were going to harp on it this game more or this season in general, but those self-inflicting wounds are obviously going to put you behind schedule, so [we'll be] watching film, getting better in that situation [and] making sure we eliminate the penalties so we can stay on schedule and put a lot of points on the board."
On if he's seen a catch that was closer than the final play: "Not that I know of. That's on me. I just have to get both feet in. I harp on myself to catch everything and make sure everybody puts us in the best possibility, so I take responsibility. Next time, I'm going to get my feet down."
On what he thought about the catch in real time: "I looked at the ref. The ref looked at me, I look at the ref, and when he signaled touchdown, I thought it was what it was. Then, obviously we were going to win the game, and it is what it is at this point."
On if he saw where he landed: "No. I ... It was so fast. It's second nature [to] try to get my feet in – both feet in – and once the ref signaled touchdown, I just knew what it was. But at this point, it is what it is. [We're] going to next week [and] looking at next week."
On how he'd describe the effort from QB Lamar Jackson tonight: "[Lamar Jackson] showed you what type of player he is. The two-time MVP [doesn't] back down to nobody, no matter where we are, no matter whose environment [we're in or] who we're going up against. He's going to show you who he is every snap, every play, whether it's running or passing. He shows you that he's Lamar Jackson."
On how impressed he was with what QB Lamar Jackson did before the snap: "I felt like [Lamar Jackson] was being great. Obviously, we had minor details – penalties – but Lamar is Lamar. [On] first-and-15 [or] second-and-whatever, he's always going to make something happen. When you have him as your quarterback, it's easy to always look positive."
ILB ROQUAN SMITH
On if he thought the last play of the game was a touchdown: "Yes, absolutely. I thought it was a touchdown, and that's what they called on the field, and I didn't think it was enough evidence to overturn it, but I feel like that will be something the refs will have to deal with whenever that time comes. That's out of my control."
On going up against QB Patrick Mahomes: "I felt great heading into the game, but obviously there were a lot of mistakes out there, and that's not what we pride ourselves on, and that starts with me communicating each and every detail throughout to the guys and making sure that we're all on the same page. If we're all on the same page, we're a tough defense to move the ball on. But, a lot of the things that happened were self-inflicted, but hats off those guys. They made us pay for it, and hey, it's a game of inches."
On the what was behind the miscommunications: "I don't think it's the first-game things at all. I think it's just more so each and every individual holding themselves to a higher standard, and I think that starts with me leading the guys, making sure the communication is up to par and then echoing it throughout and doing that throughout the game regardless of the circumstances. There's no excuses whatsoever. Hats off to those guys. They won the game, but we'll definitely see them again."
On what the team can take away from this game: "All of the great things, and then all of the negative things, [we're] just building off of those. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror, each and every individual. There were a lot of plays, personally, out there today that I wish I could get back. I didn't feel like I played my best game, and I think when I play my best game, I feel like that echoes out throughout the defense. It starts with myself personally, and I have to be better in order for us to be better as a defense. When we do that, we'll be great. But hats off to those guys, and we're looking forward to next week. It will be a great opportunity to bounce back."
On why he's taking a lot of responsibility for the loss: "I'm the leader of the defense, and there's countless other leaders out there as well, but I look myself in the mirror, and I hold myself to the highest of high standards. At the end of the day, I get the call in from the DC [defensive coordinator Zach Orr], and I echo the call out to the guys, and I have to make sure we're all on the same page. That's what it is, and it'll be that way. It is what it is, but you just take things, and you build off of it."
On the defense making it harder on Kansas City in the second half: "It was some adjustments. Hats off to 'Z.O.' [defensive coordinator Zach Orr] for that, making adjustments at halftime, knowing where they were hitting us at and a couple of plays like, myself personally, when No. 4 [Rashee Rice] ran the option route on me. I have to be all over that, and yes, that's what it is. I thought it was a B.S. horse-collar [tackle penalty], but it is what it is."
On the QB Patrick Mahomes sideline hit: "He flopped. That's why the referees didn't call it. That was a great no-call by the ref, but whoever [No.] 88 [Peyton Hendershot] is, I don't know who he is, but he better watch himself. He did a little slick push."
On if he got pushed by someone on the Chiefs' sideline: "Yes, whoever No. 88 [Peyton Hendershot] is, I have no idea who he is, but I'll see him when I see him."
On QB Lamar Jackson's performance tonight: "It was a great effort by Lamar [Jackson]. Personally, as a defense, we should've never put him in that position, being able to come back like that. Hats off to him. There's a reason he's a two-time MVP, but as a defense, we should've never put those guys in that position. It starts with us as a defense and eliminating explosive plays, eliminating countless mistakes that we had, and then giving the offense as many opportunities to do what they do. We'll do that the rest of the way. This is the worst we'll play all season. I can promise you that."
