BALTIMORE RAVENS
Head Coach John Harbaugh
(Opening Statement) "First of all, kudos to what Lamar [Jackson] just referred to, the toughness of the game, the physicality of it. The Bengals are playing hard. They have a lot of, really, veteran guys over there leading. They're well-coached, and they played well. Obviously, it's a six-point game at the end, so they did a good job. Balanced rushing in passing is in the notes. If you look back on it, I'm really just pleased with the win. It's hard to win a game like this. It's challenging. It's a division game. The two teams know each other. We know this rivalry. It's been tough on us for the last few years. So, to find a way to win the game, to overcome our own mistakes, speaks a lot to our guys. And with that, to be the team that we can be – our guys know this – we need to keep improving our efficiency – not giving opponents opportunities that they really haven't earned, and take advantage of the opportunities as they present themselves to us more. That's the thing that we have to continue to keep working on. That's the difference between good and great in the National Football League, and that's what we'll focus on."
(on when he realizes it's going to be a special day for QB Lamar Jackson) "I don't think you think that way. It's a good question, but you don't really look at it that way. You're really going from series to series and play to play and trying to help your guys be in the best position they can be in. Our playcallers do a great job with that. With all the substitutions and all the decisions that get made, you're really not looking at it that way. You are looking at it from the standpoint of what they're taking away and what they're not taking away, and what direction you want to go with the playcalling. That's what it is. Lamar [Jackson] was able to get out and run because of the way they were playing. They were playing kind of a spill defense. They really didn't want us to run the ball up inside with our running backs, and that opened up some other things."
(on the defensive effort today) "They played fantastic. They did another great job in sudden change again. The kickoff return set us up in a hole. [I was] very disappointed with that. We're much better than that. That will be a little bit of a wakeup call for us in that area. Our guys are not happy about it, but it's our own fault. We didn't cover the kick well. That was tough to start with, but the defense, they deserve all the credit. Even the last drive – a little bit penalty-aided. We have to come to terms with some of the way things are being called now, especially the roughing the passer. It's not just here; it's everywhere in the league. We have to understand that and be smart, especially in third-and-long. Not that it's not smart, but just understand the way it's going to be called. Do business as business is being done. That's an area we can grow, in terms of that last drive. But I'm really proud of the defense. [I am] proud of 'Wink' [defensive coordinator Don Martindale], proud of the coaches, proud of the players – really, guys like Brandon Carr and Earl Thomas III, the way that they're leading, especially in the back end. Pernell [McPhee] up front [is] doing a good job with that."
(on what went into the decision to have S Chuck Clark wear the green dot and how communication went) "It went well. The decision basically was, we've done it with a safety anyway. We've done it both ways. But Chuck [Clark] was going to be on the field, probably more than Josh [Bynes], necessarily. Josh was coming out in some personnel groups. It could have been either guy. Chuck has always done a good job at communication. That went really well, especially for his first time doing it. He's done it in practice a lot, but that was one of the best things we did."
(on if he got the sense early in the game that it would be another game that would require sustaining drives) "You did. You got the feeling as the game went on, like after the kickoff return. (laughter) That's where you thought, 'OK, this going to be a fight.' We knew it was going to be a fight anyway. We were playing the Bengals. Andy Dalton is a really good quarterback. He has some guys out there, and they do a great job with their offense. I'll tell you, No. 19 [Auden Tate], I loved him coming out of Florida State. He's proven to be everything that we thought he was going to be. He's a heck of a position receiver, so you have to deal with him. We did a great job with Tyler Boyd. Give Marlon [Humphrey] a lot of credit and the other guys. We doubled him. We robbed him. We did different things to keep him out of it. We did a good job with Tyler. He made a couple plays, I believe. Generally, we took their weapons out of it. The biggest thing we did was we stopped the run. That was the No. 1 thing we had to do, and our guys did a good job with that up front."
(on DT Jihad Ward arriving less than a week ago and if he was happy with how he played) "Yes, really happy. That is a great point. To step in there, he's a pretty smart guy, and to learn what we need to do … He has some real ability. He's a physical guy. Putting him in the right spot on the edge of the defense, moving him inside the rush on third down is going to be something that's going to help us."
(on QB Lamar Jackson being the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era with over 200 passing yards and 150 rushing yards in a regular season game and if that means anything) "It does mean something. To me, it does. Lamar [Jackson] to his credit, he's about winning the game. And really, the point is, that's what it took to win the game. We needed him to run the ball like that to win the game. That was a necessity in the game, the way they played us. And he did it, and we won the game. So, that's where he's coming from on it. Setting records and things like that, it's not really what you think about now, but some day it'll mean something to him. I'm proud of him."
(on running up the yardage differential and if there is a part of him that wants to get more points out of that performance) "It does, it does. That's kind of what I was referring to early on. It's just more efficient – not give the ball back to them. Eliminate the penalties. Finish drives off with touchdowns. All of those things are things that we have to keep chasing. And it's easier said than done. If it was easy done, than every team in the league would be doing it. And our guys know that. They know we have to do that, and they're chasing that. It happens in practice, and they're transferring it to the game. So, we'll keep working on it."
(on if the run game is more versatile this year) "Absolutely. Our run game is a high-hat level, schematically. There are a lot of things that … It's tough to defend. You have to make some choices, and you have to be on point with your reads. You probably have to dominate the interior of Oe offensive line. Our interior guys are not allowing that to happen right now. Our guys are actually winning most of those battles. There are a lot more elements to our run game right now."
(on the biggest challenge to getting DT Jihad Ward, ILB Josh Bynes and ILB L.J. Fort up to speed and having them contribute like they have) "I'll tell you, I give the credit to them. Our coaches have done a great job, obviously. And the good thing is, they're veteran players. So, they've been coached. They know how to play schemes. They know how they fit certain fronts. So, for them to translate how we get to those calls and things like that is really the main thing you have to do, and then you take advantage of that experience that they have and plug it into what they do. Our coaches have done a great job of plugging those guys in where they can fit quickly. But, give them the credit. Those are the guys that are playing. Two of the guys were on the street and have come in and played well. And another guy was put on the street. So, they're proud to be here. They want to be here, and they're playing at a high level for us. And really, [they are] just what we needed at the right time."
(on injury updates on S DeShon Elliott and CB Maurice Canady) "I don't have any updates, yet. We'll find out more. They did have some things, lower body things. We'll see tomorrow. I'll probably have more, maybe something for you tomorrow afternoon. But I may choose not to share with you." (laughter)
QB Lamar Jackson
(on if he thought this might be a game where he'd be running) "Early in the week, [offensive coordinator Greg Roman] told me I'd have to be running a lot this game. We watched film on them, and they gave us the looks, and we got out here, and it was the same result. So, I just had to take advantage of it and move the ball."
(on when he realized the running would work well) "When it kept happening. We called a play, and they gave us that look, take advantage. You know, it was just each and every play. I couldn't really pinpoint a certain time of the game."
(on if he likes running more when the team wins) "I take advantage, like I said before, and I'm trying to win at the end of the day. If I've got to run, I've got to do it, and today that's what it was. Sometimes I had to pass. Sometimes I had to run. Came up with a 'W.'"
(on how he felt about his performance running and passing) "I did pretty good. I did what it took to get the victory. Pretty cool with it."
(on how the other receivers did with WR Marquise Brown out of the game) "They did absolutely a wonderful job. They filled in. Our guy went down, another guy stepped up, and that's what it is in the league. You never know when your number's [going to] get called."
(on the long drive in the second half) "Sure was long. A long drive. It was a great drive. Our guys were dialed in, toned in. Linemen did a great job. Running backs hit the holes hard, receivers got open. It was successful."
(on his reaction to being the first QB in the Super Bowl era to throw for more than 200 yards and run for over 150 in one game) "They just told me about that. It's cool, I guess. I'm trying to win."
(on his TD run when he just got in by the pylon) "When you're that close, I'm thinking I'm going to score. I [saw safety] Jessie Bates come full speed...[WR] Miles [Boykin] blocking the guy [William Jackson III] out, and when he pushed him, the guy was like, he got off the block a little, and I just had to tuck my shoulder and get in the end zone."
(on if the next step for the offense is to finish drives better and avoid mistakes and settling for field goals) "I really don't like that, like I said earlier in the year, we're trying to score. When you're that close, we can't kill ourselves. We would have successful drives, and we'll kill ourselves with a penalty. Small stuff like that; we've got to clean it up in practice."
(on being mentioned in same breath with QB Michael Vick) "It's definitely [great] to have the guy you grew up watching all the time, doing all this spectacular stuff, to have my name mentioned with his is pretty cool."
(on how hard these past three games have been, all against the AFC North) "You know, it's tough. It's like a rival game. Everyone's trying to win. Last year we won. My goal is this year to do the same thing."
OLB Matthew Judon
(on how he feels about where the team is after two-straight wins) "It feels good to go out there and get a win. We stacked them up on division opponents. It was really good. We've just got to keep rolling. We've got some stuff that we've got to work on, execution-wise, but at the end of the day, we pulled it out. All phases got stuff to work on, but it feels good to get back-to-back wins."
(on if he ever takes time to watch QB Lamar Jackson in action) "I catch myself on the sideline stretching because, you know, they'll be holding the ball for a minute, and we've got to stay warm. He picks us up in critical times and keeps getting first downs. It's hard. It's hard, man. You can't cover everybody and keep a spy on him [at] all times. I'm just so glad – I've been saying this since we got him – I'm glad I don't [have] to face him."
(on the pass rush and what QB Andy Dalton did) "I just felt like he was getting the ball out kind of quick. They [were] trying to do their run game and that stuff. They hit us with some screens but when we needed to apply some pressure, and we knew it was a passing down, we got to him. We've just got to keep working. We've got to keep going out there and executing at a high level as a D-line and get to him with just force so we don't have to blitz."
(on how the new players have pitched in so far on defense) "I said this a week ago about [ILB] Josh Bynes but all those guys came in, [and] they learned the playbook very fast to where they can execute at a high level. Those guys helped us out. [ILB L.J.] Fort was running around, making plays. Josh Bynes keeps executing at a high level and being where he needs to be and being a true 'Mike' linebacker, and [DT Jihad] Ward, he did a good job. He relieved some of our ends on rush downs, and he played fast. I think those guys, they're only going to get better, and they're only going to get faster."
(on how the defense did with S Chuck Clark getting the green dot) "I've already said this about Chuck—he practices like that. He practices like that. He practices as a starter—since he came in, and it was no let up. When he got the mic, he rallied the troops, huddled us up, gave us the call and got to where he needed to be and made sure that the coverage was on point, and that's what he has to do when he has the mic. That's exactly what he has to do, so he did his job at a high level."
RB Mark Ingram II
(on the last two wins and doing well as a team) "Yeah, I think we have a lot to be proud of, but at the same time, I think there is a lot to improve on. There is a lot of things, a lot of areas we could improve on to get better. So, we will just continue to work on that."
(on what is going through his mind when Lamar has the kind of day he had) "He is the man. You know, if they choose to stop the QB drive like that, I tell him, 'Trust your eye, trust your read and run all day.' You know what I mean, so he is special. You know, he is only going to continue to improve. He is only going to continue to get better. And that's us. That is our offense. You know, sometimes we will have big days, sometimes he will go for 150."
(on the 9-minute drive) "Yeah, we know how important of a drive it was. We were backed up. We definitely wanted to take time off the clock and get points on the board. We just told each other, 'Just one play at a time, everybody do their job, everybody focus on their technique.' Execute their assignment, and that was the result."
(on if he is pleased with how his season is going so far) "I feel like there are a lot of areas to improve on, but it definitely has been a good start to the season. The offensive line is doing a great job, receivers down field, everybody. I cannot get in the end zone without those guys. I just keep running hard, trying to get in the end zone, trying to run the ball, catch the ball, whatever I can do to make plays to help us have success. I am excited about the start, but [there is] definitely a lot to improve on."
S Earl Thomas III
(on taking away the main weapons of the Bengals) "We talked about it last night in meetings. We understood their top target, [and] we were going to take him away. We put Marlon [Humphrey] on him, and Marlon did a great job. We did great in the run game, I think they only hit us with one screen. Other than that, I think we did really well."
(on the defensive performance despite all the new players) "It is the communication part that you always have to worry about. The game started off kind of weird with the kickoff return. I was thinking, let's not just give this game away, because I know we were better than this team. I feel like we played solid football all the way through, even through some questionable calls at the end. I still think we played good football."
(on Ravens S Chuck Clark) "Chuck did amazing today. He kept his poise; he got the call out to us, and we echoed it across the defense so that everyone could get it. I think he did a great job today."
(on Lamar Jackson's performance) "He is amazing, you can't take that for granted. It is just something special. I am definitely glad that he is on our team, and hopefully he can continue to do that. You don't see that every day, a guy that can rush for 150 and throw for over 200 yards. We need that from him; he is definitely special."
(on the Ravens' 10-minute fourth-quarter drive) "As a defense, when we get up on them like that, it definitely gives us a calming sense. We don't want to make it harder on ourselves. When the offense is constantly putting pressure on their defense, and we are playing with the lead, it feels so good."
(on if the Ravens have simplified their defense) "It is business as usual; we are not going to simplify anything. We still run our calls, we still make the communication, and today we got it done."
(on playing Seattle next) "You definitely enjoy this. In this league, it is definitely hard to win. When we get back to work on Wednesday, that is when we will start thinking about Seattle."
WR Miles Boykin
(on the win) "The biggest thing about today was getting another win in the division, that is what matters at this point. I thought we did a great job of moving the ball and executing."
(on his first-quarter catch) "It was a great play call. I think that early in the game getting on the same page with Lamar [Jackson], it shows that we can be balanced at times, we can throw the ball when we want to throw the ball and we can run the ball when we want to run it."
(on being a blocking Wide Receiver) "It starts up front with the linemen, and it is contagious, the way they block is how we block down the field. We look at those guys as inspiration. If they can do it every single play, then we can do it five or six plays during the game. They set the tone, and we just follow it."
OLB Pernell McPhee
(on the win) "I think it was a normal AFC North battle. The team that played the most physical and executed the best came out on top."
(on why he didn't sack Andy Dalton) "It wasn't my day today. I tried to get him. I think they did a great job with the gameplan. They got the ball out of his hands fast. We had other guys get him. Still early."
(on winning two-straight games) "We stuck towards our goals. These are definitely wins we should have gotten. We go on the road next week, play a playoff-contending team, so we are going to see where we are at next week."
(on his third-down pressure) "I was just trying to make a play for my teammates. Obviously, everyone has been preaching we need to get pressure on the quarterback. But when you have a quarterback that gets the ball out in .2 seconds, it gets hard. I was just trying to make the play."
(on playing better defense the last two games) "Still early in the season. If you look at it last year, Patriots were 25th or 26th early in the season, and they ended up winning the Super Bowl late in the season. It is still early in the season. The longer the season goes, the better we are going to be on defense. We are going to start communicating better and playing as one."
(on the Ravens bringing in veteran players) "We need more vets in the NFL. They want to go young now, the NFL wants to go young, they want to cut all of us out. It is all good, but that is what happens when you get guys that know how to play the game and have been in the game a long time."
K Justin Tucker
(on being the fastest kicker to 1,000 points in NFL history) "I find the coolest thing about reaching this milestone is that I get to share it with Sam [Koch] who has held for every single one of those points, and Morgan [Cox], who has snapped for almost all of them. They are not just great teammates, but they are great friends. I should also throw in Randy Brown. Getting 1,000 points is no small task, although every single one of us will tell you the same thing. It is not about looking back at the last 1,000 or thinking about the next 1,000, it is about thinking about the next one, or three. Or more importantly, the next kick on a Wednesday at practice. Keeping it as simple as that."
(on his field goal that hit the upright) "Sometimes there is that saying that it is better to be lucky than good. I'd like to think it is a combination of them both. That is the first time, I've experienced that. I have hit an upright a couple times before and not been as fortunate. Anybody that wants to talk about Heinz [Field] or Cleveland, or anywhere else for that matter, when we start talking about M&T Bank Stadium, it is a tough place to get the ball to go through the uprights. It is a tough place to figure out the wind and all that stuff. I am thankful that the ball was tracking straight enough. I definitely want to get that cleaned up; I want to get it more down the middle, so everyone isn't holding their breath."
S Chuck Clark
(on having a baby girl this weekend) "She was born on Friday; nine pounds, five ounces. (Reporter: "What is her name?")Charleé. Charleé Reign [Clark]."
(on getting a big win and having a baby) "Just blessed, man. Thankful. God gave me a great weekend; I had the birth of my daughter and to get the win this week, I'm just blessed and thankful."
(on filling in for S Tony Jefferson and wearing the green dot on his helmet) "It went [well]. We had great communication out there on the field; talking, getting lined up, making plays. Here and there, there was a few things, but we were good for the most part."
(on how it helps the defense when the offense is putting together long drives and allowing the defense to rest) "You love that, sitting over there on the sidelines, and you're just watching them march down the field. [They're] keeping us off the field, and they're just racking up yards and getting points – getting some type of score at least. Love it."
(on his appreciation for what QB Lamar Jackson can do as a defensive player) "Man, you see him on the field; third-and-17, pick up a first down, juking guys. It's amazing. We love that. We love to have him."
(on if he gets any gratification from the team entrusting him to step in and wear the green dot right away) "Yeah, I just feel like I've been getting prepared for it the past three years I've been here, and now that it's finally time, just take it and run with it."
G/T Marshal Yanda
(on QB Lamar Jackson) "He makes a lot of guys miss. He's special for sure. What's great about him is that he makes a big play, but we're already on to the next play after that. He's obviously very special, but we stay locked in on our job and just keep rolling on."
(on the 9-minute drive in the fourth quarter) "That was obviously a big key to closing out the game. In general, those long drives, that takes a lot out of a defense and keeps our defense fresh, too. So, it's great for everyone. I was really proud of the way we ground it out and basically put the game away."
(on winning back-to-back division games) "We knew the Bengals were going to be tough coming in; throw out the records. Division game, division rivalry – they always play us tough. It doesn't matter how we got it done today, we needed to get the win. We talked about it as a team before the game. Doesn't matter if we win by one or 28. We knew it was going to be a dog fight – they know us and we know them. It's important to get these wins early in the season."
(on the state of the team) "We're still young and finding ourselves for sure on offense and defense. But, if we can win while we're still doing that, that's great. No one wants to lose the hard way. We'd rather fix things up that need to be fixed while we're winning."
TE Mark Andrews
(on the 9-minute drive in the fourth quarter) "That was big. Our team needed that to go down the field, run the ball, grind it out. Our offensive line did an impressive job. You don't see many teams in the NFL doing that. It was nice to see."
(on the talents of QB Lamar Jackson) "Special man. That's the only way to describe what he does and who he is as a player. Special. He does everything and he makes everyone else look good. It's so hard for defenses to game plan for him and game plan for us – it makes our jobs so much easier. At the same time, he's growing each and every week. It's a thrill to play with a guy like that."
(on the hurdle that resulted in a fumble) "Look, I mean, it is what it is. I'm not going to stop being me, being the player that I am. It wasn't anything they did. I hit the ball off my knee. I've got to be better than that. I can't do that to my team, it's unacceptable. But, I'm not going to not be me. I'm still going to keep making plays the way I do, and do what I can to help this team win."
(on the offense cutting out little mistakes) "For sure, we're going to have to watch this film and get better at the little things. My fumble, penalties, little stuff like that is going to happen, but we have to keep it to a minimum and be more efficient. We're going to face some good teams coming up, and we can't do these things."
(on how he handled the fumble on the sideline) "It just sucks to do that to the team, so I came to the sideline and fist-bumped everybody to let them know I would make it up to them, and it wasn't going to happen again. I was sorry, and the guys were understanding. I'm just thankful for the win."
(on if hurdling is something he practices) "I don't know if you can practice it, but I've been pretty good so far. This is the first time I've ever fumbled in an NFL game. This is not something that's going to happen again."
(on how the offense changes without WR Marquise Brown) "He's such a threat over the top and he brings a different dimension to the game. But, we have a lot of great receivers and tight ends that are playmakers, so when one guy is down, another one steps up."
CB Maurice Canady
(on his first game without S Tony Jefferson) "We had a heavy heart going out there without Tony. But, we've got two young guys in Chuck [Clark] and DeShon [Elliott] and we believe in those guys. We got the win and it played out pretty well."
(on the compliment he received from head coach John Harbaugh during the week) "I'm always thankful to play football. I've been playing this game since I was five years old, and to even make it to the NFL is like a dream come true, and I'm so excited."
(on the offense's 9-minute drive that cemented the game) "You can't draw that up any more perfect. Those guys really brought us home, you know? They practice that every day, their technique, low pad, and it all happened on that drive for the offense."
(on the play of QB Lamar Jackson) "It's his playground out there – it's playground football out there. Former Heisman winner, and now we look at him as a veteran. We just have to put him in the position to win the ball game. I thought our defense helped with that today."
WR Seth Roberts
(on trying to stack a couple wins in the AFC North over the past two weeks) "It's come down to the last minute. I think we've just been focused and just making it happen at the end."
(on QB Lamar Jackson's historic performance and how special it is to watch him and have him as a teammate) "It's awesome. I love watching Lamar [Jackson]. We have a great relationship. He's an awesome player. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. He's a fighter, and he has heart. And that's big."
(on the deep receiving corps and being patient when it comes to getting targets) "It's hard. Just being a competitor, it's very hard with our offense. But I'm doing it for these guys in this room. We're pretty tight. We're pretty strong. So, it's all good. As long as we get the 'W,' that's all that matters."
(on not getting into the end zone after the first quarter and wanting to get more points moving forward) "Of course. We want to score when we get down there and get in the end zone. I think we will in the future. We'll get that corrected. We'll get it."
T Orlando Brown Jr.
(on QB Lamar Jackson's performance today) "I'm just happy to be a part of this team. Everything that he does makes everyone else's job so much easier. He's been consistent in his game and his preparation throughout the weeks. I'm just blessed to have him as my quarterback."
(on looking forward to games like these as an offensive lineman where you run the ball a lot) "Absolutely. I love running the ball. It's one of the reasons I play the game. It's to pound other teams and dominate their fronts. Obviously, we were able to have a lot of yards, offensively. Don't get me wrong, that's still a very talented team. Credit to our coaches for putting us in great position in our offense to make plays."
(on if there was a point in the game when he realized QB Lamar Jackson was putting up a really special performance) "No. Honestly, I didn't even know until we looked at it at the end of the game, and I saw that. Like I said, he's an elite player. He's an elite talent, especially at the quarterback position. I'm just so blessed to play here with him in this system and have him as my quarterback – the good, the bad, he's elite. He's elite in his preparation and everything that he does."
CB Brandon Carr
(on how important it was to win back-to-back AFC North games over the past two weeks) "I mean, every game is important to us. We try to win them all. And like you said, the last two weeks … We just try to build on each and every week. We won last week, got to 1-0 in the second quarter of the season. Today, it was our job to get to 2-0. Division game, you can throw out the records because it doesn't matter. It's a rivalry. Guys are going to get up for this game and play as hard as they can, and it came down to the wire."
(on how challenging it has been with the injuries on the defense and having players step up) "We pride ourselves on adapting to situations. Whenever duty calls, we're ready for it. And right now, we have a lot of moving pieces on our side of the football. But guys are making the most of it, making plays, and ready to go out there for 70 plays. Do your job and execute and try to get off the field. So, a lot of moving pieces, but the name of the game is next man up. Everybody on board, locked in throughout the week and on gameday."
(on what it does for the defense when the Ravens' offense goes on long drives) "It wears down the opposing defense, allows us to correct our mistakes on the sideline, gives us a blow. But at the end of the day, our offense, which is controlling the game, controlling the clock. It was great for us, so we could go out there and play faster, get off the field a little quicker, so we could get the ball back and stay out there as long as they want to. It was good complementary football. They were doing a great job of possessing the ball, controlling it. We were trying to get off the field as fast as we could."
(on what it's like having QB Lamar Jackson on his team) "I think about it all the time. It's truly a blessing to have a guy like that – a playmaker, but a guy that's so humble off the field, just with his characteristics and who he is as a person. It carries over from the locker room, to the classroom, to the game. We rally around him. We rally around each other. We're just having fun playing football."
