BALTIMORE RAVENS
Head Coach John Harbaugh
(opening statement) "Alright guys, thanks for being here and sticking it out. Hey, saw a great football game, right? Right down to the wire. Just want to open up with a salute to the opening video that showed [senior advisor to player engagement] O.J. Brigance making a tackle on the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl [XXXV] and doing his patented [hand motion] after he made the play. So, a salute to O.J. Brigance, who's in the locker room right now with the guys. Great man. Just a good win. It's good to see the guys find a way to win at the end. A lot of things to work on. I told the team, I'm proud of the way they played, how they played, and we'll go back to work tomorrow to see if we can learn how to play better. And, there's plenty of things we have to work on, but it was a good start, and we have a long way to go."
(on the enthusiasm from the starters at the end of the game) "That's a great point. I would agree with you, Nestor [Aparicio]. The guys were into it. The starters were into it right until the end. Their attention was on the field, it wasn't anywhere else. It wasn't on the sideline, it wasn't into any cameras, they were focusing on the game. And, you're right, that's what a team does. That's a good point."
(on Matt Schaub's play tonight) "We were going to play Matt a lot, and he played a lot, obviously. I thought he played well. The one miscue, probably could have had a little more help, in terms of the receiver coming back for the football, and we all know that. And that's a young guy who's going to learn that. But yes, you're right, he played really well, and kind of proved himself, which is nice to see. Another point here, really quick, I'll just say … One thing, we only had six penalties out there tonight. I don't know if you noticed that, but this kind of a game, with those guys out there, that's pretty darn good. So, kudos to those guys."
(on what he attributes the low number of penalties to) "The right kind of guys. I just think we have guys that understand the value of doing things the right way. We didn't always make the right decisions. We give up a draw at the beginning of the two-minute, we run past the quarterback, let them scramble on third down, two-man coverage, things like that. But, that part of it, I thought those guys showed a lot of discipline and a lot of awareness. It's just smart football."
(on the play of the young tight ends) "You're right, Stan [White], all three of those tight ends played exceptionally well. Crockett [Gillmore] was almost … He looked like a legitimate, all-around tight end at times. [Nick] Boyle made some catches, but the one by Maxx [Williams], that reminded me of that highlight play from college. He jumped over the guy and made a play, and I was thinking, just when he got the ball, I was thinking, 'we're going to need a play like that right now to keep this game alive.' And, he came up with it. It was good to see."
(on whether Maxx Williams was dinged up at the end of the game) "He wasn't on my list, so I think he's OK. Speaking of my list, I'm probably not going to go over it with you (laughter). Just really quick, before anybody asks, we'll know more tomorrow on whatever he had. But, there is nothing to talk about at this point. I will give you one. Allen Reisner did actually break his ankle, or part of his lower leg. That is a serious one that we had. He's in the hospital now getting surgery, so that's tough for him. Our prayers are out to him. He'll be fine, but that was a tough injury."
(on the execution of the offense with QBs Joe Flacco and Matt Schaub) "It was good, the execution was really good, Keith [Mills]. It was sharp. I thought Marc [Trestman] did a really interesting job of the way he called the plays. It was all based off the run game and a lot of play passes, and things like that. The biggest thing I noticed was execution. I thought we executed well. We weren't gashing them for any big runs. Joe was the leading rusher there for a while, which is pretty interesting. That kid he outran was one of the fastest linebackers in the draft. We were joking that he must have 'camp legs' at this point in time. But, Joe is better than a lot of people want to think, as far as running the ball. But, it was a well-executed drive."
(on what he saw from DT Carl Davis, because he was in the backfield a lot) "I think that's a great point. There were a couple of things where he didn't hold his rush lane on the draw – one time on a rush. Other than that, against the basic run stuff, he was very active. Good hands, good feet. You said he penetrated a bunch of times. He played a bunch of snaps, played them all hard, I believe. We'll see it on tape. Basically, we played him until he cramped up at the end, and we finally dragged him off the field and let someone else go in and play. You're right, he had a good night.
(on what he saw from RB Lorenzo Taliaferro) "I saw him pushing the pile a bunch of times, I noticed that. I thought he was quick, as far as putting his foot in the ground and getting upfield, and just pushing the pile in a big way. That was good, powerful running. It was nice to see. This kid right here [Michael Campanaro] did a pretty good job. Local boy from Howard County over there. He got open and made the play on that crossing route, so it was a nice job by 'Camp.'"
(on RB Justin Forsett coming out early in the drive) "That was our plan. Get him a couple carries and get him out. Yes, that was the idea with Justin. We've got some young guys that need the work. We wanted to get those guys a lot of reps."
LB C.J. Mosley
(on his expectations and performance for the first preseason game) "Just staying fast and physical, testing my wrist in an actual game. In practice, it's not the same as a game, but everything came out 100 percent. The first game is about the younger guys getting a chance to play. As a team it wasn't perfect, it wasn't pretty, but we got the win in Ravens fashion."
(on the defense starting fast, forcing two three-and-outs to start the game) "It was great. Especially when the offense had a scoring drive; we've got to pay the offense back and put them back on the field. To start the game that way, fast on offense and consistent on defense, forcing three-and-outs, that's how you always want to start games."
(on the younger players in the game-winning drive) "Like I said, once the vets and starters go out, it's the younger guys' time to shine. They're about to run through the motions and get their chance to finally play against somebody else. It's a great way to build confidence for everybody."
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QB Joe Flacco
(on playing "crisp and clean" in the first preseason game) "Yes, it's always great to get out there in the first preseason game. You're not going to get a high number of reps, but there's still pressure on me to go out there and do well and make the most of it. I really feel good about it. Obviously, we need to keep going to work and make sure we continue to do it."
(on if it was a fun first preseason game) "Yes, it's always fun. You get to encourage the guys and be a part of everybody and be in a similar place. So, it was nice."
(on his performance) "Yes, I think we did a good job. Obviously, we'll have things to clean up when we look at the film – little things here and there. We can't be too disappointed with the opening drive we had."
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CB Quinton Pointer
(on playing in his first NFL game) "It was great just getting out there, flying around and making plays on the ball. It really felt good."
(on defensive secondary focusing on picks) "As a unit, I think we're on the rise. We've got a lot of guys making plays and trying to get their hands on the ball. We feel pretty good about where we are right now. We've put a big emphasis on putting our hands on the ball. It's really been a big emphasis on getting turnovers and interceptions. That's one of our goals as a defense, just to get the ball back and give it to our offense."
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QB Matt Schaub
(on his first game as Raven) "I felt really good out there. It was great to get all the reps that I got. There's certainly a lot of things that we have to work on, as you can imagine. But I thought for a first game, we have really progressed well."
(on the touchdown pass to Campanaro) "That was really a great route run by Mike [Campanaro]. It cleared out beautifully and I was able to catch him in stride and he made the rest happen. It's good to get that first one under your belt and it's something to build on. I'm really happy with the chemistry I'm building with the receivers."
(on his training camp performance so far) "Actually I'm feeling really good about where I am. It's always an adjustment coming to a new team, but this is really a great organization. I have to continue to build on each practice and take that into games."
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TE Crockett Gillmore
(on the tight ends getting a lot of action) "Yeah, we love it. It's all part of the offense and we're just going to do our job and help the offense move forward. Catches, blocking, whatever we have to do."
(on Maxx Williams fourth quarter catch) "That was unbelievable. He only caught it about five yards from the line of scrimmage, turned up field and knew where he had to get to. He made a couple of guys miss, fought off another couple and kept the game going. We were really excited for him and it was a great play."
(on coming back for the win) "It's always great to win. We understand it's only the first preseason game, but it's a mindset and it's certainly important for this team."
DT Carl Davis
(on his first game as a Baltimore Raven) "It was a blast. I've been waiting for this all week. It was great to get out with the fellas and play somebody with a different color jersey."
(on making a couple of big plays) "They drafted me here for a reason and that's to make plays. I'm just trying to be that person. I just went out there and tried to do the best I could."
(on playing all four quarters) "Coach told me starting this week I was going to play a whole lot, and I went and took the challenge. I just went out and tried to show them what I got."
RB Lorenzo Taliaferro
(on his touchdown) "When you get down there, it's whatever it takes. We should have gotten in on the first one, but he [offensive coordinator Marc Trestman] still decided to call my number, so I knew it was no holds barred on that one. You just put your pads down and you fight through there. I did a good job of pushing those guys back."
(on his first game) "It felt good. We've been in camp for two or three weeks now. Most of it has just been thud and ops, so it was nice to just touch that green again and get tackled. It feels pretty good."
(on catching the ball out of the backfield) "It was good. I ran a couple flat routes, but I have to continue to build on it."
(on being leaner this year) "Yes, I feel like I was a little bit cleaner on some of my cuts, and I was able to get out faster."
(on the team's performance tonight) "I think this was a good step for the team. I feel like we [me and Javorius Allen] went out there and did our best to help the team win."
(on this year compared to his rookie year) "It's just confidence, and basically knowing my assignments and taking the extra time to look over blitz packages and things like that so I'm not guessing as much."
(on watching the end of the fourth quarter) "It was great. I'm pretty sure that all or most of the guys out there were rookies. It was good to see them out there, because like last year, we were undefeated in the preseason. And we didn't want to start off with an L. So, that was a great job at the end."
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ILB Zachary Orr
(on playing tonight) "It was great to get out there and have another game. And compete against another team and see how you stack up. We've been going at it at camp for two weeks now. So instead of going out and hitting each other we got to face another opponent. "
(on making back -to-back big plays) "The first series I was in there I was not pleased with how I played. There were some plays that I felt I should have given up. I just wanted to respond and make some big plays so I didn't let my teammates down. I just settled down, did my job and happened to make some plays."
(on guys playing an extended amount of time) "We feel like our defense has a lot of depth. The defensive line, those guys like Lawrence [Gui] , Carl [Davis] those guys are great. They were asked to step up and play the whole game and they did a great job."
WR Michael Campanaro
(on the TD play) "It was a great play we had lined up, had kind of like a diagonal route. Matt [Schaub] had a lot of time back there. We need time for plays like that to work out. I saw a safety jump up, so I kind of just slipped him, and Matt stayed with me. I was able to make a play."
(on scoring a TD in Baltimore) "It's nice. It's nice. I've been waiting to score one here. Hopefully during the regular season I can get one. It will mean more. It's great playing in Baltimore, of course, and scoring TDs. It's awesome. But it's always fun playing in front of the hometown crowd."
(on if he was surprised how crisp the offense was in the game) "I wasn't too surprised. I could see it out there [when] we've been practicing how everyone's playing great together. Moving forward, that's what we want to be, 16-play drives, controlling the football, wearing teams down. I think opening drive, we really showed you we can put in the work, and we came out here and did it live against another team."
(on how much this could help his cause at WR by making a big play) "It's definitely always big making plays when the bullets are flying. It goes a long way. I think the biggest thing for all the receivers is just staying consistent, day in and day out, coming out to practice and making plays and showing the coaching staff what you've got. Any time you make plays like these in pre-season games, it definitely goes a long way."
(on how good it feels for him just to be out there after his injury problems) "It feels great. It feels great just being healthy, out there playing. I feel great in practice and to come out here and play in a game, I mean, it feels good. I'm not even thinking about it. Just out there playing free."
(on how much it helps to have a back-up like Matt Schaub) "You could see that from Day One, I think from everyone on the offense. He came in and he just has such command of the huddle and the offense. It's a big relief just having someone with experience. We all know what Matt's done, taking teams to playoffs and things like that. It's great being out there playing with a guy like that."
(on if he felt there was a difference in offensive tempo in the game compared to practice) "Not too much. I think we play fast in practice but it's definitely, I mean, plays are coming in faster and guys are substituting in, and it's definitely different throughout a game. But we do a great job, coach Harbaugh does a great job with our situational football throughout practice, so I think everyone felt pretty comfortable."
(on how much the fact that he made plays last year carries over to this year in terms of confidence) "I think that last game [in the playoffs at New England], even though we lost, I thought it was great. Just to be out there and getting experience and playing a game so big [making] some plays with a lot of pressure on the line. Whenever you're playing in games like that, you can just always draw back with experience. Coming into pre-season this year, just having the experience from last year and making plays, you just feel more comfortable out there. You feel like you've been there. You're not as nervous. You know you know what's going on and things like that. That game was last year was definitely great for experience."
QB Bryn Renner
(on it feeling good to get the game-winning touchdown) "Absolutely. [I had] a really embarrassing interception in the four minute drive and let the team down, honestly, the second-to-last possession before we scored with two minutes, so I was kind of mad about that. But it's good to come out with a victory."
(on what coach Harbaugh told him) "He just said keep playing ball. We have a saying, 'short term memory and move onto the next play,' and coach [Marc] Trestman preaches that. That's what we kind of did as a whole offensive unit to score that touchdown."
(on if he's ever gotten a water bath after a preseason game before) "I have not, I have not. I haven't gotten a water bath since I was in high school. That was about it."
(on what he learned today and where he goes with it) "Just keep moving on. I think that's the key thing. If you make a mistake, don't let it linger and don't let it hang around. I think that's what our whole offensive team did today on that last drive, and I'm really happy for those guys and proud of this team."
TE Maxx Williams
(on the last offensive drive) "The last drive is something in the NFL that you have to do. You have to go out there in two minutes and go down and win the game. As an offense we did that and it worked out for us."
(on his first-down catch and run on the final drive) "I bailed out on the hurdle, I was going to go for it more but then I realized I wasn't there yet. But I give credit to Bryn [Renner] and I think it was DeAndre Carter who was down there blocking the guy, too. So, really it was just an all around good play and it gave us an opportunity to go win."
(on his first preseason game in the NFL) "It was just exciting for me. I just went out there and had fun. I know all of us rookies went out there and just tried to have fun and show them what we can do against someone else."
(on if he's anxious to see the game film) "Yeah, you're always going to have to be able to correct stuff. So, really, go in tomorrow, go back to work, going back to practice and now it's get ready for Philly."
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DB Kyle Arrington
(on his assessment of the first game) "Like you said, just trying to shake the dust off a little bit. We came out and started off strong. Obviously throughout the course of the game, you're going to face adversity whether it's in a game, during the season, and it's all about how you respond. I thought guys responded well, they fought their tails off until the bitter end and found a way to get it done."
(on how to treat preseason, especially when you're on a new team) "First of all, you've got to earn the respect of your teammates through your play. I'm just trying to play like a Raven at this point, and come out and be smart, tough, physical and just embody what this defense is as a whole."
(on how to quantify tonight's success) "It's the first preseason game, so expect some of the mistakes made. But like I said, try to take the way that guys fought and found a way to get a 'W'. So, we've got to go back and look at the film, correct our mistakes and it's still the same throughout this process of training camp. It's still training camp, so we're trying to get better every day and we'll be back at it tomorrow working hard."
