BALTIMORE RAVENS
Head Coach John Harbaugh
(opening statement) "OK, good to see everybody here. We appreciate you being here. None of you guys sat outside, I see. (laughter) That's why you're still here, right? But, it was a heck of an effort by our guys. Just appreciate the way we took what we did in practice to the game – that's really what you hope to do … [It's] what you hope your players will do as a coach. To see our guys do that in this game is what we were looking for. Now we don't have too much time. We have the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati on Thursday, and we'll go to work on those guys tomorrow. That's where we're at."
(on how he thought the new wide receivers looked) "They did well, they did well. I mean, obviously, you can't hope for much more than that. I thought Joe [Flacco] did a great job of distributing the football. A lot of different guys touched the ball, a lot of different guys scored. I really thought a lot of different guys made key plays for us … Key third-down conversions. I think 'Smoke' [John Brown] had one on a throw back early. And then you just take it from there. That was the best thing to see; different guys stepping up and making plays that had to be made to keep the drives alive."
(on the value of resting key veterans in the second half) "That is [a value], that's a blessing. That's a blessing and those guys ... It's a good thing with the short week. I'm glad we were able to do it."
(on the importance of establishing QB Lamar Jackson as a possible threat early on) "Well, we wanted to establish him as a threat quickly, not a possible threat. We wanted him to go out there and make plays, and generate plays for us. The whole idea is to generate offense. We're not trying to … I guess a side benefit of it is that people have to prepare for certain things. Of course, that's part of it. I'm not going to say that's not part of it. But really, the idea is to move the football and create plays, and like we said from the beginning, use all weapons. That's what we're trying to do with all of our guys really, and Lamar is one of those guys."
(on what the defensive key to the game was) "Well, you have to stop the run first, especially against the Bills. They are a very well-coached team. Sean [McDermott] does a great job. I know almost all of their coaches. I think they have a really good staff. You have to stop the run. They're going to be physical, they're going to be disciplined, they're going to be sound. LeSean McCoy is a threat; you have to start with that. Then you have to get to the quarterback and make him throw it quick. That's what our guys were able to do today."
(on how encouraging it was to see the new targets reach the end zone) "It was encouraging. Just like I said before, to see Joe [Flacco] spread the ball around like that, and to see all of the guys step up and make plays when they have the opportunity to do it, was the thing I'm probably most excited about."
QB Joe Flacco
(on how it was with throwing in the rain) "Well to be honest with you, I went out there before pre-game, and the rain was coming down sideways. I don't think it was quite that much, for the first quarter at least, but the ball was moving all over the place. I don't know if you guys saw us throwing pre-game but the ball was moving on the receivers last minute. I told Marty [Mornhinweg] going with it to the one sideline either direction is pretty good but throwing into it, I am not sure what the ball is going to look like. During the game it wasn't too bad; it was wet at times, for sure. When you fell on the grass, that was kind of a mess, but the field was unbelievable. There were no footing issues or anything like that, and at the end of the day, I think the conditions didn't end up being too bad. We got lucky."
(on the performance of the offense as compared to last year) "It's always tough to compare, I think the first drive that we had today was really important for us. I think it showed a little bit of what everybody can do but we had second-and-25 or something there, and we converted to get a first down, and I think that was a huge step. Obviously, we went and scored a touchdown.That was a huge drive, a huge play, on that drive. Without that, I don't know if we would've set the tone quite in the same way. Obviously, and who knows what happens from there. So I think that was huge and it gave us the ability to see what some guys can do. I think you saw what John [Brown] could do on that play. Then he caught a touchdown pass up the seam. I was joking with Willie [Snead IV], I said he knew the second play call. After he committed that OPI, he knew he was going to get the ball, and that's why he just set it up on purpose. (laughter) [Nick] Boyle has still yet to score an NFL touchdown. So he was kind of ticked about that. And then you can see [Michael] Crabtree, what he can do and how special he is at holding people off, getting his feet down and making a great catch. All of our backs scored. When you get that many young guys involved, it's pretty exciting. They were over on the sidelines because they weren't playing in the second half, like I wasn't, and I think they were kind of disappointed. They only had about 30 yards each, but it's just the kind of day it was. And it was a good one, for sure."
(on his comfort level with the three new wide receivers) "I feel really good. I've said it all along. John [Brown] is a different type of player, just with his speed and what he does to defenders, and the relationship he gets with those guys. [Michael] Crabtree has a special way of running routes and getting in position and making big catches. Willie [Snead IV] is an easy guy to get on the same page with, from an early point, just because he does everything so much the right way. He been in a good passing offense and he just knows where to be. You have to give a lot of credit to those guys."
(on six different players scoring touchdowns, a franchise record) "Like I said, it's a fun day. When everybody can get that feeling of being in the end zone, and we're all celebrating together, it's a good feeling."
(on the team using Lamar Jackson) "Like I said all along, if we can use him in whatever way we are going to use him, I think we're going to look at it in a positive way, and going with a demeanor that is going to help us out. Who knows exactly what it did today, but I think we have to look at it like it helped us out and helped them get thinking and put them on their heels a little bit."
(on throwing short and intermediate passes against the Bills) "What you noticed was that – and I probably have to wait until we watch our film -- but the one thing you notice is that the style of their defense… those linebackers are just so free to attack the line of scrimmage, at least for two steps forward before they actually do get back in the pass coverage. So we really felt like we could get them sucked up and hit them in that intermediate, 10 to 15-yard range over the top of their head. The way the game played out, we didn't get to do a ton of that, but we did have a nice two-minute drive where they were playing coverages that were making them a little bit softer, and guys did a great job of getting the ball in their hands and knifing up field and getting in those little zones."
(on if the game went as well as it could have and if this builds confidence) "Anytime you go and get a win in Week 1, it's great. Anytime you can go out there and have a performance like we did, it's great. But we have to make sure we carry it over to next week. It's going to be a quick week. I think we're ready for it. We always are, but we just have to make sure we build on this."
(on the second-and-26 pass to John Brown) "He's a backside, he was a backside on that, and he was kind of just waiting to make a break. When you're rolling out all the way to the right sideline as a defense, I don't think you're anticipating throwing it back, all the way, 50 yards, across the field to the left sideline. John did a great job of just breaking flat. You guys saw the play, he was pretty wide open. It comes with the fact that we were, like I said, rolling all the way out right and throwing it all the way back left. It's something we have been working on and it happened to work out right. Good call."
(on the significance of the offensive performance) "Winning the game is the most significant thing, but obviously there are other things that are involved, too. It's definitely good for us to go out there as a team and as an offense, speaking as the quarterback, to have the kind of game we did for sure. If we didn't score 40 points, and we scored 25, and we still won, it's the same outcome but there's something to be said about going out there and playing the way we did today. Just for how everybody feels or how we feel as players, it can take you to another level."
(on if the weather changed the gameplan) "We didn't change the gameplan, at all, because of the weather. That's not really Marty's [Mornhinweg] nature, and it's not necessarily mine either. When I go out there and start playing, you're not really thinking about the weather, you're just thinking of executing the play… letting your arm and everything else take care of it."
(on if this is as good as he's felt for Week 1 in a while) "I don't like talking about my injuries to be honest with you, too much. You're putting me in a little bit of a position to do it, but I feel good because we won the game, and that's the most important part. I feel good because our team is out there feeling good about how we played today. Guys played well. Guys are coming to the field ready to play, and a lot of how we've played in training camp and throughout the preseason is a big part of that. They know that they should be excited about what we can do, and today, I think, just reiterated that."
OLB Terrell Suggs
(on the defense's play today) "It's a good start. It's a good start. You know, we're becoming a veteran team, a veteran defense. It's never as good as you think it is. It's never as bad as you think it is. We did some good things out there today, but we'll focus on certain things like how they got the three, and they had some plays get loose on us. We've got to take a look at those. So, the good things are good, but you really want to focus on the things that you didn't do so well."
(on how badly the defense wanted the shutout) "As a defense, you always want the shutout, but [Josh Allen] came in the game, and he did a good job moving the ball, made some plays with his feet. We've just got to do better executing, especially when it's a change at quarterback. We've seen the guy all camp that's been making plays with his feet. That's one of the things, that like we said, we've got to do better at."
(on the play of QB Joe Flacco) "We know what Joe's capable of doing. We practice with the guy. We know how hard he works. In this league, win, lose or draw, no matter how good you play, if you lose, you know the quarterback is always going to take the fall for it. So, he understands that. We understand that. It's just the guy [has] played with him so long, we've got to have his back. It's one game…we're all just going to continue to work."
(on the play of the offense) "You want to see your teammates be successful, you know what I'm saying? To have a good team, you need a good special teams, a good offense and a good defense. You can't have one without the other two. You can't be a good team without all three phases, so like I said, it's the first game. We played a young Buffalo team, so don't take any win for granted. It's one game, and we'll enjoy it tonight, but tomorrow, it's on to Cincinnati."
(on what the defense did well, especially with stopping their short passing game) "I think [defensive coordinator Don Martindale] called a great game. Whatever they threw at us, we were able to answer. We just executed on defense. It's the first game. We did some good things, but we're going to focus on the things that we didn't do so well and try to correct them for Thursday."
(on how good it is that so many guys made big plays on defense) "I don't know. It's the first game. You can't tell anything by the first game. You all know the NFL season's a marathon. It's not a sprint. Nobody's going into a Super Bowl, playoffs or anything right now after this game. It's one game. We've got one in the can on our home field. It's a good win."
(on how much it helps having several players back from last year) "The guys that played did a phenomenal job. I think we did a good job. We had a good start, like I said. We still had a couple of pieces out. We're still looking forward to getting those pieces back, and then we can roll. As a team, you can click as a defense and as a whole team. I can't say it enough. It's only one game; yeah, it's a good start. But, you know, we think we can get better."
RB Javorius Allen
(on the play of the offense) "It's exciting to see everything come together that we put in over the camp, over this whole time, the off-season, and see it all come together. It's great to see it unfold. It's like a flower and it blossomed."
(on each RB getting a TD today) "It's amazing. We all eat, no matter who it is. When you go in there, you're that guy, so it's your opportunity to make something happen – which we all did, and I'm excited what the future holds. It's something that we worked on during camp. It's something we worked on all through camp. Coach did a great job of calling the right plays, setting us up to make plays."
(on if this makes the offense more dangerous with three running backs contributing) "Most definitely. Like I said, it don't matter who it is. Go out there, you're going to have to check everything, go down your whole notebook."
(on his TD run) "It was great. I loved it. I knew it was going to be a touchdown. Like I said, we prepared the whole offseason for that."
WR Michael Crabtree
(on his TD catch) "[QB Joe] Flacco threw it up; I came down with it. Just making a play. It's football. You've got to make a play. You've got to make a play. [Getting his feet down] is something we practice on, getting those feet down, controlling the ball, staying inbounds."
(on the TD to WR John Brown, and how his inside route helped open things up) "We all work together, you know what I'm saying? Whoever's got the clear-out, whoever's got double-team, we got to make sure it happens. We're unselfish, all three of us, pretty much got some unselfish guys…at running back, too. Right now, we're just having fun."
(on how well the offense worked overall) "[Offensive coordinator] Marty [Mornhinweg] is dialing it up. We're just out there at his disposal. Whatever he needs, we're working hard to do."
(on if he expected a 47-3 victory in the opener) "We work hard. One thing I realized when I got here is we work hard. [This win] is big. It just shows how hard we've been working, you know what I'm saying?"
(on what it's like for all three new receivers to get TD catches in their first game as a Raven) "As a receiver, all three receivers getting touches, all three receivers getting a touchdown, that's something that we strive for and something that we've been showing in practice every day. So, I mean, it's really just showing the world."
(on how good it was for the receivers to play this well in bad weather) "For a receiver, the worst weather to play in is rain. You're trying to catch the ball. I dropped two passes. I had Flacco there to keep giving me chances. Like I said, that's a blessing. We won; it was raining, we still threw the ball. We didn't just run the ball. We did everything we wanted to do. I think that goes to show all the hard work we've been doing at practice."
WR Willie Snead IV
(on his first game with Baltimore) "It was just a great game offensively. We were in a groove most of the game and then we took our foot off the gas. The rain was a little difficult at times, but at the end of the day, we were just doing what we've been doing the past couple of months."
(on his touchdown after getting the pass-interference penalty) "Joe [Flacco] wasn't making me feel too good about that one. I was just trying to do my job, and it was kind of a ticky-tack call, but the next play … I will take advantage of that every time."
(on dominating the Bills) "It's just awesome because, in my opinion, we have one of the best defenses in the league. When we have our offense high-powered and moving the ball like that, nobody really expects us to put up those kind of points and be as dominant on defense as we are. I'm just happy that we were able to perform. We have to get ready for Thursday now."
(on third-down efficiency) "Those are the little things that we work on during the week. [The] third-down conversions in the Red Zone … To be able to come out here and perform and put it all together gives us great confidence."
(on some starters only playing the first half) "The score was just so different. At the end of the day, we still have to play until the end. It's the NFL, and anything can happen. It is what it is. I know Thursday isn't going to be like that, and that's what we're going to prepare for."
S Tony Jefferson
(on his interception) "In this league, every turnover counts and matters. I got one today, and I'm excited about that."
(on the defense's performance) "It's huge, man. We did the same thing last year. In the beginning, we had a shutout against Cincy. We just need to keep it rolling. We've got a short week this week. Just keep rolling."
(on why guys don't seem excited about this win) "I just think guys are ready to roll. Our offense is rolling; executing drives. We're playing Ravens football. When we're playing Ravens football, it's hard to beat us."
(on the Bills running spread-offense) "We knew where their offensive coordinator came from. He was in New England and Kansas City. That's his game – to spread you out and try to find matchups. We prepared for that all week – even in weeks before that. We were really prepared for it."
(on dominating on both sides of the ball) "It's just playing Ravens football, baby. We had a good offseason – I think it's one of our better offseasons that I've been a part of. We played collectively well in all phases. There's obviously some things we have to fix, but I'm proud of everybody."
(on resting players on a short week) "That's huge. This game gets here quick as can be. We leave on Wednesday. Preparation is going to be minimal, but we have to be mentally stable and mentally ready for this game."
(on CB Tavon Young) "'Tay' [Tavon] is huge. He is a huge asset to this defense. Obviously, that nickel spot guy needs to be able to do both cover and blitz. 'Tay' is perfect for that job."
(on whether this was one of the most dominating performances he's ever been a part of) "Yes. Last year, we beat the Dolphins 40-0 on Thursday night – that was pretty dominant as well. This one was right up there with that."
LB Kenny Young
(on the Ravens' defense being dominant) "I don't care if the score is 10-0 or 40-0, you just have to go play fast for all four quarters. That's what the coaches wanted, that's what the players wanted, and that's what I wanted for myself. It's just a credit to how much we've been preparing all training camp."
(on if he was upset that the Bills scored) "Hell yeah, man. I wish it was zero. Everybody wished it was a shutout. It's a start. We have to get ready for Cincinnati next week and just keep sacking them."
(on playing for the Ravens) "I think, when I was a kid, I would go in Louisiana where they have levies. I would go and I would run those levies for hours listening to [Ravens Hall of Famer] Ray Lewis in my earphones. If you would have told me then that I would get drafted by the Ravens, I would not have believed you. It's like being a kid with his favorite present from Christmas. It's another opportunity for me to showcase what I have. It's a great fit. It's a great organization for linebackers, for defense and for dominant defense. That's what I like. That's where I come from and that's the standard that I hold for myself. I'm just going to continue my journey. I'm a rookie learning my way, and just enjoying life along the process."
(on why he liked Ray Lewis) "I think bigger than football, it was just his approach. It was unmatched. He had that for linebackers. Ed Reed had it for the safeties. Tough guys like Hines Ward had it for the receivers. I could go on and on. It was all about his approach. I studied his approach. I studied the way he finished games, and I studied the way he led his men. These are things I can build on. I can't play like Ray, but I can surely take one or two things from him and adapt it to my game. Let's see where it goes from there. I'm still a developing linebacker. Who knows where I can go if I steal one or two things from Ray?"
(on having a locker next to OLB Terrell Suggs) "Hey man, that is awesome. He has a lot of character and a passion about football. He's one of the guys that has been in this league the longest and is a future Hall of Famer. It's fun to watch him be himself. That's the biggest thing, you see a lot of guys who try to get away from that. People try to steer them away from who they are. But, 'Siz' [Terrell Suggs] is the exact same guy every day. That forces me to by myself. It's awesome, man. It's awesome."
(on if playing in the elements was fun) "Hell yeah, man. I was like a little kid. When Hurricane Katrina happened, I was in the yard. I didn't know it was a hurricane. The sky was pink, the trees were tilting sideways – I was just having fun in the rain. That's what tonight felt like. I guess it was because we were whooping ass so much that we could have fun and enjoy it in the rain. Rain, sleet, snow – whatever it is outside – we're just going to have to go out there and play regardless of the circumstances of the weather."
(on getting into the game) "It all started with my preparation. I wouldn't say that I waited until today to get ready for this game. Throughout my preparation, I put stress on myself. Not to say that's a bad thing, but I put myself in uncomfortable situations where my body and my mind have to respond to certain situations. Today was just a celebration. Just to go out and let all of my hard work that has built up throughout the week out."
*CB Tavon Young *
(on his two sacks) "Those were my first ones. Coach Wink [Don Martindale] made the call, and I just played the call. The D-line did what they had to do and freed it up for me, so I just came in and cleaned it up. That's what I did."
(on playing his first game since coming back from injury) "It felt great. It feels great to come back and get a win in our first game, but we've got 15 more to go and a short week coming up. Being back with my teammates in the locker room after a win, I really couldn't be happier right now."
(on missing Jimmy Smith for the first four weeks) "That's a tough loss, but for us, it's all the same. Our energy is always up, and we've got the leaders back there – Brandon [Carr], Eric [Weddle] – and we've got the young guys, too, ready to play."
(on being the Ravens' first defensive back with two sacks in 22 years) "I didn't know that, but now that I do, that feels great. It feels great to make plays, but I've got to keep making them."
(on the last time he had a sack) "I'd have to go back to college, probably my freshman year. That's crazy, isn't it? The last time I had a sack was in my freshman year. I felt like a D-lineman out there."
(on if he will challenge Terrell Suggs for the sack lead on the team) "No, no, I think those boys have it. We have a good D-line and pass rush here. I'm a defensive back. I just cover, but I'll do whatever they ask me to do."
*ILB C.J. Mosley *
(on the defense's performance) "That's our gameplan – stop the run and pressure the quarterback. Maybe [Buffalo] changed up their offense a little because of the weather conditions, but we went out there and stopped them and dominated them like we did. We had a good gameplan. Our calls were at the right time, and it was great to get that under our belt."
(on the five sacks) "We just got our guys going. Maybe we saw something on the field that we were able to take advantage of on Tavon's [Young] sacks. One of those was actually a coverage sack, and he was supposed to be covering, but he got loose and made it happen. Sometimes you've got to make a play, you know? [Buffalo] kind of got going in the third quarter, but again, we were able to make a play and give our offense a chance to score."
(on the offense scoring on the first drive) "Anytime you can chew up time on the clock and get a score out of it, that's great for us. And, then after that, we got them three-and-out, and put the offense back out on the field. No doubt about it – our offense and defense worked well together. They put points on the board, and we gave the ball back to them."
*TE Nick Boyle *
(on the passing game's efficiency despite the weather) "That was really the thing today. We knew it was going to rain, and each and every one of us prepared ourselves for that. We put on the right gloves for the weather conditions, and it just shows that we can catch passes no matter what."
(on the offense setting the tone in the first drive) "It was really exciting to see all the plays that you work through during camp in Week 1 being executed. We had that really fast start, which is really encouraging."
(on his involvement in the first drive) "It's really cool. People ask, like my parents, 'How many balls do you think you'll catch today?' And, the answer is, 'You never know.' I could catch none, or I could catch five, but it's always nice to catch a couple balls and get a couple yards."
(on Willie Snead's penalty calling back his touchdown) "It's cool. He caught a touchdown on the next play, and that's why I think Joe [Flacco] called his number. For me, I just looked at him and looked the other way, but he knew I was looking at him. But, it's all good."
WR John Brown
(on starting the season with a nice win) "It was great just to be out there and to be able to do the things we did in the rain."
(on Buffalo today) "I can't speak on Buffalo, but I just know we came ready to play. Despite the weather, we were just ready to do what we had to do."
(on QB Joe Flacco throwing a nice ball) "It's amazing. He's amazing with the things that he can do in the rain, and it was just good for us to make a play."
(on how satisfying it is for him to be a contributor) "I'm satisfied, and I did pretty good, but it doesn't stop right here."
QB Lamar Jackson
(on if it is good for the offense that the opposing defense doesn't know what he is doing on the field) "Absolutely, help them move the ball. Help them convert, get first downs and score touchdowns."
(on if he thinks he'll get more used to ways in which he's being used on the field) "Yeah, it's fine as long as we keep winning."
(on if other teams seeing him today will give them something to worry about in the coming weeks) "Absolutely. They never know what's going to happen. Yeah, it keeps the defense guessing."
S Eric Weddle
(on if he has been part of a dominant performance like today by not giving up a first down in the first half) "We've had some good ones the last couple years, but it was just all three phases were clicking. We have the offense starting the game with a touchdown, which is huge knowing the type of game it was going to be gave us on the defense a huge boost of confidence and momentum knowing, 'Hey, we got a touchdown. That's more than enough for us to go win this game.' For them to keep on rolling and keep the field position, and us to keep getting stops back, to back, to back, and not letting them get first downs. You know, the biggest thing in a game like this was the momentum of field position. They could have easily gotten the ball back to midfield, a couple first downs and then pin us back down there at the 10 [-yard line]. Now we go three-and-out, and they get the ball at midfield, it's a whole different dynamic in the game. So, for us to stay focused in and to really preach what we've been saying all offseason about situational football, team defense, do your job, run to the ball. It showed tonight."
(on how fired up he was for S Tony Jefferson) "That's my guy, man. I'm so excited for him. A lot of people get on him, and obviously he didn't play his best last year, and at times neither did I and a lot of us, but he has worked extremely hard this offseason, and he's going to have a great year. It's just the start for him, so excited for that. He covered those tight ends great. I mean, how many catches did [Charles] Clay have today? Not many. So, that's a credit to 'TJ.' He's a guy who is an enforcer back there for us, and in one game he's got the total [number of interceptions] from last year? So, shoot. Let's keep it going for him."
