Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh
JOHN HARBAUGH: Okay, first of all, and most importantly, I want to acknowledge that we lost an angel this morning. We lost Bobbi Engram, the daughter of Bobby and Deanna Engram. She passed away this morning. I think it's been reported by us and Bobby went back. He's with his family right now. We dedicated this game to the Engram family, to their three beautiful kids. It's just an awesome family, a wonderful, Christian family. They have great faith. They're strong. They're going to be good. Their church is supporting them right now. Our Ravens fans are supporting them. I just want to ask all the Ravens fans to pray for Bobby Engram and Deanna Engram and for Bobbi who is in heaven right now with her arms wrapped around her creator. We just want to acknowledge that, and that's who we played for in this game. So what questions do you have?
Q. How pleased were you with the offense, especially in the second half with how QB Lamar Jackson played and got some things going?
JOHN HARBAUGH: Very pleased. I was very pleased with the offense really throughout. I thought our young tackles in the first half did a really -- did an okay job. They did a good job against their two best defensive ends in football. Obviously, that was tough sledding against that front they put there and the defense. That's a good defense. But I thought our young offensive linemen did a good job. Obviously, Robert (Griffin III) handled himself very well, and our young players played well in the first half. Probably should have been tied. So that was a starting point, was a good plus. In the second half, Lamar came out there with his guys, and I thought it was just impressive to see. Moving a lot of nohuddle. Got the hurry--up offense. Just the conditioning … Down here it's a little bit hotter, it's a little bit humid, and I thought our conditioning paid off very well. Guys executed when they were tired and made plays. Lamar made plays, of course, and moved the chains and scored some points. Josh (Woodrum) did a good job at the end.
Q. What went into the decision … Usually this preseason game is where you play the starters the most. How much did not playing him have to do with the fact that you've had two joint practices and a ton of practice? Did the weather factor in at all?
JOHN HARBAUGH: Right. It was what you said. Really, we've had so much good work in training camp. We were here a week early. We had the two joint practices. We had four great practices where our starters got lots of reps. And we've already played, going into this game, three preseason games. Even though those guys didn't play in the first game, they played significantly in the last two. We just felt like we had the work we needed. Really we have a lot of battles. The big challenge right now is the fact that so many guys played so well. It's going to make it even tougher on us to make that decision. That's a good problem to have. I like that. Really proud of the guys. I thought they played Ravens football. I thought everybody on the roster played Ravens football, and that's what you want to see.
Q. Can you talk about the speed at which QB Lamar Jackson has taken in the offense and taken control of the offense? I believe he had … Three of the four drives resulted in points today. Can you talk about how quickly he's taken command of the offense?
JOHN HARBAUGH: I think today was his breaking out in a game. We've seen it in practice where he's done some really good things, but we hadn't really seen it in a game yet. And today just fell into place for him a little bit. I thought (Offensive Coordinator) Marty (Mornhinweg) did really nice job with the play calling, but he handled himself well. He got to the line of scrimmage, he made calls, he made checks, made adjustments. Didn't have too many formation issues. I think we had one false start … No, we didn't have any false starts in the second half if I'm right. Nobody remembers. I can't remember either. That tells you it's pretty good. So I think a lot of credit goes to the quarterback on that.
Q. How did you like QB Lamar Jackson's decision making out there?
JOHN HARBAUGH: I thought his decision making was good. He sees the field well. Lamar sees the field very well. He's got a good wide vision for passing.
Q. I looked like S DeShon Elliot was in a sling.
JOHN HARBAUGH: DeShon Elliott looks like he's got a fractured forearm. I don't know what that's going to mean as far as whether it's the whole season or part of the season. We'll have to find out and make a decision on that. But it looks like he's a fractured forearm. I think it was on the kickoff.
Q. T Greg Senat, did he get out okay?
JOHN HARBAUGH: Senat had some kind of a foot, toe thing. We'll find out more about that tomorrow.
Q. You can confirm TE Hayden Hurst?
JOHN HARBAUGH: We can confirm that Hayden Hurst had a surgery on a fracture, and the timeframe that you guys reported was right. Also Willie Henry had an umbilical -- what's it called.
Q. Hernia?
JOHN HARBAUGH: That's Yes, umbilical hernia. So that's something that's … It's not really football related, but maybe it had been there and it just opened up on him a little bit. So he had surgery for that. So he'll be a few weeks. Once we get to the season, I think those guys will be week to week. That's probably what it is and we'll see where we're at.
Q. The number of starters who were sitting out today, is Thursday still going to be a showcase for those guys on the bubble?
JOHN HARBAUGH: No question. Thursday's going to be big. We've got the Redskins coming in. A really good team. Well-coached. Coach Gruden does a great job. It's going to be an opportunity once again for those guys. We'll find out who is going to be on our team.
Q. The first half, RB Kenneth Dixon had a couple of catches and nice runs afterwards. Has he shown improvement as a receiver?
JOHN HARBAUGH: That's a great point. I thought he did show -- Kenny did show – as a receiver – screens and some Texas routes, things like that. Kenny had a really good game. I thought all of our guys played really well. The rookie backs played well. They ran very physically and they all caught the ball. Did a good job in pass protection. So I thought they might have been the group of the whole game right there.
Baltimore Ravens QB Robert Griffin III
Q. Robert, how did you think you got it going against? Once the starters were out, you guys were going against the starting defense.
ROBERT GRIFFIN III: Yes, I felt like our guys fought really well. The thing I noticed about the Baltimore Ravens in my time being here is we have a lot of depth. It's not to say that our twos are better than anybody's ones; but ones, two, threes down the line, we've got a lot of good players out there. So it was a great – for me personally, I thought it was great to get a little bit of adversity out there, get hit a little bit, the pocket collapsing sometimes, and having to still find ways to make plays. I thought it was great for our offensive line, our young guys. I mean, those are two of the best defensive ends in the league. That front is incredible, and I felt like they held their own. It was tit for tat. They won a couple times, we won a couple times, and then that 18-play drive before halftime I thought just showed how much fight our guys have in them.
Q. Just talk about the depth of this team overall? It seems like you guys are deep at multiple positions. Can you talk about the level of talent you have here?
ROBERT GRIFFIN III: Yes, it's special. It's a special place. (General Manager and Executive Vice President) Ozzie (Newsome) does a great job, (Assistant General Manager) Eric (DeCosta) does a great of putting together a roster, and giving coach the best opportunity to go out and be successful. I heard them say it's a good problem to have to have so many good players or guys that are just playing well within the system. It's exciting for me to go out against one of the best defenses in the league. I'm really proud of the way we went out and performed.
Q. I know you don't know Wide Receivers Coach Bobby Engram all that well, but just how emotional was the news to hear that his daughter passed away?
ROBERT GRIFFIN III: Yes, it was very shocking the news this morning, to hear that, and I got a chance to reach out to Bobby and talk to him and just told him we're going to go out there and compete for him and his daughter tonight. I wish on the first group out there in the first half could have gotten into the end zone and score more points; but this team is extremely close. So when I heard coach talking about it and asking everybody to pray for Bobby and his family, it hits home. As a father, you don't want anything like that to happen to your daughters. We just can't wait to hug on Bobby and be there for him when we get back.
Q. How do you approach this last game? There's been a lot of talk about whether they keep three quarterbacks or two. You've seemed to have had fun and be yourself the whole way. Is it going to be tough for you not to put a lot of pressure on you in the last game, especially because you're probably going to hear a lot about who the opponent is too.
ROBERT GRIFFIN III: No, there's no pressure. I should say there is no pressure that I'm going to apply to myself to go out and perform like I have been and I know how, and the coaches have taught me within the system. I know the team we'll be facing is my former team that I played for and was drafted by. There will probably be a story line around that. But aside from that, it's just go out, play ball and have fun, and continue to do what we've been doing, and let the coaches make the decisions at the end of the day.
Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
Q. Can you talk about how comfortable you were tonight? It looked like you were clicking pretty good with the offense. Scored on three of four drives there. Talk about the comfort you're feeling right now.
LAMAR JACKSON: I felt I had a good week of practice this week. Coach was in my ear a lot about completing the ball, completing the ball a lot. I started 0-for-3 last week and I had completed the first pass this week, and I was like, 'No, I can't have the same results from that.' That was the key thing for me coming into this week, just keep competing passes and trying to get my percentage up.
Q. How do you feel your decision making is right now, deciding when to run, when to throw?
LAMAR JACKSON: I feel like it's getting better. I'm working my way up right now. Fourth preseason game, I felt like I did pretty good. But there's still room for improvement.
Q. You were self-critical last week, on Monday, for not being warmed up sufficiently. What did you do maybe differently?
LAMAR JACKSON: Hat's off to (Quarterbacks) Coach 'Urbs' (James Urban). He was on me (saying) 'I need you to get 10 passes before you go out there.' Right before halftime, I had to throw 10 passes. So coming in from halftime, I had t0 throw 10 more passes. That was all Coach Urbs. He was on me.
Q. Did you feel noticeably different tonight compared to Monday?
LAMAR JACKSON: Absolutely. I started off a lot slower last week. It wasn't last week, it was actually this week on Monday. Today, I just came out a little faster.
Q. Can you take us through the touchdown run a little bit? What did you see on the play?
LAMAR JACKSON: I felt the end was coming around the edge a little soft, and I felt I could beat him around. I did. I ended up stumbling. I wanted it to be a lot easier, but I stumbled, made the touchdown hard. They had to review it. So, I don't want anything like that. I want it to be a clean touchdown. Pretty cool.
Q. You said that after … I believe it was after the last game, you said, "I'm not playing at a high level yet." Was tonight a high level for you?
LAMAR JACKSON: It was parts of it. There's always room for improvement.
Q. How did it feel to play in front of some family, friends, hometown?
LAMAR JACKSON: Home crowd. It was amazing. You rarely get a moment like this. There are only three NFL teams (in Florida) – Tampa, Jacksonville and the Dolphins – and to play against the Dolphins was pretty cool. It was one of my favorite teams growing up. Home state.
Q. During the draft, were you hoping Miami was going to take you?
LAMAR JACKSON: I was hoping anybody was going to get me first round. (laughter) It happened to be the Ravens, so you just go. (laughter)
Q. How many friends and family do you think there were in the stands tonight?
LAMAR JACKSON: There were quite a few. I can't really go off the top of my head with a number, but it was quite a few. I love all the love and support too.
Q. Your future on this team, 53-man roster is pretty secure. But in a week's time it'll be 53, down to 53. So what do you expect this next week to be like for guys on the bump?
LAMAR JACKSON: Guys just getting reps, try to compete. That's what it's all about, competing at a high level in the league. It's not college. Like you said, 53-man roster, you have to try to make it on practice squads and just compete and do your best, and hopefully you'll make be on the 53-man roster.
Q. What happened on the touchdown throw that you had?
LAMAR JACKSON: When 'D. Po' (DeVier Posey) was coming on the shallow, I dropped back, I seen the coverage, it looked kind of busted to me and I was just waiting for him to flip his head because I seen the linebacker coming around the edge. And I was like, 'Please turn your head. I'm trying to get this ball out.' He did. He had a great run for the touchdown. That's all we do.
Q. How much were you looking forward to this game coming back here to South Florida as an NFL quarterback, everything coming full circle for you?
LAMAR JACKSON: I couldn't wait for this game. I was very eager for this game. We're playing the Dolphins, playing at home, I can't wait to get down there. And we came out with the victory. It was amazing.
Q. Did you have a lot of calls or texts from friends and family leading up to this game?
LAMAR JACKSON: Yeah, I did. But, you know, I can't do anything about it. I had to pay for the tickets. It's not college. I don't get four free tickets. I have to pay for them. So, hey, you want to watch, pay for a ticket. (laughter) But I love my family.
Q. Your family, you took care of your family though, right, and everybody else had to pay?
LAMAR JACKSON: They took care of themselves. They're the ones who were here. They paid for their tickets. Ask my cousin Robert Jackson. He paid for his.
Q. I assume you bought your mom's ticket?
LAMAR JACKSON: My mom was home. She watched it from home.
Q. Oh, really?
LAMAR JACKSON: It was a free ticket for her. A television show. (laughter)
Q. You figure the people that paid for those tickets got their money's worth from your performance tonight?
LAMAR JACKSON: I feel so. We came out with the win, that's what it's all about. When you win, you got your money's worth no matter what. If it's one point, a field goal, it doesn't really matter as long as you get the win. That's your money's worth."
Baltimore Ravens CB Jimmy Smith
(On how difficult has this situation been for him to deal with.) – "Very difficult. I can't really talk too much about it. I know you guys have to ask those questions but I have to stay by my statement and just stick with that. I can talk about football."
(Football wise, how tough is it going to be coming back?) – "It's going to be a challenge but I'm definitely prepared for it; I'm a vet so I know what I need to do to get ready, especially coming back against the Browns with their loaded wide receiver group. I know what's expected and I know what I have to do."
(On how he envisions himself spending Sundays during the suspension.) – "Training. Every day."
(From your perspective, how confident are you that they can hold the fort?) – "I have the ultimate confidence in the defense. They did well and they always do well I feel like. I think Brandon Carr; and 'Double A' (Anthony Averett) is coming on strong right now; Marlon (Humphrey) is obviously playing well. We'll definitely be fine. Even 'Stan' (Stanley Jean-Baptiste) is making plays lately. He's a person that can do some good for us."
(How much has the team supported you through this and stuck with you?) – "It's a family here. The support is tremendous, especially being sad, it's tremendous. I appreciate everybody here and talking to me and helping me and making sure my head is straight."
Baltimore Ravens RB De'Lance Turner
(Talk about how that touchdown run evolved tonight.) – "Coaches put me in the right situation. I just hit the hole as hard as I could. Trying to take advantage of every opportunity I can get."
(How did it feel to get into the end zone on such a long run?) -"It just felt unreal. Not playing at all last week and then getting my first carry of the game, just breaking out like that. Just happy to make something happen when I could."
(Where do the Ravens go from here, next week and into the regular season?) – "Just keep getting better week by week. I'm not the one just to make big."
Baltimore Ravens FB/DL Patrick Ricard
(You got some action on both sides of the football today. You want to talk about that?) – "The coaches want to give me more reps on offense just to get more of a rhythm and get more looks. The last couple of games, I was only getting five plays on offense, so this game they just wanted to get me going early. Defensively, some of the guys they come out early, so it gives me an opportunity to come out to play and try to do my best when I'm out there."
(Were there any surprises out there tonight or was it more getting the reps in?) – "I don't think there were any surprises. Probably the biggest thing is I was getting cut while I was blocking and I wasn't expecting it. That's something coaches are going to game plan against me because I'm a bigger guy blocking some of these defensive ends, so that's something I'm going to have to get on the film and anticipate them cutting me. That's probably the biggest thing."
(What are the Ravens, as a team, doing to get ready to start off the season? What do you guys still have to do?) – "I think we just have to keep improving, just keep grinding though this camp. It's been a long camp for us, now we just have to finish strong. Look at the film and see what we can improve on and just make these improvements. This last game is going to be a lot of young guys playing, I'm going to be playing a lot more the next game. It's in five days, too, so we just have to get ready for it and finish strong and get ready for the regular season."
Baltimore Ravens WR Tim
(In the second half it seemed like you guys developed a lot of offensive rhythm.) – "It felt real good. I think we started clicking in the second half. Obviously, it feels good to get going, especially when you can get consecutive drives back to back. That always feels really good. We still drove it down the field even with Josh Woodrum in and he did an excellent job. And Lamar (Jackson) with that spectacular run, that guy can go. So it just felt good being out there and being able to really drive the ball down the field. It felt really good."
(You have obviously made some plays in the past, but did this kind of feel like almost a breakthrough because you actually got more opportunities than you've really getting in some of the more recent games?) – "I try not to worry about that. I just worry about getting out there, making plays when I get an opportunity. As soon as I get the ball in my hands I know what I'm capable of. It's just a matter of being consistent and doing it every time I get the ball."
(Different QB Lamar Jackson today? He seemed to be just from a vision a little calmer, more composed, but I don't know. What did you see from him on those drives?) – He definitely …A lot. He seemed real calm. He seemed confident. It's his third preseason game or fourth. Over time, you develop, you gain that confidence and he looked the part today."
