Baltimore Ravens Post-Game Quotes
Head Coach John Harbaugh
(opening statement) "OK, guys, it's good seeing you here. It's good being here. [You] stayed for the whole thing, through the long commercials. It was nice of you to stick through that. I'm happy with the way our guys played. We played winning football. We played field-position football – mostly penalty-free football. We played turnover-free football. We ran the ball, stopped the run, we got to the quarterback, and we covered people. So, it was good football. It was a good start, now we just have to build on it. We have a long way to go."
(on his impressions of QB Ryan Mallett) "I thought he played winning football. He played good football, just what we asked him to do."
(on RB Taquan Mizzell's performance) "He looked good. 'Smoke' looked good. He made some guys miss. He got the ball north and south. Good quickness – he looked good, and I thought that offensive line group did a good job. They have been much maligned by the people sitting in these chairs. They did a pretty good job. It's tough, it's hard. They fought and got some yards, which is good."
(on the performances of the undrafted rookies) "It's very encouraging to see those guys step up and make plays. Going into the lights and game situations – we've talked about that, you guys talked about that, [and] seeing what they do in a game situation, and they came up and made some plays. Obviously, Keenan [Reynolds] with a punt return, and the long passes were good things."
(on DE Brent Urban's performance tonight) "I thought he played really well. I'll watch the tape, and we'll see it all. But, personally, I expect Brent to be a dominant five-technique player against the run, bat passes down, also. He knows that's how we feel about him – he knows that's how I feel about him – and that's what is expected of him, and he had a good night tonight."
(on if WR/RS Keenan Reynolds is feeling more comfortable with returns) "He made good decisions, and I think the punt returning … He went north, he put his foot into the ground two or three times and made nice cuts – vertical cuts – and went *that *way. That's what you want to see the punt returners do, as well as the good decisions. He had a good night."
(on if he still questions what is classified as a catch, in reference to the overturned fumble) "I think it's going to be interesting how it plays out. It's in New York now. We study those things really hard. What we get to overturn and what we don't get to overturn is something we will have to look at really closely. It's all in the same spot, so there should be some consistency there, and that's what we're always looking for. It doesn't matter how they're interpreting it. Tonight was interesting, [with] how they interpreted it. *(laughter) *No, I'm serious. It's harder than you think. I've sat in a lot of those meetings, defining what a catch is, and it has gotten to be really tough. As long as there is consistency, I think we will be happy with that. There was consistency with that tonight – he overturned both of those."
(on his impressions of the starting defense) "I was happy with them. Like 'Sizz' [Terrell Suggs] said, we're chasing perfection every play. I think we have a long way to go, but it was a good start. I think the energy was really good, they ran to the ball, played good fundamentals – it was good."
(on if he takes K Justin Tucker's consistency for granted) "I do, I do, honestly. Everyone's cheering, and I'm just thinking, it's good football to me. Our offense got some good field position, and then Justin hits a 59-yarder in the wind – there was a little wind up there. It's amazing how you start to just expect that from a great kicker like he is."
(on him wearing glasses on the sideline) "I can't see as well. I got prescription [lenses] this summer."
DT Michael Pierce
(On the first-team units matching up) "Yes, we got out to a great start, a fast start. When we found out we were going to kick the ball, we wanted to set the tempo. I think we did good at that."
(On the youth of the defense) "We're young, but we're hungry, and that's really the most important thing. Everybody's doing their part. Everybody on the D-Line is really young except for Brandon [Williams], and we're all eager to make a name for ourselves, make a statement. We want to be the best defense in the league. So yeah, we're young, but we're hungry, and that's going to make a difference."
(On how he would rate the defense's first game) "Pretty good. I would give it a B-plus. Everybody's got stuff they need to tighten up as usual, but hey, it was great to get off the field quickly [with] three-and-outs a couple times, especially against that good O-Line the Redskins have."
DE Bronson Kaufusi
(On coming back from a season-ending injury last year) "It wasn't part of the plan [to become injured], but it has been part of the process for me. I just looked at it as an opportunity to learn from the older guys. I always try to look forward to the mental reps. I try to keep a good attitude during the process, and it's just a blessing to be here and continue to get better and learn from all the guys here."
(On if he ever felt forgotten) "I think you always do a little bit, but really, I look at it as a chance to wake everyone up to who I am and what I can do out there on the field to help this team."
WR Quincy Adeboyejo
(On his NFL debut) "It was exciting being in my fist NFL game, going out there and being able to compete against somebody else, a different opponent. It was fun. I had a good time, and just being out there in front of the fans was a sweet feeling."
(On the competition at wide receiver in camp) "It's definitely a competition. There's a lot of guys who can do a lot of things, and not only at receiver. We have guys who can return kicks, gunners, guys who bring other things to the team, and that's really what the competition is all about. It's a really good room in there."
RB Terrance West
(on his performance tonight) "It felt good to bust a nice little long run. The offensive line played well. I like the run scheme that we have going on here."
(on the offensive line) "The offensive line is doing an amazing job. They're young. We had some guys that were out today. They're going to play a big factor as well, and it's only going to get better. We're going to do some big things this year, but I want to give a shoutout to our defense. Our defense, woo! They were swarming. I love it. Defense wins championships, and the stuff that I saw out there today – I'm excited."
(on how he feels) "I feel good. I came out healthy. I did what I was supposed to do – got in and out, and we got the win."
(on the overall backfield) "This backfield has some exciting players that can do different things. I'm excited for us. We have some great players. I just can't wait to get after it this year."
WR Tim White
(on his play) "I thought the touchdown was great. Quarterback [Josh Woodrum] put it out there. It was a great ball for me, and it just played out right. In the return game, I had some opportunities, and I thought I played pretty well for my first one, and I made some good decisions back there. I felt good overall."
(on the chances of him making the team) "It's all about consistency. It's showing what you can do in practice, and then translating that into the games when it counts. I just want to go out there and be as consistent as possible and make the plays when I'm able to."
(on running out of the tunnel at M&T Bank Stadium) "That was a surreal feeling, just running out and seeing all the fans and everything that was going on. And then Terrell Suggs, that was awesome. We hear about him at Arizona State. It was something that I definitely look to, and I was wowed by it."
(on what he needs to work on) "Really, it's just staying on top of everything. I need to get better with everything that I do – route-running, understanding the plays better and just making plays. I have to keep that going and just stay on top of all that stuff."
DE Brent Urban
(on how it felt to get the start and play the way he did) "It's great. You know, there's a lot of expectations being the starting defense, and every time I go out there, I try to hold myself to those standards. It was great to go out there and make a couple of plays. I think we played well as a defensive front, and luckily, a few plays came my way. It definitely helped my confidence. It was a great start."
(on how Coach Harbaugh had told him last year to remember that he's "a beast" and to use his power) "I think I missed a tackle or something, and he was like, 'Look at yourself; you should be able to bring him down.' I think coming off the injuries, you kind of doubt yourself a little bit in certain ways. It just kind of put things into perspective, I guess, as far as I've got a big frame, I should be able to make these plays, and I should be a dominant player."
(on if he feels that way on the field now) "Yeah, I think my confidence is definitely a lot higher. You know, just coming off the injuries, just the way I feel, how the way my body is responding to practices every day feels so much better, and it kinds of builds your confidence every day. The good feedback I'm getting now definitely helps, and I feel great."
(on how much he feels the team upgraded the speed on defense and when it became noticeable) "I think, really in the OTAs, you see guys flying around, and then some of the draft picks we've got, the fast outside linebackers - [Tyus] Bowser, [Tim] Williams, those guys are just flying around in the backfield, too. It's great kind of having those guys having your back and getting the quarterback to hold on to the ball and stuff like that. I think it shows a lot."
(on taking responsibility as a new starter) "There's a lot of pressure to be a starter for this Ravens defense, all the history and all that kind of stuff. You really expect a lot out of yourself. The coaches expect a lot out of you, and definitely some of that weighs heavily on you and kind of pushes you to play better."
QB Ryan Mallett
(on how he thinks the offense played) "We started off a little slow, got it going a little bit, got the run game going, got the pass going. We need [to be] more consistent. It's the first pre-season game, you've got a lot of new guys out there, but it's to be expected, so now it's going back to work Saturday and getting ready for Miami next week."
(on how big a challenge it is to have so many new faces, especially on the offensive line) "Well, I think that it happens every year. Every year's a new football team in every organization, so that's what training camp is for. In pre-season, you get to know everybody and their strengths and weaknesses, and you just try to improve on them as you go along."
(on what he felt starting a pre-season game) "I think if you don't go out there a little bit excited, something's wrong with you. After the first snap, everything settles down a little bit. I think you saw that. The more snaps we played, everybody was kind of settling in a little bit more, and you know, we got the win. That was goal No. 1 for us. So, we just have to get ready for next week."
(on if he was surprised to see the defense play so well) "It's the culture we want to have around here, and we like it on offense. We got good field position to start the game, and we had it for most of the game. So, we just need to capitalize on it one or two more times and score a few more points."
WR/RS Keenan Reynolds
(on his long punt return) "I was just focused on catching the ball, that was the No. 1 thing. A lot of times during practice, back there with 'Webby' [Lardarius Webb], he always says, 'Look it in. You've got to catch it before you can do anything.' So, I focused on catching the ball, and when I looked down, I saw a guy at the top. We've been working all camp on sticking and making the first guy miss and then getting vertical. So, I just tried to apply what we've been doing on the practice field in a real game setting, and those guys out there with me, they made it go. They definitely sprung me. I was talking to Griff [Whalen], and he had a huge block and kind of sprung me up the middle. So everything that happened on that play was the result of those other 10 guys on the field just doing their jobs, and I was just trying to do mine."
(on what this last week has been like for him between the Navy practice and tonight's game) "It's been cool, but I just try to keep working every day – keep stacking plays every day. You know you can't just rest on the last play. You're remembered by the last play that you were out there, so every time I get out there, I just try to do my best and be the best Keenan that I can be."
(on if his teammates talked to him about the Redskins' punter stopping his return) "'J-Mac' [Jeremy Maclin] kind of got at me – I told him I tripped; he didn't tackle me." (laughter)
(on how critical a play like that can be in terms of his competition at the position) "I mean, it's just a play. I've got to come back out and do it the next day, the next week. For me, it's just a play. I've moved on – it was a good play – but I've moved on. We won the game, and now it's time to get ready for the next one."
S Tony Jefferson
(on the defensive performance) "We wanted to come out there and set the tone. We just wanted to execute the play calls. I felt like for the most part we did, but there is always stuff to work on."
(on the performance from the younger players) "The young guys were balling. They came up, they showed up and they kept them out of the end zone."
(on the importance of building winning habits in preseason) "You never come out on the field to lose, so we preached that all week – go out there, execute and come out with a win."
(on where the team goes from here) "Keep building, fix the mistakes that were made and try and go undefeated."
(on if he was happy with what he saw from the defense) "I was happy, but like I said, there is always room for improvement. There are little minor things like maybe we could have stopped the run a little more, but we did pretty good."
(on how it felt to play his first game at M&T Bank Stadium) "It was electrifying, especially going out with the defensive unit that we have. You felt the energy from everybody and everybody was just excited."
(on if the defense dominating has value in preseason) "Like I said, we just try to go out there and execute and set the tone for the season. I hate preseason because you are only in there for so long and you get juiced up beforehand, but like I said, we have to keep building each week."
CB Jaylen Hill
(on how much fun he had tonight) "I had a great time. It was good being out there with all the vets and the young guys and just getting our feet back under us and playing the game. It was a good time."
(on his interception) "I was surprised that he threw it, but coach called a good call, and I was just there to make a play."
(on what was going through his mind during the interception) "Just [thinking], 'Don't drop the ball. Don't drop the ball and make a play for my teammates.'"
(on what the emotion was on the sidelines after his interception) "It just made me feel at home. It made me feel like Baltimore was home, and it was kind of like college again. It was only one play, and they told me to move on to the next play, but it was a good time celebrating with those guys and those vets. That was a big moment for me."
(on how well he has positioned himself during training camp) "I am just doing all that I can do. If that is being out there on defense, if that is being out there on special teams – anything I can do to help the team out."
(on if he is thinking about the competition he is involved in every day) "It is on my mind, and it is in the back of my head, but I am just doing what I can control. What I can control is my effort, my attitude and how I come into the day. That is what I am focused on."
(on what it was like running through the tunnel) "It was a great experience. Just being here with all of the guys and just learning the culture and atmosphere has been a great experience."
