BALTIMORE RAVENS
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Head Coach John Harbaugh
(opening statement) "Congratulations to our guys. [I] felt like, really, from the beginning to the end, we played with the kind of effort, physicality, tempo that we were seeking. We told our guys that we're going to chase perfection with everything we do – whether it's technique, or whether it's running to the ball, finishing blocks, finishing runs, catches, all of those things. But those are things I feel like our guys did from beginning to end. Our 'ones' started off. We pulled our 'ones' off, pretty much at the end of the first quarter. We played our 'twos' against their 'ones' pretty much the whole second quarter. Our 'twos' came in and played with the same kind of tenacity that our 'ones' did. There was really very little drop-off. Then, in the second half, our 'threes' and 'fours' played and played the same way. There's plenty of things to look at, plenty of things we can clean up, plenty of things we can improve on, but those are going to be fun things to look at on tape, because we came out and won and played a good football game against a good football team. So, I am happy with that. I loved the sacks. I loved another interception by [Anthony] Levine at the end of the half, which was big for us. We had a couple of sudden-change stops, which were good. [We] forced field goals all night – those are all good things. I'm going to look at some other things. [Lions QB] Matt Stafford was really good. They were timed up with their passing game with their 'ones.' He hit some flat routes and some crossing routes for some conversions on us. We would like to break those passes up. I thought the pressure was better overall, pretty much throughout the game. We just have to continue to keep improving."
(on how QB Joe Flacco looked in his first outing) "I thought he looked good. I felt good about how Joe looked. He operated. We talked about it last week, and this is a part of football. We just have to continue to get our passing game oiled up. There were some really good things out there – guys making plays. We got the nine route open early with [Mike Wallace], and we said we were going to go deep to him early – to Mike. Joe just got bumped as he threw it and overthrew it a little bit. Those are the kinds of things we want to work on and make sure we finish those plays."
(on if he was happy with the pass defense) "I was. I don't know what the numbers were, exactly, but I thought our guys all played good, tough coverage. Nothing got behind us, even when they completed the crossing routes and the flat routes, we were right there to make good tackles. Our guys played with a certain tenacity. We played a lot of man coverage out there. We didn't really make any mistakes in zone coverage, with the linebackers or the DBs. The guys had to play a lot. We played the two corners, Jimmy [Smith] and Shareece [Wright], almost the first half. They came out in the last two-minute drive, so they got a lot of work. The safeties were out a lot earlier. Of course, 'Webby' [Lardarius Webb] didn't play at all. He had his back tightened up a little bit – just to tell you what it was. That's not a serious injury. There were some good things."
(on if he wished QB Joe Flacco would throw the ball away when he's out of the pocket) "Pretty much the whole game, as a coach, you feel that way about every guy. Preseason is tough that way – it's really tough. [Senior vice president of public and community relations] Kevin [Byrne] and I talked about this. I said I'd mention it if I get asked. It's not a reaction to any injuries we had tonight, or anybody else had. Ben [Watson] … They'll both get MRIs tomorrow, but Ben looks like it could be an Achilles. That's just unfortunate for him. That was just the first play of the game – that can happen in practice at any time. [Kenneth Dixon] does not look like an overly serious injury. We'll see tomorrow with the MRI, but there's some optimism there. I know the league and the [NFL] Players Association is working very hard and trying to figure out ideas to work out the preseason. These are big, fast, strong men running around out there – it's not 25 years ago. When you were playing, Stan [White], were there four or six preseason games?" (Reporter: "Six.") "It was six. And then it went to four in the 70's. It's not the 70's anymore. These guys playing in these games – it's tough – and they're not meaningful games. They are important to get better, and they improve us. But, we football coaches can find ways to get our guys ready and get our players evaluated without the kind of risk that a game necessarily entails. I'm really hopeful that the Union [NFL PA] and the League can get together and do something that's good for everybody – especially what's good for the players and for the fans. Maybe it's more games that are meaningful. I think those are things. Bigger rosters are something I think would really help. If you go more games, fewer preseason games, and bigger rosters, that's good for everybody. To me, that's something that they can put their heads together and work out. It would be a positive."
(on the right amount of preseason games) "If I had my choice, I'd go none. That might be an extreme point, but we could run scrimmages, or we could run practices against other teams and figure it out. We'd all be in the same boat. That's for people higher up than me to decide."
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QB Joe Flacco
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(on what it felt like to be on the field again) "It felt good. It was good to get back out in the huddle and kind of go through it all again. It was a lot of fun."
(on the scramble play and if he was looking behind him) "I was hoping somebody would move a little bit for me, and I could hit somebody but I didn't want to get the ball to Justin [Forsett] there. That was kind of last resort. I was hoping somebody would get open downfield."
(on the first play, staying in the pocket on the long throw) "I was [ticked]. We had a touchdown right there for the first play of the game if I hit Mike [Wallace] there. I don't know if it's a touchdown for real but it's going to be a big play, so I was just disappointed we didn't make the play. But it was definitely good, thinking back about it. I didn't even think about it. Justin did a good job making a block, and yeah, it was in my lap, but I didn't feel anything about it."
(on if it felt like always) "Oh, yeah, it pretty much felt like always. I think I hurried myself a couple times, just a little bit quick getting things on a couple plays. For the most part, it felt [good to] be back out there."
(on if Tony Romo's injury caused him any hesitation) "No, injuries happen every day in the NFL. If somebody else getting hurt's going to cause hesitation in myself then we'd all be very hesitant. It's just part of the game. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen."
(on the injuries to Ben Watson and Kenneth Dixon) "It's really tough. Ken, we'll see what goes on. I hope we'd have him back. Ben, he's been a great teammate, and I think was really developing into a weapon for us. I was really excited about getting to play with him this year. That's going to be really tough on us. You can imagine how tough it is for him right now, what he's probably going through with his family. So I just wish him the best, and I am definitely pretty disappointed about what happened."
(on the chemistry with Mike Wallace on a few throws) "The first one, it is what it is. I should have really hit it. Probably let the guy hitting me affect my ball a little bit. And then we threw a little zone route and thought we would have completed that one, was a little disappointed not to complete that pass, but it's something that we'll have oiled up and ready. I think the operation of it was good. We just didn't execute at the highest level, and therefore let them kind of get in there and bat it down. So we'll get all oiled up on that."
(on if it was good getting the first sack over with) "I didn't want to get hit. I was moving around, and I just dove into a hole because the play was over at that point. So, I really didn't get touched today, the way I view it. I went back there, and it was a pretty clean 20-some plays."
(on his emotions going on to the field) "I was pretty much the same. There was probably a little bit of 'man, I haven't been out be here for a while.' But it was just excitement . It was fun to get back out there and feel part of the team again. You know, as much as you're still on the team [when] you're injured and you're on the sideline, you're not playing, it's really tough to feel part of the [team], to feel like you're in the group when you're not out there competing, so it was just fun to be back out there and doing my stuff."
(on how prepared he and the Ravens are for season opener) "We're almost there. We've got a couple more weeks to work. But really at this point, it's going to be specializing in Buffalo and just getting ready for them. We've put all the work in at this point; we've got to have confidence that we're ready to go."
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OLB Terrell Suggs
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(on what he felt about playing tonight) "I didn't want the first time I saw some real action to be on opening day. I definitely wanted to get in there and get back accustomed to the speed of the game, and my keys and seeing and reacting to what I'm used to reacting to. It was definitely a necessity for me to get out there."
(on seeing Joe Flacco and other injured players coming back) "It felt good. This team has a certain way that it is supposed to feel or how it's supposed to look, and it's starting to look like that. We had some more guys go down, but we've been prepared all training camp. It's all about the next man up, and we're going to do our best to make sure we can get all the guys back that were hurt and the guys that got hurt tonight."
(on his feelings on Ben Watson and the same injury Suggs had twice) "It's a horrible feeling. You know what I mean? When you work hard all offseason and you prepare to have a really good year, and you know, to lose it on an injury, especially an injury like that, it's heart-breaking. But it's not the end of the world, and you just start with the next day. You just kind of take your time, and you stack the good days."
(on how happy he was to see one of the first plays come to his side) "Oh, I was really happy. I needed to feel like a hit. I needed to get hit. I needed to get action at me. So it felt really good that they came right at me the first couple plays. So it felt really good."
(on watching former teammate Haloti Ngata in a Detroit uniform) "You try to watch football throughout the year. You watch your guys. He's my best friend. He's more like my brother. It was weird seeing him in another jersey in M&T, not playing on our sidelines. But that's just the nature of the game. We still love him. He'll always be a Raven for life. He's just wearing different colors right now, but we loved having him back, even if it was just for a couple of hours."
(on preseason games and how many he'd like to see) "I think it's 50-50. Any time you line up on a football field and risk getting hurt, it's out there. Truth be told, we need some of these games. … just maybe not four … maybe three, maybe two. But we do need some of them, but other than that, people getting hurt, it's very unfortunate, but we know it's part of the game."
(on what he saw from fellow OLB Matthew Judon that he liked) "Well, he gets on the passer. I think he got [a sack] in every game so far, so that's pretty good. When you can rush the passer by community, it makes you a pretty much deadly team, and we like that. We've all still got work to do, you know what I'm saying, so we're just going to continue to work and get better."
(on his play today) "I did all right. I did fair. Like I said, [I've] still got to knock some rust off. But like I said, it just felt really good to get back out there."
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OLB Matthew Judon
(on his performance tonight) "Me, I've got to play more physical in the run game. We've got to stop the run, first of all. We have to earn the right to get the pass rusher, but I made one play out there, and we've just got to keep flying to the ball."
(on Coach Harbaugh's comments that he's a gamer) "I don't know. I'd have to agree with him. He's the head man. He watches us play. He's pretty knowledgeable about this. He's been doing it for a long time. If I'm a gamer, let me continue to be a gamer. I've just got to step up my intensity in practice."
(on what the team needs to work on for the regular season) "We've just got to keep playing hard. We've just got to keep knowing the game plan and execute the game plan and continue to play hard as a team."
(on how important it was to get a win) "We are competitors. We don't ever want to lose in anything. If we continue to get wins and continue to stack them…we don't want any [losses] in that column."
(on what he needs to work on going into the season) "I'm going to let the coaches tell you that. My focus is what the coaches focus on. I just have to focus on getting better every day."
(on who stood out to him over the preseason) "I like what [WR] Chris Moore is doing. Unfortunately, he was a little banged up in the first preseason game, but I like what he's doing. I just like what everyone's doing out here. I love being part of this program and this organization. I couldn't single out one person."
CB Tavon Young
(on his performance and the team's performance as a whole) "I think as a team everyone performed great. Everyone is playing together. We started off fast like coach [defensive coordinator Dean] Pees wanted. For me, I thought I played solid. I could have worked on a couple of technique things."
(on how important it was for the team to get a win tonight) "Very important. We always want to get a win. Winning is always important."
(on what he's hoping to improve on heading into the regular season) "Just technique, that's it."
(on who has stood out to him in the preseason) "Matt Judon, Kenneth Dixon, Jeremy Butler. It is a lot of guys."
WR Mike Wallace
(on how confident he is going into Week 1 of the season) "I feel really good. My confidence is high. Everything is going well. Coach [offensive coordinator Marc] Trestman does a good job of setting us up to get us in the right place at the right time."
(on how important it was to get a win tonight) "Anytime you can get a win anytime you step out on the field, it's always important. You never want to go out – no matter if it's preseason or the spring – you never want to lose. If you want to lose, you shouldn't be out here. You're not a competitor. Guys want to win every single time you step on the field, no matter if it's preseason or regular season."
(on WR Jeremy Butler's performance) "He's a baller. He's been doing that since day one that I got here. He's a guy who is a competitor. He's so smooth out there. He's a great teammate."
(on what the team needs to work on going into the regular season) "We have a lot to work on. We didn't complete every pass; we didn't make every catch. We have a lot to clean up, but I like the direction that we're heading."
RB Justin Forsett
(on what he thought about the game tonight) "It was good. It was good to have [number] 'five' [Joe Flacco] out there with us. He is our leader, and being able to get some chemistry with other guys and receivers and everyone – being able to execute was great for us."
(on how he thought he played) "It was good. We treated this like a game week. We were playing and preparing for any type of blitz they could bring, and thank God we did, because they brought every blitz that we went over. It was good to get some practice on blitzes for the season, because I'm expecting a lot coming at me."
(on how much he wanted to win) "We definitely want to win. The more you win, the better camp it is. It has been good thus far."
(on trying to go 4-0 in the preseason) "It would be good. It's good for the young guys. You always remember your fourth preseason game as a rookie. It will be good to be able to cheer on and support those guys and play out there."
(on if there is anyone that stood out to him) "I love Jeremy Butler. He's making a lot of plays. He's being consistent. He has been fighting the last couple years being here, so I'm excited to see what the future brings for him."
(on what the team needs to improve going into the regular season) "We definitely want to run the ball better. We ended up getting some stuff going late, but we want to move faster in the run game, for sure."
QB Ryan Mallett
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(on tonight's game ) "I'm just trying to prepare for the season in case something happens. It was kind of like a simulation of that tonight. I think we got in there and executed well. I think we scored every time but once."
(on tonight being his best performance) "I felt sharp all three games. I don't know what the numbers show, but I feel like I know what's going on and I'm throwing to the right guy. I just have to continue to do that and execute the offense."
(on his comfort level) "I'm just trying to get better every day. That's how professional football is. You go in and watch the film and you try to correct the stuff that maybe is not as sharp as you want it to be. That's what I do every day—just trying to get better."
(on his touchdown pass to WR Jeremy Butler) "Jeremy ran a great route and I just tried to put it where only he could get it. He went out there and made a heck of a play."
(on his quarterback sneak touchdown) "It's never an easy thing, especially on the goal line. I don't know what took so long; I felt like I was halfway in so I was just waiting on the signal."
RB Terrance West
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(on getting ready for the season) "My mindset was just coming to work and being ready. I wanted to stay focused for the season and try to help this team win any way I can. I came in in shape, I lost about 13-15 pounds. I wanted to show the coaches I was serious about making this team."
(on his mental focus) "The mindset that I had when I walked-on at Towson that Spring. I was dialed in and I was focused. I knew what I had to do to get the opportunity and keep getting the opportunity."
(on the Ravens winning big tonight) "The thing about this locker room, everybody has their individual goals, but the first goal for everybody here is to win. We got the win, we're 3-0, I know it's preseason, but it's always good to win. You can go 0-4 in the preseason and that can rollover into the season, so we're on the right track right now. Everybody's getting healthy and everybody's getting back right now, so I'm excited."
(on if he is ready for the season) "I'm ready to go man, and help this team in any way. I'm physically and mentally there. I'm ready to go and get after it."
(on chemistry with his offensive line) "We're doing good. We've got a great offensive line, a great quarterback and great wide receivers. I love the offense. Everybody is holding each other accountable and we're all doing our job. We're going to be fine."
(on the injury to RB Kenneth Dixon) "It hurts seeing him go down because he's in our room every day. Everybody wants to play, but at the same time we care about each other. To see him go down, it hurts all of us."
(on if this is his strongest training camp) "I feel great. I'm healthy and I'm looking at this as a blessing – trying to take advantage of my opportunities."
(on losing TE Benjamin Watson and RB Kenneth Dixon) "The back-ups here are good. Our offense is stacked. In this locker room we are making the decisions for coaches to make hard. The back-ups are good, the third-stringers are good – that's what winning teams are about in this league."
G/T Alex Lewis
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(on this preseason) "I'm just going out there day-by-day stacking one play on top of another. Trying to do whatever they ask me to do. I'm going to keep my head down and keep grinding."
(on looking to the veterans for leadership) "Having guys like Marshal [Yanda] and Jeremy [Zuttah] and [Rick] Wagner, having those kinds of guys is irreplaceable. They're so knowledgeable and they understand defenses. Having them in there communicating, with you, makes the game easy."
(on the difference between college and the NFL) "It's all fundamental, fundamental, fundamental. It's being consistent in every fundamental. Whether it's pass-set, run-block, or defensive recognition—in the NFL it all comes down to the little things. That's what's going to make you successful."
(on the offense being successful tonight) "Every drive, you take it one drive at a time and one play at a time, so I'm really not too worried about it. I'm just focusing on that play and not trying to get too far ahead of myself."
DT Timmy Jernigan
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(on having a good performance in the third preseason game) "Most definitely, it's always good to win, whether it's preseason or regular season. That's always our goal – we work so hard, practice so hard just to win, so it's always good when it turns out the way we want it."
(on how concerned he is about the health of his teammates and if he feels the preseason lasts too long) "No, I don't think it goes too long at the end of the day. The coaches have that well under control about who's playing and how much we're playing. It's just a part of football that's unfortunate. I really have to pray for Ben [Watson] and whoever else went down. It's always crushing when guys get hurt."
(on how anxious he is for the season to get started) "I'm ready to play, man. That's when everybody turns it up another notch. We get to see where we're at as a football team, and then we'll see where my hard work has really gotten me to and really how far I've come."
(on having OLB Terrell Suggs back on the field) "Oh, most definitely, man. It's always nice to look to my right and see '55' beside me. Like I always say, he's like having another coach out there on the field with you. He's very communicative and he's a great teammate, so it's always great to have him out there with us."
DB/LB Anthony Levine Sr.
(on if the hybrid DB/LB position is something that is evolving in the NFL and if he's the perfect fit for that) "I have no idea about all that, about the hybrid positions going on in the NFL. I just go wherever my coaches need me to go, wherever my teammates need me to be at. I just take coaching and go play football."
(on how strange it is for him to move up towards the line and play a linebacker-type position) "It's not hard at all, it's not difficult. Just go out there and play football [and] take coaching. I'm blessed to have unbelievable coaches. They make my job easy. They coach me, I do it, I'm coachable. I take coaching and I go out there and play football."
(on blitzing from the linebacker position and almost causing a fumble today) "Again, I just go out there and I blitz off the edge. See ball, get ball; that's my mentality and that's how I play football."
(on where he thinks the defense is as a unit) "We tried to do what [defensive coordinator] coach [Dean] Pees preached, and he said come out with the defense and start fast. Play fast, start fast, get hit and try to get turnovers, and I think for most of it we did that. But we've still got to get better and we've got a lot of things to work on."
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TE Crockett Gillmore
(on what type of teammate Benjamin Watson has been) "Outstanding guy to be around, on and off the field. There are a lot of guys I've been around, and I've been really fortunate to have a lot of guys who can do everything and be great men as well as great football players, and he is just another one that I've had the gift of being able to work with. It's been a short time, and like I said, I hope he stays and I hope he continues to be a part of what we're doing here. He set the foundation in the ground this offseason for what we did, so we're looking forward to hopefully continuing that."
(on the importance of getting TEs Dennis Pitta and Maxx Williams back on the field soon) "They'll take care of their stuff – they always do. So, I'm not in any rush, I'm not freaking out. We've got Dan [Brown] and Darren [Waller] and Nick [Boyle], and those guys are going to be around, as well as 'Juice' [Kyle Juszczyk], that's a versatile guy that can do everything. So, we're not sweating. We've got a bunch of receivers, too. So, we'll make it work."
