BALTIMORE RAVENS
Head Coach John Harbaugh
(opening statement) "OK, good to see you guys here. I appreciate you being here. [It was a] great night, back to football with fans. [It was] a pretty good crowd. What was our number? Does anybody know? Nobody cares. (laughter) It was loud. It was loud, [and] it was great. They were into it. [It was] good to get the victory. [There are] a lot of things to work on; so many things to work on, [and] so many little things that can cost you games. We made some mistakes, so we'll go to work the next couple of days before we go to Carolina and try to clean all those issues up. [We'll] take a good hard look at the tape and just try to improve. [We'll] evaluate the guys and see where we go from there. What questions do you have?"
(on what he saw from QB Tyler Huntley and QB Trace McSorley) "I thought they both operated really well. Trace [McSorley], he was dealing with a little back spasm issue. So, I think that limited his ability to move around in the pocket and run around, but he made some good throws. Then Tyler [Huntley] came in and just played tremendous football. [He] made plays running and throwing. [He] just did a great job. He won us the game. We called him up – he broke the huddle at the end of the day, and it was great. Shaun Wade, another guy, a rookie who makes the play to get the interception to close them out when they're moving down the field there. It was a great play. To see those guys make plays like that was pretty fun."
(on the six defensive turnovers) "It's good to see. We caught the ones they threw to us. I think we punched a couple balls out. Even ... you think about the one that wasn't a turnover; Marcus [Peters], one of the first plays. They had the catch, and Marcus punched the ball out. That's what we work on in practice, and our guys take a lot of pride in that. The other thing is that we were running to the ball. Usually when you run to the ball, you have a chance to recover fumbles. Our guys did a great job of that."
(on how LB Patrick Queen and LB Malik Harrison played tonight) "Yes, I agree with you. They both played great. Pat [Queen] made … One series, he had two plays in a row. He went and got a screen, and then the other play, I can't remember what it was, but just two speed plays. He was a rocket going to get that, and that's how you expect him to play. He did a lot of good things. I didn't really see anything that was an issue. I'm sure there will be stuff from the tape, but I thought both those guys played very good."
(on an injury update on C/G Bradley Bozeman) "Brad [Bozeman] just had a pretty minor ankle sprain, it turned out, which was good news. Kristian Welch had a stinger. So, I think we got out of there in pretty good shape. Knock on wood, until tomorrow morning, when guys start coming back in."
(on what it was like to have fans back in the stands) "It was thrilling. It just felt like it was supposed to feel. It wasn't eerie like it had been last year." (Reporter: "That's a good word.") "Yes, it wasn't that; it was like it was supposed to be. It was great. Our fans are great. You could tell they were excited to be there. So, [I'm] looking forward to when they can tailgate again – that'll be a nice day."
(on if it's important that the offensive line plays a game together before the regular season or if practice suffices) "You just kind of have to do what you have to do. If we don't get them together because of circumstances, it's not like we're not going to play. I can't say we're not going to play, so it'll be what it is. Hopefully, we can get them out there for the last [preseason] game. There's a lot of time and a lot of circumstances between now and then. So, I think everybody … If you look at the Saints, they didn't have everyone out there, either. It's just the way it works in the NFL in training camp."
(on why RB Gus Edwards did not dress tonight) "Gus [Edwards] had a personal thing. When he comes back, I'll let him explain it to you. [It was] a family matter he had to attend to."
QB Trace McSorley
(on how it feels to be playing preseason football) "It felt pretty good just to get out and get back to playing games. Obviously, it was awesome going against different competition. We've got some things we need to clean up, so, we'll go back, study the tape and then get ready to come into practice to clean those things up before we get down to Carolina. But [we'll] just keep grinding, keep working to get better. That's the main thing. But it felt pretty good just, again, getting out there and playing a game tonight."
(on dealing with back spasms) "It's something that happened earlier today; it just started locking up on me before I got down to the stadium. So, we got it down, got with the doctors, trainers. I tried to loosen it up, get out there, and I tested it out. It felt pretty good to be able to go in and operate and do what I needed to do. So, I'm just going to keep working with them, and I feel pretty good right now. So, we'll just kind of keep trying to keep it loose and see where we go from there, but I'm feeling pretty good about it."
(on if his mobility was limited by the back spasms) "I mean, I felt it a little bit. I was just kind of tight throughout the entire game. Honestly, I was really just working through it, having to kind of press and grind through it. So, it sucked that it happened earlier today, but like I said, the trainers were great and were able to help get it loosened up enough that I could get out there and play today, so we'll just keep going with that."
(on the offensive struggles early) "Like you said, we couldn't get into that rhythm. Getting that first first down is so important, and once you get that, you can kind of get on a roll. We were able to see that once we got a few first downs, we were able to kind of use some of our tempo things and keep the ball moving downfield; that was the biggest thing. Early on, we just weren't able to get that first first down, and we weren't able to keep the chains moving to get the defense worn down. So, those are some of the main things that … We've just got to get into that rhythm [and] find a way. New Orleans had a great gameplan coming into it. They just didn't let guys get off the line early, and then pass rush was pretty good for them early. So, those are some of the things that they did well, so we've got to give them credit on that. And then we've just got to find a way to get into a rhythm, get that first first down and keep the chains moving."
(on if throwing a completion and taking a big hit got his "juices" flowing) "Yes, I took that one, and at that point, I was like, 'Alright.' My back held up, and I was fine. I was just ready to go. I like getting the first hit out. I obviously don't love getting hit like that, but I like getting the first hit out and then just kind of get into that flow of the game. So, like you said, we got that one going, and like you saw, once you get the first first down, we can kind of keep those chains moving, we can kind of get into a groove as an offense, and that's when we really start operating well."
QB Tyler Huntley
(on taking a hit that forced a fumble) "I've got to get down low a bit quicker. Yes, I've got to get down a little quicker."
(on how it felt to score a touchdown) "It was good. It would have felt better if we had [scored] a touchdown on the drive before, for sure, but it felt good to get in that end zone."
(on his teammates celebrating his touchdown) "Just joy. You're playing the game you love, for people [who are] your teammates, your friends, for them to cheer you on and everything, that's a good feeling to have. I feel like that just explains how the Ravens work – all of us together, and we all go for each other."
(on taking reps at practice and getting game experience) "[I'm] just taking the reps one play at a time, just trying to [get us] better opportunities of scoring. Playing the game of football, the more reps you get, the more you feel comfortable. I feel like all the training camp reps [and] this little half, it's just building on our camaraderie."
(on escaping pressure and making plays with his legs) "I'm just really trying to get another first down, so however we're going to get the first down, that's how we're going to get it. That's my focus. So, if it's me running, me throwing, me punting it, (laughter)we're going to get a first down."
(on if he thinks about competing for the second QB position with QB Trace McSorley) "Not when you're out there. I don't think about it – period. We're just playing football, and everything else is going to take care of itself. We're teammates; there isn't a competition – for real."
LB Patrick Queen
(on how much more comfortable he felt in a game scenario after a full offseason) "[I felt] way more comfortable. I could just feel it. Just way more relaxed [and] way more anxious for the play to happen. It was a lot of hard work that I put into it, so I'm happy."
(on if he feels even faster this season) "Yes, I feel like I'm going two steps faster now. It's just a lot of film work, a lot of dedication to the craft and to the sport. So, I feel way better."
(on how it felt to see LB Malik Harrison force a fumble and where he thinks the two of them together can go) "Yes, that play, it was crazy. The ball just popped out. I was happy for him, but I was so tired, I couldn't even move. So, I was happy for him. But it's going to be a great season. Like I said, Malik [Harrison] is my guy. We're always talking. We're always communicating on the field. So, I know what type of player he is, [and] I know what type of player he can be. He expects the same out of me, so it's going to be a nice season for us two."
(on if the team talked about the preseason win streak before the game) "No, we don't talk about that at all. We just show up and play. 'Harbs' [head coach John Harbaugh] hadn't mentioned anything about it. The other players hadn't said anything about it. We just show up and handle business – that's it."
(on how it felt to have fans in the stands) "It's way different from last year [with] no fans at all, and then we come into M&T Bank Stadium, and it's going crazy. You could feel the energy. When I got my sack and my tackle for a loss, I was like, 'Wow.' It's insane. It felt like [LSU's] Tiger Stadium, almost."
(on what brought out the excitement on the sideline) "It's just the energy. I don't know what it is with the fans being in there, but it's just a different vibe. The guys feel it. Everybody feels it. The fans are feeling it from us. So, it's just something that's going to work together all this season."
(on how validating it was to show he furthered his development) "It feels good. … I'm a person that likes to read what the critics say. I took to what they said, and I just went to work on it. I tried to get better, and I feel like I have a lot. So, I feel really good, like I said. It's a big season. There are a lot of expectations for me. So, I'm just trying to live up to them."
(on how his outlook has changed in the past year) "A lot. … You could say I'm young, but I realized a lot of stuff. You can say I matured a lot faster than most, but it's crazy, because when you're young, you kind of rush things, and you kind of stress. Just going through last season, I felt like I was pressing too hard sometimes, and it was just making me make mistakes. Going through that whole year and just having time off and realizing all that stuff, it's so much simpler now. It's so much more relaxed [and] just focused one play at a time, one day at a time, whatever it may be. I feel like I'm getting better at that, too."
(on if someone talked to him about needing to slow his game down) "Yes, [former LSU teammate and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer] Devin [White]. Like I said, that's my guy. We go way back. So, he called me after the season … Well, he called me during the season and told me then. But at the time, like I said, I'm young, so I really didn't realize. But after the season, he called me again and sat me down and told me. It kind of clicked then. My dad always told me the same thing, too. So, when I heard it from two people that I know really care about me, it clicked."
(on if it was a confidence boost to see his teammates around him doing well) "It's way better. I love to see my guys ball out. I don't have a hating bone in my body. So, I love all my guys."
(on why he likes to read what the critics say) "It's just … I don't have [any] hatred in my heart. If a critic says something, obviously they see something that I don't see, or they're pointing out something that needs to be pointed out. So, I like to read that stuff, [and] I like to take it as fuel. I remember at LSU, when I was getting criticized, I put it as my screensaver for a little while. It's just something I like."
(on if he put the Pro Football Focus rankings from last year as his screensaver) (laughter) "No. I've seen a couple of their tweets, but it's PFF, so ..."
WR Devin Duvernay
(on QB Tyler Huntley's game) "Electric, for sure. He's electric; he can run it, throw it, do things that Lamar [Jackson] can do as well. So, he's definitely electric and provided that boost."
(on his role in a receivers' group that is dealing with some injuries) "Just doing my part. I come locked in every day, every week, and I do my part and just continue to try to pave a role for myself."
DB Brandon Stephens
(on playing in his first NFL game) "Man, it was great. I just soaked it all in. I went out there early when I first got here, and I just sat on the field soaking everything in. It was good to just be out there with my boys, just grinding, but most importantly, getting this win."
(on the defensive effort) "The defense, we definitely did our thing. Geno [Stone] had two interceptions, Shaun [Wade] with the game-winning [interception] there in the fourth quarter. But it was good all around. Guys were flying to the ball, just showing effort and showing that we deserve to be Ravens. I was pleased with how we performed."
OLB Odafe Oweh
(on playing in his first NFL game) "It felt good. It was a big moment. I had to get the jitters out in the first few plays, but after that, it was just football. I was just trying to be active and play hard – I love it. It was a really good experience."
(on the defense forcing six turnovers and having a strong game) "Yes, the defense was everywhere; I think we had six takeaways. Geno [Stone] was everywhere, Ar'Darius [Washington], DeShon [Elliott], Brandon [Stephens] – just everywhere. There was havoc going everywhere. We'd like to get a few more sacks, but in terms of just being all over the field, I think we did that. It was really Ravens' defense."
(on running down field as a gunner on special teams) "I think it's just an opportunity to show my athleticism, show my speed and physicality. It was fun. Just running down the field and forcing them into a fair catch and everything, I just hope the next time, I get an opportunity to make a play. That was definitely fun, though, I love doing it."
RB Ty'Son Williams
(on getting a heavy workload on the offense) "It felt good. First time getting back in live action since I went down with my injury, so it just felt good to get back out there, and I had fun playing ball with the guys."
(on the offensive performance and building on this outing) "Yeah, I think we're keeping things kind of simple right now, but even with that, I feel like we still didn't have a problem moving the ball. Let's just continue to build, and hopefully we'll continue to create momentum on offense."
(on finally having some fans back in the stands) "That's huge. Having the fans out there brings so much energy, and that's huge. You can't replicate them being out there, so it was awesome."
S Geno Stone
(on the last time he's had two interceptions in a game) "High school – in high school. It probably was the second to last ever high school game, but I had three of them that game, so … (laughter).But yes, it felt good to get two."
(on how it felt being out there) "I'll take as many more as I can get. It was just fun being out there. It was probably my first real ball since college – playing defense. So, it felt good being back out there."
(on the value of this opportunity seeing how there was no preseason last year) "It definitely has helped a lot – especially OTAs. I didn't have OTAs last year, and I felt like this year, going into the spring, I took a really big leap, because the OTAs are really just for building the playbook and everything like that. And I felt like I grew a lot in that area. I learned my playbook, learned the positions, and I feel like it really helped me a lot today, and it's helped me all [training] camp. I feel like it's really a good thing for our young players to get, and I wish I had it last year, honestly."
(on re-signing with the Ravens) "It wasn't really unfinished business – it was really just me getting somewhere where I felt was best for me. Baltimore, when I first got here, it's a really special place. I can tell when I first walked into the building with the players, the head coach, and all the way up. Just definitely somewhere that I wanted to come back when I talked to my agent about it. I love this place, honestly.'"
(on securing two interceptions for the team that drafted him) "Honestly, I'm still trying to process it all. It was a great night for me, but at the same time, I can't just think about this night. I've got to think about next week, and the week after that. Not even next week – [but] tomorrow. I just want to get better each day. I felt like I got better today, but at the same time, I've got stuff to work on. You always have something to work on. I'm just ready to keep improving, get better working with these guys in the locker room. I got a lot of help from the DBs [defensive backs]. There's a lot of experience in that room."
