Head Coach John Harbaugh
Opening statement: "Can you guys see the fog in these glasses here? (laughter) We got good practices in for preparation for Tuesday, which is a big plus for us. We appreciate the opportunity to practice. Sometimes you don't realize how much something means to you until it's taken away. I know our guys feel that way. I know there are going to be questions about the guys who are coming off the COVID-19 list, whether they'll play or not. As we said before, it's a medical decision – OK? It's really premature for me to comment on any of that at this point; I don't know until the medical decisions are made finally. Evaluations have to take place with those guys as we go, even post-practice. The other thing is that we don't talk about who comes off of the list, ever, until the transactions are official on the NFL wire. That's our policy [and] always has been. I know that you have questions about that stuff, but we're going to stick with our policies on that. OK, what questions do you have?"
Because we weren't able to watch any practice, can you at least say if QB Lamar Jackson practiced at all today? (Jamison Hensley) "I'm not commenting on any of it. I'm not; I'm just going to stick with our policy on that."
Were you pretty happy with the crispness of the practice with the players being sort of laid off for so long? (Todd Karpovich) "Yes, I was. You guys were out there yesterday. You saw the practice yesterday – we had to deal with the wind yesterday. It was cold; it's going to be cold in the game. It's not going to be as windy as it was yesterday. But you guys saw that practice, and that practice was crisp. Today's practice, even though it was indoors, we didn't get the cold. I just didn't want to deal with that wind today. It's not going to be that windy in the game, so it just wasn't worth it to go out there and fight the wind. I wanted to have a more appropriate practice; we had the doors open to try to get the temperature approximated. But we had a good, sharp practice. The guys were into it [and] had a lot of energy. It was a good practice."
How ready are you to go with QB Trace McSorley? (Ximena Lugo-Latorre) "Very ready. Trace [McSorley] has had an excellent week of practice. He had an excellent day of practice before he played against Pittsburgh. (laughter) So, [he's had] much more now. Trace has done a good job since he's been here. We're ready for whatever circumstance we get, in terms of our situation coming off the COVID-19 list, we'll be prepared for – and that goes for every position."
Is that difficult to know? Or do you know and you're just not letting us know, in terms of planning to prepare for a game that's a couple of days away? (Jerry Coleman) "It doesn't really matter what the difficulty level is; I don't know. I don't know until the doctors make their decisions." (Reporter: "Is it something you're able to use, with all due respect, in a tactical way in any fashion?") "Of course. That's just a by-product of the situation. It is what it is."
I wanted to get your thoughts on how DE Calais Campbell and DT Brandon Williams have looked the last couple of days, and your prospects on getting them back after a few weeks? (Luke Jones) "I'm very hopeful. Calais [Campbell] is coming off the COVID-19 list, so that'll be the doctor's decision from that standpoint, as well as the calf – those two things. Brandon was only on there … He never tested positive, so his will be strictly based on the high-ankle sprain that he had. So, they practiced to a degree, and those decisions will get made here between now and [Tuesday]."
In last week's game, G D.J. Fluker and G/T Tyre Phillips both played a decent amount at right tackle. Was that because of D.J. having back spasms, as noted on the injury report, or was that sort of a pre-determined plan to give Tyre Phillips some work there? (Aaron Kasinitz) "It was a pre-determined plan to build Tyre [Phillips] back in. And then, also, the by-product of that – it's usually never one thing – was [D.J. Fluker] did have the back spasms the day before. So, I think it helped in that sense. So, it was both."
Once the players are medically cleared, do they show up at practice after a period of time? I'm just trying to get a feel for how that whole process works. Or when they're cleared for practice, are they pretty much good to go? (Jeff Zrebiec) "I don't think so. They have to go out there and do whatever they can do physically and see how they respond to it. There are a number of tests that are done. Gosh, I wish I could tell you what all the tests are. I really haven't studied it – but I know there's a test on the heart, cardiovascular, things like that [and] other tests, I'm sure. But you have to see how they respond to the physical activity, as well. So, that's just part of it." (Reporter: "I ask, because I heard on TV talking about some three-day ramp up after they're allowed back in the building. I didn't know if that was accurate.") "I don't know. I haven't heard about that. I'm not sure about that."
