Here's what the Cincinnati Bengals said after their 19-17 loss at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 5:
Head Coach Zac Taylor
(on how the game played out) "It's a tough game. That's the way these AFC North games are going to be, especially on the road in these types of atmospheres. I'm really proud with the way the guys fought. I thought the defense played well from start to finish. Obviously, we'd like to get a stop on the last drive. They did a really good job against a really explosive, tough offense. The offense gave them the three points to start the second half with the turnover, and then they did a good job holding them, and they kicked the long field goal. The defense fought, and the offense found a rhythm. We had the turnover on the first play and then two possessions in the second half, which goes to show you how quickly these games can go when you're facing a team that can eat up a clock like that. We ate up the clock, too, with long drives. So, it's tough. We've lost three games now on the last play of the game, that's what I told the guys. We just have to keep taking our shots, and these things have a way of balancing out, and we are going to get some of these wins in these situations."
(on the thinking of the four plays at the goal line) "It's a really tough structure of the front. So, we feel good about some of the stuff we called. Obviously, it didn't work. We took a sack on a specialty play, and then it didn't quite go how we wanted to on the shovel [pass] on the fourth-down play. I felt comfortable with our package going in. When it doesn't work, you wish you did something different."
(on how he balances the decision whether to go for it or kick on the fourth down) "We felt good from the two [-yard line], maybe any further we would have just kicked it there. We felt comfortable with what we had called. Obviously, it didn't work out. I'm not going to say in hindsight you'd do it differently. Obviously, we see that that play didn't work. You would run a different play. The way that we managed the situation, I thought we would go up 17-13 right there. Our defense is playing real good and keeping them out of the end zone, except for the one that they had, and we would find a way to get a win."
(on why the offense couldn't start fast tonight) "We just couldn't get that first, first down. We got a first down on the first play of the game, and then we probably went three straight three-and-outs if you want to continue to count that drive. Again, it was just finding a rhythm on the first two plays. It wasn't necessarily a feeling-out process. We just couldn't find a rhythm, and once we got that first, first down, really the remainder of the game we moved the ball exactly how we wanted to. Again, we just didn't start as fast as we wanted to."
(on the interception and what QB Joe Burrow saw) "I think Patrick [Queen] just made a good play on the ball really to be honest with you. It looked like the window was going to be there. He fell back into it and made a good pick from my vantage point on the sideline. We'll look at the tape and see what else could have happened. I thought he was on time with the throw. I thought the linebacker made a good play, and we'll assess it once we watch more video."
(on the Baltimore Ravens defense being stubborn with the two deep) "Obviously, they didn't want to give up the explosive play. So, it gets to the point where we have to take what we can get. I thought we moved the ball really well. The turnover was at one possession. But, really our last four possessions all potentially ended in points all inside the tight red zone."
(on if the Baltimore Ravens dictated their offense) "Uh, yeah. We wanted to be smart about it and be efficient with our play calls."
QB Joe Burrow
(on the Ravens' run defense) "They did a really good job. They were playing soft. We got the running game going in the second half against that soft zone, which we weren't able to quite get it going in the first half. They did a good job."
(on the Ravens defending the "Philly Special" and "Shovel Pass" in the fourth quarter) "They played them well. It's tough to say until you watch the film. We'll go back and look at it."
(on the long drives needed to score absent big plays) "Yeah, it had to be that way. They were taking away all of our deep shots. Even when they were playing man, they were playing pretty soft, high hip, I thought for the most part. They did a good job of making us check it down and making us have these long 12 – 15 play drives."
(on making the decision to check it down versus go for an explosive play) "It just depends what the defense is giving us. If teams are going to play us like that, then that's what we have to do. There's just nothing down the field if teams are going to play us like they did today."
(on the play of TE Hayden Hurst) "He just continues to make plays for us. He's getting better and better each week, understanding his role. We threw him a couple of one-on-ones today. That was exciting to see him go make those plays."
S Vonn Bell
(on his interception) "It was in the call. We knew they were going to try to get speed on the safety, and I saw him throw the ball, and I made a play on the ball. So, putting myself in the best position for the team to win, go out there and make plays for one another and just go out there and let it loose."
(on if he felt like the Bengals had a good gameplan for Lamar Jackson) "Yeah, for sure, we knew it was going to run between [Lamar Jackson] and [No.] 89 [Mark Andrews]. But towards the end of the game, the fourth quarter, [Jackson] started running the ball more, and he started making plays. Like I said, we've just got to be better."
DE Trey Hendrickson
(on how he thinks the defense contained QB Lamar Jackson) "You know, any time you play a guy that's won the MVP, very elusive and also a prolific passer, that comes with a lot of threats. We didn't contain them as well as we should have. Obviously, again going towards what it means to lose in the NFL. But you know, there's a lot of film out there. We're definitely going to see them again."
(on what he saw from T Ronnie Stanley making his return) "Nothing but respect for him and the adversities that you know injuries come with. I don't think it's easy to play left tackle at a high level in this league, and he's done that for a multitude of years. To see him come back and play strong and stout, like I said, nothing but respect for him."
TE Hayden Hurst
(on the emotions of coming back to Baltimore) "Yeah, you know, I try not to think about stuff too far in the future, but you know when we pulled up in the busses, obviously it was just kind of a weird feeling driving past the Ravens parking lot and coming down here. Definitely strange, you know, walking out there and being on the opposite sideline. But it was cool seeing all the other guys and all the coaches and stuff like that."
RB Joe Mixon
(on why the offense didn't have as much success compared to their last two games against the Ravens) "Sometimes, they come out in different looks. Sometimes, they come out in un-scouted looks, and you've got to adjust. And at the end of the day, when it came down to it, they made one more play than we did."
LB Logan Wilson
(on facing the Ravens' offense) "I felt like we did a good job. They're just such a complex offense to defend. We'll look at that film and see what we did good, and see what we need to work on. But at the end of the day, we didn't get the win, and that's the most important thing."
(on losing to a division opponent) "You always expect them to be close. These are big games we need to win. Like I said, we lost, and we need to learn from it. It's a long season."
