Head Coach Brandon Staley
(on the game getting away from them) "We got off to a really slow start against that team. I felt like we hung tough in that first half. We kind of switched the momentum a little bit towards the end of the first half. We weren't able to be consistent enough in all three phases today. They were able to take momentum of the game and run with it. Defensively, [the Ravens] played outstanding. [Ravens defensive coordinator Don] 'Wink' [Martindale] had a really good gameplan, and you have to give credit to their coaches. It felt like in special teams, they won the field position battle. I felt on offense they did enough when they needed to. We just weren't able to get control of the game, and you've got to give credit to Baltimore, because they definitely earned the win."
(on the Chargers' run defense performance) "That's really a good running team. When you factor in Lamar [Jackson] and what he brings to the game, it's just a really prolific rushing attack. I felt like at times we played well, and I thought, at times, we were a little uneven. We didn't give up any explosive runs in the game. Our edges were pretty secure. They really threatened your leverage with all the jet motion [and] all the different personnel groupings. We gave ourselves a chance in the game, but it wasn't a clean enough plan for our guys. I need to do a better job coaching to give us a chance to win."
(on QB Justin Herbert's performance) "In a game like that, where it gets away from you a little bit, I think you can tell a lot about your quarterback. I thought he was strong with the ball. I thought he took care of it. I really liked the pass he threw to Jared [Cook] on the interception. I thought it was really good ball location. I thought he was strong. All the pockets were tight. [There was] a lot of pressure, and I thought he hung tough. We need to do a better job playing around him. Those guys did a great job covering, and I feel like they had a good pressure plan. Justin hung tough and gave us a chance."
(on the fourth down not converting and would he do it again) "Yes, definitely. Just the way the game was going, the down and distance, all those ones we would definitely do again. [We] just didn't execute well. On that play, we had matchups, and we have to give credit to them. They won their matchups. We liked the play calls. It just didn't go our way today."
(on the offense seeming out of rhythm) "I thought they had a good gameplan. I felt like early in the game, we weren't able to get on schedule. I felt like we put ourselves into some third downs, where their packages really expressed itself. They're a fantastic third-down team. Just in terms of how they pressure, and who they're coming with. They've got a lot of good rushers and a lot of good blitzers. They come from a lot of different places. In that first half, we started off with three punts. Now we're driving, and then there was an interception. And on defense, we didn't give them enough possessions either. I feel like it was just one of those games where we were off in all three phases, and you've got to give credit to Baltimore, because they had a lot to do with it."
(on the second fourth down try and if it was desperation) "Not desperate. We like the down and distance and the matchup. We needed to get something going. That wasn't the entire motive, certainly part of it. They covered us up a couple times, and we were just a little bit off. But like I said, give credit to them because they earned it."
(on allowing the 47-yard kickoff return to start the second half) "You don't want to defend that quarterback on a short field. You don't want to defend that kicker on a short field. Our coverage units were not good enough today. They've got an outstanding special teams unit. They've done a really good job of building their team. You can tell a big part of that team building process in the way John [Harbaugh] and Ozzie [Newsome] and Eric [DeCosta] do it, because they have a fantastic core of special teams players. I think we learned a lot today about where we need to go, because you can't defend them on a short field. It's hard enough trying to defend them when you're on the long field. I feel like our defense did a really good job after the first quarter of hanging in there. Second quarter and then the third quarter, I feel like after those first two drives, I feel like we played good enough defense because that's a really good offensive team. But again, we have to do a better job defensively with our guys giving them a better plan in all three phases. But I don't want to take anything away from Baltimore because they are fantastic. Coming off that win on Monday, short week, they were ready to play and they earned the win today."
(on the outcome of today's game) "I think we lost to a really good team today. I think that is a perennial division champion, perennial playoff team that has been to the playoffs 13 out of 14 years with John [Harbaugh] as a head coach. They won a Super Bowl. This is a championship caliber team, an MVP quarterback. I think we lost to a good team today on the field. I think that's what happened today. They outplayed us and outcoached us today, But I know we played six really good teams and we beat four really good teams and we lost to two really good teams, and that's what I told our team. I think that's what the truth is. I think where we need to go is we need to learn from this, because there's plenty in this game we need to learn from. I think the bye comes at a good time for us to get rested and get back and be ready to go against a really good New England team."
QB Justin Herbert
(on how he thought the game went) "We just didn't execute; we didn't go out there, and we didn't move the way we needed to. I thought [our] defense came up with some big stops. They had some turnovers, but it was on us because we didn't execute."
(on what was challenging on what the Ravens did with their gameplan) "Yeah, they do a lot of good things on defense. We got outplayed today. We didn't execute the way we wanted. We didn't move the ball. We didn't convert on third down. I had that one turnover. You can't expect to turn the ball over, not move the ball like that and expect to win."
(on his interception) "You know, it's one of those balls that you are going to have to watch and look at the film. I thought the defender made a good play on it. I have to be smarter and keep going through my reads and find the completion instead of forcing it down the field. But, I thought the defender made a good play on it."
(on the pressures and blitzes the Ravens were running) "Yeah, I think we need to execute better. We needed to communicate better. We need to address those pressures. We need to do better overall. We didn't handle it well. We didn't handle the pressure. We didn't handle the coverages they played. It was on us to execute better."
(on if the Ravens surprised the Chargers' offense by the looks and coverages they gave them) "Yeah, it was a lot of looks that we didn't see on film and stuff they constructed for us. They did a great job at disguising their looks; bringing pressure from one way and hiding from another. It was looks they hadn't shown all season and stuff that you know we have to be better at to adjust to during the game. But, you know, they played a great game."
S Derwin James Jr.
(on the defense's performance over the last two weeks) "I think we improved somewhat today, but those two scores they got at the beginning of the game really told the story. And their first-down offense was a big difference putting them in second-and-2s and third-and-2s. I feel like we could have been better there. Overall, there were some highs, but I think we could have been better."
(on Baltimore jumping out to an early lead) "I think everything was about that today. They came out, got two quick touchdowns and kind of caught everybody off guard. Not that we weren't prepared, but I just feel like, eventually, we settled in. But we just have to be better from the start, get a turnover, get a three-and-out and make a play."
(on the challenge of facing Jackson) "Lamar was great today. I feel like he made the plays he needed, got the first downs he needed to keep their offense on the field and to keep us on the field. On defense, we can be better. We did a great job of keeping the ball in front of us, but we have to be better on the runs [and] be better at the line of scrimmage."
(on his coverage on Mark Andrews' touchdown reception) "We were in our regular zone coverage. So, nothing special there, but I have to be aware. I've got to know where he is. He is a really dynamic player."
LB Kyzir White
(on why he thought the Ravens started so fast) "I think they had a good gameplan. You can never use that as an excuse. You just have to go out there and battle, be on our keys and try to find a way to get a stop. We just didn't do that today."
(on why they struggled to defend the run) "It's just the little things, man. It's nothing major. We just have to clean up the little things, just clean up the run fits, [and] know where everyone is fitting at, each and every play. We can't take a play off. This is the National Football League. They are going to hit seams [and] make things happen if we are not on our keys and playing disciplined football. So, we will get better."
(on playing against Jackson) "Yes, he is really dynamic. You feel like you've got him [bottled] up, [and] he'll get out of there. He is a 4.4-guy, so he is fast. So, it was just another element to the game that is an advantage for them."
(on his first interception, and if he was surprised Jackson threw it directly at him) "Yes, I thought I was going to drop it, to be honest, because it was just so clean. But I'm glad he threw it."
