Speaker 1: Welcome to the Ravens Press Past podcast. It is Wednesday,
Speaker 1: September eleventh. The Ravens are preparing for Sunday's home opener
Speaker 1: against the Las Vegas Raiders. After practice today we had
Speaker 1: a chance to hear from head coach and John Harbaugh.
Speaker 2: Okay, appreciate everybody being here. Good practice, good tough day,
Speaker 2: trying to get better every day.
Speaker 3: It's what we're working.
Speaker 2: On the On the anniversary of nine to eleven, twenty
Speaker 2: third anniversary I believe of nine and eleven, I just
Speaker 2: want to thank all the first responders, all the military,
Speaker 2: the families who are involved with nine to eleven who
Speaker 2: lost loved ones that day and since, which is many, many, many,
Speaker 2: many thousands of people. I want to let them know
Speaker 2: we're thinking about them and we haven't forgotten them. When
Speaker 2: I was growing up, when I was in my early twenties,
Speaker 2: I really didn't remember sassion of John F.
Speaker 3: Kennedy.
Speaker 2: My mom and dad were big, big Jack and Jackie
Speaker 2: Kennedy fans that we grew up thinking that the Kennedy's
Speaker 2: were everything. You know, they were it, and they would
Speaker 2: talk about where they were that day when Jack Kennedy
Speaker 2: was assassinated in Dallas, visited the Book Depository and saw
Speaker 2: how close it was, saw the whole thing, you know
Speaker 2: on the tour when you do the tour at the
Speaker 2: National Museum there, and learned about it because I'd heard
Speaker 2: about it, and I realized a lot of our guys
Speaker 2: in the early twenties are the same.
Speaker 3: They weren't they weren't they were kids, or.
Speaker 2: They weren't born some of them, and for them, it's
Speaker 2: kind of the same kind of a memory. So to
Speaker 2: keep that memory alive is so important. It means so
Speaker 2: much to our country, to our history. And I mean,
Speaker 2: I was we were game planning, getting ready for the
Speaker 2: Giants on a Tuesday morning, and Carol Cullen, who worked
Speaker 2: with our staff, came in to turn on the TV.
Speaker 2: Turned the TV and I see smoke coming out of
Speaker 2: a building. It looks like maybe a little plane hit
Speaker 2: the building. Maybe it was just a little some kind
Speaker 2: of plane hit a building. There, watching and watching, I'm
Speaker 2: watching it. Twenty minutes later, all of a sudden, slow motion,
Speaker 2: it seemed like this huge plane flies into the second tower,
Speaker 2: and I mean, you're just like, what did what did?
Speaker 2: What did I just see? And then from there on,
Speaker 2: you know, it was. It was chaos. Sean Lendetta was
Speaker 2: down there. He was our punter. He was down there
Speaker 2: that day. Uh in Manhattan.
Speaker 3: It was a player's day off.
Speaker 2: He talks about running from the tower area, running, buying
Speaker 2: himself a bike and pedaling away so he could get
Speaker 2: get off Manhattan as fast as he could. It's just
Speaker 2: one of those days that's kind of seared in a memory.
Speaker 3: So try to remember that.
Speaker 2: And for all those involved, and for all the first
Speaker 2: responders now who, and all the military people now who,
Speaker 2: and the police and the firemen and the medical who
Speaker 2: do so much force, just please just thank them when
Speaker 2: you see them, Just thank them for what they do.
Speaker 2: Great sacrifices are made and they risk their lives every
Speaker 2: single day.
Speaker 3: Okay with that, what question do you have, John?
Speaker 4: I know you did an extra a few days, being
Speaker 4: that Thursday, even in the season. Is that beneficial having
Speaker 4: therese a couple of extra days going into two week?
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, I don't know.
Speaker 2: It's can be and maybe in other ways you get
Speaker 2: you can imagine where it couldn't be. So it just
Speaker 2: kind of speculation. It just depends on how we handle
Speaker 2: it and how we come out and play. That'll be
Speaker 2: indicative of whether it was good for us or not.
Speaker 4: What do you expect from the Raiders and the preparation
Speaker 4: being to face them on the BOK to video.
Speaker 2: We expect a very good football team. It's a very
Speaker 2: physical football team, hard playing team, tough team, lots of speed,
Speaker 2: you know, a dominant, dominant defensive front four front seven, aggressive,
Speaker 2: fast secondary who you break on the ball and tackle
Speaker 2: very well. Just a really good defense. And then offensively,
Speaker 2: a big, physical offensive line, talented receiving core, an elite
Speaker 2: receiving core across the board, tight ends, wide receivers. Of course,
Speaker 2: you know who their guys are and they're great players.
Speaker 2: And then we've played We played Gardner Mitchew before and
Speaker 2: he's beaten us before, so we have all the respect
Speaker 2: in the world for him as a quarterback.
Speaker 3: We know how talented and good he is.
Speaker 2: So we're looking forward to the challenge and it will
Speaker 2: be quite a challenge.
Speaker 5: Obviously, Lamar is back practice then ready to go.
Speaker 3: Devin said, you know, one.
Speaker 6: Hundred yards and the Browns put some shoulders into some people.
Speaker 5: Are you comfortable with that level of fascality for more
Speaker 5: and running them all acros the season?
Speaker 2: I'm comfortable with physical football team across the board, whatever
Speaker 2: it takes, and given situations to try to find a
Speaker 2: way to make a play and win the game. Every
Speaker 2: single one of our guys competing at the highest level
Speaker 2: UH to UH to do whatever they can to to
Speaker 2: play their best football, put our best foot forward, and
Speaker 2: try to try to win a play, win a series,
Speaker 2: win a game.
Speaker 3: That's what that's what we're all here for.
Speaker 7: There is there a fine line though, between.
Speaker 2: That and also the more we don't live in that
Speaker 2: world of fine lines. I mean, we live in the
Speaker 2: world of competing, going out there and doing the best
Speaker 2: you can. You know, there's no lines being drawn. The
Speaker 2: only lines that we have the lines on the field,
Speaker 2: you know, the sidelines, the goal line, the back end line. Okay,
Speaker 2: that was a big one. That was a big line.
Speaker 2: It was really important in this game. Those other fine
Speaker 2: lines you're talking about, I'm not even aware of those.
Speaker 2: I don't know what those are.
Speaker 6: You aware?
Speaker 8: A coach of Kyle Bennoid, it was big are critical
Speaker 8: of what happened in Kansas City with a lack of
Speaker 8: medical attention that he received, But did you hear from
Speaker 8: him about that? Because he voiced his displeasure.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he hasn't talked to me about that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2: That's not something I've talked to I didn't hear the
Speaker 2: quote comments at all.
Speaker 3: They were sent to me.
Speaker 2: I read him, and that's about as far as I
Speaker 2: can get out. And I don't know what happened or
Speaker 2: didn't happen. Have respect for everybody involved, Have respect for
Speaker 2: the medical people everywhere in the league. Of course our place,
Speaker 2: Kansas City, every place in the league. Have respect for
Speaker 2: all of them. Have respect autmost respectful the players, certainly
Speaker 2: Kyle Van No. I mean, you know, he's he's my guy.
Speaker 2: You know, I love him, And this is one of
Speaker 2: these guys that competes and fights and does everything he
Speaker 2: can to be the best player he can. So you
Speaker 2: know that's something that that's just you know, that's That's
Speaker 2: not what I'm gonna be involved with.
Speaker 9: John.
Speaker 10: How much can you take away sad faced gardener last year?
Speaker 10: But it was with a different team, different systems, So
Speaker 10: what's the value? And there is there a lot of
Speaker 10: value in studying what he did last year, orses you
Speaker 10: guys or is it not all that relevant? No?
Speaker 2: I think it's valuant, sure, because they'd probably watch that tape,
Speaker 2: and you know there's some things they can take from
Speaker 2: it and use in this game.
Speaker 3: I'm sure they'll they'll think about doing that.
Speaker 7: Big game a get you guys.
Speaker 3: Last time you played twenty twenty one?
Speaker 7: Sure of the game rerecord?
Speaker 11: How do you how do you account for himpt defense?
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's a game rerecord, no doubt about it. One
Speaker 2: of the one of the best players in football, A
Speaker 2: very unpredictable player because of his high level of energy.
Speaker 2: I mean, he brings it every single play, plays almost
Speaker 2: every snap. He's upfield, he's underneath, he's India's he's back
Speaker 2: around the backside, he's he's a spinning you know, he's
Speaker 2: he's knocking your hands off. Uh, he's he's running to
Speaker 2: the ball. He's just a he's just a game record
Speaker 2: to you. To use that word, I think is exactly
Speaker 2: the right word. So we're gonna have to do everything
Speaker 2: we can. But you know, you can't. You can't, you know,
Speaker 2: can't put eleven guys on one guy. You know you've
Speaker 2: got to handle all eleven of their guys as well.
Speaker 2: So we're gonna have to do a great job with
Speaker 2: their whole defense. And and definitely he's the guy you
Speaker 2: put the dot on and understand he's he's the top
Speaker 2: guy that you need to look out for.
Speaker 6: John who thinks a champ ass year. How do you
Speaker 6: think Trenton Simpson did in his first start? And now
Speaker 6: what kind of go through you're looking from in week
Speaker 6: one to week two?
Speaker 2: Thought Trenton played well, flew around, played good football, did
Speaker 2: a lot of things right, for sure, And I think
Speaker 2: he's gonna build on that. You know, for sure, he'll
Speaker 2: build on that and keep growing as a player out
Speaker 2: here in practice today he did some good things, but
Speaker 2: he did a couple of things that work great, you know,
Speaker 2: and we're coaching off those things too, just like every player,
Speaker 2: you know, So we just try to build everybody up
Speaker 2: as much as they can. Trenton would be the same.
Speaker 2: Young guys should make progress, for sure, and that's what
Speaker 2: we're hoping for.
Speaker 7: Johnson's the twenty twenty two season of Justin Tucker's ten
Speaker 7: twenty fifty plus. Among those ten misses, four of them
Speaker 7: field goal blocks. Is there any concern with the special
Speaker 7: teams unit with distance kicking in particular about that?
Speaker 2: No, I just want to make the next kick. That's
Speaker 2: what we trying to do make the next kick, protect
Speaker 2: the next kick, get a good snap, get a good hold,
Speaker 2: get a good kick. They're definitely it's definitely one at
Speaker 2: a time type of a process.
Speaker 7: You know.
Speaker 2: You can't you can't say anything. You can't be living
Speaker 2: in the past. You can't be living in the future.
Speaker 2: I mean, he can't even be living in whether the
Speaker 2: kick's gonna go through the upright so or not. If
Speaker 2: you're the kicker, if you ask justin he'll tell you
Speaker 2: it's a process thing. You know, it's a processing You
Speaker 2: try to do everything right that play and uh and
Speaker 2: and make a good kick, you know, and if you
Speaker 2: make a good kick, you have the best opportunity to
Speaker 2: make the kick through the uprights. And that's what all
Speaker 2: of our eleven guys out there on that play try
Speaker 2: to do.
Speaker 4: John, is that a new T shirt with the assaultant light?
Speaker 4: It is?
Speaker 10: It?
Speaker 4: Is? Any explanation one?
Speaker 3: Well, I think this probably tells an one.
Speaker 11: Has nothing to do with your hair.
Speaker 3: That's a good one. That's a good one.
Speaker 11: I like that, John, Isa, get back out here today.
Speaker 11: Just how much does that helping? Where's he atter?
Speaker 3: Progress is? Obviously?
Speaker 2: Well, it'll help a lot when we get him back
Speaker 2: out there. I think it's making good progress. Seems like
Speaker 2: he's uh. Getting getting him out there to practice today
Speaker 2: was big And we'll see how I respond tomorrow and
Speaker 2: hopefully we can build him in here as we go.
Speaker 1: We also heard from quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 4: Lamar, as you know, we can tell I did you
Speaker 4: developed you how you can improve and how you've been
Speaker 4: improved as a passer. Uh but on a day where
Speaker 4: you're you know, running sixteen times for a hundred point
Speaker 4: two yards, do you feel that you've even made improvements
Speaker 4: as a runner as well?
Speaker 3: And?
Speaker 2: Uh?
Speaker 12: I remember camp, you guys aksing me like what do
Speaker 12: I wanna improve on? I'll tell you everything. So it's
Speaker 12: in every time I'm out the NFL on that field,
Speaker 12: tryna improve with everything I do.
Speaker 3: So I guess so, uh were you just?
Speaker 13: Were you just?
Speaker 11: I'm about to just a little bang up and sword
Speaker 11: from when guy came.
Speaker 3: In there in a game. Nah, I was good.
Speaker 1: I was good.
Speaker 3: You know, I just took a day off.
Speaker 2: So you mar what motivats are the most to finally
Speaker 2: play at home opener at the fens?
Speaker 3: Uh you sits at home time?
Speaker 14: Dave h oh multi what what motivator are the most
Speaker 14: to play at home opener.
Speaker 12: Uh, just been in front of our crowd, you know,
Speaker 12: in in front of our environment, uh, knowing the fans
Speaker 12: get to experience us, you know in that in that stadium.
Speaker 14: Uh.
Speaker 12: And I believe we got some little diition going on
Speaker 12: at the stadium. So that' that'll be dope for the
Speaker 12: for the cur for the fans.
Speaker 8: Uh.
Speaker 12: But I'm looking forward to it, man, and I believe
Speaker 12: everyone wanna see us, especially at home.
Speaker 5: Sorry of that first drive against Kansas City of Derrick
Speaker 5: Henry which was type of the first touchdowns and great building.
Speaker 5: How's that relationship.
Speaker 7: Between you get your relevance and what what do you see?
Speaker 5: Kind of fort coloreds to season?
Speaker 3: Paid allays. Uh, I believe our relationship is going very well.
Speaker 12: It's it's one of the first game of the season,
Speaker 12: and uh, I believe it'll get even better, you know
Speaker 12: as the games go on and as we keep playing
Speaker 12: on the season.
Speaker 10: Sure, Mari's running the ball sixteen times, like if you
Speaker 10: have to do it every week?
Speaker 3: Would that is that sustainable?
Speaker 13: Do you think?
Speaker 10: Uh?
Speaker 3: I don't know.
Speaker 12: I'm not trying to find out, but uh, you know,
Speaker 12: we got Derreck Henry got just to see those guys.
Speaker 12: But you know, I'm I'm gonna do whatever it taste
Speaker 12: to win. And in that type of game, sometimes you
Speaker 12: gotta do what you gotta do.
Speaker 2: More John along those lines, John's just talk about it
Speaker 2: be competitive on every player. There was a player near
Speaker 2: the boundary and rather than go out of bounds, they
Speaker 2: play the lower shot barreled duty.
Speaker 3: We could through your head in that moment.
Speaker 12: Nah, I'm I'm playing football. I'm just playing football. Nothing
Speaker 12: really going through my head at that time. You know,
Speaker 12: it was I didn't wanna get hit. You know, I'm
Speaker 12: going on the side line. I think I got hit
Speaker 12: like that before going on the sideline and about to
Speaker 12: step out, somebody hit me.
Speaker 3: So it was like, I'd rather hit you before you
Speaker 3: hit me. So that's all. That was why you've been lauded.
Speaker 7: Brofore you're from being able to evade the big hits. Yeah,
Speaker 7: if you run a lot, but you can tend to
Speaker 7: afford the defensive. But you were initiating not only on
Speaker 7: that play, but more contact than contact than maybe maybe usually.
Speaker 6: Was this just a competitive spirit thing?
Speaker 5: Was this a specific thing.
Speaker 4: Or what was going on?
Speaker 12: H the competitive spirit and sometimes you know, when I
Speaker 12: be on the ground, I already be following. Those guys
Speaker 12: still be hitting me, and I don't get those calls.
Speaker 3: I don't know why. But we gonna look into that,
Speaker 3: you know, gonna look into that.
Speaker 4: The more we thought the all off season and fout
Speaker 4: you losing weight and your every you know all the time.
Speaker 4: How how did it feel out there in your first game?
Speaker 12: I felt great, Jamison. Uh, I'm not gonna lie to you.
Speaker 12: I I believe someone was like, I don't like his weight.
Speaker 12: You know, he lost weight, and I don't know how
Speaker 12: he'll look out there, and you know those guys are huge,
Speaker 12: and I'm like, at the end of the day, I'm
Speaker 12: a grown man too, just like those guys. So I
Speaker 12: feel pretty good. Came out the game pretty good. We
Speaker 12: gonna keep it going. R.
Speaker 11: I'mr with Isaiah. You know he's got me spend here
Speaker 11: a few years. You guys had a connection. You remember
Speaker 11: kind of the first time that he sort of wowed you.
Speaker 11: I guess, I mean, obviously a great game once Kana City.
Speaker 11: U you remember the maybe the Firs the first time,
Speaker 11: sort of?
Speaker 8: Uh?
Speaker 10: Was it?
Speaker 7: Uh?
Speaker 12: I think I always say this, like the Buccaneers game
Speaker 12: I think Mark was down and that was his first game,
Speaker 12: and he he showed off.
Speaker 3: Uh, I mean he showed out.
Speaker 12: He he did what he was you know what he's
Speaker 12: his job is to do, you know, step down and
Speaker 12: the first guy's down, he stepped up, you know. And
Speaker 12: that's pretty much what he was doing. Because they was
Speaker 12: double the Mark all game, Like every time we played him.
Speaker 12: They got like a thing for eighty nine, Like they
Speaker 12: don't want eighty nine to do anything. But eighty nine
Speaker 12: is doing his part, you know, cause he getting other
Speaker 12: guys over and that's the biggest thing, you know.
Speaker 3: Uh, and likely took advantage of it.
Speaker 10: A Raiders a couple of years ago. Max Crosby had
Speaker 10: a big game against it. What do you remember when
Speaker 10: he sticks in your mind about facing him?
Speaker 15: Uh?
Speaker 3: How older? How molder? That guy. He's a great he's
Speaker 3: a great edge rusher. Man. My hat's off to uh,
Speaker 3: my hat's off to him. He was how older he
Speaker 3: was just going at an all game.
Speaker 12: I was like this man here, I was laughing, you know, Max,
Speaker 12: he was he was like trying to get after me
Speaker 12: and I was like talking Tras back and he was like.
Speaker 3: But I love your game, Lamar. Like stuff like that.
Speaker 3: But he's a great edge rusher.
Speaker 10: Man.
Speaker 3: He was definitely a great EDS rusher. Yeah yeah, man,
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah yeah. He said that during the game, and
Speaker 3: I was like, I was like laughing a little bit. Yeah, Lamar.
Speaker 5: I know, uh, weights fluctuate during the season, But do
Speaker 5: you have a kind of target playing weight for yourself
Speaker 5: or over these next.
Speaker 14: Couple of months.
Speaker 12: I mean, I'm good right now. I don't have a
Speaker 12: target weight. He's gonna keep playing and doing what I'm doing.
Speaker 12: I'm not worried about the weight. The weight is not
Speaker 12: read about itself. You know, we're just going cool.
Speaker 3: Can you find sharing what you are right? Don't? I
Speaker 3: don't know to.
Speaker 12: Something fast enough, fast enough I can get away.
Speaker 1: We also heard from All Pro safety Kyle Hamilton.
Speaker 5: Obviously the Chiefs as much as anyone or a lot
Speaker 5: of matchup issues, especially Travis Plse. How on the hole
Speaker 5: do you feel like the secondary handled just kind of
Speaker 5: the bullets that that the Chiefs had to throw at you.
Speaker 8: Yeah, I think we did well for the most part.
Speaker 8: I think we made him think I threw some different
Speaker 8: looks at him. I think we played aggressive. You know,
Speaker 8: obviously we didn't play our best football and especially me personally.
Speaker 8: I don't think I played well at all. And you
Speaker 8: know it's a week the week league and excited to
Speaker 8: go back out this weekend and make up for it.
Speaker 8: But there's a lot of good stuff on that film
Speaker 8: to learn from. And you know, like I just said,
Speaker 8: weekly week, and I think we're moving on to a tribute.
Speaker 5: I mean, anything to not play in the preseason, just
Speaker 5: that being your first game action in the months.
Speaker 8: No, not really, because I don't think that was the
Speaker 8: case last year against the Texans and none of us
Speaker 8: playing preseason last year. So you know, weeks like that
Speaker 8: happened and you try to minimize as much as they
Speaker 8: can and or as much as you can, and it's
Speaker 8: just part of the league. And you know, we don't
Speaker 8: we don't want it to be like that, but you know,
Speaker 8: guys on the other side are good, and we need
Speaker 8: to come every week prepared and I feel like we
Speaker 8: were prepared, just matter of executing, which I think we'll
Speaker 8: do better.
Speaker 3: Kyle.
Speaker 6: You guys do so much in terms of the pre
Speaker 6: snap and deception, you know, show Man dropping his own
Speaker 6: whatever in your experience as the last couple of years,
Speaker 6: and obviously you know some new coaches, a new defense coordinator,
Speaker 6: and there's always new players. How long does it take
Speaker 6: to really feel like you get that as synchronized as
Speaker 6: fluid as you'd like it to be.
Speaker 3: As a defense?
Speaker 6: You know, how long does that take into the season
Speaker 6: where and I know it's a week to weekly, when
Speaker 6: is that process?
Speaker 8: Yeah, I think you're working on that all year. Honestly,
Speaker 8: it's something that you can't really take your foot off
Speaker 8: the gas with because you get kind of undisciplined with
Speaker 8: it and then you're not really showing any looks and
Speaker 8: the quarterback knows what you're and so you kind of
Speaker 8: have to drill it every day. Coach Harball has done
Speaker 8: a great job of coming to the defense, especially the
Speaker 8: DB's and telling us to hold our looks or do
Speaker 8: a better job showing this disguise, and it really helps
Speaker 8: us a lot as a defense if we do that. So,
Speaker 8: you know, we're always getting better at it as we
Speaker 8: go through the league. But I don't think it's something
Speaker 8: that necessarily hit a threshold and you're like, Okay, we're
Speaker 8: good kind of walking through the.
Speaker 10: Worthy second touchdown, the passing touchdown, what was.
Speaker 8: Going on in the secondary or that, Yeah, that was
Speaker 8: on me one hundred percent. I was supposed to go
Speaker 8: back to the half. I played the wrong call. Wasn't
Speaker 8: on Zach Orr, wasn't on Marlin or anybody else.
Speaker 3: That was on me.
Speaker 8: If you watch the play, you could probably tell that
Speaker 8: we're missing a half safety and I got kind of
Speaker 8: mixed up and supposed to go back to the half
Speaker 8: and take your blame for that.
Speaker 3: Were you guys.
Speaker 16: Surprised at all the sort of shallow crossers.
Speaker 5: I mean, they seem very content to just try to
Speaker 5: drag people across the middle of the field eight ten
Speaker 5: yards out and live.
Speaker 8: With the ak or die YEA, yeah, No, it's it's
Speaker 8: something that they do a great job of putting the
Speaker 8: receivers and their skilled players and positions that they're successful with.
Speaker 8: And I think they did a great job with Rashid
Speaker 8: Rice putting him on, getting mismatches with him and gett
Speaker 8: him underneath. And it's something that we've harped on today
Speaker 8: and this past week while we have the time off,
Speaker 8: just talking about our leverage as underneath players and if
Speaker 8: they're going to beat us where they need to beat
Speaker 8: us at and not leting people cross our face and
Speaker 8: stuff like that, which I think, you know, week one,
Speaker 8: I don't know how many undefeated seasons there's been in
Speaker 8: the league in history, maybe the Dolphins at one time,
Speaker 8: but a really Super Bowl champion has had a loss.
Speaker 8: So I don't think the season is a disaster or
Speaker 8: whatever it may seem or may some people may be
Speaker 8: making it out to be. But it's something that we
Speaker 8: can definitely learn from, and I think it's good for
Speaker 8: something like that to happen earlier in the year so
Speaker 8: that we get better.
Speaker 10: Think of DeVante Adams, what comes to mind, trying to
Speaker 10: try to contain him.
Speaker 8: What comes to mind. He's He's definitely a top receiver
Speaker 8: of our generation, somebody that I grew up watching, you know,
Speaker 8: him and Aaron Rodgers always seemed like they were on
Speaker 8: the same page. And he's one of the best to
Speaker 8: do it at his position. And uh so I must
Speaker 8: expect to him and everything he's done, and it's gonna
Speaker 8: be a challenge for us going against him and everybody
Speaker 8: else that they have on their team. Got some talent
Speaker 8: tight ends. Played with Mike Mayer in college for a
Speaker 8: couple of years. He's a great guy and great player.
Speaker 8: And Gardner Minshew's great quarterback. He beat us last year
Speaker 8: at home, so good running back, good runs game, great
Speaker 8: receivers as well, and uh, it's it's kind of funny
Speaker 8: with this league. There's never a quote unquote week off,
Speaker 8: like you play rating Super Bowl champs and you got
Speaker 8: a great team like the Raiders coming in. So it's
Speaker 8: a challenge, but I think we're gonna be prepared for it.
Speaker 1: He made a point that you know, it's good to have,
Speaker 1: I guess struggles earlier in the year. You can sort
Speaker 1: it out and it's just one game all that. How
Speaker 1: a year are you guys just getting back on the
Speaker 1: field and got a long wait not playing.
Speaker 3: With day night?
Speaker 1: How are you you have to get back?
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was.
Speaker 8: I was actually talking about it earlier, but I think
Speaker 8: it was Friday night or early Friday morning after the
Speaker 8: game we got back, probably got in my bed at
Speaker 8: like five am. I couldn't sleep. I was like, I
Speaker 8: didn't feel like I played well, and I'm like, I
Speaker 8: cannot wait to get back out there on Sunday and
Speaker 8: literally dreamed about the Raiders game, like going out there
Speaker 8: and making plays stuff like that, and it makes you
Speaker 8: that much more hungry. And I feel like a lot
Speaker 8: of guys are in that same thought process with it,
Speaker 8: and you know, I think that's what makes us great.
Speaker 8: We're all competitive and want to do well, and you know,
Speaker 8: we're just bread that way.
Speaker 5: What was it like to see Lamar run wild against
Speaker 5: a defense that was not your own?
Speaker 8: Yeah, it's fun. Obviously, it's fun for us. We don't
Speaker 8: have to go against it. Thank god, we never have
Speaker 8: to play against him, hopefully, But yeah, he does such
Speaker 8: a great job of knowing when to do what and
Speaker 8: he showed that last week. I mean, if you're not
Speaker 8: going to account for him or not going to cage
Speaker 8: rush and keep him in the pocket, then he's going
Speaker 8: to run for However, when you are around like Andrew
Speaker 8: some yards and you know that hidden yardage get keeps
Speaker 8: the ball going, keeps getting first downs, and then you've
Speaker 8: guys like Isaiah Likely out there making big plays and
Speaker 8: Justice Hill all these people that are making big plays
Speaker 8: for us. In addition to Lamar doing what Lamar does
Speaker 8: and that side of the ball, it just has so
Speaker 8: many threats and weapons. And I think the O line
Speaker 8: played great as a whole. And that's a unit that
Speaker 8: is gelling and they've been through a lot and I'm
Speaker 8: only going to get better. So I'm just excited to
Speaker 8: see what Lamar in the offense does.
Speaker 1: Next up is Pro Bowl tackle Namdi Metabeke. He recently
Speaker 1: decided to go by his Nigerian name of Nomdi. Previously
Speaker 1: he went by Justin, and he talked about that today.
Speaker 14: How you doing.
Speaker 10: Decision to go through your African heritage.
Speaker 14: Yeah, so you know it's funny, like if I call
Speaker 14: my dad right now and my mom right now, they're
Speaker 14: like to have a you house practice going. I'm going good.
Speaker 14: You know, the team's looking good. So that was the
Speaker 14: name I grew up with since I've been a little kid.
Speaker 14: And uh, you know, in our heritage, uh, they give
Speaker 14: us almost like an American name and uh Nigerian name
Speaker 14: and we are in our first name like Justin is
Speaker 14: in my birth certificate. But my middle name, Namdie is
Speaker 14: what I was raised and called. So you know, I
Speaker 14: just and people here call me beats since have a nickname.
Speaker 14: So I just changed it to Namdi because I just
Speaker 14: felt in my heart that was just the right thing
Speaker 14: to do. It's been on mine for a while now.
Speaker 14: If they did it when he first got here, and uh,
Speaker 14: I guess you could say I drew some inspiration for
Speaker 14: my boy. But uh, yeah, that's really how it came about.
Speaker 7: In the locker room.
Speaker 3: For the guys, it's been good.
Speaker 4: It's been good.
Speaker 3: Everybody was like, oh, no, they like that.
Speaker 14: You know, everybody saying they like it. Uh a lot
Speaker 14: of uh good uh buzz on the on on social
Speaker 14: media and stuff like that, and I've heard. But yeah,
Speaker 14: for me, just in my family's just the same old
Speaker 14: you know, it ain't nothing changed. It's just for everybody
Speaker 14: else that didn't know.
Speaker 5: So no changes on any documents or anything like that.
Speaker 3: No, no, not that I know. I've no, I know
Speaker 3: namdis and on New Jersey.
Speaker 11: But did it hit different for your parents or your family?
Speaker 5: You're being introduced on uh TV in your first game and.
Speaker 14: Yeah, but my dad was pretty excited cause that's uh
Speaker 14: uh that's really all he calls me. He never called
Speaker 14: me justin so you know, he's like, yeah, you know,
Speaker 14: show the world you know who you really are and
Speaker 14: all that stuff. And you know I've been doing that.
Speaker 14: But you know, I guess the name I guess you
Speaker 14: know speaks for herself. But yeah, that's how it came about.
Speaker 10: Yeah, I think last year there was a single snap
Speaker 10: with you at at O Way and Jones were.
Speaker 4: All and and a Jaba, we're all in the field together.
Speaker 3: We got to see some of that package the other night.
Speaker 14: What is it like you for guys on the field again,
Speaker 14: It's great, it's great.
Speaker 3: You know.
Speaker 14: Uh, just like we're in the fielder together in practice,
Speaker 14: I expect us to be in the field together in
Speaker 14: the game. And you know, when we're out there, you
Speaker 14: know we're destined to make some plays and and and
Speaker 14: make something to shake. And you know, that's what we
Speaker 14: practiced to do and that's what we're gonna do, just
Speaker 14: one day at a time and just believe in each other. Yeah,
Speaker 14: Java was talking about sort of Minshew and obviously sort
Speaker 14: of a game that got away last year with the Colts.
Speaker 5: What's put up the trick with with him? And when
Speaker 5: they're trying to keep hitting the back.
Speaker 14: Yield, you know, Cajum, you know, you know, we have
Speaker 14: to take advantage of the O line. You know they
Speaker 14: wanna run the ball. You know, we we gotta stop
Speaker 14: the running. That's what we're gonna do. And uh you
Speaker 14: know we're gonna uh stay locked in and uh, you know,
Speaker 14: definitely he got away from him his last year but
Speaker 14: you know this year, you know he's coming back home
Speaker 14: and uh, you know we're definitely gonna make a hard
Speaker 14: for him, for sure.
Speaker 17: You guys don't play, especially the starters here, most of
Speaker 17: the starters haven't played in a preseason the last couple
Speaker 17: of years. Going into that first game last week, did
Speaker 17: it feel like it took some time to get adjusted?
Speaker 14: You know, I I I wouldn't say so, you know,
Speaker 14: I guess obviously it's a different, uh game. It was
Speaker 14: the first game of the season on Thursday. It was
Speaker 14: a little different, maybe a little jitters here and there,
Speaker 14: but I think we got settled in as the game
Speaker 14: went on. You know, we we just fell short by
Speaker 14: a company and just literally so you know, not a
Speaker 14: good taste of them out, but you know we're here
Speaker 14: to go to practice and bounce back and get focused.
Speaker 13: I think it was just one game where like, did
Speaker 13: you notice any difference in how uh how chiefs were
Speaker 13: who were getting matching up a a game should get
Speaker 13: in the season we had last year half the dot
Speaker 13: viewers there all gaping to cobbing or you're blocking you
Speaker 13: the intact.
Speaker 1: They were giving you.
Speaker 14: Yeah, definitely, uh, just more slide my side, more double teams. Uh,
Speaker 14: holding more, but I'm not gonna complain. They're not gonna
Speaker 14: call it, especially in their house. So you know, just
Speaker 14: to control what I can control, focusing in our things
Speaker 14: that I can I can do and uh and getting
Speaker 14: it done.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 6: A couple of years ago, a lot of your teammates
Speaker 6: would talk about you as like the next breakout performer
Speaker 6: on the Ravens defense and specifically the line. This year,
Speaker 6: there's been a lot of talking about Travis Jones. What
Speaker 6: have you seen from him at not not just the
Speaker 6: first game, but training camp and also your expectations for
Speaker 6: him now going into.
Speaker 3: His third season.
Speaker 14: Yeah, Travis, he's focused. He's definitely the Travis last year
Speaker 14: and the Travis this year is a whole different Travis
Speaker 14: in a good way. And Uh, he's focused, he's locked in,
Speaker 14: he's he's asking me more questions they did last year.
Speaker 14: He's really trying to dial in and be the best
Speaker 14: that he can be and and I'd love to see it.
Speaker 14: You know, it's it's a long season's long journey, but
Speaker 14: you know he's progressing, so you know, all all good
Speaker 14: hopes were him for sure.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 16: Since January, it's been talk about the Chiefs scheduled release
Speaker 16: comes out before and it's the Chiefs. Sure, you just
Speaker 16: is there a sense in the locker room about the
Speaker 16: sense of just finally being able to maybe play a
Speaker 16: different opponent and focus on something else other than the
Speaker 16: same team for the last nine points?
Speaker 14: Nah, I think I think that was more on the outside.
Speaker 14: I think in the locker room was more just about
Speaker 14: a obviously, you know, the last team we played before
Speaker 14: the Chiefs was the Chiefs, so you know, we were
Speaker 14: watching a lot of uh, the replay of the at
Speaker 14: the the game uh last year, and just it was
Speaker 14: just all up in our heads. But the end of
Speaker 14: the day, it's just the next opponent, and after the
Speaker 14: next week we'd be the next opponent of the next opponent.
Speaker 14: It's a long season. So I think in the locker
Speaker 14: room that's what we were really focused on. But oh,
Speaker 14: outside of that, Chiefs game over and done with, focused
Speaker 14: on the Redis this week.
Speaker 13: And yeah, I believe always you know, you alls been
Speaker 13: kind of works out warrior and kind of is out
Speaker 13: here labor where you played it the.
Speaker 11: Same year as we did in the past years.
Speaker 14: I'm a little bit lighter, a little bit lighter probably,
Speaker 14: u mm. Five ten lighter. My body fluctuates. It's weird,
Speaker 14: but you know, I try to stay between two ninety
Speaker 14: two eighty five around that area. Last year is more
Speaker 14: two ninety five, three hundred maybe three h three, just
Speaker 14: a little bit lighter, but just trying to stay twitching state,
Speaker 14: stay quick, at jile all that stuff.
Speaker 3: So was that a decision?
Speaker 1: But you can't talk tell me to do that?
Speaker 6: Like something he wanted to do.
Speaker 14: Yeah, just a little bit lighter, Yeah, yeah, something I
Speaker 14: wanted to do consciously. And the off season, I watches
Speaker 14: what I ate, you know, drink a lot of water,
Speaker 14: stayed away from frive foods, just those little little things
Speaker 14: so I can shed a little weight and I feel better.
Speaker 6: I the I could be getting this wrong, but I
Speaker 6: think when Aaron Donald was retired, he was talking to
Speaker 6: the plain weight.
Speaker 3: That he was at.
Speaker 6: I think he was at like sixties two seventies season free.
Speaker 5: But is there anythought like how effective I could be
Speaker 5: well also retaining everything I need to?
Speaker 17: Yeah?
Speaker 14: I mean in our division, I mean I think I
Speaker 14: gotta stay. I gotta stay a good you know, two
Speaker 14: ninety two eighty You know, these guys are really bringing it.
Speaker 14: But that's the way that I feel I believe works
Speaker 14: for me, you know, and for him that would works.
Speaker 14: For Ammy's a little bit lighter. I think sometimes I
Speaker 14: heard he was playing like a two fifty five really,
Speaker 14: but that's just him. But for me, you know, I
Speaker 14: feel like the way that I'm at right right now
Speaker 14: is better for me. And I feel like in the future,
Speaker 14: if I need to cut and I feel like it's
Speaker 14: it's best for me, don't do that.
Speaker 3: But right now I'm good.
Speaker 14: A word, I'm out.
Speaker 1: In the locker room today. We also heard from linebacker
Speaker 1: Real Quantsmithal, what's what's the mindset going into this game
Speaker 1: and getting back on the field for the home opener.
Speaker 18: Yeah, looking forward to this game. No Oakland led by
Speaker 18: great coach and Pierce know the ocal a little bit
Speaker 18: from Chicago, and then the defense. I know those guys
Speaker 18: play well, So excited about the matchup.
Speaker 7: You know.
Speaker 18: They prod themselves on physicality.
Speaker 4: And so do we.
Speaker 18: So it'll be a good one and it'll be the
Speaker 18: home opener, so great way to open up the season
Speaker 18: at home.
Speaker 1: You talked about communication after the game. How big of
Speaker 1: a focus is that in practice this week?
Speaker 18: Yeah, communication is a huge thing, Like I always preach
Speaker 18: communication breeds understanding. So h each and every play we
Speaker 18: communicate with each other and we're all on the same page.
Speaker 3: We're hard defense to beat.
Speaker 18: But when we lacking those areas, then that gives teams
Speaker 18: opportunities to take advantage of that. So we just have
Speaker 18: to look at ourselves in the mirror, each and every
Speaker 18: individual and know that we're going to keep our communication
Speaker 18: up to a t. So that's all it's gonna take,
Speaker 18: and if we do that, our ability will take care
Speaker 18: of itself.
Speaker 1: Kyle Hamilton talked about how everyone's being accountable on the defense.
Speaker 1: How important is that to have everybody taking accountability and
Speaker 1: looking at areas where they can improve individually.
Speaker 18: Yeah, absolutely, I think that's the main thing. It's always
Speaker 18: about looking yourself in the mirror first and foremost before
Speaker 18: you can never approach anyone else with something. And it's
Speaker 18: something that coach de Lyon told us came for more
Speaker 18: so jo d Like, you know, when you look yourself
Speaker 18: in the mirror after each and every day, if everyone
Speaker 18: practice or played like you, how would the game fare out?
Speaker 18: And I think if you ask yourself that type of question,
Speaker 18: then that should give you your answer.
Speaker 11: When you think of Gardner Minshew, what challenges as you bring?
Speaker 5: You gotts just saw Musty.
Speaker 18: Yeah, absolutely. I think he's a veteran, been in the
Speaker 18: league for a while. He's very crafty, So it's about
Speaker 18: the matchup. No, he can he's very elusive in the pocket,
Speaker 18: can make guys miss. But you know, we got to
Speaker 18: stick true to who we are as a defense and
Speaker 18: applot pressure and when you applot pressure can force some mistakes.
Speaker 17: What were your takeaways after the defense?
Speaker 16: Watch tape of the Chiefs game and as the result
Speaker 16: of that game kind of feed into the anger going
Speaker 16: into week two.
Speaker 18: Oh, you know, that was last week we lost, so
Speaker 18: we move on and that was definitely mistakes in that game.
Speaker 18: But we're not harping on last week. This is a
Speaker 18: long season and we know we do what we have
Speaker 18: to do. We'll see those guys again, so not worried
Speaker 18: about that anymore. And just knowing that this is going
Speaker 18: to be a huge AFC matchup this week with the Raiders,
Speaker 18: so we're very excited to welcome those guys in knowing
Speaker 18: it's going.
Speaker 3: To be a good one.
Speaker 1: And lastly, today we heard from Ravens right tackle Patrick McCarry.
Speaker 1: By the State of the offensive line and this matchup
Speaker 1: against a talented Raiders front.
Speaker 15: Is that a game that feels like a big just
Speaker 15: first test out of the gate with everything goes onto
Speaker 15: the hype and just that opponent of physicality and down
Speaker 15: the wire at the end of it feel more draining
Speaker 15: than any other.
Speaker 18: Week or no?
Speaker 3: No, I mean I don't know.
Speaker 9: I think there's a lot of hype from outside. But
Speaker 9: it's week one of the regular season in twenty twenty
Speaker 9: four seasons. So like I said, it's a frustrating loss. Again,
Speaker 9: there's a lot to learn from and grow from, and
Speaker 9: there's growth in the mistakes.
Speaker 3: And when we have mistakes from.
Speaker 9: Week one to week two, we grow from it. Week
Speaker 9: two to week three we grow from it, and I
Speaker 9: just get better by the year goes on.
Speaker 15: Is this more Study's fine? At sixteen carries one hundred
Speaker 15: and twenty yards for him, the style of running he
Speaker 15: was doing. Is that something that you hope to not
Speaker 15: really see from him long term the season?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 9: I mean he's great at everything he does, so we're
Speaker 9: trying to win the game. I never want to see
Speaker 9: him get hit in any fashion, but he wants to
Speaker 9: win the game too. As you can tell so he's
Speaker 9: fantastic as you can.
Speaker 15: Ask about that, you know, the chemistry of the offensive
Speaker 15: line and kind of gaining that, you know, kind.
Speaker 4: Of gelling together.
Speaker 3: Is it a do you think like more of a
Speaker 3: you know, the more you.
Speaker 4: Guys played together, because you weren't all together in the preseason.
Speaker 11: The more you play together, it's just as simple as
Speaker 11: you guys are gonna gain that chemistry.
Speaker 9: Definitely, Definitely, I think we got to communicate better and
Speaker 9: just the non communication understanding of what we're expecting each
Speaker 9: other to do. That's part of playing next to each
Speaker 9: other for a long time, and it's a part of
Speaker 9: again going from week one to week two, two to
Speaker 9: three and growing from that.
Speaker 4: What's the challenge of Corosby.
Speaker 9: He's a great player, He's got a lot of different stuff.
Speaker 3: Just showing him down, that's a point.
Speaker 17: Pat the Slash team, you guys did some votating attackers
Speaker 17: did a little bit on it again Thursday night for.
Speaker 3: A lot of it because it doesn't sing like that's
Speaker 3: usually the.
Speaker 17: Nol you guys, Is that something you're still getting adjusted to.
Speaker 9: Yeah, we did a little bit last year. It's definitely
Speaker 9: not something that I think it's typical for an offensive lineman.
Speaker 9: That's what the coaches want when we make the work.
Speaker 3: Last one here, we saw you working with young players
Speaker 3: out there. Is it like the module of one week,
Speaker 3: your whole lines week, and you're trying to build it
Speaker 3: all up. I don't understand. I saw you working with
Speaker 3: some of the young line man.
Speaker 19: Yeah, and you will trying to tell them about you
Speaker 19: know their play, and so is it you're working with them.
Speaker 19: I mean, you guys have came for the same job,
Speaker 19: but you realize the best the whole vicun be.
Speaker 9: Stay Yeah, absolutely, I mean we're all competing for a
Speaker 9: job here, but I just want to have the best
Speaker 9: office alignment we could have. And if that's me coaching
Speaker 9: someone else to be better than, so be it.
Speaker 1: I'm here for the team.
Speaker 9: If I have an opinion on something I think I
Speaker 9: can help someone out, I'm gonna share it, even if
Speaker 9: we're competing.
Speaker 3: For the same job.
Speaker 1: So that's how it is.
Speaker 3: That's how I'm gonna be. So yeah, it doesn't matter
Speaker 3: who it is. Practice Squad fifty three.
Speaker 9: I want I want to be as great as I
Speaker 9: can because people Marshall was like that to me, James
Speaker 9: Hurst was like that, to me, so I'm gonna pass along.
Speaker 1: You're listening to Raven's Press Past podcast. Also make sure
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Speaker 3: The Lounge Feed.
Speaker 1: We've got an interview with Brandon Stevens dropping Thursday morning,
Speaker 1: share some site into his mindset and approach, so make
Speaker 1: sure you check that out. You can listen to it
Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcast. You can also watch it
Speaker 1: on the Ravens app website and YouTube channel. Thank you
Speaker 1: so much for listening.
Speaker 3: We'll be back with you tomorrow