WEBVTT - John Harbaugh: Monday Press Conference (12/4) 0:00:03.080 --> 0:00:06.040 Welcome to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. The Ravens return 0:00:06.120 --> 0:00:08.600 for the bye week and head coach John Harbaugh talk 0:00:08.680 --> 0:00:11.520 with the media. He discussed where the team sits at 0:00:11.560 --> 0:00:13.520 this point of the season, as are nine to three. 0:00:13.840 --> 0:00:16.680 They currently tie for the best record in the AFC. 0:00:16.880 --> 0:00:19.440 He talked about some of the takeaways and lessons from 0:00:19.480 --> 0:00:21.360 the bye week and the challenges that the Ravens have 0:00:21.800 --> 0:00:22.360 in front of them. 0:00:22.440 --> 0:00:23.520 The rest of the way. 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:29.320 Okay, appreciate you guys all coming out. Welcome back. Good 0:00:29.320 --> 0:00:32.240 to have you back, and it's been good. Had a 0:00:32.320 --> 0:00:35.080 very productive week. A lot of work went into the 0:00:35.120 --> 0:00:38.040 week in terms of the coaching staff and trying to 0:00:38.080 --> 0:00:42.000 turn over every stone and figure out every avenue that 0:00:42.000 --> 0:00:44.400 we can do to create opportunities and advantages for our 0:00:44.400 --> 0:00:46.360 team and for our players going forward. We know we've 0:00:46.400 --> 0:00:48.159 got a big challenge in front of us, but we 0:00:48.200 --> 0:00:51.360 also have a great opportunity and we're looking forward to it. 0:00:51.400 --> 0:00:53.319 We just can't wait. The guys were great today, They 0:00:53.320 --> 0:00:56.520 were locked in, had a really good practice, great meetings, 0:00:56.920 --> 0:00:59.840 felt great about that. They'll be off from preparing tomorrow. 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:02.600 Got to just kind of get themselves right for for Wednesday, 0:01:02.600 --> 0:01:05.400 and then we'll be off on the week. So with that, 0:01:05.480 --> 0:01:06.200 what questions you have? 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:09.240 I mean, right now, after you know I'm coming off 0:01:09.280 --> 0:01:10.759 the buy, you have a two game. 0:01:10.680 --> 0:01:11.440 Leading the division. 0:01:11.640 --> 0:01:13.760 If you win all your games, you'll you know, you 0:01:13.760 --> 0:01:16.280 you basically control your fate for the number one seed. 0:01:16.400 --> 0:01:18.200 I mean, how do you feel about kind of the 0:01:18.240 --> 0:01:20.200 state of the team right now heading to the final 0:01:20.240 --> 0:01:23.360 five games? Which is I'm I'm excited, just like all 0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:26.160 the players are. I hope the fans are uh with 0:01:26.319 --> 0:01:29.080 the opportunity that we have and that that our guys 0:01:29.080 --> 0:01:32.880 have have created for themselves, you know, and you do 0:01:33.000 --> 0:01:35.600 that by just taking it one day at a time 0:01:35.600 --> 0:01:37.200 and trying to be the best football team you can 0:01:37.240 --> 0:01:38.760 be and try to play the best you can. So 0:01:39.080 --> 0:01:40.480 I feel like our guys have done a good job 0:01:40.480 --> 0:01:43.760 of that. But it's always looking forward. Challenges are in 0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:46.760 front of us and we need to be ready for them. 0:01:46.800 --> 0:01:50.120 The rest and kind of helping the corporation standpoint, did 0:01:50.120 --> 0:01:52.040 you feel like this week off was was good? 0:01:52.040 --> 0:01:53.400 From the pot the guys when you say. 0:01:54.320 --> 0:01:56.520 Oh, yeah, yeah, they're they're good, I'm sure it is. 0:01:56.600 --> 0:01:58.280 I mean, they see them, but they feel good. They're 0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:00.720 full of energy. But it's a long season, you know, 0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:02.480 it's a big challenge, and every one of these games 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:06.080 is a really physical type type of a game. So 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:08.560 our guys can use it. I know a number of 0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:10.720 teams other teams had it this week. So we're the 0:02:10.760 --> 0:02:13.240 last bye I think, and so everybody will be uh 0:02:13.880 --> 0:02:15.519 full on for the rest of the way. 0:02:16.680 --> 0:02:19.640 John, do you allow your Do you watch the games yesterday? 0:02:19.880 --> 0:02:22.160 Do you root against the Steelers? 0:02:22.160 --> 0:02:27.000 And did you watch the games? I watched most of them? Yeah, 0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:28.560 I didn't. I didn't. I can't say I was right 0:02:28.560 --> 0:02:31.480 glued to the TV for every single play, but I 0:02:31.520 --> 0:02:33.200 don't have a package or anything, so I got to 0:02:33.200 --> 0:02:35.800 watch the red zone a lot of times. So I mean, 0:02:35.800 --> 0:02:37.799 why would have I'm I'm at games. I mean, I'm 0:02:37.800 --> 0:02:40.839 not watching games. I'm not gonna pay for that, no way. 0:02:41.760 --> 0:02:43.760 But then on the bye week, I will say, on 0:02:43.800 --> 0:02:45.480 the bye weekend, on the Thursday game, I was kind 0:02:45.480 --> 0:02:46.960 of mad at myself for not having it, you know, 0:02:47.880 --> 0:02:50.880 but absolutely you root against all the teams that are, 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:52.840 you know, in your way. So that's what we did. 0:02:53.240 --> 0:02:56.840 We had a we had a good day watching Joe 0:02:57.200 --> 0:02:59.320 and the Orange or the Browns and playing the team 0:02:59.320 --> 0:03:02.040 you're gonna play. I was rooting against Joe and the Browns, 0:03:02.440 --> 0:03:05.760 you know, that's that's what we did. You know. I 0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:07.840 think Joe's cool. It's cool what he did. He looked, 0:03:07.840 --> 0:03:10.960 he looked really good. But I couldn't root for him yesterday. 0:03:11.320 --> 0:03:14.880 So obviously played well in that game. Stafford's healthy and 0:03:14.919 --> 0:03:16.959 looked good as you know what you what you see. 0:03:16.840 --> 0:03:19.000 From them, right, Yeah, the Rams. You know, we've been 0:03:19.040 --> 0:03:21.520 studying those guys really pretty much last week as well, 0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:23.520 and they won three in a row. They're coming on. 0:03:23.639 --> 0:03:25.920 I think Sean has done a really good job with 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:28.240 their team. Their coaches have done a good job. They're young, 0:03:28.800 --> 0:03:32.200 built around to two you know, superstar players, one on offense, 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:34.399 one on defense, you know who they are, and then 0:03:35.280 --> 0:03:37.520 a number of you know, young guys, rookies. You were 0:03:37.520 --> 0:03:41.920 playing well for him, uh playmakers, very physical, team play, 0:03:42.000 --> 0:03:45.800 super hard on defense. It's just very impressive what they've done, 0:03:45.840 --> 0:03:49.200 you know. So we recognize the challenges in front of us. 0:03:49.240 --> 0:03:52.800 We understand what they're bringing. Their fighting for a playoff spot, 0:03:53.200 --> 0:03:55.120 but we were fighting for things too, you know, and 0:03:55.120 --> 0:03:57.360 we've got a lot, a lot to play for, so 0:03:57.960 --> 0:03:59.760 you know, I'm caught from our guys are gonna be 0:03:59.760 --> 0:04:03.760 out there, you know, playing well and playing their best touch. 0:04:03.640 --> 0:04:05.760 On the on this a little bit before about but 0:04:05.800 --> 0:04:08.200 how beneficial is it to have it at this point 0:04:08.240 --> 0:04:11.880 of the season. And secondly, just is there any sort 0:04:11.880 --> 0:04:14.880 of mental reset for you guys kind of pulling in 0:04:14.920 --> 0:04:17.160 on Obviously you're looking at this is the game, but 0:04:17.600 --> 0:04:19.800 they come upon, you know, the final six games, and 0:04:19.839 --> 0:04:22.160 you've been sort of the home stretch to do it well. 0:04:22.200 --> 0:04:23.840 I think you guys have a chance to focus in 0:04:23.880 --> 0:04:25.480 on what's in front of them, you know, and then 0:04:25.520 --> 0:04:26.920 you know, you get that week to kind of think 0:04:26.920 --> 0:04:28.640 about it and put in perspective. Our guys have a 0:04:28.640 --> 0:04:32.240 good perspective on it. They understand where we're at, what's required, 0:04:32.320 --> 0:04:35.840 and what's what's possible, you know, the opportunities that are creating. 0:04:35.880 --> 0:04:39.000 They understand that, and I think they're focused in and 0:04:39.000 --> 0:04:39.839 locked in and ready to go. 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:42.679 Do you have since twenty nineteen? 0:04:42.720 --> 0:04:45.599 You have eleven players too, You have eleven players remaining 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:49.560 since from the twenty nineteen team, And you talk about 0:04:50.160 --> 0:04:54.960 the ways and the challenges of retaining culture that you 0:04:55.080 --> 0:04:57.440 kind of agreed with these teams as they kind of 0:04:57.520 --> 0:05:00.880 rotated and out and the turnover rate is so high. 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:02.960 Yeah, I mean that's what the national football he is, 0:05:03.200 --> 0:05:04.560 you know. I mean that's what you try to do 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:08.360 every single day, every week, every year. That's what we do, 0:05:08.600 --> 0:05:11.200 you know. And I love our guys. We got the 0:05:11.240 --> 0:05:16.080 right kind of guys who understand what we're about, what 0:05:16.120 --> 0:05:18.360 we stand for kind of from a football standpoint. So 0:05:19.000 --> 0:05:20.880 our guys has done a great job. I love our culture, 0:05:21.240 --> 0:05:24.279 so to speak, the environment, the way, the values that 0:05:24.320 --> 0:05:26.880 people have here. They love football. They want to work hard, 0:05:27.160 --> 0:05:28.520 they want to be at practice, they want to be 0:05:28.600 --> 0:05:31.200 in meetings, they love to go play games. That's where 0:05:31.240 --> 0:05:33.480 we start. We're football. That's what we're here for, and 0:05:33.560 --> 0:05:35.640 we're here for football. We've got a bunch of guys 0:05:35.680 --> 0:05:38.360 that love football. So I love working with guys who 0:05:38.360 --> 0:05:38.919 love football. 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:41.760 When you have the time to do these kind of 0:05:41.760 --> 0:05:45.720 big picture analyzes, do you find yourself more curious looking 0:05:45.760 --> 0:05:48.520 at why you've done the stuff that you've done well. 0:05:48.400 --> 0:05:50.560 As supposed to stuff that you could be doing better? 0:05:51.080 --> 0:05:52.560 Is there a campus you're kind of more drawn to 0:05:52.640 --> 0:05:56.240 and looking at everything? I mean, I appreciate that you 0:05:56.480 --> 0:05:59.440 have such great analytical questions and you make me like think, Okay, 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:02.200 what do I think about that? I don't really think 0:06:02.200 --> 0:06:04.279 about that. I mean, I just you look at everything 0:06:04.360 --> 0:06:07.640 all the time. These coaches over here, we got some 0:06:07.720 --> 0:06:09.640 of the best high school coaches in the area, the 0:06:09.680 --> 0:06:13.080 most successful guys here, all nominated for Coach of the Year, 0:06:13.760 --> 0:06:17.239 high school coaches in the area, just fantastic football coaches. 0:06:17.800 --> 0:06:20.359 And it's the same for you guys as it is 0:06:20.400 --> 0:06:22.400 for us. I don't think it's any different. You look 0:06:22.440 --> 0:06:24.120 at your team, you got the eye test, what you 0:06:24.160 --> 0:06:26.320 see on tape, you got the analytic tests. Is what 0:06:26.360 --> 0:06:28.680 the numbers tell you. And you look at all that stuff, 0:06:28.720 --> 0:06:29.960 and you say, Okay, what are we doing well? What 0:06:30.000 --> 0:06:33.240 are we not doing well? Where are our opportunities? What 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:36.880 can we leverage to give our guys an advantage going 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:39.640 forward to you know, make plays and be the best 0:06:39.680 --> 0:06:42.159 players they can. And that's really what we're trying to do. 0:06:42.200 --> 0:06:44.000 And some things you say, hey, we need to do 0:06:44.040 --> 0:06:47.760 more of some things less some things, you know, not 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:50.200 at all. It's not good for us anymore. We can 0:06:50.200 --> 0:06:52.320 take advantage of this. We don't need to take advantage 0:06:52.320 --> 0:06:54.240 of that. You just do the best you can figuring 0:06:54.240 --> 0:06:56.920 all that stuff out, and you go forward and go 0:06:56.960 --> 0:07:01.320 fightings that you did coming out of the last game. 0:07:01.360 --> 0:07:03.560 I guess Matta Vick the protocol of Marylin with the 0:07:03.600 --> 0:07:05.640 Katherine and are those are those looking pretty good right now? 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:07.600 They are looking pretty good right now? Yeah. I think 0:07:07.680 --> 0:07:10.559 on Wednesday probably have a more definitive type of an answer, 0:07:10.640 --> 0:07:12.960 but I'd say right now there's a lot of optimism. 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:15.120 Zach was released by. 0:07:15.040 --> 0:07:18.480 The Cardinals last week. How much interest did the Ravens 0:07:18.520 --> 0:07:19.160 happen in him? 0:07:19.440 --> 0:07:21.520 Well, I mean, you know all the guys that anytime 0:07:21.520 --> 0:07:23.560 a great players is out there, he's sure look at it. 0:07:23.600 --> 0:07:26.000 But I would say this about that right now, we 0:07:26.120 --> 0:07:28.720 like our tight ends, you know, we really like our guys. 0:07:28.760 --> 0:07:31.080 And you know, like I said, I'm not rolling out 0:07:31.080 --> 0:07:34.320 Mark Andrews for the down the road future at all. 0:07:34.440 --> 0:07:38.040 This Mark is so darned tough and and Mark marks 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:40.880 one of those guys that really, really and truly say 0:07:40.920 --> 0:07:44.320 a guy eats, sleeps and breeds football. That's Mark Andrews, 0:07:44.400 --> 0:07:46.120 you know. So you know he's gonna do everything he 0:07:46.160 --> 0:07:48.559 can to get back down the road. But the guys 0:07:48.600 --> 0:07:51.280 that we have right now are young guys, They're real guys, 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:54.560 they're real players, and I think right now, we'll just 0:07:54.640 --> 0:07:55.680 roll with those guys. 0:07:58.760 --> 0:08:00.600 That would say coach John Harball. You're listening to the 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:03.200 Ravens Press Past podcast. Make sure you leave a rating 0:08:03.720 --> 0:08:05.760 and a review and hit that subscribe button if you 0:08:05.800 --> 0:08:08.160 haven't done so. All right, thanks for listening. We'll be 0:08:08.200 --> 0:08:09.480 back with you on Wednesday.