WR Elijah Moore (12.1.23)
So Elijah, how much are you looking forward to catching passes from Joe Flacco again?
“Yeah, it’s like a family reunion. Whenever he came, I had sent him a text. It was like this little joke, like us reconnecting. It was this joke, like an old guy coming back to his old high school and students and the teachers switched and they just do this little handshake. But I’m super excited to see Joe back out there. I know that he’s happy to be in an environment where he’s working hard again. He’s around familiar faces. So that was what he said to me, and I’m just happy to see him happy.”
What’s the communication been like with him as he’s adjusted to this offense this week? So are you sharing things with him, him talking with you, that kind of thing?
“Joe has experience in the league, he’s played in this specific offense. So I think terms has changed a little bit as far as words, but he knows what he’s doing as far as his particular job.”
Amari (Cooper) said watching him a couple times looked like poetry in motion when he threw the ball. For you, I mean, you’ve worked with him for a number of years. What is it like watching him throw and being on the receiving end of those passes?
“Joe has like a calmness type of aura to him to where if you’re ever hyped, he’s not going to give you that same energy back. He’s going to get the job done, but he’s going to show you that he can get it done in a controlled environment. And which you love because football brings a lot of emotions and Joe’s the type of person you ever watch him catch somebody emotion. You’re just going to be like – he’s going to do little mannerisms to show that he has it under control and that’s his personality. So major respect to him.”
How necessary and valuable is that, given all the things you guys have gone through he’s your fourth starting quarterback? You’ve had a bunch of injuries to have a guy and he said yesterday can help kind of calm the water.
“I feel like that’s exactly what we needed. I know we were shopping around looking for people and that’s a decision that the players don’t really get to choose, but I know that everyone’s happy that it is him.”
Elijah, your old team had to change QBs. This one did. Do you get used to it? Did you just feel like, hey, we got to do this?
“I don’t have a choice. I’ve been going through this all my years in the league and even in college. So it’s just what the game has become. You got good defensive players that hurt guys like that. And it’s becoming a game where it’s very physical at all aspects. So it’s always next man up.”
With all of the different quarterbacks that you guys have had to adjust to, there have been some drop passes in the last couple of weeks. Why do you think that might be different on Sunday with Joe at quarterback or what do you have to do?
“I don’t think Joe makes that decision as far as drop passes. I think that’s an us type of thing. He doesn’t really contribute to that. You just got to focus in.”
I just thought maybe I mean, does he throw like a super catchable ball or?
“He throws good, but if he didn’t or not, that shouldn’t be affected.”
How nice is it that Amari is going to be able to go? Obviously didn’t know when it happened Sunday and he had to leave the game. And I know you guys are all tough, but what’d you say about him, that he’s going to be out there?
“He always fights through, even if it seems like in the moment he’s questionable. I’ve never seen him since I’ve been here, and what I’ve heard that he hasn’t came back from something strong. If you look at him, he’s another person. Doesn’t really have too much emotion. You’re not going to know how he’s feeling, but in his head, you obviously know how he comes back. He was feeling fine. So another major credit to him, too.”
He looked good today?
“Yeah, he looked fine. He looked good.”
You guys are such a close, tight knit family. We’ve been watching this since the Greenbrier. And we got news today that Michael Woods is suspended for the final six games of the season for violating NFL’s personal conduct policy. So just like I know you talk about all these guys like that’s, my brother wondering what is your feeling on that and how are you maybe supporting Michael through this?
“Yeah, so I didn’t even know about that. And because he hasn’t really been in the building since I’ve gotten here, so I can’t even be fake and say that I’m super close with him, I haven’t really had the luxury of building that relationship. But now, since I know that now, I definitely reach out to him.”
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