QB Joe Flacco (9.17.25)
Can you talk about going against this amazing Green Bay Packers defense and all they present?
“They’re good. They fly around, you know, they get to their zones. They come after the run; they get after the quarterback. They just, they play with a lot of speed. You know, they don’t second guess themselves, so they’re a good group.”
Joe, the pressure they bring in sacks, in quarterback pressures, is there even more importance this week in trying to get it out super-fast?
“I think, you know, when you build a plan, you build a plan for certain things. And I think when you go through your progressions, and you go through your reads; it’s always built to get the ball out in certain timing. So, I think you just gotta kind of rely on your training and going through your progressions and listening to your feet. I think the rest will take care of itself. It’s just part of the game. I think there’s other things that come into play when you talk about their pass rush, as opposed to worrying about trying to get the ball out super-fast, it’s just part of your reads, and that should happen on certain plays.”
When you were talking after the game about, you know, the defense is playing so well, you guys offensively just need to kind of play good, clean football. What are some of the areas that you’re focused on when you talk about that?
“Well, I think, first of all, good football teams and good offenses, you know, because you’re good, you do those things. But I think when you do talk about those things, as a team, you always talk about playing complementary football. And, sometimes when it’s not pretty, it doesn’t mean it’s not good. And there’s going to be times where you’re going to have to punt the ball and pin them back and rely on those guys to get a stop and get us good field position. And I think as an offense, when you are talking about playing complementary football, it’s realizing some of those things throughout the course of a game that sometimes even though things don’t feel great, that it still may be a positive. And then when we do get our chances, just taking advantage of that. So, if we do get short fields and stuff like that, taking advantage when we get the opportunity.”
From your standpoint, is it a lot of not forcing things? Because you know you have that kind of backstop of the defense?
“It’s just playing within yourself. And like I said, there’s going to be times in a game, I think, where you do start to, you know, feel like maybe we aren’t…we’re not doing what we want to on the scoreboard. So, then you start to press and you know, we don’t have any reason to do that. Just continue to play our game and I mean, I think that’s just a good reminder in general for this league is to let the game come to you a little bit and you never know how it’s going to play out in the third and fourth quarters.”
Hey, Joe, the (Baltimore) Ravens defensive backs really had your receivers covered tightly. Is there anything scheme-wise going forward that you guys can do to change that?
“I think each week we’re looking at different ways to make things a little bit easier and get guys in some space because, you know, anytime you get good athletes in space, that’s when big plays happen. And that’s what you need to do in this league in order to kind of put points on the board is get some of those chunk plays. But at the same time, you’re going to play some games where, you know, things are tight, and you got to be able to operate in those environments. You know, Baltimore is a good defense, and they have been. They’re traditionally a good defense and they got some good players over there. So, you know, sometimes it’s going to be tough, and you just got to make it work.”
Is there anything that you can do in a regular work week to accelerate syncing up your timing with your receivers and make sure that you have a little bit more going with Ced (Cedric Tillman) and with Jerry (Jeudy). Is there anything that you could do? I remember Amari (Cooper) used to always say that you guys were texting back and forth all the time and doing things, just communicating frequently. Is there anything more that you can do with your top skill players to get that going?
“I don’t know about more. I don’t think timing is usually an issue with us. It’s more about the reps. It always is about the reps. And yeah, like when you’re, you know, it’s in between the periods going and looking at it, which we do all those things. We’re communicating and we’re trying to get as many extra reps as we can. And I think the biggest thing with us is we just got to continue to do those things so that it comes naturally.”
Joe, I know what you said about letting the game come to you. On the other hand, Green Bay seems intentional of pushing the ball down aggressively right from the start of the game. You guys haven’t had many leads this season. Is there a case to be made to be a little more aggressive first quarter?
“For sure. Listen, I don’t think when I say that, it’s trying to say that we shouldn’t be aggressive and, you know, at least put that in people’s minds that we’re going to do that. It’s just when you do call those plays, just don’t just throw the ball up aimlessly. It’s still treated as a normal play and go through your read and if you have to take the check down, that’s a good thing. I think it’s just those reminders. I don’t think it’s necessarily, ‘let’s not try to do certain things.’ It’s just, you know, little reminders that taking the check down and doing those sorts of things, getting a three-yard run, they aren’t necessarily bad things.”
Joe, the Micah Parsons trade surprised a lot of people. I’m just curious, as a guy who’s been in the league for a while, are there moves that surprise you anymore that you see and what does he bring to the Packers?
“No, nothing really surprises me. It’s still fun to talk about things like that, but I think you’re aware that pretty much anything can happen. And then when you watch him play, I think it’s pretty obvious. I mean, it’s no more obvious to me than any of you guys what he brings to a team just in terms of his ability to line up anywhere and you know, to get after the quarterback a little bit.”
You said after the game in Baltimore that (Quinshon) Judkins had an impact… so now he looks like there’s a commitment for him to be the future back. How does that affect the offense?
“Well, listen, I think it’s exciting for him and the thing last week is, you know, we all got to go through training camp and, you know, a couple game installs and things like that. And he’s showing up last week and he’s trying to pick up as much as he can and you know, your head has to be spinning a little bit and, you know, maybe not quite as sure. So the exciting thing this week is that, you know, he’s going to get to sit in every single meeting, go out and do walkthroughs, every single walkthrough, go out and practice, get the reps. I think he’s got a lot of talent, so that’s what’s exciting for us, is just to get an explosive guy some touches and see what he can do with it.”
Is he the guy that can change how a defense kind of approaches you guys?
“Listen, I think his skill will speak for itself, just like anything in football and in offense, when it comes to him changing the game a little bit, it’s kind of up to all 11 of us to kind of get that going. It’s not just him. I think if we can play the kind of football that we want to, and we can get him in space, and I obviously think that’s when we’re going to get to see what he can do. I think he’s also going to be good at taking the two, three yard runs when that’s all that’s there and wearing on a defense. And I do think he has the ability to kind of be a game breaker. But I think those plays, those game breaker plays, it’s going to be all 11 of us working together.”
Joe, you mentioned trying to get in sync with the receivers, it’s just going to take a lot of reps So, kind of going back to training camp and stuff like that. Do you think that not having those first team reps hurt you guys early on in the season?
“I don’t think so. I mean, you have to, like bring up certain things as to what we’re thinking. You know, if we’re looking at individual plays, then you can probably look at it. Listen, I feel pretty good with where I’m at with those guys. You can always be a little bit better. And each game plan brings its specific challenges to kind of go out there and you’re always doing things a little bit different. But ultimately, I think we’re working towards something and we’re doing a pretty good job, just because that’s part of what I’m talking about – just because you’re not going out there and throwing for 350 a game, you have to be able to stay patient and continue to do what we’re doing and make little adjustments. It’s just little things.”
How nice will it be for you to have Jack Conklin back if he can play this week, and also have Dawand (Jones) for the whole game if he’s okay?
“Yeah, I think anytime you get the main guys up there, that’s what you want. But listen, this game is built on everybody being ready to play. And I think Cornelius (Lucas) has done an awesome job stepping in and doing what he’s done. So, throughout the course of a game and throughout the course of a season, for sure that different people are going to need to step up. So, I think we feel confident in going that way.”
It’s a small sample size, but through two games, the run defense is the second in the league in allowed rushing yards. So how do you guys balance the run and the pass game knowing that they are holding their teams to those numbers?
“Yeah, they’re good. They got a good front. It always presents challenges. That’s what defenses are trying to do, they’re trying to stop the run and make you one dimensional and then get after the passer. So, it’s our job to match that physicality and do the best we can in those areas of the game. I mean, that’s the constant battle. Anytime you’re going against a team with a good front though, obviously it’s a challenge, and that’s what we’re getting ready to do this week.”
In an effort to open up the passing game, does facing a defensive line like the Packers, that’s similar in some ways to the defensive line that you’re facing every day in practice help?
“I think so. You know, anytime you get to go against Myles Garrett and the front that we have, it’s good practice. I mean, those guys are – there’s nobody better. So, anytime you get to go against guys like that, are trying to get up field and disrupt the pocket, it’s good practice for your front. You’re going to get beat by Myles Garrett. But I think if you have the right head to stay in there and realize that you’re getting better from it, then yeah, it’s a huge advantage to go against that every day.”
The thought of going to dial up a bunch of downfield shots when you know that defense, especially the Packers, can bring pressure like they do. I mean, can’t you say we’re going to take a bunch of shots because you’re not, you can’t expect to have all day back there?
“You know, it’s funny because I just don’t look at it that way as to like, obviously there’s times where you take shots, but ultimately a lot of the times that you see those taken throughout the course of a game, it’s just because they happen to – they do play this coverage, and they did play it on that time that we called it, and instead of taking the far cross or the back on the wide, you ended up throwing a post over the top. Or I think a lot of the times you think you’re pushing those things when you complete a handful of them, but in reality, you’re just playing the game. And you happen to get five shots that game. I think that’s no different this week. Obviously, there’s probably times where you’re going to pick and choose those things, but that’s every week. And honestly, I think Kevin and Tommy (Rees) do such a great job of kind of putting it together and then kind of talking to each other and determining how they’re going to call certain games and how they see it. And now it’s my job to kind of understand why they’re calling certain things, and then just play the play from there.”
Do you feel like your foot speed is as good as it’s been over the past few years, just in terms of the keepers and the bootlegs and all up the field?
“Yeah. I mean, keepers – I mean, you could run 10 miles per hour and do keepers. It’s not really about the foot speed. But, yeah, listen, I mean, the last couple weeks I’ve had to get out of the pocket. I don’t think were super successful last week, but still, you got to throw. You know, that’s what I’m talking about, throwing, throwing the ball away. You know, they’re positive plays. And even though weren’t necessarily successful in completing balls down the field last week, I feel good moving around and making plays outside of the pocket when it has to be done.”
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