Ravens Players (12.12.21)
WR Rashod Bateman
(on the team’s comeback effort and how the team never quit) “I think that’s our mentality. That’s been our mentality all year. It’s ‘Next Man Up.’ ‘Snoop’ [Tyler Huntley] came in, and he did what he could do, and the rest of the team did what we could do. I think we still showed a lot of fight. That’s what we’ve done all season, and we’re going to continue to do that.”
(on QB Tyler Huntley’s performance) “It’s never easy, especially watching [No.] 8 [Lamar Jackson] go down, but we knew ‘Snoop’ [Tyler Huntley] was ready. He proved it in the preseason. He proved it in Chicago when he came out on top with the ‘W.’ We have all the confidence in ‘Snoop’ [Tyler Huntley], just like we do in [No.] 8 [Lamar Jackson]. He knows we have his back, just like he has our back.”
(on his comfort level establishing himself in the offense) “Yes, I’m just continuing to get more comfortable as we play. I’m just doing my job, continuing to make plays for the team. Hopefully, I can keep it up.”
RB Devonta Freeman
(on this team’s resiliency) “I feel like we won the game. I feel like we physically beat them, but we’ve just got to finish and execute. We beat them, but they won the game. I just think we’ve got to execute better and get back to the details, get back to the drawing board, and let’s just figure out ways to finish. Because in the NFL, you never know how it’s going to go. It’s ‘Any Given Sunday,’ and it can go any way. So, we’ve just got to figure out how to finish better.”
(on the team’s mentality on the last drive) “It just shows a lot of character. A lot of relentless guys competing for each other every single day. It’s exciting to see that and know that. We’ve got a lot of more room for improvement and getting better.”
(on QB Tyler Huntley’s performance) “Excellent – he did an excellent job. I always think … Coming in like that in a situation like that, that’s not an easy job to do. But he came in and managed it well, executed well. For a few quarters, he did what he had to do. And that’s challenging, because when you’re the backup, you’re really not expecting to be playing. So, you’ve got to always be ready, and he did a good job.”
ILB Patrick Queen
(on the fight the team has to never give up) “We never give up. We always know that if there is time on the clock left, we have a chance, especially with the players that we still have on this team, even with losing key guys. It’s all thanks to the coaches and the players for their fight, that’s all I can say.”
(on the defensive effort late in the game) “We knew … It was a tough battle the whole game, so, we knew we needed to get stops. The second half, I think we did a pretty good job of doing that. When it came down to it … When we needed to step up, we made the stops.”
(on the mentality of the team being 8-5) “It’s just time to go to work. We just have to capitalize on the things that we can capitalize on and the plays that we can make. Down the stretch, [we have to] just get the wins that we need, one win at a time.”
CB Chris Westry
(on his first extensive game action of the season) “I was pretty comfortable. The gameplan that ‘Wink’ [defensive coordinator Don Martindale] and Coach Chris [pass game coordinator/secondary coach Chris Hewitt] had for us was simple. We just have to go out there and execute better.”
(on how the secondary is performing after losing veteran players for the season) “We’re headstrong. We just … We understand our obligation and our job. For some of us, this is a life-changing opportunity. The ‘Next Man [Up]’ mentality, you have to do your job. From my personal experience, I just have to do better. The performance today by me wasn’t good enough. [We] just have to go to work and stack days.”
(on the team’s fight to make a comeback) “Man, that’s the ‘Raven Way.’ That’s literally the definition of the ‘Raven Way.’ We’re frustrated we didn’t come out with the result that we wanted, but the mindset that’s instilled in us will never go away. Even when I’m done playing ball, I’ll remember how the ‘Raven Way’ is for the rest of my life.”
ILB Josh Bynes
(on what it says about the team to almost pull off the comeback without QB Lamar Jackson) “I just think it shows how resilient we are. We’ve shown that through our games this year, all season, practically. Just showing that regardless of what’s been put in front of us, whatever happens during the game, we know how to try to pull it together. Obviously, it put us in position to pull off one today, and we came up short. So, it’s been that kind of a season where we’re right there with games, except one. Obviously, the Browns got the win today.”
(on how the defense was feeling trailing 24-3) “It’s a long game. I could’ve sworn in football we played four quarters. It was only 24-3 in the first half. Obviously, we showed them that you still have to play four quarters in this game. In the NBA, that happens, right? A team can be getting blown out by 30 points in the first half, and then all of a sudden, they win by 30 [points]. Football is the same way, can it not? So, we just have to be sound fundamentally the first half and not put ourselves in that position, so that way, in the second half, we eliminate having to come back in the game. Obviously, we fell short.”
(on where the defense made the biggest improvements after the Browns’ two long scoring drives) “We just … Obviously, there were a lot of penalties that didn’t go our way, [but] that’s part of the game. We just honed in on the basic fundamentals and let our guys still continue doing what they’re doing and not taking it away because of the penalties. We still stuck to that, kept doing our thing, and obviously, we shut them out in the second half. That’s what our goal was – to make sure we came out in the second half and shut them out. They didn’t score a point. They didn’t really do anything. So, obviously again, they got the victory today, and we fell short.”
(on if the Browns offense showed anything that they weren’t prepared for) “I’ll just put it this way; when you schedule us to play our division team … You schedule to play them one week, then you give them a Bye [Week], and then another week to play [us], I mean, we’re going to see some stuff, because it’s a Bye [Week], and they’re playing a division team. They have an extra two weeks, really, to do their thing and come out with the stuff that’s different. I think … But they did a good job, coming out doing what they’re supposed to do. Either way, we found a way to get back in that second half to make things happen, and we fell short.”
(on how he’d respond to fans questioning how the Ravens could win without QB Lamar Jackson) “We already won without Lamar [Jackson] already. We’ve done that already. I’m not saying that in a negative way, I’m just saying that we already have won without Lamar. I hope … Just don’t take that negatively. But we’re confident in ‘Snoop’ [Tyler Huntley] getting the job done, because he’s already done that before for us this season – that’s what I’m really saying. And also, because he’s been doing it week-in and week-out in practice. He goes against us each and every day when he’s at practice, and he does an amazing job out there. He’s preparing each and every game like he’s the starter. So, when the moment comes, he goes out there and plays. I mentioned it earlier this week; we have guys who are looking and searching for opportunities. Well, that’s an opportunity to prove that you can play in this league, or you can’t play in this league. We’re all looking for that opportunity. So, guys who had a chance to step up, they’ve stepped up, and ‘Snoop’ [Tyler Huntley] is one of them. There are a bunch of other guys who had a chance to step up and prove that they can play in this league. We have to continue doing that, because these last four games, we have to win the division first, obviously, to get into the playoffs.”
(on if he was surprised by QB Tyler Huntley’s performance and agility) “No, I’m not surprised by anything that ‘Snoop’ goes out there and does. Just our guys in general, the way this organization is built … Hell – I almost said hell. Well, I did; I said it. … I was a backup at one point in time; Chuck [Clark] was a backup at one point in time. We all were backups at one point in time, searching for an opportunity. This is just an opportunity. It’s just one to show what he can do and can’t do in this league. He’s looking forward to the challenge. We all want to accept the challenge. ‘Snoop’ [Tyler Huntley] stepped up today, and unfortunately, like I said, we came up short. But it’s definitely still going to be a challenge going forward, because at the end of the day, we still need to win games to get ourselves the division, and we’ll get in the playoffs.”
C Bradley Bozeman
(on how QB Tyler Huntley performs coming in for QB Lamar Jackson) “’Snoop’ [Tyler Huntley] has done a great job of continuing to mold and grow as a quarterback. To be in those situations where he has to come into a game, he’s done it before. The guy came in and played his butt off, made sure there was no ‘let off’ [the gas pedal] and gave us a chance to win this game. So, I’m proud of that guy just continuing to progress and be the player that he is.”
(on how difficult it was to see QB Lamar Jackson limping off the field and the mindset of the offense knowing he wasn’t going to come back vs. the Browns) “That’s QB1. You don’t want to see your QB, or anyone, go down for that matter. We have all the confidence the world in ‘Snoop’ [Tyler Huntley]. Like I said, we know he’s been preparing. We know he’s ready. So, depending on what happens, if ‘Snoop’ is our guy, he’s our guy. If Lamar [Jackson] is back, then he’s back. So, we’re going to continue to be who we are.”
(on if there’s an unusual mix of emotions that the team was almost able to come back again with a backup quarterback) “Yes, we know … This is that team. This is who we are. We continue to fight. We’re not going to quit. We’re not going to give up. We’re going to stay in it together. We’re going to continue to work and strive to try to win ball games. That’s the goal here, to try to win ball games. I’m pissed we didn’t win the game, but I’m a competitor. I like to win, that’s what it is. But we’re going to continue to fight, we’re going to continue to work, [and] we’re going to continue to do the things that we need to do to have ourselves in a better situation at the end of the game.”
(on if the offensive line is focusing on giving the quarterback more time in the pocket for the last four games) “Yes, that’s our goal. Our goal is to give as much time to those guys back there as we can, and that’s what we’re going to continue to try to do.”
S Chuck Clark
(on how he ended up recovering the onside kick) “The ball was just there. At that point, you’ve got a recover it, do what you’ve got to do for your team. Everybody has to do their job on each play, and I think my job right there was to get the ball.”
(on the gameplan on the onside kick) “Honestly, we don’t know where it’s going to go. We just play off him [Justin Tucker].”
(on how pumped up the team was after recovering the onside kick) “Oh yes, I was real pumped up. I didn’t want to give them the ball back. They said they were going to need that ball if they had to go kick a field goal, so I said, ‘Alright, you can have it.’”
(on the second-half defensive adjustment that limited Cleveland from moving the ball) “I think it was just us coming out … Once we settled in after the first 15 [minutes], they got three weeks basically to prepare for us, they’ve been practicing our defense for three weeks. Handling that first 15 [minutes] and, like you said, with the [pass interference] calls – dealing with those, just settling in and playing ball. That’s when we started getting them off the field, basically.”
(on how confident he is the team can shake off these last two losses and close out the season on a run) “Very confident. It’s the next game in this league. Going into the next game, you can’t think about the last game. The record is there, but you’ve got to go into the next game. Each game, each drive, each play has its’ own challenges. So, you’ve got to move forward.”
(on how this team’s battle-tested mentality can be advantageous in these last four games) “I think that a lot of this championship football at the end of the year – playoff football – a lot of these games come down to the wire, close games. We’ve had a lot of that. I feel that we’re tested – like you said, battle-tested, and ready for that and whatever comes our way.”
(on playing their first full game with CB Marlon Humphrey in the secondary) “Just different guys having to step up in different roles, rotating guys through. We had a few miscommunications, a few mishaps out there. But then we got it together, and we started locking in and playing football. Everybody was just confident in what they could do. We had some calls that didn’t go our way, but that’s just how it is. We shake it off and keep moving forward.”
(on the team’s confidence to be win games potentially without QB Lamar Jackson moving forward) “I think right now, we’re just used to the next guy stepping in. Whoever is out there, we expect the standard out of everybody that’s on this team. As far as the quarterback position, whoever is going to be out there, I feel like this team we trust whoever is out there. The defense and the scout team, we’re always seeing ‘Snoop’ [Tyler Huntley] out there. He’s always giving us a good look. And Lamar [Jackson], of course, we know what he is and what he’s going to do. So, it’s just the standard on this team. Whoever is the next guy up at wherever position it is, I just think we’re going to be ready for it.”
TE Mark Andrews
(on the special teams unit recovering the onside kick) “It was just awesome. ‘Tuck’ [Justin Tucker] had a great kick. Those are the types of things we practice all the time. It was good to see.”
(on how much confidence the team has in QB Tyler Huntley) “A ton. You see it – you see how well he played. He was slicing and dicing, man. Obviously, we wish we would’ve won this game. But for ‘Snoop’ [Tyler Huntley] and this offense and this team, we fought – we fought to the very end. There’s a lot of teams that would’ve given up in that situation. There’s a lot of pause. Like I said, we fought, and we fought the whole game. There wasn’t a second that we were out there that we didn’t believe that we weren’t going to come back – and that’s rare for a team when you’re in situations like that.”
(on how the team will gain confidence in these last four games of the season) “I just know we’re battle-tested. I think this team is incredibly battle-tested. And I think there’s a lot of situations, I’ve been on a lot of teams that you get in a situation like that … And all of our games this year have been close, beside one of them. So, that’s how we play teams. And so, we know that. We have a chance in every game we play. It doesn’t matter who they are. And so, I think that’s a positive thing.”
(on how much did the offensive gameplan change once QB Lamar Jackson went out) “I think there were some things early on that we wish we could’ve had back with Lamar [Jackson] in there. But obviously, when you get in a situation when you’re down like that, you’ve got to start slinging it – and that’s what we did. We went fast tempo. I think this offense runs really well like that.”
(on the team’s mentality when they saw QB Lamar Jackson limp off the field) “That’s our brother. It’s something that … I remember Sammy [Watkins] right after it happened in the huddle was like, ‘Let’s go play for Lamar [Jackson].’ That’s our brother. I’ve been through a lot with him. And obviously, just praying for him. Hope he’s going to be alright, and he’s going to be healthy, and we’ll see what happens. But that’s our guy.”