Ravens 37, Patriots 26
JH: We're not there yet but we're on our way, and I feel like that's something that we're working hard on to improve, but in this particular game, I think the thing was guys stepping up and making plays. Josh Bynes just walked in the room, made that interception in quarters coverage back there in the perfect spot, right where he's supposed to be relating to the route and makes a huge play for us and stops the drive.
Two interceptions in the fourth quarter by our two star corners, to come up with those plays, needed to make them, needed to get off the field. That's what guys do. This game -- as the late, great Clarence Brooks said, this game is, always has been and always will be about the players, and our players won this game.
Questions?
Q. What do you think it says, obviously he stepped up and produces those turnovers in the fourth quarter, but to do so after last week when that adversity hit them --
JH: I haven't thought about it that way really. It's a good story to right but I'm not thinking about it that way. Every game stands on its own two feet. If something was learned by that, that's fine, but it's not about redemption. It's just about -- I think the story there is when you face adversity -- all right, you want to know the real answer? There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss contains its own seed, its lesson on how to improve your performance next time. That's Malcolm X. That's the lesson to me.
Q. About the turnovers, can you talk about the play that Kyle Hamilton made?
JH: Oh, Kyle Hamilton, I should have said that one, too, yeah, thanks. That play, you know, it kind of goes in the good category. They make a great throw, our guy is right there, fingertip type catch, right out of reach, looked like they're running for some yards. Kyle Hamilton with the effort play, knocks the ball out, Marcus Peters with the unbelievable recovery on the sideline of the fumble. Those are plays that just -- they're just great football plays.
Q. Did you read that quote to the team?
JH: After the game I did, yeah. That was our linebacker coach, Zach Orr, gave it to the linebackers. I noticed it in the tip sheet, so I just put it in my pocket, and there it was.
Q. Offensive line, you lose Patrick Mekari early, looked like Faalele struggled a little bit early and then the second half seemed like that whole group solidified. How important was what they did and just the ability to get the run game going there?
JH: They really did. Early on we needed to help the left tackle, and we did a couple times but then we didn't need to. Then he kind got his footing there, and then the run game started perking up. I thought the offensive line played just a tremendous football game. They played really well last week, too, so they're whipping into shape there. Pat Mekari is going to be fine. It's a sprain. He'll be okay. Won't be long-term. But yeah, that was a good point.
Q. What did you think of your running backs?
JH: I thought they did well. I thought Mike, I thought Justice Hill really stepped up. Just start with that. He was kind of the bell cow today. He made some exceptional runs. He and I have been talking about that for a couple weeks, that he was going to break out and run like a star running back, and he did it. And I thought J.K. came in and was exceptional. First game back, couldn't have expected any better than that. Mike does a great job. Still Kenyon is doing a great job. I love all four of those guys.
Q. John, you've seen Lamar's stats. Four touchdown passes, running one, 100 yards rushing. You see him every week. Does anything surprise you with what he does on the football field?
JH: No, I'm kind of getting used to it. It's a good thing. But you never do get used to it because he plays his way, and he's kind of determined to play his way, but he plays -- it's not -- his way is winning football. It's fundamentally sound quarterback play. He's running the show out there. He's making the checks. He's managing the clock. All the things that you would say a operator or a manager does, he's doing all those things, too. He's doing those things and he's making plays sometimes when the play doesn't make itself.
And the receivers have such confidence. You've got to give those guys credit. They keep running routes, they keep getting open. The offensive line, to continue to pass protect when Lamar is holding the ball the way he does and moves around the pocket not have holding calls, that's great technique. That's great discipline by those guys. Joe does a great job with those guys, too.
Q. We saw some more read options this week than we have maybe in the previous two. How do you think that affects the running game?
JH: Well, it makes it really tough to defend. I think it makes it challenging because if I was assessing what they were doing, I think they were going to force Lamar to run a little bit and say, okay, are you really willing to do that. Is he willing to do that, because they basically took away the sweep lanes. They were playing tough against the running back stuff, especially in the first half and into the third quarter between the tackles, and then they were saying, okay, run Lamar, see how much he'll do it a little bit. A little bit. They played good defense against him. But Lamar is a tough guy. He made a lot of plays that way and made the running game go.
Q. (Inaudible.)
JH: I think it's a great question, and I'm trying to answer that question for four years now. I answer it here every time we have a press conference. I basically say the same thing because it's true every week. Yeah, if there's people out there that doubt that at this point in time, I don't know what to say to them. I don't think we can help them at this point.
Q. How did Dobbins look to you, and was this kind of the plan all along this week, to get him more involved, or was it something you saw in practice this week that convinced you you --
JH: He was kind of getting to the point where this week -- we kind of felt like -- we were looking at last week and just felt like this week would be the kind of week, and it just kind of made sense this week in terms of how he looked.
Q. Can you talk more about Pierce --
JH: Pierce is -- about to see tomorrow. It's not definitive yet which way what it is exactly in terms of seriousness. A decision will have to be made on that.
Q. (Indiscernible) is the other guy I asked?
JH: Yeah, he's got like a strain, a soft muscle thing -- I don't know if it'll be a week or not. We'll see.
Q. Lamar is really throwing into some tight windows. Has there ever when you're watching been a situation where you're like, okay, that was --
JH: You know, I mean, no one has to tell me about Lamar Jackson. I believe in him. I love him. I just believed him the first day we drafted him, the first day we talked about drafting him. Felt like he could be everything he is. But it's just like Marlon said, we're not there yet, but we're on our way, and he feels the same way about the play he's playing, too.
We've just got to keep working. But I'll say this about his process. What's he, in his fifth year now? So his process as a quarterback in terms of preparation has taken another step. He's always been going this way. That's another step in that direction. I think he's really kind of gotten to a point where he's really kind of found himself in terms of his quarterback preparation process.
Q. If you put yourself in Devin Duvernay, the contested touchdown catch --
JH: Yeah, Devin's game -- and he's mad about a couple other ones that I thought were still pretty darned good plays.
I told him, I said, you made two plays there, and he goes, the punt return doesn't count. I thought it was pretty good. He looked hemmed in, guys made some blocks, he got up the sideline. Dude continues to do it. And how Bateman, Rashod? Has the one play. It's a tough play. He never had possession of it. You've got to have possession of it. So we'd like an explanation on that, and we'll be asking for one. Thanks for asking about that.
And then -- but Bate to come back and make that catch and get up the field and make the play shows you about his character and what he's about.
Q. You said that Lamar was making the next step in terms of his preparation. How specifically would you define that next step?
JH: I just think it's a natural next step in terms of like finding his rhythm during the week, what he's looking at, how he studies defenses, how he breaks defenses down. It's not a lightbulb thing, it's an evolution of studying the game that you see quarterbacks go through.
He's still a young quarterback. You watch him play, does it look like he understands what he's going up against and what he's dealing with out there? Right, and that's the result of that process and that work effort that he's putting in. It's really impressive.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports