Head Coach Brian Flores
(There’s been a lot of talk – not just around these parts, but around NFL-wide about the Ravens offense and what it could look like. You’ve played against Ravens teams before. Has this been a tough team to prepare for in that way, or is it always tough Week 1, no matter who you’re preparing for?) – “This is certainly a very tough opponent, really across the board. Offensively, obviously you start with the quarterback. (Lamar Jackson is) about as dynamic an athlete as there is in the league. I think as a pocket passer, (he is) much, much improved. That’s what I kind of noticed watching the preseason tape. This will be a very tough test for us – not just the quarterback, but really the entire offense. It’s a big offensive line, physical across the board. The tight end position – they’ve got a trio of guys there who are solid players. ‘Solid’ is probably not giving them enough credit. These are good players, and then the backs and receivers. All the way across the board, it’s a strong team.”
(Do you expect this Ravens offense to still be a team uses the run to set up the pass?) – “This is a team that has historically run the football very well. (Baltimore Ravens Offensive Coordinator) Greg Roman is very, very – he does a really good job of scheming up the run game. He has for a long, long time; but by no means are we sitting here saying that this is going to be a 9-on-7 run drill. They’ve got very, very capable receivers and tight ends. Willie Snead is one of my favorite players. He’s tough, he’s physical, he catches the football. He makes tough catches. He blocks. I really have a lot of respect for him and the two rookies they’ve got. We liked those guys coming out. And Chris Moore as a returner. I think they’ve got a lot of good players.”
(What went into the decision – and I’m sure you’ve talked to guys down there about it – what went into the decision to pick QB Ryan Fitzpatrick as your starter? A lot of guys here have said he’s a streaky player. How do you think you can get him to maybe be more consistent in his age-36 season?) – “I think for our team, we felt like he gave us the best chance to win. This is a guy who has started a lot of games in this league. He’s got really great leadership qualities. He knows how to handle an offense. At the end of the day, we just felt he gave us the best chance to win. We’re excited about this opportunity to play a really tough, well-coached, disciplined team. We’re going to have to really play lights-out to have a chance.”
(I know you’re not going to give away any secrets, but when you’re preparing for them offensively, do you go back and look where Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman’s been? Do you go back and look at college stuff for QB Lamar Jackson, or is just all across the board?) – “Yeah, I’m not going to give away any secrets. (laughter) We look at everything. I watched him coming out of college for sure; so yeah, we watch college tape. I’ve been a fan of Greg’s for a long time, so I’ve watched a lot of his film over the years. You do a little bit of everything. What they did last year, college tape – at the same time, you don’t want to watch too much and get to a point where – They do a lot. They really do. Greg’s done a great job for a long time. Lamar’s a really good player. They’ve got good players across the board, so we’ll just try to put our team in the best position to make some plays offensively, defensively and in the kicking game, and play hard, play with good fundamentals, technique, have good communication and try to play a good team game. Hopefully if we do that, hopefully we’ll be okay.”
(There’s been a lot of talk about you guys and some of the trades you’ve made and where you are as a franchise. Has it been challenging just to keep guys focused on the field, just preparing them for Week 1 and not worrying about any of the other stuff and all the questions you’re probably getting down there?) – “Not at all. I think we’re really worried about what’s going on inside the building in our meetings, at our walkthroughs, at practice. Our guys are motivated. They’re focused. I thought we had a strong practice today. We got off to a good start. Hopefully that continues over the course of the week. We’re going to need that. If our efforts, our attention or anything are anywhere else but the Ravens – they deserve all of our attention. I’ll tell you that much. This team is a team I have a lot of respect for. (Baltimore Ravens Head) Coach (John) Harbaugh is someone I have a great amount of respect for. I think they have a tough, disciplined style that I admire, so this will be a tough test for us. My guy Jerry Rosburg, I know he’s a consultant now, but we go back. We go way, way back. I met him back when I was at Boston College, so he’s a good friend and a great coach. I always look forward to seeing him.”
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I know you’re getting ready for the Ravens this week, but what would your first NFL win mean to you as a head coach?) – “It would mean a lot. It’s going to take a lot to get that done against a really good team. We’re going to have to prepare at a high level, and we’re going to have to practice at a high level. There’s a lot that goes into that. This is a really good team we’re playing that’s physical, that’s tough, that’s well-coached, that’s disciplined. We’re going to have to play well against this team.”
(How physically and mentally ready do you think RB Kenyan Drake is for the start of the season?) – “I think he’s both physically and mentally ready. This is a guy who has as much talent as we have on our team. He’s fast. He’s physical. He’s explosive. He makes a lot of plays, and we’re looking forward to getting him a lot of touches this week.”
(You’ve had so many players coming and going in the past several days. How hard is to incorporate all these new faces into the team and get them up to speed for Sunday?) – “We have had some turnover here. The one thing I’d like to say is I like that we’ve been aggressive trying to bring in players that we feel will help this team and better the roster. I like that aggressive approach. As far as getting them ready, we’ve got to coach them. That’s part of our job. We’ve got a good staff. It’s something we talk about as a staff and finding the best way to get these new guys up to speed in roles where they can play fast.”
(Does that mean for some of those guys you’ve had to simplify things as far as game plan, so they know what’s going on?) – “I think every week it’s a little bit different. Some guys, could – you’ve got to see how much a guy can handle. Sometimes there’s – conceptually, football, it’s the same, pretty much. Cover 3 in Pop Warner is Cover 3 in college, is Cover 3 in the NFL. You can have a few exotic forms of Cover 3; but at the end of the day, it’s three deep. I think conceptually, there’s some things that some guys can get both offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. If they can understand the concepts, that kind of tells you how much we can or how far we can go as far as how exotic we can get with looks and schemes both offensively, defensively and in the kicking game.”
(Have you had any players in the last few days – looking at all the turnover you’ve had – and say, “What’s the vision here? I’ve lost a lot of teammates, a lot of friends. What’s going to happen here?” LB Jerome Baker was kidding but said he’d like to ask you, but he’d be afraid that he’s next. Have you had any of those interactions with your players, and what was your message?) – “I think these guys are focused on Baltimore. That’s what I see. I think the attentiveness, the preparation – guys were in here yesterday watching film. It’s their day off; but they’re in here, and they’re in here lifting and watching film and getting a workout in. I think that’s where the focus is, and I think that’s where it should be. Again, this is a tough team. This is a physical team. This is a well-coached team. We’re going to have to play well in all three phases in this game to have a chance, so I think that’s where their focus is – not on anything else, not on turnover. I don’t think it’s on that, so no, I haven’t had any conversations that way.”
(Can you give us your impressions of Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and the challenges he presents?) – “He presents a lot of challenges. (laughter) He’s an explosive player. (He’s) dynamic. I think he’s throwing the ball a lot better than – I think he’s improved in that area. This is not a one-trick pony. Let’s put that out there right now. This guy has had a good preseason. He’s throwing the ball well. Obviously, we know what he can do. If he gets outside of the pocket, he’s as explosive a playmaker as they have on their team. We’ve got our work cut out for us against this particular player and the entire team. They’ve got a really good offensive line. They’ve got good backs. They’ve got good receivers. They’ve got tight ends who block and are good pass-catchers, so we’ve got our work cut out for us defensively.”
(What’s the most encouraging on-field thing you’ve seen from DT Christian Wilkins?) – “Well, he’s played with a little bit of a better pad level the last few weeks, so that’s been good. Hopefully we continue to do that. This is a guy who’s getting better and developing on a daily basis. Again, he’s still a rookie, but he’s working to improve and get better. I’m sure he’s looking forward to playing his first NFL game Sunday afternoon.”
(What was it about T Julién Davenport that made you guys want to include him in that trade package and have him out there now as the left tackle?) – “He’s athletic, good length, smart player. I think he’s got a lot of potential, so we’re excited to have him. We’ve got to get him up to speed as quickly as possible, get him out there and hopefully we get a productive player.”
(You have so many newcomers on the offensive line. Is the situation now just to stay with the consistency that you have on the four other positions or will those guys like G Danny Isidora get an opportunity to get in the mix to compete for that starting spot?) – “Yeah, I mean we had all (of our) guys practice Monday. We worked a few different groupings. The good thing with this group is that there is a lot of versatility, so (Michael) Deiter has played right and left guard. He has played left tackle as well. (Julien) Davenport has played left tackle, right tackle. Jesse (Davis) has played right guard, right tackle – he has played left tackle in the past. So there is a lot of versatility with this group. So, we have an opportunity here where we can mix and match it and see what the best group is. So, we will work that in practice today, practice tomorrow, practice on Friday. We will put what we feel is the best group out on the field on Sunday.”
(On the same question, obviously the three back-up interior games have all started NFL games – C/G Chris Reid, G Danny Isadora, C/G Evan Boehm – do you go into the season saying Dieter and Calhoun we would like to see how they do but obviously these three veterans will compete with them, or is this week an open competition among the five of them to be your starting guard?) – “Well you guys know I love competition, so we will start right there. I do think that competition brings out the best in every individual. I think in this situation, we have brought in a couple of veteran interior players to push the rookies. The rookies have done well. I think how they respond will tell us a lot this week. Again, all of those players we have talked about, they have position flexibility as well and we will put the best five out there.”
(On Sunday, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will be starting for his eighth different team. I guess this has never been done before. Can you discuss the magnitude of doing something like that?) – “Well, that is a testament to Ryan Fitzpatrick. It is hard to start at quarterback in this league, so that is a testament to him and the work he has put in. He is a really good player, he is a good leader and I am excited to have him. I am excited to watch him go out there and play.”
(Do you have season captains selected that you can share with us?) – “Not yet. We will vote on captains this week.”
(There were two front seven guys you added who might need to play defensively right away. DT John Jenkins has obviously been around and DE Avery Moss. Can you talk about what you like about each of them and do you feel like they can come in and contribute defensively on Sunday?) – “Well, Jenkins is a big guy, physical, interior d-lineman. He has some athletic ability that I like. (He’s) got some quickness. I like the film we saw from the preseason. (It) was good. So, we were excited to get him. Avery (Moss), again, he is an edge player. I like what we saw from him as well. He is physical, does a good job setting the edge. He has some pass-rush ability that we felt like would help us, so I’m excited about both guys.”
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(Now that Week 1 is here and you’re the starter, what is your main objective heading into this week?) – “I’m fired up. I’m really excited to be out there leading this team. The big thing for us this week is communication – getting everybody on the same page, making sure that we’re crisp and executing. I think so far, we’ve got a great plan in place, and we took a step in the right direction today with practice. (We had) good tempo, good energy and there was great communication out there, so we’ll continue to do that throughout the week. I think we’re trending in the right direction right now.”
(How did you find out that T Laremy Tunsil had been traded and what was your reaction?) – “With that stuff, (we) usually (find out) just like you guys or from you guys. You just kind of see it or get a text or a call from somebody. It’s just one of those things, you never know what’s going to happen in the NFL, and that’s probably the thing I’ve learned most. Expect the unexpected, and just go from there. The biggest thing right now is putting our focus and attention on Baltimore, who had the No. 1 defense in the NFL last year, and trying to figure out the pieces to that puzzle of how to do our best on offense and put ourselves in a position to win the game.”
(Do you know who is – I’m not asking you to tell us if you don’t want to – but who the starting left tackle will be on Sunday? Is that still being decided?) – “Yeah, that’s up to Coach (Flores).”
(Can you talk about from a personal standpoint what this means to you? You’re starting for your eighth team at your age. It must be a very rewarding, satisfying feeling. Can you put that into words?) – “You know what it is? It’s something that’s never been done before. Just in terms of who I am and the career that I’ve had and the different places that I’ve been, this means a lot to me. I think being able to do it here with a younger group where it’s going to rely so much on communication, and I’ve got to make sure that I’m at my best on every single play, whether it’s during the play, before or at the line of scrimmage, I’m going to put a lot on myself this week to make sure that everything goes smoothly. I think in terms of me being in this spot and this place right now, I think my career has led me to this, and I fit well in the role I’m being asked to play right now.”
(Is there an extra level of excitement for a season opener when it’s with a new team from the year before?) – “I think in general, just the fact that football’s back and opening day, it’s so much fun. There’s so much energy. We’ve worked so hard throughout the year for this. You work so hard for these games. The Sundays are why we do it. We love being out there, but opening day is always that much more special because of that added element – the energy and being the home opener and everything else is going to be pretty special.”
(You’ve been around for a long time. You know what it should look like from very many different perspectives, so the 2019 Miami Dolphins are going to look like what?) – “I’ve got to do my best (Head Coach Brian) Flores impression, I guess: tough, disciplined, hard-nosed, smart. (laughter) Yeah, smart, tough, disciplined. But, you know what? I think we do. We have to be a smart team, but we’ve got to – the communication part of it. All the stuff – especially offensively – there’s so much in this offense. It’s worked, and you’ve seen it work in so many different places, in so many different ways and the communication between players is so key. A lot of that falls on the quarterback, and that’s why I enjoy playing the position.”
(You all are all competitors, so I know that you want to win. Do you think this is a good team?) – “The Ravens? Yeah, I think they’re…”
(No.) – “Look, here’s the deal. We do (want to win). We’re all professional athletes, and we all love playing. That’s the reason I made the decision to come here because I wanted to be out on the field playing. Some guys either don’t want to do that or pass on that; but that’s who I am, and I think the group that we have in our locker room – we’re all competitors, and we’re here for a reason. We’re ready to go out there and fight.”
(When you were making that decision to sign here, I’m sure you had asked about the vision of this franchise…) – “No.”
(You didn’t?) – “No. I saw it as a job – a chance to get out there and play, and I love playing football. So that was all I needed: a chance to compete.”
(What, if anything, have you or can you tell the very young players on this youngest roster in the NFL about…) – “Gosh, that makes me feel really old. (laughter)”
(About the business side of things and how it may or may not be possible to get past that and like you said, focus on Sunday?) – “I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned is no one is going to feel sorry for you on Sunday. No other team is going to come in and say, ‘Man, they don’t have this,’ or, ‘they have this,’ or, ‘they look different from last year.’ Nobody is going to feel sorry for you in this league, so that’s where all our energy and focus has to be put on: going out there and putting on the best performance that we can. There was great energy at practice today, so I think we’re headed in the right direction.”
(Have you had a chance to meet all 13 new players?) – “Maybe. I don’t know. (laughter) I’m trying.”
(What do you see as the biggest challenge this Ravens defense presents?) – “They’re stout up front. They’ve got a great secondary. A lot of playmakers back there and guys that have done it for a long time. They’ve got very fast linebackers – guys that make plays. There’s not really a weakness on their defense. They’re very multiple in what they do, so that makes it tough, too, on a quarterback. They were No. 1 in the league for a reason last year, and they’ve shuffled some guys in and out, but the core of it is the same. They’ve obviously got to replace a few guys – big name guys – but, it’s impressive to watch. Being in Tampa last year, (Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB) Jameis (Winston) started that game, but I got to see firsthand how talented they are, so it’ll be a huge challenge for us, and nothing but respect for those guys.”
(In other words, seeing that defense without LB Terrell Suggs?) – “I played against Suggs in high school. He was a tailback. (laughter) He was a tailback at Hamilton High School. He’s a year older than I was, and ever since then, I’ve been in awe of him and what he does; but yeah, I’m glad he’s on the Cardinals now.”
