Steelers-Ravens Week 18 Postgame Press Conferences 1/6

SPEAKER_1 (0:02)

You're listening to the Ravens Press Pass Podcast. The Ravens closed out the regular season at M&T Bank Stadium. They fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers 17 to 10 It was a wet, rainy, sloppy day, cold day in Baltimore, and the Steelers were able to take down the Ravens to close out the regular season. The Ravens had a number of players who did not suit up and play in this game, including quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Now, this game was disappointing to lose, but the Ravens also know the playoffs are right around the corner, and that's where their focus is. The Ravens had already clinched the AFC's number one overall seed, the AFC North Championship, and home field advantage throughout the postseason. So today's game had no bearing on the playoff implications.

After the game, we had a chance to hear from head coach John Harbaugh.

John Harbaugh (0:51)

I appreciate you guys being here. First, I just want to say that I appreciate as this closes the regular season, kind of the final chapter has been written on the story of the regular season, and now we have an opportunity to write the next chapters. At least we'll get a chance to write two, the next two weeks, and then we'll go from there. So hopefully we'll earn the opportunity to write more than that. But I'm proud of the team, coaches, players, everybody in the organization for what's been accomplished up until this point in the regular season. And now we have an opportunity and challenge to take it into the postseason and play the best football that we possibly can. And I'm excited for our guys to do that, and I know they're going to work hard to prepare to do that. I also want to mention the fans, man. I mean, the fans that showed up for this game out there, was that a Nor'easter?

It sure felt like it was standing out there.

I think the fans were great, man. They were really loud and they were into it, and really just appreciate our fans. So, with that, what questions you have?

SPEAKER_3 (1:49)

John, how did you get through this game health-wise with Regino, Delshon, a couple other guys?

John Harbaugh (1:54)

Yeah, I think it looks like we got through okay.

Some of them looked a little tough, but right now it looks like we would have all those guys back for the playoff week for the divisional game. John?

SPEAKER_5 (2:09)

So just follow up. Did Owe get hurt early on? Because we didn't see him.

John Harbaugh (2:12)

Yeah, he had an ankle early on. So again, same outcome.

SPEAKER_6 (2:17)

During the season, there's like mandatory days off for the bye week. Now you have a bye week. What's your plan in terms of the team this week?

John Harbaugh (2:26)

Our plan is to practice Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. We'll organize those practices in the next few days.

It will be preparation, you know, preparation for the postseason, and that will be what we'll do. We'll try to push it back a little bit to have sort of a rhythm as if we were playing a game, say, on Saturday, kind of that idea. And then we'll have a normal game week going into the divisional game.

Talk about you had lost by three, but you teased death. You played it. Steelers team that was ready to beat for the playoffs. How well you played against them tonight. Right, I mean, I thought we played really hard. You know, I thought we played tough. You know, we didn't play great by any stretch. We can certainly stop the run better. We give it the big pass play. I thought the pass rush was really good, you know, and the coverage was good for the most part, except for one play.

Offensively, I thought we fought. I thought Snoop out there fought and played hard in the circumstances and, you know, the rain and stuff like that and the wind. I thought he made some really good throws.

We ran the ball okay, but, you know, when you turn the ball over, and that's basically what it was, we turned the ball over a couple of times and just gave them opportunities to score points. That was it. You know, I think we take that into the playoffs. We already know that. We understand how to win, but it's a nice little reminder that, you know, you've got to protect the football to win games.

SPEAKER_7 (3:38)

John, David and Kyle both had sacks today, and, you know, they've kind of been, you know, pulling some rope for your defensive line all year. What has their influence meant just from a season long perspective?