CINCINNATI BENGALS
Head Coach Marvin Lewis
(opening statement) "I'm disappointed for our guys. They fought their tails off in a football game where, for some reason, we allowed the first score. Then, we get the field position, play-in, and end up with a field goal and 10 points. We fought back in the football game and had opportunities. We got the turnover defensively and then end up with a mistake on the snap and not being able to field it. That's a huge error in the football game to not get points. But, again, I thought we settled down and moved the ball when we needed to. Not consistent enough. The third downs in the first half, particularly, were a huge difference. Their drives they scored on, they converted two third downs – one on each drive. And that was the biggest difference in the first touchdown drive and later when they got the long field goal. As I told our guys, 'Now, we need help.' We've been able to control it ourselves. Now, we need some help. But it's not done, but now we need some help. We obviously have to do our end now, and that's to win the last five ball games, if we have any chance to go to the playoffs. And that's still in sight, but we need help now – no question."
(on whether there is frustration on seeing the same stuff) "Well, it is what it is."
(on the pressure on Andy [Dalton]) "We got a couple of balls tipped back at us, and we tipped a couple of balls on the other side. That seemed to be a little bit of the flavor. Some of it was the design where the play was going – the release point. So, we'll look at it and see what the issue was. We don't want to have a fumble there at the end. He's moved up in the pocket, and they were just able to get a hand on the ball. That wasn't necessarily as much pressure as him stepping up in the pocket to make the throw. And he [Elvis Dumervil] was able to get a hand on it and knock it loose from him.
(on missing some players) "That's got nothing to do with today. Today was this group, this football team, and we failed to get it done."
(on the Bengals' defense) "We had a couple of new guys in there. With Josh [Shaw] and Clayton [Fejedelem], it's on the tape, but they seemed to handle the situation very well today."
(on whether he can point at what is causing the missed extra points across the league) "No, I don't, but we don't want to miss extra points."
(on Andy's [Dalton] performance) "Again, it's hard for me to see. He moved in the pocket, he made some throws, he got out of the pocket, and he ran for a first down. Those are good things. He just has to keep playing. He didn't put the ball. . . other than the throw where he kind of got grabbed on the route and wasn't able to get to the ball, where they had the opportunity for an interception. I think that's a positive. You've got to keep playing. He can't at all get pressing and throw the ball where it doesn't belong. And I thought he did a good job of that today."
(on his decision making on the [Justin] Tucker 57-yard kick) "Yes, I'm going to make him try it from 57 yards. Obviously, you can answer that question."
(on Tucker not missing all year) "Well, so my point is, it's still a 57-yard kick that barely gets across."
QB Andy Dalton
(on missing some weapons from the offense) "It's like they say, 'Next man up.' Of course, we would have loved to have had those guys out there, but we played hard and had some chances to win."
(on the decisive sack and fumble) "He [Elvis Dumervil] got around the edge. I tried to step up, but he reached out and knocked the ball out of my hand. That was really a disappointing way for the game to end for us."
(on the offense's performance) "I thought we moved the ball really well, especially in the fourth quarter. On one drive, we even picked up a big fourth down. This was a typical Bengals game against Baltimore. It always seems to come down to the final minutes, and both teams have a chance to win. We have to find a way to win one game. That's all. That's our goal now."
(on all the passes that the Ravens knocked down at the line of scrimmage) "They did a great job tipping passes at the line of scrimmage, especially toward the end. They probably weren't rushing very hard so they put their hands up, and it worked."
(on what it's like to be playing against a kicker like Justin Tucker) "He's a really good kicker. Everyone knows it. And he made some long ones today. He did a really good job for them."
(on where the Bengals go from here) "Our entire goal now is to win this week's game. Good teams find a way to make things happen, and we have to find a way to do that."
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HB Jeremy Hill
(on the level of frustration while losing another close game) "It's never frustrating. We are out there battling our guts off on every play. We just need to cut down on our mistakes and convert when we reach the red zone."
(on the Bengals' performance against the number one rushing defense in the NFL) "We know how to do our jobs. We just need to execute better – especially in the running game. We've been working hard all year, and we will keep working hard. We have to stop settling for field goals when we get in to the red zone."
(on how the Bengals handled the loss of Giovani Bernard) "'Gio' is a very big part of what we do, but we still have to go forward. Rex [Burkhead] did a really good job for us today."
WR James Wright
(on the offense's play) "We were trying to get something rolling [early]. We'd make a few good plays, but not finish the drive. We just have to get down to the red zone and capitalize. I had a hand in that, too. We just have to do better as a group, keep the drive alive, and score touchdowns."
(on their first full game without WR A.J. Green) "That's why each and every one of us is in the NFL, to make plays. Somebody goes down, and the next man's up. We all have talent. We just have to put it together and come together as a group to make plays."
(on the approach to the final five games) "Keep our heads down and keep playing hard to win the next one."
LB Rey Maualuga
(on the defense's play) "We'll have some things to fix during the week. We knew that they are a good offense, and we had to come in and stop them early. Obviously, they drove down the field on the first possession and scored. But, for the most part, hats off to their kicker. He was kicking 50-plus-yard field goals. He did a good job at that. We held their offense out of the end zone in the second half. We're just trying to find more sparks and more turnovers, but I thought we did a good job. The scoreboard didn't end in our favor."
(on his interception) "I happened to be at the right place at the right time. It fell in my hands. There wasn't much I could do with it, but we got off the field. All we can do is put it in our offense's hands to score some points of off it. Obviously, they [Raven's defense] got that fumble and got the ball back themselves."
(on the play of the front seven) "Coach challenges our front seven, especially our front four. Those guys work so hard day in and day out to get in that back field. When they do that, it causes the quarterback to throw the ball up in the air or out of bounds. They came to play, but, obviously, it's overshadowed by the loss because we didn't win it."
(on Justin Tucker) "Certain kickers can't do what he does. Sometimes, when it's a 40-plus-yard field goal, teams end up just punting the ball. You do a good job on defense and the ball is left in his hands. It's more like an automatic three."
CB Adam Jones
(on holding the Ravens out of the end zone after the first drive) "We had a hell of a game plan for us coming in. We just have to stick to the script. Be true to ourselves. Be true to your teammates. Work hard. Keep our heads down. It is what it is."
(on wanting to return the end-of-game punt that wasn't made) "I wanted it. I let [special teams coordinator] Darrin [Simmons] know that I wanted it. I haven't had the opportunities this year. Anytime the game is on the line, I need the ball back there. Period. Point blank."
TE Tyler Eifert
(on the approach coming into the game with a couple injuries) "Not a whole lot was different going into the game plan. We have guys who stepped in; we just have to make more plays. We gave ourselves a chance to win there at the end. The defense played great. Now, we just needed to find a way to get the ball into the end zone there at the end."
(on where the team is now after the loss) "We're not happy. We're not going to get down or feel sorry for ourselves or blame each other, point fingers. We're going to keep working hard and hope to get a little bit of help here down the stretch and win the rest of our games."
(on the red zone turnovers) "Obviously turnovers we try to avoid, especially in the red zone. Everybody had their turn making bad plays and not making the play when we needed it. Everybody has a hand in it. We're going to keep moving forward and get ready for next week."
(on the offense's ability to move the ball at the end of the game) "It kind of felt like our old selves a bit. Obviously, they were trying not to give up the big play, but it felt good to move the ball. We've got to try to find that rhythm earlier in the game, as well as find ways to win these close ones."
(on his touchdown catch) "It was kind of a scramble drill. I just kept running toward the sideline. Andy [Dalton] got out of the pocket and threw a perfect pass."
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HB Rex Burkhead
(on the turnovers in the red zone) "That's our number one priority every game, to take care of the ball. Unfortunately, we didn't do that today. Baltimore is a great team. Give credit to them. We just have to find ways to finish."
(on being patient and finally getting some playing time) "It felt good to get out there, to get your hand on some balls and get some touches. I feel like I could have played better, of course. I'm never satisfied. I always look for ways to improve, but my number one priority is to get a win for this team, and we didn't do that today."
(on being a big part of the offense) "It was fun. I haven't had that many opportunities in my career, so finally I got some chances, and it felt good. I got into the rhythm. I was comfortable in the run game. I just went out there and tried to do my best."
(on coming up short at the end) "It's a big-time division game. We knew coming in here we needed one; we just didn't finish. We didn't finish drives in the first half. We had something going there in the final drive in the fourth quarter, but we didn't finish it off. We're disappointed, but we're going to keep fighting. That's what this team is made of – high character guys who are going to keep fighting."
DE Carlos Dunlap
(on the defense's play) "I think the Bengals lost the football game. I didn't make a game-changing play, but we've got a lot of issues. We're not playing good enough to win. We all wear the same logo."
(on the offense's injuries) "That's a big part of it, but we had some issues before that. We're not playing good enough to win, and we have to fix it. We still didn't take care of business."
(on what needs to change) "It's just everybody stepping up and making more plays, because, if we don't fix it, we'll be home in January again. We're not making things happen. Last year, we made a lot of things happen, and that's what we're missing this year collectively - from everybody that's wearing a Bengals uniform. There's a very thin line, and right now, we're not getting close enough to that line, so we're losing. This is a losing streak, but we have five games left. We have to play [the Ravens] again. They have to play some of the guys that we lost to, so there are positives there, but we have to fix ourselves before we can start worrying about someone else."
(on limiting the Ravens to field goals after the first drive) "We made our adjustments, and we did what we had to do, but they have an amazing kicker. I've never seen something like that. We hold them to the 40 [yard line], and they're in field goal range? That's real. Three points is a positive for a defense, keeping them out of the end zone, but we've got to make plays to win the game. We stopped the bleeding, but didn't make them bleed."
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CB Dre Kirkpatrick
(on the defense) "We have to figure out what they're doing early and just go out there and play our game. We still played pretty good, but we didn't get the win."
(on the consistency of the defense) "Exactly. Consistency. We should have had this game. We've got to get over that hump, especially at the beginning of the game. We can't allow teams to go down there and drive the ball on us. It's unacceptable."
(on the injuries and if the defense felt more pressure) "We didn't have to make up anything. We knew we had to help carry the load, because A.J. [Green] is one of the greats, so that was a big dent in the scheme of what we like to do."
(on stopping the offense and seeing 50-yard field goals) "At the end of the day, we've got to bite down. It does get frustrating, but at the end of the day, this is a team sport. We shouldn't single anybody out and come together as a unit, but I tip my hat to the Ravens. They were a better team today. They went and got the job done, but I feel like we still should have won this game."
(on taking away the long ball) "He just didn't throw the deep ball. A couple times the deep ball was there, but he didn't throw it. You have to give credit to Adam [Jones] on the outside and our safeties."
(on the losing streak) "To me, it starts to wear on you. I'm a winner. I've never been in this position, but, at the end of the day, when you're a competitor, you keep competing, especially when your back's against the wall. You always find a way to get out of it. We still have a great opportunity in front of us."
(on the battle with Steve Smith) "'89' said I was trash. If I'm trash, what did he do today? [Expletive], clean that up. Who was trash today? He said what he had to say last year. I just wanted to let him know, am I trash now? '89' looked to trash me, but he didn't do anything."
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Head Coach John Harbaugh
(opening statement) "Sure is good to be standing here with a hard-fought victory over a very good football team. Very tough, competitive football team that fought right down until the end. Andy Dalton was standing in there firing right until the end. That's always a tough rivalry, and it's really good to finally break the string [of losses] against these guys. They've gotten us five times in a row. For us to come up with this victory is obviously very satisfying. I thought our team played exceptionally hard, exceptionally physical, and played with poise throughout the course of the game. There's a few penalties we would like to have back, most certainly. [It was] a dominating performance by some of our guys up front. Terrell Suggs was just absolutely dominating with all of the sacks, pressures, run defenses, batted balls … Elvis Dumervil came up with a strip sack at the end, and he was bringing the heat the whole game really well. Offensively, we started off really well with the opening drive. To get the seven [points], that was really big. To finish the game on special teams the way we did, I thought was good. There are a lot of little details in there that I'm sure I'm forgetting about 10 minutes after the game, but I thought our guys did a great job. Tucker – [Justin] Tucker hit all of those field goals. We put him out there to hit some long ones for us with some wind. He did a great job."
(on if there was any hesitation to have K Justin Tucker kick the 57-yard field goal) "There was. I was thinking it was going to be a punt after the way the play went. We were going to kick the field goal from wherever the number was, and then we lost a couple of yards from the play. At that point in time, it was just like, 'We have to punt now.' Tucker and [kicking consultant] Randy [Brown] and [special teams coordinator/associate head coach] Jerry [Rosburg] were all saying, 'Let's kick it.' So, that was easy. That made the call for me."
(on the safety play to end the game) "I tried to mention that that was the best safety ever taken, and what I meant was that it was the best-executed safety ever taken because we kept him clean the whole time. But, 'Siz' [Terrell Suggs] says that nothing can top the Super Bowl safety. 'Siz' said, 'No, the greatest one was the Super Bowl safety.' They did a great job with that, and I'm proud of them."
(on the plan if P Sam Koch got a lot of pressure on that play) "If they had gotten to him that fast, I think he would have gotten back, but he could have thrown it out if he had to. That's the stuff that Jerry works on with those guys all the time. I thought our guys did a great job. Part of the deal was just identifying all of their men, because if we misidentify on the count and leave one guy running through there, he's going to get to Sam, and there's going to be very little time off the clock. Everybody did a great job of communicating. They were moving and shifting like they are well coached to do. Our guys got on all of their guys and did a great job."
(on K Justin Tucker's kicking range going into the day) "What did he make the long one by? (reporter: "Probably 60 [yards]") *There's your range, I guess. He had a kickoff go through the uprights. I'm on record as advocating that that should [count as] a point. *(laughter) *I'm serious now. But really, how exciting would that make it? If we're going to make these touchbacks so valuable, let's do it, let's go for it." *
(on how he decides to send K Justin Tucker on the field) "It's really if I think he's going to make it. It's getting to the point where conditions and all of that … There was a little wind out there, and the field is very soft right now, at this time of year. All of these things factor into your mind, but the confidence in the way he's swinging his leg … Not just him, Morgan [Cox] and Sam [Koch] are doing such a good job right now. Your confidence builds as a coach to put them out there and have them try it. They came through."
(on if K Justin Tucker was lobbying him to allow him to kick the 57-yard field goal attempt) "He was. He definitely was."
(on the decision not to kick the field goal on the fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter) "I think [Justin Tucker] was running out there on that one, too, wasn't he? *(laughter) *The fourth-and-1? You're talking about the flip play to the left? I think we had maybe a two-minute warning at that point. That was when [offensive coordinator] Marty [Mornhinweg], Joe [Flacco] and I talked on the sideline, and we just decided that we felt like we had a good play. We really weren't sure. We thought about getting to three [points] right there, and that 'Tuck' [Justin Tucker] would make it, but we also wanted to try to get seven [points] if we could. Marty and Joe both felt like we had a good play, so we did it."
(on how the offense played overall) "I thought they played winning football, but at the same time, I think the offensive guys would be the first to tell you that we want to get better. We are improving. We are playing more solid. We cut down on some penalties. We ran the ball pretty darn well at times. I thought Joe [Flacco] was really good. When he dropped back, he was executing. He was seeing the field really well. He threw some strikes in there. That's a good pass rush; they have [Carlos] Dunlap out there, putting his arms up and batting balls down. That's a tough defense to really get a rhythm against. They don't give up a lot of points because they can make plays. They've been hit with some plays, too. We hit them with some plays as well, but that's a very good defense. It's just tough to get a rhythm. I think a couple of conversions here, we don't get a penalty or get backed up late … That would have helped us. I think we're … I believe that we're … I know that we are getting better on offense. I think we're doing a good job, but we're striving for more than that. Our guys are going to tell you, we want to put a lot more points up than that. That's what we're working towards."
(on how gratifying it was to see OLB Elvis Dumervil back on the field and making plays) "It's such a good thing for 'Doom' [Elvis Dumervil] to do that. For him to come out and fight through this thing – which was such a disappointment that he wasn't out there earlier in the year – sometimes you have setbacks and things like that with your rehab. [He] kept working. [He] rededicated himself. We put a new program in about six weeks ago, and he went to work on it and got back. For him to play so well is satisfying for him, I'm sure, but it's really satisfying for me and everyone else, too. We're happy to have him back."
(on if he saw the replay before he challenged the spot on the field in the first half) "There was a little extra time created, for whatever reason, and then we had to dig it up. That's one of the advantages of being at home. We were able to find it and get a look at it, because they didn't show it on TV, that I'm aware of. Our people upstairs – [offensive assistant] Matt Weiss is one of the guys who leads that – found it, saw it and just really felt like it was short. When I watched it on the screen finally, it was short. [The officials] overturned it correctly. That was big. That was very important."
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OLB Terrell Suggs
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(on the ending of the game) "Man, if it ain't tough, it ain't the Raven way. I really wish we could have got off the field instead of scaring everybody and having Elvis [Dumervil] make a fantastic play. But that's the Raven way. It ain't pretty, but we'll take it. It's a 'W.'"
(on going after Bengals QB Andy Dalton) "I didn't really think he let us get after him too much. We had some success in the pass rush, but he made some big plays with his legs, and that was the one thing we didn't want him to do. So we definitely got to take a look at that, and you know, we've got to play them again in Week 17. So, but it was bittersweet. It was good. We were glad we had some success, but it could be better."
(on K Justin Tucker) "We've got the best kicker in the league. There's no doubt about it. But we've got to keep the young kid humble. Like I said, I told him when I [came] back, I've never seen a kicker make some contract demands, but I guess when you're the best kicker in the league, you can do that. It's great to have, like I said before, a kicker with ice in his veins."
(on stopping a five-game losing streak to Cincinnati) "It feels good. Like I said, when you're fighting a kid in the school-yard, and he's always beating you, and you finally punch him in the mouth, maybe he'll quit picking on you; but like I said, we've got to see these guys again. They came out, and they came out to win. They played a tremendous game. We finally got over the little Bengal hump. They didn't have [A.J. Green]. I wish he was out there. I'd like for them to be full go [with] A.J. Green. But also, you've got to be careful what you wish for, so we'll take it, man. We'll take it."
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QB Joe Flacco
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(on how good it feels to beat the Bengals after losing five straight times) "It just feels good to get another win. A lot of the games we've played against them have ended somewhat like that, with them scoring and ended up [they] pulled them out. It just feels good to get another division win and another win and keep ourselves in it and playing important games."
(on how he's playing now) "I felt good out there today. I felt like we lost our tempo in the second half, and it kind of hurt us a little bit. Early on, we had a good tempo, we were able to get in good rhythm and just keep putting pressure on them. I felt like they were feeling a little bit of pressure early on, and for whatever reason, we kind of, in the second half, weren't able to do that. I think we had a couple good first-down runs and then weren't able to convert them once we got down in the red zone there. Steve [Smith Sr.'s] penalty on one drive, a couple things that started to slow us down a little bit. I wish we could have kept it going. I felt good out there. I felt like our line did a really good job today keeping them off me. It wasn't like they really came after us a ton, until late. They started to try to throw us off-balance and bring the safety here, bring the corner here and things like that. But I was able to sit back there and feel pretty comfortable all day. They were able to bat the ball down and pick the one off, but that was another route that we had Steve run three at the back of it."
(on if there's been modifications that's helped him out recently) "Well, we did a couple of those today, but we didn't get exactly what we wanted to get. I think I hit [Kyle Juszczyk] for no yards, and then we were trying to get a little bit of a big play on the next one, and I had to throw the ball to him again. I think that stuff keeps the defense off-balance a little bit, though. I think, at times, I've been able to move a little bit better. I was able to run for another first down today and just step up in the pocket and get a couple yards here and there, and whether I end up throwing the ball away or stealing two yards, I think that's helped a little bit. And then I think we've found a lot of success with playing some up-tempo football and letting our guys do simple things that they do really well and just take advantage of that. I think that when we played well today, that's kind of what you saw."
(on keeping K Justin Tucker humble) "There's no way (laughter). I mean, he'd feel that way any way. There's no way to keep him down, man."
(on his sliding and if his knee brace is OK) "I don't think I did too much damage to it. I kind of felt it right away and tried to roll over as quickly as I could. In the Cleveland game, I kind of was aware of it, and I said 'all right, get your feet up,' and in this game, I'm running, and I was looking for a hole to crawl into, and you just get down as quickly as you can, and my natural slide comes up where I'm just kind of sliding on my knee and my shin and just want to get down quick. So, I'm probably going to have to deal with it for a while until I can like re-train myself to slide on my right side or get on my butt. I don't want to start diving head first and doing all that stuff because then you can fumble, and they can hit you and all that stuff. It's just something I'm going to have deal with and get a little bit better at."
(on Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph's offer to teach some sliding) "Well, hey, I want to challenge him to slide into second base with a knee brace, and the dirt's real clumpy, and it gets caught in it. If I don't have a knee brace on, I'm not going to be rolling over and making bad slides. I mean, I'm just going to have to get used to the fact that I have it on and try to avoid getting it caught. I've thought about, 'Is there a way that I can put something on it to smooth it out so that it doesn't get caught;' it just kind of skips across the grass, but I don't know if I can do that or not."
(on if the offense should have been able to finish off this game) "We have to. Like I said, I think that was part of it today. We lost our tempo a little bit. It just felt like we got a little bit conservative. I mean, you can feel it. It's like when you're sitting at home watching a game on TV, and you're like, 'Oh, man, this is starting to take a turn.' One play happens in the wrong way, for whatever reason, they're going to be right back in it. I felt like we let the game get to that point today, and that's never a good feeling. I mean, you guys probably felt it. I figured we were going to have to go down and kick a field goal at the end of the game there. I actually asked Dennis [Pitta], I said, 'Do you think if they score here, they'll go for two [points]? What do you think they're going to do?' I definitely wasn't feeling great about what kind of position we put ourselves in. I'd love to be able to finish them off, go put a touchdown or two or three on the board in the second half and just get this game over with for sure."
(on how WR Breshad Perriman has been doing) "I mean, we did a handful of plays where we had four receivers on one side of the field, and one on the other, so that throws the defense off a little bit. So, I just had an alert for him running up the sideline. Everybody kind of caved it; he was one on one, I thought he did a good job getting good position. I just wanted to give him a chance to make a play. I think it was a great play by him."
(on if he's all right with the offense) "I'm OK. I'm confident in my ability to play games like this and win down the stretch and do the right thing with the football, but in order for us to take that next step and be the kind of team that we want to be and be a championship football team, we're not going to survive week-in and week-out doing things like this. We've got to keep the foot on the gas and learn how to put teams away."
OLB Elvis Dumervil
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(on the win) "It was a grind all game. Finally I was able to get there. The coverage was great all game. I appreciate [defensive coordinator] Dean Pees trusting me."
(on returning from his injury) "It has been a grind all year – trying to get healthy. It sucks as a competitor, not being able to play the game you grew up playing. Our guys on defense have been playing great all year. It was definitely something I wanted to be a part of."
(on if this was how he envisioned his comeback) "It was a great start. We still have five games left in the regular season. It's going to come down to the last game of the season, I'm sure. We just have to make sure we keep getting better. Me, personally, there is a lot I can get better at. I'm still a little rusty, but I'm fine-tuning things, and hopefully, I can be peaking at the right time."
(on returning for a second time this year) "The strength level was completely different. It's just about getting game tempo, game speed. You really don't get that in practice. I really didn't have [training] camp, or mini camp, or really anything. Today was great. The crowd was awesome. Being out there with my teammates – I couldn't ask for a better day."
(on the combo of he and OLB Terrell Suggs) "It has been a while since we both have been really healthy. Our coverage was good today. Hopefully, when we get Jimmy Smith back, it will be awesome. We just have a lot of work to do. It's a great start, but we still have a good Miami team coming in next week. We'll enjoy today, but we have to get back to work."
(on getting ahead) "When we get a team one dimensional, our coverage, our scheme, and the rushes we have, guys pushing the pocket up front … Lawrence Guy, Timmy [Jernigan], we have a chance. We just have to make sure our offense is doing a great job. It's on the defense to make sure we keep them out of the end zone. One we get teams one dimensional, we're a really tough team to beat."
(on his game-winning strip sack) "All game, it was a hard-working game. I kept getting to the edges. I tried to bull rush, and it was just the ball coming out. A sack [can happen only if] everything just has to align. It was one of those situations where he held it just enough, and I was able to get to him."
(on the defensive linemen getting their hands up and batting down passes) "Give coach [defensive line coach] Joe [Cullen] credit. He has been working with our front guys all year long, telling them to get their hands up, and it paid off today."
(on beating the Bengals) "They have had our number lately. Great-coached team [with] great talent. Give those guys credit, but we were able to be the better team today."
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WR Breshad Perriman
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(on his touchdown) "It felt good. It felt good to go out there and make a big play for the team. Really, I'm thinking more about the ball I left on the ground out there."
(on making a play after having no catches last week) "It really got me going, and it gave me a confidence boost. That was a good start."
(on the offense not scoring a touchdown after that) "You always have a lot of ups and downs, we just have to find some consistency."
(on how big two touchdowns in three games is for him) "It's alright, I guess. I still expect bigger things out of myself, and I'm sure they're going to come."
(on whether he's developing a chemistry with QB Joe Flacco) "I think so. I think it's still a work in progress, but it continues to develop."
(on being in first place in the AFC North) "It's really good. You can sense the energy in this locker room. Everybody is happy that we're on top. We broke the losing streak [to the Bengals]. Everybody is feeling great."
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OLB Matthew Judon
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(on deflecting passes) "We're just trying to get our hands up if we can't get to the quarterback. It's all about a good pocket push, and then getting your hands up so that maybe you can tip a ball. If you can't get to the quarterback and you can't get a sack, get your hand up and you might be able to deflect a pass."
(on the Bengals' final drive) "I think the defense played well. We bent a little bit, but we didn't break. We continue to play together all across the board. The defensive line helps the linebackers, the linebackers help the corners, so all 11 have to play together."
(on the Ravens' first touchdown drive on offense) "We always like to see six points go on the board instead of three, but I'm not on the offense. Whatever happens over there, we have their back. It's our job to go out there and stop the opposing offense. That's our job. We'd like to score on defense, but it's really not our job."
CB Tavon Young
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(on breaking a five game losing streak to Cincinnati Bengals) "It feels great. I'm really happy for the older guys who had been on that losing streak with them. They really took it seriously all week long knowing we had to beat Cincinnati to have any shot at the division. It was great to be a part of this, and to move on next week against Miami."
(on Justin Tucker) "We have the best kicker in the world, hands down. We have so much confidence in him when he takes the field, no matter where it's from. Nothing more to be said about him, he's the best."
(on the pass deflections on the last drive) "The defensive line gets all the credit for that. Who knows what could have happened if those passes got out there. We may have intercepted, but the d-line didn't allow it to happen. They got good penetration; they got into the passing lanes and basically saved the game for us."
(on the Cincinnati receivers) "Those guys are good. [Brandon] LaFell and [Tyler] Eifert, they're good, physical, tough players; but so are we. We made plays when we had to, and I felt we won the battle at the end."
ILB C.J. Mosley
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(on the last drive) "Our defensive line did a great job. They collapsed the pocket, got a hand up. They did what they were supposed to do; made some plays at the end."
(on breaking the five-game losing streak against Cincinnati) "This was a great win for us. Since I've been here I haven't beat Cincinnati, going 0-4. It felt great to get that monkey off the back. I felt it was a great team effort. The offense did their job, moving the ball and with great time of possession. On defense, we bent a little bit but didn't break, and that's what it comes down to."
(on Justin Tucker) "The stats don't lie. He's at 100 percent, obviously doing a great job. When our offense stalls out, we're still putting points on the board. Whether it's three or seven, as long as we keep playing with the lead and the defense we play, we're going to be hard to stop."
(on having Suggs and Dumervil together again) "They did a great job setting the edge. Two sacks, two fumbles; making plays all over the field. [Elvis] Dumervil made that last big play. That forced fumble was huge; it was great to have him back on the edge."
(on watching Dumervil struggle with the injury) "It was a great return for Elvis. And it was great that it came today. We're going to really need him down the stretch, at the end of the season. We just have to keep it rolling, some big games coming up, and we're going to need Elvis."
G/T Marshal Yanda
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(on why the offensive success didn't carry over from the first drive) "To tell you the truth, I don't even know. We haven't looked at the tape yet, obviously. It was an exciting game to the end. We just didn't make enough plays. In the second half we started out firing off the line, but we just couldn't sustain it throughout. We just couldn't make enough plays to extend the drives and keep the ball. We kicked a lot of field goals, but we'd rather score touchdowns over that."
(on Justin Tucker) "That guy's special. That's for sure. What he did today and he's shown it all year long, that guy's in a zone. It's huge. You see teams around the NFL that are struggling with their kickers and it's nice to have him where he's confident and kicking the ball really well."
(on his adjustment to the left side of the line) "For me, right now, it's just a one-week-at-a-time deal. I just need to keep improving and getting my reps down. It still takes some getting used to, but I feel I'm getting better. When you switch positions like that, you just need to keep getting reps. We're going to keep building on it and hopefully keep rolling."
(on the offense's drive with about five minutes left) "We had a chance to really chew up the clock, to go down there and score some points. We wanted to get at least three there, but we had a penalty that put us behind the eight-ball. As an offense, you really want to get points and put the game away. We take pride in that. But as it happened, we were sitting there on the bench, watching the defense do their thing. They were great all day. They did a heck of a job. Elvis [Dumervil], with that huge play at the end, I'm so happy for him. What he's been through to get back on the field, and change the game for us, he deserves it. He's worked his tail off and I'm really happy for him"
(on if he was completely confident moving to the left side) "No. No, definitely not. I had to have a good week of practice and I felt like that week before the Dallas game, where I practiced Wednesday and Thursday, it started coming to me. I felt like those couple days gave me some confidence to be able to do it. So, it still doesn't feel right. I still line up on the wrong side when I got out there. [Jeremy] Zuttah has to put me on the left side because I just naturally go to his right. But, in the end, it keeps me playing football and that's what I want to do. No matter what, I just want to be out there and play at a high level. If that changes and I'm not playing at a high level, I'll be done. But, for right now, I'm just going to keep playing."
(on if he could be effective on the right side right now) "You know what? I really don't think so. I don't think I'm at the end of my rope there, in general. But playing the left side, right now, is really the only side I can play. I'm just going to keep getting the reps, and doing the best I can, because I really want to help this team get where it wants to go. I'll do anything I can to contribute to that."
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DE Brent Urban
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(on the four pass deflections on the last drive) "They [Cincinnati] were trying to get some quick throws out and we were just trying to get our hands up and knock them down, and make it more difficult for them to compete. [Matt] Judon and [Lawrence] Guy did a great job of that. [Elvis] Dumervil made that great play at the end. I am just so blessed to be a part of this defensive line and this great defense we've put together."
(on breaking the five-game losing streak to Cincinnati) "This game was huge for us. It's a divisional game and it means a lot to be 4-0 in the AFC North. We were fired up, it's a rivalry, and a game we needed to have. We knew the history and we were going to come out firing and give them our best."
(on Cincinnati missing a few key players on offense) "Injuries are a part of the game. We knew they were missing a couple guys, but we didn't prepare any differently. We can't. The guys they had on the field can play. We knew that. They have a great team and they still have weapons, aside from those two guys [A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard]. We have to take them seriously no matter what."
K Justin Tucker
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(on QB Joe Flacco's comments that he has earned the right to act the way he does) "It's really great to have the support of your teammates. (laughter) That is all that we try to do. Morgan [Cox] didn't have to be here, and he is here right now. That is pretty awesome if you ask me. Having the support of your teammates and having each other's back leads to success in my mind. You had the chance to see that firsthand today."
(on convincing coach Harbaugh to try the 57-yard field goal) "I just kind of ran out there and figured they would have to drag me off, if they didn't want me to kick it. The conditions were definitely tough. We had the wind at our back at that point. I actually thought the ball would be spotted a little bit closer than it was. When they spotted it at the plus-39 [yard-line], and we were already out there, it is just a matter of let's ride and give this ball the best opportunity to split the uprights. We did just that."
(on if he thought a 55-yard or 60-yard field goal would be feasible when he was checking the conditions pregame) "Definitely. During pregame is when we develop our plan going into the game for where our lines are. When I say lines, going one way, it might be the 35 [yard line] which would mean we are attempting a 53-yard field goal that way; the other way it might be the 40 [yard-line] which would mean we were attempting a 58-yard field goal that way. Just normal game situation and those are just hypothetical numbers. We definitely do a good job of managing that in pregame, so we are confident in our plan heading into the game. We had several different kicks during the game that were in that gray area where it is hard to make that decision. The way I think about it is I'm just going to make the decision that I'm going to run out there. Like I said, if they have to drag me off, that's fine. I feel like that attitude permeates through our locker room. That is the Raven way. If you want to win, you want the ball in your hands or in my case, at your feet. If I didn't think that way, I'd be doing a disservice to everyone in this building."
(on where he felt like his range was today) "Not to be smart or anything, but it kind of doesn't really matter. Throwing out a bunch of hypothetical numbers in the preseason, I got some flack for it. But I'll double-down on it for sure. It is in the realm of possibility for me, with Morgan [Cox] and Sam [Koch], to hit the ball from well across mid-field. We are talking about 70-75 yards. A day like today, what matters is that we made the kicks we were sent out there to make, and I will leave it at that."
(on how much pride he takes in being perfect from behind 50 yards after struggling in that range the past couple of years) "Yes, thanks for reminding me. (*laughter) *It is definitely good to be doing well. I have great people around me. I have the best snapper, the best holder and punter in football and they make my job so much easier. To be on this sort of roll that we are on now is good, but it doesn't end today, it hopefully will not end at the end of December or the first part of January. Hopefully this is something that would help carry our team all the way to the playoffs and hopefully to a championship."
(on why the kicking conditions were difficult today) "If I just had to point to two things specifically, it would be the wind and the field. This time of the year, the grass doesn't grow as thick or as full. Yard-lines will get chewed up throughout the course of the game with all those dudes in the trenches doing their thing. It happens, but we do a good job of managing it and making sure our footing is as good as it can be for that particular field goal or extra point attempt."
(on what he thought of P Sam Koch's technique on the safety) "I thought that was one of the most underrated, awesome plays I've ever seen. The execution of the 'take a safety' there at the end of this game, I think it rivals the 'take a safety' from the Super Bowl a few years back. The execution was just spot on. You win the game and you close the game out on special teams, I think we all enjoyed that. That was really cool."
(on coach Harbaugh's comments on putting the ball through the uprights on a kickoff should count as one point) "I agree. I think eventually we are going to keep making the game harder for kickers, then you have to reward us in some way. The ownership and the competition committee and the NFL are great at this give, take thing when CBA time comes around. Maybe we can throw that one out there. Maybe you can get a point for getting the ball through the uprights on a kickoff. I would certainly really appreciate that. Especially on a day like today, when you're playing a close game and a division rival, you want any points you can get. They are hard to come by, and if you can get them like that, then I'm all for it."
(on if it comes as a surprise that there are so many missed extra points around the NFL this year) "It is hard to say. I try not to think about it. We try not to think about what is happening outside of what we do. Last weekend I guess it was a tough weekend for kickers around the league, but I think you may continue to see that, just because the sample size is still kind of small. We're a little bit over one-and-a-half seasons with that particular rule in effect. When you look back years prior, the percentages kept increasing to the point where the competition committee and the owners felt like they needed to make a change to make the game more exciting. I was totally against it coming into last season, but I also said at the same time, the guys that are able to do well and adapt are going to increase their value and help their team win games."
RB Terrance West
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(on the offensive performance as a whole) "We came up with the big plays when we needed it and picked up the win."
(on the running game in particular) "We got it going today, I think we were over 100 yards."
(on how he and RB Kenneth Dixon complement each other) "We don't miss a beat when the other one comes off the field. We just want to keep the drive going."
(on the running backs catching passes today) "It's very important to be able to catch passes as a running back. It is a game changer. That is part of why Ray Rice was successful while he was here."
(on if the team was committed enough to the run game) "We came up with the win. Whether we didn't run the ball enough, or if we did run the ball, we came up with the win. Let's keep it positive and keep it going."
* *
RB Kenneth Dixon
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(on getting the win today) "It's always great to win and go up another point in the division. We've just got to keep our focus and play the next game, and in the next game just push ourselves further. It was great to come back and beat these guys. I heard all week about how they've beaten us five-[consecutive] times, and we wanted to come in and put a statement on this game and let them know that the Ravens are still coming."
(on if he was satisfied with the running game today) "Yes sir, we were satisfied. But we've always got to keep pounding, and there are things we can get better on. As the game unfolded and we found out we could run the ball more on these guys. We just always go with the game plan, and if it's running the ball, me in pass protection, or Joe [Flacco] throwing the ball down the field, it's always part of the game plan and we just want to do what's best for the team."
(on QB Joe Flacco throwing to the running backs a lot and if that was part of the game plan) "Yes, he always looks for the backs out of the backfield. Our running backs do a great job of catching the ball out of the backfield and getting vertical, and just trying to do what we can to help the team win."
(on earning a hard-fought victory today) "It always feels good to come out with a win. The Bengals have beaten us five-[consecutive] times before this game, and we came out and made a statement today."
(on if the team is tired of hearing about losing five-straight games to Cincinnati) "Yes, definitely. We heard it all week, and it actually helped us practice harder and be more motivated for this game. 'Sizz' [Terrell Suggs] did a great job this week of telling us to keep our focus and come out and play ball – just play Raven football – and that's all we've got to do."
S Eric Weddle
* *
(on today's game) "Huge win. I mean, these games have been huge for the last few weeks, so we had to get it. We've got to win every game, we feel, this last stretch. November and December football. [We need] a December to remember. That's what these games are all about – just grind it out. Physical game and we made the plays in the fourth quarter to win, unlike last week. So, it was great to bounce back, see the energy, see the focus throughout the week. It showed some character and some mental toughness to bounce back from last week, and shoot, it's on to the next one. It's on to Miami."
(on if the five-game losing streak to Cincinnati was a point of emphasis this week) "Oh, for sure. They've had a lot of success against us over the last few years. I was kind of the opposite, I've had success against Cincinnati during my career, so it was tough to come in here on Monday and let everyone know, 'Yeah, they've had our number, but they're beatable. We're playing at home, let's play our style [of football], play team ball and do the things necessary to win the game.' And I think we did that. We held them to 60 yards rushing. I mean, take away the quarterback runs getting out of the pocket and we shut the run down. Nothing over the top, we made plays, dropped a pick, of course…"
(on how long that dropped interception will linger) "My whole career. *(laughter) *That's the way it is. I drop the easy ones – it's been the story of my life since I got in the league. But, just getting humbled. It's a good thing we won and it didn't come back to bite us. I still owe the team three points for it. But when the game is on the line, it was nice to see 'Doom' [Elvis Dumervil] get back, his presence, 'Sizz' [Terrell Suggs] played outstanding again, not only getting after the quarterback but in the run game, his leadership. It's definitely nice to rely on somebody like that and to look at him and be like, 'Yo, we need a play.' It's great to have a guy like that, and we got the win."
