Ravens Pregame Live Versus the Rams | Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Pregame Live Versus the Rams | Baltimore Ravens

It’s a gloomy, windy, but so far dry Sunday afternoon here in Baltimore where you’re 1 and4 Baltimore Ravens are looking to get back into the wind column before a much needed buy next week. But it won’t be easy as the 3 and2 Los Angeles Rams have made the cross-country trek this week for a week six matchup here at Mnt Bank Stadium. The Ravens are still dealing with injuries and this Rams offense has been redhot, but with a new face on defense, Baltimore is up for the challenge. Welcome into pregame live presented by Caesar Sportsbook. I’m Shelby Lasso and he’s my partner, two-time Super Bowl champion and Ravens legend Tory Smith. and Tori. Obviously a surprising a unpredictable 1 and4 start for the Baltimore Ravens, but when you look around this league, there has been a lot of parody so far. For the first time in over 10 years, no team in the NFL is 5-0. So yes, a 1 and4 start is not ideal for the Ravens, but what is still on the table for Baltimore? Everything’s still on the table. When you talk about this team, the ultimate goal is to make it to the playoffs and get a shot at winning the Super Bowl, right? It’s not college. There is no bowl game. No one cares about even though we love the t-shirt and hats, no one cares if you won your division. Did you win the Super Bowl? And for this team, there is an opportunity to still make the playoffs. So, as long as that’s there, everything is on the table. And that’s where what your mindset has to be. I know when you’re looking at it from the outside in as a fan, it’s like, “Hey, man, they’re struggling. Where’s the light at the end of the tunnel?” But when you’re in that locker room, it’s about what do we have to do to win now? You can’t magically get 10 wins, right? And that’s the magic number to really kind of get into the playoffs based on how it’s been over the past few years. But really based on how winning is going on now in the in the AFC, it’s possible that nine wins could get you into the playoffs. So when you have an half a glass half full mentality, it helps you out as you approach tough times, which this team is dealing with right now. Well, after the loss to the Texans last week, coach John Harbaugh said decisions had to be made. And well, that’s exactly what happened. On Tuesday, the Ravens signed safety CJ Gardner Johnson to the practice squad. And then later that night, Ravens traded pass rusher and former first round draft pick Adafay to the Los Angeles Chargers for safety Alohi Gilman. So Tori, two safeties added in one day. No additional pass rush help. To me, that says the Ravens want to utilize Alohi Gilman like LA did. In LA with the Chargers, he played deep safety that allowed AllPro Derwin James Jr. to play right up close to the line of scrimmage. It sounds like the Ravens want to do something similar with Kyle Hamilton. How does moving Kyle Hamilton closer to the line make him even more disruptive? Kyle Hamilton is at his best when he’s able to impact the game from different spaces. There are times when you’re playing safety besides a guy named Ed Reed and Troy Palamalu, it’s really hard to impact the game on the back end except for every once in a while. Well, when you have a skill set like Kyle Hamilton where you are mobile, where you’re strong enough to be in the box, where you can cover receivers and tight ends, you can also blitz, that helps you out a lot because this team has been struggling making plays on defense. Having a guy that’s able to get after the quarterback. So you add Kyle Hamilton into the mix. I’m sure we will see his name called plenty of not we will hear his name called plenty of times today because he’s making plays in the back field or rushing the quarterback. And that’s going to be needed if you’re going to going to stop this tough Rams offense. And the good news is Kyle Hamilton is back today. He did not play last week against the Texans. And here’s our inactive list. Definitely not as long as last week, but still no Lamar Jackson, no Shidto Bayouier, no Rocoan Smith, no Pat Ricard. But unlike week five, again we mentioned the Ravens will have Kyle Hamilton. They will have Marlon Humphrey and Ronnie Stanley. Zay Flowers was questionable coming into this game. He is active today. So with that, we’ll send it down to the third member of our broadcast, Garrett Downing. And Garrett, this is kind of a good news, bad news, inactive list for the Ravens today. What stands out to you about who is and who isn’t playing for Baltimore? Yeah, Shelby, of course you start with the headliner and it’s Lamar Jackson. Whenever you lose the best player in football, that’s something notable. And it’s he’s going to miss his second straight game with that hamstring injury. But the Ravens had been preparing for this. They’ve known all week that he’s not going to be on the field in this game. He was ruled out on Friday. Cooper Rush is going to start in this game with Tyler Huntley backing him up. So, the Ravens have had a plan for that all throughout the week. Now, on the flip side of this, I think there has been some good news for the Ravens as they look to get healthy and they’re dealing with a large number of injuries in this game. Ronnie Stanley missed last week. He’s back in the lineup. Kyle Hamilton missed last week. He’s back in the lineup. Marlon Humphrey, he went down in that Chiefs game, did not play last week’s game, returned to practice this week with that calf injury. Tested it out, felt good. He’s active out here today. So, I really think that getting Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey back in the lineup for this matchup is going to really make a difference for this defense as they try to find a way to slow down Matthew Stafford and Puka Nua and Devonte Adams. Now, Shelby, you mentioned Zay Flowers. He was limited all week in practice dealing with a shoulder injury. I was watching him over the course of pregame warm-ups and just in some of his interactions with his teammates and the fans. He is clearly excited about this game. His energy is just like it always is. He’s a high energy guy. He was signing autographs. He was taking pictures with fans. Like there is definitely an excitement that I sense from him. So even though he was limited all throughout the week with that shoulder injury and was questionable to play in this game, he certainly is carrying himself out here in pregame like somebody who’s ready to go out there and make a big impact in this game. And as we were talking about, the Ravens are going to need all their healthy players to make a big difference in this game because the Rams are a team. They can be one of the best in the league and the Ravens are trying to find a way to get back on track in this matchup. Thanks so much, Garrett. Yeah, you look at this 3 and2 LA Rams team, number two total offense in the NFL. And then you have the Ravens who have given up the most points in the NFL. And the Rams are coming off kind of a mini buy. They had 10 days to prepare for this game after their week five Thursday night football game. That was unfortunately a loss for the Rams against the 49ers. What does it come down to in this matchup when you look at these two teams? Well, like you said, you mentioned the defense has been struggling, right? And this is one of the best offenses in the league. Matthew Stafford to me is a future Hall of Famer and one of the best quarterbacks in the game. He doesn’t get enough respect for what he’s been able to do over the years. So, you have to get to him, right? And that’s been a challenge for this defense overall. But again, today is a new day and a new opportunity. So you can can’t really live off of what happened the past few weeks. What are you going to do today? And we haven’t seen this Ravens defense play up to its potential and you have a great opportunity against a team that’s doing well. As a competitor, that’s what you need sometime, right? Like when you’re struggling, you’re a little down. Sometimes you want to go into it and we have a group that we know is well respected. If you’re a cornerback, you live for matchups like you do against Puka Nua, right? and and Devonte Adams, two of the best receivers in the game. And it’s I know for the players, you have to be excited about it. And you have to figure out ways because there are a lot of Ravens fans that are here that are going to be very supportive and loud, but they’re going to be fans that are going to be extremely temperamental in how the game goes. And that’s when it’s more important for the guys in the locker room to focus on their game and what they have to do and executing more so than ever. Well, not the fans up here. We know they’re going to be loud today, right? fans. We are going to take a quick break, but when we come back, we will be joined by Tori’s former teammate, Super Bowl champion, and today’s legend of the game, Paul Krueger. We’ll be right back. Honey, can I use my quarter when you’re done? You are not getting the quarterback. Keep the game going with Raven Scratchoffs from the Maryland Lottery. Play today and you could win up to 200 grand instantly or other great Ravens prizes. He has an open lane and makes his move. He might. He could. He did reach for his MT Bank Ravens debit card. Oh, what a play. And a completion touchdown. Does that say flowers on your card? Good eye. Get your MTN Ravens debit card and make every tap feel like a touchdown. Score yours at mtb.com/ravens. Touchdown. It never gets old. Introducing Idahoan Plus protein mashed potatoes with six grams of added protein in every serving. The same creamy homemade taste you love. 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It’s a windy afternoon for some Sunday football in Charm City as your 1 and4 Ravens host the 3 and2 Baltimore host a 3-2 Los Angeles Rams. Welcome back to pregame live presented by Caesar Sportsbook. We are now joined by former Ravens outside linebacker who spent his first four years in Charm City. He had a huge 2012 postseason which helped secure that Super Bowl championship and he is today’s legend of the game, Paul Krueger. Paul, thanks so much for being here. Welcome back. How’s it feel to be back in Baltimore? It feels amazing. Thanks for having me. Um, man, seeing seeing old teammates and just the the Ravens family, the community. I mean, there’s nothing more um there’s nothing more just nostalgic and it brings back this sense of home. I mean, that that I haven’t felt for years and years. And so, um, you know, some some of the most important years of my life just foundationally, uh, were spent here. And so, um, it it just it’s hard to put it in words, but it it feels amazing. How long has it been since you’ve been back? I was here for the, um, God, we were here for the Ravens 10 year Super Bowl anniversary. This was a couple years ago. And then, um, before that when I was playing. So, it’s been a while. Yeah, it’s been a while. It’s been a good ride, though. I’ I started here as a young man. Uh, no family, you know, just a just a you know, just kind of starting my career and my life really. And uh and you know now I’m married, four little kids and and businesses and real estate and just things are so crazy and you know it’s like hey I guess I’m an adult an adult now. I can’t just play ball for a living but um but it’s all good. Life’s amazing. Good. Yeah. Beautiful family, right? What’s it like being here with the family? I know that’s the one thing I love seeing with former guys coming back and being able to show them, you know, where you once took care of business. Yeah, dude. That that is honestly Tori like that’s my favorite part. I mean, just the fact that I can come back and have this experience with them. I mean, it meant everything to me. You know, I was I was so enthusiastic about making this trip because um you know, I you know, they weren’t able to see that part of me. And and guys that had that like Hello when we were playing and you know, Pitta, there’s other guys that either had they were either married or they had kids. Um what a special experience for them to be able to have shared those memories. So, for me, just to be able to bring them back and just really uh really a memory I’m looking forward to having with them. When you walk back in this place, do you have a favorite memory that stands out from down there on that field? You know what, Tori? I don’t know if you feel the same, but warming up as it gets closer to the game. um hearing the crowd, you know, seeing people’s enthusiasm surrounding the season and just you as an individual or whatever that is. I know it sounds weird because there’s so many beautiful plays. I remember, you know, hitting Andrew Luck or or uh Drew Brees back there. I mean, games against the, you know, our rivals, whether it was, you know, the um New England or Pittsburgh. I mean, it just I vivid plays, but something that’s always stood out to me and was so cool was just to just to see the little fans, you know, the little kids, the the parents that are, you know, that did everything they could to be at the game. Um, when you know, when you’re going in at halftime, just, you know, hearing words of encouragement, it just it just it it makes it feel like a place like you can really hang your hat and call home. And so, that’s kind of my favorite like feeling about this this stadium. Special, man. And I know for our experience, the year we won the Super Bowl, we were beat up with injuries and guys like yourself, shoot, even myself, right, we had opportunities to step up and help this team get over the hump. What do you remember about being in that situation and being called to to step up when the team needed you the most because it feels just like the team right now? Yeah, absolutely. You know, I was talking earlier um I can’t remember the podcast I was just on. It was like I got off the pl, you know, we got off the plane last night, got to the hotel, we showed up here and it was like bam, it’s on. So, um, but I was just talking and telling him like some of the most special legendary type seasons that are put together are based on the foundation of overcoming challenges, overcoming injuries, you know, having a having, you know, a rough start. You know, that’s that’s just how sometimes great teams are made. And so, um, I think it’s, you know, for for you and I, it was like, man, we were always jonesing to be the guy to make a play to help the team. You know, you you’re with these, um, these legendary players playing for a legendary team. Um, and just having the the opportunities that we did, it was like you just wanted to do anything to contribute, you know what I mean? So, um, I think it was always that approach. And then when it when it, you know, transpired, I was like, man, you know, I just I’m just so glad you could be there for for the the teammates and your and and the guys that you’re going to war with. Um, and so I think for these guys, it’s like, hey, it it’s never over. You always got to look forward. Um, something that I’ll never forget was my third season here, which was the 2012 year, and we lost to um or the 11 and then it would have been the 12 Super Bowl. we lost to the uh New England in the playoffs and I was just so sick to my stomach that we should have won that game. Um and it was a really hard thing to go through as a player. And then seeing Ray’s response was just like it was like on to next year, you know, it wasn’t it wasn’t meant to be like, you know, we got to get back on track cuz it’s all about and and then to see that a a full year later actually beat them in the playoffs and then go to the Super Bowl. I mean it was it was amazing. So it’s I think it’s always like you got to be an eternal optimist in this game. You always you got to have a short memory but also you know project the future. So it’s it’s just this combination. I think that’s where good coaching good leadership is really foundational putting together a team because that’s what we had. You know we had great coaches still here, great owners still here, great GM still here. Um, and then it was up to the players to create those those, uh, personalities within the locker room, uh, which we had, you know, in abundance. So, um, these guys will come around. You mentioned Ray Lewis, obviously an established vet, when you were drafted. What’s the biggest piece of leadership, maybe advice or piece of leadership you saw from Ry that you took with you the rest of your career? I think at the end of the day, what Rey gave me was just a it was a certain mentality that you take to the game. You know, it’s a serious thing. It’s meant to be it’s meant to be treated seriously. It’s it’s and that started with the way you showed up to the game. I’ll never forget Tori. He had the braids at the time showing up in the suit. I mean, all swagged out and and it’s like it really had an impact on me. I mean, whether it was him or somebody else or or Ray creating that that vibe, you know, you go to other teams and it’s like, man, they’re all just kind of wearing sweats and buzz, you know, just shuffling around and like Ray brought a a certain level of um, you know, he he he if you if you just bought in and believed in the system and believed in the team and believed in the character of what we were doing, you would do anything to win. You would do anything. And and it’s like so many guys you play with, you might not ever like these guys. You might not even ever hang out with them. You might have nothing in common, but because you believe in in what he’s telling you and you buy into, you know, the ownership and the staff and and what what John Harbaugh is trying to convey, when you when you just buy into it, then all of a sudden you’ll have this amazing bond, lifetime bond with somebody that you otherwise, you know, never would have shared that with because you both just bought in and believed. And I think we just had a team of guys that did that. And so for me, that’s what it was. It was like just just buying, just believe it. Not always in my, you know, in my character to do that. I’m I’m a leader and and I I like to blaze my own trail, but like when I came here, I could just feel the power in these men, you know, I could feel it. I was like, you know what? These are guys I can believe. These are guys I can respect. I’m going to go buy in. And you were here, but you also had the opportunity to play in with other teams. What were some of the things that you noticed? um primarily I don’t want to say bad but there are some differences when you go to other places leadership wise uh culture-wise what are some things that when you went to other buildings you were like hey this is a lot different than what it was and you recognize the difference between what it took to be successful and what uh what failure looked like for sure yeah I mean going from the the best team in the you know in the NFL to the worst literally you know in a short period of time um that was Um it it’s honestly hard to put in, you know, it’s hard to describe fully because it really is so many things. It’s all of these different, you know, even from the way that um and it it it just takes a lot to turn it around. There’s there’s so many of these um there’s so many of these hurdles. There’s there’s because at the end of the day, the the winning and losing is is what determines how a team is looked at. So, as players, you’re just trying to do anything you can. But when a team’s had unsuccessful seasons for a lot of different years, it it creates almost like a vortex of, you know, pain because it’s like and then and then it’s like people are trying to overcompensate because everybody, you know, you’re all trying too hard because you know how it is like when you’re on a successful team, there’s fluid, it’s fun, there’s fluidness, there’s like it’s light and even though you’re trying your your your best and you’re giving it everything you have, there’s an there’s a there’s a lightness to it. Um, and it it just never it was hard to feel that going to the Browns. Um, and I love the Browns. I love what the organization did for my life and and um met my wife in Cleveland. Like, I’ve got nothing but love for Cleveland. But, you know, at the time being with the Browns, it’s like I can see it’s a spiral effect where everybody’s trying, but they’re trying too hard. It’s not fun. coaches are are are they’re too powerful, you know, because they they bring them in and they got all the power and, you know, so now you’re you’re adapting to this new environment, whereas it shouldn’t be like that. It’s like players, you know, we’re highly paid growing men, you know, it should be, hey, we we find the leaders within the team and and then so it just it’s it’s just something that takes time and it’s it’s a challenge. Obviously some defensive woes to start off this season for this Ravens unit, but they want to get back to that bullies of Baltimore, the team you had, the other 2000 teams. They want to be that mean tough group. How do they get back to that and start doing that today in this game? Um, man, I think uh everybody these guys have it in them. Um, you can see it through the season. Um, it’s a it’s a you got to have some dogs out there. I mean, and at the end of the day, you know, if you want to be that guy, you want to be a dog type type of defense. Um, there’s no there’s no avoiding, you got to go through people, you got to go, you got to be violent, you got to be um, you got to be dangerous. I mean, I know it sounds cliche, but it’s like it’s it’s kind of either in you or it or is not. And so I think that when you when you wanna when you want to have that certain level of energy and um and fight as a defense, um it’s something that just has to be kind of reestablished every single day. Um it’s got to be recoed every day. I mean, but I I you know, I was lucky enough to to come onto a team that already had that. So I just kind of like, okay, how do I blend into this because this is working and this is good, you know? So um yeah, it all it all starts with leadership. But they just need a couple guys to to hold everybody accountable to that standard and then it’ll happen. Well, they definitely have those leaders on this team. So, Paul, thank you so much for joining us today. Enjoy the game and enjoy it. Legend of the game with the fans. Yeah, thank you guys. Thank you, fans. We’re going to take a quick break, but when we come back, more from pregame warm-ups on the field. We’ll be right back. Shake, shake, shake, shake your body. Shake, shake, shake, shake it all the time. The perfect blend of flavor and heat. Frank’s red hot. I put that on everything. How can we reduce emissions? Clean energy. Great, but our bottom line matters. Where do we even start? Working toward your sustainability goals gives you a lot to think about. At Constellation, we make it simple. We’re the nation’s leading producer of clean, reliable energy, and we offer the tools, expertise, and customized solutions you need to reduce your emissions and maintain your bottom line. Wherever you are in your sustainability journey, you can count on Constellation to take you further. Power on, America. Did they ask you to do the commercial, too? Uh yeah, but they just get me um one line. Bet like a Caesar. Like we’re going to sit here and we’re going to tell them how Caesar’s sports book is just so easy to use that you can watch and bet thousands of sports events, even some NFL games. They’ll probably show us betting on our favorite players and teams at all the Vegas hotspots, too. Like we have time for that montage. I told him I couldn’t do it. They couldn’t afford me. Getting to the bank to see the Ravens play just got a whole lot easier thanks to the Geico Game Day shuttle. Skip the lots and skip the walk. Hop aboard a shuttle and get to the gate in just a matter of minutes. Rides are fast, free, and fun so you and your crew get to the game safely, quickly, and stressfree. Shuttles pick up at Federal Hill and drop you off right at the stadium. It’s the easiest way to get to the game so you can celebrate every drive, every touchdown. Getting to the game doesn’t have to be tough. Just take the GCO game day shuttle. Pregame Live is brought to you by Caesar Sportsbook, the official sports book of the Baltimore Ravens. Well, the Ravens are once again facing a team that won a 2024 Division title. And this is the fifth time this is happening this season, only six weeks in and fans, it’s rush hour again in Baltimore. Cooper Rush getting his second straight start for the Ravens with Lamar Jackson still sidelined with that hamstring injury. So you look at Cooper last week threw for nearly 180 yards but also threw three interceptions. What do you want to see out of Cooper today? Want to see uh first of all protecting the football, right? Cooper Rush is a guy that he’s he was brought in to be a backup and he did an excellent job in Dallas. So it’s not to say that he’s not capable and I know sometimes uh first uh first impressions kind of last on you a little bit, right? That wasn’t his best performance. However, he’s capable of more than that. So I’m looking forward to watching him trying to find rhythm early. um getting to open up the run game. Everyone knows right now the best way for this team to win is for Derrick Henry to have the ball. However, they are going to stuff the box to make sure that Derrick Henry cannot beat this team. So, Cooper and the receivers are going to have to win their matchups outside. And it doesn’t have to mean you have to necessarily just attack down the field all day, right? Our guys are going to have to be more aggressive with their yak, yards after catch. Um make turning big play uh small plays into big ones and just staying on track. uh this offense is at its best when it’s not operating behind the sticks. And what I mean by that is you’re not sitting there in second and 10, second and uh second and 12, third and 10, right? That that’s a tough place to live. And so for this offense as a whole, uh if you can protect him with balance, that’s going to be the key to success today. Well, and on the other side, you have Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who is playing some of the best football of his career at 37 years old. And he has a weapon in Puka Nua, who is playing like NFL’s offensive player of the year. He leads the NFL in receptions and receiving yards. He’s averaging over 11 yards per catch. Oh, and the Rams also have Devonte Adams. So, Nate Wiggins will have his hands full today with those two guys. And you know, there he is, Matthew Stafford. He’s not afraid to challenge defenders. Six touchdowns, zero interceptions in the last two games. How does Nate step up and make a difference in this one? Oh, it’s a big opportunity for him. You know, as a player, you know, you talk about the the game as a whole, right? You want to win the game. However, when you’re a player and you come into the game and you have one of the best in the league lined up across from you, you watch a little bit more film that week, right? You’re checking them out and now it becomes a individ a game within the game, right? Me versus him. my matchup versus them and that’s what he was playing Madden with Dvonte Adams you know a handful of years ago and now he gets the opportunity to compete against him and Puka Nakua is obviously the top receiver in the league when it comes to stats and his performance he’s going to be a handful but he’ll he’s the guy that’s moving around a lot inside and out so as an as a corner these are one of those games where you like yeah the whole league is going to know my name based on how I perform today so I’m excited for him to see because these are two very polished receivers going to be some battles up and down and to see how he holds up this is why he was drafted and it’s his opportunity right now to show that he’s developing into this lock down guy that we all know that he can be. And Garrett Puka has over 30 first downs so far this year. The Ravens have given up the most first downs in the NFL. So, how do you slow down a guy like Puka? The truth is, Shelby, no one in the NFL has figured it out up until this point. He’s been the best in the league so far in so many different categories. And he has a chance to make history today by becoming the first by by putting up more catches in his first six games than anybody else has ever had in NFL history. Needs seven for that to happen. So to your point, how do you slow him down? Who’s the guy that’s going to try to limit what he can do? Well, it truly is an all hands-on deck effort when it comes to stopping Puka Nua and all the great things that he does for that Rams offense. But Nate Wiggins is probably the guy at the top of the list as the Ravens number one corner who’s really stepping into an even bigger role in his second season. And I’ll tell you, I was watching Nate Wiggins as he took the field and he’s generally a more reserved guy. But when he ran out here to the field before this game, he went up and down throughout this lineup shaking hands with his teammates, high-fiving them, hyping him up, there just seemed to be another sense of urgency with him. And like I said, typically speaking, Nate seems like he’s a little bit more of a reserved guy, but he’s coming into this game with this real enthusiasm and excitement. And I think he knows the task that’s going to be in front of him. It’s not just going to be his responsibility to slow down Nua. Let’s be clear about that. It is an all hands-on deck effort, but he plays a huge piece in that equation, both when it comes to Nua and Devonte Adams. And based on the energy that I’m seeing from him out here during pregame warm-ups, I really believe that he’s going to be up to the task and the challenge that’s in front of him with this Rams offense. Pregame warm-ups are presented by Merit Athletic Clubs. And right there, Kyle Hamilton, that is a unit I’m looking forward to seeing today. Those safeties. You have Kyle Hamilton, all pro player, back from that groin injury. You have Malachi Stark’s rookie first round pick who played all 70 defensive snaps against the Tekk Texans last week. And you have newest Raven Alohi Gilman who five career interceptions, 21 passes defended and he’s actually he was a college teammates with Kyle Hamilton. That 2019 Notre Dame safety duo has been reunited here in Baltimore. What does Alohi bring to this defense and how does he fit into this scheme? Yeah, you have another guy that you can trust on the back end and we know this team operated very well with the three safety system last year. So having a guy that’s proven, you don’t have to figure out if he’s capable of doing it. He’s proven in this league, that’s a big deal. And more so for Kyle Hamilton than anyone else. It allows him to be the playmaker and the versatile chess piece that you drafted him to be and that he’s proven that he can be. So, for this team as a whole, you have to make sure the communication is in lock, but it shows a lot that, you know, that he’s going he’s dressing week one of being traded. Uh, he’s a veteran. I fully expect him to be ready to roll. And they say the Notre Dame guys are pretty smart. So, I’m going to go ahead and and give him the benefit of the doubt that he’s confident out there. And I’m sure him and Kyle Hamilton spent spent a little more time this week just getting comfortable, help them with this transition. But, I’m excited for this team. You know, the the there has to be more of a presence in the past for us. I’ll say this each and every week uh for whether it’s our level 82 youth football team or the the Baltimore Raven Ravens. If you show me a great pass rush, I will show you a great secondary. And that’s really where things have to ramp up and guys have to make plays when they get the opportunity to get their hands on the ball. Well, Garrett, what a whirlwind week for Aloh. He traded on Tuesday night. Took a red eye from LA to Baltimore. went straight to the facility, got his physical, was in meetings, was at practice. So, Garrett, 3 days of practice for Aloh. That’s not a lot of time to be with this team and be with this defense. What kind of impact do you expect him to have today? Yeah, that’s a real challenge for him, knowing the the tall task of learning a new defense, just figuring out like where the facility is, how to get to the stadium today. Like, these are real life things that he’s actually had to go through and and I think that like we can diminish that, but it is a real challenge. you go from a new team, you go from west coast to east coast. But in talking with Alohi Gilman as well as his teammates and coaches, there really is a belief that this is a guy who kind of has an understanding. He’s a veteran player who’s been in this league and uh he’s confident and he’s smart and like even from the first day out there at practice, he’s communicating with everybody around him. And the Ravens really feel like he can help put this defense in so many great situations alongside the guys that we’ve already been talking about. Of course, Kyle Hamilton and the flexibility that it’s going to give the Ravens. But yeah, for Gilman, tough task. He gets the news that he’s getting traded. You got to process all that from a mental standpoint. He hops on a plane about 3 hours later. redeye flight across the country gets to Maryland essentially comes right to the facility and starts to get to know his teammates and the playbook had the first day of practice after practice he said he’d only slept for about 2 or 3 hours that night and was looking forward to going and trying to catch a little sleep after practice as well as just learning uh this system. So it’s a it’s a tall order. I’m not going to diminish that. But the Ravens really believe that he’s a veteran player who’s smart, who has the right attitude, and based on everything that I’ve seen from him over the course of this practice week, I think he’s going to be ready. And to your question of what kind of role is he going to play, I think it’s going to be a big one. Like I I expect him uh to be playing a ton of snaps on this defense and to make an impact right away. The Ravens trade for him because they want him and they want to help it get this defense back on track and so he’s going to be a big part of this defense here today. Well, somewhat of a surprise. Garrett is dry so far. I don’t think any of us expected this. We were expecting a lot of rain. We have not seen that yet. So, I think you expected the run game for the Ravens would be important today. And even though there isn’t rain, it’s still going to be very important. Derrick Henry has been held to under 50 rushing yards in four consecutive games. And this is a Rams defense that is pretty good against the run. In the last three weeks, they’ve faced Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Christian McAffrey held all of them to under 80 yards. So Dererick Henry is gonna have to earn it today. I think he’s up for the challenge. How does he get that done on the ground? Well, I think being consistent, right, Derek, they have to stay ahead of the change. Whatever whenever we get behind the sticks, there are opportunities where the you get too pass heavy and you you got to abandon the the run essentially, right? And for this team, it’s about balance. Um, I think you have to know they’re two different offenses with Cooper Rushing. That’s no disrespect. Lamar Jackson has led one of the best offenses in the league for years, right? You just know that’s the standard when he’s in there. And it’s not necessarily the exact same because Lamar, while you look at the stats and it’s easy for us to put stats up there. There are superhero plays that Lamar makes look regular that are not on the stat sheet. It’s just the number. It doesn’t show what really happened. So for Cooper, we have to play a more balanced style of offense where it’s not about trying to get as many plays as possible on offense. You want to take more time of possession. You want to run the ball. You don’t want to keep you want to winning this game on offense. It is is about controlling the ball just as much as it is protecting. And what I mean by that is this is a game where you’re working the clock. You do not want this team to have the ball in their hands too often because they are explosive. You have to get them out of rhythm. And you got to hope there’s still sleep from traveling from coast to coast, which is something that I remember playing with the 49ers and we practiced at 10:00 a.m. every single day on West Coast time to get prepared for 1:00 games on the East Coast. And I’m here to tell you right now, they can say that all they want. Every single game I was sleepy at a 1:00 game and you’re like battling it. You’re trying to be locked in, but there is something to be said for that flight and the time. Now, you still have to play through it. You’re a professional. However, that is something that can get West Coast teams and we’ll see how it works today. Well, maybe the time difference will mess the Rams up. I don’t think the weather will too much again. We expected rain. We expected it to be a monsoon. Garrett’s down there. No hood, no nothing because it’s not raining. It is a little chilly up here, a little windy. Garrett, what’s it like down there on the field today? I mean, it’s picture perfect. This is exactly I I was getting ready for the game and I thought, let me get my rain jacket and the rain gear and the boots. You don’t need any of that. The weather report came out this morning. You realize that all that talk of everyone saying it was going to rain all day. That’s not the case. In our Maryland Realtor weather report here, it’s absolutely a perfect day. A little bit windy. So maybe the wind has a little bit of an effect on the passing game, but I don’t really expect the weather to have any kind of effect on this game the way that we were expecting it to be earlier in the week when we were talking about there being a ton of rain and it was going to be a sloppy game. That is not the case. you look at it over the course of the day, the temperature is perfect. There’s not really rain in the forecast. Maybe a tiny little bit, but it does not seem like it’s going to rain. So, I think that this weather, considering what we were talking about a few days ago, this is about as good as it gets here for Ravens fans and these two teams here today. All right, fans. The Ravens want to get back into the win column before the buy. So, how do they get it done? We’ll be back with our keys to the game. Don’t go anywhere. Talson University does more than educate. We elevate. Creating next level opportunities for Maryland and beyond. TU is redefining the role of a public university. Expanding access to life-changing experiences, raising the bar for collaboration, pushing possibilities at the forefront of teaching and research. Tigers are leading the way. Take TU’s incredible momentum and make it yours. Okay, Nate, it’s just one smile. Okay, one smile and then we can go home. Okay. No, that’s too much teeth. Nate, come on. You got to look at the camera, honey. Nate, listen to your mother, buddy. Look up. Okay. No, not that’s too far up. This isn’t working. Devito, you’re in. Tommy, Devito, backup, Nate. If only there were backups in real life. Hey guys, follow me on this one. But at least there’s progressive to protect your home in auto. See, now that’s a smile. Okay, now everybody look at Devito on this one. Whether it’s your first time betting or you’ve been gambling for years, have a plan and know the game, be aware of the rules and odds before you gamble. Set a budget and never gamble with money you can’t afford to lose. Take a break and consider teaming up with trusted friends to help you stick to your budget. Remember, if you or a loved one has a gambling problem, call 1800 gambler 247 or go to helpmygamblingpro.org for free confidential services. With 91 Ravens receptions this season, Tito’s Handmade Vodka has donated $9,100 to the Warrior K9 Connection to help in their mission of recovering warriors, training service dogs for fellow veterans. Welcome back to Pregame Live. It’s the three and two Rams here in Charm City facing the one and4 Ravens. Ravens hoping to snap that three-game losing streak before they head into a muchneeded buy next week. And Tori, we talked about with Paul, this Ravens defense wants to get back to the bullies of Baltimore mentality. They want more takeaways. They want more sacks. How do they do it today against the number two total offense in the NFL and a quarterback who, by the way, threw for almost 400 yards last game? Yeah. It’s a tough task for sure, but you have to turn up the heat. This is a defense that has been struggling winning one-on-one matchups as pass rushers. So, understanding that yes, they have been blitzing, but today you have to blitz more often than you have simply because it has to happen, right? You either have guys that can do it or you have to manufacture it. And we’re at the point as a team where you have to manufacture your blitz and put the pressure on them. What that means is your quarterbacks, your DBs, your linebackers, they’re going to have to put their hands on the receivers and give them no free releases and disrupt them at the line of scrimmage. Why is that important? It allows them to it disrupts the timing. So now Matthew Stafford may have to hold the ball just a little bit longer. But you give a guy a free release and guys that have capability of running routes like you know they do, that’s a tough task. And on the back end for the DBs, you have to be disciplined. Matthew Stafford and probably Aaron Rogers are two of the best quarterbacks in NFL history by manipulating you with their eyes. They’re going to move you here and they’re going to throw the ball there. The guys in the back end are going to have to be disciplined, trust their keys, and ultimately someone’s going to have to get their hands on the ball and make a play. Well, I talked to veteran Kyle Vanoi this week and he talked about when he used to be teammates with Matthew Stafford and he said Matthew Stafford is the one who really started that no look pass and how they do it at practice and Kyle would be like, “Man, why you got to do that to me? I’m out here trying to make the team. What are you do? Stay on the team. What are you doing?” But Kyle H or Kyle Vanoi last week returns from injury. He missed two games, gets his first sack of the season. And when I talked to him this week, I said, “It seemed like that sack meant a lot to you and he said, “Well, it did.” I said, “Why?” And he said, “You know, you fight you fight hard to come back from injury. You have people writing you off all off season about you’re washed and it’s year 12.” And he said just meant a lot. He he was the first one in the building. He stayed late every week trying to come back from that hamstring injury. So, it was great to see him last week step up, get a sack, and I know he’d love to, you know, get his hands on his former teammate Matthew Stafford again in today’s game. And then Garrett, when you look at the this Ravens offense, no Lamar Jackson for the second straight game. So, how do Cooper Rush and co get it going against a top 10 defense? Well, when you’re going up a defense against a defense, you don’t have your starting quarterback. A running game can be a quarterback’s best friend. And Dererick Henry is somebody who’s certainly ready for that task and the challenge in front of him. So, I think that sticking with the run game and being committed to it is going to be really important for the Ravens in this matchup. That is definitely something uh that they want to do and they want to be in a situation where they can lean on Henry and establish that ground game and commit to it over the course of the game. Also, in order to do that, they need to find themselves in better situations in terms of down and distance. If you’re in third and eight, if you’re in third and 12, it becomes really difficult for this offense to to commit to the run game with any sort of consistency. in those types of situations, the defense can pin their ears back and the the Rams have guys that can get after the quarterback like Jared Verse. And so if they’re in favorable third down situations for the offense, I think that’s going to go a long way in for in terms of the Ravens being able to commit to that ground game. And then lastly, the Ravens just need more plays offensively. Last week’s game, they only had 43 plays, and this has been a trend for them. even when they were putting up a lot of points earlier in the season, they were scoring fast and they weren’t able to sustain drives to the same level. So, the best defense sometimes against a good offense is having an offense that can just keep Matthew Stafford and Buganua and Devonte Adams over there on the sidelines watching the game. That’s where you want those guys. So, if the Ravens can put up more plays offensively and have success in terms of moving the ball and controlling the clock, I think that’s going to really help this defense from getting gassed over the course of the game and from trying to have to limit the Rams on too many possessions that LA could have. Thanks so much, Garrett. Fans, I have waited the whole show to talk about this. I’m being unleashed because at halftime today, we have the second annual Corgi races. Tori does not look as excited as I am. But Corgi is racing at halftime. I think it’s always cool to to to watch the little side. Look, they’re not even like nice looking dogs. They’re short kings, but they’re ugly though. Oh my gosh. Okay, so fans, anyway, just ignore Tori right now. Can we mute his mic? Okay, Corgi races at halftime. We have the defending champion, Elvis. He was an underdog last year. He’s back. No longer an underdog, but you got that championship belt. Okay, I am very excited. Fans, make sure you’re in your seats at halftime. It’s You can’t miss it. It’s gonna be a dogone good time, Tori. Okay, I’ll be there to cheer you on. I I love that you like it. I love it. Love that. What a great co-host. Got you. All right, fans. Well, next week is the bye-week, and I think when the schedule came out in May, we saw, oh, week seven. That’s kind of early for a buy. Well, it is now the perfect time for a buy. Hopefully the Ravens can get some guys healthy before they face the Chicago Bears in week eight. That’s back at home and then they’re on the road for three straight games. So, we’ll be back here week eight 8 October 26 for that Chicago Bears game. It’s another 100 p.m. kickoff. So, we will be here at noon Eastern time for pregame live. Thanks for watching. Corgi races at halftime. We’ll see you in two weeks. Pooh. Hey, hey, hey.

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