Joe Flacco and Ja’Marr Chase Press Conference – October 14

Joe Flacco and Ja’Marr Chase Press Conference – October 14

Was it like coming off a short week? Obviously, I mean, it’s like, I guess, seven days the day since you got here and now you’re on a short week. What’s that, what’s that experience like? Oh, you know, I I think I’ve been around long enough to deal with some unique situations and, you know, the preparation for a Thursday night game. So, uh, just trying to keep it, you know, keep it in that mindset. Let’s see your career like when you’re transition from a Sunday to a Thursday. How is it different? Um I think it’s I honestly think it’s pretty similar. I think every team and every coach maybe handles the schedule, you know, slightly different. Um you know, but as far as like getting ready and getting your body ready, I think it’s pretty much the same. How many times have you played the Steelers in your career? Do you know? I mean, it’s got to be like mid 20s or something. You know, 20 to 30. anywhere from there. Do you have a favorite memory from one of those matchups? Uh we beat him in the playoffs one year and then a couple gamewinners. Uh I hit, you know, Cincinnati Bengal, TJ Hushmanada uh for a gamewinner. I hit Tory Smith for a gamewinner in the back of the end zone. Those were those were three three games I can think of off the top of my head that were pretty fun. Nobody knows Mike Tomlin as an opponent. You do played him so much. What what sticks out about a Tomlin team? Uh, listen, I mean, I think they’ve been, look how consistent they’ve been over the last 20 years. I mean, how long’s he been there now? Over 20 years or more. Um, uh, they’re always physical. I think they I think I think they found out who they wanted to be as a team early on and they’ve continued to build their teams based off of that and that’s why they always have a chance. Did you catch one of his comments? Uh, it was yesterday. Not specifically. I heard he was talking about it a little bit, you know, the fact that I’m on I’m on the Bengals. But what do you what do you make of the fact that that he was maybe a little more upset than he’s previously shown to impress or something of his career? Uh I don’t know. I didn’t see it. Uh I didn’t see I didn’t get to see how upset he was. Uh but you know, I I think he’s probably just playing the game a little bit and you know, doing whatever he has to do. So you’ve beaten him a few I mean, you know, you’ve beaten him a few times. I mean, there’s been some I think you’re 11 and 11 against them. spent all sorts of games with them. Yeah, I played them last year. I didn’t get the win because I didn’t start the game, but we we did we we we we were able to get them last year. Um dude, I I have so many great memories of playing these guys and so much respect for for them as a team. Um even though they’ve changed over the years, uh still a lot of those same guys and familiar faces and um you know, just a lot of respect for what they’ve been able to do and always battling against those guys. You know, you’re in for a good one. It’s the same defense, right? It’s the same style. Yeah, they they listen, they have the same ideas, you know, as they always have, and that’s why they’re successful. I know every game is a must win. You want to win every game, but when you look at the standings, does it feel like this one is even more crucial given where they are and where you are? It’s tough to put that kind of pressure on yourself and your team. You know, you just got to go out there and you got to take it each play at a time and each one of you has to do your do your own job and focus on that. And I think I think the more you can focus on being in the present and just doing your job, then then the results take care of themselves the best way. Went back and watched Green Bay. Um, well, I I I think the biggest thing is just being able to settle in and and and and do that same thing like take it take take the easy things. Uh, don’t get ahead of yourself. Um, and you know, and just be patient. I think that’s one of the biggest things. They’d already put in the Go ahead. Sorry. They’d already put in the game plan last week by the time you got here, so you didn’t have much time. And now this is a short week. This you feel like you’re drinking from a fire hose a little bit here. It’s just part of it. Uh you have to be able to go with the flow if you’re in the situation that I’m in right now. Um I mean, listen, I welcome it. I I I get a chance to play football, so this is how it has to be. You know, in my situation, so the alternative doesn’t look great. You know, you’re sitting on the bench somewhere. So, um you just got to look at the positives in it and of course you’re trying to figure things out on the fly a little bit, but it it’s an exciting challenge and like I said, the alternative isn’t necessarily the best option. So Joe, how much does it help to have the game reps with this group now for at least a game to see what works, what work and have the input on? Just I think it’s just it’s just good to get in the huddle with those guys and when during live action and and be able to communicate and just kind of look into guys and and then obviously from you know me and Zach’s standpoint just kind of getting an idea of you know what what we can do and you know how we can move forward best. So I think it was there’s a lot of help to that. What is it like when Jamar comes to you and says, “I understand the play call was was this,” but I know I you think it like I don’t I don’t think he’s out there freestyling, at least not with me right now, you know. Um and listen, I mean, ultimately, if he came to me and said, “Hey, I know the play is this, but I’m going to do this.” I’ I’d say, “Okay, I guess, yeah, that’s what you’re going to do. Okay, sounds good to me.” I I would uh I would lean on him to feel it out. I but I don’t I don’t I don’t necessarily see that happening, but I’m just saying and hypothetically if he was to come to me and do that, I’d just say yes, sir. That’s what we’ll do. Jamar Jamar spoke with a lot of confidence about what happened in the second half of that game. Do you think that can carry over? I know every game is different, but what you started to get into in that second half, that chemistry, can that carry over? I think confidence is always important and when guys feel like we can do something, that is important. Um, but yeah, you can’t you can’t look too much into that. You still got to be able to go you still got to prepare first of all. Um, and then just go out there and worry about the job that you have it at hand. I I know it’s a team sport. Um, but the best teams uh, you know, are the ones where each individual takes care of their job and then that’s how you come together as a group. So, uh, it’s hard to focus on all the the other stuff besides just going and doing your job. And I think that’s where the confidence will ultimately end up coming from. Was a lot about you just settling in to to a brand new spot, brand new team, all the calls. Was a lot of that a factor from that? Uh, first half, second half. Yeah, the difference. I don’t know. I mean, there’s probably part piece of it for sure and just being able to settle in a little bit and then, you know, and then they do some pretty good stuff. So, uh, they challenge you in certain ways and, you know, you adapt a little bit. Um, but yeah, it’s a combination. You and Aaron have been doing this for a long time. Why do you think y’all have been able to extend your careers and be as proficient as you’ve been for so long? It’s tough to look into the specifics, but um I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned in terms of wanting to play a long time in your career is that you’ve made a decision that football is important to you and somewhere inside of you, you’ve told yourself that you want to play a long time. And because you want to and because you’ve made the decision that you’re going to, you take all the necessary steps to make sure that your body’s ready to go and you’re mentally still you know, energized about learning game plans and things like that. I think a lot of times guys in this league, you know, it no matter what your profession is, it does become work to to a certain extent. And just because we’re playing a child’s game, it doesn’t it’s it’s not any different. You’re not immune to kind of feeling like this can be work sometimes. But I think when you make up your mind that you’re that you want to do something, then you take the necessary steps to make sure you can do it. And I think this league has, you know, especially at the quarterback position because it’s not like you’re ramming your head against the wall 247 and dealing with that. So, in terms of being if if you can be lucky enough to like stay healthy from all the onfield stuff, I think quarterback’s a position where if you make a decision that you want to play and you’re willing I mean, in my case, I think I’ve had to be willing to kind of deal with some circumstances that I’m not necessarily happy with um with the idea that I’m going to come out on the other end. I think for me playing as long as I have now, that’s been the hardest part is just being in some situations that they’re not ideal. They’re not exactly what I want, but hey, it’s where I am. I got to face it head on and and have faith that um, you know, hard work’s going to pay off at some point and I’m going to be able to, you know, be in a position that I I do enjoy and and and I’m excited about. Have you thought about hire you for this? What’s that? That’s help prepare you for this. I think so. Yeah. because you’ve been in situations like where you don’t get to play that much. And uh yeah, I I do I do think in a way it it prepares you for stuff like this because you you get a new perspective on how much you do love the game and how much you do love being out there with the guys and throwing to Jamar. Yeah, of course. How does it feel to be the youngest quarterback in the game? Yeah. Yeah. It’s it’s one thing you guys can’t talk about this week in terms of me being older at least. Um but it it’s it’s pretty neat. I mean, Aaron’s been in the league a few years longer than me, but we both started playing in 2008. Um, so so been doing it for a long time. It’s pretty cool. Have you thought about how unique that aspect is? The fact that the two quarterbacks in the game are combined over 80 years old. Has it happened before? I’m sure there’s been some old guys. Brady and Breeze. Yeah. Uh, yeah. You know, it’s one of those things when I’m in a lock I’ve been in a locker room my whole life. Uh, so it, you know, age isn’t something that I think about. I just view myself as one of those 20some year olds in the locker room and um so it’s not something I really think about. Uh but I think one day when you look back on it, it’s just one of those things that’ll be pretty cool to be able to, you know, have a matchup like this. How much do you think getting going early on offense specifically in this game with the way the Steelers play is important for you guys in terms of scoring early? I know that’s been something that the team has wanted to do since before you got here, but since you’ve been there, how much of an emphasis is that? I think it’s always a focus for teams that I’ve been a part of is you want to get off to good starts obviously. Um but you know this league is difficult and you got to be willing and and ready to just to to play the patient game as well. Um I think we got to be you know we got to be efficient on early downs and I think if we do that then we’ll give ourselves a chance to be successful early on in the football game. Um but like I said you got to be ready to play a full 60 minutes no matter what. And uh as much as we are emphasizing certain things, you got to be ready to play any style. Even having been in the league for almost two decades, is there any kind of different feel when the lights come on and it’s a prime time game in front of a national audience? Uh just in terms of like feelings that I got when I was like a my first few years versus now I mean Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. How does it feel? Is there any kind of unique feeling knowing that it’s a prime time game? Sunday one o’clock games are great if you ask me. We agree. Thursday nights are also Yeah, they’re they’re good. I like Thursday night games. Um so I’m I’m excited. I mean I you know I don’t I don’t necessarily put too much weight in my mind about it being a prime time versus, you know, a Sunday 1:00. But I do enjoy the Thursday nights. Um so so I’ll have fun with it. I’ll have fun with it. Did you feel differently when you were younger about that? by maybe the first time you were on like Monday Night Football or Sunday Night Football. Maybe. Um I there’s probably something a little bit to that. Um but yeah, maybe I I can’t I can’t remember enough about how I felt about those prime time games. I can picture being a little kid on my couch watching Monday Night Football, but I don’t necessarily know if I was that if I was extra excited about the prime time when I was younger or not. What are the biggest challenges Uh yeah, just uh I think they’re built on their front seven and you know obviously they got some good they got some good players in their back end man but like the I think their mindset is you know comes from how their front seven plays and I think listen I think teams are built you know in the interior offensive line defensive line so when you’re playing a team that that really uh prioritizes something like that you know you’re going to be in for a physical battle. So, I think that’s the biggest thing. All right. Thanks, John. [Music] Obviously, you didn’t have a lot of practice reps with him last week. How positive is it to have at least a little bit more this week? Uh, I mean, it’s good. just coming off the game and how we had uh just going forward knowing he going to expect me to make that play anytime he throws it there. So I got to have that mindset going forward. How critical is put put points up on the board, preferably touchdowns in the first quarter, first half of this game? Um I mean that’s the biggest part of our game this just basically this whole year. Um coming out second half and and dominating is not really what we want to do. Of course, we want to do that, but uh we also want to do the first half also. And obviously, that’s the objective to make that count and get get up some points so we don’t have to finish as hard in the second half. What do you think has been the biggest struggle in that regard? Why have you guys not been able to do that? I mean, it’s a lot of reasons. Turnovers, plays, um penalties, it’s all kind of things we could look at, but uh it’s still on us at the end of the day and just making it work. Um, you know, they could call it boost. I got to make it work. On the film, I saw before Tanner’s touchdown, you were engaged pretty good in some advice or something like that. What’ you tell Tanner before the snap on his touchdown? Uh, me and Tanner was talking about if he wanted the ball or not. That’s all it was. Usually Tenn always taking the ball and I’m always taking the ball, but me and Tenn are never on the same side, so that’s all it was. He comes up, so I guess he just was taking. Yeah, he wanted the ball, so I’ll take it. Um, just in general though, it feels like kind of pre- snap conversations you can help guys get lined up and such. Um, what gives you, you know, the confidence, you know, the the IQ and all that kind of stuff to be able to do that? Uh, just knowing the offense, that’s the biggest thing, knowing the offense, knows the ends of the house of it. Um, they do I’ve been moving a lot these past two years, just moving all over at ZNF. So, um, the more of the the more the offense that I know, the more they move me around and the more that I can help others. Do do you feel like especially with you know with Burrow hurt like your ideas and your kind of saying and ideas for what the offense could do in certain spots carries even more weight? I mean I feel like I’ve always had a say so in offense. Uh Zach always listen to any opinion I had bring up to him and I was just it’s just sometimes he has to listen, sometimes he doesn’t. Um same thing with Joe was here. Sometimes he listens, sometimes he doesn’t. Based on how well you know the offense, Jamar, not not that you want to play quarterback. Do you think you could play quarterback? Do you know it that well to to Ah, I’m just curious how well you know it. Let me I mean, I know it. Yeah. I could I can He can I don’t want to play quarterback. Let me say that. I don’t want to play I don’t want to play quarterback, but I can tell like guys like you you here, here, here, and here. Yeah, I can do that, but I do not want to play quarterback now. I mean, how much of a of a weapon is that for you to to know it that well to be able to help your teammates, I guess, in some ways? uh benefit just in case, you know, Joe might call a play in backwards or or wrong, maybe he might mess up, you know, we we correct him in a huddle. Um and that that helps us know what we’re doing and confidence within ourselves, too, you know. What has Jaylen brought to their defense, Jaylen Ramsey? Um versatile, very versatile. He’s safety, corner, uh nickel, you know, sometimes he’s going to box. So, I mean, he’s very versatile. How often before the snap do you have an idea of what’s going to happen then it actually happens? What would you say your success rate is in predicting what’s about to happen? Um I’d probably say like 65. I wouldn’t give it that high because a lot of the stuff they did throw a lot of tricks towards my side. So probably say like 65% of the time. when when you uh I’m on the sideline talking to Zack, you suggest plays or you talking, you know, just general stuff or or uh pretty much everything. Um plays, coverages, um what I like, what I don’t like, um what we could have did better. I felt like, you know, all of the above. You know, he’s he’s all ears whenever I talk whatever happens on the field. Was that communication always like that? Like even when you were a rookie, your second year player, or has that developed over the years that you’ve been in the NFL? Uh, it definitely developed over time. Um, I want to say my rookie year was just like me going up to him and being like, can I get the ball or something like that? And then maybe like my third year, eventually I started to be like, can we run this? You know, can we get this play in? Can can we throw this? You know, and over time we started to, you know, let it happen. How much of a difference do you think that makes like having a a receiver like yourself who can make suggestions like that and can have that dialogue with the play caller? Uh I mean he he believes in what I see, you know, that’s the biggest thing. Um I got to go out there and and believe my eyes at the end of the day and don’t matter if they disguising it or just messing with me in general. Um you know, I got to come back there. Sometimes I come back to the sideline, just look at the iPad and just try to see how they plan me too. Jamar, it was uh it was really more pointed toward the Browns organization, but did you hear what Mike Tomlin said about you guys acquiring Joe in season? And yes, do you care? Uh what he said? Yeah. Really? I mean, not it’s not negative or positive. I mean, at the end of the day, what did you think when you saw it? I kept scrolling. Were you uh were you shocked when you found out that the the Bengals completed a trade with the Browns? Were you just surprised from that? Uh yeah, I was a little I was a little in awe at that moment. Um T br it to me so I didn’t That’s right. I didn’t know if it was real or not. Especially when T br T I don’t know what T be messing with me saying. So I ain’t know if it was true. So he’s not for that. T’s gonna Yeah, T messes with me all the time. What’s the was the best most memorable joke we did? I I can’t say that out loud. He got me though. He got me. Yeah, he got me. I can’t say that. How would you describe Ramsay as a as a player? Um, very veteranlike. Um, you could tell you you could tell he watches a lot of film just by he how he plays. Um, but he’s a good good overall defender. You know, he very versatile, does everything. Um, so definitely somebody they want on the team. What’s it like for you when the lights come on and it’s a prime time game. Um, just like every other game, Kale. Yeah. How important is this game for for the team for the season considering the AFC playoff picture for you guys? I know it’s early still, but how important is it right now? Uh, it’s important just because the next game up and it’s division game. Um, we only play two division games so far, so I mean this is the next important one. losing four straight. How much do you guys need a win to get things spinning in the right direction, though? I would say we need to win bad just because like you said, it’s four straight. Uh and and we know we close to winning. Uh if not just winning, just getting a lot of wins. We know we close to it. Um and and it’s right there. It’s in our reach. We got to face we got to finish it and build it off the right way. You didn’t have much time to work with Flaco last week. It’s a short week this week, but do you got anything in mind or anything you’re planning or you’ve done to try to get some extra time with Flaco or anything? We’ll work on something. Um, I’m gonna tell y’all no, I don’t have nothing coming. We ain’t got nothing. Do you get any you get any uh do you get any reps with him this week? I mean, I know Zach said it’s kind of a I mean, it’s the first day of practice. All we have is walk through. I mean, we a we ain’t talk about nothing yet. I don’t got nothing. When people look at a game and say like this is a must-win game, what do what do you think about that that phrase? Um, I’ve been hearing this five years I’ve been here. I’ve been hearing it every week. Um, something y’all say a lot out here. You know, I mean, at the end of the day, we know we got to win. Um, certain games we know we got to be division teams for us to put ourselves in position to to be number one in the division. Um, but, you know, at the end of the day, we we got to actually put the work in to do it when it’s game time. back full strength given what happened last week. Yes, I feel a lot better. So, appreciate you asking that. You were you obviously take a lot of pride, Jamar, in making sure you were as fit as possible to get ready for a game. How challenging was last week wanting to perform at top performance and knowing you were fighting some? Uh, really was just trying to The hardest thing was just trying to get a lot of electrolytes in me and and eating. That was the biggest that was really the hardest thing for me trying to make sure I eat as eat like I used to. What do you think’s the um what’s the most mindful thing to make for this defense? What do you have to be most aware of? Uh up front up front. You know what I’m saying? They they whole team is stacked if I’m being honest. Every every every position is stacked on their on their back end from the linebackers to the Dline. Uh they they got a lot of skills skill players over there. But, uh, up front definitely speaks out the most because they they they the ones to get the ball out the fastest for us. Thanks, Cool. Hey, thank you. Yeah.

Joe Flacco and Ja’Marr Chase speak to the media going into Week 7 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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