Joe Flacco Press Conference – October 12

Joe Flacco Press Conference – October 12

Joe, just overall thoughts on how your first game went on here. Well, I thought as an offense we settled in uh you know, probably sometime in the second quarter. Not that we were able to get over the hump in that quarter, but uh we we came out and played a good a good second half. Um you know, but usually against a good football team, playing one good half isn’t going to be good enough. But we gave ourselves a chance down the end and I think we did some good things, but uh just not enough early on. How did you feel in the second half? Oh, listen. I think we settled down a little bit. Started to get in a little rhythm. I think that first drive really helped. I mean, anytime you can keep a defense, it’s not easy when you have to go 20 plays to score a touchdown, but anytime you can keep a defense on the field that long, I it is to your advantage. I think you can wear them out a little bit. And, you know, we it’s not like we ran the ball for a ton of yards, but we did have some pretty good runs in terms for first down conversions. And you know, you could start to you could start to feel the physicality of of of us kind of pick up as the game went on. How much of those early drives did you feel like was you still getting used to being on a new team? I probably settled down a little bit for sure. Um there was at least one or two where I where I could have taken just quicker the the short one. Um, but also listen, they’re a good defense, you know, so you got to give them a little bit of credit and um, it’s just kind of how it was. That uh, sequence there when you make that catch that makes that catch for you, then you make the two point. Yeah. What’s going that? Listen, you’re still I mean, after after the two-point conversion, I was pretty pumped up, but in the moment, you’re just trying to keep it simple. Take it for what it play one play at a time. Um, you know, I kind of kept telling myself that on the sideline today, you know, don’t get don’t get too high in this environment. Just kind of no matter what the scoreboard says and and what’s going on, just remember to keep continue to play each play. And and look, I mean, this league, if you if you’re able to do that consistently, then you’re going to put yourself in it down the stretch. What kind of difference do you see now that Jamar and your teammates have like Jamar? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I I came over the sideline a couple times. cuz I was telling Jake like just the way they plucked the ball out of the air. Like I threw a I threw like a quick out route to to to Jamar. Um and I didn’t get the ball great and it was like an awful spiral and he still just caught it like with both hands. And then the one one that I can think about to T uh we hit him on a like little like inside slant route for a third down on I think on that first drive of the second half and a lot of guys would go down and kind of catch it with their body and slide it and he just plucked it right out of the air with with both hands. It’s pretty impressive to see those guys go. The fourth down throw is that was that an ad down was that the touchdown? Fourth down for the touchdown. Was that the fourth down for the touchdown? Which one was that? The one in the back of the end zone. No, the one for the one that you were both fourth down. Yep. Uh they came up and pressed him. We had, you know, so we had we we we were able to take a shot. And I mean, listen, obviously when when he gets one-on-one, you you’d be, you know, I think you’d be wrong a lot to not go his way. Obviously, you’re jumping into a a team in a unique situation. It’s fourth straight loss. I know you haven’t been here for for those losses, but do you see out there today and reason to believe that you guys can? For sure. For sure. I mean, listen, this is a long season and I I know it’s easy to be down on yourself in hard times, but you know, playing with confidence shows. So, we got to find a way to kind of get some of that back, but um I I I think we do have the ability to do that. Listen, we got a big week coming up and um you know, these division games are are always good matchups and uh going in and playing a good game this upcoming week could help a lot with that. I think today probably helped a little bit, but you know, you still want to win the game. Can the second half rhythm that you guys have offense, they give you extra confidence going into Thursday? You hope so. I mean, you’re always looking for ways to to play with confidence. I think uh you know they talk about learning how to win and good football teams know how to do that. That’s because they always believe they can win and and listen I’ve I’ve only been here for a week but I I think these guys in the locker room got a good head on their shoulders and I’m excited to get to work with them. Two questions first. Taylor Yeah, Zach’s been great man. uh levelheaded and I I mean obviously he’s been a lot of help for me this week just putting the game plan together. uh not trying to get too complicated with things, you know, using the common sense. the same kind of I think sometimes like listen starting in this league is a big deal. Um I think sometimes you can make it too big of a deal in your head. So I think for me this time around it was just hey man you’re playing a game and and it’s it just goes in line with that. Let the game come to you a little bit. Just play each play. Do what you’re supposed to on that play. Um even though it is a big deal. Uh try to downplay it a little bit so you can go out there and have fun and and and play your best. How was the communication? How did you I think it was pretty good. I mean, there was a couple plays where out there I I remember one play I think we actually ended up kind of getting what we wanted, but I we got I think they got piss pass interference on Jamar down the right sideline or holding or whatever. They ended up calling, but I definitely didn’t call the right play and I said so that’s why I kind of signaled out to Jamar just, hey, you run this route. I know I know we can get that done. Um but overall I I think it went pretty well. as a veteran that has gone through, you know, a stretch like this team is currently going through, is there anything that you can say to this group that has helped you in the past get out of this? It it’s tough to like generally say something to like the team, but I think as like you can see individuals throughout the course of a game or in the locker room right now, I think it can be very helpful to go up to individuals that maybe feel like they’re having a hard time or whatever it may be and give them, you know, give them that that vote of confidence. Listen, sometimes you get so focused on what you didn’t do well and you think everybody’s looking at you. Oh my gosh, everybody’s looking at me and I didn’t do this well. Nobody’s looking at you, man. Everybody’s worried about what they’re doing. And I think good football teams are are made up of guys that can do that that are so focused on what they’re they’re doing that everything else comes together. So, it’s just a reminder to some of those guys that may be feeling that way. Like, hey, man, like nobody’s paying that much attention. Like, you just keep doing what you’re doing. like the next play is the most important. So in the next game in to a certain level so I think if we can keep that mindset we’ll be all right. All right. Thanks.

Joe Flacco speaks to the media following Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers.

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