Kyle Hamilton: ‘Every Game Forward Is a Playoff Game’ | Baltimore Ravens

Kyle Hamilton: ‘Every Game Forward Is a Playoff Game’ | Baltimore Ravens

Obviously at one and five not a position you guys wanted to be in. What what do you think coming off the buy? What do you think have the mindset is? I mean do you guys think about the past or is it all looking ahead? Um I think you you can’t ignore the past but you know we’re forward thinking at this point. Kind of have to be and every game forces a playoff game. That’s how it feels and how it’s going to have to be from here on out. um dug ourselves in a deep hole, but in order to get in the dance, we got to really be locked in from here on out. So, we’re trying to do that. We’ve heard guys talk about going 12 and five finish out. That means not losing the rest of the way. Have you figured out what the equation would be to get where you need to be for the postseason? Um, not exactly. I mean, you know, as speaking from a defensive perspective, I think um we had our first or one of a decent game against the Rams last week. I still think we could have played a lot better. um we’re getting healthier as a team, but as a defense going forward, I think we just got to attack more and um be physical and you know, just be aggressive, just go make plays on the ball, stuff like that. So, that was Aloe arriving. Just your thoughts on what that has allowed you to do to do different prior. Yeah, I think uh Lo is a great guy and he was a senior at Notre Dame when I was a freshman. So, um freshman year he was my roommate in camp, talked me off the ledge, all that stuff. Um, great guy and it’s good to be playing with him again. Um, as a football player, he’s great. He’s been in the league, this his sixth year, and he’s done great over there in LA and I’m glad we got him. But, uh, as a defense, I think that does allow me to kind of move around, do some different things and, um, that’s not just me, that’s everybody. And just we have a different duality that we can throw at teams and, um, you know, we have our fast balls. We kind of got some off speed pitches, too. Yo, I mean, what do you you you just said it. I mean, the game against the Rams was maybe the best game of the season. I mean, why do you think it worked better in that game? Um, you know, it’s it’s kind of a backs backs against the walls mindset. Um, never seen a boxer get out of a corner by not swinging or throwing any punches. So, uh, it’s kind of that mindset that we should have brought into the season, which I feel like we kind of had, uh, in the Rams game. And um Brown’s game, I thought we played well, too. But like I said, forward thinking. Not really too worried about those games. We got a lot to prove going forward. So um you got to do it again and do it better. Practice today. See at all? No, I’m on the complete other field. I’m sure he looked good. There’s a lot of speculation. This team is just better with Kyle Hamilton in the line of scrimmage. Did you feel that way? Why why would it be that way? I I don’t necessarily feel that way. I think this team is better when we’re playing physical and playing fast. And I mean, the personnel stuff is the personnel stuff, but I think we could line up and base the whole game and get a shut out if we needed to. We just got to play the right way. Um, obviously you need to throw different stuff in there to give the offense different looks, but I don’t think it’s an individuality thing as much as it’s just a team defense and a team thing as a whole for us to go out there and get stops and get a win. Hard said that all that stuff removed from locking couple team leaders, player leaders, does removing some of that stuff, can that kind of help with the team’s mindset, do you think? Uh, I I I don’t know. It wasn’t my decision. I don’t really know what I didn’t really realize they were gone to be honest, but um I guess it’s kind of a big thing now, but I wasn’t really in tune with the whole thing going on. But I don’t think it’s that big a deal whether it was players, coaches, whether in the locker room, out the locker room. I don’t know if that’s really affecting us on the field that much, but you know, if if we felt like we need to do that as a team, then I’m all for it. Kyle, on the heels of playing better against the Rams and now Roan being back on the practice field, I mean, how big is that to kind of continue that momentum coming out of the bye-week and having Ro back to the field? Yeah, I mean anytime you get somebody like that like Rocoan back on the field, I think it’s uh kind of reminds me of the 2022 season when it was my record year and we traded for real and kind of provided a spark then and um you know hopefully we can get this thing turned around and I think getting him back is a big first step to doing that. What do you see Williams and studying him? Uh he’s super talented. I mean number one pick for a reason. Uh can make all the throws on the field. uh probably one of the best outside of Lamar at keeping a play alive and creating stuff on the move and off schedule plays. And um I think their offense as a whole is very talented top to bottom. Um I know they kind of revamped the O line a little bit. Um so they’re blocking well and got some young receivers and uh tight ends uh who are really good and uh Swift and everybody back there’s running the ball really well. So uh it’s a challenge. They’re rolling too, so props to them. I think they started 0 and2. They won four straight if I’m not wrong. And uh so it’s up to us to go out there on Sunday and put out the fire and light our fire. You talked about rook one and how that can help the defense. Just a big picture when you have guys coming back rook one tomorrow on offense practicing today. Like how does all of that kind of just lift the team coming off the buy and what you looking to do down the stretch here? Yeah. I I mean obviously the season to this point is not where we want it to be and anybody who follows the Ravens or supports the Ravens wants it to be, but I I can honestly say I don’t think morale is super low. I think we’re just more so ready and eager to turn things around. Um obviously getting players back is a great thing. Getting those kind of guys back is awesome, but um I don’t think there’s been any drop in practice, drop in talk around the building. And I think that’s a great thing. It’s a uh something that can’t go unspoken for cuz I feel like getting in this position and we haven’t really been in this position. Uh it’s easy to kind of put your head down and mail it in, but you know, we still feel like we’re talented enough to make the playoffs and make some magic when we do. So, uh it’s up to us to take a week at a time and not get too worried about next week or next Thursday, whatever it may be. Just focus on the Bears this Sunday. Kyle, earlier in the season, there was some frustration when you guys would have such good practices in the week and it just wouldn’t translate to Sunday. Did you see something different in the Rams game where you felt like showed up a little bit more or something maybe out of the bye-week gives you more confidence that it will continue to show up on Sundays? Uh, not one thing in particular. Actually, maybe one thing in particular, guys just not caring if you mess up. Like it sounds kind of crazy saying that, but as a football player, especially as a defender, like there’s got to be some sort of uh chaotic style of play that you have. And I think everybody on our defense has that in him. It’s just a matter of letting it loose. And you know, who cares they catch a ball on me, get it down, tackle it, play another play, and um blitz hard, tackle hard, just play hard and have fun. I think it’s kind of something that gets lost a little bit when you’re losing games. It’s obviously want to win games. makes it more fun, solves a lot of problems, but you got to learn to just go out there and have fun, play to play, and uh attack everything like it’s your last. When there are so many injuries and inexperienced guys and younger guys being put in the bigger positions, is that something that has to be verbalized like, hey, don’t worry about making mistakes, but just go have fun and that’s that’s correct. No, for sure. I think and I’ve said that before games and I don’t want it to sound like it’s like little league football like just go have fun like it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. Obviously, we want to win the game, but it it it almost is that in a sense. It’s like this is the same game you’ve been playing since you were 5 years old, whatever it may be, whoever it may be. Like, just go attack and just go hit somebody. Like, it just comes down to running and hitting. So, you just got to run and hit better than other team. When you came to Baltimore, it wasn’t until I guess probably the back half of that rookie year where you kind of locked in, got past some mistakes. Have you had to offer any of your own kind of counsel about that rookie year at the Malai as he goes through the ups and downs of of the season? Uh I mean everybody’s situation is different. Um I think he’s done a great job for what we’ve asked him to do. Uh obviously with AD getting hurt and I’m not a coach. I don’t know who was going to play how much, but I assume that Malachi has been playing more because of that. And he’s kind of been thrown to the fire on a team that have been through it the past couple years and a defense that um has high expectations. So, I think he’s done a great job just given the scenario what he’s been asked to do. And um I don’t think he’s lost that spark at all or anything just through this one and five stretch that we’ve been on. um been a complete pro the whole time. Understands what he’s doing wrong, understands what he’s doing right, and um I think the whole room does a good job of shining a light of both of those sides. Like, um he’s made some great plays that might go may go unnoticed to the naked eye, but um he also has some stuff to learn, too. I think he’s such a pro in the sense that he wants to get that stuff fixed. And uh not by any means has he been a bad player. I think he’s been great for us so far. He’s played dang near every snap of every game. So, props to him. I’m just glad he’s getting this experience. You know, when starts off, everything is going to be criticized by everybody. Um, as far as the coaching staff, how do you think this team still responds uh to to the coach? I think well, I think um at at this point in the season, it’s not like you’re about to just it’s going to be anarchy around here or anything like that. Like this is the time where you got to stick together. And we always talk about through the highs and lows and haven’t had too many lows besides just like the playoffs and stuff like that. We’ve had some obviously some games not go our way, but like we’ve had great seasons since I’ve been here and um haven’t had a season like this. So, um now it’s really testing our time ourselves when we talk about through the highs and lows. We’re brothers and all this stuff. And that goes to the coaching staff, too. And um you know, we need as a group, staff, players, whoever’s involved need to get this thing turned around because it’s it is unexcusable. and um inexcusable rather and sorry I’m kind of weird about grammar like that but uh but everybody can say what they want about our schedule being tough or this and that or whatever but like at a certain point we’re going to have to beat these teams anyway in the playoffs or um whatever it may be. So I don’t really like that excuse. Uh, I think we should go out and win every game that we play and for it to be a scheduling thing or schedule quote unquote lines up in the later half of the season. I don’t really like that perspective at all cuz everybody in this league is good and um, we’ve lost games to teams we weren’t supposed to lose games to, quote unquote. So, it’s up to us every week to be pros about it and understand that look, we’re one and five. People are coming here thinking we’re slim picking right now and just a free win. So, we’re going to get everybody’s best shot and um it’s us up to us to kill that narrative and get it turned around. All right. Thank you.

Safety Kyle Hamilton on the team’s approach to the rest of the season, the defense needing to let it loose and more.

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