Head Coach John Harbaugh

JOHN HARBAUGH: Okay, I appreciate everybody being here. Opener, first opportunity to see us in a game as opposed to a practice. It was good to see. Going to be a lot of great things to look at and work on, get better at, a lot of great things that we felt good about in the game. It'll be play-by-play, player-by-player evaluation that we'll take on tomorrow. So, proud of the guys, I thought they played hard, thought they competed and we'll learn a lot from that game.

Q: The hit that (quarterback) Jaxson (Dart) took, what were your feelings at that moment when you saw that happen?

JOHN HARBAUGH: My feeling in that moment was we need to block better. That's what my feeling was.

Q: Was there any hesitation in putting him back in?

JOHN HARBAUGH: No, no, he was fine.

Q: You went up and, it looked like, talked to him before he went for the check, Jaxson.

JOHN HARBAUGH: No, I don't think so. I don't remember doing that. If I did, I did. I don't remember what I said. I don't think I talked to him.

Q: Some people, obviously, went up to him. Do you know what was said?

JOHN HARBAUGH: No, I don't know.

Q: Did he tell you that he was fine or anything?

JOHN HARBAUGH: No, no, that was upstairs. He was – yeah, he was fine. He told me after. He said after, he didn't tell me after, but I heard he said after (that) he just got the wind knocked out of him. So, he was fine.

Q: Coach, obviously your first time on the sideline at MetLife coaching a game, in preseason, just what was the feeling like for you, big picture?

JOHN HARBAUGH: That's a great question. I appreciate that. I really was – I felt – you know, there's meaning to a lot of things, and you're so wrapped up in the game, even coming over here this morning, seeing the guys, the meeting last night, touching the guys during the pre – talking to guys before the game, because it's a game. And sometimes you just take a minute. My wife texted me a really cool text about that very thing. This is – it's a moment, understand what this means and enjoy it, and be encouraging and be upbeat. And this is a big beginning in our lives. And I feel that way for the organization. I feel that way for the team, the guys, and I feel that way for the coaches. I feel that way for our families and for me personally. It was a good start.

Q: John, on Jaxson's touchdown throw, can that only be made to a receiver who's 6'4"?

JOHN HARBAUGH: If a smaller receiver can really jump, it could probably be made by a smaller receiver. If he can jump high enough and get it.

Q: But you see, you know, you had your rookie (wide receiver Malachi Fields) against a smaller linebacker.

JOHN HARBAUGH: Well, I mean, I think what you're asking is that – the value of a contested catch, big contested catch receiver in the red zone, right? And that's really what that is. I mean, that's one of the reasons we drafted him. That's what Malachi, one of the 'xactly – most red zone touchdown passes are not on time. Most red zone touchdown passes are extended and/or plus scrambles. And that's, you know, you've got a quarterback that can move around and find a guy, got a guy who can go make a play. That's how you score a lot of those touchdowns. So, that was good to see.

Q: What do you think about that from Jaxson's perspective? Like the first play to go back in there and make that play?

JOHN HARBAUGH: It was great. I mean, I was – I don't know, we were in the heat of battle, I didn't think too much about it. He walked by me, he looked at me (nodded) and I looked like that (nods) and he ran on the field. That was what it was. So, he was playing quarterback that series and it was, that was – we were going to go two series and he was back, so he ran out there and did it. But to see him go out there and throw a touchdown pass, I thought was pretty darn cool. I was excited about that. Made me happy. But really, you're coaching a game, you're trying to win the game. You go to the next play and try to make the next play.

Q: John, your review of the play where he got hit, you said you need to block better. On that play, is that – because of the play call, is that not his responsibility, Jaxson's, to see that pressure coming?

JOHN HARBAUGH: No, he can assume he's picked up there. I mean, I think he will feel pressure. He has good pocket presence, and he did it on the red zone play. He got himself out, so I think he's good at that. But that's one that should be picked up.

Q: What did you think of (running back) Cam Skattebo on that drive, too? He looked like he was running well, and that's obviously his first game since that injury.

JOHN HARBAUGH: Yeah, you know, I was excited about it because I thought I saw the Cam Skattebo that you guys all know and saw last year. So, I don't know that he's 100% twitchy and explosive yet, but he's getting there. He's come a long way in the last two, three weeks.

Q: How did (wide receiver) Odell (Beckham Jr.) look to you, John?

JOHN HARBAUGH: I thought he looked pretty good. He looked pretty good. Made a couple catches, you know, did some things, some things he could have done better. He'll be the first guy to tell you that. But I thought he looked solid, I would say.

Q: Nice ovation he got from the crowd.

JOHN HARBAUGH: Yeah, yeah, it was fun. It was fun. I mean, I love Odell. I do. What he's doing, what he's fighting for, I don't know how it's going to turn out. It's going to turn out the way it turns out, based on what happens. But to see his fight, his determination, his humility. He's got his son in camp the other day, you know, he's doing it for his son. You know, that just, as a friend, that makes me really proud of him.

Q: You talked about the risk-reward of starters playing, Jaxson and the starters. What did they get out of being out there today?

JOHN HARBAUGH: They got reps in a game, which they're not going to get until the first game if you don't play them in the preseason. It's different. They played their whole starting defense. We played about half our starting defense to start the game. So, I decided not to play some of those starting defensive guys for that reason. I thought that they would benefit more from not playing. They played their whole starting defense. I think we played all of our starting offense, except for our left tackle and I felt like he didn't need it. He would be fine. But felt like the other guys playing together was important, especially with Jaxson out there. And our quarterback got two – got, I don't know, 10, 15 plays out there of good football. So, he's going to be that much better for the regular season that he would have been if he hadn't played those games. And we got out of it healthy. So, it worked.

Q: I was going to ask, any injuries? It looked like (outside linebacker) Kayvon (Thibodeaux) had a wrap on his shin.

JOHN HARBAUGH: Yeah, he's fine. Nothing serious. Everything should be good.

We should get some guys back this week. Those are kind of those minor things, day-to-day type things. We should get some guys back.

Q: Overall, how did the operation go in terms of the coaching, the communication?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Great question. I thought the operation, headsets, streamline communication, getting plays in, substitutions, were all very good, especially for the first preseason game. We didn't have any hiccups with that. I just don't like the penalties in the critical moments, you know? I think we had a couple holding penalties. We had the – I don't know about (cornerback) Art's (Green) penalty. I mean, we'll see it on tape, but wow. That's a young guy who's really – he's training for the league, so that's fine. I don't get too upset about it. But just – there's an opportunity. The pick play, we have a chance to go win the game. We need to execute that play. In critical moments throughout the game, when those plays come up, those opportunities come up, you don't know when they're going to happen, but they're going to happen. You take the ball all the way down the field, now we've got a third-down opportunity, the play has to be executed exactly right. And that's why you practice the way you do. And I told you guys that very thing. That's why – don't tell me about how hard practice is. And our guys don't. Lock in when you're a little bit tired, because we're 10 plays into a drive and we've got to execute this play perfectly. Why? Because it probably will win us the game if we do. And that's what we're fighting for. Our guys are working for that. And that's where we've got to just keep getting better.

Q: John, were you surprised in any way when Jaxson was sent to the tent?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Honestly, I was. Honestly, I was. But I would say that their job is to err on the side of player safety, so I can't argue with that either.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart

Q:  What do you make of everything that unfolded from the hit to the tent to the touchdown pass?

A: I thought it was a good drive by the offense, just being resilient. It was big by even (quarterback) Jameis (Winston) and Motor (running back Devin Singletary) just making a play to get us down there and us being able to have a big play in the red zone on a scramble drill and (wide receiver) Malachi (Fields) showing what he's been consistently showing all through camp and through practices of continue to play along with the play and then being able to make a contested catch. So, I was really proud of the protection upfront, the resiliency of the whole drive and us ending in a score which I though was really cool. As far as the blue tent, I really respect the rules and the thought behind the NFL has of keeping players healthy and reviewing things, but at the same time, I'm still puzzled by it just feeling like every time that I get hit, I find my way in there. Which at times, I still try to wrap my head around, but that's all that I'm going to say about that situation. I'm really happy with how the drive ended.

Q:  Is that just your reality at this point? Do you just have to kind of accept that or is there anything you can do about it?

A: That's all I'm going to say about that situation.

Q:  You got the wind knocked out of you? Is that what happened?

A: Yeah, the guy made a good hit on me. Yeah.

Q:  How did you end up going back in the game? Most guys wouldn't go back in the game after that –it's the preseason. Did you talk to (Head Coach John) Harbaugh, like hey I want to go back in after I got cleared?

A: Well, I never thought that I was going to be taken out.

Q:  You didn't?

A: No. So, I'm going to keep playing until they tell me I'm not playing. I want to be out there.

Q:  On the (sack) play, do you have any responsibilities on the backside or with the play call you just assume that's getting picked up, that's part of the play?

A: I think that we had just a little maybe miscommunication in the protection scheme and stuff like that happens in preseason where we're not all on the same page in a protection and I think that that's a moment that we can really look back on and learn from because you have events like that where the group is able to watch it and experience it and make sure that we don't make that mistake moving forward.

Q:  When you're scrambling, when do you first notice that your rookie receiver has a smaller guy on him, so you say here's your chance?

A: That was a big thing that I love about (wide receiver) Malachi (Field)'s tape coming out (of college) – was his ability to go make contested catches. I feel like he's a player that regardless of what route that he's on, just from his range and stature and his ability to have really good hands that he's never really out of a play. And he loves the game, he competes through the whistle. You see that in the way that not only he runs his routes but also the way that he blocks, so I think he's just been doing what he's been doing and I have a ton of faith in him.

Q: Are you also, on a scramble drill, conscious of the routes that the guys are supposed to be running in that situation. So, you kind of know where he's going to be in the area before you even look down field?
A: The guys, when they're out there, they understand their responsibilities during the route. And when you break contain, your instincts take over. He was able to find a hole in the defense and he went to exploit it. And when you have a defender who's trailing, and you have a guy that's as big as him, you can just give him a chance, and he's going to make a play.

Q: What did you see on the sack on the third down on the first drive?
A: We just had a miscommunication.

*Q: How beneficial was it for you to get these two series in this game? *A: I thought it was really good. I really feel like if we were on the same page, all of us, on the first drive, we would've scored the first drive. But, like I said after, it's good for us to have those moments where we're able to come off the field and communicate with each other to make sure that those things don't happen again in a situation that's outside of practice, where maybe in practice, it may be the consequence isn't the same as in a game. So, us being able to see that, have that understanding; and then the second drive, it was just a resilient drive by us and as a whole unit, which I was really proud of.

Q: What did you think of Skatt (RB Cam Skattebo) today?
A: It was great to have him back out there. The energy that he brings; his physicality. His will just all around brings a lot of positive and tough energy into our huddle. So, not only was I happy to have him back out there, but I was just happy for him. I know recoveries of injuries are tough. So, when you have the opportunity to be out there on the field, you take advantage of it, and I thought he did.

Q: (Head coach John) Harbaugh says he kind of sees last year's Skattebo. Where are you at with that? Do you think he's all the way back, or do you see him still having somewhere else that he can get to? Where do you look at that?
A: I think that he's just going to continue to get better. I thought that even last year that it was just his rookie year, so there's improvements that he's going to continue to make. And I think that the experience that he had was very valuable. And I think going forward now, he's just a more mature player. He's starting to understand the NFL schemes more and more. And I think that this run game suits him. I think that it's going to be very valuable for our offense to really establish that. So, I do believe that he's just going to continue to get better.

Q: Were you glad that Harbaugh decided to play you today? And would you like to play in these other preseason games as well as you kind of work with this new offense towards the regular season?
A: I'm ready to go out there whenever my number's called. I love this game, and I want to take full advantage of every opportunity that I have when I'm out there. So, I love being out there. I love being out there with the guys, with the boys, and just competing. So, whenever my number's called, I'm excited.

Q: Jaxson, how different is your preseason this year compared to last year, knowing that you we're always waiting for that idea of, okay, well, the next time, we don't know when Jaxson's going to play once the regular season comes. Being able to grow in the preseason and get ready for the regular season, knowing that this is your job, this is your offense, is there anything that's different? Does it help you grow more one game to the next, one week to the next and the next knowing that you are now prepping for week one, it's not an uncertainty.

A: Yeah, I think that you just have to – I think what's really nice now is that I get more reps than I did last year in practices. So, I think that that's really the time where I try to grow as much as I can. I'm definitely not afraid to make mistakes in those periods, and I think that when you get out to a game, like I said earlier, consequences are different, and that's what you learn from practice of how much can I test this or test that, how much can we as an offense do against different looks? And I think that when you're able to have these live action looks that's different from what we're seeing every day, I think that it's very valuable and gets us better. But from an approach standpoint, there's just more reps that I have, and I just get to take advantage of those as it goes.

Q: How did you feel about the touchdown and connecting with (wide receiver) Malachi Fields?

A: I was so excited. I was so excited. I mean, that's what I wanted to do the first drive. So, it was good that we were able to go out there the second drive and do that. And when you have a rookie guy who gets to score his first touchdown like that and make a really good play, I think that us as a whole team were really excited and happy that Malachi was able to do his first.

Q: Why do you think you and (tight end Isaiah) Likely have developed such a quick chemistry, especially in those conversion downs? It feels like you're always looking for him, and it feels like he's open and you're connected.

A: He has a great feel for the game. He is very instinctual, and I think that he does a great job of seeing it through that lens of a quarterback in a way. And you saw that a ton in his tape in Baltimore of him and (Baltimore Ravens quarterback) Lamar (Jackson), where maybe it wasn't even drawn out the exact way, but just being able to have conversions and him being able to find empty zones and to get open. I think that, that's the title that he has is that he gets open, he finds a way to get open. So, when you have a guy like that that you can trust to get open, definitely gives you a lot of confidence in those situations. And he works hard, and we have a lot of conversations late at night in the film room just going over things. So, all of those things account to a lot of confidence, and I think he's doing a great job.