Quotes from:

Zac Taylor

Head coach

What are your emotions after a game like that?

"I just can't believe it. Can't believe it. The game was right there, and we just don't find a way to get it done. The game was right there, and all we have to do is make one play. Just one play, and some of these losses turn into wins. So again, as coaches, we just have to spend this week finding a way to help everybody and get it done, because this is ... it's sick. It's sick to lose like that. That's what happened. So we have to own it and we have to keep finding ways to improve and keep finding ways to find a way, because the last two weeks, that hasn't happened."

Are you surprised, or frustrated or angry that these things keep happening?

"We've got to find a way to get it fixed, and we are. We're working like crazy to get it done. Again, it's not because of a lack of work, or lack of effort. (We're) trying to cover every single stone to get it done, and it is tough. This is just the result of what we're dealing with."

Is there anything you feel the defense has been missing?

"We've just got to find a way to make a play and get off the field. (There were) no turnovers (for our defense) today, and (Chicago) is a team (where) that's where all their wins have come from. (They finished with) five (more) points, (but) they're plus three on turnovers."

That was a tough play at the nine-yard line there. Were you trying to force them into their final timeout?

"We ran the ball ... that's what we did on the first play — ran the ball. You get cute, and you force them to do that and then you have no points and the game's over. We just trust our guys to get out there and make a play, and that's just the way it goes."

Is it just as simple on the last touchdown for the Bears as bringing Colston Loveland down after the catch and the game is over?

"Yeah. Get him on the ground, force them into a tough field goal. At that point, once the play's been completed, and make them execute. And again, we didn't get him on the ground. They scored a touchdown. Game over."

Have you ever been involved in a comeback like that before with that number of points scored in such a short time period?

"I mean, the Houston game a couple years ago was very similar. We were right there a couple of years ago. That's tough on the stomach, but the result is the result. And again, I feel sick right now, but all we can do is pick ourselves up and keep fighting. That's the beauty of being in this profession, and being in this locker room, is we see what we're made of. We're going to keep fighting and know (there's) going to be pretty loud noise out there. The criticism, it's deserved when we're the record we are (and with) the results that we've had. We're going to keep showing our character and keep fighting and find a way to lead these guys, and find a way to make some plays, get some wins and keep this season alive. That's what we're going to do."

Can it be fixed on defense?

"We're going to find a way. We're going to do everything we can to find a way. I think it's impossible for me to say yes or no. We're going to be trying everything we can, so we'll just keep working at it."

You scored 38 points last week and 42 this week, which many people would say is more than enough to win a game. How do you manage the locker room and not having the offensive players feel any sort of resentment to the defense?

"You fight like hell every single day to maintain the culture we have — fight every single day. (I) talk to everybody I can possibly talk to, and these guys, if you watch them practice, they are working like crazy in practice. So again, we just have to get some momentum. (We) have to get a play, someone builds off that play, and we find a way to get some momentum on defense. We just haven't found a way to do that lately."

Coming into the season there was a lot of talk about the defense being better potentially. Why do you think that hasn't materialized through these first nine games?

"We just gotta find a way. We're working hard at it, and I know that's a hard thing to listen to me say over and over, (but) that's the answer. There's not a magic formula — we'd do it if we could — and so we're just going to keep finding ways. We've got the bye week and (we'll) keep working through it, see if there's something we're missing and something we can enhance. We'll look at it."

How frustrating is it that Joe Flacco plays through an injury, has the performance he does and you still lose?

"There's a lot of great performances today, (but) what Joe Flacco did for us this week, you'll never forget. Just knowing what our quarterback room is working through right now, with Joe Burrow and Jake (Browning) and Joe (Flacco) ... it's a really mentally tough room that leads by example. Joe Flacco got the opportunity to show that this week, that's him. Joe Burrow (is) working behind the scenes to do everything he can to help our team.

"Flacco, he could barely lift his arm this week, and he's willing to go put himself out there for a bunch of teammates he's known for three weeks. He's a football player — that's what he got up here and said: 'I play football for a living. That's what I do' — and oftentimes, you need that throughout the locker room: Guys who are just football players and they remember that and they'll go out there and do whatever it takes to help their team to win a game, no matter what, no matter the circumstances. We've got a bye week next week and (he'll) get a chance to get rested up. That's how Joe Flacco looks at it, so he went out there and put himself on the line. I'm sure he's going to be in a ton of pain tomorrow, and we'll give him 10 days off and see if he can come back and do it again."

The offense had a great game but what happened on the intentional grounding call late in the game?

"Miscommunication. We were checking a play and everyone didn't get it."

The field goal that was after that, was that a tough decision to make?

"It was a tough decision. It's a tough decision. It's tough. Whether that was the right thing to do or not, I'll have to reflect on that because now, in your head, you're thinking fourth-and-three or less, potentially, so then you've got to shift very fast to the decision to kick the field goal, and now you're down four and hope to get another possession and a stop to win the game. It's tricky. Obviously, that was the decision we made and it didn't work out and I'll have to digest if I made the right one there."

What's your message to the team heading into a bye?

"I'm going to keep fighting. The coaches are going to keep fighting and these coaches have shown that they're going to keep fighting. It's frustrating for everybody to put in the work that's being put into it and this is the result we've had. It's frustrating. Sometimes, you've got to take a deep breath and then come back to work and try to uplift others.

"I've faced a lot of adversity here, and the only thing I know how to do is lift people up. That doesn't mean we run from corrections. That doesn't means we don't give criticism, but at the same time, the easy thing to do is question everything, and point fingers and be negative, and be an energy vampire in a lot of ways. I think we've got enough guys that just want to continue to lift people up and fight and find solutions, help where they can, make myself better, make the person next to me better and that's all I know how to do. That's how we built the coaching staff that does that, too. We've (got) a locker room full of leaders and great men that are following suit there, and that's what I've seen from them, and that's what we're going to continue to do. I don't have something I can say where, 'We're just going to fix this and things are going to be better.' It's not that simple. I wish it was, but I can promise you we're going to fight like hell to keep finding wins here and get this turned around."

Are you surprised to see tackling still be an issue?

"Yeah, we've worked like crazy at it. It's all we seem to talk about and work on, and we have to improve."

After losses like this, especially these last two, are you looking at all personnel for potential lineup changes or trades?

"I keep working with the players we've got. That's what we're going to do. We're going to keep finding solutions with the guys we have, and if something else comes at us, so be it. But I'm going to work with the players we've got in here and find solutions to what's going on right now."

The team has had a tough go of it at home going back to last season. Does that add frustration to what's happening this year?

"Yeah, it's frustrating. Our fans, they show up for us, and you've go to give them something. You've got to give them something. We had the Pittsburgh game and then you come back, and the last two weeks have been what they've been. That is tough. It's tough losing at home. That's not what we want."

**JOE FLACCO**

Quarterback

How are you feeling after today?

"I feel good. I think I'm going to be sore for sure."

How much did your arm hurt in the game?

"I mean, I wasn't throwing without a little help. Interestingly enough today, the throws that I struggled with the most were the short little dump downs, where I normally am not even thinking about it. You just flick it. There was something about those throws that I actually struggled with the most today."

What's going through your mind after a game like today? Have you been a part of a game like that before?

"Yeah. We beat Cleveland a couple years ago when I was with the Jets in a similar situation. Nick Chubb ran in for a touchdown to go up by two scores. They missed the extra point. We went down and scored with under two minutes left, got the onside kick, went down and scored again. Now when we scored, there was probably a little bit less time on the clock. They (Cleveland) still did have a chance. They might have completed the ball to midfield or something like that, but they didn't have quite as much time. They probably didn't have any timeouts. We ended up winning the game, so very similar."

What's it like to be on the losing end?

"It's tough. Anytime you're on the losing end, it's tough. I think when you've played a lot of games, the way you lose doesn't make it any worse necessarily. I think you learn that these games come down to the last minute and you've got to be ready for anything. A win is a win, a loss is a loss."

When did you start feeling you had hope in that game late in the fourth quarter?

"I think when you go down and you think what you have is a touchdown and no, it's incomplete, and then you throw an interception — obviously at the time you thought they scored a touchdown. At that point, you probably weren't thinking too much about it. But then when you go down score and make it a one-score game, I mean anything can happen. Onside kicks aren't very likely, but who knows? I think we were down by 14, we were going out there and I said, 'Hey, listen. Crazier things have happened,' to somebody and a coach that was standing right there. But I think maybe there's a little bit of hope after you score that first one. At that point, I think fans are going through the same thing as players are at that point. So, whatever you were feeling, and the fans are feeling, we were probably feeling the same thing."

Were you surprised you threw for 470 yards?

"I knew we had been climbing up there at some point because we got so many possessions and we were really throwing the ball a lot of the time toward the end of the game, just with the nature of the game. You don't know how high it is. I mean, I've never thrown for 400 (yards) in the NFL in my career, so this was the first time."

How do you keep the frustration from seeping from the offensive players?

"We have played nine games now. We have eight left. If you don't keep your head down and go to work, then it's going to be a long, miserable season for you. You can't get distracted. You're going to be emotional after a game, but at some point you've got to let that go. This is our profession. We do this for a living and we take pride in doing it. I hope that you would continue to take pride in doing what you do for a living, no matter what the outcome is. And yeah, maybe that's easier said than done, but that's what you've got to do because this league will eat you up and it will not be good. I'm sure Baltimore isn't sitting there tucking their tail between their legs with the record they have. They're probably motivated and excited about the opportunity that they have going forward. I don't think we can look at it any different."

From our perspective, understanding it's emotional after a loss like that, it looks like some of the offensive players are gaining some tension toward the defense. What do you do as a veteran?

"Well, I just be the same person every day and don't get frustrated from that. I go to those guys just like you do. And you don't necessarily have to talk about that specifically, but you just have good conversations with guys about doing good things, going to work and taking pride in what you do. I think when you do those things, you don't have time to get mad at people that you shouldn't be getting mad at. Every one of us have enough to worry about on our own plates that you can't be worrying about everybody else because then all of a sudden, once again, it's going to be a tough eight weeks for us if we're worried about what other people are doing. I know team is one. It's one team. In order to have that one team, you need to focus on yourself and do your job. I get it, it can get emotional but there's times to be emotional and show people that. But usually, those times are good things and toward people you love. I think if we're emotional, then we should come at it with an angle of, 'This is my brother,' as opposed to the opposite of that. I just think that's what good, hardworking, tough people do. They don't look at other people, they look inward and it doesn't matter what the situation is — they look inward."

Why was the connection with Tee Higgins so successful today?

"He's really good. I hate to be so simple and have such a bad answer, but I mean, did you see the catch he made on that go route for the first touchdown? It was incredible. I mean, I was laughing. It was just stupid. It was crazy, and I think everybody kind of realized it. I had one-on-one with him. I don't really know if I should have thrown it up or just come down. But I'm like, 'It's one-on-one? I'll put one up there.' And as I let it go, I honestly was kind of like, 'I don't know,' and the next thing you know, it's a touchdown."

What were the last 24 hours like for you in order to be ready to play?

"Thursday was the thing. Once I went out there and practiced on Thursday, I knew that I would be ready to play on Sunday. So, then it was just kind of managing my shoulder throughout the week. I'm lucky, I've played a lot of games, so I didn't feel like I had to go out there and get a ton of practice reps. I probably would have felt like that anyway, but thankfully the coaching staff also felt comfortable with me not getting a ton of practice reps. I think that's the biggest thing, is it's going to be tough to practice. As long as I know that I can get through Sundays, then I feel good about it."

Given how you came out today, what do you need to do on the field to feel good about playing after the bye week?

"I finished the game last week. I played this week. I mean, it's not even in my mind that I wouldn't be able to do something like that. So now, it's just about getting rest and getting as healthy as possible. Obviously, we've got two weeks before we play again, so hopefully that helps."

How important are the wide receivers, and how proud are you of them?

"Extremely. I make sure I go to everybody in that locker room after a game and just tell them how much I appreciate them. My job is not possible (without them). Quarterbacks get so much publicity and credit for so many things, but you're really just out there dishing the ball around. And without the guys up front, first of all, you can't do that. And without guys out there making spectacular plays and taking little catches for touchdowns and all those things — people always ask me, who'd you like when you were growing up? I always liked receivers and running backs, because those are the guys that are out there making the plays. And now that I've gotten to play, now you have a true appreciation for the guys up front. That's really where the game is won and lost. It is right there up front. So, I just view myself as somebody that's lucky enough to kind of be the guy that gets to play with some of these guys. I know what everybody's giving week in and week out, and laying it all out there. So, you appreciate being with every single one of them."

**JA'MARR CHASE**

Wide Receiver

What was going through your head walking off the field after that one today?

"Offense has got to find a way to put the game away. Some how, some way, (we've) got to do it."

How do you keep putting it on the offense's shoulders considering how the defense has played in the last month or so?

"It's the only way we're going fix it. I don't know why. I'm going to keep pointing at the offense. I can't point at the defense."

Have you ever been around a comeback like that before?

"No."

What's going through your mind?

"Stay calm."

You guys put up a lot of yards. What was working on offense?

"I don't know exactly what was working, at the end of the day. It was a lot. Everybody had an opportunity to touch the ball today, so the offense was very versatile today."

What QB Joe Flacco is doing is pretty extraordinary. What has he shown you?

"He's a veteran. He's shown us that he's a veteran."

When you scored with 54 seconds to go to take the lead, what was running through your mind?

"Defense, get a stop."

QB Joe Flacco was just talking about how it's an emotional game, but all you can do is put your head down and work. How will you approach the next week and a half?

"The same way I did this week — keep working and being myself."

What does it say about Joe and what he was able to do, fighting through the shoulder injury and throwing for 470 yards?

"He's a veteran. He's used to it. He kept his composure the whole game."

How hard is it to keep your composure after a game like this?

"It's not fun when you're losing."

What's it going to be like maintaining hope through the bye week and into the second half of the season?

"Go back to practice, work and just play football."

**Demetrius Knight Jr.**

Linebacker

Tackling continues to be an issue. Can you explain why?

"Everyone across the NFL is working on it. The games lost today we're probably because of tackling. We saw the Panthers beat the Packers. Tackling was an issue for them and it's an issue across the league. They also get paid on the opposite side to make us miss tackles. It's not an excuse, but it's a No. 1 issue that we are fighting to work through and fighting to get done. At some point, you've got to look at yourself in the mirror and be a guy that continues to show up and put in the work. It matters, especially in games like this. Tackling — it's an art form. If you don't practice it, you can become lackadaisical about it. Practice makes perfect, and when you don't do it, it just shows up."demetrius-knight

How do you battle frustration right now after working so hard at it every week?

"You battle it by coming back to work. It sounds monotonous — if you will — but what can you do? You can't mope around and be sad about it. You're paid to be a professional, so it's: What are you going to do to take those necessary steps to get guys on the ground? What are you going to do tomorrow to get guys on the ground, and not waiting until we get back out on the field. Now it's at the point where you have to be accountable for it, and if you're not, it will continue to show."

You've built your whole career around working hard and it's been a key to your success. When you work as hard as you have, and the results aren't there, does it make you question whether it can get better?

"No. There's no question and doubt. Perseverance is the key to everything. It's the key to every great team, and it's the key to every great defense. One stop and one key play, and you're one key way away from feeling what they (the Bears) are feeling in their locker room. At the end of the day, you've got to just continue to play the next play. Me being a guy big on faith, perseverance is everything — not just in football, but in life."

Oren Burks

Linebacker

Can you run through the on-side kick?

"I knew we were going to have an opportunity to get the ball, so you have to scratch and claw to try and get the ball out."

Did you grab it from somebody?

"No, it was just a scramble and I was trying to get the ball."

You're a veteran and you've played on championship teams, so what is your message to younger players who are very emotional right now?

"There will be no quit. There's no quit in this team. We've got to rely on each other and trust each other, and get back to work."

You had a good block on Charlie Jones' kick return. Can you run through that one?

"You're just stressing to make a game-changing play on special teams, and he took it to the house. It just comes back to the work. (Special teams coach) Darrin (Simmons) has been doing a great job putting us in the right position to execute the system."

You had a player's only meeting on Monday. Are you a little surprised or disappointed in the fundamentals today with the tackling?

"Yeah, we're just going to keep working. There's nothing that can be fixed in one week. We have to continually get better week-by-week, and look at ourselves in the mirror and ask if we're giving our best effort."

**CHASE BROWN**

Running Back

With the points you've been scoring with 38 points last week, 42 points today, as an offense, are you almost in disbelief with these two losses?

"I think for us, we made some good plays, but we weren't perfect. What you chase in this game is perfection, at the end of the day. There are a lot of things we could have been better at, and when we go and watch the film, we'll learn from it and move on. We control what we can control. Losing games like that, yeah, it's unbelievable."

How did it feel in the last seconds of the game?

"It sucks, but that's the NFL. You've got to play to the last second. You can't let up, even when you feel the momentum has shifted. Just play all the way through."

What were you thinking as you walked off the field and to the locker room after the game?

"Probably the same as what was going through your head, like, 'What the (heck)?'"

What is the emotion, knowing how differently the season would look like if you'd been able to close out these last two games?

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't set us back from where we want to be. Our mentality was (to go) 3-0 going into this bye week. We could have easily done it."

What do you do to keep prevent tension between the offense and defense?

"Just don't turn on each other. We know how they (defense) can play — they played really well at the start of the season. They were carrying us on their backs. We've just got to play complimentary football. When we put the ball in the end zone to go up a point at the end, finish the game — just end it. That's it. That's what we need to do — just end the game. Get us the ball back, and let us go to (a victory formation). Just end the game. That's how I feel. We've taken steps forward offensively. We're trying to control what we can control. We're going to keep doing what we can do. (Joe) Flacco fought like a warrior today with the way his shoulder was. Things weren't perfect, but we made things work on our end. We made mistakes, but learned from them and kept fighting. At the end of the day, you've got to go to the very end."

How frustrating has it been that the results haven't been there with games ending in a win?

"It's been enough, but we've got to finish at the end of the day. We're putting points on the board now, so let's finish out these games and get these wins and we'll be good."