Quotes from:

Zac Taylor

Head coach

Opening statement

"I'm really happy. That was kind of the first all-around game we've played all season, it felt like. It wasn't perfect by any means, but road divisional wins on Thursday nights nonetheless never come easy. It started with our defense, the five turnovers, and just getting them off the field and giving our offense great field positions. Getting stops in huge moments when they had a chance to gain some momentum, getting some big stops. [I] couldn't be prouder of those guys. The offense picked it up in the second half with some of the touchdowns, and Evan McPherson coming up big with six field goals on a day that's not a perfect day. It's a cold day. It's a little windy. I thought he hung in there and did a great job for us. So, [I'm] really proud of our team."

On how fun it is to see QB Joe Burrow play football again

"It's a lot of fun to watch Joe Burrow play football. You could feel him get into a rhythm, and statistically, it's not the best game we've ever had as an offense, but you could feel the rhythm he was in and the confidence he was in. You could see him move around, you know, the scrambles, even those for four or five yards. I think it was good for everybody to see. This is a team that's been believing all along. It's never too late to get going. For us to find a win – we've got to piggy-back on this. The team's got a lot of confidence. We're going to continue to work and continue to fight."

On whether the offensive playbook changed much with QB Joe Burrow's return

"A lot of it has to do with the defense you're playing. We're always game-planning to attack the defense. As we prepared all week, as we called the game all week, it's the same as it's always been. Whether he'd been playing last year, it was the same, no different. I know people are going to read into it a million different ways on how it gets called. This is how we called the game when we played this team and felt like we were successful doing it."

On QB Joe Burrow's mobility

"I think he moved around probably, maybe better than my expectations. I haven't seen him really hobbled by it. I'm sure he feels maybe differently. We haven't really asked him to do that in practice, but I've seen him run straightaway with the trainers, and I thought he physically looked really good."

On the defense putting consistent pressure on QB Lamar Jackson

"It's huge. I think the coaches did a great job with the plan. I thought Al [Golden] called a great game. The players bought into it. Now you start to see when you get confidence getting those turnovers; it starts to come in bunches. We've got to continue to build off that. Now there's real evidence of it paying off for us and just continue to ride that momentum and keep finding ways to get the ball."

On whether they made offensive adjustments at halftime

"I thought we got [Joe Burrow] in some good looks, really, it was two third downs. One play in particular we've really been working on all season. Tanner [Hudson] made an outstanding catch on the move there. The next one, 'Dre' [Andrei Iosivas] had a big catch. Those are two plays we've been working for a while now, waiting for the right time to get them. Guys had confidence because they repped them. They were able to adjust to them. The line did a great job. I think Samaje [Perine] on 'Dre's' [touchdown] had a huge block when he came across and blocked his defender. Guys just stepped up and made plays. That was really the first half. It wasn't [that] anybody didn't make a play, but there were some 50-50 plays we just didn't come down with. That led to some field goals. Second half, all of a sudden, you start to see that flip, and I thought the guys did a great job there."

On the effect of Tanner Hudson's touchdown

"It was big. It's big because it gives you some breathing room for us to score the touchdown and not have to settle for three. You felt the confidence of the entire team where we had a chance to create some separation for ourselves there. That was a big play. It's a credit to Tanner. Tanner's a guy that we always believed in and steps up and makes a huge play for us that way. That was big time."

On how well he felt QB Joe Burrow played after only two full practices and some walk-throughs

"I think the first half, I mean, [Joe Burrow] hasn't played real football in three months. So, the expectation to be that it's going to be perfect, that's just not the reality. He just hung in there and found a rhythm. I think [in the] second half, he really made some plays [and] had a ton of confidence. Just being around him, he hasn't fully practiced. There's some unknown from me on what to call and how to call it. The confidence he gave me in his responses over the course of the week leading up to the game and during the game, you feel that old Joe in there like he's been playing all season. That gave me confidence to call things the way that we needed to call it. I thought our offensive coaches did a great job problem solving, like some of those big plays on third downs. That was huge. And Brad [Kragthorpe] and 'Pitch' [Dan Pitcher] do an awesome job. I can name all of those guys. All those guys stepped up big time today really on all three phases. The coaching staff had a great plan, did a great job problem solving over the course of the game, got the players to believe in it, and we did a great job executing."

On whether he saw QB Joe Burrow impact his teammates by his play

"It's hard to say. I just keep saying, you wouldn't trade him for anybody. When you've got the guy out there that you wouldn't trade for anybody, there's just this different confidence. I don't say that in any way to slight any other guy because we've had a ton of confidence with the quarterbacks that have been playing for us. Joe Burrow – he's a spectacular player. The team responds the right way to it."

On any plays he saw QB Joe Burrow make tonight which made him think he had been healthy and playing all season

"I think some of the plays where he broke contain and found Ja'Marr [Chase], that's always fun to watch for me. I think there were a couple plays where I'm trying to peek at the coverage, I'm trying to watch the protection, and you can feel him just navigating, finding some space, getting on the edge, and then finding a big play for first down."

On having first-and-goal at the 2-yard line and not punching it in during the first quarter

"It's always been tricky here with these guys. They're playing [Cover] 0, basically, on four straight snaps. We've been in that situation before. It's always hard. The tape's difficult to find the answers. We came up short there. We'd obviously like to be able to get in on four plays, but we weren't able to do it. Again, just keep the faith, and the defense has got to get a stop, which they did. I know it only led to a field goal from there, but that's the way it goes sometimes when you're going to be aggressive."

On what's next

"Just build momentum. You've got to win. These guys keep working, and they're believing, and then when you win, the real confidence shows up, OK? We just did it. We did it on a national stage, [and] we did it on a short week. We did it in a divisional game. They know that that has been in us. We just had not played that complete game as a team yet. Now we put that on tape [and] put that on paper. Guys have a lot of confidence. Now we've just got to go on the road and do it again."

On lessons learned last year to help this year

"Unfortunately, we've been here before, same record. I think right at the same time here? So, we know what it looks like, and we know what it feels like. We know what the urgency level is. It doesn't really change how we operate in any way, shape or form because we just keep going on a week-to-week basis and doing our best to find a win. Certainly, we know what this looks like, and I expect our guys to handle it the right way."

**JOE BURROW**

Quarterback

On his first game back going the way that it did

"Obviously, I had to knock the rust off in the first half, so I expected myself to play better, but it was good to be out there. A lot of emotions running through it at the end of the game. It's just good to be back with the guys."

On how he would grade himself

"I thought the second half, I started to put it more where I wanted. I settled in a little bit. I certainly missed some throws that I typically make. But after that, I felt pretty comfortable back there. I thought the O-line did great, we ran it well. Obviously, the defense played great. I've just got to keep getting better."

On if he feels the boost that he gives the team

"I don't know. Any time you can get a big win like this, it's exciting. The guys worked really hard for this. We knew where we were at with our record. The guys worked really hard to put on good performances, and to do that, it feels good."

On when he felt that he was in a rhythm "The whole first half, my feet were a little antsy back there. I was missing some throws. The second half, I felt more comfortable. I started putting it where I wanted to. Making a couple plays with my feet, getting out of the pocket a little bit. Certainly don't want to make a living that way, but [I] was able to pick my spots."

On if he had any moment to reflect on getting back out there

"Yeah, I certainly had those moments after the game. Certainly, hasn't been easy on me through six years from a lot of different angles. So, I worked really hard to put myself in position to be back out there, and a lot of people around me have done the same. Through a lot of discussion, time in the training room, just a lot that's gone into this, and I'm proud to be back."

On if there was any throw that got him going

"That touchdown to [Andrei] Iosivas, I felt pretty good about. I put it right where I wanted it. I put it right in a good spot and he was ready for the look."

On if this is why he put in all the work to get back

"There's no better feeling than that. Putting in work for a long time and going out and it paying off, there's just no feeling like going out in front of the world with a group of guys that work really hard to go try and win games. Going out and putting on a good performance and winning that game. Obviously, we have a lot of games left, but we're going to enjoy this one. We have a mini bye weekend. Everyone's going to go home and have Thanksgiving with their family, smile and eat, and feel good about it."

On what issues he saw in the red zone

"Well, I'm trying to think. I think for the most part, you've got to give credit to them. They mixed up their looks down there. They zero-pressured us. They doubled Ja'Marr [Chase], they singled Ja'Marr. They did a lot of different things down there. At the end of the day, we have to make plays and put the ball in the end zone. We can't kick six field goals, but that's the kind of game that it was. Our defense was playing the way that it was, and the way we ran the ball, it was a 'take your points' kind of game. Obviously, the one that really hurt us was when we got the turnover down there and came out with no points. Typically, that's going to be tough to win the game, but we were able to pull it out."

On the Ravens zero-blitz on all four snaps

"Yeah, that was really the only drive that they did that. And then the next couple of times, they were still playing some man, and like I said, doubling Ja'Marr [Chase] sometimes, not doubling Ja'Marr sometimes. But we needed somebody to make a play, and Tanner [Hudson] made that play on, in my opinion, the best safety in the league. He just continues to make play after play, and that one really opened the floodgates, so credit to Tanner for that one."

On if he was looking for the right look on the two touchdown passes

"Yeah, I don't know about all year because I haven't been out there. We were hunting that look on the Tanner [Hudson] touchdown. Really, Kyle [Hamilton] played great. But I threw a good ball and Tanner made a great play. And the one to [Andrei] Iosivas, they were kind of bringing that pressure. They brought it before in games in the past, so we were ready for it. But they played some different coverages behind that pressure today, but good job by Iosivas in recognizing the coverage, and he was ready for it."

On how it felt playing in his shoes

"Yeah, it was good. I was a little more mobile than I expected to be, to be honest. I felt good. We've got a good system on the sideline of changing shoes out and doing what I need to do to stay fresh. So, we continue to do that."

On him leaving the pocket

"I think the first time I really left the pocket, was in the red zone. I threw it to [Andrei] Iosivas, but after that one, I felt pretty good. I felt a little more comfortable to do some more of that stuff."

On throwing 37 passes in the first half

"Certainly I had to knock the rust off. I missed some throws that I typically make, but I didn't panic. So, I felt better in the second half."

On if this gives a glimpse of what the offense will be over the next five weeks

"You know the guys we have in the locker room. We know what we have in front of us. It's certainly not easy. The way our defense has played the last several weeks I think has been extremely positive. Obviously, they were great, great, great today. But that's been building. That's been building all year. Seeing them putting in all the work. See Al [Golden] talking about a lot of different things, they end up showing up tonight and in the last couple of games as well. So, credit to those guys for working so hard the way they do and putting on that performance."

On what it was like eating turkey on Thanksgiving on the field

"I didn't touch it. I didn't touch it. I don't know who made it, where they made it, I'm good. Add a little pepper to that, I was good with the pepper."

On his faith in TE Tanner Hudson going up against the best safety in the league "From the moment Tanner got here, all he did was make plays in practice. When he first got here, was that in 2022 I think? When we signed him, I was like, 'Who's this guy making all these catches on the scout team?' Didn't know his name, and he continuously kept doing it. I've been his biggest fan since he got here. It's not easy being in that spot when you're the third or fourth tight end, and you might get two snaps in certain spots in the game, and it's cold outside, you're on the sideline, you've got to stay warm, and then you've got to come in and catch a back column throw against Kyle Hamilton. That's not easy. He's always been ready for his number to be called, so credit to him for that."

On if there's anything he's thankful for in his challenge coming back

"I'm just thankful for the opportunity to play this game. We've got great guys in there I love playing with. We've got a great coaching staff. I'm thankful for all my loved ones being there for me during this tough time. They know who they are. I'm not going to name them, but they know who they are. They've been there for me a lot, so that makes me feel good. And obviously, the training staff that gets creative, that pushes me. I push them. We've got a great relationship. Certainly, I've been in there enough, we better. But if anything ever happens again, we'll get right back to it."

On if he thought he'd throw the ball as much as he did

"I don't think I really thought about it. I knew what kind of game it could be with Lamar [Jackson] over there. I've thrown a lot against these guys in the past. Didn't quite turn out that way as far as the shootout-wise. We threw it and we ran it well, too. So, we've got to keep going on."

On him sounding a little hoarse

"I haven't yelled like that in a while. Obviously, it's loud out there."

JORDAN BATTLE

SAFETY

On how it felt playing on Thanksgiving

"It means a lot. You know, primetime games and big-time players step up in big-time games. I feel like as a defense, we did a great job stepping up to the challenge. The last three weeks I feel like the defense has been playing really well, [with] guys being where they need to be and making plays. We had a few missed tackles tonight that led to big plays, and when you see that, it goes back to early in the season. Bad angles and missed tackles and those lead to big plays. I feel like now we are starting to eliminate more of those. We're not giving up missed tackles, and everyone is diving for the ball."

On if the defense played inspired tonight

"Yeah, creating turnovers definitely creates energy, and getting big third-down stops was huge. We know our offense is going to strike. They didn't strike early, but later in the game, they got two crucial touchdowns for us. It's all about complementary football – defense getting stops and getting the ball back to our offense and letting them win it. When they have more possessions and more possession time than our offense, then we are good. If we have that ratio, we should win every game."

On if their mindset changed with QB Joe Burrow back

"Yeah, for sure. We knew coming in, everything was still in front of us. We are still in the division; we are now 3-1, so we've just got to win out. We can't worry about what place we are in or the chances of making the playoffs. Take every game serious and like it is your last. We must treat every game in November, December and January as playoff football. We have some great games coming down the stretch. We have the Bills next week and then Ravens again. Those are two huge games we have to win. We know where we have to get to. We just keep playing with energy we played with tonight and keep motivating each other to go play football."

CHASE BROWN

Running Back

On the importance of winning in Baltimore on Thanksgiving Day

"It's been a long time since the Bengals have won here in Baltimore. It's a big deal no matter what. But most importantly, it is something to build off. I look forward to that."

On how he felt the offense ran today

"I think Baltimore, they are extremely physical, very gap sound. So they made it hard. But you know, in the end, we were able to find some gaps, and the scheme opened it up. So that felt good."

On how it felt to get QB Joe Burrow back tonight

"Great. He looked pretty good. I know he missed football a lot, too. So it was great having him back. [It was] great seeing him out there. And what a way to come back for the win."

On if Joe Burrow returning opens up opportunities in the run game

"Yeah, for sure. When the passing game is going the way it does, and the way it is going to keep getting better. Yeah, it is definitely going to invite some lighter boxes and some big run opportunities."

On what this win means for the rest of the season

"It definitely brings the confidence. But the real, real, real, real MVP of the day was the defense. I mean they were unbelievable. They really were. They got the stops, they got a bunch of turnovers – we can't ask for much more than that. So, when they are playing like that, and we are able to go put points on the board consistently – obviously we want more touchdowns, but you know we are scoring field goals. We are going to win a lot of games here."

On the difference in time of possession

"I didn't even look at it, so I actually have no idea what it was. But if it was a lot, then that is great. It means more plays for us to run, and that is awesome."

JA'MARR CHASE

Wide Receiver

On how it felt being back out on the field after missing last week

"It was good being back out there. The first series, I was a little winded, but other than that, it felt good."

On how he felt QB Joe Burrow played in his first game back

"Overall, I feel like we could have capitalized on a lot more. I'm pretty sure [Joe Burrow] would say the same, but I still think he did a good job of keeping the momentum going when he had opportunities to keep it going and capitalizing on those situations for the offense."

On if his success against the Ravens is related to the coverages they play against him

"It was pretty much man [coverage] the whole game. If I'm being honest with you, it was just man, man-combo. The safety was just cheating over the whole time. Today was just about making the contested catches. That's really what it was about. I [have] to do better on those other two that I had opportunities on, and that's the only way I could get big plays and get down the field."

On how the mentality on third down changes with Joe Burrow at quarterback

"It's a little different than [Joe] Flacco, because when Joe [Burrow] is there, I know where the ball is going. When Flacco is there, I don't, so when Flacco was back there, I [have] to win every route. When Burrow is back there, I know where the ball is going off the coverage."

On if that comes from playing with Joe Burrow so much

"Yes, I could say repetition helps."

On how good it was to see the team play complementary football

"First off, I think our defense has been doing good the past two to three weeks, just giving us opportunities after opportunities to make a play for each drive and just put a point on the board. They have been doing a good job, but as far as today, we have to capitalize more off those turnovers. They gave us the ball multiple times. We have to capitalize off of those."

On if there was a different feeling with the team with Joe Burrow as the starting quarterback

"Yes, I would say yes, just because everybody loves [Joe] Burrow. It's a little more urgency when he is there. [The] urgency is more up when he is there."

On if the urgency comes from QB Joe Burrow's intensity

"I would say so, yes. We know how [Joe Burrow] is, so we know what he likes and how he likes it. I'm saying it is pretty much. We know."

On if the win tonight is bittersweet knowing how they could have played all year with QB Joe Burrow healthy

"We know those games that we didn't finish out strong on, we know we were supposed to have those, but we can't worry about it. We just have to finish what is in front of us right now, to put us in the best position for the future."

On if QB Joe Burrow needed to knock the rust off at the beginning of the game

"I'm not even sure. I can't even tell you off the top of my head. I know first, straight out the gate, we were just trying to get [Joe Burrow] doing movements, getting him movements and just getting him easy catches."

On going against Ravens CB Chidobe Awuzie

"I love 'Chido' [Chidobe Awuzie]. I love 'Chido', bro. Me and 'Chido' go way back. He has been working with me since my rookie year, so there is always nothing but love and competitiveness when I'm going against him. We weren't going at it. He just held me on one of the plays. I didn't get the flag. I'm like, ''Chido', you know you held me.' And he's like, 'How so'? But he is my guy though."

On seeing Ravens CB Chidobe Awuzie come back on injuries

"It's good just seeing anybody go through adversity from an injury, because as an athlete, it's not easy going through injuries and coming off of it and feeling a difference, and your mental is all over the place, so I salute him and everybody else that came back from injury."

On if QB Joe Burrow was more reflective coming back from injury today than he has in the past

"I don't know, do you think he is emotional?" (Reporter: "Potentially. Seems like he was thinking a little bit more.") "He was hiding it from me then, because I didn't see that."

On if he ate any of the turkey

"It was not that bad. If I'm being honest, it was not that bad. All of my life, I've been watching that game on Thanksgiving. I would see players make the crazy face after they bite it, because it was not good, but it wasn't that bad. Maybe I'm hungry, so who knows."

On if eating turkey after a Thanksgiving game was a bucket list item for him

"It was a bucket list. Yes, yes."

On what it says about the team for them to have this kind of performance against Baltimore after struggling

"We've been in this position before, trying to fight ourselves out of adversity to get ourselves in the playoffs, to get ourselves a better picture in the future, so at the end of the day, we need Joe [Burrow], and Joe needs us. We have to make it work, someway, somehow, and just get ourselves set for the future."

On if the future is this season or next year

"Yes, I am just talking about this season, the next couple of games. Not next year."

On if there is confidence going into next because of today's performance

"I feel like we have a lot of confidence just from the last couple of weeks from the offense, but for sure. Today, we left it out there, and it's more for us to capitalize on next week, for sure."

DAX HILL

Cornerback

On what unlocked the defense tonight

"Man, just constant pressure, I feel like Lamar [Jackson] was flustered, so it was hard for them to get momentum."

On the Bengals' third-down defense

"We kept them guessing. When you have pressure in your face, it's hard to make your throws and go through your progressions. I just felt like we kept [Lamar Jackson] on his toes."

On if he had a favorite turnover

"The strip sack was my favorite, just because we were backed up. I think it was an offensive turnover or something like that. So yeah, that was my favorite one."

On what it meant to have QB Joe Burrow back

"Just [Joe Burrow's] energy, his presence. We are all behind him. It's great seeing him and his leadership and how he approaches the game. You always want to have a player of his caliber back and to have him in the locker room; he just changes everything. Just the vibe, and you just want to go out there and get a win."

On if he talked any trash to his brother, Ravens RB Justice Hill, after the game

"Yeah, just a little bit. I think [Justice Hill] took off early. I didn't see him after the game, but being out there and seeing him on the sideline, there's always some jawing back and forth, so that was awesome."

EVAN MCPHERSON

Kicker

On how his game went tonight:

"You know I watched my brother do it a couple weeks ago, I just wanted to match him. The team put me in a lot of great situations during the game, and Ryan [Rehkow] and Will [Wagner] did a really good job making my job easy, and those felt really good to get through."

On the wind during the game

"Yeah, there was a good amount of wind. It was kind of blowing straight down the field like away from the tunnels. So the second quarter and third quarter, we were in to [the wind] and those kicks were pretty tough. And it was like, once you get to the fourth quarter, you just have to put the ball up in the air, and it will go through."

On how big it was for him to have a big game when the offense struggled in the red zone

"Yeah, it is a lot of fun. You know God has given me an amazing gift to kick a football, and I go out there every time to use that gift effectively. And we were able to just come through with whatever we needed today."

On if the wind tonight was as bad as in Pittsburgh

"I wouldn't say as bad as in Pittsburgh, but it was different. [In] Pittsburgh, it was straight across. This was more like in to and at your back. Sometimes it would cross, and sometimes it would switch. So, it was a little interesting to be honest."

On his 52-yard field goal

"I mean, yeah, that was a big one, and I feel like the last one was a big one. You know a lot of people, pretty much everybody was gone, the game's over, and you have to go out there and still put that one through. But yeah, the 50-yard one or whatever that was, was big. In the NFL, you are never done, and I've learned that plenty of games where I think I am done kicking for the game, and then they are like, go hit this with a minute left, and we are up 15 points. Like why? Because they want you to go out there and put the game away, making it no chance."

On if he had ever kicked 6 field goals in a game before

"Never. I never really had the chance. I feel like to hit six, it is kind of rare. Like I said, my little brother did it two weeks ago, so I was like 'dang,' that is impressive. My leg is tired."