Quotes from:

Zac Taylor

Head coach

Where do you feel like that game turned?

"[In the] second half. The first half was about third downs. We did a poor job on both sides of the ball on third down. We didn't convert more than like a third-and-1. I think Ja'Marr [Chase] caught one early, but we didn't convert on really the three main drives we had. Defensively, I don't know what the stats were in the first half, but I know they converted [almost] every one of them. Now, we did a good job limiting them to some field goals on two of those drives, which was key. But we just never really got in a rhythm. And [during] halftime, we came in here and took a deep breath. I thought guys really handled themselves well, and we came out and scored five straight touchdowns the second half. [The] defense got five straight stops and that's how you have to do it. That's how you go on the road and win. We had the turnover plus some fourth-down stops that count as more. I don't know how many. So, I'm just really proud of the way the guys responded, just took a deep breath, kept their composure, led, and went out there and put together as good of a second half performance as I've ever seen."

What did you tell them at halftime?

"We were just going over some plays. Offensively, we hadn't gotten in rhythm. I think we called six normal down plays. It's just one of those games where we hadn't created our own rhythm or opportunity. Defensively, we just needed one third-down stop to get off the field and kind of feel that momentum. We just never got that in the first half. It didn't need to be, trust me, some big speech. They all knew where we were at. It's more the players talking, to be quite honest, than anybody else, and I thought they responded the right way."

What was the biggest difference in QB Joe Burrow's game in the second half?

"Well, again, we put ourselves in some second-and-10s early, and now you're dealing with all the third-down pressures they've got, and then we're playing third down twice, over and over and over. So, it was just kind of like, 'Forget that. I know you guys are going to ask, let's run the ball more.' But we wanted to throw the ball more. So, we got ourselves into a rhythm where we found some things that are just bread-and-butter Cincinnati Bengals offensive pass game, and we got ourselves into a really good rhythm. We found some really good runs, too. I thought the backs and the linemen did an excellent job in the run game, getting us what we needed. Maybe we didn't have a 15-yard run, but that's not what we needed in this game. We just needed to stay on track so we could come back and try to hit them with another throw, and I thought those guys did that job."

On that drive, you were really aggressive going after explosive plays with WR Ja'Marr Chase and WR Tee Higgins on the other side. Was that in the messaging before that drive, to try to put the hammer down?

"I don't think we had to say that. It was just how we felt. Like, let's just go get them. I felt like we were protecting well. I felt like Joe [Burrow] was seeing them well. I felt like our receivers were in a rhythm, and it was like, 'Let's hit them once and come back and hit them again and try to finish them off as best as we can.'"

Given the fact that you were down 13-0, and it could've been a lot worse in the first half and then scored a touchdown on the first drive of the second half, take us through that.

"That's always helpful, to just take a little of the momentum from them. Not that the game's over if you don't score there, but I think the big possession really was our defense holding them to a field goal. I know it was like a long, nine-minute drive at the end of the half that they kicked the field goal, but just holding them to a field goal there was so critical for us to not be down 17-nothing at the half. [To] be down 13, and then you get that first touchdown, it's a one-score game. And then everyone's just like, 'OK, here we go. We've been in plenty of these moments,' and the guys responded the right way."

When you guys have big wins, however they come, but when you look at how you were down 13-0 on the road against a divisional rival, do you feel like this type of win can be defining for you guys in the locker room and for the season?

"I think this was a really good team. This is as well-rounded [of] a team as you play in the NFL in all three phases, with the talent and coaches they have. So, I think to go on the road and get a win like this, it just reaffirms that we can be who we think we are. It doesn't mean it's going to happen if we show up next week and don't have a great week of practice, or go lay an egg – then what was this one for? So, I am confident that we built this team with the players that understand that and don't need to be reminded of that. They know, 'Hey, this was a great win, but it's one win in 17 games. We have to be able to quickly move on to Tennessee and put together another great performance.'"

You were as fired up as you've ever been coming off the field. Why that emotion?

"I just am really proud of our guys, to be flat out honest with you.  I am just proud of the way they responded. When you coach and you're in that position and you think you know how they're going to respond, but to just see everybody step up at every position, every coach, and respond that way on the road in the second half – it just makes you really proud, and that's what makes you fired up. It's nothing more than that. It's your team responding the right way and putting together a significant win, and it fires you up."

Is there something in particular you saw from the Ravens defense, be it on tape last week or throughout the course of this game, that you felt you could really exploit today?

"No, they have a great defense. There's not much you see on tape where you're like, 'This is easy. This is going to be really easy.' It wasn't that way. When our guys are playing at the highest level, it doesn't matter who we're playing, and I think today was a little bit of that. I give a lot of credit to Baltimore. They are very difficult to defend. They're very difficult to attack. Our guys don't really worry about that. It's more the coaches, like, 'Alright, we got to do a great job with the plan here,' but our players walk on the field thinking like we're going to score 60 every single game. That's the mindset we have. We have to do a good job getting them the weaponry and ammo to be able to go do their jobs."

Any injury updates on TE Erick All Jr. and S Kyle Dugger? "

We'll see. Erick [All Jr.] was a knee [injury], and [Kyle] Dugger was a quad [injury]. So, we'll see where those end up."

And did S Bryan Cook come back in? "Bryan [Cook] came back in. Yes, Bryan Cook came back in."

Was there any moment after any of those touchdowns in the second half that'll stick with you? "I think when you score to make it a three-score [game] – Drew Sample. We've repped that play a lot over the years and haven't quite dialed it. C.J. [Uzomah] caught it against the Vikings in 2021 in overtime. It was a little bit different design there, but that was a fun one. And I think when Samaje [Perine] made a guy miss – that was a big moment right there. It was the run. They did a good job triggering on the run. He made a guy miss and got in the end zone."

WR Tee Higgins, how valuable is he?

"[Tee Higgins]'s so valuable. He's so valuable. He's such a big target. He does a great job staying calm. [He had] no catches in the first half, so every bit of production you got there was in the second half. And at halftime, I'm like, 'Hey, Tee, we're going to get... don't worry about it. Like, let's just go score and win.' I thought Ja'Marr [Chase]'s leadership was as good as it's ever been for our whole team at halftime and the second half, just getting everyone focused. So, it was good to see those guys respond that way."

After the TE Drew Sample touchdown, did your heart drop when you saw the flag?

"Yes, I think Drew [Sample]'s heart dropped. I think he saw the flag and he's thinking, 'Oh, no way.' [It] worked out for us."

What's it like to have that kind of second half? The last three halves going into today, Baltimore has outscored you 34-0. What's it like to have that kind of performance against Baltimore?

"I didn't think much about the past, to be honest with you. This is a whole new coaching staff [and a] different team. I didn't think too much about that."

Mentally does it give you something, for you to have that finish against this kind of opponent?

"I think, like I said earlier, it just reaffirms we can be as good as we want to be. That's everybody pulling in the same direction and doing their job. I think that's all I take from it, and the players will take from it."

There was a spotlight on the edge rushers today. How was DE Boye Mafe today?

"Awesome. [Boye Mafe] just affects the passer, and he got the two sacks. Cashius [Howell] got his first one, and seeing Dexter [Lawrence II] finish it off there, [there were] a lot of guys coming into the backfield getting hands on them. I thought the coverage on the back end [was as] well. They're going to get explosive plays. This is a team where their quarterback creates [plays]. They've got an unbelievable [roster]. [They have a] Hall-of-Fame running back [Derrick Henry] and Zay Flowers – one of the best receivers in the league. It's going to happen. So, you just can't be deflated when it does happen. I thought we got them on the ground in key moments when we needed to, and I thought the coverage worked out well for us."

Joe Burrow

Quarterback

What were your thoughts on the second half?

"I don't even really know what to say about it. We were terrible in the first half, and we were unbelievable in the second half. It doesn't have to be like that, but it was what was required today, and we made it happen. [We made] some big-time plays in the second half that we really needed, and we went and made it happen."

One thing that head coach Zac Taylor said was key at halftime was staying calm, not panicking or doing anything out of character. How important was that at halftime for you and the team?

"That's certainly not a halftime that you want to go into. But we made some nice adjustments in the second half that I think helped us, and at the end of the day, we just executed and made a lot of plays."

What were some of the adjustments?

"We just started calling some of our base stuff. The O-line protected great, and then really we just got the ball in Ja'Marr [Chase] and Tee [Higgins'] hands as many times as we could."

You guys were down by eight and really went after it and got WR Ja'Marr Chase for the explosive play and WR Tee Higgins for the explosive play. Was there a thought entering that drive of going for their throats? Was that a feeling you had?

"Yes, we certainly wanted to go and be aggressive, and we knew they were going to be aggressive, too, [with] the way the first couple drives of the second half had played out. They brought an overload pressure there on that first play, and [I] just got the ball to Ja'Marr [Chase] quickly and let him go and do what he does."

Earlier this week you talked about how big a game this would be for you guys. Being down 13-0 at halftime and going out to have the performance that you did personally, what did you like most about what you learned from your team, knowing this was such a big game?

"Yes, we know who we are, we know who we have to be, and we let our big-time players go and make big-time plays. That's what the NFL is all about. You can do all these different things, but at the end of the day, you just have to go make plays. You have to execute what's called, and that's what we did."

The 44-yard pass to WR Tee Higgins when you scrambled. You kind of shot-putted it to him. Can you describe what you saw?

"Yes, I was able to get outside the pocket and make a play. The ball slipped out of my hands a little bit, but [Tee Higgins] was open enough that it didn't really matter. Tee was unbelievable all day, [and] we have to keep finding ways to get him the ball down the field."

Why has WR Tee Higgins been so effective this season? It seems like he's playing the best football of his career.

"[Tee Higgins] has been so aggressive and as good as I've seen him in contested-catch situations, and he understands what we're trying to do and the plays that we're calling, and he's just made some big-time plays for us. That's who he is, that's who he's always been, and we just have to keep giving him more opportunities to go and do it."

You guys have had some ups and downs and good streaks on offense this year, but does today's second half feel like it's all coming together for you now? Is this the offense you were waiting for through five games?

"That's who we got to be; that's who we got to be. Let our guys go make some big-time plays [and] be efficient in the run game. [The] offensive line played great. But yes, we just have to continue to do what we did in that second half. We got that feeling, [and] we have to keep building on it."

On that third drive, when you went up big. A lot of times, teams might try to drain the clock, but is that who you guys are in that drive, trying to put this thing away? "Yes, I think that's who we have to be. We have too many great players on offense to be conservative in that spot and [give] credit to our coaching staff for letting us go and do it and giving us the freedom to go and make those plays. But I think that's who we have to be."

You've seen success against different iterations of this Ravens defense with a new staff and new coaches. What were your first impressions of this group and what you saw today?

"Yes, they make it hard on you. They do a good job presenting you with different things and making you worry about a lot of different things, protection-wise, and [it's] similar schematically to what they have been in the last couple years. They know their scheme well, and they know where their weaknesses are, and they play accordingly, and I [have] a lot of respect for those guys."

Earlier in the week, Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey said that it'd be cool to not have to guard WR Ja'Marr Chase as much as he has in the past. What did you see from that matchup? Do you feel like maybe you were hunting him a little bit?

"No, I don't think I was. I have a lot of respect for Marlon [Humphrey] and who he is as a player. He understands the weaknesses of the coverages that they play and plays his leverages well and understands game situations and when he can and can't take chances, and that makes you wary of him as a player. You always [have] to be aware that he's going to make plays on the football. He's done that time and time again. So, I have a lot of respect for that guy."

You've talked a lot about what you think this team could accomplish this season. What did this game tell you about what you feel like this team's ceiling could be this year?

"That second half is who we have to be. Our defense played well in the first half in limiting the points on the board and keeping us in it, and we were able to make those plays down the stretch, but it doesn't have to be that way. We can do that for a full game, so we're still hunting that."

How pleased were you with your play?

"I think I played really well. The first half was what it was, and obviously, I would have liked to have some of those back, but we didn't turn the ball over. That played a big part. The second half, I think I was pretty lights out. I'll watch the tape, and [you can] ask me again on Wednesday, but I think for the most part I was pretty good."

We've seen you in that zone. In the second half you were kind of just pacing after those scores. What are you feeling? What is that emotion like during that half?

"I'm just trying to treat every play like it's its own universe and trying to critically think about what's required of me on the play and where the defense is going to tell me to go with the football, and they're going to have to adapt quickly sometimes in a play depending on what the defense is showing or what presents, and [I'm] just trying to treat every play like one."

What was the biggest adjustment from the first half to the second half?

"We were who we are in the second half, and we played accordingly."

Were you guys just more aggressive?

"Yes. [An] aggressive, simple style."

How does Baltimore look in the clear light of day?

"Yes, we've had success in the clear light of day here. The purple seats look a little less cool in the daytime than they do at night. I love playing here at night. I love playing here. This is one of my favorite places to play. Their fans are great and passionate, and that's why I love doing what I do — it's for environments like that."

Head coach Zac Taylor said he didn't really get fired up because everybody knew what happened in the first half. What does it say about the way he handled things at halftime and through the course of the game that made you guys come back and play like you did in the second half?

"Yes, that's who our coaches have been since I've been here is calm through the storm. There's no overreaction most of the time, and that's what I respect about those guys. They're always calm and are just looking to find the answers."

Why is it so important for the coaches to be that calm through all of it?

"Well, your players can bring the fire, and you don't have to calm each other down despite a coaching staff that might overreact to certain things. That goes with not riding the roller coaster of the emotions of the NFL that I talk to you guys about all the time. That really starts with the head coach and permeates down through the rest of the locker room, and that's how I think it should be."

At the beginning of the season, you were very steadfast in your support of T Orlando Brown Jr. and how he was playing. For him to have the performance he had against his former team, against your former teammate in OLB Trey Hendrickson, how happy were you for him?

"Yes, Orlando [Brown Jr.] is who he is, week in and week out. We talked about what happened in the one game, but really I think he's been lights out all year and continues to work really hard to keep getting better and, like you said, I think he played great today."

You had a nice conversation with WR Ja'Marr Chase towards the end of the game. How nice is it to be able to just chill while you're up in the fourth quarter? What did you guys talk about?

"Yes, last time we were here in the daytime, that's the last time we were able to do that against these guys, and that feels great to be able to sit back and reflect in the middle of a game on the sideline and watch some of the young guys go out there and try to make some plays. That's few and far between in this league, but when you get them, you enjoy them."

Did you guys reflect on how you said this is who you have to be?

"Yes, we had a lot of productive conversations in that moment, and I think we're all on the same page."

Was it a chess match getting them out of the two-shell defense?

"Yes, they played it all game and they play it really well, and they present some challenging looks. In the first half, it felt like we were playing a third-down defense the entire first half, and that's really hard. We were able to get them out of that in the second half by staying in front of the chains [and] being efficient on early downs, and that's what you have to do against a defense like that, otherwise it's going to be a long day."

Can you take us through the one-on-one play to WR Tee Higgins?

"Yes, it was a great call. Tee [Higgins] made a great play, [ran a] great route, and we have to find more ways to do that."

What was it like to face OLB Trey Hendrickson since he left?

"It was fun to see Trey [Hendrickson]. He got me a couple times [and] hit me once pretty good. That's who he is. He's going to get after the passer. That's who he's been his whole career, and it was fun to see him. I didn't get to talk to him. You don't get to talk to him much after the game, especially when you get surrounded by cameras almost immediately, but hopefully I'll get some time with him in the offseason where you can actually hang out a little bit."

Orlando Brown Jr.

Offensive Tackle

That second half is what people are going to be talking about in Cincinnati for a long, long time. What stood out from that second-half performance?

"The overall physicality and our overall violence. To me, no matter what level of football it is, from little league to the NFL, the most violent and physical team always wins. That second half was a really large display of that. So, for us, I think it's a good, you could say, starting point for us turning the corner of what we want to be. But to me, that was the biggest difference."

It looked like every snap in that fourth quarter, you and G Dylan Fairchild were looking at each other for some sort of celebration, whether it was a big run or somebody down the field making a play. Bring us in that huddle in the fourth quarter.

"It was just a lot of fun being out there and being able to be out there and compete with the bros. That is always a great feeling. Me and 'Dyl' [Dylan Fairchild] celebrate as many wins as we can, and especially when we score big. You have Tee [Higgins] and [Jamarr] 'Marr' [Chase] making big plays downfield, [and] you have Drew Sample making people miss. It was exciting."

What did you think of QB Joe Burrow's performance in the second half? He was nearly perfect.

"[Joe Burrow] played his [tail] off, and I think that's who he is. That's who we are as a football team, and we'll continue to grow."

You guys have this type of performance on the road against a team that has had some success against you guys, does it make you feel better about what you guys can be as a team when it's not just an easy win? You guys had to come in the locker room down 13-0 on the road and come out with that type of response. Does that make you feel good about maybe what you didn't know about this team?

"Yes, I think we know who we are. At the end of the day, from a personnel standpoint, I think no matter who we're going against, we know who we are. We know what we're capable of, which is fortunate, from the way that this team is built from a talent standpoint, the type of characters that we have in here and [with] the type of men in here. So, at no point in time would I tell you that we weren't going to stay the course. We had to come together at the end of that first half, make a commitment to one another to be more physical and violent and be able to go out there and finish."

You didn't allow a sack against your former teammate Ravens OLB Trey Hendrickson. How good does that feel?

"It felt good. I'm looking forward to doing that no matter who we play. I can't tell you it means anything more, but it's always special for me to play in this stadium. This is where a lot of my dreams started as a young child, so I am just thankful to be on this side of things."

How big is it for you all – the Ravens had outplayed you the last three halves, and for you to finish the way you did, what does that do for you guys moving forward?

"I think it was just an important step on the way [to] what we want to get to. I don't like how we came out in the first half, but I love the way we finished."

Tee Higgins

Wide Receiver

What can you say about the second-half efforts from this offense?

"We started playing together. I feel like we were put together as a team, as an offensive unit. Bit by bit, it started with the O-line, and then we just got it going."

What was the message at halftime?

"Just to go out there and play complementary football. We started off slow on offense. I feel like we had the defense out there too much. [The Ravens] were driving the ball [and sustaining] long drives, so the defense was getting tired, and we were just coming back on offense and get three-and-outs. We can't have that."

What was it like to have that second half? I don't think you had a catch in the first half. You had them all in the second half. What was the difference for you in the second half there?

"Like I said, we were just playing team football. I was able to get open in some of those voids and make plays."

How did you get them out of those two-shell coverages? They were playing back further. Did you have to claw them out of that to get them into more man-to-man coverage?

"I guess. I don't know. We were just out there executing the plays that were called."

What about your touchdown?

"We ran that this week in practice, and they ran the exact coverage that we wanted, and I was able to make a play."

You haven't been able to have a game like this against Baltimore, whether it be because of injury or other things. How cool was it for you to be a big reason why the offense was able to win, riding your shoulders?

"It was awesome. To be able to go out there and help my team come out with a 'W' – it felt good. But we left some things out there, and the work is not done."

What did you see from the Ravens secondary? Where did you feel like you could really exploit them?

"I just go out there playing my ball. You know, [head coach] Zac [Taylor] was calling plays for me to get open, and I was able to get open."

Nobody has had more one-on-one matchups than WR Ja'Marr Chase and CB Marlon Humphrey. Did he say anything to you about going up against the Ravens defense, where he felt like you could really take advantage, too?

"I just came into the week ... I haven't played here since 2021. I was just happy playing here again. Whether the ball was coming my way or not, I'm just happy we got the win."

Ted Karras

Center

What was the difference between the first and second half for you guys?

"We only played 15 plays in the first half, so we had to give our defense a break. The offense went out and punched in five straight touchdowns in the second half to win this game on the road in Baltimore against some old friends [and] old rivals. It's always going to be a grinder. It's never going to be easy in Baltimore, so we got it done."

QB Joe Burrow was 16-for-18 in the second half with a perfect passer rating, four touchdowns and zero pressures. Talk about the job you guys did to give him time in the second half.

"I thought the first half was OK. But, the sample size was 15 plays. So, we gave up a cheap sack in the two-minute [window]. So, I'm proud of these guys. The way we came out, it was kind of a bleak halftime [with] zero points [and] 15 plays. [I was like], 'Let's go boys,' and the men responded."

We spoke to QB Joe Burrow, and he said it was intense in here at halftime. How would you describe it?

"Ja'Marr [Chase] was yelling at everyone, so it was very intense. Everyone felt the pressure of what this game means, and we didn't really do anything in the first half. So, we came out, and I think everyone took a deep breath and scored five TDs straight to win."

With a win in the AFC North, does that almost feel like a win-and-a-half?

"I don't know, [maybe it's] almost two wins, but it's not really. But it feels good. We don't have to come back to Baltimore this year. So, [I] was glad to see the sun out in Baltimore. I've never seen it. It's kind of a lively city. "I've never seen the sun pattern at M&T Bank [Stadium], so it was interesting to see."

Obviously, the offense came out tremendous after halftime, but so did the defense. How did the entire team turn it around like that?

"I think everyone just, like I said, took a deep breath, looked inward for a second, asked, 'What are we doing? We have to go out here and win,' and we got it done."

Boye Mafe

Defensive End

How proud were you of RDE Cashius Howell for getting that first sack?

"I've been waiting for it. [Cashius Howell]'s been rushing his [tail] off all year. And just to see that, that's a proud moment for me. Man, he works hard."

How about you having five on the year now?

"I don't really care about my stats. My stats don't mean anything. At the end of the day, I want to win a game. I'm here to play football. At the end of the day, I want to celebrate my teammates and be around my teammates."

Can you describe that sideline in the second half when the offense got rolling?

"It was electric. We felt their energy. They felt our energy, and we feed off each other. As [the] offense is playing like that, it makes the defense want us to keep rolling."

Did you guys feel good holding them to 13 points given how all the momentum in that first half seemed to be going for them? You were only down 13 at the half. Did you guys felt you were in a good position to fight back?

"100 percent. I feel like there were a couple things, hiccups and plays that you want back, but at the end of the day, we can still be who we want to be. And at the end of the day, we knew what position we were in. We knew the offense was going to figure it out. They're going to do their thing and go out there and hoop. At the end of the day, we were just waiting for our opportunity."

One thing that head coach Zac Taylor told us that he said to you guys was to remain calm at halftime and have everybody take a deep breath, and that you have the talent in the room to rise to the top.

"Yes, and it's trust in each other. We know on the offensive side of the ball what they can do and who they are. They know on the defensive side of the ball who we are, too. So, just trusting each other and just knowing that we're going to figure it out. At the end of the day, we have enough playmakers to make it happen."

How confident are you feeling in this defense? You are playing well.

"I feel confident. I feel comfortable. The coaches trust me. There's some things that I have to clean up, and [there are] some things that I have to do better. I want a couple plays back myself, and I always strive to do better. At the end of the day, I'm not really worried about like the stats or anything like that. I just want to be able to play the best ball that I can and show the player that I can be."