Zac Taylor

Head coach

Where do you think that game got away?

The end. All three phases had a chance to win that game in the end. Fourth quarter, had a chance to score on offense, had a chance to get a stop on defense. Had a chance to make some plays on special teams that we didn't make. So, I think in all three phases, share that one.

How surprising is that, considering that is kind of what you felt like was your calling card the first two weeks?

Yeah, these are tough games and they made more plays than we did today. They earned the win, we did not. So, it will be an opportunity next week to see what we're really made of. 2-1, we had good momentum after two games. We lost a tough one on the road. It hurts because you feel like you had every opportunity to win it. We didn't do it. So now we go home and see what we're made of next week.

What do you feel like happened on the last drive, leading up to the fumble?

I thought it was a good drive until, obviously, that play ended the game. But I thought we were having some momentum there and had a chance. We were, I think, right at the 38. Trying to go score and win, not trying to kick the field goal. We would have if we'd had to, but we were trying to go win the game right there.

What do you feel like they did on the long drive that ended with their field goal?

Yeah, they had a big -- yeah, we didn't get the guy down on the sidelines. That was the last drive, right? I mean, he had the big play. So they got out of there. Really two big plays. We got the holding, [they] called holding on one. We've got to do a better job getting the stop there. I thought we pinned them down in there, gave ourselves a chance. We have to get a stop, get the ball back.

What is the most frustrating thing about how everything went today?

It's disappointing. We want to be 3-0. We put in a good week's work, had our opportunities. I think anytime you lose a game like that where you had your opportunities -- some games you just go get your butt kicked and there's not much to say about it. This one, we had our chances. Pittsburgh took advantage of theirs. We didn't take advantage of ours.

Is there anything you tried to do after halftime to contain their explosives? The last drive had some explosives.

We were always trying to mix it up. They had some in the pass game and the run game. You're trying to do everything you can to combat it.

How crucial were special teams?

Yeah, I mean, it was ten points. That's a big part of the game. It's momentum coming out of the second half. Went down, kicked a field goal. Got a stop. So, we were going to get the ball back. Roughing the kicker, they go score 7. Obviously, the muffed punt led to 3. That's ten points. That's tough.

The first two weeks you guys played with the lead the whole time. You guys had the chance to get the lead for the first time. Momentum-wise, that has to be --

We just didn't close it out. That's all there is to it. We had opportunities, like I said, in all three phases in the fourth quarter. We didn't get it done.

Defensively, you did well the first two weeks. 411 yards today. What did you think --

We'll have to watch to really see. I don't want to pinpoint it right now. We'll watch the tape and have a better answer for you tomorrow.

What were they able to do with their protection? Their offensive line had struggled the first couple weeks. It seemed like Aaron [Rodgers] was able to have some good protection today.

For the most part, he hit some RPOs early in the game, got it out quick. Did a good job buying time when he needed to. They're going to have a good plan. They've got a good coaching staff. They've got a lot of good players. You look at their lineup, they've got good players. They were going to find their rhythm at some point on offense. It's unfortunate it was today, but that's the way it went.

Did [Kyle] Dugger get banged up and that' s why Bryan [Cook] came in at the end?

Yeah, both of them were banged up.

Did you feel you were able to take advantage of them not having [Joey] Porter Jr. out there at cornerback?

I felt like we had our moments on offense. Obviously, we've got to score one more touchdown to win the game. So, I don't think too much about who was out there and who wasn't. We were just trying to be effective versus the guys they had.

JOE BURROW

Quarterback

Joe, kind of walk us through the last play there.

Yeah, trying to take a shot at the end zone. Trying not to take the sack, trying to get the ball out, fumbled it.

How would you assess the overall team today, how they came out?

Not good enough.

What was the most frustrating part about today knowing all week when you talked about the importance of starting strongly against a division opponent?

Yeah, we lost. That's the most frustrating part.

When you see the missed cues on special teams and some of the exposed cover allowed, how frustrating is it that you guys have to deal with?

Yeah, we've got to be able to try to overcome that. That's part of the game. Guys are going to make mistakes. Got to try to overcome it. That's what great football teams do.

Your fourth down call, walk us through two big-time plays there.

Yeah, hit Ja'Marr [Chase] on one. I'm blanking on the other one right now.

Mike [Gesicki]

Oh, yeah, Mike G. Is that the touchdown? That wasn't – it was the touchdown? Yeah, I mean, they doubled Tee [Higgins] and Ja'Marr. We had a great call into that. Mike went and made the play.

These kind of games, is this kind of a final step, the next step of getting to back that contender status?

Yeah, we've got to play more sound football than what we did today to beat a team like that.

Was this a reminder of how far you feel you still have to go to get to that point?

Yeah. Still Game 3 so a lot of room to improve, for sure.

Joe, how good do you think this team will be through the year, and how important is that?

We'll see. I think we've got a chance to be great. We've got to improve it. We've got to show it every day. Today we didn't.

How do you think the offense played overall today?

I thought we were pretty dang good. We had a couple penalties that set us back that we just can't have happen. Yeah, couple things procedurally that we've got to clean up that put us behind the eight-ball a little bit. Overall, I thought we were pretty good.

The way you were playing, Joe, is this the best you've felt all season, in rhythm?

Yeah, felt pretty good today. Felt pretty good today.

The last play, Joe, you were trying to get it out, obviously. Was it a pass?

I was trying to pass it. I was trying to pass it off. Have to see it on the tape, but I don't know.

Joe, how do you expect this team to respond? You obviously know a lot about the guys in that locker room. What do you expect next week?

We've got no choice. We've got to come back, be better, play off each other, and play more sound, situational football than we did today.

What do you feel that your line protected?

I thought they were good. I thought they were really good. Obviously, the last one we all could have been better there, but I thought they were pretty dang good all day.

Does how you guys respond to this game kind of maybe show how different this team is from previous years, the way you kind of build for the next few days going into next week?

Yeah. We've got to come back, learn from our mistakes, watch the tape tomorrow, and keep getting better.

I know all losses are frustrating, but when there's this many self-inflicted, say, special teams, does it make it more painful, more maddening, or is it easier to fix?

When you lose, there's always self-inflicted mistakes. Yeah, we've got to be better. We've got to be better.

Obviously, last week Ja'Marr and this week Tee with the ridiculous touchdown in the end zone. Did you get a chance to look back at that play in replay?

No, I haven't seen it yet. I had some guys in my face. I just kind of saw him pop up with it like that. Unbelievable play, obviously. We're going to take shots to those guys in the end zone, and they're going to keep making plays.

When you sit at your locker after a game for a while, what are you thinking about?

Just trying to critically think about the game, where I could have been better, where we could have improved. Just trying to get better.

Is there one thought that maybe jumped out more than others?

Self-inflicted. Like last week with the penalties, we just can't shoot ourselves in the foot like that. You can't win in this league when you do that. It's really hard. It's really hard. We could have overcome it, but it's really hard to win like that.

Is it especially frustrating that that's been the theme the last couple weeks, somewhat self-inflicted?

Yeah, that's been a theme for a while.

What does it take to address that?

Guys got to take ownership of their roles, got to take ownership of themselves, and, you know, just be smart situational football players.

Before that final drive started, you guys called the timeout, was there something --

Yeah. Procedurally, we were not very good right there. We were not very good.