Quotes from:

Zac Taylor

Head coach

Initial comments ...

What are your overall thoughts about tonight's game vs. the Lions?

"It's good to get a win. I thought the defense did a really good job there, especially in the first half. I'd like to manage that situation (we had) there at the end of the half, (though). We gave them three points, but the No. 1 focus we walk away from (the game) is we got the win, but in (the last) four minutes, we had a chance to get a stop, win by 10 or (have) our offense put it away by getting a first down when they know we're going to run the ball and ice it. So that will give us something to really focus on (as that's) been a big talk(ing point) of our camp so far, so it gives us something to walk away (with) and get better at."

With people making plays today, are you starting to get excited about the depth you have this training camp?

"I am, yeah. There's a lot of guys that got a lot of opportunity today to really showcase their abilities. Some guys really rise and stand out in these preseason games. It'll be good to watch the tape, but there's so much going on in a preseason game, sometimes you don't have a full grasp on who's making all the plays. But we'll have a chance to watch the tape tomorrow morning and see who stood out."

Joe Burrow started under center and also took some shotgun snaps. What were your biggest takeaways from that?

"Yeah, we're just trying to function (with) our offense and be efficient. Obviously, we want to come away with more than three points in the two drives (he) was in, but there's going to be some positive things and some things we'll work to correct."

Are you happy you got to play in the rain tonight?

"The first two drives (were) pretty rainy — it's hard when you're calling plays for different quarterbacks, and different guys are getting their first snaps. It's never easy, but it's a good opportunity to work on the center-quarterback exchange, (and) the running back-quarterback exchange. You can see how many balls were on the ground on both sides, so it's better to get that stuff out of the way in preseason so you can see how difficult it is when you're out there in the rain."

How concerning was it to see Joe Burrow get hit a couple of times?

"It's never fun — that's not what we wanted to happen. But again, we'll continue to improve."

How would you evaluate the offensive line so far from the start of camp through tonight's game?

"I think they've been good. They've been tested every single day from our defensive line. And, again, I think the competition is making everybody better on both sides of the ball."

How do you evaluate that specifically when you aren't game-planning yet?

"Yeah, we'll make the individual corrections we've gotta make, and then move on in the preseason."

How have you seen Jack Endries grow through camp so far?

"I think he's been really consistent. For a rookie, there's been nothing alarming on his end. He's picked it up really fast. He's been physical. It was good to see him finish with the ball in his hands on the touchdown. I think he had another catch somewhere too, so he's done a good job."

A couple of plays were made early in the game by Swayze Bozeman. Has he turned some heads this camp?

"He's had a good camp. It's important for those depth linebackers to make plays on special teams and on defense both. But I think he has really taken advantage of his opportunities."

Dohnte Meyers looked like the moment wasn't too big for him tonight ...

"Yeah. He's played in a lot of pro games — I don't know how many exactly — but this isn't foreign territory for him just because it's the NFL. He's been out of college, he's played pro football, and (he) played about how we expected him to play."

Colbie Young got one snap with the first team. Was that just to acknowledge how well he's been doing in his first NFL training camp?

"Yeah, it was a mixture of getting Tee (Higgins) a break on that one, and I think we had a miscue overall on the play. It didn't play out the way we intended, but yeah, he's proving to be dependable."

You sent out Ted Karras and Dexter Lawrence as team captains ...

"(Determining your) preseason captains are hard. I offer suggestions — I have a suggestion box you can throw them in there. They've had some good battles in training camp, so I thought maybe they could walk out there together."

I know you haven't had a chance to watch the film yet, but out of the rookies that did play, did anyone catch your eye?

"I'd have to watch the tape. I really can't comment."

How close was Tacario Davis to playing tonight?

"Pretty close. If it was a real game, he absolutely would have played. Just, with these preseason games — him, Jalen Davis ... there are a couple guys that definitely could have played if it was a real game."

Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen got about three snaps each tonight. What's the fine line between having them break a sweat and just getting them into the rhythm of the team?

"Just get them out there with the unit. I told them both they were going to play three plays, and they were going to play less than anybody else. The fans have been excited a lot of the new acquisitions we've had and so I wanted them to have a chance to see that huddle break and those guys go out there and then we quickly got them out."

How much does that have to do with you guys having so much depth on the defensive line?

"Yeah, it's that, and they're two really veteran defensive linemen, so they don't need to be out there long."

JOE BURROW

Quarterback

What did you make of the series you played?

"There are places we can be better."

Given what you want to accomplish this year, how do you view what you have from the couple of series tonight?

"All you can do is evaluate the reps you get and grow and learn from them."

Are you frustrated that you got hit? I think a couple years ago, you said there is an advantage to that to get you ready for the season, but today to take an extra hit, was that frustrating?

"You get your feet wet. That's football. Obviously there are places that we can be better."

How important was it for you to get under center a little?

"We're working to get better in all facets, that certainly being one of them. We're adding that to our system and see where it can take us."

How do you feel like the under center stuff has gone so far?

"Some good, some bad. Just like everywhere, we can get better."

Everyone focuses on you when you're under center, but how much does it impact the offensive line, receivers, tight ends, etc.?

"Receivers and tight ends, I'm not sure too much. But offensive line, quarterback and running back, it certainly does."

A big part of preseason is getting the systems down, getting communication down. Is that a significant part of what you need to accomplish in these games?

"Yeah, getting the operation, getting some reps of real game-like operation is certainly beneficial. Getting the play in, getting subs in, being down in the clock, knowing when to send the motions — that's beneficial."

How much does tonight make you want to get out there and play again in the preseason?

"Dex (Dexter Lawrence II) and I were talking about that. Once you go through warmups, once you're out there, you get warm, you get into the flow and then you just kind of want to stay out there, keep going. That's not where we're at, but as a player you want to be out there playing."

Do you want to keep playing the next couple games and get more snaps?

"If that's what we decide, then I'm happy to do it."

Can you get more quality work in a joint practice than in a preseason game?

"It's different. Any time there's live bullets, there's going to be a lot of benefit from that. Getting a bunch of reps against another team in a practice setting is beneficial too. Those are always difficult because you're not game planning and you're running plays against a system that you probably wouldn't be running in an actual game week."

Did anybody stand out tonight, whether when you were out there or just watching?

"81, Dohnte (Meyers) looked really good. He's looked good all camp. The near-catch that Noah (Thomas) made down there in the red zone was impressive. He's made plays like that all training camp as well. Those are the two that kind of pop out at you immediately."

What has stood out most about Dohnte Meyers over the past month?

"Number one, he just loves ball. The week before training camp, I texted him, I was like, 'Hey, are you in town.' He was like, 'I can be.' I was like, 'Can you be here tomorrow at 11?' He's like, 'Yeah.' I come to find out he drove from Atlanta that night to be there to throw the next day. That's the kind of guy he is. He's had a great camp. He's quick, shifty, understands what we're trying to do. He's played a lot in the CFL. He comes over here and hasn't played a lot in the NFL, but he's got a lot of reps under his belt. He's a guy that we've seen a lot out of."

Is there anything that strikes you about Jack Endries?

"Jack made one good play today on the sham route, made a couple guys miss. He's got a great feel for the game, reminds me of Tanner (Hudson) in that way. The more he sees it, the more he'll be able to create that feel quicker and more efficient."

What did you guys end up doing that morning Dohnte Meyers drove up?

"We just got some work in on the field. Colbie (Young) was there, Dohnte was there, just got some work in."

You just wanted to get a feel for some of the new guys?

"Just wanted to throw."

Do you have any thoughts on Jayden Daniels' jersey number being used at Louisiana State University?

"I don't know too much about it. I just heard about it a couple hours ago. I don't necessarily have too many thoughts at this time. I don't know enough about the situation to have any thoughts, I would say."

Has there ever been a conversation with you about not using your number at LSU?

"They told me that they wouldn't use it again, but you never know what happens."

Kris Jenkins Jr.

Defensive Tackle

How do you feel after playing so much tonight?

"I'm feeling good. This is the opportunity to get my conditioning up, so I really appreciate getting those extra reps and trying to feel that win and be hungry for more."

How much do you feel the confidence of your defense grow, now after a preseason win?

"Yeah, we're feeling more and more confident. The more reps and the more time we get with each other, we feel more confident with each other. There's still some things to fix. We're not perfect yet, but we're looking forward to capitalizing on those mistakes and getting better."

There's stacking games and stacking wins. How important is it to stack these next couple of days when the Bears come into town?

"It's very important. You know, we're not finished today. Nothing we've done today is finalized, so we got to work on those mistakes. Even things we succeeded at today, we (must) have a short-term memory."

Why the macarena dance as a post-sack dance? Was it pre-planned?

"Sometimes you just feel like doing the macarena. I mean, I like it. It was a spur of the moment. It's probably a one-and-done type of deal, but I'm glad I got to do it."

Although it's preseason, it must feel good to get a sack?

"Absolutely, I'm glad I didn't get a flag. I thought I held maybe a little too long."

They added some depth at your position this year. Do you feel like you have something to prove?

"Absolutely. We got a lot of depth, and we have a lot of guys with a lot of talent — a lot of mental prowess that'll help us be better and get better. Guys like Jonathan (Allen) are teaching us how to refine our craft and how to get better."

Dexter Lawrence II

Defensive Tackle

How were the few snaps you played today for you?

"It was good. Like you said, (it was just) three plays, so you can't really get a feel for the game. But for games like these, you just work on your technique and make sure you're doing it the right way."

On a night like tonight, how much is it just helping the young guys out there?

"A lot. Just helping them just breathe. They're going to get a lot of snaps, so just breathe in between plays. You know you're going to be tired, but that's a part of the game. Just keep growing and make sure you use every snap to work on your technique."

What did you like from Cashius Howell?

"He's good man. I'm excited about him. He's high on the board, but still has things to learn. But we all have something to learn."

How much do you remember from your first preseason game as a rookie?

"A lot, I got knocked all over the boards."

What did you think of Landon Robinson tonight?

"I think he held his own. He played well. You just got to look at the tape. It's never as good as you think."

Cashius Howell

Defensive End

Although it's your a preseason game, you had an impact with a fumble recovery. How fun was it for you?

"Man, it was fun, to get out there and make an impact with the fumble recovery, which is great. It's my first game out there, so I'm still getting my feet wet and I still have room to grow."

Are you going to keep that ball?

"Most definitely. I don't know where it is, but I'm definitely going to save that ball."

To win this game with the defense at the end, does that mean something to this locker room?

"Yeah, most definitely. It just kind of goes to show that we've been putting in the work, being very efficient in the way we do practice and it's starting to show."

Jack Endries

Tight End

How do you not look around the room and start doing the math about making the 53 man roster? How do you keep that out of your head?

"Yeah, I think of it as looking around me and seeing all of the talent of the players next to me and what I can learn. I mean all those guys, Drew Sample — really smart guy, (Mike) Gesicki — a great route runner, Tanner Hudson — a great route runner. Cam Grandy with the blocking. Josh Kattus can play fullback of course. This whole room can do it all, and I'm just trying to learn from them."

You mentioned that at practice you had the ball punched out by Kyle Dugger. Is that easy to put behind you? Do you feel like you're playing make up, and make a big play in a game like this?

"You know, I looked at the potential of the play and what I can add. It was more of a learning experience just because those guys are in the NFL — it's no secret ... they punch harder and better. So I'm glad that happened to me. Today, I was really protecting that ball, trying to make it happen."

How meaningful was Joe Flacco's touchdown pass to you?

"That was an awesome person to catch a touchdown from as my first touchdown. That guy is a legend. Yeah, I play catch with him every day, so we got a little connection there. He's just a great dude. I heard he ran after the play to grab the ball, I didn't know he did that. That's really cool."

It feels like your first game experience was good. How important is that for you?

"It was a good start for sure. I think there's a lot to improve on. Just as a rookie, (for example), the conditioning. You know I wish I could get 30 plays of practice so I could have more conditioned legs, but that's just not the case for anyone, not even a starter. So, just growing throughout the season, getting strong, running faster, (getting) more conditioning, and then putting it all together and being a good run blocker."

Do you feel you can have an impact on the team?

"Yeah, it's a great tight end room, and I think all of them can have an impact. But, I think a tight end is a do-it-all type of guy that can play special teams and play every position on offense."