Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken spoke about the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game and the rushing numbers.
For the first time since the Baltimore Ravens lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, offensive coordinator Todd Monken took to the podium and was asked about the season-ending loss. First, he was asked if he had any regrets.
“Obviously. I try not to look back, I appreciate that, but it is what it is. We didn’t play well enough, didn’t coach well enough. Didn’t execute at a high level and that starts with me and that’s the way it goes. Certainly we could have run the ball better. Could have executed better. Not turn the ball over. But, that’s what you do. The only way you look back is to learn. What didn’t we do well? What was the plan we initially went in with? Was it execution or did we not stick with the plan? That’s a part of it. Just like it was the week before. Just like it was the week before that.”
A follow-up was asked about the rushing attempts and running better. Monken started by noting the rushing attempts cited were exclusively about the running backs, before pulling back and admitting he’s not trying to justify it.
“Well, the rushing attempts were by the [running] backs. It wasn’t just complete. Zay Flowers had a couple and Lamar [Jackson] did—I’m not trying to justify s___. I promise you that. I’m just saying, in general, we needed to run the ball better and we didn’t. That’s a fact. You can’t control the game if you can’t run the football and then not execute at a high level when it presents itself.”
Monken (fairly) mentions the Ravens did give themselves a chance to win the game in the second half. After all, Flowers was one yard away from a game-tying touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.
“We did give ourselves an opportunity in the second half. Looking at it, that I don’t regret because we did give ourselves a chance in the second. We got down into the red zone. … But we got to run the ball better. We got to attack them the way we plan to attack them and I got to do a better job. That’s the way it is. That’s what I’m paid to do. And that is to do it against the best.”