Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale and his players have been reluctant to talk about their streak of not allowing touchdowns in the second half of games.

“It’s like a no-hitter,” Martindale reiterated Thursday. “You don’t want to talk about it.”

But Martindale did reveal a surprising source of inspiration for the Ravens as they attempt to wring more out of their halftime sessions — the NBA champion Golden State Warriors and their head coach, Steve Kerr.

“They have short halftimes,” he said, referring to the NBA. “We’ve only got 12 minutes, right, at halftime? So it has to be like an Indy pit crew in there. If you could see the thing, players are going to the bathroom, we’ve got to get them back, some of them are in the training room getting something fixed or getting taped. So it’s got to be a bang- bang thing, and the assistants do a great job. I’ll address them first, and talk about three bullet points, and then every assistant has their role with how they do their position and everything else. It’s worked really well.”

The Warriors are known for burying opponents in the third quarter after a halftime process The New York Times described as “a high-speed 360-degree team review.”

Martindale said the Ravens reached out to the Warriors and also read as much as possible about Kerr’s methods. He added that streamlined halftime coaching was part of the staff’s sweeping effort to improve in every football situation.

He credited Ravens coach John Harbaugh for always pushing the organization to tweak its processes. “John has done such a great job of challenging us every day to get better as a coach and to study different things,” he said.

Ravens safety Eric Weddle raised a skeptical eyebrow when asked about Martindale’s study of the Warriors.

“The Golden State Warriors?” he said. “What do they do?”

As reporters filled him in on Martindale’s comments, he grinned and said, “Never heard anything about it, studying halftime from NBA games. I’d be interested to see what they found out.”

Weddle did praise the team’s in-game adaptability, though he said the players haven’t discussed their second-half success.

“Wink has been, from day one, open about communication and open about what he expects,” he said. “And honest with us. If we’re not playing well, if a guy is not in the rotation, you know why. And it’s everyone, including me. That’s why I think we’re playing well. We play as one.”

Mayfield drawing praise: Martindale has seen enough of Baker Mayfield to be impressed.

But the Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback and No. 1 overall draft pick probably didn’t expect the praise he got Thursday.

“I’ve already told the defense this: I think Baker Mayfield’s this generation’s Brett Favre, John Elway, if you will,” he said. “I mean, this guy knows where he wants to go with the ball, and he’s very accurate. He has a quick release and he’s really playing well.

“I think that he’s done a nice job filling in, and it seems like they have more rhythm with him as a rookie every play that he’s in there.”

In two games, including just one start, Mayfield is 38-for-64 for 496 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. But it’s his self-belief that has perhaps most impressed Martindale ahead of the Ravens’ game Sunday in Cleveland.

“The kid’s confidence — and ‘swag,’ if you will, nowadays — when he comes out there, he thinks he’s standing on top of a mountain, and he’s making plays to show that he’s standing on top of a mountain,” he said. “He can throw the ball in tight windows, and he’s not afraid to do it. So that’s the biggest thing that I see on the kid.”

Told of Martindale’s comments later Thursday, Browns offensive coordinator Todd Haley was, to say the least, amused.

“He’s carving a bust?” Haley asked.

Tucker’s comedy can’t be chained:Justin Tucker once opened a postgame news conference with an up-dog joke. He has done impressions of Matthew McConaughey, Donald J. Trump and Christopher Walken. Twice in a three-minute span Wednesday, he invoked Rodney Dangerfield.

But perhaps the Ravens kicker’s longest-running joke doesn’t go anywhere. It might just take a pair of bolt cutters to remove it altogether.

When the team opened its revamped locker room to the media for the first time around the start of the regular season, one decorative flourish stood out: the locked-up steel chain on wide receiver Michael Crabtree’s locker.

Crabtree, who’s often reluctant to talk to reporters, was asked about the chain for the first time at the Ravens’ news conference Wednesday. The free-agent signing identified Tucker as the mastermind. But Tucker pointed to another player as the inspiration.

“I don’t want to necessarily point out one person that would be the reason for the chain on Crab’s locker, but, yeah, it’s Aqib Talib,” he said. “We know that they have a little bit of history.”

Ahead of the Ravens’ joint practices in Owings Mills with Talib and the Los Angeles Rams in early August, Tucker took a chain out of the Ravens’ weight room and affixed it to Crabtree’s locker. It was a chain, after all — a much smaller one, suitable for neckwear — that the cornerback had ripped right off the then-Oakland Raiders receiver’s neck each of the previous two seasons.

A month into the regular season, Tucker’s sight gag is still as reliable as his right leg.

“I just wanted to be a good teammate and help Crab achieve that mentality that we know he’s capable of achieving,” Tucker said. “He’s a guy who can flip a switch, and sometimes you just got to see the chain in the locker. Like, I’ll look over there now and I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m ready to go.’ ”

Sheepishly, Tucker said, “I don’t think I’m that funny most of the time,” but he at least has Crabtree’s approval. The wide receiver said the “majority” of the Pro Bowl kicker’s jokes are funny. Which is at least more respect than Dangerfield claimed he ever got.

“All you need is that one semi-audible Kawhi laugh,” Tucker said, referring to Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard’s recent awkward, stilted, not-quite-human laugh. “And you know, that just gives me great satisfaction.”

Six return to practice: Six of eight Ravens who sat out Wednesday’s practice returned for Thursday afternoon’s session.

Wide receivers John Brown and Crabtree, cornerback Brandon Carr (knee), defensive back Anthony Levine Sr. (hamstring), Weddleand right guard Marshal Yanda practiced. Brown, Crabtree, Weddle and Yanda missed Wednesday’s session for non-injury-related reasons and fully participated Thursday, as did Carr.

Levine was limited Thursday, as well as defensive tackle Willie Henry (hernia surgery) and a pair of rookies in inside linebacker Chris Board (concussion) and tight end Hayden Hurst (stress fracture in foot) for the second straight day.

Outside linebacker Tim Williams (hamstring) and rookie cornerback Anthony Averett (hamstring) did not practice for the second consecutive day. Running back Alex Collins (knee) and outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith (hamstring) did not participate Thursday after practicing Wednesday.

Extra points: Three Browns starters in wide receiversJarvis Landry (knee) and rookieAntonio Callaway (knee) and safetyDamarious Randall (heel) practiced on a limited basis Thursday after being held out of Wednesday’s session. Two other starters in defensive tackle Trevon Coley (wrist) and defensive endMyles Garrett (wrist) were full participants for the second straight day.… Eight days after earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, Tucker was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month. Tucker won the award for the fifth time in his career by converting nine of his first 10 field-goal tries this season, including six of seven from 40 yards or longer. Tucker, 28, goes into this weekend’s game at the Cleveland Browns as the most accurate kicker in NFL history, the only one to make at least 90 percent of his attempts (90.2 percent). “The most important thing is, help us win, and that’s what our field goal team is doing,” special teams coordinator/associate head coach Jerry Rosburg said.“I’m very happy for Justin, too. His talents are pretty well-known by this point, and that recognition is something we value.” … The team announced its signing of rookie wide receiver Andre Levrone. The 23-year-old Laurel native was with the Ravens in training camp. In a corresponding move, the team released rookie defensive end Christian LaCouture.

childs.walker@baltsun.com

jshaffer@baltsun.com

twitter.com/ChildsWalker

twitter.com/jonas_shaffer

Baltimore Sun reporter Edward Lee contributed to this article.