DAILY INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS
Head Coach John Harbaugh
Lee Evans practiced all week. Are you encouraged about his chances of getting back out there on Sunday? (Aaron Wilson) "I think it's an outside chance right now, for that. He's still working through it. If we had a situation where we needed him, he could go."
Are you encouraged to get Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed back after one day out? (Aaron Wilson) "Yes. That was more of a rest issue than anything."
Has Brendon Ayanbadejo been cleared for contact at this point? (Dan Kolko) "I don't know if it's official yet, but we're anticipating that. He should be alright."
Coach, the crowd noise factor, you practiced with it all week. Is [CenturyLink Field] the loudest you've ever been to? (Jerry Coleman) "M&T [Bank Stadium] is pretty loud. So, I put the challenge up for our fans next week; just see how loud it can get. But, it's our job to take care of the crowd noise. It's our job to quiet the place down. That's what any road team has to do. You play well enough, you quiet the place down. That's got to be our objective."
Billy Cundiff has missed a couple kicks this year, but he's gotten more field goal opportunities this year than he has in the past. He says he feels like he can build off the experience at Heinz Field and really go the second half of the year. Do you feel like he's kicking at a high level right now, despite a couple of the misses that he's had? (Dan Kolko) "I do. I think the misses… We understand the misses. You know, the Heinz Field situation, that's a tough field obviously. I think he lost his drive foot a little bit. It slides when you try to press… You drive off that foot into your plant foot, and when it slips out a little bit, then it kind of gets you overextended and you push the ball somewhat. I think that was more the issue with that particular kick. That 48-yarder was a tremendous kick on that field. So, yeah, I feel very confident in Billy."
The offense has been playing as good as it has all season in the past six quarters. How important do you think it is to kind of keep that going this week? (Garrett Downing) "Well, it's very important. We want to build on success as much as we can. We want to learn from failure as much as we can. We like to go into the next week building on success, that's the goal. We need to start fast. We need to do as much as we can to keep the crowd out of it. Our offense is obviously a huge part of that."
Any tips from your brother on how to beat [Seahawks head coach] Pete Carroll? (Aaron Wilson) "We might have had a conversation or two. They played them a long time ago, that's the thing. So, specific information is a little bit more difficult, because things change so much in this League over the course of half a season. So, I think we're pretty much on our own in that way. It'll be a big challenge. Pete Carroll has done a great job everywhere he's ever been. They've got a lot of talent. They play with a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of heart, like everybody does. We're going a long way and we've got to overcome all those things. We've got to come back with a victory."
One thing I was meaning to ask you on Wednesday is [about Seahawks S] Earl Thomas. As far as being a rangy, good young player… (Aaron Wilson) "Yeah, we have a play on tape where he comes out of the middle of the field on a ball that is thrown pretty flat over on the sideline and makes the pick. He's got tremendous range. He covers ground as well as any safety right now. He is a young guy, plus he is a hitter, plus he is smart. We really liked him coming out [of college]. I think he is one of the premier, young players."
What have you seen out of [Seahawks WR] Doug Baldwin, a young receiver out there that has done pretty well this season? (Jason Butt) "Yeah, Doug is a Stanford guy. [49ers head coach] Jim [Harbaugh] had him. He is kind of a slot receiver – very quick, great hands, really has a knack for getting open against zone and man. I think he is kind of a surprise guy for them that has really stepped up and done well. He is their leading receiver, so [he's] done a great job."
I am sure you've heard the theory about West Coast teams traveling and playing on the East Coast, and sort of the troubles they face. How come that does not impact East Coast teams flying to the West Coast? (Ed Lee) "I don't know, what are the numbers? I am not sure. Is it not the same numbers? (Reporter: There is a slight discrepancy in terms of win-loss records for West Coast teams. But, East Coast teams, there is never really any of that bias.) I don't know. I really haven't looked at it. I think the thing you want to take on the road – especially on a long trip – is a good team. If you take a good team when you travel, you have a chance to win. I know there is a team out there, San Francisco, that is 4-0 on the East Coast so far this year. And they have a pretty good team. To me, you take a good team, you pack your defense, you pack your run game, you pack your pass protection, you pack your kicking game; you have a chance to win, really no matter where you are at."
As someone who has great respect for the military, what does today mean to you? (Jerry Coleman) "Veterans Day. Thanks. We talked about that a little bit this morning. We had a speaker here today. [We] talked a little bit about that and gave our guys a great message. I just think there are so many corollaries between football, of course, military and life. It's all a metaphor for life – everything. We talked a little bit about that."
