DAILY INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS
Head Coach John Harbaugh
Opening Statement:"First of all, I want to give our heart-felt condolences to the family of Orlando Brown – to his three sons. I think everybody knows what he meant to this organization, to this team and to the Ravens. He's still a big part of us. He's been coming around a lot, working with some of our young players, and we're forever grateful just for everything he did for the Ravens organization. What he did for the present team, that's just who he is as a person and who he's been. I just can't express our sorrow enough, on behalf of our team and our organization, for his loss today."
On his relationship with Rams' head coach Steve Spagnuolo:"We're friends. (Reporter: Any anecdotes that stick out?) You know we've… I have a lot of respect for 'Spags' [Spagnuolo]. Obviously, we spent a lot of time… I mean, we've known each other for probably 30 years, maybe 25 years. In coaching, obviously, we were very close. Our offices were right next to each other, but more than that, we spent a lot of time together just talking about stuff. Our families are very close; his wife and my wife are very close. We just have a lot in common. We spent a lot of time talking about a lot of stuff; a lot of fun stuff, a lot of in-depth stuff, a lot of football stuff, a lot of life stuff [and] spiritual stuff. I would say he's one of my real close friends."
On whether it is difficult to play against an opposing coach who is a friend or former collegue:"Not really, you forget about it. Once you start playing, you forget about it. Once you start playing, it's all about the game. I think it'll be the same way with my brother; you just go and compete. It's really about the players on the field playing, and you're going against their schemes and stuff. It hits you before the game and it hits you after the game, but in the game, you don't give it a thought."
On RB Steven Jackson and his contribution to the Rams' offense:"He's an all-around back; that's the best way to describe it. Everything he does, he does well. He's a big, physical back, he's a very hard runner – north and south – but he's ellusive. He's got a real loose lower body, so he can make you miss. He's a strong-ball, security runner. He's really good in pass protection. He's really good in the pass game. He's just a complete back. They've got [RB] Cadillac Williams, that gives them depth, and [RB] Jerious Norwood. Jerious Norwood is a guy they brought in from Atlanta, who's a homerun hitter. So, they've got some great depth there."
On what he has seen from C Andre Gurode:"He looks good; he's done a good job. He's a big, strong guy, he's very mobile, he's got good feet. He looks good."
On the status of G Ben Grubbs' toe:"We had an MRI yesterday and everything looked good in there. So, we just wanted to, kind of, make sure everything was OK. You know, those toes are tough, but there's a chance he'll play."
On the importance of having the offensive line practice together:"It's been big, because it's another week together. We said we're a work in progress and I think it's… We don't want to make excuses. It's tough. It's a different kind of year, but putting an offensive line together and getting everyone on the same page is a difficult thing. Communication is really important, and you really want to make sure you have things as right as possible. We had a few missed assignments – those are things that come up in the course of the game – but I think another week of practice really helps. We've had a good week of practice with those guys, so I feel good about it."
On whether there is a comparison between Rams WR Mike Sims-Walker and Titans WR Kenny Britt:"I think Mike Sims-Walker… He's a very physical guy, real explosive guy. [He has] great body control [and] makes a lot of catches. Both those two guys have got… They are similar guys. Big, physical guys; 215-220 pound guys. Then you put [WR Danario] Alexander in there, who is a guy who we really liked coming out of Missouri at 6-foot-5. He may give you the kind of Britt-like comparison that you're making. But they've got some good weapons outside."
On the status of CB Chris Carr's hamstring after practicing this week:"He made it through the week; practiced at full-go today and yesterday. So, we'll just have to see how it responds to today's practice. I'm fairly optimistic, but I think with hamstrings you're never certain."
On whether he is preparing for RB Steven Jackson to play on Sunday:"Yes, we are. (Reporter: They say it's going to be a game-time decision) Oh, as far as his health, you're asking? We're assuming he's going to play, absolutely. He's going to play. We're assuming that all the guys that haven't been ruled out are going to play. And if they don't play, they're going to run the same offense. So, that's really what we prepare for."
