(opening statement) "Obviously, it was a great victory against a really good football team coming in here, and we started fast in both parts of the game. In the first quarter, we came out and started fast. In the third quarter, we came out and started fast. Compliments to our defense for the turnovers. I think that's pretty amazing to be able to get them to turn the ball over six times, but then to capitalize like we did with the points, that's what really makes it count. And, that was probably the difference in the game."
(on if he paid attention to the Bears' traveling ordeals) "I have some good friends who are on that staff and that play for the Bears, so I kind of heard the story. It's difficult, and we've been in similar situations like that. We were looking at Houston [during a hurricane] scenarios last year, and you just have to find a way to get to the game. They were determined to get here and play, but it was obviously a crazy weekend in the Baltimore area."
(on the great play of Todd heap and Demetrius Williams) "That's a great point. You can talk about all the guys, and I hope you bring all of their names up. Demetrius Williams has stepped up to play. He made a touchdown. You know, Todd came wide open on that one. I think we were holding our breath, seeing Todd open [wanting Joe Flacco] to throw it to Todd. Joe went over the top to Demetrius, and he went up and just made a fantastic play. But Todd played well with the two early touchdowns. The offensive line did a great job of protecting Joe. The running game was really there early. In a lot of ways, it was really a great team effort."
(on if he thinks the team is gaining momentum at the right time) "Well I hope so. Hopefully, we're building momentum at the right time. That's what we're trying to do. But then again, every week stands on its own. We're going to come out with a new challenge against our arch rivals next week at their place, and that's going to present its own set of challenges. We have to go out there, and each week, we have to play the best football we can play in all three phases of the game. That's always a challenge."
(on if Saturday's blizzard affected the team's game plan) "Well, we always try to game-plan a little bit for the wind, especially Cam [Cameron] and the offensive coaches. They kind of pick the plays that they like. It turned out to just be a great day for football. It was beautiful out there, and the place was packed. There was some talk about no-shows and all that, but give our fans credit. It was loud. I didn't see any empty seats up there at all. We did a great job with our people getting that place cleared out. But the upper level was full of snow. You could see it when you came here, and our [fans] were up there, and they sat down right in that snow, and they cheered like crazy. I was really proud of the fans. But, as far as our plans, our players did a great job. They battled the snow. We told them to get in, and they got in, with a couple of exceptions. A couple of guys got in [car] wrecks on the way in, and they still fought their way to get in. Then they got to the meetings last night. So, I was really proud of our guys in that sense, taking care of business."
(on the injury to Lardarius Webb) "I'm going to give you the standard answer, we'll find out tomorrow. Right now I'm not optimistic. We'll get the MRI, and we'll see for sure. What a great job he's done. What a heck of a player he's been, and if he can play for us the rest of the way, we're all going to breathe a sigh of relief. If he can't, we're going to have to overcome it. I thought Frank [Walker] came out and stepped up and played really well at the end of this game. That's what you build a team for."
(on the running game stalling after the score was 31-7) "You want to run the ball, and you want to run the clock out a little bit, and that's why you have to throw it. People are going to ask why you're throwing it in those situations too. They stacked it a little bit, and they ran some run stunts against us. They made some good plays. That's a good defense over there. When you have a little bit of a beat on what you're going to try to do to get yourself out of the game, they have a chance to stop you. I thought they did a good job. We would have loved to have gotten first downs on those two series, but we weren't able to do it."
(on the key to forcing turnovers) "First of all, I think we had a real good game plan for this team. Credit [defensive coordinator] Greg Mattison and the defensive coaches. We had certain coverages out there that seemed to give them problems. And our guys played really well. I think it started in the back end. We had good pressure. [Jay Cutler] got hit a few times. I think he had pressure in his face pretty much the whole game, with the exception of when he got it and scrambled a little bit. [Defensive line coach] Clarence Brooks did a great job at halftime kind of tightening that down a little bit, so he couldn't get out and scramble. Coverage in the back end was just exceptional."
(on the other receivers stepping up today) "Todd Heap is a proven player. So, now we're down to some younger guys. Demetrius [Williams] played well. Justin Harper's out there. But you've got Todd Heap out there and you've got Derrick Mason, and that's critical for us. Todd's had a heck of a year. We were fortunate, we got a little bit of a surprise in the sense that L.J. [Smith] was up. So L.J. has done a great job rehabbing. We really didn't expect him to be up. And he felt pretty good. So we had a little bit of an insurance policy for Todd."
(on the performance of T Oniel Cousins) "Well yeah, here's a guy who didn't play much football. Oniel Cousins played very little football. He just played a couple of years in college. He was kind of new to the position, and it's taken him a little time to develop. There's nobody who works harder than Oniel Cousins, and nobody that has worked harder than our coaches to get him ready. So, you talk about where are our guys, why haven't we seen these guys? It's because we are trying to develop these guys. We've got a pretty good feel for when they are ready. Sometimes an injury puts them out there, and they show you they're ready before you thought they were. And a couple of guys have done that as well. And maybe that's Oniel Cousins."
(on the improved play of QB Joe Flacco) "Well, I haven't thought about it. You guys kind of look back. I can't think past the last two or three hours right now. He looked good. Four touchdowns speaks for itself. I thought he had a lot of confidence in the receivers. And gave those guys a chance to go up and make those plays. I know they appreciate that."
(on preparing for the upcoming game against he Pittsburgh Steelers) "Well you know it's a rivalry game. They'll be excited to play us, and we'll be excited to play them. There's nothing we can really say to get them anymore fired up to play the game. And there's nothing they can say that can get us more fired up to play the game. That's just the kind of game it is. We'll be looking forward to being there, and I'm sure they'll be looking forward for us to be there, too."
(on if he mentioned the game against Pittsburgh to the players) "I steered away from it. The players brought it up. They know the schedule."
(on if he watched the scoreboard today) "We have to win. We have to win. It doesn't matter who wins or loses, we have to win.
(on using the formation with Troy Smith): "Sometimes you play a team that's not quite as familiar with you, and we just felt like the timing was right, especially when we'd struggled a little bit in the scoring zone. We just felt like this was the time to mix it in there a little bit."
(on Demetrius Williams): "Really, his lack of playing time was a tribute to how well Mark Clayton was playing at times and Kelley Washington. Now they're both down, and he stepped up. He's really bought into what we're doing. He's been playing at a pretty high level at practice. Unfortunately, the other guys were playing well, too. We kept telling him to stay ready, and he stayed ready. I think a lot of credit goes to Demetrius."
(on Todd Heap lining up as a receiver): "It just fit the game plan. They bring in an extra safety, so we were able to get him one-on-one with a safety. This is one of the few teams that brings in a third safety, so when they bring in a third safety, and we get two tight ends, it's a way for us to get Todd matched up on a safety instead of a corner. We saw that they'd done it against Green Bay and felt like we'd take advantage of it."
(on the passing attack) "We've got guys that can fill in all positions and do a great job. I think you saw today our guys were just making plays all over the place. And it doesn't matter who's out there, we are going to have trust in who's lining up there and running the routes. And I think that's what you saw today."
(on the weather) "Yeah, it really wasn't that windy out there. It really wasn't that cold out there, either. It was great. When you are out there on the field, and you're out there and your energy is up there you can't even tell. Even on the sidelines today it wasn't that bad. Pre-game it might be a little bit cold, but I've got to say when you're out there it doesn't even phase you."
(on TE Todd Heap and WR Demetrius Williams's performances) "Yeah, they played great. Todd obviously had our first two touchdown passes. And then Demetrius went up and made that ridiculous catch in the end zone. When you see guys making plays like that it gives you all the trust in the world. It makes me want to give them more plays, give them more chances. It was great to get Todd in there, get him going, get him some touchdown passes – a lot of fun. We kind of sputtered a little bit at the end of the first half. I felt like we could have capitalized and put up some points at the end of the half, but we came out on fire in the third quarter and really set the tone for the rest of the game."
(on WR Demetrius Williams's touchdown pass) "The safety came running over from the top, so he kind of came into the picture late. I had one-on-one with him. [Demetrius] did a great job of going up for the ball. And I had trust that he was going to get it for me. Todd [Heap] came off the sideline and said 'Yeah, it's a good thing you threw a touchdown there, because you had one to me if you didn't get that one.' So it was a good thing I completed it, because I would have been pissed at myself, too, if I didn't throw it."
(on his relationship with Todd Heap) "When you have a tight end that you can get the ball to, it's huge for your offense. It's huge for a quarterback. And Todd, what he's done over his career, I just wanted to come in and make sure I continued to help him do that. And today, it was just a great job of him going up and getting the ball, catching the ball at the high point, and you can't ask any more of him. He's done a great job. He's great with the ball after the catch, and he does a great job for us in the run game. So we can leave him in there and give him multiple tasks. Anytime you have a guy that can do so many things like that, it gives you a huge advantage as an offense."
(on if he was aware of the results of the 1:00 p.m. games) "Yeah, I knew they lost. I don't think it affects how we go out there and play and what we need to do as a team. We need to win games anyways. It doesn't matter, but I'm not going to lie. I saw the scores. The scores are flashing up on the scoreboard the whole game. If you are looking up at it, you're going to catch them. So, obviously, as a player and a fan, you see the scores. And what happens, happens."
(on the Ravens' ability to start fast) "Obviously, these last two games we've played well. In these games we were able to capitalize and execute. The defense made some big plays for us today, and we were able to capitalize and get the ball. We've talked about it over the last few weeks, starting fast. You can talk about it all you want, but the biggest thing is, you have to go out and do it. That's what we've been able to do the last few weeks."
(on how the ability to capitalize on turnovers affects the opposing team) "I think it does, especially when you're on the road and the opposing fans are going crazy. We take their mistakes, and we capitalize on them. It really takes them out of their game. They know they can't make any mistakes. They've already made a couple, and they can't make any more, so it really takes them out of their game plan. I think we did that quite well today, and offensively, we were able to make the plays that we needed to."
(on if his touchdown passes were designed for him) "Sure. (laughter) Obviously Joe [Flacco] has other reads on those plays, but I'm obviously one of the first reads on both of those plays. Joe was counting on me to make a play."
(on if he matched up against who he expected to) "They were going to play one of two defenses, and when they came out and lined up the way they did, my eyes lit up a little bit, and Joe's did as well. Both touchdowns we got the looks that we wanted."
(on if he felt the need to step up on account of injuries) "I don't know if that was as much what I was thinking. I feel like I want to do that every game. With those guys down, we had some other guys that had to come in and step up, and those guys did it as well. I play the tight end position, and obviously, we had me out at receiver a little bit today. I think a lot of guys had to step up when other guys go down. The running game has to step up, and obviously, the receivers have to step it up. I think a lot of guys did a great job today knowing their role."
(on the impact of the fans yelling "Heap") "I don't know, for me getting in to it, I was just smiling. It definitely brings a smile to my face, because it's pretty cool. It's obviously something I appreciate, because the… Obviously, they're getting fired up. When we get the fans fired up, the opposing defense knows about it, and the opposing offense finds out about it the following drive. It's fun for the fans, it's fun for me. I think we all enjoy it. I know other guys on the team enjoy it as well."
(on how quickly the attention turns to Pittsburgh) "We already talked about it. I think it goes unsaid, what the atmosphere, what the attitude is going to be like."
(on how the defense reacts when turnovers are converted into touchdowns) "That's big. Something that I think we focus on is creating turnovers on the defense, and the offense definitely needs to thrive on that sudden change. It's something that I think great teams do. I think good teams can get a turnover, but great teams convert them."
(on Bears' QB Jay Cutler's reputation as a gambler) "I think they've actually been a lot more conservative. Considering just watching film, they've been a lot more conservative with him and trying to keep him within his own abilities. I think he tried to do that today. We played fairly well. We got some good pressure on him, which makes everyone's job a lot easier. Not to take anything away from what we've done defensively… I'm not trying to say that Jay is a gun slinger, crazy person. I think it's the media's fault. They like to make up stories a little bit."
(on if he feels December is turning the Ravens' way) "I sure hope so. We definitely felt like we weren't getting a lot of breaks earlier in the season. With the type of men and maturity that we have in there, we don't hang our heads and try to point fingers and say, 'The refs hate us and we never get a call,' or whatever. We just kind of hunker down and keep working hard and do what we know we're supposed to do, and hopefully, the tide turns. Definitely the last couple of weeks, it felt like the tide turned in our favor. We hope we can get momentum going throughout the rest of the season and into the playoffs."
(On the forced fumble and recovery) "That was basically luck. [RB Matt] Forte cut really hard on me and stuck the ball out there. So I stuck my hand out and basically knocked the ball out. Once I get to the ground and go in the pile, all you have to do is fight for that ball, anything can happen. It was all good, and we got the ball back."
(On forcing Bears turnovers) "We got up on them early and got some turnovers. I think he [Jay Cutler] was kind of frustrated and that worked out to our advantage. Then we got more picks towards the end of the game. It was great to see that our DBs can catch. They made it count every time they got a chance to make a play. It was great to see our offense score points after we got the turnovers. It makes that turnover feel more appreciative."
(On having fun on defense) "We're having a great time out there. It builds a lot of character when we are out there having fun. We're coming together. It's great that we're out there having a great time."
(On being the hardest defense in the NFL to score on) "It start with Greg Mattison. He does a great job fighting for us and calling the plays that help us make plays. He's done a great job from the beginning. We all are coming together now. We knew our defense could do that."
(On the defense coming together) "I just think overall as a team we are playing the kind of football that we are used to playing in December. We go thru the ups and downs. It's something that I have been trying to tell my crew for a long time. Look at the teams we lost to. They are either leading their division or at the top of the AFC or the NFC. The bottom line is that we just have to keep winning."
(On the Ravens winning streak) "I just think, bottom line is as a team we are putting together a lot of great things. Offensively we are playing great football. Defensively we are playing great football. Once you get in December and you are in position to make the playoffs it doesn't matter who you have won or lost to. It's a journey, a marathon and if we as a team understand that we will be ok. Everything we went thru early, the ups and the downs, is going to help us now. I just like our attitude. The way we practice. The way we practice the games become easier because we trust each other so much."
(On having two road games to end the season) "I don't think it matters to us. We knew what we were in for when we came into this last stretch of the season. The next opponent is someone we know very well. They are playing up and down football. I think for us it's just a matter of going in and playing Ravens football so that we can come out with a victory next week."
(On Jay Cutler) "I just think overall we did a heck of a job against him our offense as well. When we did stop him our Offense went in and put points on the board. We made him play from behind and that made it real hard on him."
(On the injury to Ravens CB Lardarius Webb) "I just think that hurts. You try to replace people, but you can't. I mourn for a kid like that. He was playing so great for us and now he's probably out for the rest of the year. He's out for the good part of the season when everything is coming down the stretch. As usual though it's always next man up. Whoever it is we have to find somebody to fill that role. Even on kickoff returns. He really has been huge for us and has really changed field position for us. You never want to see those things happen but in this business those things happen. You just have to keep on moving on."
(On the play of LB Dannell Ellerbe) "I like all my young backers. Every last one of them - [Dannell] Ellerbe, [Jameel] McClain, all of them. They play the game the right way. My job is to instruct them and put them in the right places. Give them some awareness of things they may not see. These guys can just flat out play football. I really like them. Even Antwan Barnes, he plays the game the right way. He plays the game full speed. Anytime you have that much talent on one side of the ball, you are going to have success."
(On playing well) "I think we are gaining momentum and doing the things we are supposed to be doing. I think we are taking care of the ball. On defense we are not letting anyone get into the end zone. To come out today and have a shutout (Bears TD came on a punt return) that's big. We know we can play against anyone in this league. You have to tip your hat to the way that we prepare. Coach Harbaugh prepares us in a great way. I think the guys respond to it the way we should respond to it."
(On next week's game at Pittsburgh) "It's nothing new. We'll definitely take care of that when we get there. Right now I'm still up under the 24 hour rule. So I'm going to enjoy this right now. I think everybody knows what that game means. For us to go back there…Last year we were there for the Championship. So for us to go back there to keep our playoff hopes alive, 'Here we go.'"
(on putting pressure on Jay Cutler ): "He's a guy we knew we needed to. He can kill you. He's such an aggressive guy, and he's such a risk-taker that if you get after him, he's going to force plays. We got some picks today. He likes to sit back there and do his thing. He can be one of the best in the league."
(on his interception): "I can't catch it right off, so I have to tip it into the air."
(on the Jets and Dolphins losing): "That's great. We needed to gain some ground. That's awesome. We needed it…they are guys we're in a race with. [But] there's no magic. We've got to come out and win the next two games."
(on the defense) "We're just having fun. We're just playing simple calls and communicating with everyone and just playing. As long we keep them out of the end zone, as long as we stay out of the end zone, we know we'll correct that stuff. The way special teams stepped up with the turnover and the offense coming down [and scoring helped]."
(on realizing the Bears would throw more in the second half) "That's your only chance. You're not going to run the ball. It's going to take off too much clock. If you run it for a couple of yards, who cares if it's another yard or two, if you're trying to go for the ball. We're going to take the ball in that situation."
(on how the defense has improved in recent weeks) "You've got to make those mistakes because once they're corrected, you know, they're corrected. We're all professionals, and we're going to make sure we're doing our jobs and everything so when coaches come to us [or] we step in as a team and say, 'you know, secondary, you've got to get over the top, you've got to get over the top.'"
[on heading into the third quarter) "We felt we were in control and stuff, and we just needed to get everything going. We got it all going. We know we've got to play for 60 minutes. That's the type of team we are. We always show up for 60 minutes."
(on how it feels to put together another good win at home) "It's a one-game season from here on out. We just took care of our business early today, and you know who we have next week. Technically, the playoffs haven't started yet, but they've definitely started for us. It's a one-game season from here, and we just need to keep going, keep building from here."
(on having the passing game involved in the offense a lot today) "You can come out any way you want, it really doesn't matter. As long as we're winning, I'm good with however we're doing it."
(on what they need to do to take care of business in the final two games on the road) "Well, we need to win. It's clear cut. You know, we win, and we control our own destiny to the playoffs. It's clear cut, we just need to go win one game at a time. We control our own destiny, and that's what we need to do from here on out."
(on having a tough matchup at Pittsburgh next week) "That's enough said. It's a divisional game, a big rivalry game, and there is a lot at stake for us. And we control what we want to control, and now we need to go out there and take care of our business."
(on how the emotion is for him and for the team after this win) "It's good. It's good that we were able to pick up two victories at home in the past couple of weeks, and to go out there and take care of business the way we were supposed to take care of business. But, as I say each and every week, it means nothing if you can't do it again another week. So, we're going to enjoy this game, but understand that we're still in a two-game playoff. And these next two games are must wins. So, whatever we've done for the last two weeks, we need to continue to do, because if we don't, then it's all for nothing."
(on having a lot of success passing the ball and Flacco throwing 4 TDs) "You just do what the defense sometimes allows you to do. You know, they stacked eight men in the box, and we still had some big runs. But, they were singling out our men on the outside, so we took advantage of what they were doing in the secondary. You know, we had some single coverage, and Joe did a phenomenal job of putting the ball where he was supposed to put it. And some guys made some great catches; [Todd] Heap's touchdown in the corner was a great catch, and then Demetrius [William's] touchdown, that was a great catch. So, we try to be as balanced as we can, but we want to make sure what we put on film shows the other defenses that we can beat you with the run if you want to take away the pass, or we can beat you with the pass if you want to take away the run."
(on going to Pittsburgh next week to play the Steelers) "It's going to be a huge challenge. They're a team that is going to fight you tooth and nail. And just because they're in the situation that they're in, doesn't mean that they're going to lay down. That's a team – especially when they play us – that is going to come out and let all their feelings fly. So, we need to be prepared and ready for it. We have to understand that the last two weeks, the last two teams we play, it's all for nothing if we can't continue to win. And it starts by going down to Pittsburgh and trying to get the victory."
(on whether it was special to have his 850th reception today) "Yeah, it is. It is, but I understand that I need to get 800, whatever, but put us into position to make the playoffs. You know, 850 is great going into the playoffs, but 850 is nothing if you're sitting home once the playoffs start. But for me, it's about hard work, being blessed to go out there, and the Lord has kept me healthy. So, I just do what the next man does; go out there and work hard. But it's all Him, because I've been able to play a certain amount of games without missing, so it's a little bit of what I do, but it's a lot of what God does. So, I take it for what it's worth, and I move on."
(on what it has been like for him to start contributing on the field again) "It was a battle in the beginning, but getting the chance to come back, and my legs are healthy now, and I'm able to go out and run routes at full speed and to not feel pain – any pain – is a good feeling. And it's good to be back in the mix."
(on his touchdown reception) "Just trying to make a play. You know, every time the ball goes up into the air, the quarterbacks are expecting us to come down with it, or nobody come down with it. So, at that point, it's just about protecting the ball and trying to make a play."
(on having a good rhythm in all three phases of the game) "Oh, it's real good. You know, when you have both sides of the ball and special teams doing a great job, it's like we're running on all three cylinders right now, and we just want to continue it."
(on whether he is being more aggressive to the ball now) "It's just about attacking the ball. I guess these last few weeks I've been focusing more on trying to just attack the ball."
(on whether that is something he's been working on this year, or if it just came about) "No, I think I've been working on it this year. It's just one of those things where there's always something you can improve on as a receiver, so it's one of the bigger things I've been trying to improve on."
