On if he thinks it will still be emotional for players to see Colts K Matt Stover on the other sideline:"No, I don't think it will be emotional for any of the guys seeing him. I mean, it's always good to see him. He's a friend of everybody, so we'll go say, 'Hey,' and go play the game."
On how QB Joe Flacco and TE Todd Heap looked at practice today:"I thought they both looked good. It was not a fast practice, obviously, but they were fine."
On any adjustments made to practice since Tuesday is usually the players' day off:"It's different than... As you go through the season, I think we adjust throughout the whole season. So we adjusted, last week, some things. As you go, you just kind of gauge it from week to week and what you feel like you need, and we set it up the way we felt like was best for our guys this week."
On if LS Matt Katula's snaps are getting better:"Yeah, Matt seemed like he was fine. He seemed like he was really feeling better, so he did a nice job."
On if the win against the Patriots created momentum or if it's new week, a new game:"It's good to move on. The option, if you're looking and you say, 'OK,' comparing moving, building momentum, and not moving on, stopping momentum, I'd say it's pretty clear cut. You get a chance to move on, you're still playing. As far as the way it impacts this next game, I don't know that. I think it's just going to be a factor of how well we play and how well they play – us executing and them executing and making plays and all those things that go into a football game."
On how difficult of a matchup Colts TE Dallas Clark provides:"I don't know if there's a better pass-receiving tight end in the league. Maybe we'd put our guy right there, Todd Heap. But, they play him as a wide receiver, and they play him as a tight end, which is pretty amazing. It's great flexibility for their offense."
On if he expects to need more production from the wide receivers this week:"We have no expectations. We're going to do whatever we think we need to do to win the game."
On the top things to work on when facing Colts DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis:"We'll have a plan. We'll have a game plan for, obviously, pass protection, and it starts with those two guys, certainly, whenever you play the Colts. They're two of the best pass rushers in the game. It's pretty amazing they're both on the same team, and they've got some other guys, too. It's not just those two guys. They've got pass rushers across the front, and the guys that come in for them are great pass rushers. Matter of fact, we had one of them in Philly for a few weeks way back when. They just present you challenges, and we're just going to have to stick with our plan, stay poised, be patient, stick with good fundamentals, and we'll have a chance."
On if the Colts' smaller and quicker linebackers will make it more difficult to get outside the tackles:"They make plays. They're hard to block. It's really hard to get on those guys. All three of those guys – [Gary] Brackett, [Clint] Session, those guys – they fly around, and they're just tough to block. It's a very fast defense."
On whether the Colts' team speed gets any faster on turf:"Well, I don't know. We hadn't played them on grass. We played them on turf [in Baltimore], so we saw their full speed. But, they're probably built for turf. They're that kind of team."
On the Ravens' offensive line unit and especially how G Marshal Yanda has come around: "Well, the offensive line has probably been the strength of our team. And the fact that they've had to deal with all of those injuries, it's probably made us better. I think Chris Chester has done a great job. Let's talk about Chris first: He's out there playing tight end and doing all the movement stuff. You know, that shows a lot of flexibility and a lot of athleticism. And then Marshal coming in there has added that physical element that's really helped us."
On his confidence level if the game comes down to K Billy Cundiff: "We have confidence in all of our players. We have every confidence that every one of our guys will get their job done. So, that's why we're here. We're excited to see those guys get a chance to do what they do."
On the development of CB Chris Carr throughout the season: "Well, he's been a good corner. He's been a returner, he's been a special teams guy, obviously, but he's also played… He started a bunch of games last year for Tennessee on the outside. He's also played in the slot a lot in his career. He's really versatile as a corner, which I guess in his role makes him so valuable. That's why a lot of teams were interested in him in the offseason, and I think to see him playing… For our fans to be able to see him playing as well as he's playing is a good feeling for us, because that's what we saw when we recruited him and signed him up here last spring."
On whether the thought process changes at all in the postseason when it comes to the coin toss and when you choose to take the ball versus deferring: "No, because you're just trying to win a game. So we'll have a thought on that, and it kind of goes toward who you're playing and the challenges that you face to try to win that game. But, [that is] no different than regular season. I don't think it's a major strategic decision, but it's a factor. You know, we take it pretty seriously and try to do the right thing if we can."
On his memories of watching his brother, Jim, play for the Colts:"Well, as much as we could we went and watched him. I was at the University of Cincinnati coaching back then, so as soon as our season was over we caught most of those games. I had mentioned to some of the Indianapolis reporters earlier, every time we go into – it was the RCA Dome before, now Lucas Oil Stadium – you see his name up there [in the Ring of Honor]. That's pretty cool, in the Ring of Honor, when you see your brother's name up there in that kind of a setting. And I know we're very appreciate as a family of the Colts and what they did, and Jim had a great run there. You know, he's a Raven, too, but his string there in Indianapolis is pretty meaningful."
On the roots he has in Indiana:"That's right. [Indiana basketball coach] Tommy Crean is our guy. He's doing a great job. He's building from the ground up, inside-out, building that foundation. The Hoosiers are going to be a champion pretty soon. Is that what you wanted to hear? *(laughing) *There's no doubt about it. It's going to happen. There's no doubt about it. Tommy Crean is a great coach, in all seriousness. Gary Williams [Maryland basketball coach], I've talked to Gary a lot about this. Tom is building that program the way it's supposed to be built."
On if his brother will be on the Ravens' sideline, despite being in the Colts' Ring of Honor:"I don't think he's going to make it. I think he's got a strategically-planned recruiting weekend." (laughter)
On if coaches are 50-50 in thinking that coming off of a first-round bye will either help or hurt:"I just haven't even thought about it. I don't know. It'd be interesting to look [at]. What would be interesting to do is to look at the numbers, and just see what the numbers are with teams coming off a bye. That's probably some research we probably ought to do."
On how the Colts have never won when coming off a first-round bye:"You're good, you're good. You got me. *(laughter) *You got me on that. The same as last week – if that matters, then I guess there's an edge there somewhere. Tell me if it matters. I don't know. I think what matters is how the teams play."
On if LB Ray Lewis and Colts QB Peyton Manning are the best defensive and offensive players of their decade:"Well, it's a fair question. I wouldn't have any idea, because then I'd have to do a study of all those players and make a comparison, and we don't really have the time to do that right now. I will say this: I'm pretty biased toward Ray Lewis. I've never been around a better defensive player. More than that, there are a lot of great players, but what a great leader, what a great guy. What a great mentor for the young guys. And we have a lot of guys on our team like that."
On if Lewis' desire and preparation make up for his age:"Yeah, I think he plays really hard. He never takes a play off. He's on the field every single play. So, like you say, he's not 26 [years old], yet he's out there every single play. And preparation, knowledge of the game – he's got a bank of knowledge. So, when a guy's got that kind of a foundation, football-wise I mean, his studying means even that much more. He watches tape, he sees a lot more than a 26-year-old sees. I'm sure he carries that with him onto the field."
On if many teams have two TEs who are involved in the passing game so much: "I don't think so, and it's not just those guys. If one of their guy's gets hurt and the next guy comes in, he plays the exact same role the last guy played. They just run their offense and they train their guys. They plug receivers in year after year. They look the same as the guys they had last year. [Austin] Collie is a good example of that. It's just a real tribute to their system, to their coaches and to Peyton [Manning]."
On FB Le'Ron McClain's selflessness and making the Pro Bowl: "Well, Le'Ron has always said he's a fullback, and whatever that means, I think he takes pride in that. So, the 'back' part of it, they all want to have the ball. The 'full' part of it, that means full blocking responsibility, and he had a huge impact this last game – this last running game effort – blocking wise. So, Le'Ron is like all our guys – they want the ball. You want them to want the ball, but they also want to help the other guy when they've got the ball."
On if he is getting anything for QB Joe Flacco for his birthday this Saturday:"I'm going to get him… Let's see, we'll be in Indy, we won't be traveling. I'm going to get him a bus ticket to the stadium. How about that?" (laughter)
On if he knew it was Colts head coach Jim Caldwell's birthday on Saturday as well: "Is it really? I'll have to consider that. Can you ask me that in two days? I'll have to think about that one. That's a good question." (laughter)
On how important it is to get WR Derrick Mason involved in the game on Saturday: "I don't know how important it is. We'll know when the game starts how important it is. It kind of just depends on how the game plays out. So obviously, if Derrick Mason is making plays for us, then plays are being made. But, if Derrick's not making them, then Mark's [Clayton] making them or Demetrius [Williams] is making them or Ray [Rice] is making them or Willis [McGahee] or Todd [Heap]. The key is that our offense is finding a way to make plays, and Derrick is as good of a prospect as anybody because he's made a few of them in his career."
On how aware he is of his demeanor on the sidelines interacting with the officials and if it's changed at all: "[Ravens senior vice president of public and community relations] Kevin [Byrne] studies all that stuff. He'll do a report after the season on all the stuff. (laughter) It's about the same every week, I think. When we get a call against us, I'm usually pretty mad, and when we get a call for us, I'm usually pretty happy. It's simple. I'm a simple guy." (laughter)
On if there is a coaching gene in his family: "Our dad… My mom… We got raised around sports, which is… What a better way to grow up? We have our kids around here all the time. Our coaches and players have their kids around here all the time. So to me, that's the great thing about being a part of something like this. You can include them along, and that's how we grew up. So, I wouldn't trade it for the world."
On if the best way to beat QB Peyton Manning is to not give Indy's offense the ball: "Well, I'm probably not going to get into… Would that be a tactical question? We're going to do everything we can to win. Whatever that means, that's what we're going to try and do, and it's going to be tough. Obviously, they have a very good team."
