DAILY INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS
Head Coach John Harbaugh
Opening statement:"OK, great to be back here [at the training facility in Owings Mills, Md.]. I think everybody can agree on that. I know our players are really excited – and coaches – that we're back at our facility, and it's a beautiful place. The fields are in unbelievable shape, and we had a good practice."
On his thoughts on CB/RS Lardarius Webb practicing: "My thoughts are all good thoughts about Lardarius being out there. He went through individual [drills] and looked good moving around. We'll probably put him on some kind of path, the same that we did with Fabian [Washington]. That seemed to work out really well, [and they had the] same injuries. I know he's really excited to be out."
On if he expects Webb to see any action in the preseason: "I really don't know. You'd love to, just because if he's out there doing it you'd know he was ready. But we're not going to push it. We're not going to do anything earlier than we are completely – as much as you can be – sure that there won't be a setback."
On his thoughts on the game against the Redskins: "There are a lot of things. We take all afternoon to list all those things, but I think generally speaking, mostly all good. The effort was tremendous; the competitiveness is really good. I think we're really a well-conditioned team; I think we're very physical. Those are all things that – coming in the middle of camp to have a game like that and to show those kinds of traits – is really a testament to our guys and what kind of shape they're in, the way they practice and the way they condition in the offseason. Obviously, there are things that you guys all saw that we need to work on, so we need to go work on those things."
On if he was pleased with the secondary's performance in the game:"I was, generally. I think that they played pretty well back there. The passing yards are a concern, obviously. From where I stood up there after the game, I didn't realize they threw for that many yards against us, because I felt like we were playing pretty well for the most part. They got some chunks on some plays that they made. Some of it was the way we play our two-deep coverage. We've got to work some things out there. Some of it was the way we play our quarters coverage. We've got to work a couple things out there. I think that's what preseason is for. I think the players themselves did a good job, but we don't want to give up that many yards passing at all."
On how T Oniel Cousins is recovering from his injury:"It's a concussion thing, so the doctors will be very cautious with that. That's the nature of it. That's the right thing, so we'll just have to see how that goes."
On what he thinks Webb's chances are for playing against the Jets:"I wish I could [guess], but I'm not a doctor. The doctors don't even tell us that because they don't know, so it's just impossible to put a number on it."
On if he will put more emphasis on the starters for the last two preseason games:"This game will be the third preseason game, and that definitely is the emphasis. And I think probably for everybody in the league, that's how you do it. So, those guys will play at least until halftime, and there will be a number of those guys that will play into the second half a little bit. We've actually played our starters less than the two teams that we played against in the first two preseason games. I don't know what the Giants will do, but we've kept to our plan, and we'll do that again this week."
On if fans will see more repetitions for QB Joe Flacco, WR Anquan Boldin and WR Donte' Stallworth:"Yeah, we're going to see more of them just by nature of the process. We're going to stick to our process, and this preseason game you're going to see more of them. I think we're right on schedule, but we're not where we want to be. Those two things, they go hand-in-hand. It's always a work in progress, and it will be throughout the season. I think we're real happy with where we're at, but there are 100 things we need to work on, and those are things we're trying to get better at."
On what he saw from CB Fabian Washington's first game after his injury:"He looked good. He moved around really well – probably better than I thought he was going to. He competed in there and showed no ill effects."
On if there is an update on S Ed Reed:"I saw him at the game, and he said he feels good about his progress. Again, we don't have details. It's hard to say how it's going to continue to improve, but I think he's really happy. Based on the conversation I had with him, I would say he's happy with his progress, and that he's working really hard at it."
On if WR Demetrius Williams' injury got worse over the weekend: "He turned his ankle, and he was just a little too gimpy to go."
On if the Gatorade showers ever get old:"No, they never get old, they never get old. I kind of lost track of that. That's kind of a tradition now. I happened to look down there at about, I think it was 11 seconds if I remember right, and Jim [Zorn] was getting drenched, so that's a good thing."
On what he thought of the LB pass coverage and if LB Brendon Ayanbadejo returning would help:"I think the linebackers… We have guys that can cover, no question about it. I'm not worried about that at all. I think we've got a lot of coverages in there that are different than what we did last year. It's funny because during the week of practice, I felt like we really made progress in our basic zone drops with the linebackers handling routes. But then in the game, we weren't quite there. We want to transfer that improvement to the game this week if we can, and I think those guys will do really well with that. But yeah, Brendon will help when he gets back. He's a fast, athletic guy."
On what he saw from TE Dennis Pitta during the game:"It's exciting to see that, because you just never know, do you? Here's a guy that probably got a little fatigued during training camp and didn't quite jump as much as he did in that game, and all of a sudden here, he's making plays all over the place. We feel like he's going to be a really good player – and that goes for Ed [Dickson], that goes for Todd [Heap], obviously, and I'll put Davon Drew in that category, too. He's really come a long ways. It's a deep group for us."
CB Lardarius Webb
On how it felt to run around after being removed from the PUP and cleared to practice today:"It was fine. [I was] glad to be out with my teammates. They welcomed me back fine and dandy. It was great."
On whether the biggest thing over the next few weeks is regaining the trust in the knee:"Yes, sir."
On what that process is like:"It's just getting used to playing football again – just being out there covering a wide receiver again, just the little things like that."
On whether he thought he'd be back at this point in the preseason at the time he actually tore the ACL:"I didn't know what to think. I had never had an ACL [injury] before, so I didn't know what it was going to take to get back. [I] didn't know what I was going to be going through. So, I just took it one day at a time, actually."
On whether he thinks he could mirror the rehabilitation process of CB Fabian Washington:"No, I'm not trying to do things that [Fabian] did. This is my body, so I think it's going to have to wait to see how my body reacts."
On how hard it was to get back from the time spent rehabbing the knee to where it is now: "I don't know about how hard, but it was a lot of hard work. Just being here every day with [vice president of medical services/head certified athletic trainer] Bill [Tessendorf], putting in all the work that I possibly can do, just being up here every day, it was hard waking up [and] coming up here every day, but it was easy once I got here to put the work in, because I wanted to be back. So, it just took a little time."
On what it means to him today and then eventually when he's back on the field in full pads:"It's going to be fun. It's going to be fun."
On where his knee is at, percentage-wise:"You can ask Bill [Tessendorf]."
On whether he feels like he can be ready for the regular season opener in his mind:"I just saw that you all just got through talking to [head coach] John [Harbaugh]. So, you can ask John, you can ask Bill [Tessendorf], and I think they'll give you all some kind of answer."
On whether he has any goals or expectations for himself as far as when he'd like to be back playing:"My expectations are to get through this whole season healthy and to help my team win a championship. Play my role – if that's cheering them on, on the sideline, if that's being the starting corner or starting nickel… Hey, I could be a coach. It doesn't matter. I just want to be a part of this team this year. So, I'm doing everything to get back with these guys."
On what the main thing was that he took from the whole process – getting hurt, rehabbing and now coming back:"Trust God. He cannot fail. He does everything for a reason, so just go back and just put my work in, and He did this for a reason. So, I just look at it like that."
On whether he feels like they need reinforcements in the secondary with him and CB Fabian Washington healing:"How I've been seeing the situation – even if I didn't come back – [is] we've got some great corners out there with Cary Williams, Fabian, Chris Carr, Travis Fisher, the veteran guy that knows things. So, with our group of guys that we have, I think they'll do a great job. With me, I think it'll be a little bit extra."
On whether working on the sidelines makes him a better defensive back, being able to watch from a different perspective: "Yes. When you asked the first question, I was going to say that, too. Just seeing it from a whole other perspective, seeing it from how the coaches see it, route combinations, seeing what other people mess up on. But, the thing that I'm missing out on is being on the field and feeling routes, feeling route combinations. So, that would be the thing that I'm missing out on, but I'm seeing the game in a totally different way right now."
On if he thinks about coming back to the return game: "I've been rehabbing this whole time just to get back and play football. I haven't been rehabbing just to get back to play one thing. I've been rehabbing to get back to my full self, and my full self does everything. I want to do everything I can possibly do when I get back to 100 percent."
