Head Coach John Harbaugh
Do you feel better now about Bernard Pollard that he has had a few days of practice and has gotten some work in? (Aaron Wilson)"We'll just have to see on all of those guys. They are all guys that could play, possibly. Those guys had partial practice today. We'll just have to see. It really is [that] we'll see how they're feeling on Sunday."
On a long-term note, is it encouraging to see Jah Reid practicing? (Aaron Wilson)"It's good to see Jah moving around. Calves are really funny. It's funny, as a coach/doctor, that we are as head coaches in the National Football League, you start learning about all these little injuries. I've learned that calves take a long time to heal. I was not aware of that. But he is getting back, he is getting closer. So, it will be good to have him back in the mix."
John, with Jameel playing a little bit of outside linebacker in practice, does that speak more to finding him more ways to get on the field? (Matt Vensel)"It would speak to our depth. You have to take the 'backers and you want to make sure you give guys a chance to make sure you have your answers in case you get injuries."
Coach, you've seen your kicker hit some ridiculous kicks in pre-game warmups and practice. Would do ever consider sending him out there for a record-setting kick, a 66-, 67-yard kick? (Robert Klemko)"Yeah, you would. It would have to be the right situation. It would have to be an end-of-half, end-of-the-game situation where field position wasn't much of a factor if you don't make it, because it's obviously a very low-percentage try. But, he is a guy that might be capable of doing something like that someday. The main ones we want him to do now are on the ones that are makeable, kick those straight, and we'll all be happy."
Coach, you have experience going up against your brother in a big game. Have you talked to Art Jones at all about advice for this game going up against his brother? (Garrett Downing)"Play well. I told him that the main thing is to play well. But, that's always the advice. He is excited. I saw him tweet something that he's been waiting for this his whole life. That's a long time, even when you are only 25 years old, or whatever he is. It's a great story; it's a great family."
Coach, a lot has been made of the officials. As a coach, John Fox threw two challenge flags in the first half and was out. Do you have to re-evaluate what you do with your challenges and how you approach it knowing that there may be important ones down the road that you may have to think about what you challenge? (Paul Mittermeier)"I think it's important with any challenge. The fact that you may feel like you may need more challenges in a game than you normally would, you have to be careful what you challenge at any time. I have to be careful what I say at any time. But, you want to challenge ones that you think you have the best chance of winning. Like we challenged the one last week, and we didn't have a look at it, and we lost it, but I knew we didn't have a look at it. I thought there was a good chance he was down on that one anyway. So, we felt like it was worth challenging it, and it was worth a shot because of what it would have given us field position-wise. But, you always have to be careful with that."
Has Dennis Pitta evolved from the one you envisioned when you drafted him? (Robert Klemko)"I would say it has evolved into what we envisioned, and hopefully even more so in the next couple of years. He is a guy that has great ball skills, and he is a good football player."
Can you see Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson developing into roles like Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez in New England? (Robert Klemko)"It's different people. I am not a comparison guy, as some of these guys know. It doesn't mean anything because they are not the same people. Maybe they will be talking about Dickson and Pitta someday in those kind of terms. Obviously, what the two guys in New England have accomplished so far – and it's just early; they have a lot in front of the, and we will be defending them for many years to come – is pretty incredible."
Coach, coming out in the Sunday night game, do you want to start off with a fast-pace tempo on the first possession? (Bill West)"If I told you then I'd have to kill you, right? *(laughter) *We'll see."
Was there any kind of feeling that you couldn't push them as hard as you might have wanted to in practice this week, knowing that you have a Thursday night game next week? (Robert Klemko)"We did our normal practice routine this week. We had, really, our first normal week of the season, though, so far. So, we did our normal routine."
Coming out on that Thursday night game after the Sunday night game, going into the Cleveland game, it's got to be real difficult going right into the Thursday night game… (Bill West)"The thing is that [Cleveland] will have to do the same thing. So, both teams are on equal footing that way. So, we'll just try to do a good job of having our guys mentally ready to go and prepared and recovered as possible. You can't be fully recovered in three-plus days, but as much as possible, we will be."
