Head Coach John Harbaugh
(opening statement) "OK. Good to see everybody. Obviously, that was a heck of a team victory. All three phases played exceptionally well, made plays, just real pleased with the way we played today and the way we finished. I thought we started fast. We finished well, and we played pretty good in between, which we haven't always done. So, that's a good step in the right direction."
"A couple of things. [We had] six tipped balls. That is something that has been an emphasis for our [defensive] front going forward. I thought those guys did a real nice job in that. Special teams, obviously, was just outstanding. There were even a couple of things that we have to clean up, some of the punt return holding penalties. Two touchdowns, obviously, was pretty significant. Then, Joe [Flacco] played great, but to single one guy out would be probably doing a disservice to the whole team. I thought it was a great team victory."
(on his previous comments that there are no homecoming games in the NFL) "Wow, that's a great question. (laughing) I have no answer for that. Sometimes it just goes that way, right? Our guys made some plays."
(on the decision to not play DT Haloti Ngata and CB Jimmy Smith) "Haloti, we decided to dress Haloti. We are trying to get Haloti healthy. He didn't practice this week much, but we felt like it would be smart to dress him because he is a difference maker for us. We started the game out, and we were hoping that we wouldn't have to play him, and it turned out that we didn't have to play him, so we decided to rest him in this game. It was just the way the game went. The Jimmy situation was a little bit different. Jimmy was having a tough time getting warmed up as pre-game was going along. It just did not work for him with the tightness in his groins that he has been experiencing. So, we're going to have to take a hard look at that Monday and just see where he's at. This is the first time it has gotten to the point where he just couldn't get loose enough to play. We pushed it right up until game time, we activated him. We felt like he would get loose as he has in the previous pre-games, and it just did not. So, we tried him again at halftime, we brought him out at halftime, and he was unable to get loose enough. So, we're going to have to look at that hard tomorrow. No other injuries, nothing of significance."
(on if there is a reason this team plays so much better at home) "I don't really have that answer right now for you. We've played well at home, so that's a credit, and we have to find ways to play better on the road. We'll have a nice opportunity to do that here next week [at Pittsburgh] and the week after that [at San Diego]. So, that'll be our challenge."
(on if the team's success at home puts more emphasis on getting homefield advantage during the playoffs) "That's always – I don't care how you feel like you're doing in one place or another place – you always want to be at home in that situation, so that's a long-term goal. But, the short-term goal is more immediate, and we have a big game on the road against our divisional rival, and we're looking forward to that."
(on if the involvement of the tight ends was more of an emphasis in the game plan) "I think it's just a factor of what happened. We've had those guys in the game plan, and they had an opportunity. They were doing a good job of doubling Torrey [Smith], they were doubling Anquan [Boldin] quite a bit, and those guys came open. It's just the way the progression reads kind of played out. I think it was more of a function of Joe [Flacco] recognizing what they were doing and finding the open guys."
(on the media being surprised at the fake field goal) "Why? (Reporter answers: "You tell me.") Give me a good question."
(on what the thinking was that went into the fake field goal) "Well, the thinking was that it was there. The thinking was it's an overload look. They've got eight guys on one side of the formation, and inside the 10-yard line, if they are going to give you that opportunity, then we're going to take it. That's pretty much what we always do, so that's why we did it."
(on if the fake field goal call came from him or from P Sam Koch) "It has to be in the call, yeah. So, it was in the call, it was a possibility. If they give you the look, you run it. I they don't give you the look, pretty much like every fake, you don't run it. It was in the game plan all week, and they gave us the opportunity, and we called it."
(on what he says to people that say it wasn't the right time in the game to run a fake field goal) "I don't have any answer to that because it's the National Football League. I just put no credence in that. It's the way you line up your field goal formation, your defense. You line up your defense inside the 10-yard line to defend those things, and they knew that. They took a chance. The main thing is how our guys executed – that's the thing. We had a fake punt against Philadelphia in the first half, and we had the look, and we just didn't execute it very well. T hat's why that didn't go. The most important thing is calling it against the right look and then executing it well. I am proud of our guys for doing that."
(on if one of the objectives of a fake field goal is to keep the defense honest) "It is, but we're trying to get as many points as we can. I wish I could say that we stand up there – and you guys might roll your eyes at this a little bit – and you feel like the game is out of hand, and we don't need those points. When I'm looking at the clock, and I'm seeing 25 minutes left in the game, a lot of things can happen. Turnovers can happen, people can score quick. So, if they're going to give us an opportunity for four points that we normally wouldn't have, we just feel obligated to take advantage of that. We are trying to win the game, so if you can extend your lead, you really should do that in this league. There is just too much talent over there to assume that they can't get back into the football game, so that's what we do."
(on if OLB Terrell Suggs looked like the "real Terrell Suggs") "Well, I think he's looked like the real Terrell Suggs ever since he has been back. But, to get the tipped balls and to see the production was big. Not just he, I think Paul Kruger had a huge tip, obviously, and came down with that one. So, the turnovers were important. Our guys played hard. We played four quarters like it was the fourth quarter. That's the way we need to play."
(on if the recent wins gives the team momentum going into next week's game at Pittsburgh) "Momentum helps. Confidence is a good thing. You could talk about confidence, but confidence is really built by playing well, right? You prove yourself that you can do well, and you become more confident, so that's got to be a plus for us, but this game stands on its own, the game we're about to play. This is the game that we've known is on the schedule, they've known it's on the schedule, and we're excited to go play this game. We feel like we're in the position where we wanted to be to play. Now, we have to go in there and put our best foot forward and play the best we can and see what happens."
(on if G Bobbie Williams hurt himself) "Two things, I would say. Bobbie has had the ankle, so it was a chance for us to rest him, and Jah Reid has really been coming on and practicing well. What Jah needs is playing time. He needs experience, he needs snaps on the field, so it was our plan to start him out there in the third series no matter what and then play him as much as we could. So, it was good to have that opportunity, and he played well."
(on if today's game was the step in the right direction for the defensive pass rush) "Certainly, we like sacks. We liked tipped balls, we like pressures. It's production. I don't think one week predicts the next week so much. When you are trying to improve big-picture things like run defense or underneath pass defense, which are getting better, those are things you look at and say, 'We need to keep building there.' Something like pressure, sometimes those things come and go. We're going to need to continue to get pressure even more than we did today."
(on what setting a franchise record for points in a game says about this team) "I don't know. That would be a good thing to write about and determine. I'm not exactly sure. I think it's a great accomplishment. Our offense obviously played well, and our special teams put up two scores. So, it usually takes something like that, sometimes it takes defensive scores to score those kinds of points. Usually when you score those kinds of points in the NFL, it's because some crazy things happened, some things that don't normally happen, usually some big plays. That's what happened here too."
(on what today's game says about CB Chykie Brown and CB Corey Graham) "It says a lot. Chykie is a very talented guy, and he really has been determined. He has been focused, his concentration has been tremendous. He has really done a great job learning the defense. The difference between a year with him is just incredible. Of course, Corey has done well since Lardarius [Webb] got hurt. I'm sure glad we signed him. We said he wasn't just a special teams player. The 'just' there probably would not be a good label for a guy like me. It says a lot to be a great special teams player, but he is also a heck of a defensive player. He knew that, and I think that's a big reason why he came here. Now, he gets the chance to prove it."
QB Joe Flacco
(on watching in the fourth quarter) "A little bit of you wants to go back out there and continue and get stats, but you realize that you're kind of going to go run the ball anyway. You're happy for Tyrod and those other guys to go out there and have a chance to go play a little bit."
(on if they needed a performance like this heading into Pittsburgh game next week) "I don't think that one game really predicts what's going to happen in the next game. Once next Sunday comes around, it's a completely different scenario, a completely different day. We still have to put the work in this week and go up there and play well. While we played very well today, and we should be happy about it, we've got to put it behind us and move on."
(on if it helps from a confidence standpoint) "I think we're a pretty confident group. I don't really think this game will have too much weight come Sunday. I think it will be behind us, and we'll be getting ready to line up against the Steelers."
(on what got the passing game going today) "I think we just came out from the beginning and were able to do it just like we have been when we do those kind of things. We kept the momentum from there. Obviously, we had success. We ran the game plan, and it worked well. We stuck with it. We scored points early and continued to score them. These games are so different from game to game, the situations that you have. I mean, they scored at the end of the second quarter. You're like 'man, come on.' You wish they just could have held them out, and we would have got there. But it kind of turned out good for the offense. They score, and then we were able to get right back in there and score again and continue our momentum. I think the more we get three-and-outs and things like that, the more we'll able to keep that momentum. Today, we started off well. I think we were able to wear them out a little bit as the game went on, and that's why we were able to succeed late, too."
(on if they saw anything in Oakland's coverage of the tight ends that helped the Ravens) "The biggest thing is that the safeties really got off those hashes and were going wide and really [watching] Torrey [Smith] mainly and then Anquan [Boldin] underneath. They were trying to prevent those guys from really getting the ball and being a big factor in the game, and because of that, it left the middle of the field open a little bit. On the first one, I hit Ed [Dickson] down the middle, I saw the safety just get way out. I just thought he was going way over the top to double Torrey, which he may have been, but I think the corner also fell down, so he might have felt that and just tried to get over the top. I think that was one reason that they were able to get single coverage in there, and they did a good job."
(on the fact that the tight ends made a lot of big plays) "You go out there, and you run the plays, and when calls go to them, and we execute right, they're going to have big catches. Like I said, they were probably guys that had [chances] early in the game because they were going to be the guys that were getting singled with the linebackers and things like that, and they did that. And then, as the game progressed, it kind of allowed us to get the ball to Torrey, Anquan, Jacoby, all those guys."
(on the unselfishness of his receivers) "I don't think we have any selfish guys. I'm sure every receiver goes into every game hoping that they have a 100 yards or so and a few touchdowns. I think everybody thinks that way a little bit. But when you get into the game, you just play, and you don't worry about those kind of things, and that's the kind of guys we have. Saturday night, you're probably sitting there thinking 'Hey Joe, get me 150, get me two touchdowns,' but come Sunday, you play the game and things work out the way they do for a reason."
(on the way the Raiders pressured him) "They came after us a little bit today. They were trying to come after us, some strong dogs here and there and things like that. They definitely, in the first half, were trying to put pressure on us, and when we came out in the third quarter, we were definitely thinking, we definitely had some awareness that they might start bringing some crazier things—maybe some corners here and there and things like that. They definitely looked like they put an emphasis on trying to get to us a little bit, and we were able to get the ball out of our hands quickly, and we had some good calls for those situations."
(on this own stats) "I want to put up statistics, but like I said, once Sunday comes around, you do what you have to do to win the football game, and you're satisfied with that. But yeah, as the week goes on, and you're talking about the game, you want to go out there and you want to put up some numbers that you're going to be happy with at the end of the day."
(on some of Oakland's defensive looks) "This is what they do. They can get after the quarterback with their front four at times, and I think a lot of credit has to go to our offensive line for just doing such a good job today, playing consistently and physical throughout the course of the game, and giving our guys downfield time to get open and work a little bit."
(on if good games like this make him wonder why the Ravens play so well at home but have problems on the road) "I honestly don't think about it too much because it's just happened to work out that way. They put up our record on the scoreboard today at home since '08, and we have five losses. And the Patriots are up there. It just seems like all good teams, for whatever reason, tend to play very well at home and probably not play as well on the road. Or maybe it's because those teams that are playing on the road also play well at home. But I've got to tell you, we've played some big games on the road a couple years, every year we've been here, and we've won a lot of them. Obviously, for whatever reason, we're not as successful on a consistent basis. But when it matters, we play very well, no matter where we are."
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TE Dennis Pitta
(on his touchdown) "The call came in, and we got off the line quick. We got them uncomfortable and got a little bit of a run fake, so the linebackers sucked up. Joe [Flacco] did a good job of putting it up high only where I could get it, and it ended up being a big score for us."
(on the actual touchdown call) "It actually was the original call. It was quick up-tempo play, and we got to the line and executed it well and got the score."
(on how it felt to get back to the end zone) "One of them didn't feel so good, and I didn't catch it, but it felt good to be a part of it early, and both Ed [Dickson] and I were excited about this game. We knew we were part of the plan, and Joe did a good job of getting us balls early. And, I think that set the tone for the offense. We were able to have a great day."
(on being part of the game plan) "Every week we are part of the game plan, but you really can't predict how much you are going to be involved, because that is dictated by the defensive looks. But, we have the same mindset going into each game. Today, we were able to take advantage of some of the things we saw on film, and it ended up being a good day for us." * *
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WR/RS Jacoby Jones
(on the kick return for a touchdown) "Honestly, the ref blew his whistle on the one before. I was trying to go 110 [yards], but he stopped it, and it gave me a kick to do it on the next one. My guys did a heck of a job blocking. They take pride in it, and I certainly appreciate them for it. All I try to do is run fast and score."
(on how it feels to contribute knowing the team brought him in to do this) "They brought me in to play my role, and I'm going to do whatever I have to do to succeed. Every time they call my name – whether it be a kick return or a pass – I'm going to try to make that play."
(on being involved in the offense) "Joe [Flacco] was spreading the ball to everybody today, and you never know when that ball is coming, so you have to be on your P's and Q's with Joe."
(on his touchdown dance) "That's old school, man. It's called 'Cabbage Patch.' You don't know what the 'Cabbage Patch' is?"
(on being the only Raven to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in a career) "That's good for our unit – kick returns, punt returns, whatever. Everybody should share in it. That's good for all of us."
(on the path ahead for the Ravens) "We have to buckle our chinstraps and go play football. Take it one game at a time, and every game we play from here on out is a big one."
(on how the 105-yard return compares to his 108-yard return) "I wasn't as tired, because it was shorter, but it still feels good."
(on the kickoff return that he dropped that he could not return) "[K Sebastian] Janikowski is a great kicker, and he was giving me all kinds of funny kicks. So the ball was coming, and I was trying to catch it, and he did a great job of kicking it. I thought that if I would have caught that one, I could have rolled into it."
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T Michael Oher
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(on the confidence that the team gets from this game going into next week) "We focused all week on the Raiders, but in the back of our minds, we knew the Steelers were coming. They have been having a lot of success as of late, and it's going to be a good game next week, but we look forward to it."
(on what the performance today means to the team) "This game is something to build on and keep getting better. Obviously, it is always good when you can score a lot of points, but it's something to build on. Having said that, I'm sure we are going to have a lot of corrections to make. Still, it's great to win."
LB Jameel McClain
(on DC Dean Pees changing the defensive scheme) "We added a new little wrinkle, and got some extra linebackers on the field, and those guys went out there and worked. With the talent that we had, we utilized it well."
(on DE Haloti Ngata not playing most of the game) "It really helps to get him some rest. We all know that he's a force in this league, and he'll be back at 100 percent. Our young guys stepping it up without Haloti is pretty impressive. We have to give the d-line credit for doing what they did."
(on whether this was his best game as a Raven) "I don't know, you all are going to have to judge that yourselves. I just try to go out and work as hard as I can."
(on defensive players getting their hands in the passing lane) "It was important for us. We had seen people on film knock those balls down. We emphasized it, and then went out and did it. Once again, big credit to the defensive line. They played a heck of a game."
(on defending Raiders RB Marcel Reece) "He's a big boy but he's fast, too. He can really get on you in a hurry. Me and Reece go way back to when we were training at the combine together. I know what he's been through and I know he's going to have a good career."
(on red zone defense) "It's impressive to not let them score, but have to stop giving up yards because we don't want anybody to get any yards on us. That's the downfall of the day."
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LB Paul Kruger
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(on his interception) "I just put my hands up and the ball just happened to bounce the right way. Luckily the ball fell down, right into my hands. It's just kind of one of those plays that comes your way."
(on his two sacks) "One of them was a credit to [NT] Terrence Cody. He just pushed the center backwards. On the other one, the quarterback just fell down and I was lucky to be there. It was a good day, a lot of different guys were making things happen and that led to plays coming my way."
(on the Ravens' defense overall) "I think a lot of guys are really starting to come around, and this defense is starting to gel together. Things are kind of rolling our way. It's just a matter of us putting the right things together, and trying to make plays. We did that today. And I think it's going to keep getting better."
(on the Ravens defense scheme change) "The coaches have been doing a great job of creating different packages and putting us in the right position. It's a great credit to those guys, they've done a hell of a job this week."
(on not having DT Haloti Ngata) "Not having Haloti out there is a huge hindrance to us. We had to really pick up the slack and make the plays that we needed to make. He's really the anchor of our defense, so we need to get him back as quickly as we can."
(on the young guys stepping up) "It's huge to get these guys some experience. Having a victory like this is a huge motivator and confidence boost. Big win today."
(on knocking passes down) "It's something that [Defensive Coordinator] Dean Pees has been harping on us all week. We've been practicing it. It's a credit to the coaches, to just making sure we had all the little things in our minds, that really paid off today."
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RB Ray Rice
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(on the Ravens offense) "We scored 55 points today. Doesn't matter how you get it, it was a great team win today. Those guys [the Raiders] are big, sturdy guys up front. I came in to this week knowing that they had some big guys up front. They weren't just going to let us run over them. That's a prideful bunch over there. We just wanted to come out here to win. We're 7-2, and we're looking forward to the toughest part of our schedule coming up ahead."
(on how important a big win is) "It's a confidence booster on all ends. When you have a defense without [DT] Haloti [Ngata] and [LB] Ray Lewis, you can see those guys really stepped up. In addition, our offense excelled in the pass game today. That's something we've really been working on and trying to execute. Those guys are really playing lights out. Little plays in the games, that they're making, are making a big difference."
(on P Sam Koch's touchdown run) "It was better than mine! He set up his blocks. I'm going to have to take a few lessons out of his book."
(on his touchdown run) "It was just a regular trap play. They were in Cover-2. Our five guys up front got a hat on a hat, and I dove right in."
(on his surprise at the margin of victory) "I was surprised it got that way early. But honestly, they're banged up and we wanted to try to come out there and get a win. To score 55, no matter how you do it, is impressive. If we scored 55, you would have thought I had 300 yards rushing. But when you score 55 points, and everybody is involved, it feels pretty good."
(on finishing a game) "We played the whole four quarters. When you get a win like that, your young guys get to play. You get a guy like [RB] Bernard Pierce that gets to rush, a guy like [RB] Anthony Allen and young receivers out there. Those are game reps that you can't take away. Those aren't practice reps, those are game reps. Those guys can take those into another game."
(on Sunday night's game against the Steelers) "I'm looking forward to it. We all know what time of year it is. We get an extra day of rest. We're going to watch them tomorrow night. I'm sure their coaches take care of them just like our coaches take care of us. May the best man win next Sunday."
(on Jah Reid playing left guard) "We're finding our pieces right now. The offensive line is a daily battle. We have a great group of veterans mixed with young guys. That's a tough, physical front we played today. Put last week aside, because everybody got excited about [RB] Doug Martin and what he did. Those are big physical guys over there. When you think about the Oakland Raiders, the first thing you think about is their size. That guy [DT Tommy] Kelly in the middle was a force to be reckoned with today. To see Jah Reid come in there and handle the situation, that's inspiring. We need everybody."
(on the Ravens pass protection) "We compared their pass rush to a lot of the great pass rushing teams. If you looked at the Oakland Raiders, they were causing a lot of turnovers. We felt like if we picked up their pass rush, and we didn't turn the ball over, then we would be fairly successful against them."
(on how important being 7-2 is) "It's very important. We feel like we control our own destiny. No. 1, we never overlooked Oakland. Nobody comes into our house and stomps on our grass. We knew we had to protect our home. We have a great streak going, and we had to protect it. You don't let anybody come in your yard. We like to keep our clean-cut grass and keep our front yard, and we did that. Nobody had to call the landlord."
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WR Torrey Smith
(on how much fun today's game was) "I think the biggest thing was we executed well for the most part. We made a few mistakes here and there, but we came away with [a lot] of points and that's all you can really ask for."
(on his first touchdown) "The safety, he kind of bit with 'Q' [Anquan Boldin] coming over, but I saw the coverage. Initially it was good coverage with the safety, but I actually heard the coach on the sideline saying 'Play the post! Play the post!' But I thought with the coverage I was going to be able to have a pretty good matchup and Joe [Flacco] saw it."
(on his second touchdown reception) "Just great execution on Joe's [Flacco] part. I was able to go wide and get a little bit of space, and he drove it in there where only I could get it. I took a hit, but we got the points on the board and it was huge for us."
(on if he's feeling OK) "I'm alright. I'm walking. I'm good."
(on having a chance to defend first place in the AFC North at Pittsburgh next week) "Yeah, definitely. It's going to be a huge week for us in terms of practice and getting ready for them. The good thing is our coaches are familiar with them, we're familiar with them as players, and it's going to be a good one. It's a huge game for both teams, not only for our divisions, but just for the cities as well."
P Sam Koch
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(on his touchdown run on the fake field goal) "It was one thing that we called when we went out there, and they gave us the look that we wanted, and it opened up, and the guys up front did a great job blocking. They definitely helped with the back side, and the three guys right on the left side."
(on if he was even touched running in) "No, not even touched."
(on if Oakland was taken by surprise) "Oh, yeah. By surprise, and we had the left side just basically drive the guys into the end zone, so it helped out."
(on if he got to keep the ball) "Yeah, I got the ball. I gave it to my wife, she's got it right now, so it's safe."
(on if he was waiting to get hit by someone) "Well, I hadn't been hit in practice yet, so at that point, I'm not too worried about getting hit. It's just making sure those guys block, which they do every time, and it turned out great."
(on if Raiders players seemed to be upset after the play) "Oh, not that I know of. I was too busy doing high-fives and spiking the ball."
S Ed Reed
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(on if it was the coach's decision to leave the game early) "Yeah, the game was, we thought, out of reach. The offense was playing well, and I was having a pretty bad game as an individual, and I really didn't want to go back out there as a competitor playing the way I was playing today. But we've got guys that can step up, step in, and needed to get those reps and see what other guys can do. But coach just pulled me out, which was good, but we were having a pretty good game. Hats off to the Raiders, and we're glad to get the win."
(on the upcoming game against Pittsburgh) "We will be prepared. We will be ready. We're going to enjoy this one right now, and we know those guys play tomorrow, we know it's a division game, and we know it's a big one. So, we'll be ready for it."
(on the offense playing well and scoring a franchise-record 55 points) "They did. They did, and that's what we were talking about, coaches and players. But you have those games where not everything is going to be perfect, just a couple of plays that were out there, but like I said the offense was playing good. We needed that, but defensively we were playing well, too. There was nothing that really cost us outside of that touchdown on the missed tackle. When you know the play is coming, it's crazy that you know the play is coming and don't make that play."
(on how his stinger is feeling) "I'm fine. It was just a minor stinger, not very serious."
(on how well the team is rebounding from some earlier injury problems) "Adversity builds character, and we know as a team that we're going to go through that throughout the season. So, we're prepared for it, guys are professionals and prepared to play every week."
S Bernard Pollard
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(on today's game being very physical) "That's football. That's football. We don't care about how we win, as long as we win, we're good. I think for us, you're going to win some by blowouts, you're going to win some by one point, you're going to win some by a field goal. I just think for us, we have found a way to win [and] we have to continue to play like this. This is Ravens football. That is as close to 60 minutes as a team that we've played all year long, so I just really believe that we have to continue this week. We have to continue to stack these weeks as far as practice. I really believe that we played good ball today."
(on if this was a confidence boost) "If we don't have enough confidence … We're blessed to play this game. God has given us an ability, a gift, to play this game. So, if we're not happy and excited and confident about stepping out there on the field, we're doing something wrong. Like I've said before in so many interviews; nobody is giving back a check. Everybody is getting their check on Tuesday, and everybody is enjoying putting it in their bank account and spending money. So, I think for us, we have to continue to stick to the grind. When we play at home, we've got to ball out. You look at the fans – the fans were amazing today. So, we've just got to take this and we've got to roll with it."
(on the offense breaking the franchise record in points today) "The point scoring and everything else, it's good to throw 55 on the board or whatever, but at the same time, you've got to know when you put that on, you put a target on your back. When you put that on the board and you put that on film, you put a target on your back. So, I just think for us, like I said, this is the closest to 60 minutes that we've played all year as a team, and we have to build from this. We have to stack the weeks as far as practice; we have to have exceptional practices. We have to. It's a must for us to play this type of football that we play."
