Head Coach John Harbaugh
Opening statement:"Good to see everybody. Thanks for coming. I want to thank [executive sports editor of The Baltimore Sun] Ron Fritz for coming out with The [Baltimore] Sun, and the award to Ray Rice – the Tim Wheatley Award – which we know how important and what kind of person Tim was here in Baltimore. We appreciate that very much on behalf of the Ravens, and I'm sure Ray will have some good things to say as well."
What kind of practice week did some of the guys that are working their way back have – guys like Haloti [Ngata] and "Kemo" [Ma'ake Kemoeatu]? (Aaron Wilson) "They had a good week. It was a good week – a good week of practice."
**As far as Reliant Stadium, is it one of the nosier stadiums that you guys have had as far as road venues, or do you just think that's most of them? *(Aaron Wilson) *"It's one of the more noisy ones. It just seems like when you get ready to go into these places they are all noisy. It seems like we're a team that people get excited to play against, crowds get pumped up for us when we come in there it seems like. We usually get the best of the crowd it seems like. We were down there for Monday Night Football; obviously that was a big deal. It's a big game again this week, so I'm sure there's excitement down there. We expect it to be really loud."
How comfortable have you guys been with how Justin [Tucker] is kicking the football so far? This is a place he's kicked, I think, in his first collegiate game.* (Aaron Wilson)* "That's good to hear. He's striking the ball really well. He really is. He's fundamentally really sound, and he has a good head. He's doing a good job."
*John, we haven't' had the chance to ask you about Ed Reed's comments that he's playing with a torn labrum. I guess, just your reaction, something that you knew about, your concern … (Matt Vensel) *"We have probably 25 or 30 guys that have things like that – things that they can play through that don't cost them any time, practice-wise or game-wise. Rephrase … I know what the players in this league do physically is something that I know I admire, and I think everybody should admire. It's a tough game; it's a physical sport. What he's talking about are the things that all these guys have. There are always a lot of bumps, and bruises, and nicks and tears – if you will – that guys have to deal with."
How has Terrell [Suggs] looked in practice this week?* (Jeff Zrebiec)*"He's been OK. He's been out there."
Is he [Suggs] going to play? (Jason Butt) "I don't know. We will see. Finally, somebody asked the question. (laughter) *Way to step up. If I knew I wouldn't tell you, and I don't know that I know what I know, and I don't know, and I'm not sure, and we'll have to see – that about sums it up. *(laughter) In all seriousness, he's done a really good job. This is a very serious injury [and] he's worked really hard. Us not putting it out there is the fact that we've practiced him all week. We aren't too interested in them knowing one way or the other. If he is playing, then we don't want them to know he's playing; we don't want them to be sure he's playing. And if he's not playing, then – how would I say that – then we don't want them to know that. You get my point, right? But give him credit; he's done a heck of a job. He is where he's at with it. He's getting into football shape and stuff. I don't want to diminish that at all."
**That decision has to be made tomorrow, correct? Because you have to make a roster move? *(Jeff Zrebiec) *"Not whether he's going to play or not. We'll just see how it goes."
John, the offense coming out the first couple of weeks has been slow the first and second quarters. Is this a key game going in where they have to start off [fast] to help out the defense this week? (Bill West) "We'd sure like it. We'd like for all three phases to start off fast. It's our goal, and we would definitely prefer to come out and make a good first impression, and we haven't always done that."
