(opening statement) "Obviously, it was a really important win, a win in the division. We talked about that. That's a big, important long-term victory. But in the short-term, I thought our guys just came out and played right from the get go. That was a good thing. We came out really smoking right out of the tunnel. That's what they wanted to do. We got the turnover right away. We scored right away. I think we had three touchdowns off of turnovers. We controlled the best return guy in football. Our coverage teams did an outstanding job. We got something out of our kick return. Then our defense – not giving up the shots, playing great run defense, and I'm sure our third downs were really good. So across the board, I thought it was a complete victory, a team victory. Yet and still, in the second half, we can play better. That's what we have to do. We have to find a way to keep getting better every single week."
(on the improvement of the team from the first two games) "Well that's the thing. The old coaching adage is 'It's never as good as it looks. It's never as bad as it looks.' And last week, as bad as some things looked, they weren't that bad. That's what we try to convey. Yet, we still had to get better. This week, as good as some of those numbers are going to look, it's not as good as it looks. There [are] a lot of little things in there that we have to improve on. I'm really proud of our team. I think our team took care of business in a way that they had to take care of in this particular game. They understood this game for what it was and they took care of this game. And they did it right out of the gate. Within the course of the game, the ebb and flow of the game, we can play better, and that's what we have to find a way to do. Continue every week, and obviously we have a huge challenge coming up this week. But that's the way it is every week in the NFL. We're excited about getting back to work tomorrow. At least the coaches are. The players are probably excited about getting a little time off tonight."
(on the Ravens' impressive blocking for McGahee's touchdowns) "Well that's a couple of plays. There's plenty of other plays where they got touched and they got hit, and they had to make some tough yards. But there were a couple of calls in there, where Joe [Flacco] got to an audible situation. Notably the one that comes to mind is the one around the left hand side to Willis McGahee, and that's just a great job of recognizing the blitz, film study, understanding what this team likes to do in that situation and getting us in the perfect play. And that's why a guy runs around there untouched. So, you give that one as much to Joe and our coaching staff, I think, as you give to anybody."
(on if he thought about pulling Joe Flacco earlier) "No, not at all. They went down the field and moved the ball on us. In this league - they had a new quarterback in the game and comebacks have been made before. We're not interested in leaving anything to chance. Joe was going to stay in until a point where we felt like we were in good shape."
(on the injury to Ray Lewis) "Ray got a stinger. Just a classic stinger, and I think Haloti [Ngata] gave it to him. Haloti is flying around in there. I think he hit somebody else too. You'll have to ask those guys who he hit. I think he got somebody else on our side."
(on the improvement in the secondary) "Well, we have great leadership out there. It starts with Ed Reed. Ed Reed is a leader on this football team. Ed Reed is a leader in the secondary and it goes right through.
Dawan Landry – the two safeties played really well. Credit Mark Carrier with the job he did with those guys this week. I thought Fabian [Washington] and Fox [Domonique Foxworth] played really well. Tight coverage. It's always more than one thing. But I think the leadership, starting with Ed, was the key to those guys bouncing back this week."
(on if the fans should be excited about the potential of the team) "Well, we're excited about our team. We're excited about our guys. I'm excited about the people. I'm excited about the type of people that we have, the guys that walk in this room right here, these two guys [Joe Flacco and Derrick Mason] and the rest of our guys. That's been from day one. The type of men we have coaching. The type of people in the building. So, yes, hopefully they'll recognize that. If you're a Ravens fan you have to be excited about the tremendous players on your football team and really everybody in the organization. We've been excited."
(on the continued impact of Derrick Mason) "Well, Derrick, thanks for not retiring. [laughs] We're so past that. Derrick Mason – he's a playmaker and he does it in so many different ways. I've said it before, he's the best route runner that I've seen in the time that I've been in the National Football League. That says a lot. He can get open against anybody in just about any way. And it's not just the underneath stuff. You can put him in the slot. You can put him outside and he can get deep, make a play, make a catch, shake off a tackle, and score on a play like that. Those are the types of plays that the elite receivers make in this league, and that's what Derrick Mason does. If he's not an elite receiver in this league, I don't know who is."
(on what makes him the best route runner in the league) "Well, Derrick can get up here and explain a lot of that. But from a secondary's perspective, every route looks the same. To me, that's what Derrick does so well. Every route looks the same. He comes off the ball – is it a nine route, is it a three route, is it a six route, four route, whatever those routes are – they all look the same on the snap. You don't know what you're going to get. And he's in and out of the route so fast."
(on what it means for Derrick to have 800 receptions in this league) "Did he? Congratulations Derrick. ["That's why he didn't retire," said Joe Flacco in the room.] That's pretty impressive. I'll let him talk to you about that."
(on the milestone) "I mean, it's great I guess, wonderful, but it's even better when you have the type of guys we have playing on offense. Guys that go out there and regardless of where the ball is going or what play is called, they go out there and they're working hard. They're getting excited, we're getting excited for one another. So, you know, it meant a lot. I know it meant a lot in our room, the receiving room. It meant a lot to this offense. But I think the big thing is that we got the win. We got the win on top of the 800 catches, so I guess that's all that really matters."
(on if anyone said anything special in the locker room) "No, not really. I mean, you know, we really don't make a big deal about it. It was brought to my attention earlier this week. I didn't know, honestly I didn't, I really wasn't paying attention. When I made the catch, I didn't know that was the 800th catch when I made it. It's a part of the day you know, it's a part of your job to catch the ball, get open and make a guy miss and do whatever you need to do to help the team win ball games. You don't too much worry about, if it's your 800th catch or your 10th touchdown, you just try to do what you can to help the team win the football game."
(on the perception that he's a possession receiver) "I haven't gotten too many 10-yard passes this year. I think they've been over 10 yards; it is what it is. I'm tired of arguing with people, and you know and trying to convince people that I'm more than just a 'what you want to try and label me as.' You're the ones that try to put me in a box, if I was to listen to everyone out there, I'd be stuck in a box. But so be it, I'm not stuck in a box. I can do just about anything, you know, and when you have a quarterback like Joe [Flacco], you can run a five-yard route, or you can run a 50-yard route, and he can get the ball to you. That's all that matters."
(on how the Ravens compare to other good teams he played on) "I think it's unfair to compare the teams that I've played on. I think the one thing that they all have in common is the mentality and the attitude that they go about playing the game and playing with an aggressiveness and the mentality of 'we're going to beat you up for 60 minutes, and we're going to do what we need to do to win the football game. Whatever it takes.' I think that's what all the teams that I've played on, the really good ones have. But the other stuff is just unfair to compare."
(on the wide open offense) "Is it wide open? I don't know what you mean, we run the ball, we throw it, we just try to keep defenses unbalanced, on their heels. We don't want to be predictable. We want to go out there and try to attack them. We're not going to let our feet off the gas pedal at any time this year. And I think in order to be a very good offense, you have to take that approach. Some days might be good, some days might be bad. But you have to go out there with the mentality that you know, regardless of what happens, we're not going to take our foot off the gas pedal."
(on the touchdown) "I didn't do anything, it was the play call. I can't tell you what the play was, but it was the play that was called and Joe [Flacco] just threw it up. I'm not going to say he just threw it up, it was a great pass down the field, and he saw…"
(on the juke) "Nah, not really. Joe [Flacco] throwing the ball to me was what made it. No, but as a receiver, you just try to, once you get the ball in your hands, you try to score. And that's the only thing that's on your mind - is scoring touchdowns. When you see that end zone, I think you become like a kid in the candy store, you want to get to it as fast as you can. And that was my thought process when I made the catch, the safety kind of overplayed it, and I saw the end zone. And I just wanted to get to it as fast as I could. But it all started with the guys up front, and Joe [Flacco] as I saw on the replay, he kind of side-stepped the defender and threw the ball up. So you have to hand it to Joe [Flacco] and the offensive line. They made that play really work."
(on a well-rounded team) "Yeah definitely, we always play together, get team victories. Any time the defense is getting turnovers, then it's our job to put the ball in the end zone. And we converted them [the turnovers] into a pretty good amount of points today. That's what you have to do in order to win games."
(on the Browns) "Yeah definitely, that's what you have to do as an NFL team. You can't come in and take anybody more light than the other guy. Every team that we play here is going to be a good team, especially in this division. Cleveland's coming in here, they have two losses, and they had a lot to play for. We knew that, so we had to make sure we came out ready to go from the very beginning and to try and get the game in our hands quickly."
(on WR Derrick Mason) "Yeah, I mean obviously, Derrick is great to have around, he's obviously had a great career. I didn't get to throw most of those passes to him, but it's pretty cool just to be a part of. You don't know how many times you're going to be around a guy like Derrick. And for him to be a part of our team and be a part of his career is pretty special for us."
(on throwing the ball in the fourth quarter) "Yeah, I think we wanted to put points on the board, you know. Our mindset is to go down and put points on the board. You know, we were going to do whatever we had to do to do that. We ran the ball great today and I think we threw the ball pretty successfully. So anytime you're doing that, it's tough on the defense, and Derrick went up and made a nice play for us at the end. And it was good to see him do that."
(on RB Ray Rice's first career TD) "Yeah, well I wasn't sure if that was his first one, but I kind of thought it was. I know he scored in the preseason but, you know I didn't think he had in the regular season. It's about time, you know, he's been knocking on the door a couple of times, and he won't get in there. I think he could have had one against Kansas City and I think he decided to give Willis [McGahee] or Le'Ron [McClain] one a couple of plays later. But, you know, it was good for him. I handed the ball to him and a couple of seconds later, I realized he was going to be in the end zone. You know, all of our backs had a great game today. And as long as we keep playing like this and playing team football, then we're going to be tough to beat this year. We just need to keep going."
(on the Ravens' offense) "It's been one of our goals to put up more points this year. Every time we touch the ball, we want to score. We didn't get that accomplished today, but we were able to move the ball the way we wanted to. The bottom line today, we were able to move the ball down the field and get points, and we really separated early."
(on Joe Flacco's ability to throw it into tough spots) "That was a great timing throw in a key situation when we needed it. Joe's got the knack for making those types of plays."
(on beating a division opponent) "We'll let them read that message however they want. They know we're coming to play, I think they know that. We've just got to come into every game with that attitude. With this group of guys, I think we'll go a long way."
(on his health after 3 games) "I feel great. It's been a fun year so far. I'm playing healthy and having a lot of fun. I've been getting out, running routes and blocking my tail off. It's a fun first three games, and I just want to keep it going."
(on the offense's dominating performance) "From the time that we started this year, we were just on a mission. We wanted to give ourselves an identity and come out and be the most physical offense. That's the mentality that we take when we step out on the field, and we showed a little bit of that today."
(on the Ravens' running game) "It all starts with the offensive line up front. It starts in practice on Wednesday. How we run the ball in practice is how we run it in the game. When we come out on the field, we run north and south and get what we can get."
(on the pass protection) "We feel like if we can protect Joe [Flacco], he can throw any pass on the field. We have great receivers on the outside and Mark Clayton, Kelley [Washington] and Mase [Derrick Mason]. We are just going to continue to get better. We left some plays on the field. We always try and score as many points as we can. We need to enjoy this tonight and get ready for next week tomorrow."
(on Joe Flacco checking down to the backs) "Joe is a great quarterback, and he has grown a lot from last year to this year. The guy is playing like an all-pro quarterback. I hope he continues to do it."
(On what helped change things this week) "It's great that we can get that great practice throughout the week and put it into the game. It's just like our coach said, if you practice great, you play great. That's what we did. Hopefully we keep it going."
(On what was different this week) "You know just communicating, basically. Last week, San Diego got to us in the back end and passing on us and stuff like that, so we communicated up front and in the back end and got some interceptions this week, and it was great that we were able to do that."
(On how they controlled the game from the start) "We just kept the momentum going throughout the game and just basically took them out."
(On today's game) "They made some plays; we made some plays, too. This is the NFL, and I think the odds of the home team winning is something [that's] ridiculous. We had our home crowd behind us, and that's always a plus."
(On what caused the improved play today on defense) "I think it was a little bit more attention to detail. We played a little bit disciplined. We didn't play as aggressive as we usually do. Everybody on this defense is capable of making a play, and we kind of just let the plays happen today."
(On how everything clicked in this game) "The NFL season, it's a marathon, it's not a sprint. We're going to have some games when we're up. We're going to have some games when we're down, and this was just a game where we were rolling on all cylinders. Our offense, from the moment they had the ball, they had the momentum. They just kept making plays. When your offense can maintain that clock like that, then you're going out there with a fresh defense, it's pretty dangerous. So, it's just like I said, some games we're going to be up, some games we're going to be down, but today we had that great 12th man, the crowd was rolling, and we got it rolling early."
(on how it felt to score his first NFL touchdown) "It felt good. It took me a long time, but I was patient, I waited. It definitely felt good to get one in. We worked really hard for it, and I'm sure that will be the first of many. It was just the right time and the right play and Willis [McGahee] had a long run – we really offset each other really well. I think the rhythm [was there], but I guess it was destiny for it to happen."
(on how his touchdown play unfolded) "Le'Ron [McClain] read the play out for me before we ran the play. He said, 'Don't be afraid to bounce. Use your speed, trust your speed.' And that's exactly what I did."
(on the combination backfield and how the backs are complimenting each other) "I'm fresh going into every game. Me and Willis are offsetting each other. We're both putting our quality yards [in], and it just feels good to know that it's a long season and we've got a great rotation going. He's fresh, I'm fresh, and it's just good to know that we're both doing our thing"
(on the state of the offense right now) "Like you said, we're clicking. We're one. It's not like we're doing this [individually]; everybody is chipping in. Everybody is playing, everybody is running, everybody is catching. And the great thing about this is, everybody is happy. There's not one guy that's saying, 'We're not doing this, we're not doing that, I'm not touching the ball – everybody is touching the ball and everybody knows their role. So, we're just happy, and we're playing good football."
(on how the defense played as a whole today) "I thought we played pretty darn good to tell you the truth. I'm not going to sugarcoat it; I thought we did a nice job. But, that's kind of how we practiced and now it's over. That's the bittersweet part of professional football. Tomorrow, we have to go watch the tape. This will last for 48 hours, and then you've got to move on."
(on how his sack play developed) "The tight end and tackle were both blocking on the same side, and it was…I really don't know what happened. I think he wanted to get sacked. The coverage was really good, because he had to hold the ball, and that's where sacks come from. They come from coverage, they don't come from anything else. We can all pass rush, but can the guys behind you cover? Our guys can cover."
(on how you prepare going to a tough place in New England next week at 3-0) "We start preparing tomorrow. Right now, I don't know what they're doing, if they won, if they lost, I don't know. But it is what it is. We'll take a good look at them tomorrow, but right now, you enjoy this one as long as you can; which is about 14 hours."
(on if there's a special thing with the team going on winning their third game in a row) "Oh yeah, no doubt about it. We came in at the beginning of this year saying, we need to give our defense more time on the sideline. We took a vow that we would do that. This is our second year under Cam Cameron and our offense is clicking. It's different from last year where it was our first year. In our first year we were kind of hesitant about doing certain things. Now it's just clicking. [Joe] Flacco's back there in the pocket, just slinging it. Everyone's doing a great job. Offensive line is just on point right now."
(on what it's like being the team's leading scorer) "It's alright. As long as we're winning, that's what counts."
(on how it felt going into the end zone untouched) "It feels good, man. That right there shows you what the line is doing up front. The whole line and the receivers. I said to myself, I've got to score on this one because nobody's touching me, so you've got to get in the end zone, and that's what I did."
(on his thoughts on a no-huddle offense and moving the ball) "We came in and just executed our game plan from the beginning of the week. We were really looking forward to this game. We didn't really feed into what other players were saying. We just played regular football."
(on what this game means going forward) "The sky's the limit. Right now, we just got off this game playing Cleveland, and we have another game right in front of us which is New England, and we're going to go in there and hopefully continue our success."
(on if he's surprised with the outcome) "You've got to give that credit to the defense, holding them to three points. Last week we gave up a lot of yards on defense, so those guys took a vow to never let that happen again. They pushed us harder to push them so they were prepared for it."
(on the preparation throughout the week) "You've got to go back with Coach Harbaugh. He put in our heads that we've got to go out and start fast and finish strong. Right there we sent a message to the Browns and to whoever else we are going to play that we're going to start fast and finish strong."
(on how the interception felt) "Last week was frustrating for me because I've been on a couple teams and you always have to prove yourself, no matter [what] you've done in other places. You have to prove yourself and do it over. I was able to do that in Denver. I was able to do that in Atlanta. Although we made some big plays in the secondary towards the end of the game, it wasn't us. So it felt good to be able to come back and bounce back and show what kind of group we can be, and as an individual, show what kind of player I can be."
(on having a balanced team and if the game gets any better than that) "That's how you win. You run the ball and you create turnovers. Those stats never change in football. The best teams are always the teams that create turnovers, run the ball and stop the run. We did that well today, all of those things, and we're still left…I have to be honest. I feel less nauseous this week than I did last week, but I'm still a little uncomfortable. Ed [Reed] had a pick that he should have caught. I should have caught another one on that third down. They ended up punting, but it would have been a touchdown. It is to [WR Mike} Furrey on the sideline and when it got there I got one hand out instead of two. That's the type of stuff… we can't let those opportunities go and not make a play. Like I said, I feel a lot better off than last week, but there's still a little bit of stink on my back. I have to wash it off."
(on if he thought he should have had a touchdown on his first interception) "The first one…Brady Quinn threw it behind me. I kind of had to reach back which kind of slowed me down. Then I pitched it to Ray [Lewis]. Ray's a great player but he's not going to fly away from anybody so I feel that that play was whatever. I could have scored maybe if I would have timed it a little better, but that second one is going to haunt me for awhile. Two picks and a touchdown are much better than one pick. It's a whole other stratosphere of good gamesnessship."
(on describing how the locker room feels right now) "It feels good. We have a bunch of guys who are accountable, and we have a coach who will hold us accountable. We don't always like to hear his voice, and we don't always like to be yelled at. It was pretty confrontational for the entire team this week at practice. It was one of the most aggressive weeks we've had. Coming off of a win that's important. That's the type of attitude that a team should have. We showed up on Wednesday. I think it was one of the hardest practices we've had since training camp, and it showed out here on Sunday."
(on what it's like playing in front of his hometown crowd) "It feels fantastic. Like I've said a thousand times, this is the city that I love. I don't feel this strongly about the city because of what the Ravens paid me. I don't feel this strongly about this city, because I've been here for a couple weeks now. I feel this way about the city because I was raised in it. I drive around and drive past places where I went to school or places where I'd eaten – the building where I had my prom. It's funny. Those things happen on a regular basis and it slaps me in the face. It puts on a smile on my face. I get a lot more post game text messages now from people who actually watch me play. If it's good, I like to read them, but if it's bad, delete."
(on the Ravens defense bouncing back against the Browns) "That's our defense every week. It just isn't going to be pretty sometimes. You want to win every game. Hats off to Cleveland, but we came out and did what we wanted to do. We came out and executed our gameplan, and that's what it's all about."
(on the Ravens communication on defense) "The communication was what it was today. Last week, San Diego was a good team. They made plays, we made plays – but we came out with the win. This week, the same way. We didn't prepare any different. We knew who we had to go against. The key thing was executing our game plan."
(on his injured neck) "It's sore, and it's just something I'm going to have to deal with. It's a day-to-day thing. It's not something that is going to heal in season. It's something I'm going to have to take care of eventually. It's just a matter of monitoring it. It's sore as we speak."
(on the Ravens offense) "It's a great thing. Being around here for the last couple of years, and those guys fighting and battling to get where they're at, it's been a growing process. It's still a growing process because they have some young guys over there making plays. It's exciting. Definitely, hats off to those guys. We appreciate the rest. You're going to need the defense later on this season. So getting that rest now is definitely going to help."
(on the Ravens creating turnovers) "It was huge. It was huge to comeback from the San Diego game and make some plays this week to get the monkey off your back. It was just guys being where they were supposed to be and sticking with the game plan."
(on the second half pass interference call) "They called it. I thought it was an uncatchable ball. I was kind of caught in between going to get the ball or hit the man. They called it, and it took our shut-out away. So I told the guys, 'I apologize.' You just have to be smart about what you're doing sometimes.
(on the intensity of practice this week) "That's Ravens football. It is always going to be intense. Coach [Harbaugh] doesn't let up, and he's really not supposed to until it's time to be smart about it. It's always going to be tough during the week, especially after a game like last week. Preparing for a game like New England, it's going to be interesting to see how we come out and approach this week."
(on feeling confident about a 3-0 start) "We're always confident. We're just a bunch of guys that like to play football. It doesn't matter where it's at, night or morning, we're always going to come to play football. That's just guys loving the game."
(on the defense's return game after a turnover) "Like I said, you've got a bunch of guys that love to play the game. It's a bunch of football players out there. Some of these guys who have played offense before, like myself and Dawan Landry, it's like you're running the wildcat out there once we get the ball. We just try to have fun, but be smart about it."
(on the Browns changing quarterbacks) "We kind of expected it. We were talking about it at halftime. Before we went in, we said 'expect Anderson.' He's played well against us before, so we expected him to come in."
(on Domonique Foxworth talking to the defense backs) "Domonique was the one that spoke to us today. He inspired us, and then he went out and made a play. It's always from the heart. Sometimes you come out, and you think about what you're going to say, but the bottom line is – it always comes from the heart. That's what makes it real and inspires people to go out and play."
(On his interception) "It's like a jet can't fly without wings, it can't land without wheels, water goes downhill, and it just went to 51. It was just, everybody else did all the right things, and I was the guy that got to be hero on the play, but it wasn't that I necessarily did anything great. I just did my job, and everybody else did a good job doing their job."
(On the play of the team) "All around, everybody played a great game. Basically, we beat them on offense, we beat them on defense, we beat them on defense, and our water boy out-performed their water boy. Ravens win."
(On the offense) "We want to score…our goal is to score at all times. Everybody is, like, waiting their turn. When [your turn] is called, you've got to pretty much take advantage of it. We've got a lot of dudes that can make plays. That's what's great about it. Everybody's hungry for [the ball]. I know that we're going to do whatever you have to do to make sure your partner, if he gets the [ball], can make a play, or I can make a block, or whatever, to get him into the end zone."
(On how the Ravens are throwing to a lot of different people.) "It says a lot, [it's] just versatility. Versatility is key. That makes it tough. Our mentality right now is [to] score as many points as you can."
