Head Coach John Harbaugh
Opening statement: "OK, good to have you here. We appreciate you being here. We've been working on the Browns, and we'll have our Wednesday practice today, and we're excited about preparing for Sunday."
John, WR Marlon Brown, what is his role now with the new receiver [Chris Givens] coming in? And also, he has dropped some passes. Is that a focus problem, hand placement problem going on there? (Mike Preston) *"The basic situation is like it always is; it never changes. When one guy goes down, the next guy's opportunity ramps up, and Marlon's [Brown] role is going to expand. He'll be on the field for more plays than he has been. Obviously, we'll work the other guys in as well. Darren's [Waller] role is going to open up. We brought in Chris [Givens]. Chris will be a part of what we're doing on Sunday, and we'll just see how it plays out as far as how many catches a guy gets or whatever happens with that. That'll depend on how Joe [Flacco] reads it out." *(Reporter: "And how about the dropped passes?") *"*You have to catch the ball. If you're a wide receiver, you have to catch the ball. It's simple. That's what you're here for. So, it's all those guys' responsibility to catch the ball."
Coach, how do you see QB Joe Flacco adjusting to the potential lack of veteran wide receivers? (Todd Karpovich) "I think [Joe Flacco] will do what he always does. His job is to do his job, right? We've talked about that. That's where you have to believe in one another. You have to trust in what guys are doing. You have to trust in the work ethic that you put in. It's those guys' jobs to be where they're supposed to be, running the route the way they're supposed to run it and then make the play. That's never going to change. And it's Joe's job to go through his reads, progressions, foot work and put the ball where he's supposed to put it, which Joe does a good job of. It's about execution. I don't care who's on the field – what they're doing – it's about executing your offense, and we're fully capable of doing that."
**QB Josh McCown, their quarterback, has had a couple solid outings in back-to-back games. What have you seen from him on tape this year? *(Garrett Downing) *"I've seen a couple solid back-to-back outings and some good ball, so you answered the question for me. [Josh McCown] has played very well. His quarterback rating is 98.8 on the year. That's really high. He has had really good games in his career. You go back to Chicago, he played really well in Chicago a couple years ago. He has proven that he can play at a high level, and he's doing a good job."
Coach, as far as this game goes, they're all important, but having dropped your first game at home and not having many more this month – in fact this is the only one – and [then] going out on the road, [is there] a little extra impetus on it, because of the fact that it is only the second game in the span in between? (Jerry Coleman) "It's going to be a very important game for us. Every game is important in this league. They count them at the end, and we need wins. I don't care where you're playing – who you're playing – you have to win games, and that's what we're going to try to do this week."
Coach, running the football is part of this team's DNA. You did an excellent job last week. The Browns, they have given up 141 yards rushing per game. How important is it to be able to establish the run, especially with these receivers being out? (Turron Davenport) "It's very important. It has nothing to do with the latter part of your question. It's always important to run the ball well. It's different every week. The game dictates that. Obviously, if you can get a lead, it helps you run the ball. If they give you certain types of defenses, it helps you run the ball. We've had situations where they've given us two-shell-type defenses, and we haven't run the ball. You have to run the ball against that kind of a look. But, when they put a lot of people up in the box, you even need to be able to run the ball then, too. You have to be able to throw the ball to loosen them up, to get them rushing the passer, to get them running sideline to sideline to wear the defense out early in the game, too. To me, it's everything. It's execution. Run sets up the pass; pass sets up the run. You have to do both well if you really want to be good as an offense in this league."
I know it has been a limited time, but first impressions of WR Chris Givens so far? (Ryan Mink)"It has been a limited time. (laughter) [Chris Givens] had a good practice yesterday. It was a walk-through practice; he looked good. He's working on learning the offense. That's the main thing right now. He's working on making sure that he knows what to do, where to line up and be in the right spot for Joe [Flacco] when the time counts."
Is that something where you feel like WR Chris Givens could have a chance to play on Sunday? I assume he has to, because you're just short on numbers. (Ryan Mink) "I just said that with Mike's [Preston] question that [Chris Givens is] going to be out there on Sunday. How much he plays depends on how well he does. I'm really hopeful that he plays a lot. It'll be up to him and how well he can learn what we're doing."
A lot of the focus in the secondary goes towards DB Joe Haden, but can you talk a little bit about what you've seen from DB Pierre Desir and also DB Justin Gilbert still developing? (Turron Davenport) "Justin [Gilbert] is not playing that much on defense. Not to say he couldn't play in our game, but he's playing on special teams very well. [Pierre] Desir – and really all of the younger corners that they're playing with, because of the injuries – have done a good job. But you know what? The other guys they put out there, whoever they put out there … Joe Haden, I fully expect him to be out there. Tramon Williams has played well, just like he did in Green Bay. They have good corners. They have a highly-touted secondary. They have three Pro Bowlers back, so it's a formidable group."
**John, the much discussed play at the end of the Seahawks game, is that something you guys have talked about ahead of time, or is that kind of something that gets reinforced this week given how much attention it got? *(Jeff Zrebiec) *"Yes and yes. You're going to get me on my soapbox about rules now. Is that what you're trying to do? *(laughter) *Yes, that's a batted ball rule. The fact that it's a loose ball in the end zone is part of a three-part, -pronged addendum to the rule, [which] makes it tough for everybody to know it. In my opinion, [and it] has been [covered] in all these meetings that we have every spring – I'll get on my soapbox, I guess – is that the rules should be as clear as possible for the officials to officiate. There shouldn't be rules out there that the officials struggle with remembering. That's something, I think, that is an ongoing process that the league has looked at and done a good job with of cleaning that up and making it black and white for those guys, and obviously, that's something we should continue to do."
The rivalries with the Steelers and Bengals often get a lot of the attention, but the one against the Browns has been very close over the last few years – the games have all been close. Can you just talk about the rivalry with them? (Ryan Mink) "The Browns [games are] a tough rivalry. There's a lot of history there all the way back that we don't think about, but that's all there for the fan bases and everything. It has always been a tough game. They have guys playing for them – Paul Kruger is a great example – they have coaches coaching for them that have been here. It's always a tight, hard-fought game, and we have a lot of respect for them. That's a very good football team. It's two teams fighting for their lives right now, and that's how we're approaching the game."
There was a lot of talk when OLB Terrell Suggs went down about OLB Elvis Dumervil taking on a bigger role. How have you seen him grow into the three-down role that he has taken up? (Jon Meoli) "I don't think he had to grow into it, because he was playing every snap for most of his career, and he did very well. He stepped right in. It wasn't any surprise. He's playing the rush linebacker spot on all three downs. We do have a nice rotation, because we have some outside 'backers that are doing a good job rolling in. Elvis is a leader. He's one of our top defensive leaders. He's an all-around football player; he always has been. We're very fortunate to have him."
Coach, we've seen the struggles from kickers this year, especially last week with the Steelers. How valuable is K Justin Tucker to your team? (Gabe Katzman)"He's very valuable. I'm a Justin Tucker guy, along with Morgan [Cox] and Sam [Koch]. It's a team effort in there with the protection, and those guys all do a good job. But when it's all said and done, the kicker is the key. He's the guy that's going to knock it through the uprights, and there's nobody better than Justin Tucker. And I expect him to keep doing that and working to be as good as he can be."
RB Justin Forsett had his best game last week. When you're watching film, did he do anything different than the previous three games? Did he do something a little bit better in that game than what you saw in the previous three? (Jamison Hensley)"He [Justin Forsett] played his normal game. It opened up for him a little bit. You can always nitpick. He's the guy that's going to look at it and say, 'Yes,' and say he can even do better. But I look at Justin, I see that heart and effort and vision every time – he does it about the same way. We just had a little more room for different reasons."
To the K Justin Tucker question, some former kickers have said that the extra points are kind of messing with kickers' heads, and you have a huge special teams background. Do you see those as kind of the free throws that they did, and now it's gone? They don't have that opportunity to get into the grove, in that sense. (Jon Meoli)"[That] could be true, but what's the relevance of it? What's the point? Are they saying that they should have easy kicks so they can get a grove to kick field goals? I'd love to go out and play golf and have some easy putts to start my round off. *(laughter) *It doesn't usually work out that way. So, I think it helps the cream rise to the top. If their job is a little bit tougher, then they need to be a little bit better, and that's what the Competition Committee and the owners, ultimately, who voted for this rule, decided, that they were going to make it a little bit tougher for the kickers. It'll be interesting to see the ones that respond."
OLB Elvis Dumervil
On making late stops in Pittsburgh and how important it was for the defense's confidence:"I don't think it's an issue of confidence, but the fact of just going out there and getting it done. We were able to get the win, so we were excited for that."
On defending a player like QB Josh McCown who tends to stay in the pocket: "[Josh McCown] moves well, too. From the film I've been watching, he moves around the pocket. He scrambles, too. Good thing we had a good dose of that last week."
On OLB Za'Darius Smith's back-to-back sacks against Pittsburgh: "It's huge. [Za'Darius Smith is] hungry. We're excited for him. He can do it. He has been doing it in camp. So, for him to get a chance – an opportunity – on Thursday Night Football, you couldn't be [more] excited for him. He just has to keep going. It's a long season. He just has to keep stacking them." *(Senior vice president of public and community relations Kevin Byrne: "Do you remember your first sack? Did you ever have back-to-back sacks?") *"Man, never back-to-back. That's a good question. I don't think I remember my first sack. Actually, it was against Cleveland. I think so. I think it was. Hopefully we can get that done."
On whether the team is excited to wear the black uniforms against Cleveland: "Yes, we are excited. It's always … Whenever you can go in front of our home crowd … Things didn't end up the way we wanted [in the] last game [at home vs. Cincinnati], so we have the opportunity against a good team to come out in front of our home crowd. They were great the last time we played at home. We're excited. We're excited to wear those uniforms. The black is always nice."
QB Joe Flacco
On if there is a different feeling coming to work after the first win: "It's a little bit different, and obviously, it feels good to go get a win in a tough game like that. But we need to improve and still have a long way to go. [We] have to have the same intensity throughout the week this week and make sure we do our best to go get another one."
On his initial impressions of WR Chris Givens and the challenge of getting him up to speed: "I think that's the biggest challenge. He can definitely run. He can catch the football. He can run routes. The biggest challenge is just going to be to get him up to speed and create some kind of comfort level before we go out there in a game and make it work. You can always go out there in a game and make it work [on] gameday, but you, obviously, like to have some kind of comfort level before you get to that point just so you have a little bit of confidence going into it."
On what it's like to throw to WR Kamar Aiken and WR Marlon Brown: "It's good. I've completed a lot of passes to both of them – Kamar [Aiken] recently and Marlon [Brown] in the past. We just have to get them rolling and have confidence that they're going to go out there and do the job, because they're our guys right now, and they have a lot of ability, and we can't treat them any other way."
On the importance of building off of the first win: "I think that's pretty obvious for us. From here on out, it's kind of like a playoff feel for us. We have to win football games, especially within the division. You beat a division team, they give you a chance to beat them again for a second time, and that can prove to be huge down the stretch. This is the first one of two with these guys, and they always play us tough no matter where it is – here or there – so we're expecting a tough game. And yes, [the games], they're going to do nothing but get bigger and bigger as the season goes on from this point."
On whether the shuffling of receivers is tough to deal with: "Yes, definitely. It's definitely not ideal. It's going to be a little bit challenging for us an offense, but it's just the way it is. We wouldn't want it any other way. These are the guys that are going to go out there and make plays for us, start making a name for themselves and help us win, so I'm excited about it."
On if he can pinpoint a way to cut down on turnovers: "Stop throwing to the other team. (laughter) It's pretty easy – just see the guy, see the throw, make it confidently. That's the biggest thing on the last couple is just see the throw, make sure you see everybody before you pull the trigger."
On his uncharacteristic number of fumbles against Pittsburgh: "The snap ones are tough. You can't have those, but the one scrambling out of the pocket … While you can't have the ones in the snap, they're obviously very easily fixed. The one out of the pocket, you have to protect the ball, and you have to make sure that doesn't happen. I haven't done a bad job of that in the past, but at any time it could jump up and bite you and lose a game for you. I have to make sure I take better care of the football. And then same thing under center and in the gun – you have to get the ball. That's the first thing."
RB Justin Forsett
On the importance of the run game and how it can help carry the offense: "It's going to be a team effort. We have to step our game up. I know just because the last couple of weeks we haven't been successful, we wanted to be in the run game. We already have a chip on our shoulder. We're motivated to go out and show that we can be consistent, and that's our mindset anyway."
On the factors that allowed the run game to get going in Pittsburgh: "We just did a great job of doing the little things right – cutting down the backside, making sure I was decisive on my runs. The receivers were blocking downfield. Anytime we do well in the run game, it's a team effort – everybody is doing their job – and that's what we had last Thursday."
On how important it is for the run game to be consistent: "It's important. We want to be a physical team. That's what we're known as, and I think that identity comes from the run game and our strong defense. We definitely want to keep that going."
On what the win in Pittsburgh did for the team mentally: "We got that first win. It was good to get that stink off of us. That's something we've been searching for, and to get it in that fashion against a good football team is definitely motivation."
On the run game's success in Pittsburgh being a turning point for the team: "Definitely, I think so. That's something we can build upon. We didn't do everything right in that game, so we have some errors we can work on, but that was definitely a starting point."
On whether the offensive linemen love to run the ball: "Definitely. You see [Marshal] Yanda and 'K.O.' [Kelechi Osemele] pancaking guys and laughing and smiling. Those are good times out there. We want to keep that going."
On how important this game against Cleveland is to build momentum: "Definitely. We're 1-3, so we're not in the clear by any means. They're all must-wins for us, and we have to go out there and put our best foot forward and play a great game against Cleveland."
On whether G Marshal Yanda usually laughs after "pancaking" opponents: "Usually." (laughter)
WR Chris Givens
On his first few days in Baltimore:"It was a great couple of days. I'm just excited to be here, excited to be in this offense and to play with these guys. It's a great opportunity for me, and I'm just looking forward to taking advantage [of it.]"
On if he had any idea that a trade was coming:"Earlier in the week I did, because in St. Louis, I basically just didn't practice Tuesday through Friday, so I knew something was up."
On if he looks at this opportunity as a new beginning:"Definitely. It's a great opportunity for me to come out and show what I'm about, show what I'm made of, and I'm just excited to take advantage of this opportunity and to be here with these guys."
On what he has to do to be a quick study and learn a new playbook in just a few days:"Just do what I do. I'm not worried about learning anything. I'm a pretty smart guy, so I've just got to show up and go to work every day."
On how much different the offense is from what he ran in St. Louis and if he is anticipating an adjustment:"It's not that big of an adjustment, it's just different language and things like that. But once you figure out the concepts, it's pretty easy to catch up to."
On his impressions of QB Joe Flacco:"I love Joe. I've watched Joe for years, he has a strong arm, and I feel like our talents match up and we can complement each other pretty well."
On if he has visions for what the deep threat could be with his speed and Flacco's arm strength:"It can be explosive. It's one of those things that you've just got to take advantage of the talents and opportunities, and I'm just looking forward to doing that."
On how soon he heard from his former Wake Forest teammate – Ravens WR Michael Campanaro – and what he was told about the Ravens:"Like two weeks ago. *(laughter) *He hit me up and was [saying] the coaches asked about me, and I just thought it was just talk. But once things started getting weird around Rams Park, I knew something was up."
On how much Campanaro is helping him adapt to the Ravens' offense:"Not much at all, actually. He's hurt doing a lot of rehab things, so he can't be around as much. It's mainly just me, [wide receivers] coach Bobby [Engram], Kamar [Aiken], Marlon [Brown] and those guys bringing me on."
On having a good rookie year, and if his production dropped because St. Louis drafted a few players and whether that was frustrating:"It was very frustrating. I knew I was a guy that could complement the team and play well. I don't know if it wasn't the right fit or they liked other guys or whatever the case may be, because after the first year my opportunities just went down."
On if he has a chip on his shoulder:"Oh, yeah, I'd call it a potato." (laughter)
* *
On if Baltimore-native and Rams WR Tavon Austin told him anything about Baltimore:"No, he didn't tell me anything. We didn't talk about it too much. I saw him Saturday and told him I was leaving and he was just like, 'Be careful,' pretty much." (laughter)
* *
On how comfortable he is in the return game:"I'm very comfortable. It's all about putting the ball in my hands. Once I do that, I'm in my comfort zone."
On his expectations for this Sunday and if he'll return kicks:"I have no idea, honestly. I'm just out here practicing hard every day, and whatever the coaches need me to do Sunday, that's what I'm going to do."
On if it was a relief to find out he was going somewhere:"It was a big relief. It just felt like a whole weight was lifted off my shoulders. Now I can just play football, not worry about anything and just focus on my craft and being the best that I can be."
ILB C.J. Mosley
On Rams QB Josh McCown: "With [Josh] McCown and the Browns, they definitely have big deep threats. We have to make sure that we play top-down on their coverage, because once their guys get going – especially throwing the ball downfield – they do a good job of making big plays. For us, first off, we have to stop the run, and then after that we have to make sure we don't give up big plays on the passing end."
On adjusting to being without OLB Terrell Suggs: "Guys had to step up when [Terrell Suggs] went down. The more guys play, the more experience they get, the better they get. The first person you think of is Za'Darius Smith. He made two big, crucial sacks back-to-back [at Pittsburgh]. Like I said, the more playing time guys get, the more we kind of get a feel for each other. We lost a leader, and we definitely feel it every day, especially out on the field, because we don't hear anybody talking and screaming all day. We hope he gets better, but it's football; you have to move on and people have to step up."
On whether he is disappointed not to play against QB Johnny Manziel after facing him in college: "No, I'm not disappointed at all. I'm sure they might have something set up for [Johnny Manziel], because he's a great player. If he gets in, we have to treat him the same, because we know once he gets to running around and scrambling, he's very dangerous. And [Josh] McCown is the same way. It might not look like it and might not have all the flash that Manziel has, but once he scrambles around and has time to throw the ball, he's one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Whoever we're going up against – whoever is in at the time of the game – we have to respect them and play our type of defense."
On what has stood out about Browns RB Duke Johnson Jr. on film: "With most rookies in the league, it's kind of the stereotype, but it shows that they think that they can get outside and make plays. But with Duke [Johnson], he runs the ball. He understands the meaning of a four-game down. Sometimes he might try to look and cut up, but once he sees a hole, he's going to hit it. He's not all about just trying to get to the edge and make a big play. He knows how to get his few yards in and get the offense going on the run game."
On making late stops in Pittsburgh and how important it was for the defense's confidence: "It's very important. We know we can do it, because we did it in the first game against Denver. We just have to be consistent. That was the big thing in the previous games that we lost – they came down to us getting off the field on third down or in the end getting off on crucial downs and making that one play. We showed that we can do it on Thursday, but now we have to make sure we do it every week. We do a good job of practicing it, so we just have to break it out on Sundays."
On playing in M&T Bank Stadium: "It's a great environment. The fans are into the game. Every time we get a big play, the offense scores, you hear the little, 'Oh, oh, oh' ['Seven Nation Army' song]. I love being out there and supporting and playing for our community, because no matter what, they're going to have our backs. Anytime we get a win, we know we're doing it for them. And no matter where we go, our fans are always going to be there."
On whether there is a different feeling coming back to practice with a win: "It's a great feeling, especially when you have a few days off. We don't have to worry about how hard practice is going to be coming back in. And it's great to get the win against the Pittsburgh Steelers and against somebody that's in our conference. We have another big game this week for our conference. We have to make sure that we build up on our wins in general and as far as the conference, because we want to get the [division] first – knot that division – and then potentially the Super Bowl. So, we have to take it one week at a time."
CLEVELAND BROWNS CONFERENCE CALLS
Head Coach Mike Pettine
On the Ravens-Browns rivalry, having coached for both teams:"Yes, it means a lot. I know – just because of the circumstances, the birth of the Ravens coming from Cleveland – it's hard for me to call it a rivalry sitting in this seat, just because it has been so one-sided. But it's our goal to get that changed. It's something that I talked to the players about today. The veterans are certainly well aware of it, but the young guys don't really know the history of the teams, and [we] wanted to make sure that they, maybe, understood the 'why.'"
On why it was important to discuss the history of the Ravens-Browns rivalry with the team:"When I look at our division and kind of where we are with each team, I think it's … A lot of times, teams will just have maybe one rival. But in Cleveland, when you look at it, you've got Cincinnati, so it's the battle of Ohio. That's always very heated; you throw out the records in that one. You've got Pittsburgh, which I think most people see themselves as a rival of Pittsburgh, and we don't even have to get on a plane to go there. That's a bus ride for us. And then you have Baltimore with the circumstances I just talked about. So, all the division games – for their own unique reasons – are big games for us."
On the surprise of both teams entering the game with 1-3 records:"That's the NFL. I think we – both teams – have played well for periods of time but not well enough to finish games and win. The Ravens very easily could be 3-1 or 4-0, and we can point to a handful of plays in our games and make the same argument. But that's what the league is. You have to be able to [make plays]. With those handful of plays every game that are going to swing it one way or the other, you have to be able to make them, and unfortunately, we haven't been able to. We've had some close calls, but that's something we obviously need to work on."
On the decision to start QB Josh McCown after winning with QB Johnny Manziel in Week 2:"It was really rooted in a decision that had already been made. We came into the spring when we signed Josh [McCown] and knew this was a guy that – despite his age and his years in the league – has a lot of good football in him. [He is] very experienced [and has] a lot of experience in [offensive coordinator] John DeFilippo's system, because it's rooted in what they did together in Oakland years back, and he came in, was everything that we expected him to be from Day One. I had heard a lot of positive things about Josh coming into it. [Redskins QBs coach] Matt Cavanaugh, who had been in Chicago with him … Marc Trestman, I know, speaks very highly of Josh as well. When he got injured, and Johnny came in and did a good job, we were very proud of that. But we just felt that it wasn't enough time to ... It was not the time to deviate from our original plan."
On if QB Joe Flacco can make the offense work with the personnel he has available without WRs Steve Smith Sr. and Michael Campanaro:"I do. There are some quarterbacks in the league – and I include Joe [Flacco] on that list – that will elevate the play of those around them. And he's accurate, throws a very catchable ball, throws a great deep ball. These are going to be NFL receivers out there that can get open, and I have a lot of respect for [Kamar] Aiken and Marlon Brown. The guys that are going to be out there have done some good things in this league, and we're not in a position to sleep on anyone. And as far as Steve Smith [Sr.] is concerned, I know that as competitive as he is, I probably still, in my heart, won't believe he's going to be out until I see the inactives on gameday."
On if CB Joe Haden will play on Sunday:"Yes, he practiced today. He practiced today. We just got off the field, so I haven't [had] a chance to follow up and see how he came out of it, but it was encouraging that he was able to [participate in practice]. He was limited, but he was able to take some reps today."
QB Josh McCown
On his individual performance the previous two games, and where he thinks he's at in terms of commanding the offense:"Obviously, we're sitting here at Week 5, and I think we're all starting to feel better about what we're doing. That's the hard part about this league, it's when you have a startup kind of offense where your coordinator is new and quarterback [is new] and a lot of new pieces, there's a lot of learning that's going to take place. And it's going to take place through the preseason, but you're still probably not going to find out as much as you will when live bullets start flying. So, I'm just proud of our group and how we continue to grow together and learn from week to week. I feel really good, as far as the command and what we're doing. I think the coaches have put us in good shape to have success, and that's all you can ask for."
On how much Ravens offensive coordinator Marc Trestman helped his career in Chicago:"He was instrumental in the last three years, obviously. I think for me, I've played for so many coordinators, and I've changed coordinators every year of my career. So, then that streak still has happened. But I think finally getting with Marc [Trestman], for me, was just real settling because of the type of person he is, first and foremost, and then just his offensive mind. I just think the way he sees the game and understands the game and sees offensive football, it's very similar to me, and so it just clicked for me. The verbiage – the way he talked about things – it just made sense. From that standpoint, you go through your career, and you change a bunch of coordinators. And [when] you go through and you go, 'Man, I don't …' For whatever reason, it doesn't all come together. And I just think that year, it all came together where what we were doing offensively – who was teaching it – it all helped to click, and obviously, the personnel. He was huge for me. I'll always feel indebted to him, just for that, because it just gave me a lot of confidence to believe in myself as a player and believe that I could do the things that I always dreamed and set goals to do. He helped me achieve those, so I'm very thankful that my path crossed with Marc Trestman."
On what RBs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson Jr. bring to the table for Cleveland:"Their skill sets are a little different, but [with] both of them, there's quickness and speed, which is obviously what you want out of your running backs. But they have a different skill set. 'Crow' [Isaiah Crowell] can get behind his pads a little bit more and is a little more of a downhill guy, and he can still flash a little bit. And then Duke [Johnson Jr. is] definitely more of a … He's more in the mode of a Justin Forsett. He's quick but can stick his foot in the ground and get after somebody if he has to, and he's very effective in the passing game. So, the development of these two guys has really helped us. Duke missed all of training camp, pretty much, so the last two or three weeks of him just kind of getting acclimated to life in the NFL, he's really starting to hit a good stride, and we're feeling good about where they're at."
On the varying performances from Baltimore's defense, and what he sees from the Ravens on film:"It is still the Ravens, and it's still the Ravens' 'D.' I just feel like you know what you're going to get out of those guys. They're going to play hard, and they're going to fly around. I think it was a standard that was set a long time ago by Ray [Lewis] and Ed [Reed] and those guys and [Terrell] Suggs. And although he's not there, I think that energy and intensity is still around. You see it on the tape. [Their] linebackers are very good players. [The defensive] front is obviously what Baltimore has always been known for. As long as I've been in the league, [it] is their front. And their front seven, those guys are good players, so we know we're going to have our hands full with that group. I have a ton of respect for their back end, too, and Jimmy Smith, especially. So, we know we're going to have our hands full. It's a good defense. Especially playing at home, they're going to be flying around and [have] high energy."
