Head Coach John Harbaugh
(opening statement) "I guess you guys got what I get from [Eric] Weddle every morning in the weight room when we walk in there. That's pretty much how he is 24/7. It will be nice not to see him for a couple of days. (laughter) Great win. Just a very good win for our team. A team win. It was good to see all three phases of our team contribute fully. I guess the defense and the special teams played tremendously well, again. And then for the offense to step up and play as well as they did in the second half is good for our football team."
(on how it felt to have the win secured before the final minutes of the game) "It felt great. We haven't had one of those in a long time. A lot of the players on the sideline, really led by Jimmy Smith, mentioned that we finally have one of these games where we can … It wasn't until three minutes were left in the game that we had this conversation, but it was a good three minutes, that's for sure."
(on what changed with the offense in the third quarter) "We just decided at halftime to do that. We actually decided before halftime … We decided that going into the last two-minute drive that we would get into [the] two-minute [drill] in the second half. We knew if we got the ball back, we'd be in two-minute in that situation anyway. Just to try to shake it up a little bit and do something different, and see if we could find a rhythm. It worked, so it was good."
(on if the offense can build on this performance) "I do; I think we're in a building process with our team, but most certainly with our offense, which has the furthest distance to go, probably. That's something we talked about. We just have to keep coaching, keep practicing, keep playing, and keep deciding what's going to be right for us to run offensively, and keep improving. That's going to be a process. We had some success in the second half, and that was really important for us to do that. Hopefully, we'll all look back at this at the end of the season and say this was a turning point for the offense. But, like Joe [Flacco] said, we have to go back to work next week and get ready for a really tough Dallas defense and team, and do our best down there. It's part of the process, I think, and hopefully someday, at the end of the season, we're saying that about tonight."
(on what sparked the running game in the second half) "I think what happened … We had a couple of OK runs when we were in the two-minute mode – the no-huddle mode. We got three or four yards on first down and second down a couple of times there. But, we really started popping them on the one drive where we got the ball on the 10-yard line after the interception and the penalty. That drive had to be a nine-minute drive. There were 13 or so plays in that drive, and there were nine runs. We made yards in that drive. We got into Tiger, we got into Base. Based on the tape, I think what I'm going to see is that we really started blocking them really well. That was the key to close out the fourth quarter."
(on if he was happy to see more production from Kenneth Dixon) "It was good to see Kenneth Dixon – he made plays. I think he's back, health-wise. He got back from the knee about four weeks ago, and has steadily looked better. I told him this week, I said, 'This is your breakout game. You look like you're ready.' He did a great job. I just think everybody did a really good job. It was just good to see … I think the poise of our offense, leadership – guys like Steve [Smith Sr.] – we were struggling a little bit in the first half. We thought we would do a little bit more, and then we had the two-minute drive and guys kept their poise. At halftime, it was all business. The defense did a great job playing throughout the entire game. What was it? 40 yards in the second half? 144 for the game? Three turnovers in the second half? They kept playing, and that, to me, is … When you have great leadership on your football team, that's how they respond in a situation like this. It's two games in five days. It's two huge games for us. We lost four in a row. We were sitting there at 3-4. We needed these two wins. They're both in the division. Our guys got the job done, and that's really important."
(on OLB Terrell Suggs' leadership) "Terrell Suggs has been a tremendous … He has been a great leader all year. As great of a leader as he is, he's an even better football player. He just rushed the passer tonight like crazy. I can't wait to see the tape. He had so many tremendous pass rushes. I asked, 'Do you get assists on these sacks?' [Matt] Judon got one of these sacks where he forced the quarterback with an inside move off the left side. They should give assists for sacks, I guess. It was fun to watch him play. He's doing a great job. Steve [Smith Sr.], Eric [Weddle], Joe [Flacco], Dennis [Pitta] … I don't want to miss people, we have a lot of great leaders on this team."
(on if the team is confident that they can compete in each game) "To gain real confidence, you have to do something. I think, as a team, we've been fighting and competing and working hard, and all that stuff. When you lay a foundation of effort, and you have a bunch of men of faith and character that believe in one another, and live their faith out the way our guys do, that's really important. Then, when you do something with it, when you have success like we have the last couple of weeks, that brings something more to the table."
(on an update on G/T Alex Lewis and his thoughts on how the offensive line played) "The offensive line seemed like they played well. We had a couple issues with pickups that were more assignment oriented. We got those cleaned up. I thought [offensive line coach] Juan [Castillo] did a great job of fixing that stuff. Alex [Lewis] does not have a broken ankle. It looks like it's an ankle sprain to some degree – probably a high-ankle sprain. We'll see. That's really good news. Jeremy [Zuttah] – you just have to give him all the credit in the world – his ankle was sprained the whole game. You saw him dealing with that. He got back out there and finished the game. A lot of guys showed a lot of heart out there. Steve [Smith Sr.] – you're going to talk to him in a minute – coming back from his leg issue that he had, and just rehabbing like a maniac … Don't think it's not painful, what he's going through right now. I'm proud of our guys for the courage that they showed, too."
(on QB Joe Flacco's touchdown celebration) "No, I was one of the many not to see it. Maybe that's a good thing, based on the way he described it." (laughter)
QB Joe Flacco
(on the difference between the first and second half) "Well, listen, we had room out there in the first half, too. I think we ran the ball well, and when you make mistakes, it kind of puts you in a bad mood, and things don't tend to go your way. We had a decent two-minute drive at the end of the first half. I think that probably talked us into going two-minute to start the second half, and really for a handful of drives there, and until we got into the four-minute at the end. It worked well, gave us a spark. We got the ball to our speed guys underneath, and they got some big chunks. I think one of the first plays we ran was a little slant to [WR] Mike [Wallace], and he beat [CB] Joe [Haden], and took it for a good ways. When you have those little things spark your offense and you put the ball in the end zone, it gets everybody excited. It gets the crowd back into it. It really feels like you're playing well, and it's just good for the whole team. Our defense is playing awesome, too, so that really helps."
(on how big a relief it is for the offense to put everything together in the second half) "Listen, this game didn't look like it was going to be a game where we were laughing in the fourth quarter. It looked like it was going to be a typical Cleveland-Baltimore game that was going to be fought out till the end. So, it's definitely a little bit of a relief to be able to be over there in the fourth quarter and be 99.9 percent sure you're going to win the game. So, it was definitely good to get some stuff going, get [WR] Breshad [Perriman] a touchdown, get [TE] Darren Waller involved, get him a touchdown. That was all good stuff."
(on why the hurry-up offense worked so well) "Well, I think it's simple. We're good at it; I think we've got good players, and when you do that kind of stuff, it relies on people just beating one-on-one coverage sometimes in simple ways. Nobody's thinking too much. It probably simplifies the defense to a certain extent. Like I said, I think the biggest thing today was we were able to get the ball to Mike and Breshad underneath today on some guys and just let them do the work. I think our linemen did a great job today, being pretty firm in there, creating a lot of running room for the running backs. That's the other thing about the two-minute, and when we went into it in the second half, it wasn't like we were in a pure two-minute drill. We have the ability to run the ball a lot out of it, too. And when we did, we got good yardage."
(on why he likes that style) "Who doesn't like it? You get the defense on their heels, and that's what it's all about, and that doesn't always come in the form of two-minute. I mean, there's ways to do that out of the huddle, too, and just hitting them with runs, hitting them with play-action, drop-back, screens, stuff like that, and today we just got into a little rhythm, two-minute wise."
(on if this can give Perriman confidence) "That's what it's all about, going out there and proving to yourself that you can do it and making those plays. Any time you're a young guy, and you do those things, it's good in the long run. I've said this week, I think it's great for [WR] Chris [Moore] to go out there and make plays on special teams just because it gives him so much confidence. You feel a part of the team. And when you go out there, in order to really feel part of the team and feel great about it, it's all about going out there and making plays and showing your teammates that you can do it. I think that will definitely be really, really big for him."
(on how Waller seems to be improving) "Darren's a big guy that runs well, has great hands. He's a real talented guy. So, I think getting him involved and showing himself that he can do, too. Yeah, he's another guy that, once he gets out there and gets more playing experience, he'll start to really understand things. I think he's got a great guy to watch in [TE] Dennis [Pitta], you know, in terms of running routes and stuff like that. Like I said, he's really talented right now, but he just gets out there and runs around sometimes, and to get him the ball in a couple situations would definitely get him to feel the type of game that he needs to play a little bit more, and today was a big step in that [direction]."
(on how it feels now to be in sole possession of first in the AFC North) "It feels good. It's Thursday night, and we've got the weekend off. It feels good. I mean, the locker room, I think they're having a lot of fun in there right now, and I'm missing out. But it's a lot of fun to be part of winning football. It's one of the toughest things to do in the world – to win a game in the NFL. So when you win them, you enjoy them all."
(on if he feels a performance like this can be a springboard) "Well, it's tough to answer that because it still comes down to going out there next Sunday when we line up again and doing it because we're not going to be playing the Cleveland Browns. We're going to be lining up against somebody else. You don't live on what you did the previous week. I think it does give guys confidence, and it can be a big plus, but it still comes down to how we go out there and respond to it."
(on how much he needed the two TDs after the two INTs) "It's a lonely position when you're making mistakes and hurting your team's chances to win, but I think I'm a big boy, and I can handle it, and you've got to continue to do your job and lead your team. Those are unfortunate, and they're going to happen. I'm going to take that shot to [WR] Steve [Smith Sr.] every time. The guy, I think it was [RB] Kenneth [Dixon] in the back of the end zone. He flashed on me, and I thought I had a touchdown pass until it literally hit Joe's [Haden] hands. I usually would see that, and I didn't. I did throw it back across my body a little bit, but it wasn't all the way back there. I'm going to continue to try to make those plays. I think on that one, I was scrambling out a little bit. That's great. If our line can protect and make room for me to step up and make plays like that, I believe that I'll make more positive plays than like the one I did tonight and threw that pick. You could tell that we had them on the run a little bit. I was really confident about going out there the next couple drives and doing our job."
(on working on the slide) "I made sure I got on my butt. I don't usually get on my butt. I usually get on my shin and my knee and just do a little pop-up. I made sure I got my feet up and got right to my butt cheek and didn't let the knee brace dig in at all."
(on his TD celebration) "I probably looked like an idiot, that's a part of it. Hopefully some people can make fun of me and do all that. I did it there, and then the second one, I did it there, and then the second one, me and Juice [FB Kyle Juszczyk] had a little something, but the refs kind of warned me, 'Hey, that might have been close to a planned tag-team celebration,' [or] whatever they call it, and like I said, I probably looked like an idiot, but that's part of having fun. But when you're out there and you're winning football games, it's a lot of fun."
(on if someone put him up to the mannequin thing) "No, we were talking about it in the locker room. I forget what we were talking about. The offense was running out of the tunnel today before the game, and I think somebody told 'T-West' [Terrance West] to do it as he was running out of the tunnel, and I said, 'You know what, if I score a touchdown today, I'm going to do a spike, and I'm going to stop midway and just freeze, and then I said a couple more things. When I did it, when I threw a touchdown pass, I said, 'You know what, I got to do it. I said I was going to do something, I'm going to do it.' And then, of course, I went running over to the sideline and asked a bunch of people. Some people saw it, and some people didn't. So, like I said, I probably looked like a big-time idiot, and I'll get made fun when I go upstairs and see my family and all that, but it was fun."
S Eric Weddle
(on the game) "Took me a half to get going, but other than that, man, 28-7, great win, team win, gaining some confidence. Huge, huge building block for us and way to finish an opponent, which we haven't done and gives us a lot of momentum going into next week against one of the best teams in the league."
(on why this is such building block) "Division game, coming off a huge win last week, on a short week. Each year is different. You never the mentality, the make-up mentally of your team. This showed a lot of our character, our toughness, our focus, I think our ability to believe on what we can become as a team, especially on defense, to put on the performance we did tonight was one for the memories. Take away that terrible play by me, and we shut them out. But you live and you learn. You hopefully have a chance to make up for it. We did create three turnovers, I think, multiple sacks. We played team defense, harassed the quarterback and gave them nothing."
(on how the defense is growing, especially the young players up front) "They're growing, right before your own eyes. [CB ] Tavon [Young], [DT Michael] Pierce, [DT] Timmy [Jernigan], even [OLB Za'Darius Smith], first-year starting. [ILB] C.J. [Mosley]. Those are all young, talented, eager players, and look at us from the first time we played until now. Just the growth, the confidence, the belief in each other. We're looking at each time we go out there, and we don't want to give them an inch. We want to create turnovers. We want to finish each drive, and that's showing right now. We've just got to keep harping on the little things and keep pushing each other to be great."
(on how much of a lift OLB Terrell Suggs gives them, especially playing with torn biceps) "'Siz' is a once-in-a-generation type player. You just can't replicate what he brings. Not just on the field but his whole belief, his mantra, his aura about himself that he brings to our defense. He just brings that confidence to all of us. You know, as an older guy, you get someone like that, you can really lean on them. You can look them in the eyes and say 'hey, we need a play right now. We need to pick each other up.' And he's right there with you. So, I'm at the end of the game, and I'm like, 'Siz, we've got to go out there; we've got to show them we can finish this thing.' He comes up with a huge sack/forced fumble. It's a joy to play with him and a joy to play with these guys. We're an unselfish group that plays for each other, and we're showing how we play."
(on the interception) "Yeah, I was on the other side of the field and got a good jump on the ball. Kind of felt like he was going to go to [Terrelle] Pryor. They hadn't taken many shots all game 'cause we were playing everything in front of us. Got in good position and played the ball. We play the ball every day in practice, and it's showing by the opportunities we get. Dropped one last week, so you just want to make every chance count cause you don't know, one, the affect it will have on the game and two, you don't know when your next opportunity will be, so make every opportunity count and made a big play. It kept them out of the end zone and really shut them down after that."
(on if the defense's confidence is growing and if there's one of the better defenses) "Yeah, I think we're out there still trying to prove it, week-in and week-out. We know if we don't play great football, it's going to be tough for us to win. We know that if we don't play great football, it's going to be tough for us to win. That's just the reality of it. We need to be at our best week-in and week-out. We can't have an off game. We can't give up big plays, and we can't let teams run the ball on us, and I think as each week progresses, we're gaining that confidence, that swagger, that we can shut down teams if we play together, and we're showing that."
WR Steve Smith Sr.
(on what turned things around for the offense in the second half) "When we are struggling, there are two parts to it. Obviously, the execution by the offense. Also, the execution by the [opponents] defense. They are doing things to help our struggles. They are switching things up. The first couple plays they ran man coverage, and then they switched it up and ran zone. We had to adjust a little bit, but that is just the ebb and flow of a football game; the highs and lows. That is going to happen, and we have to continue to not be emotional when that happens and really just take that as data and figure out how we can make plays as they try to complicate things for us."
(on how much going no huddle helped the offense) "Yes, we talked about it at halftime, and they said, 'Let's try it if you guys want to do it.' Coach asked us if he we should, and we said yes. That is one of the things we try to do – adjusting and making it easier for Joe [Flacco]. I really believe the wide receivers can help an offense and also can hurt it. I think my play in the first quarter on the pick put us in a bad situation, and I was happy our defense bailed us out, bailed me out. That could have been ugly."
(on what message he gave to WR Breshad Perriman after scoring his first-career touchdown) "I told him that I am proud of him. He gets so much criticism. So much energy is put into critiquing and correcting and criticizing coaching that you have to give that same amount of energy to encourage and congratulate. I know people are saying, 'He is not playing up to his expectations as a first-round draft pick' like Breshad woke up one morning and said, 'Hey I am going to injure my knee.' He didn't. He has battled his tail off, and he is a young man who has dealt with adversity right out of the gate. When he first injured his knee, it was like the second day of training camp. Nobody expects that. He is a young man who had not really had to deal with that before, so that is tough. Being injured, people forget during the rehab what you go through mentally. To see how he stayed the course and really how he worked his butt off and kept chopping wood and kept his head down and not complain … A lot of people do not see that. I am always the first guy to say, 'Hey, you have to appreciate what he is doing.'"
(on if it felt like everything clicked on the Ravens' 90-yard drive) "How many yards was it? (Reporter: It was 90 yards) That is clickable, isn't it? You can quote me on that. (laughter) Absolutely. The way we moved down the field 90 yards, that does not happen by accident. That was great. And for Breshad [Perriman] to go up and get that ball and adjust his body, it was fantastic. That is dramatic. As your first-career touchdown, that is as dramatic as you want it to be. That is a keeper."
(on if he feels like the team is close to where it wants to be) "What we are is what we are. We have to accept that, and we have to keep working hard. What are we? 5-4. We could be 4-5, or we could be 0-9. You have to appreciate where you are and just keep working and not take anything for granted."
(on what he will be doing during the break until the next game) "My plane leaves at 10:15 [tomorrow morning]. I am going back to Charlotte. I doubt I will watch any football."
(on if he asked Ray Lewis for permission to do his Lewis' famous pre-game dance) "Yes, I did. It was pretty cool to do that."
(on if there were any specific reasons he did Ray Lewis' pre-game dance) "Here is why: I have always seen this organization and the Baltimore Ravens. You see the speeches. You see the rambunctiousness of the Steelers and Ravens rivalry. You see Ed [Reed] knocking out Hines [Ward]. You see Hines knocking out Ed. Then you see Ray's little speeches and his dance. I am a Baltimore Raven. I am an emotional player. I was like, 'Man if this is it, I want to try it.' I talked to him, and then they said they would do the music. I was just being a kid. At the end of the day, we are all just kids. It was a great opportunity. I asked some people, and he [Lewis] said, 'Yeah.' I was like, 'Cool.' I was a little nervous so I went back and I was YouTubing to make sure I was doing it right. I almost chickened out. I was like, 'No,' then I did it, and it was pretty cool. I was just being a kid."
(on if it doing the pre-game dance felt as good as he imagined it would) "[It felt as good] and more. (laughter) The music and all that stuff – I felt kind of like a rock star."
(on if this is a performance the team can build on) "This can propel itself to give us momentum. We are going into a hostile environment. Dallas has a good team. They are a young, talented team. So, yes we need to build on this. We also have to have a short memory and erase everything we have done the last week and work just as hard as if we have something to prove because we actually do."
RB Kenneth Dixon
(on two wins in five days) "It's really big for us. Gets us one step closer to the playoffs and that's what it's all about. We just have to keep pressing for it, lock-in mentally and come out ready to play every week."
(on his 11 touches tonight) "It felt great. I feel like I'm back 100 percent and I'm ready for the workload that the team gives me. Everything that they give me, I just want to take advantage of. We have two great running backs out there. In the game it gets a little tight, so I'm just waiting for my moment and taking advantage of it."
(on the 12-play, 90-yard drive) "That's what championship teams need. They need to close the game at the end, and two great running backs toting the ball at the end is great for the team. We knew we needed first downs, so we kept the ball high and tight and did whatever it took to keep us on the field."
(on a dual backfield) "We're close in our room. No one man ever gets the glory. It gets spread out among all the running backs. We give coach [Thomas] Hammock all the credit. We're all a group and we're all out there together. We're all a part of the show, holding it high and tight."
(on his first big snap count of the season) "It felt great. I had some downhill runs where I got my pads squared going downhill and we had fun."
DT Timmy Jernigan
(on the team's defensive performance) "We just wanted to come out and dominate. Those guys [Browns], came out last time and put 20 points up on us. So we just wanted to make sure we did a good job, start fast, not let those guys run the ball. That really was our main focus… the sacks and turnovers just kind of fell into place after that."
(on two wins in five days) "This is huge. We needed it and everybody on the team understood what was at stake, and I think that was why we were able to get these critical wins. After that big game last week and all the emotion that went with it, to be able to come back and turn it around in five days, with another win, it takes a lot. It takes a lot of focus and that's why I credit coach Harbaugh. He got us back focused, he humbled us and got us ready for this game."
(on the middle of the defensive line) "It's hard to stop all three of us [Michael Pierce, Brandon Williams] and at the end of the day it's kind of like pick your poison. You never know whose Sunday it's going to be. I think big Mike [Pierce] is just about at the same level as me and Brandon [Williams]. That kid is special and he's on his way to a great career."
(on the Dallas Cowboys) "They have a great offensive line. We really respect those guys. They have a great quarterback, a great running back and their offense is just clicking real good. We have to come ready to play. If not, all this hard work may not pay off."
CB Tavon Young
(on the team's defensive performance) "I thought we played lights out tonight. Shout out to coach [Dean] Pees and to the D-line. They did their thing upfront and we did our thing in the back. We're just playing real good together as a defense. If we keep playing together like this…who knows what could happen."
(on the five day turn around) "It was fast. Short week, tough win over Pittsburgh, guys were beat up, banged up a little bit, but coach brought us in and we watched a lot of film this week. Even today we watched a lot of film. We were able to stay on top of our game and we showed that tonight."
(on his first nine games in the NFL) "I've really learned a lot. I think my technique has gotten a lot better. I've learned a lot from older guys like Jerraud [Powers], Jimmy [Smith], [Eric] Weddle. Weddle does a great job of talking to me. He's always in my ear telling me where to be and [secondary] coach [Leslie] Frazier, he's doing a great job making me a better player."
DT Michael Pierce
(on the defensive effort) "We just wanted to stay focused. We knew what we could do. We've been doing it every week. We just wanted to continue the effort. On the short week, we studied really hard, and we prepared really hard. We came out with a solid effort tonight."
(on the Browns changing quarterbacks) "It was really crazy. All of them are really mobile, so you kind of apply the same principles to each. We prepared for [Cody] Kessler all week. We were ready for him, and the other guy [Josh McCown], too. We just had to make sure we were on our assignments, and we did the best we could."
(on making tackles in the backfield) "They just told me, when I came in, to be a physical presence. That's what I want to do. My job is to live in the backfield, just like Brandon [Williams], and just like Timmy [Jernigan]. They have been setting a great example for me. Following their lead has gotten me where I am today."
(on Cleveland's fourth-quarter drive on the 1-yard line) "Me and Brandon [Williams] actually talked [defensive line coach] Coach [Joe] Cullen into putting us in. We wanted to get that safety so badly and put an exclamation point on the win. We didn't get the safety, but we got some batted balls and pressure. We can't argue with that."
(on getting his hands up and being part of the game plan) "That's the plan every week. If you can't make the sack, the next thing you can do is strip-sack or get a batted ball. Any way you can get pressure, or affect the quarterback, is welcome here."
TE Darren Waller
(on his first-career touchdown catch) "It was great. [It was a] back-line throw. They were in a coverage we were expecting. It was just pitch and catch. It was just like every other day in practice – you just have to execute."
(on having a big lead near the end of the game) "It's always a great feeling. The thing that made me happy was just seeing the offense have fun. We've had our ups and downs, but to see everybody smiling and see the energy transition into points, down the stretch, that was a great feeling."
(on the last drive of the first half) "It was huge. You can't take any single point for granted. That's one thing I've learned in my few years here. Every situation, every point matters. That was a big sequence."
(on the team's big offensive second half) "It's something that we can build on. We came away with a lot of confidence after a pretty long week of preparation and trying to recover. This is big for us going forward."
(on the Ravens' 90-yard drive) "Coach Harbaugh wants that to be our M.O., to be able to run the ball. Being able to do that, and control the clock, and control the game, that's something else that going forward is trending in our direction."
OLB Terrell Suggs
(on what was working for him tonight) "Adrenaline. Adrenaline was working for me. It was a must-win game, and that is how we approached it as a team. It was a must-win game and this team has had a tremendous amount of success against us, so it was just adrenaline."
(on how much responsibility he feels to get the best out of the Ravens defense) "None. I don't feel that much responsibility for the simple fact that I only know one way to play. We had a lot of former Ravens on the sideline, Vonta Leach, Jameel McClain, Bart Scott, Frank Walker, it brought back a good old feeling. We should bring those guys back more often. It was good to see my brothers, and I wanted to put on a show for them."
(on if this defense is playing like Ravens' defenses of the past) "I don't know. We will see if we make the playoffs. You can never tell. Those old defenses made playoffs."
(on how it felt to have older Ravens watch him play as a veteran tonight) "I know. It is kind of weird. It is definitely kind of weird, but I am a young soul. I have been around here 14 years, but I still feel young. I don't feel like I have been playing for 14 years. Like I said, it was really good to see my brothers out there."
(on playing well with a torn bicep) "I don't know. Like I told you, I only know one way to play. It wasn't anything that I haven't done before, I have played with a torn bicep before. I have come back from a torn Achilles before, so I guess it is just in my DNA. My mom and dad did something special when they made me. Ozzie [Newsome] knew what he was doing when he drafted me. I have Raven in my DNA. I only know one way to play."
CB Jerraud Powers
(on the defensive performance as a whole) "I thought we played well. I know the stats might look how they look, and it might seem like we dominated, but we still have some areas where we need to improve. We did give up a big play as far as the touchdown, but I do think we are starting to hit our stride a little bit with this tough stretch that we have in the second half of the season. We have Dallas next week and they are arguably one of the best teams in the league. We have the Bengals twice. We have the Steelers again, and we have Miami. We have a lot of good football teams that we have to play left, and we have to make sure we're getting better every week."
(on areas of improvement for the defense) "I feel like we can always get better tackling. I feel like we can always get better at communicating, and we can always get better at playing our system and our style with no missed assignment. Those are areas we can always improve on and it showed today. We had a missed assignment on the touchdown and we missed a couple of tackles today. They ran the ball a little bit for a couple series'. We have some things that we see on film that we know need to improve, even though the stats are great."
(on how it felt to secure an interception) "It felt great to get my first one as a Raven. I think 'Siz' [Terrell Suggs] might have gotten the tip. He was pretty upset he didn't get the sack. I was just happy, and I was just doing my job, being in the right place at the right time. Coach always says, 'As long as you do your job and be where you need to be, sometimes the ball will find you instead of you finding the ball.' That was the situation."
(on if he has hit his stride as a player) "I am. I am starting to get healthy. Everything is starting to feel good. Preseason and the first half of the season I was pretty banged up. I think I'm getting healthy at the right time, and I'm starting to fly around and have fun."
OLB Matthew Judon
(on getting two wins in five days) "It felt good to get a win. It was a real good defensive effort, and our offense helped us out a ton [by] holding the ball a lot in the fourth quarter so they couldn't really get anything going. It just felt good to get a win."
(on if he feels his play is progressing this season) "Yes, it is, but we've got 'Sizz' [Terrell Suggs], and you see that guy, 14 years in, and me being a competitor, I just go out there and compete and try to make plays just like him. So, I kind of look up to him."
(on having the Dallas Cowboys up next and if he knew the Ravens have never lost to them) "I didn't know that. That's some fun facts right there, but they're playing great right now and we're trying to keep this winning streak on a roll. So, we're going to take this [weekend] off, recuperate, get our bodies right and do what we need to do so we can go down there in Dallas and compete."
(on what he wants the fans to know after this win) "That we're here to play. We had a little slump there and lost four straight, but we're going to always bounce back and never die. That's the Ravens' attitude, especially on defense, and when our offense is clicking like that, I don't think there is anybody in the league who can stop us."
WR Breshad Perriman
(on another big win inside the division today) "Most definitely. We're still sitting at the top, and really all we're looking forward to right now is being champions of the division. So, we're still sitting on top today."
(on how much relief it was for him to score his first touchdown) "Oh, man it was big. It was a complete blessing. I've been working for it for a long time and finally it came today."
(on if he was worried they were going to take the touchdown away) "No. Not at all."
(on if he felt confident the ball didn't touch the ground) "Honestly, I think one of my teammates had asked me if I had caught the ball, and I was kind of shocked. I was like, 'What are you talking about?' So, I didn't think it touched the ground at all. I didn't know if it did or it didn't, in my mind I just knew it was a touchdown."
(on if he thinks back about how much it took for him to get to that first touchdown) "Yes, most definitely. All that hardship, basically, and just how long it took to get here and all the work I had to put in and all the stuff I've been through. So, yeah, that does hit your mind for a little bit and then you realize how blessed you are."
(on where they go from here as an offense) "Just continue to build day-in-and-day-out, and be more consistent as an offense."
(on how he came down with the catch) "I can't really give you what I did exactly. I was just trying to compete and trying to make the catch."
CB Jimmy Smith
(on the defensive effort) "Great team win tonight. Defense, offense, special teams – it was an all-around good win against a good opponent, even though their record doesn't show that. They fought hard today."
(on the secondary) "It just goes to fundamentals. Coaches preach it every week, and we just stay focused on technique, fundamentals and our assignment each week."
(on Lardarius Webb's sack) "When you have a lot of talent on defense, you're able to do a lot of different things with the matchups. [Lardarius] Webb has always been a really good blitzer. I was happy to see him get in there and get some blitzing in."
(on Tavon Young's performance) "For a rookie, I'm not even going to say he's a rookie. He's an excellent football player. No stage is too big for him. This Thursday night game – he played against their [top receiver, Terrelle Pryor] all game. And he had a standout game."
(on having a big lead in the fourth quarter) "I don't even know when the last time was I've seen that. I walked up to coach [John] Harbaugh and said, 'Man, doesn't this feel good?' When you have a lead, you get to play more aggressively. You can pin your ears back and sack them and do different things. I think the fact that we got that lead let us play a little bit more free on defense."
(on Cleveland's fourth-quarter possession at the one-yard line) "I was actually watching that from the sidelines. We thought it was a safety, but he got his elbow out [of the end zone]. I think our second 'D' was in there, and it was excellent for them to go in there and make a play like that."
(on the Browns switching QBs to Josh McCown) "Surprised – not at all. I mean, they're looking for ways to win, so I was not at all surprised. We know what he likes to do. We were prepared for a guy that wants to get the ball out and throw it down the field."
(on the confidence of the defense) "We're playing to win games. We know the type of talent we have on this team – on defense, especially. We know that we have to come out and win games if we're going to make it to the 'ship or at least to 'The Dance.' For us, in the defensive room, we know at times, we have to carry the team."
(on the Ravens' offense) "We count on them, ain't no doubt about it. We depend on them, and we believe in them. We're going in just to make sure that we give them an opportunity to get going. Tonight, obviously, it worked out for us."
