On his relationship with Ron Rivera on Eagles staff and now: "It was great. We go back kind of further because my brother and Ron played together with the Bears. So they were both young guys there and when I was a young coach I used to visit all the time and hang around with those guys...with Jim and Ron and so there's a lot of good memories, lot of laughs and of course with the Eagles was an extension of that. We worked together, learned a lot, just got pretty darn close and then it's continued on. Families are good friends, it's very positive."
On any fun stories that would annoy Rivera: "Yeah, probably I do, but I'm not going to share them with you if that's OK."
On working with Panthers running game coordinator John Matsko on the Ravens staff: "Lot of respect. Same kind of fire here. We both went to the same college so we always had that in common and had kind of a bond that way. I just have the upmost respect for John. Great coach, great person, great family man, highly respected here. Just one of the great coaches in the National Football League."
On reasons for Ravens defensive success this season: "Well the statistics are probably what sets it apart right now but you know that's fleeting. It's only what, seven games in? We don't put too much stock in that right now, we're just trying a find a way to stop a very good Panther offense this week."
On impact of new defensive coordinator Don Martindale: "He does a great job. I think he's done a great job, the whole staff has done a great job. I know we have a great coaching staff. I feel like they're the best in the business, they do a great job. Very proud of those guys and they work really hard at it."
On success of Ravens' pass rush: "It's always a team effort. It goes to that, like you're talking about when you play a lot of guys. It's also guys making plays. Guys covering the back end, and guys getting to the quarterback, it's scheme. It is what it is but like you said, it's just one week at a time. We didn't have very many (sacks) last week, I know that."
On Terrell Suggs continuing to be successful this deep into his career: "That is such a great question because it's so rare. I mean you have a guy a little bit like that in Julius Peppers too there. Those kind of guys are just on a different level athletically. They aren't very many of those types of human beings walking around on the planet. Start with that, then I think the work ethic. You have to work at a really high level to be able to play at a high level at that age. And then also, the football IQ. The intelligence, the professionalism, all those things have to go into it."
On Suggs and Peppers being cut from the same cloth: "Yeah I do, I mean they're not exactly the same kind of player, but I'd say the same category of what you're talking about, just very rare. Very rare to see those kind of guys at that position play as long as they have and be so effective."
On importance of Luke Kuechly to Carolina defense: "That's a good point, I mean I think really the truly great players are the guys that make everybody else play better and take everybody else to a different level where they would be. I think Luke is one of those guys based on what you see on tape. He runs the show and he makes plays. He's really almost impossible to fool. He's always in the right spot and guys like that cover up a lot of things, whether it was Ray Lewis here or Ed Reed, those are the types of players that just make everybody better."
On what he saw from former Ravens receiver Torrey Smith early on that showed him he'd be successful in the NFL: "Nothing but love for Torrey, nothing but respect. I think the number one thing that I saw or anybody sees is his character. I mean you can trace it all the way back to when he was seven years old and was basically the leader in his household in some ways, helping his mom with the rest of the kids. That has just carried over through his whole life. I think obviously his athletic career, but also academically and then the impact that he has on people around him and the community in general. A great leader, I really love him. Obviously he's playing at a high level too, and has been since he left here, but nothing but love and respect for Torrey."
On how the addition of John Brown has contributed to the Ravens' success: "Big, big addition, yeah. Just really the type of guy we needed. He was injured the last couple of years in Arizona, right? So I think that impacted him. He's healthy now, doing a great job of taking care of himself, he always has, but he's been able to maintain that and he's just a good player. He's a deep threat but he also runs routes well, he'll block. He does it all."
On how longevity and continuity helps a franchise stay on a high level: "That's a good question. Probably just too big of one for me to really be able to probably encapsulate right now because it would take...to answer it well would take a little bit of thought, but what I can say is that I think...owe that to God basically, and the fact that this organization has some really great people in it. That's really all you can say at this point. We're just trying to win the next game right now, so 11 years doesn't really mean anything when you try to win a game. We have great people here, very blessed to have a great organization, and that's really the main thing that jumps in my mind."
On challenge Carolina offense will present Sunday: "Big challenge. It starts with the quarterback, then it goes to the running back (Christian McCaffrey) and then it goes to the receiver number 17 (Devin Funchess) and the receiver number 88 (Greg Olsen). I think those four players are where it all starts. They have four excellent play makers there. Then they've got a number of role players. Torrey being one of the ones who really excels in the areas that they're using him. Number 10 (Curtis Samuel) is another guy, number 12 (DJ Moore) is another guy, all those guys really excel in the ways they use them. I think Norv Turner does a great job of using those guys and applying his principles and concepts, but putting those guys in positions to be successful. And you've got a big, gigantic physical offensive line. It's a good group, probably starts with Cam of course and coach Turner and goes from there."
On possible lack of credit Cam Newton receives for his successes on the field: "I haven't even noticed that, I don't pay any attention to that part of it. I know he's a really good player and know he had a great comeback and has had a lot of great comebacks in his career. The ones I've watched on tape are the ones I'm familiar with, but I don't really pay too much attention to who gets credit or who doesn't."
On Ravens defensive line versus Panthers offensive line: "You know you can never tell what's going to happen, there's really nothing you can anticipate, that's why you've got to wait and see how it plays out. We anticipate a very good offensive line, we've got a lot of respect for them and they're well coached and we're just looking forward to the challenge."
On how Justin Tucker is handling his first missed extra point: "Great! You should ask him, you'll get a chance probably to talk to him but he's been great. He's been Justin Tucker and ready to go to work today and get back at it practice wise and I expect him to be who he always is which is just what you want him to be, he's a great kicker and a great guy."
