**RAVENS WEDNESDAY quotes: WEEK 2 at TENNESSEE
RAVENS HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH**
Opening statement: "It's Wednesday, and we're on to Tennessee. Just finished our early walk-through, and then we'll have practice. What've you guys got?"
On what concerns him about Tennessee:"Well, how long you got? Tennessee's got a great history. It's a young, aggressive football team, but they've got a number of veteran players. Playmakers on offense is probably the first thing that sticks out. A defense that flies around – always an aggressive front that gets after you up front, an uneven defense. They've tweaked it just a little bit. They're playing the ends just a little bit tighter. Very physical, just a very physical, aggressive football team."
On how new head coach Mike Munchak has changed the Titans' style of play:"They've changed their defensive scheme a little bit. They used to have their ends a little wider and they'd force everything back inside back into the linebackers. The front's a little more interested in controlling your offensive line and letting the linebackers run and flow a little bit more. The coverages are very similar. It's a very fundamentally sound football team that plays really hard. And, that's really not that big of a change. Their head coach has obviously had a great history with that organization – 30 years with the organization – been a Pro Bowl player for a number of years, [and has an] offensive line mentality. They've had one of the best offensive lines in football all the years he's been coaching that team. That's his personality, and you can see it through the whole team."
On whether RB Chris Johnson will figure prominently in the Titans' game plan this week despite his performance in the season opener:"Probably the first week is more attributable to the business part of this whole deal, and we fully expect that [Chris Johnson] will get the ball 20-30 times in the game. There's no doubt he's one of their big playmakers. They've got two excellent wide receivers, they've got three play-making tight ends, and they've got a physical offensive line and a veteran quarterback that has won a lot of football games and knows how to distribute the ball to all those guys. But, Chris is going to be the guy who is probably going to be the focal point. They've said that already."
On the difference he saw in the Ravens' pass rush last Sunday versus other seasons:"I saw more sacks. You know, we had a lot of hits last year. I think the pass rush is very aggressive. I felt we did blitz a little bit more. I was really happy about that. That's going to be a week-to-week kind of a deal, but the guys were bringing it and I'm proud of them. I've got to go back. The whole comparison thing – I guess I let you walk me into that – and I'm mad at myself I got into that. The point is, really, what is the point? I'm trying to come up with good answers for it, but there really is no good answer to me. You take Sunday and then you try to take Sunday and apply what you learned to get better for next Sunday. And, that's really all you do."
On what strengths other than sacking the quarterback OLB Terrell Suggs brings to the defense:"Terrell Suggs is multi-faceted, no doubt. He gets to the quarterback. He's one of the premier pass rushers, there's no doubt about it. But, he's also a great run player. He drops in coverage and plays screens. He does a little something on special teams every now and then. So, he's one of the most well-rounded players in the National Football League."
*On Titans QB Matt Hasselbeck being able to transition smoothly from one team's offensive scheme to another: *"He's got that system down. They've applied some of his talents to that system – the West Coast-type ideas. They're running a lot that stuff from Chris Palmer. It's Chris Palmer's system – the one he's run for years, but you can see they've adjusted to the quarterback. And Hasselbeck, he'll adjust to his players. He's always done that. And he's got some weapons, and I don't think it's going to be too hard for him to figure those guys out."
On the challenges of facing a team with a new head coach and an unknown coaching strategy:"That's definitely an issue. It wasn't anything that we spent too much time on before this game. We had them all broken down. But the first look we got at them, basically, was Monday afternoon. There's not a lot of tape out there because you've got the preseason games and you've got one regular season game with a new head coach and new coordinators on both sides of the ball. The only coordinator that's still there, really, is the special teams coordinator. So, there's not much tape to look at right now."
*On the threat Titans WR Kenny Britt poses because of his explosiveness, size and speed: *"He's very explosive. He's a huge concern. He's averaging 18.1 yards per catch for his career. He had an 80-yarder on Sunday that was a broken play. So, he can take it the distance pretty much any play."
*On adjustments that will be made from Week 1 to Week 2: *"Well, Year 1 to Year 2, Week 1 to Week 2 in the preseason, Week 1 to Week 2 in training camp and the regular season… That's when you make the most progress. Day 1 to Day 2 during the week, from Wednesday to Thursday, you make the most progress in preparations. So, we've got to try to maximize every week. If we maximize this week, then we make the most progress, really, that we can make all year. That's how we look at it."
*On accounting for last week's Opening Weekend record of the second-most points scored in NFL history: *"I wish I knew. You look at the special teams thing, and you all said that there wouldn't be returns. I think the fact that people couldn't return kicks, didn't really get a chance to cover kicks in the preseason, made the kick coverage not very good. And maybe the geometry of the play is different, and now you've got kicks going back left and right. It's an unpredictable sport, it's an unpredictable league, and you just try to saddle up and get after it the next week."
On what makes RB Ray Rice such a threat:"The biggest thing about Ray is he can do a lot of things well. Ray, obviously, is a good inside runner and he always has been – go back to Rutgers. But he's a better outside runner than people thought. People really didn't see him as a receiver. Receiver might be the best thing he does as far as catching balls out of the backfield. You put a linebacker on him and he's got a three-way go; that's a problem. He can make plays downfield. We've seen him make plays over his shoulder, and he's good in pass protection. Anytime you have a complete player at any position, it's tough to handle for an opponent."
*On if Rice's rout-running style is like a WR: *"No, he runs routes more like a running back. You look at guys like Marshal Faulk and some of the really good running backs out of the backfield, that's probably the best comparison."
On the advantage of finding players like CBs Lardarius Webb and Cary Williams from small, less-known college programs:"And those are two great finds. We loved Lardarius coming out, and he was a safety in college. And, Cary was a guy our pro personnel department found on the practice squad, between Vince Newsome and George Kokinis, a couple of years ago. That, combined with developing young players, is really the formula that you're looking for."
C Matt Birk
On if he is stunned at how well the offensive line played Sunday vs. Pittsburgh:"Not stunned, no. We prepared hard. We are a veteran group. Guys have played a lot of football. You know what you have to do week-in and week-out to prepare for your opponent. Like we said, it wasn't an ideal situation going in, but maybe we just – I don't want to say prepared a little harder – made sure we spent a lot of time in the meeting room together, because we weren't able to be out on the field together, just talking through things. It wasn't just the offensive line, obviously. It was the whole offense just stayed in a good rhythm and was really in sync."
On how the offensive line meetings have changed since T Bryant McKinnie and C Andre Gurode signed:"[It's] just different from their personalities a little bit. You kind of throw together those personalities and you never know what you're going to get. As you guys know, offensive linemen – other than being the best-looking group on the team – tend to be pretty good guys and pretty easy-going. We just have fun. Obviously, I know Bryant from before. I played with him for a long time, so we like to have a lot of laughs."
On what McKinnie brings to the table:"Obviously, he is a physical presence – a physical force. He has been a very good left tackle for a long time in this league. There are not a lot of those. I think when you are talking about someone of his physical stature, certainly that poses some matchup problems for guys, because he just happens to be a very big guy who can move very well."
On if the offense was simplified for the game on Sunday vs. Pittsburgh:"No. The whole offense was in and it is kind of up to the new guys to pick it up. That's why we spent a little extra time in the meetings making sure everybody had the calls, and everybody was able to communicate out there in the heat of the battle."
On the satisfaction of having the whole offensive line together:"I don't know. We just want to play well, and obviously, we just want to win. It was a big division game at home. Those are the games you have to win if you are going to have a chance down the road. I guess this is the part where I am supposed to say we don't read the papers. *(laughter) *It was just a great team win. We don't look at it as it's just us or our unit. People like to break it down into the offensive line, running backs and wide receivers. We're the whole offense. Everybody works together and everybody was just in sync on Sunday."
On if he expects the same physicality at Tennessee:"Every game is physical. Every Monday morning when I wake up, I am pretty sore. Tennessee, they have been playing a physical, tough, hard-nosed, defensive brand of football for a long time. Even though it's a new coach, the film that I have seen, it doesn't look like that has changed a whole lot. Every week is a new challenge and this week is certainly a challenge. [It's] very different from the Pittsburgh team we just played. Pittsburgh is mainly a 3-4 front. Tennessee is a four-man front. [They're] a lot of different technique things that we will be working on this week."
On how it felt to play 60 minutes of football:"I was out there, so I felt good. I was talking with our trainer, Mark Smith, right before kickoff. He said, 'Well, we made it this far.' I didn't know if I would ever make it that far. Certainly, I think the older you get, you don't take it for granted anymore. You don't take your health and your ability to be out there, being able to compete and be with your teammates and contribute. Being able to play the whole game and feeling pretty good… I am going to go out there and practicing again today. I guess I can't complain."
On how the communication improved throughout the game on Sunday vs. Pittsburgh:"I thought it was pretty good. [There were] definitely some things that we are going to clean up. That's every week. Just because you win doesn't mean you overlook your mistakes or things you can work on. Us being a veteran group, I think we understand that. The Pittsburgh game, in a way, is ancient history to us right now, because Wednesday is the start of a new week, and we'll be working on the Titans."
On the chemistry of the offensive line:"We are only one game in, but it feels good after the game. I certainly think this is the most veteran that the offensive line has been since I have been here. Certainly with Bryant and also with guys like [Mark] LeVoir and Gurode, even guys that aren't necessarily starters. Just kind of having a little bit more veteran presence in the meeting room, you kind of talk about things. More and more guys can give their input because they have more experience. Again, it's just one game – veterans, rookies, whatever. Every week you have to work at it and you have to prepare your butt off. That's really the only thing that gives you the best chance for success. It's not a secret formula."
On what he is reading:"Right now I am reading the 'The World is Curved' by… The guy's last name is Smick or Swick. It's an economics book. We're all screwed. *(laughter) *It's bad times."
QB Joe Flacco
On being on the cover of Sports Illustrated:"I don't know if it goes in New Jersey. I don't think it does, to tell you the truth, because my mom called me up. I didn't know about it. She told us to pick up a couple of copies."
On if there is pride on being on the cover of Sports Illustrated:"Yeah, I'm sure there is. It's kind of cool, but it's crazy. It really is crazy how week-to-week this league is, how hot and cold everybody is. You just have to sit back and laugh about it."
On if his mother asked why Jets QB Mark Sanchez was on the cover instead of him:"No, she was just happy that me and Ray [Rice] were on the one, whatever it is."
On the ever-changing nature of the NFL:"Each game is so tight. I don't know if I like the fact that everybody makes it out to be either you are great or you are terrible. It is true that, in NFL football, it is really one play. People don't realize, even in the game on Sunday, one play here or one play there, that is a completely different game. We were fortunate to come out and get a turnover in the beginning of the second half and score right away. If it doesn't go that way, you don't know how that game is going to turn out. It's like that every week – one play can decide the outcome."
On the offense's chemistry and knowing where everyone is:"I hope I know where everybody is at all times. It's my job as a quarterback. The biggest thing is just us being on the same page and kind of having that timing and knowing when he has a good matchup and when he is going to win."
On facing an unfamiliar team:"You have to trust what you see on film. It may not be a lot, but you have to go with it. If you get out there and things change or they run some new things, you have to adjust on the fly. I think for us, it's really just trusting what we saw and going out there and being confident."
On what problems the Titans' secondary poses:"They'll come up and they'll bring their free safety off one of the corners a couple of times. They rotate around a little bit, but I have confidence in our guys that they will be able to get open. If we create that time, like we did last week, I have all the confidence in the world."
On if he feels there could be a letdown after last week's win vs. Pittsburgh:"No. I feel like we have a great locker room – we always have. We move on pretty quickly from losses and wins. That's our job, and that's what we'll be ready to do this week."
On the development of TE Ed Dickson and TE Dennis Pitta:"You could just see how much confidence they had out there on Sunday. They have a lot of confidence out there, and it obviously translates into the way they play. They play fast, they are sure of what they are doing, and it obviously allows everything to declare itself for me, and I can see them. They are going to be a big part of why we win football games this year. They both get up on the defense fast and catch the football."
On if he has the same confidence in Dickson and Pitta as he did with departed TE Todd Heap:"Yeah, obviously when you hear that Todd is not going to be here, you get a little bit disappointed, but as training camp went on, and we started practicing and everything… I have all the confidence in the world in these guys, and you have to when you go out there and play quarterback and you step out there on Sunday. If you don't have all the confidence in your guys, than you are not going to operate the way you want to."
On what makes RB Ray Rice so hard to play against:"Ray is a running back, and obviously, they have to put their best cover guys on our wide receivers and even tight ends. With Ray's ability to work in that space and understand some of our route concepts, it gives us a chance to get him on guys that aren't used to covering. He has that quickness. He has that explosiveness that he can run those routes and separate from guys at the point of break, and that can really help us out."
LB Ray Lewis
On whether anything has changed with regards to the defense' pass rushing between this year and last year:"Has anything changed? No. I don't think anything has changed. 'Sizzle' [Terrell Suggs] is still 'Sizzle', and our D-line… I think [defensive coordinator] Chuck [Pagano] is a little different in his approach in getting to the quarterback. That's kind of an emphasis for our defense. Outside of that, nothing has changed."
On what he chalks up Sunday's defensive performance to:"I think it's everything. You know, it's executing and kind of playing with the lead and different things like that. Anytime you're playing from behind, things change as far as getting to the quarterback, because they're throwing way more than they're running."
On whether there are many players in the NFL more explosive than Titans' RB Chris Johnson:"No, no. He is what they call their home run hitter. He is their offense, he's their heartbeat. And if you look at what they did last weekend, I think he just had nine carries, so you've got to know that he's definitely going to touch the football a lot this week. And we're prepared for it, we're prepared for it. It should be a great test for us. But when you talk about just skill and talent, he is a special, special talent."
On whether the "24-hour rule" gets extended a little bit after the win against Pittsburgh last Sunday:"No, it's already over. The guys, most of them, were in here yesterday. A lot of guys come in on Tuesday and really get it out of the way and really get on the other film before the next game. And I think Monday evening a lot of us were already on to Tennessee. And we have enough of a mix of guys who can get you past that if a guy was still hanging onto it, but it's too long of a season to hang on one win."
On whether he's seen any differences in the Titans with long-time head coach Jeff Fisher no longer with the team:"I don't really know how to compare them from that side of things. I just think you kind of see what their base is… You can't really get a read on them. Plus, Chris [Johnson] wasn't in camp, and a lot of things like that, so you kind of have to go back and forth. [QB Matt] Hasselbeck is kind of new, but Kenny Britt is a great player over there, a young receiver that's really big and really physical and can really make some plays for them. And they have a long tight end that can run, too. And their offensive line is really trying to get up on people to the second level. So, they do propose some challenges."
On how to tell younger players not to feed into the media hype, like being put on the cover of Sports Illustrated's upcoming issue:"It's simple. It's just how much press clippings you want to read, because the same press clip is going to be written about you once we lose a game. So, you've just got to be careful with it. And for us, man, it's about a 24-hour rule – coming back to work the next day. Win, lose or draw, when it's over, it's over, and move on. And I think for our team, we've already made a decision to move on."
On how NT Terrence Cody has filled in for departed NT Kelly Gregg:"I think Cody, his spirit is the reason why he's in that role right now, because he wants to be the best. He wants to be somebody that comes in and contributes to our defense and be a part of everything that goes on. I just think his knowledge and humility of listening, and really trying to learn, is kind of what excites me about playing behind a Terrence Cody."
On having CBs from relatively small schools in a starting role, and what it says about them to go out and make big plays in the NFL:"I think what it truly says is you just never know where you're going to find that diamond in the rough at. A lot of times, you always look for them at the big schools and things like that, but when you find that one or two diamonds in the rough at these smaller schools, they're built a certain way. They're those people who just love the game for what the game is all about. And the guys that we have, when you talk about [Lardarius] Webb, and you talk about 29 [Cary Williams], I love both of those guys, because I love their spirit and just the way they actually play the game."
On whether LP Field is still a special place for him to play because of his history playing in Tennessee:"Adelphia [Coliseum?] It's called something else now? (laughter) I kind of like playing there. It's a grass stadium, and they have a great fan base that gets very rowdy there. And me going back there so many years back, I don't think anything is going to change. It's their home opener, and I just think it's going to be real, real loud. But I do remember that stadium, yeah."
On whether he would agree with DE Cory Redding's statement that no matter how much the defense prepares, its will will just get things done:"Yeah, and you know what? I think we take it upon ourselves in the defensive meeting room. Coaches sometimes, I'll tell you, in our defensive meeting room, they'll blow your mind with how much they actually move out of the way and let us coach each other. Because if Cory isn't seeing something the way I see it, and I jump behind him and tell him, 'Stay right there,' you know, coach isn't going to say, 'No, don't do that.' He's just going to let us play it, and that's what our defense is all about. Everybody is pissed off. Everybody is pissed off, and it's a good mentality to have on defense, because there's only one football. Wherever the football is at, all 11 people are trying to get there."
On what some of the old, classic battles were like between the Ravens and Titans:"For so many years I played against the Titans. There was nothing like that rivalry. We used to have kind of like the same rivalry that we have with Pittsburgh now. And to have Eddie George and, rest in peace, Steve McNair, and all those guys back then, it was just two heck of a teams going at it. And we always knew that one of us was going to be there at the end of the day. You know, 1999, they went to the Super Bowl. [In] 2000, we came back and went to the Super Bowl, but it was always a dog fight between us two. And honestly, we said the same thing and then look for the same thing coming up this week."
RB Ray Rice
On whether he expects more from the team as the season progresses:"You know, I like to say our training camp alone helped us out for this game. No disregard for our fans, but being here, in Owings Mills, and being at our facility really focused us because of the shorter offseason. From the three-hour practices and then going into a grueling preseason, it kind of got us ready for what Week 1 was going to be about. We couldn't… You can't take away the live reps that we've had. We're one of the few teams that go live during camp. Those reps – they call them game reps – it might have looked like we were feeling our way, but we actually went out there and really executed. That's one of the things I preached going into that week. We knew it was going to be physical – the score didn't show how physical the game was – but, we went out there and we out-executed them. [We are] just looking forward to an opportunity this week to execute, you know, not even better than we did last week, [but] every week we're trying to get better."
On whether he thinks the offense was more aggressive than in previous seasons:"As much as it was aggressive, it was a pretty vanilla game plan. I'm not saying that to downplay our opponent, but we didn't do a lot of trick stuff. It was stuff that we practiced in camp. But one thing we did was with tempo. The tempo of our offense was a fast tempo – moving guys in and out – because we figured, you know, we had to tempo them being it was the first game of the year. They like to play base defense, and the tempo was really high. I caught myself coming in and out at times. So, everything else worked out really well."
On whether he likes the faster tempo of the offense:"I like it. I like the way our offense is moving. I like that Joe [Flacco] has the go ahead to do many things. And I think the combination of me and Ricky [Williams] is going really well. I just couldn't have asked for a better start. But obviously, it goes week by week, and every team is different. I'm looking forward to executing at a high level this week."
On whether he was surprised with how well the offensive line played together:"As much as I want to say surprised, I was actually confident that they would play well. Our offensive line… It wasn't like we threw an inexperienced rookie group out there. When you've got a guy like Bryant McKinnie who's played with Matt Birk, and a guy like [Marshal] Yanda who's played guard, and Mike [Oher] played the right tackle, and Ben Grubbs has been where he's at… They didn't need to play together to go out there and execute the way they did. They're a veteran group. The way they play is… I like to say they're only going to get better. We all know… I mean, the sky is the limit for that offensive line. It's been something that Ozzie [Newsome] and everyone else around here felt like we needed to patch up and do a few things with. We definitely got it done."
Whether he sensed that he was going to make a touchdown catch when he lined up for that specific play: "Well, yeah. Once the linebacker comes out on me, it's typically man-to-man coverage; it might be a two-shell, cover five, whatever it was. Once I saw Joe scrambling out of the pocket, I figured that was my sign to scramble. It may have looked like a designed route, but it was actually me and Joe's 'me-to-you' combination. I could have took it inside, I could have took it outside, but I knew the route behind me. I saw that no one was there; I took that quick peak. But once you see Joe scramble outside the pocket, we all know that it's our job to get open. He made a hell of a throw. He got it where no one else could get it, and he actually gave me enough room to get turned and get to the pylon. It was great execution on both of our ends."
On whether he and QB Joe Flacco have an unspoken understanding after playing together for three years:"Yeah, I don't know what I would do without Joe, I'm telling you. A lot of the catches I catch from Joe are like long handoffs; that's what they've become. I told you, I like to have my yards in all-purpose. I don't want to be a guy that's just plunging inside and out. The reception yards get underscored at times. But, I think that me and Joe have a great chemistry going on, and it's something we look to carry out through the rest of the year."
On whether he played with Titans WR Kenny Britt in college:"Me and Kenny Britt did play in college together. Tennessee also has a starting cornerback, we played college ball together, too, in Jason McCourty. They're both great players, and it's going to be funny seeing those guys. I'm not going to bother them for tickets this week. I don't want any distractions." (laughter)
On his thoughts on the physicality of Tennessee:"I think every team is physical in the NFL. But, their scheme is different than Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is 3-4 and they're a 4-3 team, and you have to attack them different. When you look at them… On defense you look at everyone's first week, and there's always guys feeling it out. I'm sure they're going to put an emphasis on stopping the run. They're going to do a great job out there. And it's their home opener. Who wouldn't want to be fired up for their home opener? Regardless of what happened last week, we know we're going into hostile territory, and we know we have to be prepared to play."
On the importance of having a fast start against Tennessee:"Absolutely, we've got to start fast every game. We've hit adversity in the preseason when we had to play from behind a little bit. But, no one wants to play from behind. They did it last week and almost came back and won the game. Their talent… They've got one of the most talented teams in the League. Look at what they've just signed with Chris Johnson. I'm talking from an offensive standpoint, but you have to know where he is at all times. You have to know where Kenny Britt is. They can take a play and, next thing you know, it's six points. We have to be on our best. I know defense will do their part and offense will continue to put points on the board for our defense. And, if our defense gets us turnovers… You know, it's better to have threes than... It's better to have seven than to score three points."
On what it's like facing a team with a new schemes and personnel as opposed to facing a team that is more familiar:"The thing is, the adjustments aren't really on the fly. We take our same principles and just apply it to the defense. Pittsburgh just happened to be a team that we were very familiar with. In the NFL, guys are in a copycat system. So, some of the things that we may see in the sub pressures with Tennessee are the same thing that Pittsburgh might run. It's just their base fronts are different. Every play that we have designed in our offense is for a 4-3 team and a 3-4 team. So, the adjustments that we're talking about are adjustments that we went over in training camp because you got to face both looks. You know, our defense runs multiple schemes. Having to face that kind of defense that we see every day prepares us for these adjustments to face teams like Tennessee that run a 4-3 and many other teams."
OLB Terrell Suggs
On what identity the team established with its dominant performance against the Steelers:"I don't know. I just hope people aren't jumping the gun too fast. It's a long season. We won our first game, so did half the other teams that played. It's a long season, and it was a good win. It was a great win, a good way to get started, but we've still got a long way to go. [There are] 15 games left, and we're really not trying to get too much involved with what everybody else's perception of us is. We just know where we're trying to go and what we're trying to build."
On his perception of his growth as a player and a person over the past few years:"I don't know, what do you see? I still try to have as much fun as I can – as much fun as possible. But if you're losing, you're not having that much fun. So, I want to make sure I have as much fun as the year keeps coming on, but I think I've grown up a little bit – a teeny little bit. But, my kids will probably tell you different. We just want to continue to have fun. I like my role on the team. We're just going to continue to win."
On any specific ways he's improved as a football player:"I've taken my film study up to a new level. I can see things before they happen now. So, that's one area. A lot of things [have helped] – just the little things, the stamina, the strength and all of that."
On the team having to guard against an emotional letdown following the season opener against Pittsburgh:"You've just got to go and play football. You've got to go and play football. As I said, you're not going to have that much fun if you're not winning. So, we want to try to compile as many wins as possible. We've got a big task this week, probably the fastest man in the NFL [in Chris Johnson], and there's going to be flying. It's going to be interesting."
On any fundamental changes that have been made in the emphasis of the defense this season:"No, I think we put more of an emphasis on it now. We run and blitz. We've got to execute, otherwise we hang out our secondary and we don't want to do that. So, it's more attention to detail to get there. So, we're just coming. We're just putting a little bit more on it."
*On the game plan last Sunday being the recipe for the defense each week this season: *"I don't [know]. We just like to win. I don't want to say that's the recipe, because now people are going to start pass protection. So, we can't say that. It's always good when you get turnovers and the offense doesn't turn over the ball. A lot of things went into to what you all saw on Sunday."
On being the Ravens' all-time sack leader:"It's very flattering, because that's one of the few things you see as soon as you walk in the building is the guys that are all-time leaders of the organization [with game balls in the players' entrance]. I'm honored that my name can go up there. It's very flattering, and I'm glad to have it. But, I've got a bigger goal in mind, so I hope I can add this to that list."
On whether he plans to cut back on his dancing this season:"We've got to start blowing people out big, then I'll start dancing. But until then, it's business as usual. Like my man, LeBron James. I'm giving a shout out to King James."
On what he remembers about Titans QB Matt Hasselbeck:"I remember one time in my rookie year he came down here and lit us up. I think we ended up winning 43-41; Ed Reed blocked a punt to have us come back in that game. And then, we went up there [to Seattle] in 2007, and he kind of lit us up again. They ran the ball. So, he's had some success against us. I think we definitely have got to take look at that and try to correct some things before we face them on Sunday."
On his plans to sack Hasselbeck this week:"It's a little bit more personal with the last than it is with this one, but it's always business as usual. I think first things first is definitely Chris Johnson and then Hasselbeck."
