On the last game, fixing the issues and moving on: "Yeah, we didn't tackle well in the second half. We have two second halves of football games this year in our eight games where we didn't tackle well. It's about run fits and mechanics and those things that we talk about all the time. We were talking about a lot about run defense last week at this press conference and how it was getting better and better and that's the key. The key is this – when the guy goes through the hole, you have to know how to fit it and you have to get that guy on the ground. That's the key. We have to tackle better. We had two games when we didn't. We have to know where our help is and tackle better. There's a lot of times in that game, I mean, where we stopped the same play over and over and they call it one more time and for whatever reason we're slightly off. That back is good enough to go to the house. He's a good player."
On being just a little off on defense, leading to disappointing run defense against Bucs: "That's what you have to do. That's the difference [holds up two fingers close together] in really good defense, really good run defense. The best run defenses get themselves off the field, control what they can control like we talked about. We're doing that at times very, very well, especially in the run game. There's times this year where our run defense has been outstanding. There's times where they keep running the same play and they find that much [again, holds up two fingers close together]. What we have to do as a group is take care of that much. We have to know how it fits, how it works, and do our job. We took turns not doing our job and that's what you have to get. That's why football is what it is; 11 guys doing their job, tackling the guy with the ball."
On the defensive line against Buccaneers: "The D-line was in their gaps pretty well. We knocked them back pretty well. There was a time we took turns on the front doing that, but we actually calculated the other way. You mentioned a couple plays where we had some players in position to make plays when he is right at the hole. Now, he's pretty good. He slipped through a couple things and those things, but here's the deal, we have to tackle him when we're there. It just comes back to tackling in the second half of two football games, we have to do that. We have to know where our help is, understand that, use our help, and get the guy on the ground."
On the Ravens offense: "The Ravens do a good job offensively. They understand how to change tempo. They understand who they are and what they are and the Ravens as an organization has done a very good job of knowing how to win football games. We have to understand how they do those things, changing tempo to run the ball and throw the ball, what kinds of routes they use, who runs what routes in their offense, and apply our rules to stop them. They do a nice job of knowing who they are, knowing who they are in that stadium, and understanding how to run and pass to win football games."
On if they'll use Desmond Bryant more or move Lamarr Houston inside if Richard Seymour cannot play: "We've moved different players inside throughout the season. We've done things so that if anything happens, because that is the great game of football through 16 weeks, you know its next man up all the time, and we've built that depth throughout the year with our front. Our front has got better across the board of using our hands in those different things, those different guys in those different positions. We will do, the different scenarios you mentioned, we'll do forms of all of those."
On Aaron Curry: "Curry will be used at our linebacker positions. What's great about Aaron is in his time these past few weeks, he's really studied all of the linebacker positions, so we're excited about what he can do. He's had a pretty good week of practice this week. You'll see him at the different spots. What's great about Aaron is he can learn those positions and he is willing to learn all those positions."
On Curry bringing energy and passion to the defense: "Aaron likes football. It's been hard on him a little bit not being able to be on the field. It's hard on these guys when they're starting to feel better, but yet, they're still not on. That's one of the most frustrating things for a professional athlete is you're starting to feel better, but you're not on the field. So expressing that is you get excited and you talk about more than you usually talk because you can't do it. But he's been energetic this week and he loves football so we're excited to see what he does."
On Ravens RB Ray Rice being similar to Bucs RB Doug Martin is helpful in preparation: "Yeah, because you don't want to experience that again. Sometimes you learn what to do and sometimes you learn what not to do, both in coaching and in life. Sometimes things are bad, this is what we tell the players about, what you do with bad, you turn it into good. What do you do with good, you turn it into great. So for seven defensive football games, we played pretty good run defense. Then the other half, as coach said, was bad, so not we have to turn bad into good. So that's a good experience to help us do that."
On what Ray Rice does well: "Everything. He can catch it. He puts his foot in the ground. He gets vertical. He puts his foot in the ground and gets vertical, which is one of the things that him and Doug did. The real good backs, they get vertical, they get what they can. He can catch the ball. His receiving stats since he's entered the league are outstanding. We have to account for him on all downs on those situations. He catches them in designed routes. He catches them on checkdowns. He's a good back. He's a good back and they know how to use him."
On Ron Bartell: "Bartell has had a good week of practice. Did some things well today, so excited to see him on the field."
On if they expect to see him this week: "That falls to Coach Allen and Reggie [McKenzie]."
