Q:When do you think this defense turned the corner and what helped you get to where you are now?
PC:I feel just playing together for so long, but we haven't turned the corner yet. We still have one more game and hopefully another one. We can't look past this one because it's the Ravens coming in. It's a good team – good defense, good offense, good special teams and we're in for a battle.
Q:You guys haven't really played together for any long stretch of time. How tough has it been within the season to get on the same page?
PC:Honestly, I think it's not tough at all. We're all in the same room learning the same things. I'll say that week in and week out. Everybody is in the same room doing the same thing; learning the same thing, doing the same responsibilities. Whoever is out there has to know what they're doing.
Q:You're familiar with Ed Dickson. How much does that help you and have you imparted that scouting to teammates?
PC:Yeah, he's good, he's good. He's an athletic guy. He can make catches, he can block. Obviously. he's starting for an NFL team in the playoffs. Obviously, he's good. He can do a lot of things. He can be dangerous so we have to take care of him.
Q:There's a lot of talk about Ed Reed this week. What have you picked up from him in trying to emulate what he's doing while watching film of him?
PC:I can't emulate him. Just watching film, he knows what he's doing. He has instincts like no other. He'll see something he knows and boom, he goes and he gets it. He takes shots and most times he guesses right. He's one of the best, he's one of the best to do it. All you can do is really learn from him and watch how he does things and try to make yourself better.
Q:How difficult has this season been for you personally being inactive due to injury and also weathering the storm of the slings and arrows the defense has taken all year long?
PC:On me, it's been pretty tough but the team is winning, the team is winning. I have no complaints at all. We're winning and just have to keep working and whatever obstacles there might be, you have to keep working and try to overcome those.
Q:Has it mystified you? How has this defense done it all year?
PC:No, not at all. We have a good defense, a good defense, good players, good coach. Coach [Belichick] gives us the game plan, we execute and we've been doing that for the whole season.
Q:The patchwork with the safeties, it seems like a lot of guys have been rotating in there.
PC:Yeah, but the best players are going to play at the given time, whoever you have is going to play regardless. Whoever Coach [Belichick] puts out there he has full confidence in and he expects them to make plays.
Q:When you see what your tight ends are capable of and what tight ends around the league have done this year, what makes it difficult to defend?
PC:Some of them are big, some of them are fast, some of them are both, some of them have good routes, some of them are like receivers. It's evolved to not just a tight end; you have all different types of tight ends. There are all different ways to try to stop those guys but everyone has their own athletic feature about them that makes them different.
Q:How do you try to keep your emotions in check in this type of game with all that's at stake? Do you feel like you have to make up for lost time?
PC:You can't think like that. Every game is one at a time. You just have to prepare like you've been preparing and treat it like it's a big game but treat it like a regular game and just going into it with the same preparation you've done for 16 weeks.
Q:Does practicing against Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez help you?
PC:Yeah, they're two good players, two totally different players and two very good players so it's always going to help anybody that's covering them, whether it's a linebacker, safety, corner – it doesn't matter. They're two good players.
Q:What have you seen watching Baltimore on film in Joe Flacco and his offensive weapons?
PC:He's getting the ball to some dangerous people. Ray Rice, [Anquan] Boldin, he's throwing the ball to them and they're making plays. We have to try to contain everybody.
Q:Can you talk about your working relationship with James Ihedigbo?
PC:He's smart, he's a smart dude. We can communicate across the field and we can make the right calls, give eye contact and kind of know what the situation is, he can tell me, I can tell him. It's good to work with somebody next to me that's pretty smart.
Q:Ty Law is going to be one of the honorary captains this week. As a defensive back, is it kind of cool to see a guy who had a hand in so many big games?
PC:Of course. He's had the experience. He's been there, he's done that. We kind of have to show him that we know how to play too.
Q: How much tougher is Ray Rice in the open field?
PC:Open field, in close areas, he's good. He's good, he's fast, he's powerful, he has good hands, he can run, he can catch – he can do it all. He's a main factor and we have to try to contain him, definitely.
Q:How is it different working with Devin McCourty at safety as opposed to at corner?
PC:It's kind of the same. Dev is kind of one of those players that can play anywhere. He can play in the slot, he can play outside, he can play free safety obviously. He's kind of like James [Ihedigbo], he's very smart, very smart and he knows the game and he knows concepts. He can make plays; he's a ballhawk.
Q:You're more of a lead by example type guy but you have to be able to communicate on the field at the safety position. How hard was that for you?
PC:It's not hard at all. I mean, just the safety position, linebackers, you have to be able to communicate. You can't do sign language out there. You have to be able to communicate and communicate to your guys certain things you see that they don't see. You have to be loud. It's loud out there. You have to be loud, use signals and you have to be on the same page. That's the main thing for the safeties – make sure everybody is on the same page.
Q:From my understanding, sign language comes in handy out there.
PC:Oh definitely. But you still have to try to shout too, just in case. Everybody has to know what we're doing. If we're all on the same page then we have a chance.
Q:Can you talk us back to your first game back? Were you concerned that as the weeks went on it would derail you for the rest of the season?
PC:No, that's weeks and weeks ago. I'm here now with my guys and we're getting ready to play the Ravens. We're not worried about Buffalo or any of that stuff. We're just getting ready to play this game right now.
Q:That first game back, what were those emotions like?
PC:Of course it felt good. But it's over now, that's in the past.
Q:What has Brandon Spikes done for you guys? It seems like he brings a different level of energy.
PC:Energy, intensity. He's a good football player. Film doesn't lie, he brings a lot of energy and he makes plays.
