Q: Is it accurate to say that the Ravens defense has played as well as it has all year since the return of Ray Lewis for the postseason?
WW: Yeah, absolutely. They got a little bounce in their step and it is playoff time and they have a bunch of experienced players that know how important these games are and how to prepare and get ready, and it is pretty evident.
Q: What has Brandon Lloyd meant to this offense and to you specifically?
WW: The more good players you have the better off your offense is going to be. He knows exactly what he is doing. He knows the offense. He goes out there, he prepares. He runs the right routes. He catches the ball really well and makes a lot of plays out there for us and it is good to have somebody there on the outside that can hit some of those plays.
Q: Can you shed some insight into what the practices are like for you guys when you work on your hurry-up offense?
WW: We just practice it the same way it does in games. We try and make it just like the games and really move at a fast tempo and try and get ready.
Q: Does it remind you of what you played in, in college?
WW: Maybe a little bit but I don't know. Shoot, it has been a long time since I played in the offense in college but it is similar in a way.
Q: The NFL is played by enormous individuals. For those that aren't blessed with that kind of size, what do you use to overcome that?
WW: I think the two key things are being tough and being smart. Being able to take those hits and do all of those things and at the same time being smart and understanding what the defense is doing and being able to attack it in a certain way where you can maybe make those windows just a little bit bigger where you are not taking those hits and things like that. I would attribute it to being tough and being smart and really understanding the game.
Q: Troy Brown said that when he played here Bill [Belichick] said to him he had to get down because he was taking a lot of hits. Has he ever told you to try and take less hits and try and to get to the turf a little bit more?
WW: Yeah, we've talked about it before and Tom [Brady] and I have talked about it too. It's a long season and every little hit adds up, so there are times where you have to know when the ride is over and get down and look to see another day and things like that. We've discussed it before but at the same time if you need to get a first down or whatever, you got to do what you got to do.
Q: Is that hard to do since your D.N.A. seems to be to get every yard you can?
WW: You learn. You learn.
Q: How important do you think playing at home during the playoffs has been in your career?
WW: Anytime you are playing at home this time of year is a key thing. Getting the fans into it and being able to play at home and practice at your own field and your own stadium and prepare for the game at your own place and all those things are good. We just have to make sure to take advantage of it.
Q: Do you put much stock in home-field once the game starts?
WW: Not really, not once the game starts. It's a game and you prepare and you just have to go out there and execute the way you did in practice the whole week.
Q: Can you talk about the rivalry with the Ravens and playing them in the postseason?
WW: Obviously they're a great team, and we met each other in the playoffs quite a few times in the past few years and they are always tough games. They are tough, physical, hard fought games. They're obviously a great team and we will definitely have our hands full this Sunday.
Q: How much do you and the rest of the organization embrace the mentality of it's us against the rest of the league and we are the most hated franchise because we have the most success in the league? Do you sense that?
WW: I don't think we really worry about it. We just go about our business and do our jobs and just kind of go from there and not really worry about anything outside of that.
Q: How much respect do you have for a guy like Rob Ninkovich who is sort of similar to you where he is a self mad man by NFL standards?
WW: He is obviously taking advantage of all of his opportunities and has made a lot of big plays. He is a tough, smart, football player and in the right spot at the right time. There is something to be said for that. When he gets the opportunities he makes the plays. That is what it is all about.
Q: Did you get the shiner from practice?
WW: No, from the game last week.
Q: Who got you?
WW: I have no idea to tell you the truth.
Q: Do you remember which half, which quarter when it happened?
WW: No. I don't remember anything about it.
Q: How valuable is it to have Shane Vereen making contributions in the passing game?
WW: Anytime we have guys step up and make some plays like Shane did it's great for the whole offense and just another aspect of our offense that you have to pay attention to and make sure you are on top of and all of those different things. It is good to see.
Q: Over the course of your career how many different ways have people tried to intimidate you?
WW: Intimidate me?
Q: Yeah, like the Ryan Clark hit from a few years ago.
WW: I don't know. I don't know about intimidating me or anything like that. There are guys that talk trash. There are guys that try to hit you and do all these different things but I feel like I have been around long enough to know a tough guy when I see one.
Q: What is the worst thing that anyone has ever said to you?
WW: I don't know, probably nothing to repeat or anything.
Q: Does it fuel you?
WW: Sometimes, it just depends. Sometimes it's dirty or in bad taste.
