LEFT TACKLE JOE STALEY

(on if he had been drafted by the Ravens) “No, I have not really thought about different situations. It is funny how it works out to because Coach Solari, our offensive line coach, was at Kansas City when I was going through the draft process. They called me on the phone at the 20^th pick and were about to take me. Then I got reacquainted with him later down the line. I do not spend too much time thinking about what if’s and what could be’s.

(on QB Colin Kapernick’s media attention) “If he is The Beatles, I am just a garage band. A bunch of 12-year-olds living the dream in the garage. Trying to make things happen. I am out here busting my butt trying to give a good interview and he is just like, ‘Hey, what is up? I am Colin Kapernick. Everybody listen to what I have got to say.’ (Laughs)”

(on Ravens LB Ray Lewis’ dance) “Hell of a dance. Great moves. I think maybe I will come out with a fancy dance and all of that. No, it is cool. When I was younger watching football that was one of the things that got me pumped up, watching that thing. He brings a ton of energy to that football team. Obviously great leadership.

(on the 49ers offensive line having good dance moves) “No. I do not know about the whole offensive line, but I have the moves. The hip shakers.”

(on the Ravens defense) “They are playing at a real high level right now. I think having (LB Terrell) Suggs come back from the injury you could see early on that he was not his normal self. He is really bringing it in the playoffs—really playing well for them. Getting back to normal Terrell Suggs style football–physical, playing fast. Their whole defense runs around. They are really playing well. If you watch the last three or four weeks they are playing great team defense.”

(on the message this week from Coach Harbaugh) “Just saying we do not change our style of play for the Super Bowl or whatever. We are still looking to set a physical tempo in the game. Start fast, go out there and execute. The thing the whole season is we have not changed our style of football. The message has been very consistent since the offseason.”

(on his favorite thing in New Orleans) “We went to a sweet restaurant last night. It was Oliver’s or something. It was really cool and good. Everybody went out.”

(on doing his own social media) “Yes. I do not hire anyone to do my jokes.”

(on if he enjoys using social media) “Yeah, I think so. It is a unique thing. It gives the opportunity to fans to interact with us and I enjoy the positive as well as the negative.”

(on his journey to this moment) “I started out as a skinny 200 pound wide receiver coming out of high school. I was a sprinter and all of that stuff. I was really fast. I ran a 21 in the 200. Then I got fat. I went to college. Brian Kelly came in my sophomore year. Played tight end my freshman year in college. Brian Kelly came in and said ‘We do not use tight ends in our offense but we want to keep you on the field in some way. We are going to move you to tackle.’ I cried my eyes out. I am not afraid to admit it. Almost transferred but then stayed, gained weight, busted my butt and got drafted.”

(on how much weight he had to gain) “I got to college at 220 pounds and left their at 290. So 70 pounds.”

(on how important the continuity on the offense line has been) “It has been awesome. The whole entire line’s continuity. This is the second year with the group. (Alex) Boone had not been starting until this season, but he has been in the offense for a while. Been there for four years, so very familiar with him. I think the chemistry we have had and we have been able to play this whole season (together). Nobody has missed many games. I think it is very important for an offensive line to have that continuity and chemistry with people. I think that is one of the big reasons why we are playing well.”

LINEBACKER TERRELL SUGGS

(on reaching the Super Bowl) “It feels pretty good. I get a lot of home-cooked meals at home, but for some reason the food tastes a little bit better this time around, particularly down here in New Orleans.”

(on the home cooked meals) “It was very nice. It was very nice. You know, she didn’t have to. We’re all just happy to be able to come down to New Orleans and play in the last football game of the year.”

(on keeping a low profile in the media this week) “Pretty much. I’m going to talk to you guys with the obligated time that I’m supposed to talk to you guys, and then I’m going to keep my focus on it. You see my man back here has my clock. Y’all are allotted a certain amount of time and I’m going to stick to that.”

(on any impromptu trips around the city this week) “Maybe I have to wait and see. Nothing I do is scripted so you have to wait and see what I come off the noggin with, when I come off the top.

(on Joe Staley) “Solid, very good offensive tackle. I think he’s really underrated, but he was a Pro Bowler this year so I think he finally gets his just due. He came down to Baltimore last year and I had a little bit of a hard time with him.”

(on what makes Joe Staley a great player) “You want my personal opinion? I think he has fun playing football. When we were out there, we had some conversations, both football and non-football related in the middle of a game and that’s the kind of player I am. You know me, just like to have fun and enjoy what you’re doing and that’s the kind of player he is.”

(on last year’s team) “You know, last year we felt we had a really good chance at making it to the Super Bowl, and I thought, ‘This is what a Super Bowl team looks like,’ but then I was reminded in New England that you don’t know what a Super Bowl team looks like because you’ve never been there. However, through everything we’ve been through this year, all my injuries, missing the first six games and the guys we lost throughout the year and losing three games down the stretch, it’s just, a lot of things happened. I was just like, ‘Well, if this is a Super Bowl team, this is one hell of a team.’ You know what I mean? We’re here and it almost doesn’t count. You don’t just want to make it to this point.”

(on his name for the defense this season) “I don’t know, I don’t have a word. We’ve had defenses that you guys have given names to, like the ‘Organized Chaos Deacons,’ but you know, that defense doesn’t have a ring. This defense has the opportunity to get one. I’m going to stick with my previous quotes; ask me on February 4^th.”

(on the first thing he thought about when he heard about Ray Lewis’ retirement) “They told us in the team meeting that we would have him back for the playoffs and it was like, ‘Okay, here we go.’ He always talks to the team before the game, the middle of the season and going into the playoffs. I thought it was another day at the office, ‘Let’s get ready for the playoffs,’ but he said some key words. It struck me. He said maybe it was time to start doing something else and it just kind of puzzled me and then it hit me. It really focused our team. It really focused our team, not only to get it done for him, but just how precious this time and these moments are. You don’t get these opportunities every day.”

(on President Obama’s comments about football safety) “I respect it for the simple fact that this is a very physical and dangerous sport that we play, especially considering that with the concussions and the current findings of Junior Seau, a parent would be reluctant (to let) his or her child play football. I think if you play the game right and you play it appropriately, that injuries are a part of the game.”

(on if he would let his son play football) “Absolutely, but it would have to be his choice. Football isn’t for everybody. If my son Duke decided and came to me and said, ‘I want to play football,’ then I would let him play, most definitely.”

(on the dangers of football) “I don’t play with fear. I don’t think about the game like that for the simple fact that I’ve been playing this game since I was 7 years old. The way we play, it comes with the territory. Every man knows what we’re signing up for. If my son decided he wanted to play football I would respect his decision and just caution him to play the game correctly and to do things according to technique.”

(on people referring to the Ravens as a team of destiny) “I don’t know, I think that’s something that you guys came up with. You can’t say a team is a team of destiny until they get it done. Like I said, we won’t accept that moniker until February 4^th, if we have taken care of business.”

(on Colin Kaepernick) “I like him. I like the way he plays, you know what I mean? You have to like those kinds of quarterbacks that’s exciting. I think he’s good for the game, him and Robert Griffin III. I like his game, but come February 3^rd, he’s my opponent. Hopefully, he’s not doing too much, he’s not giving us too much of Colin Kaepernick.”

(on his perception of Ray Lewis when entering the NFL) “Oh yeah, oh yeah. I thought Ray Lewis was 6-foot-6, 275 pounds all muscle and first things first; I did a commercial with him before I even got drafted to the Baltimore Ravens. I was like, ‘Oh, you’re not that tall.’ It’s just something about the guy. If you’re a defensive player or a football player, you’re going to like Ray Lewis whether you’re offense, defense; you need him on the field. We did a commercial, a draft day commercial and we had so much fun. He was like, ‘Alright now youngin’, you might fall to us, me.’ Me, being the naïve 20-year-old that I am, I’m like, ‘What pick are y’all?’ He’s like, ‘We pick 10^th,’ and I was like, “No way I’m going that far down the line.’ Low and behold, the Arizona Cardinals traded out of the pick. Thank y’all for that, I appreciate that. With all my heart, thank you. The Arizona Cardinals traded out of the pick and when the ninth pick came, I was just like, ‘Wait a minute.’ Then, my phone started ringing. Low and behold, it was Art Modell and then Ozzie Newsome. Then, I got a call, probably about 20 minutes after they mentioned my name, from the great (No.) 5-2. He said, ‘I told you rook. I can’t wait to see you in camp.’ The rest is history.”

(on how Ray Lewis has affected his career) “It affected me a lot, for the simple fact that I’ve been his teammate for 10 years. I’ve never played a season without him. I sat next to him for 10 years. Ten years and then big brother telling me it’s time for him to move on and be the father that he always wanted to be to his children. It’s special for them, but it’s kind of a sad day for me. Right now, I’m going to enjoy it while I have him. I have my general still, and we still have one more football game to play. It just so happens to be on the biggest stage in the world.”

(on Rex Ryan’s future with the Jets) “I can’t really comment on Rex. All I can really say is I love the man to death. He’s one hell of a football coach. He’s a hell of a football coach. Even if it is his last year as the New York head coach, it won’t be his last year as a coach and it damn sure won’t be his last year as a head coach. He’s a players’ coach. He’s a real coach. I wish him all the best. I hope things turn around for him except when he plays the Baltimore Ravens.”

(on Jonathan Ogden’s Pro Football Hall of Fame bid) “He’s probably one of the hands-down, top-three left tackles to ever play this game. If he’s not a shoe-in, I’d be surprised. I want to extend my congratulations to Jonathan Ogden right now. It may be a little premature, but I hope he gets in.”

(on Vic Fangio) “He’s a wise guy. He’s a good fella. You know what I mean? We have a lot of history with Vic. He was the linebackers coach here, and we always thought he was going to be our next coordinator when Greg Madison left, but he went to San Fran. We love Vic. We have a lot of love for him. Hopefully come February 3^rd, we won’t have too much love for him.”

NEW ORLEANS — If there were any doubt over whether the Baltimore Ravens belonged in the Super Bowl, Monday’s arrival in New Orleans was a sparkling debut for head coach John Harbaugh.

Dressed like a man more likely to run for public office than making his first Super Bowl appearance as a head coach, Harbaugh held court with a large media contingency on Monday evening and was on point throughout the 19-minute session. Handling more difficult questions about former offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and President Barack Obama’s recent admission that he wouldn’t let his children play football as well as lighthearted questions about his brother Jim, Harbaugh made an excellent first impression with the Super Bowl media.

Harbaugh’s day got off to a good start on Monday by way of a passionate rally in downtown Baltimore prior to the Ravens’ departure for New Orleans in the afternoon afternoon. And he finished even stronger as he addressed questions six days prior to the Ravens’ meeting with the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl XLVII.

“We’re proud to be participants in the Super Bowl. We’re going to do our best to play our best in this game,” Harbaugh said. “We had an incredible sendoff down at the Inner Harbor this afternoon on our way to the airport. We had thousands, I’m not sure how many thousands, but lots of thousands of people there in a cold drizzle, on a January, Chesapeake Bay, afternoon. And they were there all morning waiting for us and they just went crazy.”

The Baltimore coach handled questions about his brother with humor and patience, knowing he will hear the queries all week despite his efforts to keep the focus on both team’s players.

He also won the initial fashion battle with his brother as he dressed in a sharp suit selected by his wife in contrast to Jim’s black sweatshirt and khakis. The style points mean nothing as far as what will happen on Sunday, but the Ravens coach represented the organization with the utmost level of class. And after four previous seasons of coming close — advancing to at least the divisional round in each season — Harbaugh appeared as though he belonged in the limelight.

A small contingency of players reflected Harbaugh’s professionalism as Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Terrell Suggs, and Matt Birk were dressed to the nines for their media sessions. Their comments reflecting nothing but a respect for San Francisco that’s shared by their coach.

“Our guys are class guys,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll play with character, we’ll play with class, we’ll be a tough, hard-nosed football team –  that’s the way we’ll play. Before the game, after the game, I think we’re very respectful of our opponents, we always have been, and our opponents have respected us over the years. The team we’re playing is built the same way.”

Harbaugh has been to the Super Bowl before as a special teams coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles at the conclusion of the 2004 season. The Baltimore coach couldn’t recall any profound bits of wisdom from former Eagles head coach Andy Reid, but he referenced a thick planning book that was used when the Eagles met the New England Patriots in Jacksonville.

The 50-year-old Harbaugh will hope for a different result this time around as the Ravens look to win their second NFL championship in the last 13 seasons.

“You have a sense of the timing a little bit,” Harbaugh said. “You understand how the week goes. You understand the distractions, the potential distractions, and you understand the timeline for the game as much as anything. That will be a plus, but they’re all different.”

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Praising a team effort not just among his players but also with his coaches, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh made a key addition to his staff earlier this week that was lost in the excitement of the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance in 12 years.

Former Eagles defensive coordinator and longtime offensive line coach Juan Castillo was hired as a consultant for the remainder of the season and will serve as the Ravens’ run-game coordinator next season, a new position that will aid offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell. Harbaugh announced that Caldwell would remain as the coordinator after being elevated to the position following the firing of Cam Cameron on Dec. 10.

Castillo will be working with a running game that finished 11th in the league by averaging 118.8 yards per game on the ground.

“He’ll be kind of a lead coach in terms of the run game and organizing the run game for us,” Harbaugh said. “Of course, he’ll work closely with Jim and all the coaches. Who’s in charge of what? Guys work together on a staff. Coach Caldwell’s done a great job of making that point time and time again. That’s true on the defensive staff, too.”

The decision to bring in Castillo isn’t surprising considering Harbaugh worked with Castillo for 10 years in Philadelphia, with Castillo serving as the Eagles’ offensive line coach and the Baltimore head coach serving as special teams coordinator and a secondary coach under Andy Reid. Castillo was promoted to Eagles defensive coordinator in 2011, but his tenure in that role turned into a disaster as Philadephia’s star-studded defense underachieved dramatically and the longtime assistant was fired on Oct. 16, 2012.

Reid was dismissed after the Eagles finished 4-12 in his final season. Castillo received opportunities to coach for several other teams but his familiarity with Harbaugh led to him joining the Baltimore staff at an ideal time.

“Juan is a tremendous football coach. He had lots of opportunities,” Harbaugh said. “He’s been coaching in the National Football League, both sides of the ball, obviously, with a lot of responsibility. Highly knowledgeable, great teacher. I had a chance to work with him for 10 years in Philadelphia, so I know this man very well.”

Given his wealth of knowledge working along the offensive line, Castillo figures to be a major asset for current offensive line coach Andy Moeller. The former Eagles assistant will also alleviate some pressure on Caldwell in terms of the running game, so he can continue to work closely with quarterback Joe Flacco.

Castillo’s role will be more clearly defined when this season ends and the Ravens get into the offseason.

“It’s an opportunity for us to improve our football team, the overall talent pool that we have here whether it’s player or coach,” Harbaugh said. “We try to get better — you either get better or you get worse — so we add him into our staff, which I think already is just a great stuff. It makes us better and that’s the whole idea.”

Suggs saving best for late

A simply look at the stat sheet tells you how much more of an impact linebacker Terrell Suggs is providing in the postseason after an injury-riddle season that included offseason Achilles tendon surgery and a torn biceps suffered in December.

Limited to only eight games in the regular season, Suggs finished with 22 tackles and two sacks. However, the 30-year-old has emerged in the postseason by posting 19 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble in three wins over Indianapolis, Denver, and New England.

Suggs is regaining his explosiveness in the latter portion of the season and played his strongest game of the season in Denver, collecting 10 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble in the Ravens’ 38-35 double-overtime win over Peyton Manning and the Broncos.

“We haven’t monitored or charted his explosive ‘quotient’ so far, but he is getting better,” Harbaugh said. “He’s becoming quicker, faster, more explosive, stronger, all those things. You can tell that it’s healing. He’s just playing more like a normal, 100-percent Terrell Suggs would play.”

With San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick providing a challenge as both a runner and passer, Suggs’ ability to set the edge as well as to provide pressure in the pocket will be critical in slowing the zone-read attack from the pistol formation.

Best birthday ever

CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE >>>

New England and Denver fans were wrong. The Ray Lewis retirement party did not start on January 12 or January 20. Instead, the Ravens will be playing the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl!!!

This will not be the first time the Harbaugh brothers have coached against each other. They played in Baltimore week twelve of the 2011 season, on Thanksgiving night.

The game was dominated by the Ravens’ front seven as they registered nine sacks. Alex Smith is still having nightmares courtesy of Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, and Corey Redding.

Things have changed on both sides of the ball for the Ravens and 49ers. Most of which, are similar.

Similar Changes:
1.Regression on defense
Last year’s game was advertised as a defensive battle and did not disappoint. However, both defenses have regressed. The 49ers defense was impenetrable in 2011, especially against the run.

This year’s 49ers defense is still great, but not dominant like last season. They are giving up almost three more points per game, and are a top five defense in only one category, which is rushing yards allowed per game.

The Ravens on the other hand have suffered a serious regression on defense, at least until the past few weeks. Still, the defense is not up to par with last season’s.

In addition to the injuries the team has suffered, players like Pernell McPhee, Jimmy Smith (when he has played), Terrence Cody, and Courtney UpShaw have not lived up to expectations.

2.Significant changes on offense
Remember when the Ravens replaced Tony Banks with Trent Dilfer in 2000? Well the 49ers have made a similar change from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick.

Kaepernick has only started nine games but is mature beyond his years. Not only is he a dynamic athlete, he can throw the ball with great velocity and accuracy.

Many Ravens fans rejoiced with the firing of Cam Cameron. After the Broncos game in week fifteen, the changes on offense did not look very promising. Flacco and Jim Caldwell responded the next week with one of the greatest games of Flacco’s career against the Giants.

Since Jim Caldwell took over, Flacco has completed 58 percent of his passes for 1,142 yards, has thrown 10 touchdowns, and ZERO interceptions. (I did not count the Bengals game since Flacco did not play for a majority of the game).

What I like about Caldwell’s offense is his ability to find mismatches and attack them. With Cam Cameron, he seemed conservative at times and did not have a good relationship with Joe Flacco. In contrast, Caldwell makes tremendous adjustments to find mismatches. Once that has happened, the offense has been dominant.

If the Ravens keep it close through the first half, the offense will eventually find favorable match-ups against a defense that Flacco had success against last season.

3.Both offensive lines have improved
As I said multiple times, the Ravens defensive line dominated the line of scrimmage the last time these two teams played. Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, and Corey Redding could do anything they wanted. Luckily for the 49ers, Redding is with the Colts, and Ngata and Suggs are not playing at 100 percent.

Despite the Ravens injuries, this should be a good battle with great individual matchups. Perhaps the best of which will be Mike Iupati against Haloti Ngata. Iupati is a young player but is already one of the best guards in the league. Despite Iupati’s talent, Ngata should win this battle more often than not.

Some question if the Ravens can handle the 49ers physical running attack. I guess they have forgotten the Ravens play in the AFC North. They will be able to handle this running game and should have success stopping Frank Gore.

Remember last year’s AFC Championship when Vince Wilfork dominated Matt Birk? Well the same can’t be said for last Sunday night. Birk played well but Kelechi Osemele played just as well.

He is bigger than Ben Grubbs, who left for New Orleans via free agency and also struggled against Wilfork. When Osemele was matched up with Wilfork, he more than held his own. Osemele should be matched up with Justin Smith for most of the game and will be able to hold his own physically.

WNST.net Ravens insider Luke Jones joined us for “The Nasty Purple Postgame Show” late Saturday night after the Baltimore Ravens’ unbelievable 38-35 2OT win over the Denver Broncos.

Emotions were high in the Zone Superstore Studios of WNST.net. It was hard to have a legitimate conversation. A group of us had gathered to sit and watch the game and just found ourselves shouting “no way” and “unreal” at the television as the Ravens delivered perhaps the most miraculous victory in franchise history.

It was hard to discuss anything beyond the emotion of the moment, the will of the football team, the observations related to the Ravens truly being a team of “destiny”.

Even Head Coach John Harbaugh was caught up in the moment, once again tying the success of a football team to a level of divine intervention in his postgame press conference.

(I have no idea if the Messiah has any interest in determining the outcomes of football games. Perhaps maybe he (she?) felt as though the Broncos had to pay a price for parting ways with the known prophet Tim Tebow in the offseason. And if the Ruler of the Universe really does have concern related to the pigskin, I would vastly prefer a divine preference for the Ravens myself.)

I wish I could tell you what Luke’s response was. More than 24 hours later, I don’t fully remember. What I believe I remember him saying was something about Joe Flacco and then more about the will of the football team. I’m completely in agreement, but it didn’t necessarily answer my question. I’m sort of glad for that.

There’s a well known joke that says “Joe Buck is to baseball what the Catholic Church is to sex. It’s okay that it’s happening just as long as no one is enjoying it.” I’m glad Luke didn’t ruin the beauty of the moment by going all “Nate Silver” and killing us with football nerd-dom. It’s much better that we had a full 24 hours to enjoy and celebrate perhaps the greatest non-Super Bowl win in franchise history before we returned to a more X’s and O’s based discussion of what happened for the Baltimore Ravens Saturday and what they’ll need to do to win moving forward.

(This is the part where you say, “that’s a nice set-up Glenn. You’re a real pro’s pro.”)

The Baltimore Ravens DID win Saturday because of their will. They DID win Saturday because they believed in each other and never lost hope. They DID win Saturday because they have tested veterans who simply refuse to give up or allow a beloved teammate to step into retirement without leaving every last ounce of effort they’re capable of giving on the field.

It’s not just hyperbole. There’s absolute truth to it. It’s just not the entire story. In fact, it’s not even close to the most important part of the story. We go to that stuff first because it’s more likely to get clicks. We’re not stupid.

(Continued on Page 2…)

After every Baltimore Ravens victory, Ryan Chell and I take to the airwaves on “The Nasty Purple Postgame Show” on AM1570 WNST.net to offer “Pats on the Ass” to players who have done something to deserve the honor. This week, Luke Jones joined us as well.

We give pats to two defensive players, two offensive players and one “Wild Card”-either another offensive or defensive player, a Special Teams player or a coach. We offer a “Pat on Both Cheeks” to someone who stands out, our version of a “Player of the Game.” Ryan and I select five different players/coaches each.

Here are our “Pats on the Ass” following the Ravens’ 38-35 double overtime win over the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Sunday in a AFC Divisional playoff.

Glenn Clark’s Pats…

5. Pernell McPhee

4. Ray Lewis

3. Ray Rice

2. Jacoby Jones

1. Justin Tucker (Pat on Both Cheeks)

(Ryan’s Pats on Page 2…)