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WEEK 14

# 1 Question From SHANNON D.
 
       Edwin, I listen to your Ravens Report every Monday and Friday on 98 Rock.  I went to the Ravens game against the Giants, and was looking in the souvenir shops for a replica of your jersey but couldn't find one.  Where can I purchase your replica jersey?

Thanks!

Shannon,
        First of all thanks for being a great fan. I don't think my jersey is anywhere out there, you would probably have to go to NFL shop.com and get a real replica.  Gotta make it to the Pro Bowl to have my jerseys in the stores, so go and vote for me....
 

 
#2 Question From Steve
 
        Great game against the Giants!   Does a win like that really boost morale, or is it hard to get over excited when the win came at home
against a struggling team, knowing that the next 2 are on the road against "top contenders" like the Colts and Steelers?  Regardless, good to see that you were the focus of the TV commentators for a while....very rightly deserved!   Best of luck for the rest of the season and have a great holiday!

 
Steve,
        We definitely enjoyed this win because any win in the NFL is a hard fought win, but come Wednesday, we forget about the last game and move forward.    We would do the same thing if we had lost.   Yes, we do have a tough game ahead of us with the Colts, no doubt about that.


# 3 Question From Kristen

Edwin,

Who was your favorite NFL team when you were young?

Kristen,
      My favorite team was the 49ers....red and gold through and through. Montana and Rice. Montana and Clark. Young and Rice. Jesse
Sapolu, Randy Cross, Tom Rathman, Roger Craig. Ronnie Lott, JOHN TAYLOR, even "Prime Time," am I clear? The funny thing was, I cut my finger last week and to my astonishment, the color was purple and gold.

BONUS QUESTION

Special Bonus Question Ediwn Just had to Answer from  Zim:

What is Miles Goodman REALLY like?

Hint: Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Something about Mary, Starsky and Hutch mixed in with Super Bowl XXXV.........you got
Miles...hahahaha
 

WEEK 13

# 1 Question From Ryan Sherr:

Greetings big Ed,

     It really looks as though the line is starting to click again, especially run blocking. You guys man-handled the Bengals line for most of the game.   Do you think this is mostly due to having all the starters playing together finally for a few games stretch?  Or have you been changing up some of your blocking schemes to fix your problem
areas? 

  Thanks, Go Ravens!

Ryan,
       I think a lot of the success in our running game can be attributed to the fact that we finally got a few games together as one line. We also had a good  blocking scheme. I also think it was just "some old fashion butt kickin" on the line, just not enough in points.




#2 Question From Sheri:

  Edwin,

     How do you think the Ravens will do in the next 4 games and how is your toe?

  Aloha

Sheri,
      Well, to ensure our playoff goals we must win all four. If not, we will need other teams to win and lose.  All I can say is if we want to win four games we need to win this one first. All our energies need to be against the giants this weekend. As for my toe....its only a flesh wound.....as Monty Python would say.


#3 Question From Timothy:

     What do you do different when Chester Taylor is in the lineup instead of Jamal?

Thank you

Timothy,
      There is no difference in our blocking for Chester, Jamal, Musa or any running back. My job is the same, dominate the person in front of
me and the running backs will get yards. Easier said than done but that's football at its simplest form.

 

WEEK 12

#1 Question From Joe:

Ed,
When you play a team such as Pittsburgh with a base 3-4 set and your assignment on a running play is to try and get to one of the Inside Linebackers, how do you handle it if the nose tackle moves over to place himself in front of you in the time between when the offensive line gets set and the ball is snapped?  It has been a blessing to have you here in Baltimore, I hope you can finish your career as a Raven - you will always be a Raven to me.

Joe, 

Thanx for the comment on me being a Raven. I love it here too. When we are blocking a 3-4 defense, if the nose tackle gets in the way of me getting to the backer usually the center will go onto the backer. That's one of the benefits of running the zone blocking scheme. Whoever is the open man on the line, he's the one who moves to the backer.


#2 Question From Andy:

How tough was it playing in the mud yesterday? Did you have to do anything special? Good luck Sunday.

Andy,

 It was really tough playing in the mud, but it was also fun playing in the mud. It would have been really fun if we won, but that's how the ball
bounces.

#3 Question From Rick

ED,

Do you like your chances to make the Pro Bowl this year?

Rick,

   It would be nice to go to the Pro Bowl but there are other guys in the AFC that are playing pretty good, but every vote counts. So don't forget to vote.

WEEK 11

#1 Question From Stevie:

       Do you think the Ravens will stick with QB Kyle Boller next season?

Stevie,
       Yes, Kyle Boller is here to stay, especially if he continues to play the way he has been playing.


#2 Question From Michael:

      What is it like to be in the huddle in a comeback win like you had against the Jets?

Michael,
      When you are in the huddle of a comeback game it is real important that you focus at the task at hand. Nothing else matters. You try to keep all your emotions bottled up, because if you don't, your emotions can get in the way of playing well. When the team actually makes the comeback and wins the game, then you can let it all out with a big sigh of relief. That's were the old saying in sports comes into play....."don't
choke...... or keep your poise."

#3 Question From  Alex:

Ed,
      The running game hasn't been as dominate as it was a year ago.   Is there a specific reason to, like JO missing significant time, and is there anything going on to get it back to its dominant self.  

Alex,
       I don't worry about our running game to much even though we are hitting a bump in our path right now. I truly feel in my heart that we
can still run the ball well. Of course the different losses to the offensive line and Jamal missing a couple of games play apart in it, but I think we will return to the run the way we used to. Now that Boller is maturing into a good QB we also need to be more balanced, and that will help us in the long run.

 

WEEK 10

#1 Question From Bobby W:

      What is the following Monday or Tuesday (Monday Night Games) like for  you and what is a normal schedule for the week?

Bobby,
      Well, usually Mondays are a long day for most players. The soreness from the day before is really starting to settle in. I usually try to ride the bike for at least 20 minutes then get a full body workout. I try to be done by 1:00 in the afternoon. Then I watch the film of the game. The rest of the day is usually for me, just spending time with the family, rent a movie or something like that.
 

#2 Question From Ed:

       Do you play your position any differently when Brooks is playing left tackle instead of JO? If so, what is the difference?

Ed,
       When I play next to anyone but JO I really try to pay attention to the details. The communication between JO and I is pretty good, so when I'm next to someone else I try to focus more on the communication aspect of the game, which also makes me a better player. Kind of keeps me on my toes and doesn't let me get lazy or to dependent on JO. That being said, I love playing next to JO.
 

 #3 Question From Elder Tingey:
 
 Hey Big ED,
       Do feel that the lord has blessed you through your willingness to serve a LDS mission and by obeying the Word of Wisdom?

 Elder,
            For those of you who do not know already, I am Mormon, I go to church at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Being Mormon we live by certain standards or values. One of the rules is called the Word of Wisdom. This rule states that we should not drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, or partake of anything that can become addictive, such as drugs. The question is ... do I feel that I've been blessed by obeying this law in my religion? Yes, I've been blessed and yes I obey this law. Many times I go to functions where alcohol is served, and I hope I have never offended anyone by my refusal to not drink. I will never judge someone else on their decision to do what they want to do, but if you come to my house, you'll probably get 7up on the rocks.
 

Week 9

 #1 Question From R. Burke:

      Please explain the concept of O-Line 'zone blocking' and it's  advantages and disadvantages.  Is it for running plays only or is it  done in pass protection as well?
  Thank you!
 

R. Burke,
        When you talk about zone blocking, your really mainly referring to the run. When you say its zone blocking, it typically means we are blocking a zone or an area rather than being assigned to a specific man.  The advantages  to this is that who ever comes in your blocking area gets blocked, and you can deal with all kinds of twist and blitzes. This requires the offensive linemen to be more of thinker and athlete to deal with it all in a split second. Hope I answered your question.
 

#2 Question From Dawn:

       What type of workout(s) do you do in the off-season to get ready for  the season? Do you train with another player or players or do it by  yourself? Thanks Ed! Keep up the good play!

Dawn,
         I have a personal trainer in Florida, and my training in the off-season  is pretty rigorous. Sometimes I train with other athletes trying to get drafted, keeps me on my toes. A lot of running and agility stuff.

#3 Question  from  Tim Sylvester:

          Ed, some teams use the "hands" system when playing in an extremely  loud environment. The tackles & guards hold a finger and let go when  the ball is snapped. With that said, do you and JO do that or Bennie  and Zeus when playing away from home?  Thanks, keep plugging along,  the second half looks very purple!... Tim

Tim,      
         I will NEVER hold hands with JO just so he can get off the snap count. I guess it works for some guys, to me it looks pretty silly seeing two 350lbs guys holding fingers on national TV. Fortunately JO feels the same way. When it gets really loud usually JO will just look at the ball, it just depends on how good of a tackle you got.
 

WEEK 8
 

#1 Question From Justin Hooper

     First off I just wanted to congratulate you on the great performance against the Eagles, you and your offensive line mates played great. My question, with Mike Flynn coming back off injury, where you do see him fitting into the line? Will he move into Bennie Anderson's spot? And how important is the chemistry between you guys in determining how well you play?

Justin,

     This is a tough question for me to answer.... Definitely having Mike Flynn back makes our O line stronger and better.   We are in a little bit
of a pickle, not to the degree of some sort  of QB controversy, but you cant put Casey down or Bennie.   They both have been playing well. With the type of injury that Mike has, broken collar bone the more time he gets to heal that bone is better.   Especially with the type of work we as
offensive line do.

#2 Question From Ed Rykowski 

     Which defensive tackle gives you the most trouble?

Ed,

     It's not so much who, as to what type of defensive linemen I have a hard time with.   I hate going against the short stocky heavy kind of guys.   Such as Lionel Dalton  ,Sam Adams, Warren Sapp and so forth.   Don't get me wrong, I'll smash all of them its just a little more difficult job.

#3 Question From George Brown (BigBird)

 Big Ed,

     Against the Eagles, the O-Line performed very well on pass plays.  Same as it does for runs.  This seems to be a great improvement over recent performances even though J.O. was out.  How do you explain this improved performance?  How comfortable do you feel about the O-Line in general in terms of improvement for pass plays as the year progresses?

 Hey George,

      Sometimes we just match up well with other defensive linemen, but the chemistry plays a lot with our success.  Sometimes when we game plan for another team the right protections are called.   Some protections fit better than others for our type of line.   We are big and physical type of line as if you haven't noticed already ... so the deep drop back passes may not work as good.   If you've seen lately we've been getting the ball out   fast and than taking shots down the field once in a while.   Hitting those quick passes makes it a lot easier on us linemen.   There's a lot more I could say but I'm only using three fingers to type this message.

 

Week

#1 Question From Steve D. :
     I wanna know just how hard is it to considerate when you're on the road trying to hear the QBs signals on the snap count?

Steve,
     It is extremely hard....especially if we are in an environment that is hostile, like Philly or Pittsburgh.   Sometimes you just have to trust what you hear.
 

#2 Question From BirdFan:
     If JO can't play on Sunday, what are the chances that Zeus will move over to the left side?

BirdFan,
      If JO does not play Zeus will not go to the left side. Moving from left to the right is harder than people think. Its a whole transition that will
take time. In an emergency situation it might happen but not likely for this game.
 

#3 Question From Dan Goodman:
Hey Ed,
      I've listened to thousands of people tell me their opinions about why Kyle Boller has struggled thought out his career so far. But, as you watch young QB's like Big Ben or Leftwich succeed, what do you think Boller's problems are and why is he continues to struggle and not show much improvement? Is it the WR's? The play calling?
 

Dan,
     I am not a person to point fingers, but this is a team sport.  QB is a very hard position.  The way I look at it is our whole offense has to improve...including me.  Kyle is my QB if he's not doing well than that means I'm not doing well, as far as play calling, I'm not a coach.  The plays that are called will work if they are executed correctly.  Believe it or not the coaches are part of the team.