A: I think those who could go back and actually look at the transcript of what we talked about, I think Steve did a great job of outlining specifically what we’re talking about. Anytime you go 6-10, you need to make some changes. You need to look organizational-wide about everything you’re doing. It begins with personnel. We had to re-evaluate where we were personnel-wise, what we wanted to do. Then, the basic structure of what I’m doing, what my coaches are doing. We went through a detailed analysis, as we always do, but probably a little more so and more wide-encompassing in terms of input from a lot of different sources as to looking at everything ? the way we prepare, the way weevaluate in the offseason, to training camp, to the regular season. Steve has a very definite vision for this organization. And that is one of open, communicative [feedback] and tapping into all the resources that an organization has, and our biggest resource is our people.

Q: At what point did you realize the 2005 season wasn?t moving the way you?d like?

A: Last year, there were a lot of cascading situations in injury. When you lose your quarterback in the very first game, you then lose the two defensive MVPs the previous two years ? Ray Lewis and Ed Reed ? you get a sense that this is going to be difficult. You try to prepare your team during the course of the summer, because you know you’re going to have an injury. You know you’re going to have difficulty. How are we going to handle it when that happens? If you wait until then, you probably aren’t going to handle it very effectively, but the magnitude of those losses were a lot for this team to handle.

Q: There was speculation that there were chemistry issues, as well. Did you see that?

A: I think [Ravens general manager] Ozzie Newsome said it best: ?When you’re 11-5 or 12-4 and go to a Super Bowl, chemistry is going to be pretty good. It’s better than when you’re 9-7 and whole lot better than when you’re 6-10.? So, your current circumstances are going to dictate that to a degree. Was this team as close as some other teams? Hard to say. Were there particular problems? I don’t know that that was particularly the case. It’s which comes first: The difficulties and then the conflicts in chemistry, or the conflicts in chemistry and then the losing? I don’t know if you could put your finger on one or the other.

Q: Are you confident in this team?s chemistry?

A: Yeah. All I can do as coach is try to provide an atmosphere that is conducive to building that chemistry. Ultimately, it has to come down to the players and the way they interact with one another. I think we’ve learned a lot. The rededication, the refocus, learning some of those lessons from some of the players that were here, I think is of some value here. I think we’ve added some great individuals by way of a Trevor Pryce, a Mike Anderson, a Gary Stills, Corey Ivy and certainly Steve McNair, that are going to add to that collective chemistry. These are class individuals. I think it’s going to, and because they’re new and the number of new guys we have, that forces you to reach out a little bit more.

Q: Why do you think Steve McNair can play a full season?

A: When you look at every throw this individual has made over the last three years, as we have collectively, you come away with a couple very clear-cut impressions: One, there is no question he can be effective in this league at the level he’s been effective. Secondly, the nature of his injuries ? and this is reaffirmed by our doctors after the physical ? Steve is healthy and ready to go. The hit that will take a Steve McNair out of the game, any quarterback that gets hit that way would also leave the game. In other words, he is not more vulnerable to injury.

Q: Is Ray Lewis ceding the leadership to others?

A: To a degree, yeah. Leadership comes from a number of different things. First, to a degree it comes from longevity. Secondly, it comes from production. It’s hard to be a leader without a certain level of productivity. But finally, there is an element of personality. Now, he certainly fits the bill in all of those, but we now have some players around him that also fit that bill in those areas that are going to allow him and not have to force him to be solely that voice or that leadership on the team, and that’s a positive.

Q: Do you think there is an inherent danger in Ray being marketed over the years with his solo entrance or anything like that?

A: No. This team and our fans have loved that, and that served its purpose at the time. Along with this team and the focus we’re trying to bring to it and the more broad-based leadership, there’s elements of that that will change. But every team in one form or fashion has a guy that, in his own way, will lead that team and exhibit that leadership in different ways. And that happened to be Ray’s way. Again, you can isolate any number of players who do it in a number of ways.

Q: Does that mean that will be scaled back then?

A: That’s what this team will decide. One of the key things about this team is that there’s going to be a high level of accountability to make sure we are becoming and are the team that this team wants to be. And I mean as a team, as a whole. This is not going to be Brian Billick’s team, per se. This is not going to be Ray Lewis’ team. This is going to be the Baltimore Ravens, and I’ve long said that you’re never very good until it really becomes the players’ team.

Q: How does this team differ than the 6-10 team?

A: Well, I had a great deal of confidence for that 6-10 team. I thought it was a very talented team ? one of, if not the most, talented team we had. Obviously that changes very quickly due to injuries. This team has talent. It has some depth. It has some strong personalities. I?m excited about the personality, the character that, as I said, a Steve McNair, a Trevor Pryce, a Justin Bannan, a Corey Ivy, a Gary Stills, a Mike Anderson [has]. These are strong character individuals. So we?re going to be a much higher character team because of the infusion of talent we brought in.

Q: Do you feel, given what?s happened over the last couple of months, even more pressure to get to the playoffs?

A: No. Anytime you have a good draft, as we have traditionally had, and are ableto add the presence of players like Trevor Pryce, Steve McNair and the like, it raises expectations. But, that?s a good thing. It raises expectations for the fans, raises expectations for the organization, and you always have to step up to that challenge.

Q: Do you believe this is a playoff-caliber team?

A: Oh, I do. Now, we?ve got a lot to do to prove that. But just because we are very cognizant of the disappointment of last year of 6-10 and recognize that we?re lumped in with a whole bunch of teams that didn?t make that playoffs that are seeking to make the playoffs doesn?t mean you can?t be confident and have very high aspirations. The teams that were in the playoffs last year, that were in the championship game or were in the Super Bowl, have the right ? the bragging right ? to say, ?Yes, we think we are a Super Bowl-caliber team.? That doesn?t mean that we can?t think of ourselves the same way, but we have no right talking about it until we find our way into the playoffs.