Q:Coming from a different organization, what have you learned about the Patriots organization?
BW:[There are] a lot of differences but really just to focus on where we are now, it's just the fact that we're in the playoffs where we are at this point. For me, I've never been there. The fact that this week we've handled it with even more intensity, even more scrutiny on the details and that's something that during the course of this season, understanding where we were in the course of the season and understanding how important each and every practice and each and every play is. The emphasis on the details has been a vast difference.
Q:You've seen a lot but the AFC Championship Game is a new step for you. What is that like to experience something new this late in your career?
BW:Being around here, it's not new around here so that gives me a lot of confidence and just following the plan and whatever Coach Belichick decides is the way we go about our preparation. Just following his lead, whatever he says that this is the way we need to [in terms of] mindset and this is the way we need to prepare, that's where I'm at. Again, like you said, this is not anything that I have a whole bunch of experience with but this organization, this team does and a lot of players on this team have a lot of experience. I'm lucky to have a guy like Matt Light and Logan [Mankins] and those guys to really say, 'Hey, this is no different.' It's a little bit different, the intensity picks up and the emphasis on details and all those things pick up because the game is even more important.
Q:How is your excitement level inside? Are you able to control it?
BW:Right now, it's simmering, that's for sure, it's definitely simmering.
Q:Can you talk about your appreciation for Tom Brady and how he's driven to win?
BW:I have a great appreciation for any professional, guys that take their jobs seriously because this is what it is, for all of us this is what we do for a living. Anytime you see a guy that is as great as he is, with all the physical talents and all the mental strengths that he has and the way he's prepared and then the way he focuses and his competitive level on a day-to-day basis is something to be proud of and [I'm] definitely proud to play with. It also drives you that you don't want to disappoint that guy because you know how much effort and energy and time that he's putting into it.
Q:What does Haloti Ngata mean to that defense?
BW:He's as good as there is in the game at that position. His ability to play all over the defensive line, his ability to have power and athletic ability to go along with his size, it's something that you really can't account for until you're out there. You really don't know how strong he is and how athletic he is for a big man until you're actually on the field with him. When he's on the field he's going full blast. That's something that not only him, but a couple of those other guys when you start talking about [Pernell] McPhee and you add Cory Redding in there, these guys are big, strong guys but they're also very athletic and very versatile because they'll be all over the field.
Q:What do you remember from your playoff game against them last year as a member of the Chiefs?
BW:Honestly, I try not to really think back too much and try not to fall too much back on that because it was such a totally different team. We were nowhere near the explosive football team that we are today. We're a different football team. We depended almost completely on the run. We were just a different focus-type of football team. I try not to think of that too much.
Q:You waited a long time in your career to play in an AFC Championship Game. Are you excited? Is it hard to control that?
BW:It's not that hard because I'm not really a high energy type personality person. It's exciting not only for me, my friends, my family – it's really exciting. But really just trying to control the emotions really isn't hard for me, more it's hard for my friends and family and the outside world. Those people are really excited for me. I've gotten a lot of prayer warriors out there praying for me, I have a lot of fans from across the country who have really showed a lot of support. That's been good but it's really trying to temper the expectations of those people and understanding that it's all about this week and it's not about anything further than today or further than this week. That's really been my sole focus.
Q:Have you heard from Chiefs fans?
BW:I've heard from a few people from different places. It's good to know that they're out there but really for me, it's really trying to stay focused on the job at hand.
Q:How much more physical do you have to be up front against a team like the Ravens?
BW:This will be the most physical front we've faced all year, by far. That's something that if you watch them, it doesn't take long to figure out that's what they drive and thrive upon – being physical, really trying to overwhelm you on defense, getting to the ball, going after the football and that's the way they hit, the way they attack the quarterback, the way they shed blockers, that's definitely an emphasis on their football team.
Q:How much tougher is it to protect Tom Brady against a defense like Baltimore?
BW:It's always our number one job up front. We obviously know that if we keep him clean, we have a better chance of winning by far. It's going to be a great task for us but it's the largest emphasis on our job as offensive linemen is that is the number one job for us is protect him. Secondly, I would say '1A' and '1B' is to give our running backs a chance to be explosive and getting through the line and being productive. Those two things, if we can do those well enough we have a better chance of winning.
Q:What kind of guy is Bernard Pollard? What was the aftermath after Tom Brady's injury?
BW:He's definitely a high energy personality. He definitely brings a lot of energy to the football team. I've been around Bernard when he was a rookie and he was the same guy he was then. He's a very physical football player, he loves to hit. He has a very aggressive personality. I expect him to be at an all-time high come Sunday.
Q:What was the blowback for him that year after injuring such a popular player?
BW:If you know Bernard, you know there wasn't much blowback for him. He took pride in the fact that he was able to get a hit on Tom [Brady]. He's not going to live that down one way or the other. He's a guy that takes pride in putting hits on people, being physical. He's never going to back down or have any kind of regrets for that.
Q:What are the challenges and the benefits of the hurry up offense for an offensive lineman?
BW:The challenges are that you never know what a team is going to give you, thinking very quickly and making sure that you're still on the same page with the quarterback. Honestly, that's probably the biggest thing is knowing who he expects us to block from play to play.
