Q: How much are you looking forward to Sunday?

A: I’m looking forward to playing and stuff. I’m excited. Excited to play.

Q: Is this like any other game for you?

A: No, I don’t think it’s any other game. Just really thinking about it today. I never really imagined I’d be in a different uniform. I never really thought I’d play against the Panthers, and now I am. So I have to treat this game with the same approach as I have any other game. Watching film. Understanding the defense. Obviously there are some familiar guys, that I know tendencies. But watching them scheme-wise is different.

Q: Did you ever get a clear explanation for why you’re no longer in a Panthers uniform?

A: Honestly, I don’t want to really dive into that. All I will say is no one has ever woke up in the morning and accepted, for whatever reason, being let go, or fired, or laid off. For every man that tries to earn a living — despite the amount of money — you always try to go to work trying to give them more than what they pay you. And when things don’t go well, no one walks out — unless you hate your job — nobody walks out of their job and says, ‘Yay, I just got fired!’ Whether there was an explanation that I accepted or not, at the end of the day, there are reasons why I was let go and it doesn’t really matter moving forward because I’m in a place now where I get to still play. I’m playing pretty good and just enjoying that.

Q: Any extra incentive this week?

A: You guys know me. You think you know me better than myself, but I love playing ball. And anytime I can play ball, I’m going to take advantage of it.

Q: Cam said the chip on your shoulder is one of your greatest assets. How’s that chip this week?

A: Whatever way you want to put it.

Q: With Dennis Pitta out, does that put any more pressure on you?

A: I don’t think it puts any more pressure on me. I think the pressure goes on everybody. It’s evenly distributed. It’s a player who’s very good. He’s a very important part of our offense, and we lost him for the year. And I think more than anything, guys are more down at losing him in the way we lost him and knowing what he’s been through thus far, and it happened again. We really haven’t thought about what we won’t have with him being there because we just lost him.

Q: Since your owner talked Monday about the Ray Rice situation, has anybody talked about it?

A: No. As new things come out, people have discussions about it. But you have to be able to compartmentalize, and you’ve got to be able to set aside what’s going on. You can’t allow that to get in the way because none of us that are here as far as players, are directly involved in it. We’re not getting investigated; we’re not going through the process; we’re not suspended. All that people that are involved, I think that’s in their minds. But as players, we’re kind of like you guys, we’re finding things out as you guys report them.

Q: What did you mean when you said it was “refreshing” to have a quarterback as calm as Joe Flacco was in the huddle?

A: What I meant by it, I don’t know if you know, but Flacco is the same all the time. They were talking about when he signed his big deal; they said he stopped at McDonald’s and got an eight-piece and went home. I mean, who does that? If I signed a $100 million contract, going to McDonald’s would not be the first place I’d go. So what I meant by it was, I’ve only been here a certain amount of time, and when the receivers had the type of game we had in the first half, and going into the second half, I had expected Joe to be a certain way. I had assumed Joe would be this or that. But when he came in, he just was the same guy. So that was refreshing because I also was part of the reason why we weren’t playing very well. So I expected kind of a speech — because the quarterback is the leader — he came in there, and he wasn’t. So that was not toward anyone, Cam or Jake Delhomme, any of that. That was just something that I observed because I’ve only been here a short of amount of time, so it was refreshing because I expected the opposite.

Q: How have you clicked so quickly with Flacco?

A: I think just through practice, I’m not really sure. I just kind of do my deal. In the preseason, I had a big first half, and prior to that in two games, I think I had three passes thrown to me. I’m really not sure. I just keep doing my deal, running my routes. Coach Bobby Engram keeps telling me to put it on film, ‘keep working you butt off like you’re doing.’ So that’s what I’m doing. As a player, we don’t really look at targets. I’ve got 31 targets, ok, but some people say I have five drops. According to coach and stuff, I had three drops the first game. Some of those passes that are overthrown or thrown away are considered targets. But just going to work. I think when you go to work, you do your job, you get rewarded. The reward isn’t based off how many targets. Your reward is continuing to be a starter and playing well.

Q: What have you seen of the Panthers defense that you didn’t see last year so far?

A: I’m in a whole different division and conference, so I haven’t really watched them as intensely as I got to watch when I was on the team for 13 years sitting on the sideline. So right now, I’m watching film. Obviously, there are different people out there. But Luke and TD are still in there and killing, and if the crowd can get it right between AJ and Luke. But you’ve still got Godfrey. Roman Harper’s obviously in a different jersey, but he’s still playing well. Star. Those guys are playing ball. That defense has always been who it is; guys are growing and continuously getting better.

Q: Surprised they gave up 264 yards on the ground last week?

A: I play offense. Oh, yeah, that’s right. No, I didn’t pay attention to that. You’re a receiver, man. You look at the DBs; you don’t look at the run game.

Q: Who are some of the people you’re looking forward to reuniting with this weekend?

A: Mostly guys who are there, we have had continuous conversations via text or telephone. Me and Thomas have talked several times. Thomas has sent me jokes, we’ve talked. My wife and Thomas’s wife had lunch. A group of the wives had lunch the other week back in Charlotte. My relationship with guys has not discontinued because of where we play.

Q: Is this still a blood and guts game for you?

A: I only play one way, and I put my heart and soul into playing. Always have, always will. I’m going to leave everything I have on the field, and that’s never going to change.

Q: Is your Panthers legacy important to you, meaning do you want to come back here one day and retire as a Panther?

A: Of course, my legacy is very important. But I understand it’s a two-way street. One, if I get the opportunity, and I’m afforded to retire as a Panther, and one when I choose to retire.

Q: So you don’t have any bulletin board material for us?

A: You all are going to make something up anyway, so what’s the sense?

Q: How different is the vibe in Baltimore?

A: Every team is different. Every team and every situation is different, and that’s what it is, it’s different. There’s a lot of things that are different, and a lot of things are the same.

Q: What’s the biggest difference and similarity?

A: The biggest difference and similarities? Similarities – 89 is making plays. Difference – I’m in Maryland.

Q: What do you like about the Ravens attitude?

A: That attitude fits me. I was told to be myself, so that’s what I’ve been. I’ve been myself. And I enjoy being myself. Everybody else is taken, so I’ve just got to be myself. I enjoy being myself. I’m comfortable in my skin; I am the person that God made me. When I’m not on your team, other fans and other people don’t like me. But when I’m on your team, people enjoy me. And I’m going to play ball, and I’m going to have fun, and I may say a few things that gives me an opportunity to explain some things at home. But that’s me. I have to live with that. Some people call it I have a punk or thug mentality. I’m a football player, but I’m also a husband and father. And if you’re going to judge me for the two hours that you may observe and hear what I say for two hours, I guess the best way I can say it is, the same thing you think about me, I think about you. That makes two of us.

Q: Do you miss playing here?

A: 13 years? I miss everything about Carolina. I miss being at home. I miss my friends, guys that I’ve grown with and they’ve grown. But I also understand it’s a business, and sometimes in business you’ve got to temporarily go somewhere else. And I’ve said it, and I’ll continue to say it, I’ve appreciated the opportunity and the things that Mr. Richardson has given me to see the world, to change my family’s legacy as far as where I grew up, back home in LA and how we grew up. But Carolina’s my home and will always be home. That’s where I reside, and heck, I was there Monday. I was there Sunday after the game after we beat Cleveland. I was back there in Charlotte Sunday at seven o’clock, and I was there till Monday night. And back here Tuesday.

Q: Opinion on Kelvin Benjamin?

A: He’s a 6-5 Cam Newton with dreads. They look very similar, but he’s very athletic. He catches the ball well. It doesn’t surprise me what he’s done thus far. The ability to catch the ball, I think he displayed that in college.

Q: Cam said if he had to come up with a nickname for you, it would be Mighty Mouse. Does that fit?

A: Yeah, whatever. I’ve got to get going. They told me I’ve got to do the podium.