Here are some final thoughts on the Ravens' 13-10 loss against the Falcons. Chime in and tell me if you agree or disagree with my observations.

Player of the game: Demetrius Williams

The Ravens' wide receiver started the game off by dropping a Kyle Boller pass. However, he rebounded quickly, catching a pair of balls for 78 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown grab. Williams has been one of Baltimore's more impressive players in the preseason. Is he your choice for the team's break-out player for 2007?

Play of the game: Boller's 59-yard TD pass to Williams

Sorry I can't get more creative here, but there weren't a whole lot of options. There were several things I liked about the play though. Williams ran a nice out-and-up; the offensive line did a great job in protection; Boller delivered a perfect throw, hitting Williams in stride.

Key number: 3

That's how many penalties the Ravens had -- three for 18 yards. In each of their previous two games, the Ravens were flagged for nine penalties in the first half alone.

When you knew it was over

Troy Smith was intercepted by Falcons cornerback Chris Houston with 29 seconds left. Until then, the Ravens still had a chance to drive into field-goal range. You might say the game was over a little earlier on the drive when Smith took a 15-yard sack.

Questions and concerns

I posed these earlier, but they may have got lost in the shuffle. Going into the preseason, a few glaring questions stuck out concerning the Ravens:

1. How much of an improvement would Willis McGahee be over Jamal Lewis? McGahee carried four times for 12 yards against the Falcons. Entering tonight, he had gained just 35 yards on 14 carries.

2. Will the Ravens' offensive line be OK? Jonathan Ogden said earlier this week that he might not be ready for Week 1. The Ravens were good in pass-protection last season, but the same cannot be said about the run game. Do both areas become a concern if Ogden can't go against the Bengals?

3. Will Jarret Johnson be a suitable replacement for Adalius Thomas? Johnson had a couple nice plays tonight, and Ravens fans don't seem particularly concerned with him being in the starting lineup.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 9:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Continue to refresh your browser for my latest fourth-quarter observations.

How they scored

Matt Prater connected on a 45-yard field goal to give the Falcons a 13-10 lead. Atlanta's drive went 27 yards on 10 plays.

Prater hit a 33-yard field goal to tie the game at 10. Atlanta's drive went 79 yards on 14 plays.

Good news

• Ryan Riddle has two sacks for the Ravens in the second half. The third-year player from California-Berkeley is a long shot to make the team.

Bad news

• The Ravens' defense allowed a 42-yard gain as Falcons quarterback Casey Bramlet connected with Vincent Marshall on their drive that resulted in a field goal.

• Rookie Le'Ron McClain was called for a holding penalty.

• Ravens tight end Marcus Freeman fumbled, and the Falcons recovered. He was a long shot to make the team coming into tonight.

• Smith took a 15-yard sack when the Ravens were close to field-goal range with under two minutes left in the game.

Did you notice...

• Terrell Suggs get interviewed by the announcers. He said he's "anxious and happy" to get the season started. Suggs played the "no respect" card, saying everyone's picking the Patriots, Bengals and Colts to go to the Super Bowl from the AFC. Dick Stockton reminded Suggs that the Ravens aren't exactly flying under the radar this year after last year's 13-3 performance.

• Rhys Lloyd on the sidelines with his helmet off. He looks like he came straight out of The Brady Bunch.

• Smith pat Freeman on the helmet after his fumble.

• "Moose" Johnston say "yeesh" for the second straight Ravens broadcast.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 9:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Continue to refresh your browser for my latest third-quarter observations.

How they scored

• Rhys Lloyd hit a 55-yard field goal to give the Ravens a 10-7 lead. The drive went 44 yards on 12 plays. Troy Smith made a couple nice throws after buying time with his legs and getting out of the pocket.

Good news

• Rookie linebacker Prescott Burgess batted down a Chris Redman pass on the Falcons' first possession in the third quarter.

• Wide receiver Romby Bryant did a nice job of keeping his feet in-bounds on an 11-yard catch from Smith.

• Smith used his legs to buy some time before connecting with Bryant for an 18-yard gain and a first down.

• Justin Bannan explained the play where he went down in the first quarter. In a TV interview, he said he fell and his lower back landed on someone's heel. Bannan expects it to just be a deep bruise. He came in and recovered a fumble after the initial injury.

Bad news

• This one's been a real snoozer. Other than the Boller touchdown pass to Williams, the Ravens haven't been able to get much going offensively (note: this was written before the Lloyd FG).

Did you notice...

• Atlanta offensive tackle Quinn Ojinnaka was called for two personal foul penalties. The second one was a face mask that negated a 23-yard gain for the Falcons on 3rd-and-23. Ouch.

• Daryl "Moose" Johnston say the Cowboys went 3-1 in the preseason the year they went 1-15. Man, kind of makes you want to turn the TV off, doesn't it?

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 9:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

How comfortable are you with Willis McGahee? The Ravens' new running back carried four times for 12 yards in the first quarter and has not shown much this preseason. Entering tonight, he had gained just 35 yards on 14 carries.

Will the Ravens' offensive line be OK? Jonathan Ogden said earlier this week that he might not be ready for Week 1. The Ravens did a great job in pass-protection last season, but didn't open many holes for the run game. Do both areas become a concern if Ogden can't go against the Bengals?

Will Jarret Johnson be a suitable replacement for Adalius Thomas? Johnson had a couple nice plays tonight, and it seems like Ravens fans aren't particularly concerned with him in the starting lineup.

Other items from the first half:

• Kyle Boller was 9-for-15 for 144 yards and a touchdown.

• Demetrius Williams had a pair of catches for 78 yards and a score.

• Musa Smith carried three times for 16 yards, but also fumbled on the Ravens' last possession.

• Dwan Edwards led the Ravens with four tackles. Baltimore didn't register a sack.

• The Ravens were penalized one time for 5 yards, a huge improvement from the previous two games.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Good news

• Justin Bannan recovered a Chris Redman fumble early in the quarter. Redman and the Falcons' centers have not been on the same page all night. Atlanta's quarterback has fumbled four snaps. That has to be some kind of record right? Someone call Elias Sports Bureau.

• After an awful punt, Sam Koch rebounded as the Ravens downed the ball at the 1-yard line on his next attempt.

• Kyle Boller hit Clarence Moore for a 33-yard gain on a play-action pass. The Ravens have taken several shots down the field in the first quarter.

Bad news

• Bannan and Gary Stills were banged up on the same play, but both players were able to walk off the field on their own, and Bannan returned to the game a couple plays later.

• Dennis Haley made a nice read on a play-action fake by Redman, but he was unable to wrap up the Falcons quarterback. The play resulted in a 21-yard pass and run to fullback Corey McIntyre. Prescott Burgess also missed a tackle on the play.

• Ravens cornerback Derrick Martin received a break when he made an apparent late hit on a Falcons wide receiver but no flag was thrown. Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler (or Crumplestiltskin as I like to call him) was irate on the sidelines.

• Koch booted a 13-yard punt to give the Falcons field position at their own 30-yard line.

• Musa Smith fumbled with under two minutes left in the quarter, and the Falcons recovered.

Did you notice...

• How Redman's 21-yard screen pass to McIntyre developed. Me neither. The reason? RaveTv (I think that's what it's called) was still at commercial break when the play developed. That's the second time tonight the network has missed action because it was still at commercial. Sheil is getting angry!

• Martin's special-teams tackle that possibly saved a touchdown on a Falcons punt return.

• Dick Stockton say he was impressed with how crisp the Falcons have looked. Is he watching the same game I'm watching? They've had four fumbled snaps! For the record, I like Stockton and Johnston as an announcing team and realize making these preseason games exciting is not easy. Still, have to point out what I'm hearing here.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Continue to refresh your browser for my latest first-quarter observations. 

Well, the Ravens are resting 13 of 22 starters during their final preseason game, and I can't say I blame them.

That's not going to stop me from blogging though. Did you notice who's starting at quarterback for Atlanta? Former Raven Chris Redman. Redman played in Baltimore from 2000-2003. That was before I was in Baltimore. What are Ravens' fans lasting impressions of him?

How they scored

-- The Ravens took a 7-0 lead as Kyle Boller hit Demetrius Williams on a 59-yard touchdown strike. It was a one-play drive that lasted eight seconds.

-- The Falcons tied the game at 7 as they put together a 10-play, 74-yard drive towards the end of the quarter. Redman hit running back Jerious Norwood for a 15-yard touchdown.

Good news

-- Jarret Johnson applied pressure on Falcons quarterback Chris Redman during a third-down play on Atlanta's first possession, forcing a punt.

-- Nice job all around on the Boller touchdown pass to Williams. The offensive line did a great job in protection, Williams ran a nice route, and Boller made a good pump fake and then a perfect throw. Williams dropped a ball on the first play of the game but came back strong.

Bad news

-- B.J. Sams failed to call a fair catch on a punt before the Ravens' first offensive possession and was drilled by a Falcons special-teams player. At least he held on to the ball.

-- Demetrius Williams dropped a pass from Kyle Boller on the Ravens' first offensive play. However, Williams had an 18-yard catch and run two plays later.

-- Edgar Jones is on the bubble according to Jamison Hensley's article today. He didn't exactly help his cause in the first quarter. On the Falcons' touchdown pass, Jones was coming off the end and being blocked by Norwood, Atlanta's small running back. Norwood's El Matador-type block allowed Jones to get past him. However, the Ravens' rookie linebacker couldn't get to Redman in time, and the Falcons QB found Norwood for the score. It was pretty much a busted play, but still, Jones' job was to get to the quarterback.

Did you notice...

-- The mic'd-up piece during the pre-game show. Rick Neuheisel was wired and had some interesting things to say during the Ravens' first preseason game against the Eagles. Troy Smith was in the game for the first time and fired a pass at full speed towards the sideline. Neuheisel told Smith not to overthrow and explained that the ball would have put someone in the hospital if it hit them. Smith explained that he was just excited, which Neuheisel agreed was normal.

-- Daryl "Moose" Johnston call Ravens rookie Marshal Yanda 'Walter' during the pre-game show.

-- Dick Stockton reference Don Markus' article on Justin Bannan that ran in yesterday's Sun 

-- How they didn't get to Johnston's keys to the game until there was 1:15 left in the first quarter. I love when that happens.

-- That they didn't show the Falcons' kickoff after they scored a touchdown because the network was still at commercial. That is one of my absolute pet peeves as a sports fan.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 7:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

I'll be blogging live from my living room while watching the Ravens' final preseason game against the Falcons tonight. Kickoff is set for 7:30, and the game will be televised on MASN2 for viewers in the Baltimore area.

Until then, a couple items of note.

Has anyone checked out Sports Illustrated or ESPN The Magazine this week? Both publications released their annual NFL preview issues with predictions. In SI, Dr. Z (Paul Zimmerman) picks the Ravens to finish 10-6, but he has the Bengals at 10-6 also and predicts Cincinnati to take the AFC North. In the playoffs, Zimmerman has the Ravens losing to the Bengals in the first round. He has the Saints beating the Chargers, 31-27, in the Super Bowl.

An interesting part of SI's preview is a section called "Enemy Lines," which has an opposing scout talk about the Ravens. The scout said Adalius Thomas was "a little overrated" and was successful in Baltimore because he played with great players, which allowed him to freelance.

Meanwhile, ESPN The Magazine says the loss of AD is not a big deal:

No Adalius? No worries. Not with D-coordinator Rex Ryan concocting kamikaze packages like the one that has Ngata—all 340 pounds of him—blitzing from middle linebacker. The worries start on the O-line, which loses two steamrollers in Tony Pashos and Edwin Mulitalo. Then again, Willis McGahee is better than Jamal Lewis, the Ravens’ group of receivers is their best in years and Steve McNair is still savvy. This offense won’t equal the Colts’, but with this defense, it won’t need to.

Check back during and after the game for updates.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 6:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

During the season, I'll be putting out my own set of power rankings each week.

In the meantime, I thought it'd be fun to take a look at the divisions and rank them from strongest to weakest.

But how to determine such a hierarchy?

It's pretty simple. I privately ranked every team from one to 32 based on how I think they stack up going into this season. If I couldn't decide between two teams, I asked myself the question: "Who would I bet my life on if these two teams played on a neutral field right now?"

After ranking all the teams, I added up the numbers for each division. The division with the lowest overall number was rated as the strongest division, while the division with the highest number was the worst.

Now that I've confused you with my fuzzy numbers, here are the rankings with some notes. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts.

1. AFC North

Before I ranked all the teams, I had a hunch that this would be the strongest division. It has three teams that could legitimately make a run in the playoffs -- the Ravens, Bengals and Steelers, who I think are going to bounce back this season. In fact, I had the Ravens, Bengals and Steelers all ranked among the top-10 overall teams in the league. The Browns are probably headed for a top-five pick in the '08 draft, but their number didn't bump this division from being ranked No. 1 overall.

2. AFC West

I was interested to see how this division would stack up after I ranked all the teams. It has two serious Super Bowl contenders in the Chargers and Broncos that I have rated among the league's top-seven teams. However, it also has two teams that will finish in the bottom third of the NFL in the Chiefs and Raiders. I think Oakland could be better than Kansas City this season, and this is coming from a guy who's a huge fan of Hard Knocks.

3. NFC East

I know. I'm as shocked as you. But it's how the numbers stacked up and it makes sense (sort of) when you look at it more closely. Let's start at the top. Other than the Bears and the Saints, the Eagles and Cowboys are as likely to make the Super Bowl as any other NFC team. Then there are the Giants and Redskins. I have absolutely no handle on New York. If the Giants finished as the worst team in the league, I wouldn't be surprised. If they won the division, that wouldn't shock me either. As for the 'Skins, I think they could surprise some people this year. But by surprise, I mean sniff .500, not be a serious threat in the NFC. So there's my justification. I don't know how the NFC East graded out as the No. 3 division, but I'm willing to go with it. I guess mediocrity gets somewhat rewarded with the way I put these rankings together.

4. AFC East

This was another tough one. The Patriots are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. There's no question about that. But the other teams? I don't think the Jets will match last year's total of 10 wins, and the Bills' schedule looks extremely challenging. Miami, like the Redskins, could be better than last season, but I'd be shocked if they're more than a .500 team. I see the Patriots as the only team getting to the postseason out of this division.

5. AFC South

The Colts are among the Super Bowl favorites, and I think this division has a chance to produce another playoff team in the Jaguars. I see Vince Young and the Titans taking a step back, especially when you consider Tennessee did nothing to help out its young QB in the offseason (besides signing 34-year-old Eric Moulds). And don't forget, Pacman Jones scored four touchdowns for Tennessee last season. Meanwhile, the Texans remain an afterthought until they prove otherwise.

6. NFC West

The NFC conferences are tough to rank because everything's so wide open. Take the NFC West -- would it really surprise you to see the Seahawks, Rams or 49ers take this division? Me neither. Seattle has to be considered the favorite, but they're not even among the league's top-10 teams. The Rams could compete for a playoff spot, and everyone's picking the 49ers to be this year's surprise team. Even the Cardinals should be better. I have all four NFC West teams ranked between No. 12 and No. 23 overall.

7. NFC North

The Bears have to be considered the favorite to take the division, but is anyone really sold on them? This division has one of my surprise teams -- the Packers. Don't be surprised if Green Bay's underrated defense leads the Pack to a playoff berth. I'm not even ruling out the possibility of the Packers taking the division if they're able to get some form of a ground game going. Meanwhile, the Vikings should be able to run the ball and stop the run, which should keep them more competitive than some people think. And in Detroit, Jon Kitna already told us the Lions are going to win at least 10 games. So that's settled.

8. NFC South

The Saints, Panthers, Falcons and Buccaneers comprise the worst division in football. New Orleans is the favorite to get to the Super Bowl from the NFC, but after that, it gets ugly. Carolina probably has enough talent to get to the playoffs, but the Panthers' disappointing performance in '06 leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The Falcons seem destined to get a top pick in next year's draft. That should work out well for Atlanta though if Bobby Petrino can draft his former Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm. Tampa Bay signed every quarterback available in the offseason, but somehow, I don't see that translating to a playoff appearance.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

The NFL season officially begins a week from tonight when the Colts and Saints square off in the Thursday night opener.

But the football season really kicks off this evening with several college matchups that will include players who will be suiting up on Sundays in the next year or two.

Here are a few names to keep your eyes on tonight if you're a draft junkie or just a college football fan:

Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU - At 6-foot-1, 299 pounds, Dorsey is considered by most draft gurus as the top defensive tackle prospect in all the land. Scout.com has him listed as the top prospect overall for the 2008 draft and Scouts, Inc. has him rated No. 4 among seniors. In its college football preview issue, Sports Illustrated talked about how Dorsey was bow-legged and had to wear leg braces when he was three years old. He likely would have been a first-round selection in last year's draft but decided to come back for his senior year. Keep  your eye on No. 72 when No. 2 LSU travels to Jackson, Miss. to take on Mississippi State in ESPN's 8 o'clock game.

Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU - He's only a junior this year, but at 6-foot-5, 290 pounds, draft gurus fully expect Jackson to be a first-round pick if he leaves school early. Last season, he piled up 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. According to this article in The Advocate, Jackson and Dorsey have lived together for three years, and Dorsey does all the talking while Jackson is the more soft-spoken of the pair.

Early Doucet, WR, LSU - There's a reason LSU is among the handful of favorites to win the national championship this season. Scouts, Inc. has Doucet ranked as their No. 7 senior prospect and their top wide receiver. Draft gurus expect this to be a big year for Doucet, considering he's never had to be LSU's go-to guy. The Tigers had Craig Davis and Hard Knocks-star Dwayne Bowe at wideout last season -- both first-round picks -- along with the No. 1 overall selection, quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville - As I wrote earlier this month, many were surprised when Brohm didn't come out after his junior season as coach Bobby Petrino left to take over the Falcons. Things could work out though if Atlanta's one of the five-worst teams this season and can draft Brohm in '08. He's a classic drop-back passer who completed nearly 64 percent of his passes last year. Mel Kiper compares him to Jim Kelly. Injuries have been a concern, but Brohm is expected to be a Heisman finalist if he stays healthy this season. Louisville hosts powerhouse Murray State tonight.

Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers - He doesn't have ideal size at 5-foot-9, 193 pounds, but draft pundits still like Rice's prospects should he decide to leave school after his junior year. Another potential Heisman finalist, Rice was part of Rutgers' surprise run last year, piling up 1,794 yards and 20 touchdowns. Rutgers takes on Buffalo tonight. Here's a YouTube video pushing him to win the Heisman.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Sports Illustrated and ESPN.com unveiled some good preview material today so as a follow-up to yesterday's piece, here are some more Ravens links that I just saw pop up:

Sports Illustrated's Peter King ranks the top 500 players in the NFL, and the Ravens are tied with the Chargers for the most players in the top-100 with eight. Writes King:

The Ravens, who were only 19-14 with no playoff wins over the last two years, have eight players in the top 100 (tied with the Chargers for most), including the virtually unknown Kelly Gregg at 83. ...The reason for all the Ravens: the vastly talented and well-schemed defense, built through G.M. Ozzie Newsome's drafts. Even with Adalius Thomas gone to New England, seven of the top 88 players on the list are Ravens defenders. Gregg at defensive tackle, for instance, consistently draws two blockers and is one of best pocket crashers in the game. If only they could pick wideouts the way they pick linebackers.

I've picked out the Ravens on the list along with King's comment for most of them:

12. Ed Reed - B+ cover guy, A+ hitter

53. Bart Scott - Ferocity, speed of Ray Lewis, circa 2000

56. Terrell Suggs - Will have a 20-sack season soon

59. Todd Heap - Just 12 fewer catches than Gates in '05-06

61. Trevor Pryce - Makes Scott and Suggs premier players

83. Kelly Gregg - Greatest overachiever in the league

86. Ray Lewis - 80% of classic Ray is still pretty good

88. Chris McAlister - Must reduce his penalties (16 in '06)

114. Jonathan Ogden - Two years beyond his real greatness

156. Steve McNair - Will he start 16 games Or six

254. Mark Clayton - Forming nice bond with Steve McNair

267. Dawan Landry - Following in Reed's physical footsteps

312. Haloti Ngata

358. Jarret Johnson

443. B.J. Sams

460. Ben Grubbs

Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated's Tim Layden writes an in-depth feature detailing Scott's journey to the NFL:

Between plays McNair approached Scott. "Man, just shut up over there," McNair said, yet he laughed because he knows the truth: There is no quieting Scott, and there is no quelling the emotion that he brings to every snap, every day. "Say this about Bart: He loves football," says Ravens All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis. "That kind of passion is hard to find nowadays." 

Sports Illustrated's Don Banks picks the Ravens to win the AFC North but has them losing in the playoffs before the conference championship game:

A reason to believe: The Ravens have that swagger back on defense, and nobody does a better job than D-coordinator Rex Ryan of creatively game planning to attack and exploit an opponent.

The thing that makes you nervous: Everyone in Baltimore seems to believe that Steve McNair will be even better and more proficient in Year 2 in the Ravens offense. But I can't get that egg he laid in the playoffs against Indianapolis completely out of my mind.

Scouts, Inc. also picks the Ravens to win the division.

The Ravens are No. 5 in ESPN.com's Week 1 power rankings:

Besides having younger legs at RB (Willis McGahee), the Ravens have loads of experience. But the flip side of being a veteran team is being an injury-prone one. Which way that pendulum swings might determine their fate.

Eleven of 16 ESPN.com analysts pick the Ravens to win the AFC North. ESPN.com's Jeffri Chadiha picks the Ravens to beat the Bears in the Super Bowl. Joe Theismann picks the Ravens to beat the Saints for the championship. And finally, Michael Smith picks the Ravens to beat the Eagles.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

You may recognize this piece from last season. Basically, it's a roundup of national media coverage of the Ravens. This will run as a regular online article once the season starts, but for now, here are some links to pass along. As always, comment or e-mail me if you have anything I missed.

Sports Illustrated's Peter King interviewed Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome for his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback article. King writes about different options for changing the preseason, including having 18 regular-season games. But Newsome isn't so sure that's the right solution:

Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome thinks if the number of games rises to 18, the size of the roster will have to increase too, from 53 to 57 or 58. "And where are those players going to come from?'' Newsome said. "The pool of qualified players hasn't increased in college football. We've got 50 guys on this roster right now ready to play a regular-season game. Do I have 53 guys ready to play Cincinnati on opening night? I don't have that. We're lucky we only have to dress 46. If we had to pick five more players, I don't know where they'd come from.''

King says another option for changing the current preseason format would be to add a 17th regular-season game and play three preseason games. Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis says that would be fine, on one condition:

"I'm all for a 17th game,'' said Ray Lewis, "as long as they pay us for it. The way I look at it is they're already sending us out there for part of a preseason game, so we're already risking injury. Why not have an extra game and just pay us?''

Moving on, Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News shows the Ravens some love:

Back on the camp front, I've visited the Patriots, Ravens, Colts, Giants, Redskins, Eagles and Bears thus far this summer. Baltimore is the most complete and best team I've seen to this point.

Ravens quarterback Steve McNair knows what a Super Bowl team looks like. He took the Tennessee Titans to a Super Bowl in 2000 and an AFC title game in 2003.

"This is the most talent I've been around in my 11 years in the NFL," said McNair, the NFL co-MVP in 2003. "And not just talent – the expectations they set on each and every individual out here, from young guys to old guys. There's an accountability here. The chemistry and the camaraderie we have on this team is unbelievable."

Earlier this summer, CBS Sports ranked the top five players at every NFL position.

Pete Prisco named Jonathan Ogden the third-best tackle: He might not be the player he was a few years ago, but he still plays at a high level.

Clark Judge called Ray Lewis the No. 3 inside linebacker: He's a step slower than he was and can be taken out of plays. Nevertheless, he's still better than most of what's out there. The guy plays with a rare passion and ferocity, is instinctive and still has big-play ability. But this is what's most impressive: He led the Ravens in tackles despite missing two games.

Judge had Chris McAlister as his third-best cornerback: There are a couple of things I like about this guy: 1) his size and 2) his ability to play press coverage. His long arms are an advantage, as his ability to make tackles. Sure, he's older, but he's consistent and is outstanding in bump-and-run coverage.

And finally, Ed Reed was named the top safety: A big-time hitter who can cover the field. Like teammate Ray Lewis, he's slowing down, but he's smart, anticipates plays, has good range and reads quarterbacks as well as anyone in the game. He's also a great technician and a team leader.

Todd Heap did not make their list at tight end. A couple former Ravens -- Adalius Thomas (No. 3 OLB) and Ovie Mughelli (No. 5 FB) received recognition.

CBS Sports says the Ravens have the 11th-most difficult schedule this season. Ravens opponents had a 130-126 record last season. Ten of their opponents were .500 or better in '06 and five made the playoffs.

USA Today's power rankings -- released in July -- have the Ravens fifth: By keeping the core of its team, Baltimore might avoid a slipup and repeat as AFC North champs. But with aging leaders such as Ray Lewis and Steve McNair, warning signs are approaching.

USA Today named its top-25 NFL players of the past 25 years. Ray Lewis made the list at No. 18.

Jason Cole of Yahoo! picks the Ravens to finish second in the AFC North while Charles Robinson has Baltimore winning the division. Meanwhile, readers voted and picked the Ravens to finish first and the Steelers to finish second.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
                    

The most significant thing to come out of this preseason has probably been the Viva Viagra commercial. If you can watch that and not crack up, you're not human. 

We all know the records are meaningless. Need proof? The Raiders went 4-1 in last year's preseason and were 2-14 in the regular season. The Colts meanwhile went 1-3 before a 12-4 regular season and a Super Bowl title.

But that doesn't mean the preseason is completely worthless. Consider that last year Tony Romo and Jay Cutler both started the season on the bench before taking over as starters for their respective teams -- the Cowboys and Broncos. Romo and Cutler were two of the top-three leading passers in last year's preseason.

With that being said, here's a look at some individual preseason performances. Some are meaningless, but perhaps others might be telling.

Meaningless: Lions reserve quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan leads the NFL with 500 passing yards. He's been in the league for six years and has never attempted a regular-season pass although O'Sullivan did have two carries for -2 yards in 2004 with the Packers. Somehow I don't see him breaking out this season with Detroit.

Maybe not: Jets quarterback Kellen Clemens leads the NFL with four passing touchdowns to go along with a quarterback rating of 112.3. Could he be the Romo/Cutler of this season and take over for Chad Pennington as the team's starter at some point? It certainly seems like a possibility.

Meaningless: Cardinals backup Kurt Warner leads all quarterbacks with a rating of 137.3. However, he's not seeing the field this season unless Matt Leinart goes down. Remember how good Warner was for that short stretch with the Rams? Check out these numbers from 1999: 4,353 yards, 41 touchdowns, 13 interceptions.

Maybe not: Brady Quinn's been impressive so far for the Browns with a quarterback rating of 119.8. While Browns general manager Phil Savage told the News-Herald (Ohio) that Quinn will not start Cleveland's opener against the Steelers, that doesn't mean he won't start all season. Let's be honest -- Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson aren't exactly Joe Montana and Steve Young.

Meaningless: Raiders running back Adimchinobe Echemandu leads the league with 153 yards on the ground. How sweet would it be to hear an announcer have to call a play where current Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada runs the option with Echemandu in the backfield. I'd pay to hear it -- maybe only a dollar, but still. Anyway, Echemandu could make Oakland's roster and see time as a backup with Dominic Rhodes suspended for the first four games.

Maybe not: Vikings rookie Adrian Peterson has averaged 5.0 yards per carry in the preseason and rushed for 144 yards. It seems like several experts are picking Minnesota to be one of the league's worst teams this year, but I'm not so sure. They had the league's best run defense a year ago and have a solid offensive line. Do the question marks at quarterback and wide receiver scare me? Yes. But if Peterson and Chester Taylor can be a formidable one-two punch, I think Minnesota could surprise people.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

According to Cleveland.com, Charlie Frye likely took the lead in the race for the Browns' starting quarterback job last night against the Broncos.

Frye went 5-for-7 for 68 yards, leading Cleveland on an 80-yard touchdown drive to open the game. Meanwhile, Tony Grossi of The Plain Dealer says Brady Quinn (7-for-11 for 81 yards) may have leaped over Derek Anderson on the depth chart with his impressive performance.

Other notes from Saturday's preseason action:

Peyton Manning looked to be in midseason form in the Colts' 37-10 win over the Lions, going 23-for-27 for 233 yards and three touchdowns.

Rex Grossman was good and bad for the Bears in their 31-28 win against the 49ers. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns, but he also had an interception returned for a touchdown and fumbled a snap.

Young quarterbacks Phlip Rivers and Matt Leinart looked sharp as the Chargers beat the Cardinals, 33-31. Rivers went 20-for-29 for 282 yards and two touchdowns to Vincent Jackson. Don't sleep on Jackson fantasy owners. He'll be Rivers' primary target at wide receiver. Meanwhile, Leinart went 10-for-16 for 196 yards and a touchdown. Anquan Boldin caught five balls for 143 yards and a score.

Matt Schaub played well against the Cowboys, completing 12 of 16 passes for 109 yards and a pair of scores. Meanwhile, the Cowboys' offense looked shaky, although Tony Romo connected with Terrell Owens for a 35-yard touchdown.

Ex-Raven Chester Taylor carried eight times for 61 yards in the Vikings' 30-13 loss to the Seahawks. Rookie Adrian Peterson ran for 41 yards on 10 attempts.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Hit refresh on your page to get my latest thoughts. I'll start a new take each quarter.

First quarter thoughts

Second quarter thoughts

10:38 - Brian Billick on David Pittman's play (in the TV interview): "The young man held up pretty good." Billick said the defense played well aside from the penalties and the one big play it allowed early.

10:49 - Stat that jumps out from the first half: nine penalties for 49 yards for the Ravens. Also, Willis McGahee ran four times for 12 yards. Is anyone worried about McGahee? He hasn't looked great in the preseason, but then again, it is the preseason.

10:54 - Rhys Lloyd's terrible kickoff gives the Redskins great field position at their own 40-yard line, but Washington is unable to move the football. Mark Brunell is in at quarterback by the way. Can you think of anything worse for an NFL veteran? You've been in the league for 15 years, you have to wait for a preseason game to start because of rain and then you start the second half and go three-and-out as a third-stringer. Ouch.

10:55 - Moose Johnston just said "Yeesh." That's why he's one of the best.

10:57 - Kyle Boller comes in at quarterback for the Ravens. Before Dick Stockton can even announce the names of the offensive linemen, Boller is nailed by two Redskins. The ball is jarred loose, Dallas Sartz grabs it in the air and returns it for a touchdown. Redskins 13, Ravens 7.

11:00 - The cameras show Boller on the sidelines. It looks like they're asking him if he knows where he is.

11:04 - Musa Smith picks up 28 yards on a pair of carries. Good to see for Ravens fans. Smith has not shown much so far in the preseason.

11:05 - The lights go out at FedEx Field in the middle of a Ravens' offensive play. The game has been suspended temporarily because of lightning. Can they really come back out later? It's the preseason. It's after 11 p.m. And it's the second half. We'll see. I'll be back with updates if the game resumes.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Hit refresh on your page to get my latest thoughts. I'll start a new take each quarter.

First quarter thoughts

9:53 -- Steve McNair hits Demetrius Williams for a nice third-down conversion. Probably the Ravens' most productive play of the night.

9:55 -- This is off-topic, but I had to pass it along. Check out Quinn Sypniewski's mug shot. Tell me you wouldn't want to have a few beers with this guy.

10:00 -- McNair chooses not to slide on a run and is hit by Washington safety Sean Taylor. Meanwhile, every Ravens fan in the country unleashes expletives at the exact same time.

10:03 -- McNair hits Mason for a six-yard touchdown pass to give the Ravens a 7-3 lead. Mason caught the ball at around the three-yard line but made a great cut to get into the end zone. The drive went 60 yards on 13 plays, and McNair was 7-for-9 for 60 yards.

10:10 -- I know I poked fun at LaRon Landry's celebration earlier, but he's been all over the field tonight. Looks like the Redskins found themselves a keeper.

10:13 -- Defensive back Fred Smoot makes a play for Washington. Whenever I see Smoot, I think of one of the greatest quotes of all-time when he said: "75 percent of the world is covered by water. The rest is covered by Smoot." Tremendous.

10:21 -- The Redskins draw Bart Scott offsides on fourth down. That never usually works, but the Redskins had a tricky shift where the tight end and fullback moved at the exact time.

10:24 -- Check out this stat given to us on the TV broadcast: The Redskins have four first downs, and three were on penalties.

10:25 -- I think Dick Stockton just said a player went to college at Steven A. Austin. Doesn't he mean Steven F. Austin? Or Steven A. Smith? I'm confused.

10:29 -- The Redskins are putting together a solid drive. Todd Collins, who has played the entire first half, hits Antwaan Randle-El for a 17-yard gain.

10:34 -- Randle-El makes another grab with 17 seconds left in the half, but instead of running out-of-bounds, he cuts inside and forces the Redskins to use their final timeout. What's the opposite of a heads-up play? A bonehead play? Yeah. I think that's it.

10:36 -- Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham converts his second field-goal attempt of the night. As we head to haltime, the Ravens lead Washington, 7-6.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 9:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Hit refresh on your page to get my latest thoughts. I'll start a new take each quarter. 

9:10 -- Welcome to my running game log of the Ravens' preseason game against the Redskins. I'm reporting live from the baltimoresun.com office and will be providing commentary on the game as I watch on TV tonight. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts at any point.

9:12 -- After a one hour, 12-minute delay, the game gets under way. The Ravens receive and B.J. Sams is hit by LaRon Landry, who pounds his chest as if this were a playoff game. I wonder if he was planning that while in the locker room during the delay.

9:14 -- LaRon Landry tackles Willis McGahee after a 2-yard gain and celebrates some more. Meanwhile, I wonder if McGahee has received the news that I picked him in the second round of my fantasy draft last night.

9:16 -- Todd Collins gets the start at quarterback for the Redskins. He hits Santana Moss for a 37-yard completion on the first offensive play of the game. David Pittman was covering for the Ravens. He didn't get beat but didn't look up to find the ball. Ed Reed pats Pittman on the helmet -- nice sign of encouragement.

9:19 -- The Redskins have been called for three penalties, and the Ravens have been called for one. At this point, I'll be here until 3 a.m.

9:20 -- Collins scrambles but sees Ray Lewis right in front of him and slides. You could almost envision the thought running through his head as he slid: I want my mommy.

9:21 -- Shaun Suisham hits a 45-yard field goal to give Washington a 3-0 lead.

9:33 -- Quinn Sypniewski releases too early instead of staying back and blocking, and Steve McNair gets nailed by Andre Carter.

9:36 -- The Redskins get the ball back and Collins goes after Pittman again, but the Ravens CB turns his head this time, and the pass is incomplete. As col