Most folks will dwell on the obvious concerning the Ravens' 22-3 over feeble St.. Louis -- the pair of fives.

Five interceptions and five Matt Stover field goals.  And that's fine because, indeed, the Baltimore defense was the story and Stover's reliability is becoming the stuff of quiet legend. But last week in the win over San Francisco, I was taken by how well an incredibly inexperienced offensive line has held up with three rookies, a second-year center and one third-year player.

Former NFL coach Dan Reeves was at yesterday's game and a member of the Ravens said he was chatting with Reeves and asked the former Broncos-Giants-Falcons coach how he would have liked to coach a team with three rookies on the offensive line. Reeves apparently said that given such circumstances, he'd rather quit.

One of those rookies is Jared Gaither, the former University of Martland player chosen in the fifth round of the supplemental draft.  Gaither (left) is playing left tackle. It is the opinion of many who know the game that OLT is the most difficult to position to master other than quarterback and, arguably, center.  With both Jonathan Ogden (toe, foot) and Adam Terry (ankle) hurt, Gaither has held the fort as well as can be expected, dealing with the offensive flank where the majority of pass pressure usually comes. And, in terms of scheme, the Rams were expected to bring considerable pressure, and they did. Quarterback Kyle Boller was sacked just twice, although a lost fumble resulted on one.

But considering the task facing Gaither and his young linemates face, the Ravens have been fortunate.

"I'm a hard fighter," Gaither said after the game. "My guys believe in me and I believe in my guys and we stick together. They've pushed me, I've pushed them, we work hard, and we're in it together.

"With the late start (the challenge) has been more mental," Gaither said about having reported later than other rookies because he was a supplemental draft pick. "It's been a mental race and me trying to stay focused. Along with the help of my teammates and my coaches, I've been doing pretty good."

The former Terp said it felt particularly good to finally help ram in a touchdown on the ground. Running back Willis McGahee got his first rushing TD of the year -- the only one the Ravens scored against the Rams -- on a 6-yard dash around Gaither's side.

"It felt great. We've been working and working and working and pounding and pounding and finally got it in," Gaither said.

Photo credit: Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun