The Ravens tried out kickers Mike Nugent and Connor Barth but didn't sign either one. It's like a precaution if Steve Hauschka can't kick Sunday. He is probable with a right ankle injury.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 6:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

At 6-0, the Broncos are the surprise team of the NFL this season. It's not hard to find the reason. Under defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, a former Ravens assistant, they lead the NFL in scoring defense (11 points per game) and third-down percentage (26.9%), and are second in total yards allowed (262.5) and yards per play (4.4).

Even more impressive is their defensive performance on third down in the second half. The Broncos have allowed only two conversions out of 35 third-down plays after halftime this season. And they haven't allowed any in the last four games. No team since 1992 has done that.

Asked about Denver's second-half play, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said: "Well, I think they get after it. They’re very aggressive in the second half and they make a lot of plays. They’re playing with a lot of confidence, and you know, there are 1,000 reasons. There are 1,000 reasons. They stop people on third down. That’s the bottom line.”

Posted by Ken Murray at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Who owns the fourth quarter? The Ravens and Broncos both will lay claim on Sunday in M&T Bank Stadium. To the winner go the spoils.

Under John Harbaugh, the Ravens outscored their opponents 115-60 in the fourth quarter last season. This year, they are outscoring foes, 66-39.

But Denver is pretty stout itself in the final period. The Broncos are outscoring teams, 50-7 in the fourth, and 76-10 in the second half.

Posted by Ken Murray at 5:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Do you have questions for Ravens safety Ed Reed?

Westinghouse Digital is providing fans the chance to interact with Reed on the company's Facebook page.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Amid a sea of "no comments," the Ravens have listed left tackle Jared Gaither as questionable for Sunday's game against the unbeaten Broncos. Neither coach John Harbaugh nor Gaither would address his physical status after today's practice. Gaither did say that he felt "great."

Gaither has missed two weeks with a neck injury, returned to practice on Wednesday and then had to sit out Thursday's session. Today, he had limited participation.

When a group of reporters went to Gaither's locker after today's workout, a member of the team's PR department stood off to the side to monitor the situation. Several reporters were allowed to ask questions, although they were drew the same "no comment" response.

The other player who would seem to have an issue going into the Denver game is linebacker Tavares Gooden, who suffered a concussion Wednesday and was unable to work out. Gooden got clearance to do the full practice today and is listed as probable. He would not take questions about his injury, either.

Also listed as probable were quarterback Joe Flacco (ankle), kicker Steve Hauschka (right ankle), linebacker Jarret Johnson (shoulder), safety Ed Reed (illness) and wide receiver David Tyree (hamstring). All participated in today's workout.

Hauschka first appeared on the injury report on Thursday.

The Broncos appear to be in very good shape for the game. Safety Brian Dawkins and defensive lineman Ronald Fields, both with hamstring injuries, are listed as probably and participated today.

Posted by Ken Murray at 3:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Justin Harper is on the practice squad, but he isn't Justin Harper on the practice field.

The main job for the Ravens' 6-foot-3, 215-pound wide receiver is to the other team's big receiver. A couple of weeks ago, Harper was Randy Moss. This week, he was Brandon Marshall.

The Ravens hope practice makes perfect for Harper.

"When he's the look team guy, he studies the way he plays and emulates him in practice," coach John Harbaugh said. "I think he comes up with things that help him become a better player. If he can become the kind of receiver that Brandon Marshall is, we'd be pretty happy about that."

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

If the Ravens lose to Denver and give up a lot of points, there will be trouble on the defensive side of the ball. There have already been some private rumblings among the players about new defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, and you expected that if the Ravens struggled this season, their first without former coordinator Rex Ryan.

Last year, rookie head coach John Harbaugh had Ryan as a liaison between him and the players, but Harbaugh doesn't have that luxury in 2009. This is his first full season in which he is in control of everything, and if the Ravens can't handle Denver, Harbaugh will have a fire among the players he has to put out.

Posted by Mike Preston at 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

Ravens coach John Harbaugh didn't want to talk about injuries Friday, especially the status of offensive tackle Jared Gaither.

Asked if Gaither would be a game-time decision, Harbaugh responded tersely, "I'm not even going to comment on injuries. We'll see. If he's out there on Sunday, you'll see him. If he's not, you won't."

As practice ended, Gaither (neck) and linebacker Tavares Gooden (head) walked off the field with helmets in hand, which likely means both participated in some portion of practice.

In the locker room, both declined to comment on their injuries. Gaither did add, "I feel great."

Gaither has missed the past two games with a neck injury. He had a full practice Wednesday but sat out Thursday's workout.

Gooden, who said his chin got dinged up at a recent practice, didn't participate Wednesday but was limited in Thursday's practice.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 1:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Left tackle Jared Gaither, who missed the last two games with a neck injury, participated in Friday's workout and should be good to go on Sunday. He expects to return to left tackle, although rookie Michael Oher has played well at that position since Gaither got hurt. If Oher moves back to right tackle, that puts Marshal Yanda on the bench. Before starting the last two games at right tackle, Yanda had been used in the unbalanced sets as a third tackle.

Posted by Ken Murray at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Everyone knows Brett Favre is returning to play the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, especially if they've turned on ESPN for five minutes.

But there will be a reunion -- albeit at a much, much lesser level -- as well at M&T Bank Stadium when Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley comes back to play the Ravens.

A fourth-round pick by the Ravens in 1999, Stokley only made 60 catches in four seasons with them. But he had a knack for making his mark. He came up with two of the biggest catches in the 2000 Super Bowl season.

Stokley ended the Ravens' touchdown drought that season when he caught a touchdown pass from Trent Dilfer. Then, in the Super Bowl, he delivered the first blow to the New York Giants with another touchdown reception from Dilfer.

He returns as the No. 3 wide receiver for Denver.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Since there has been so much talk about the lack of pressure this season, it it interesting to note that the Ravens have yet to develop a top-notch pass rushing defensive lineman since the team moved to Baltimore for the 1996 season.

They've had some really good ones like end Michael McCrary and tackle Sam Adams, but both of those players learned their skills in Seattle.

The Ravens have had Peter Boulware, but he was an outside linebacker, much like Terrell Suggs even though the Ravens currently list Suggs as a defensive end.

Again, it's time for a change of philosophy. Instead of just drafting or signing a lot of run stoppers, the Ravens need to switch up and find, good all-around defensive linemen.

Posted by Mike Preston at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

Despite surrendering at least 100 rushing yards to an individual running back in back-to-back games, the Ravens rank seventh in the NFL against the run.

Still, allowing the Cincinnati Bengals' Cedric Benson to rush for 120 yards and a touchdown and the Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson to compile 143 yards has been an unusual sight for a defense that had once prevented an opposing running back to reach the century mark for 39 consecutive games.

Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said players have been pressing to make a play in the past two games, which has opened up running lanes.

"It's common when that happens, when you don't have success or when something happens, it's common for a guy to say, 'I can make that play. I'm going to try to make that play,' Mattison said. "What ends up happening is you can go through that whole ball game against the Vikings -- and there are a lot of things going really good -- then all of the sudden, bang, one breaks. That's what we have to have -- guys not trying to play the position that they're not playing -- and play the defense. Then we'll be fine."

The task does not get easier Sunday when the Denver Broncos bring the league's seventh-ranked rushing offense to M&T Bank Stadium. Denver rotates Correll Buckhalter, who leads the NFL in yards per carry (6.7), and Knowshon Moreno, who leads all rookies with 381 yards.

"They both do a great job of getting the ball and running downhill," defensive tackle Haloti Ngata said. "I think the rookie kind of takes more chances of getting into a tight gap. But they’re similar. They’re really shifty and quick. We’ve got to make sure we stay balanced and bring them down when we can."

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Linebacker and special-teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo made an appearance at the team’s facility Thursday and said his surgically-repaired left quadriceps tendon is making good progress.

"I’m a little bit ahead of schedule," said Ayanbadejo, who tore the tendon in the fourth quarter of the team's 27-21 loss to the New England Patriots on Oct. 4. "Every day, I find something new – a new sensation or a little bit more range of motion or a little bit more strength in there. So that makes it easy to be positive every day when you can wake up and you go to rehab and you’re a little bit better. It’s good to be back here at the facility. Everybody’s saying, ‘Man, you’re in a good mood. Your spirits are high.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s because I’m getting better every day.’ It’s great to be back around the guys."

Ayanbadejo, who was operated on by renowned sports surgeon James Andrews on Oct. 7, said the projected timetable to return is eight months.

"I’m not even supposed to be running until April or May and then from there, the recovery is going to speed up," he said. "It’s going to be really slow until then. The most important thing I can do now is let it heal and not do anything to damage the reconstruction in there. I’ve got to be a patient patient."

Ayanbadejo said he has been trying to help special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg, sitting in on special teams meetings and offering advice to his teammates. But when asked if he had earned a coach's whistle, Ayanbadejo smiled and shook his head.

"If I was a coach, I’d be more like ‘Hammer,’ Mark Carrier [who coaches the safeties]," Ayanbadejo said. "Sometimes we don’t know if he’s a player or a coach. He still has a pending fine in the NFL, so we kind of consider him more of a player rather than a coach."

Posted by Edward Lee at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

After fully practicing Wednesday, offensive tackle Jared Gaither was downgraded and did not participate this afternoon. Gaither, who has missed the Ravens' last two games after suffering a scary neck injury in the second quarter of a 27-21 loss to the New England Patriots on Oct. 4, wore a red, non-contact jersey during the portion of practice open to the media. Gaither has said he intends to play Sunday against the Denver Broncos.

Free safety Ed Reed, who did not practice Wednesday due to illness, returned to full participation. Linebacker Tavares Gooden, who suffered a slight concussion during practice Monday and sat out Wednesday's session, was limited.

Quarterback Joe Flacco (sprained right ankle), linebacker Jarret Johnson (left shoulder), kicker Steve Hauschka (right ankle) and wide receiver David Tyree (hamstring) practiced fully.

For the Broncos, a pair of starters in safety Brian Dawkins (hamstring) and nose tackle Ronald Fields (hamstring) were limited.

Posted by Edward Lee at 5:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Wide receiver Derrick Mason had several compliments for Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey. He said he considers him one of the best in the NFL.

But Mason won't back down from this challenge.

"You can’t be afraid to play your game," Mason said. "You can’t be afraid as a receiver to challenge him each play. If you don’t challenge him, then you limit yourself to half the field. So, you’ve just got to go out there and play your best game. You’ve got to bring you’re A game against him, because if you don’t he’s going to embarrass you.”

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

If you take a good look at Denver's defense, the Broncos bring a lot of pressure and move around quite a bit. Broncos defensive coordinator Mike Nolan learned that style from Marvin Lewis when both were here as assistants under head coach Brian Billick. Before then, Nolan preferred the old style of 4-3, read and react defense, which is basically what the Ravens run now under coordinator Greg Mattison.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 3:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

The Ravens have allowed their share of big plays this season. Through the first six games, they have given up 22 pass plays over 20 yards.

Asked if it's a matter of discipline to cut down on big plays, Lewis said, "Either you’re going to make them, or somebody else is going to make them. In the first half [of the season], other people have made them. That’s why I say, ‘You can kiss those bumps early or you can kiss those bumps late.’ Hopefully, just like last year, we catch them early, and after the bye week we correct those."

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

With generous helpings of criticism aimed at the Ravens' secondary, secondary coach Chuck Pagano said he is just as culpable for the defensive backfield's mistakes as his players.

But Pagano said ranting and raving about the secondary's problems aren't going to solve the issue.

"I could go in there and just get irate," he said. "But that’s the last thing they need. We need to say, ‘Why? Why is it happening?’ Point out why, fix the technique, and if it’s the communication, fix the communication, and play the coverages. They’ve shown the ability on certain plays. It’s just consistency. If someone gets beat up front, it’s not a home run. But we all know on the back end, if we screw up back there, the next thing you’re calling for is the block team on a PAT. They understand that, and we understand that. We’ve got to do a better job of coaching, and that’s my responsibility."

Pagano said he has resisted listening to talk radio or reading Internet message boards. He even canceled his wife's subscription to The Sun.

"Obviously, you’re going to hear it and it’s going to get back to you," he said. "But like I tell those guys, we’ve opened up a can of worms and until we put out the fire, it is what it is. They understand that, playing the position and I understand that, coaching the position. It’s a little bit of that deal where if you’re playing really well and shutting people down, boy, they love you. And when it doesn’t happen and you’re giving up big, explosive plays, you’re not worth a darn. … You’ve got to stay consistent. You’ve got to have conviction in what you’ve done for 26 years as a coach and what you know as a player and stick to the grind and don’t press. The harder you try, sometimes the worse it gets."

Posted by Edward Lee at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

It will be interesting to see what changes the Ravens have made during the bye week. One I would like to see is defensive coordinator Greg Mattison play loose a bit more. Instead of playing a lot of base defense and allowing teams to just come at them, I'd like to see him move players around, gamble a bit more, blitz a little more and give opponents something more to think about. I don't think the Ravens have the personnel yet to just sit back, and take teams on without being diversified. All defensive coordinators have their style, and maybe Mattison's will pay off in the future, but I think he should utilize the talent they have now. The Ravens are built on speed and aggression.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The Denver Broncos will get an early-morning wake-up call on Sunday. When the game starts at 1 p.m., it will actually feel like 11 a.m. to the Broncos, who are on Mountain time.

The Broncos are 0-2 against the Ravens in Baltimore, losing 34-23 in 2002 and 26-6 in 2003. But Denver has had some success heading East recently. The Broncos are 7-5 when playing at East Coast cities since 2004. This marks the Broncos' first trip to the East Coast this season.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Baltimore Sun Ravens beat reporter Jamison Hensley answered questions from readers about the team's matchup against the Denver Broncos and more. Read the full transcript below.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 1:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Free safety Ed Reed returned to practice today after sitting out Wednesday's session due to illness.

Linebacker Tavares Gooden, who also did not practice Wednesday because of a slight concussion, and offensive tackle Jared Gaither both practiced and wore red, non-contact jerseys. Gaither, who practiced fully Wednesday, has missed the past two games after suffering a scary neck injury in the second quarter of a 27-21 loss to the New England Patriots on Oct. 4.

Quarterback Joe Flacco (sprained right ankle), linebacker Jarret Johnson (left shoulder) and wide receiver David Tyree (hamstring) practiced.

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Rookie third-round pick Lardarius Webb has received “a lot more reps in practice with the first unit,” defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said Wednesday.

Webb later said he has primarily practiced at nickel back, but he has taken some snaps at cornerback. His increased work likely won’t lead to a starting job for Webb on Sunday, but it’s an indication that the Ravens like his progress. The Ravens benched cornerback Fabian Washington last game and replaced him with Frank Walker, who also struggled at Minnesota.

There has been some clamoring from the fan base for the Ravens to use Webb at cornerback.

“I think his role will keep being expanded all the time,” Mattison said.

The secondary has struggled this season, one of the reasons why the Ravens rank 23rd against the pass this season.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

As a teen-ager playing for Beauregard High School in Opelika, Ala., Lardarius Webb earned All-State honors in his junior and senior years for his prowess at cornerback -- and quarterback?

That's right. Webb, the Ravens' third-round pick in April's draft, ran the option for Beauregard, rushing for 738 yards and 15 touchdowns and passing for 412 yards and four scores as a senior.

But to hear Webb talk about the past, he sounded almost apologetic about his play.

"The only reason I played quarterback is because they always put the best player at quarterback to help lead the team," he said. "In high school, that was the best spot for me. I liked quarterback, but I knew I would never be a quarterback in college. I just did it because I wanted to lead my team."

When he committed to Southern Mississippi, quarterback was not an option -- which was fine with Webb.

"I knew it [his true calling] wasn’t quarterback," he said. "I didn’t know what it was going to be, but I knew it wasn’t quarterback. I mean, I was a good quarterback – not to take away anything from that. I just knew that it wasn’t quarterback with my size. I just played it because I loved it."

Posted by Edward Lee at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Two starters -- safety Ed Reed (illness) and linebacker Tavares Gooden (head) -- did not practice Wednesday.

Four others -- quarterback Joe Flacco (ankle), offensive tackle Jared Gaither (neck), outside linebacker Jarret Johnson (shoulder) and wide receiver David Tyree (hamstring) -- all had full practices and were the only other Ravens on the injury report.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 5:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Two injured starters -- quarterback Joe Flacco (ankle) and offensive tackle Jared Gaither (neck) -- both were at the media viewing portion of practice. Flacco said he would play Sunday against the undefeated Denver Broncos after missing last week's workouts during the bye.

But Ed Reed, who has has been on the injury report this season with neck and knee injuries, showed up at the start of practice in sweat pants.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 1:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Not only does Jared Gaither expect to return after missing two games with a neck injury, he also expects to return to his left tackle position.

On Monday, coach John Harbaugh declined to say whether Gaither would come back to play left or right tackle. Gaither started the first four games at left tackle this season before getting sidelined with a neck injury. Rookie first-round pick Michael Oher, though, looked solid in two starts at left tackle, prompting some to wonder whether Gaither would be moved.

On Wednesday, Gaither said, “I expect to be back where I left off.”

Gaither also said his neck was “pretty much 100 percent.”

Oher, who started the past two games at left tackle, thought he would go back to playing on the right side when Gaither came back. “Of course,” Oher said. “Why not?”

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Ravens director of player personnel Eric DeCosta will appear at a chalk talk Friday at noon at the Inner Harbor ESPN Zone.

DeCosta will break down video of the Ravens' game against the Vikings, offering expert analysis and an insider view of what worked and what didn’t. He will also preview this weekend’s game against the undefeated Denver Broncos at the free event.

With the team since its first year in 1996, DeCosta oversees all aspects of college and pro recruiting for the Ravens.

The remaining Ravens chalk talks at ESPN Zone will take place on Nov. 20 and Dec. 11.

Posted by Ron Fritz at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Ravens beat reporter Jamison Hensley will answer readers’ questions in Friday’s Ravens Weekend section. To submit a question send it to sports@baltsun.com, using Hey Jamison in the subject field. Please include your name, where you live and a phone number so we can verify your question.

Posted by Ron Fritz at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

At the age of 47, Ravens coach John Harbaugh is young, energetic, and fit. Surprisingly, however, he is not one of the youngest head coaches in the NFL.

Harbaugh's not even in the top 10, ranking 12th. Sunday's opponent, the Denver Broncos, boasts the league's second-youngest head coach in Josh McDaniels, who is less than five months older than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Raheem Morris.

Harbaugh was asked Monday during his weekly briefing with the media about the trend of younger head coaches.

"I didn’t really react to it age-wise," he said. "You’re happy for guys to get an opportunity. You look at Jon Gruden. He was a pretty good coach, and he was young when he got his opportunities. There are guys that I think have had an opportunity over the years because they start in this league so early and they have maybe an exposure to a guy like Bill Belichick – in Jon Gruden’s case, Ray Rhodes and some different guys – that help them become something from a knowledge standpoint and understanding and dealing with players in this league at an early age. So guys are ready when they’re ready and obviously, it’s paid off pretty well for Denver."

Posted by Edward Lee at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Baltimore Sun reporter Ken Murray answered questions from readers about Trevor Pryce's performance, the Ravens' defensive adjustments and more in a live chat on Ravens Insider.

Click below to read the full transcript.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Baltimore Sun Ravens beat reporter Jamison Hensley discussed the issues in the secondary, Lardarius Webb's emergence and more in a live chat on Ravens Insider.

Read the full transcript below.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

After igniting a war of words with Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, Ravens rookie offensive tackle Michael Oher sought to squash the exchange Tuesday, telling The Sun's Ken Murray, "It was a misunderstanding. Jared Allen, he's a great player. I respect that guy. Been watching him for years. ... We just had an emotional game."

After practice Tuesday, coach John Harbaugh fielded questions from the media. But before closing down the media briefing, Harbaugh offered his unsolicited perspective on the flap.

"I just want to comment on behalf of Michael Oher with the little firestorm that happened," he said. "That’s kind of what happens in the NFL, but I just want to reiterate something for Michael on his behalf. I think he spoke to it yesterday, but Michael Oher is a great kid. He’s got tremendous respect for Jared Allen and all of the guys he’s played against. I think he looks at those guys and he’s always kind of idolized NFL players. He wants to hold his own. He’s got a lot of pride, and it means to lot to him when he can go out there and – I’d say to a good degree – hold his own. Obviously, Jared Allen’s a great player. Put a lot of pressure on us in that game. That’s really the biggest part of what makes their defense so good, and Michael knows that and respects that. We want Jared to know that and everybody out there to know that that’s the kind of guy Michael is."

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

Fullback Le'Ron McClain said one of the people he trusts for counsel is former Raven Lorenzo Neal, who was the team's fullback last season.

"I text Lorenzo every now and then and we talk," McClain said. "He just tells me to stay focused, be patient. I’m a patient guy, and I’m trying to be humble. I know my day will come. I feel like in my heart, before I get done playing in this league, I can be a good tailback. I’m just going to continue to work hard and be the best back I can be."

McClain said Neal is a straight shooter when the two talk.

"He’s always keeping it positive, but also telling me the truth and everything," McClain said with a grin. "One thing he’s always telling me, ‘Just stay positive and don’t let it get to you. Even if you don’t get a carry this season or don’t have another touchdown, just stay positive and win games.’ That’s the main thing."

Posted by Edward Lee at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

The Ravens are starting to realize that some of their best defensive players are getting older as well. During the past two weeks, the Ravens have been getting in some of the younger players like defensive tackles Dwan Edwards and Brandon McKinney. Both have responded and played reasonably well. That should be able to keep end Trevor Pryce and tackle Kelly Gregg fresher for the fourth quarter. Both Gregg and Pryce have struggled at times this season.

Posted by Mike Preston at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

The trade deadline came and passed, and the Ravens didn't make a trade. Surprise, surprise. That was very predictable, except in new-wave journalism. With the Internet and so many sources of information, you can't tell the lies from the truth. And yes, we have a lot of storytellers here in Baltimore.

If you believed some of them, the Ravens had great interest and were willing to trade for receivers Terrell Owens, Joey Galloway or Dwayne Bowe over the weekend. That startled me because I thought the Ravens were going to possibly trade for Bo Diddley, Bo Jackson, Bo Bo Brazil or Bo Derek over the weekend.

There are two times of the year when you can count on reading a lot of speculation, and that's the week leading up to the draft, and the weekend before the trade dead line.

It gets ridiculous after a while.

Posted by Mike Preston at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

The fact the Ravens were 2-3 last October and went on to reach the AFC championship game isn't lose on wide-out Derrick Mason. At 3-3 this October, the Ravens hope to repeat the strong-finish scenario.

"I guess in order to understand your future, you've got to look back at your past," Mason said today. "And we were kind of in the same situation last year, and then we were able to make a run toward the end. So, hopefully, it bodes well for us again ... The only thing we need to do is get one win first. Once we get one win and get this train to move, I think it's hard to stop us."

Posted by Ken Murray at 5:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

Linebacker Jarret Johnson today dispelled the notion the Ravens need to make personnel changes in the wake of a three-game losing streak.

"Absolutely not," he said. "We have proven players, really good players, guys who've been successful in this league. Not only successful, but dominant. I think we've lost some confidence in a lot of areas, but a change in players, in my opinion, is ridiculous. ... We just have to get back to playing sound, technique football."

Johnson took encouragement in the fact the Ravens' defense has played poorly the last three weeks and still nearly won all three games.

"We've given up a lot of points and a lot of yardage, which we're not accustomed to doing," he said. "I think it's more a state of awareness: we better get this thing fixed, or we're going to lose more ballgames. But we know how good we can be. Hell, we played bad and still almost won every game."

Posted by Ken Murray at 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Rookie tackle Michael Oher's war of words with Vikings pass rusher Jared Allen apparently is over. After saying, among other things, "There is really nothing really special about [Allen]" after Sunday's game, Oher took the high road today and opted not to escalate the affair.

"It was a misunderstanding," Oher said. "Jared Allen, he's a great player. I respect that guy. Been watching him for years. ... We just had an emotional game."

When presented with Oher's postgame comments on Jay Glazer's "After Party" show on FOXSports.com, Allen offered this up: “Well that’s just some idiot trying to talk himself up. I beat that dude like a red-headed step child, let’s be honest. If he was so good why did they have to chip me all day? Ask him that."

Oher had a difficult first half, when he was flagged for two false starts. Allen finished the game with seven tackles, one sack, four tackles for losses and two quarterback hurries.

Oher played much better in the second half.

"I think I did all right, but you always can do better," he said.

Posted by Ken Murray at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

Dwan Edwards hadn't started at defensive end since Dec. 30, 2007, as he wrapped up that season filling in for an injured Trevor Pryce -- until Sunday, when Edwards started in place of Pryce in the Ravens' 33-31 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Edwards played decently, finishing with two tackles, one sack and one quarterback hurry. Pryce fared just as well, registering two tackles, one sack and two quarterback hurries.

Coach John Harbaugh said he and the defensive coaching staff wanted to see how Edwards performed in extended action.

"Dwan Edwards, in this game, I felt like more reps were good for Dwan and for our defense because of the run defense and also because of the fact that for Trevor, fewer reps makes him more effective in what he’s doing, especially in the pass rush game. and it turned out to be the case," Harbaugh said. "Trevor played really well. Now we want Trevor to get more reps than what he got, and that’s just kind of the way it shook out. But I was happy. I thought Trevor played very well, and the snaps he was in there made a difference, especially in the pass rush. And Dwan played well."

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

If you're one of the Ravens fans lamenting the loss of Matt Stover and clamoring for the club to replace kicker Steve Hauschka, don't hold your breath.

Coach John Harbaugh said all the blame for Hauschka's missed 44-yard field-goal attempt with two seconds left in Sunday's 33-31 loss to the Minnesota Vikings should not be heaped on Hauschka's shoulders.

"The snap was not perfect. The kick was not perfect. So it didn’t go through," Harbaugh said. "… We all try to fo as good a job as we can to help our kicker make a kick. And the thing you’ve got to remember about that is we knew from Day One, that our young kicker was going to miss a kick. And we were also pretty sure that it was going to come during a hugely critical moment. And there’s no guarantee that any kicker is going to make any kick in any situation. And it’s painful. Because if he had knocked that thing through the uprights, we’d all be going, ‘We’ve got our kicker!’ Well, we believe we’ve got our kicker. We’ve seen enough of him to believe that he’s going to be our kicker. In the end, do we know? Only he can handle that, and he gets a little help from his holder and his snapper and his protection and his coach, and we see where it goes from there. That’s the best we can do. We’ve got a lot of confidence in him. He’s talented, he’s a great kid, he works hard. Let’s see what happens."

A little later, Harbaugh re-emphasized his faith in Hauschka.

"All of the kickers that have made it over the years, the long-term guys, have fought through this. I’m pretty sure if you look back at all these really good kickers early in their career, I’ll bet they missed some of these kicks," Harbaugh said. "… There’s only one way to find out. Now, we have seen him handle pressure situations in practice, he’s made the kicks he’s been asked to make up until this point, made them in the preseason. We put him under as much pressure as we can. We’ll see what happens. I think he’s got the mettle for it. I’m a little biased because he’s our kicker. Give him a chance."

Posted by Edward Lee at 4:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (27)
        

Much like general manager Ozzie Newsome, coach John Harbaugh did not say anything to discourage any possibility of making a deal before to Tuesday's league-wide 4 p.m. trade deadline.

Asked if he would be surprised if the Ravens pulled the trigger on a trade, Harbaugh said, "I wouldn’t be surprised. I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t make a deal. We’re going to do everything we can to make our team better any way that we can. The trade deadline’s coming up and if something presents itself, then we’re going to do it if we think it makes our team better."

The next question posed to Harbaugh entailed the report from Fox Sports' Jay Glazer that the club had inquired about Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens, who has a contentious history with the Ravens.

Because both Harbaugh and Owens were employed by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004 and 2005, Harbaugh was asked to comment about his perspective on Owens. After a brief moment of debating whether he should speak about a player on another team, Harbaugh had this to say:

"All I can say about T.O. is this – I’m going to jump out a limb here – I’ve got a lot of respect for T.O., OK? Always have," Harbaugh said. "He’s a football player, he practices hard, I think he’s got a really good heart, always have. We have a good relationship. Now is anything happening there? Not that I know of. And I think I would know if something was happening. But he plays for another team. We have a ton of respect for him, and I’ve always liked him and I want to be positive about him."

Posted by Edward Lee at 4:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

Samari Rolle has been on the physically-unable-to-perform list with a neck injury since the preseason, and the Ravens are not expecting the veteran cornerback to be activated this season.

Coach John Harbaugh said as much during his weekly media briefing today.

"I can’t speak for Samari in that sense, but I would say right now based on what the medical people are saying, I’m not very optimistic at all that he’ll be able to play this year," Harbaugh said. "He had the surgery, and you just don’t want to mess around with the neck. Samari’s too important to us as a person to even think about that. That’s not the advice we’re getting medically. So that’s probably where that stands."

Rolle, who hasn't played since the AFC Divisional playoff win against the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 10, underwent surgery in the offseason to repair a bulging disc in his neck. He had another procedure on the neck several weeks ago.

Harbaugh was on the opposite end of the spectrum regarding offensive tackle Jared Gaither, who has missed the last two contests with a neck injury suffered against the New England Patriots on Oct. 4.

"He was close," he said. "We'll see. You can't speak to a neck, so I don't want to sit here and say he's going to definitely play against Denver [on Nov. 1]. But we would expect him to play against Denver."

Posted by Edward Lee at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Cornerbacks aren't supposed to be outstanding tacklers, but the Ravens' are atrocious. One of the biggest problems with the NFL is that most teams are too concerned with plays and schemes, and they forget to cover the fundamentals.

Deion Sanders used to say, "show me a cornerback that is a great tackler, and I'll show you a corner that can't cover." With the Ravens, they can't cover or tackle.

Posted by Mike Preston at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

I just don't understand all this talk about the Ravens trading for a wide receiver.

How about a cornerback? How about a player who can at least hold his own against a good wide receiver?

You keep hearing all this gossip about the Ravens possibly having interest in Kansas City's Dwayne Bowe, New England's Joey Galloway and Buffalo's Terrell Owens.

The last time I checked, the Ravens put up 31 points against the Vikings, and still lost.

Posted by Mike Preston at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (52)
        

General manager Ozzie Newsome wouldn’t rule out the Ravens making a trade before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. NFL deadline.

“I’ve had any number of conversations with any number of teams,” Newsome told the Baltimore Sun on Monday afternoon. “At this point, it can go either way.”

Over the weekend, the Ravens were linked to three wide receivers: Kansas City’s Dwayne Bowe, New England’s Joey Galloway and Buffalo’s Terrell Owens.

“I didn’t hear any rumors,” Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason said after Sunday’s 33-31 loss at Minnesota. “I’ve been in this game long enough to know that unless it’s a credible source you don’t pay any attention to it. I didn’t hear anything about it.”

In the team’s 14-year history, the Ravens have never made a trade days before the deadline.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (55)
        

Baltimore Sun reporter Ken Murray answered questions about the Ravens during a live chat on Ravens Insider at noon Monday. Click below for a full transcript.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

This is today's Baltimore Sun Sports cover. Comment below to submit your own headline ideas for the Ravens' 33-31 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6.

Click here for a photo gallery of 2008 Ravens Gameday covers.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 7:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (33)
        

Was this Brian Billick's revenge? Or Matt Stover's?

The Ravens were marvelous on offense again after a slow start, but the hand-picked replacement for Stover couldn't deliver the goods in a 33-31 loss to the Vikings today. The missed 44-yard field goal attempt by Steve Hauschka, however, merely took the harsh spotlight off another wretched performance by the Ravens' secondary.

Two big penalties by cornerback Frank Walker -- only one was accepted, however -- and matador coverage by Fabian Washington and Dawan Landry left the Ravens with a three-game losing streak for the second straight season.

Joe Flacco was brilliant as he came through with a 21-point fourth quarter to bring the Ravens back from a 27-10 deficit. Three touchdown drives required only 11 total plays. Mark Clayton made a nice catch on a 32-yard touchdown, Derrick Mason scored on a 12-yarder behind a block from Demetrius Williams, and Ray Rice broke a 33-yard scoring run to cap the comeback and earn a 31-30 lead with 3:37 to play.

The defense needed just one play to give up a 58-yard pass that put the Vikings in position to kick the winning field goal. On that play, Walker was beaten by Sidney Rice for a 58-yard gain to the Ravens' 18. Walker was flagged for pass interference (he yanked on Rice's jersey), but the Vikings obviously took the play.

Unable to get the ball in the end zone, the Vikings got the game-winning points on a 31-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell.

The Ravens' defense was at its Jekyll-Hyde worst. Four times, the defense stopped red-zone drives to force Minnesota field goals. But whatever the defensive front took away, the secondary gave back.

Washington couldn't handle Rice (6 catches, 176 yards), and neither could Walker. Landry spent most of the game in run support, but on a goal-line play, he allowed Visanthe Shiancoe to slip into the middle of the end zone for an easy 1-yard touchdown pass. Walker also had a pass interference call against Bernard Berrian on that drive.

Big plays killed the Ravens again. Rice had catches of 63 and 58 yards, and Adrian Peterson had runs of 58 and 26 yards en route to a 143-yard rush day. It was the second straight week the Ravens allowed a 100-yard rusher. So much for that streak.

Flacco (385 passing yards, 2 touchdowns) outplayed Brett Favre (278, 3) and moved the Ravens into field goal range at the Minnesota 26 in the final seconds. After stopping the clock at :02 with a spike, it was up to Hauschka to make good on his promise of longer field goals. Instead, he hooked the 44-yard attempt wide left.

For years, the Ravens lost because they had no offense to back up the defense. Now they're losing because the defense can't defend the pass. A bye week will help, but don't be surprised if this loss costs someone a job.

Posted by Ken Murray at 4:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (66)
        

What our reporters and editors thought of the Ravens' loss in the Metrodome:

Jamison Hensley: Maybe the Ravens can call [Matt] Stover. Oh that's right.

Mike Preston: MATT STOVER.

Kevin Van Valkenburg: Wow. Let's start with that. Wow. What a wild game. Midway through the second half, it looked like the Ravens had no chance, and then suddenly they were leading by a point with three minutes to play, then they lost that lead, then they couldn't make a field goal to win. Just crazy. Give Joe Flacco credit for repeatedly picking himself up off his back and finding open receivers. And give Brett Favre credit for making plays, too. He moved around in the pocket and was great with pump fakes. Baltimore's defense was awful at times, but it also rose to the occasion late. Obviously Steve Hauschka has got to feel bad, but the Ravens showed some real guts by fighting back. The Vikngs are a very good team.

Ken Murray: The Ravens need the bye week now after a brilliant comeback. Steve Hauschka needs to go into the witness protection program.

Ron Fritz: Great comeback, but where has the Ravens' defense gone? Not one of their cornerbacks can cover anyone. Veteran kicker for Vikings, young kicker for Ravens. Ball game.

Posted by Ron Fritz at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (91)
        

The malaise that afflicted the Ravens a week ago continued at Minnesota, when they fell behind by two touchdowns in the first nine minutes. There was no semblance of offense until the two-minute drill, when Joe Flacco hit Todd Heap (22 yards) and Derrick Mason (23) for big plays.

Unfortunately, Flacco elected to throw a checkdown pass to Ray Rice in the middle of the field that drained the clock to 6 seconds and the Ravens had to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Steve Hauschka, who was released by the Vikings a year ago. The Ravens' clock management was less than desirable.

The Ravens were guilty of three false starts in the first half, two by Michael Oher, who struggled against Vikings Pro Bowl rush end Jared Allen. Ben Grubbs got the other penalty. The Ravens were incapable of running the ball against the Vikings' front line.

Defensively, the Ravens surrendered touchdowns on Minnesota's first two drives. Brett Favre carved up the secondary on those possessions, but was held in check the rest of the half. Baltimore's pass defense still appeared to be vulnerable. With the exception of a first-drive 26-yard run, Adrian Peterson was contained about as well as he can be.

The Vikings' defense was offside three times on the Ravens' field-goal drive, jumping the count. It was a strange series, to say the least.

But the Ravens were in position to make a comeback in the second half, and after their poor start, that's all they can ask.

Posted by Ken Murray at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

ESPN analysts Cris Carter and Keyshawn Johnson reiterated today their earlier criticism of the Ravens receivers. Carter doesn't think the Ravens have good enough receivers to turn the offense over to Joe Flacco, although he acknowledged Derrick Mason has had a "terrific career."

Johnson indicated the Ravens don't have a top-flight No. 1 receiver.

Also on the ESPN pregame show, Chris Mortensen said Ravens coach John Harbaugh last week told his stars -- Ray Lewis and Ed Reed -- they have to play more team defense. Mortensen said these two have tried to do too much and have made the defense vulnerable.

ESPN's Sal Paolantonio also said Lewis told him he definitely will appeal the $25,000 fine for hitting Chad Ochocinco and kicking an unidentified Cincinnati player.

Posted by Ken Murray at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

With the Ravens defense suddenly looking vulnerable, it's time to do a quick review.

When the secondary was torched for 436 yards by San Diego's Philip Rivers in Week 2, coach John Harbaugh said his defensive backs tried to do too much and the result was weakened pass coverage.

When the Ravens' run defense was gouged for 120 yards by Cedric Benson last week, defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said the biggest problem was "gap integrity," or players going out of their gaps to make plays.

So in two of five games, players have felt the need to do more than they are asked to do. Why? Pressure? Expectation? Injury? Blown assignments?

The Ravens aren't into explaining their vulnerabilities, but it seems likely a combination of all of the above. Freelancing is hardly their only problem. Today, the defense gets full measure of itself and its reputation. Is this a secondary that can withstand the darts thrown by Brett Favre? Is it a defensive front that can get a piece of Adrian Peterson? And do these things simultaneously?

Here are a few things to look at today as the Ravens try to get back on track:

(1) Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata has a back injury. He comes off the field often (third downs and even first downs last week). He gets double-teamed often. He deserved to go to the Pro Bowl a year ago and was overlooked. This year he's having trouble getting going.

(2) Defensive end Terrell Suggs has 2.5 sacks. Yes, one was a great strip-and-sack against the Patriots that resulted in a touchdown. But Suggs is not a force in the pass rush this season. It's past time to talk about him not being in game shape. It's time for him to get to the quarterback. Going home to Minneapolis may help.

(3) Outside of linebacker Jarret Johnson, who has delivered the most consistent pressure on the passer, the Ravens haven't done much to scare the quarterback. They rank a middle-of-the-pack 13th in sacks per play in the NFL. Mattison has indicated he is disappointed. There are too many times when players are one-on-one and don't win the battle that it's neutralized the once feared rush. Beating the one-on-one is a must if you're not going to bring the house or overload the offense, a favorite ploy of Rex Ryan.

(4) How do the Ravens attack the Vikings receivers? Bernard Berrian is a major threat, but Sidney Rice is just as dangerous. Favre's leading receiver so far is the checkdown man, running back Chester Taylor, the former Raven. Which receiver gets safety treatment? Which defender gets safety help? Forget the complaints about penalties. As Harbaugh says, the Ravens haven't played well enough yet. They will be stretched to the max to defend the Vikings' versatile offense. If they don't all handle their assignments, they'll take a three-game losing streak into the bye week.

Posted by Ken Murray at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network is linking the Ravens to a possible trade for New England wide receiver Joey Galloway.

There is some history here because Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has made deals with Patriots coach Bill Belichick in the past. But the Ravens could just wait to see if the Patriots release Galloway, who has been a disappointment this season (seven catches for 67 yards and no touchdowns).

As of Friday, a team source said the Ravens didn't expect to make any trades before Tuesday's NFL deadline.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 9:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (28)
        

Left tackle Jared Gaither, who has not practiced the last two weeks because of a neck injury, is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against Minnesota.

Still, coach John Harbaugh refused to count him out of the Week 6 game.

Otherwise, the Ravens appear to be in good health for this game. Linebacker Jarret Johnson (shoulder), tight end Edgar Jones (hamstring), defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (back) and new wide receiver David Tyree (hamstring) are all listed as probable.

Doubtful for the Vikings is wide receiver Darius Reynaud (shoulder). Listed as questionable are wide receiver Percy Harvin (shoulder) and offensive tackle Phil Loadholt (ankle).

Posted by Ken Murray at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Friday that “there are possibilities” of a trade but he couldn’t gauge whether the team would make a move before Tuesday’s NFL deadline.

There has been speculation -- ESPN started the rumor but nothing confirmed by either team -- that the Ravens will send a second- and fifth-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, who seems to have had a falling out with new coach Todd Haley. A 2007 first-round pick, Bowe has caught at least 70 passes in his first two seasons and has scored 15 career touchdowns.

“It’s so hard to anticipate activity,” Harbaugh said when asked about the possibility of a trade. “We work on a lot of things. I know Ozzie [Newsome], Eric [DeCosta] and Vince [Newsome], and those guys turn over every stone to make our team better. I’m sure they are looking at a lot of things right now. There are possibilities, but it’s so hard to make a trade in the NFL. You don’t see it very often. It’s very rare. We just have to see what happens."

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (73)
        

The chance that Jared Gaither will return this week from a frightening neck injury grew more unlikely today. The 6-foot-9 left tackle was not on the practice field during the portion of practice the media is permitted to view. Michael Oher worked at left tackle and Marshal Yanda at right tackle.

Injury reports with the likelihood of playing in Minnesota are due out later today, but don't expect Gaither to suit up.

Posted by Ken Murray at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Ray Lewis plans to appeal his $25,000 fine from the NFL for hitting Cincinnati wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, according to ESPN.

A Ravens spokesman told The Sun that he has not heard whether Lewis will contest the discipline. The fine represents 42.5 percent of Lewis’ weekly salary (he makes $58,823 for each of the 17 weeks of the regular season).

The Ravens middle linebacker was penalized for unnecessary roughness in the fourth quarter last Sunday for a helmet-to-helmet collision on Ochocinco. The blow knocked Ochocinco to the ground and dislodged his helmet.

The Bengals used that 15-yard penalty -- one of three flags on the Ravens’ defense during that game-winning drive -- to deliver their come-from-behind, 17-14 victory over the Ravens.

Ochocinco appealed Monday -- via Twitter -- to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to avoid punishing Lewis, writing, "please don't fine Ray Lewis Mr. Roger Goodell, it was a clean hit, it's part of the game, save the fines for me."

The Ravens didn’t expect “any repercussions” on Lewis.

"Watching it on TV, I think it was in the strike zone [which is below the neck and above the knees]," coach John Harbaugh said. "But I'm sure that is something [the NFL] will take look at and we'll find and see. As far as the game, that's a tough call to make either way."

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

Offensive tackle Jared Gaither (neck) did not practice for the second straight day and is increasingly edging closer to missing his second consecutive game.

Linebacker Jarret Johnson (left shoulder) and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (back) – both of whom sat out Wednesday’s practice – were upgraded to limited participation. Tight end Edgar Jones (hamstring) was limited for the second straight day. Wide receiver David Tyree (hamstring) was added to the injury report, but he put in a full practice.

For the Vikings, rookie wide receiver/kick returner Percy Harvin (shoulder) was upgraded to limited participation after sitting out Wednesday. Joining him on a limited basis were four starters in guard Steve Hutchinson (back), rookie offensive tackle Phil Loadholt (ankle), fullback Naufahu Tahi (ankle) and defensive end Ray Edwards (hamstring).

Posted by Edward Lee at 4:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Baltimore Sun Ravens beat reporter Jamison Hensley answered questions about the team's upcoming matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, potential offensive adjustments after the two-game losing streak and other topics.

Click below to read the full transcript.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Offensive tackle Jared Gaither (neck) was the only no-show for today's portion of practice open to the media.

Linebacker Jarret Johnson (left shoulder) and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (back) -- both of whom sat out Wednesday's practice -- were dressed and participated today. Tight end Edgar Jones (hamstring), who was limited Wednesday, was also present and active.

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

With much consternation over the offensive play-calling swirling around the Ravens these days, one might think that offensive coordinator Cam Cameron would be an embattled figure with a continual grumpy look on his face as he walks through the hallways of the team's training facility in Owings Mills.

Quite the contrary, Cameron was in a chipper mood during his weekly media briefing this morning. In fact, he went so far as to assert that he enjoys the many comments from armchair quarterbacks about his play-calling.

"There are going to be game situations where if things don’t work out, you can always look back because we all know how it works," Cameron said. "Anything you didn’t do would have worked, but we all know that’s not true either. But that’s what makes this game so great. That’s why I love being a play-caller. I love being in the situation that I’m in because everybody wants to be a play-caller and everybody has the call that you need to have made, and I’m no different. I’m just fortunate to have been doing this since I was 15 years old, and I’ve experienced all these things after you get beat – what you didn’t do, you should’ve done. But we as coaches and players, we look at it as we’ve got to execute better. You’ve got to look and say, ‘Whatever the circumstances and the plays that were called, could we have executed at a higher level to help us win that game?’ The players here are saying, ‘Absolutely.’ And the coaches are sitting there saying, ‘We could’ve given them some better opportunities.’ And that’s why we’ll eventually pull out of this thing."

Cameron then paused before continuing. "Does that make sense to you guys?" he asked. "I love the fact that everybody’s that interested in what we’re doing. But we all know and we’ve got to remember that everything you didn’t do is not always the answer to solving whatever happened in the game. I think you guys all know that."

When another reporter then asked Cameron if he enjoyed the suggestions from fans, he replied, "I love it. I love it because if you live in my world or the NFL quarterback world, it’s 365 days a year. That’s what we get. If I go to Five Guys, I’m telling you, somebody is either telling me what a great call or why didn’t you make this call. I’m getting one of the two. And I go there usually every Friday afternoon or Saturday. And now they know I’m coming. So that’s what makes it great, the love and how everybody’s excited about it and football. I think the minute you can’t handle that criticism at this position, it’s time to move on. I love it personally."

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

After Sunday's 17-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, wide receiver Derrick Mason publicly questioned why he wasn't more involved in the offensive gameplan and how he finished with zero catches for only the second time in his five-year history with the Ravens.

On Wednesday, Mason blamed himself for his underwhelming performance. Not to be outdone, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron acknowledged that some of the criticism should be shifted his way, too.

"It falls squarely right here," Cameron said during his weekly media briefing this morning at the team's training facility in Owings Mills. "It's unacceptable for that to happen. It's my responsibility — period. And we'll do everything we can — and I guarantee that it's not going to happen again. I know Derrick; he doesn't really care as long as we win the game, and he's sincere about that. But I don't blame him. We've got to get that guy involved. He's one of our best players."

Posted by Edward Lee at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Considered one of their top deep threats before training camp, Demetrius Williams has dropped to being the No. 4 wide receiver on the team. He has yet to make a catch this season, and he has not gotten on the field in two games.

Asked about Williams' lack of involvement, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said, "Our receivers are playing well and they practice well. There’s not always opportunities to get the fourth guy in the game, especially when you have a Todd Heap, a Ray Rice, a Willis McGahee and a Le’Ron McClain. And Kelley Washington is playing lights out."

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Because the Ravens have had trouble getting pressure on quarterbacks and because there seems to be a new wave of talent at the position in the NFL, maybe the Ravens need to consider a change in philosophy both short term and long term. In the short term, maybe they ought to switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 and allow some of those young linebackers to get involved in the pass rush like Antwan Barnes, Jameel McClain and Paul Kruger. The move to a 3-4 might also free up Terrell Suggs on the outside as well, and give him more room to maneuver.

Long term, the Ravens might need to change their philosophy as far as drafting defensive linemen.

In the past, they have always wanted run stoppers first because they wanted everything
channeled to middle linebacker Ray Lewis. They always wanted big, burly players in the middle to keep opposing offensive linemen off Lewis. Maybe they should start drafting more like the Giants.

Their defensive linemen are long, lean and athletic. They can stop the run and rush the passer as well which is why the Giants get a lot of pressure from their front four, and don't have to blitz a lot.

The change of philosophy for the Ravens would be the same as they have on the offensive line. In the past, the Ravens wanted big, strong road graders. Now, they have better, stronger and more athletic offensive linemen.

Posted by Mike Preston at 8:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

Thursday's edition of The Sun included an article on the friendship between Ravens coach John Harbaugh and the Minnesota Vikings' Brad Childress, both of whom served on Andy Reid's inaugural staff with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999.

Only a few current Ravens players played for both Harbaugh and Childress. Center Matt Birk played for Childress between 2006 and 2008 before leaving Minnesota for the Ravens this season.

"I think it's a generic answer, but they both know football," Birk said. "They've both been around football their entire lives, but each has their own personality, their own philosophies and their own way they do things. There are some similarities there from both being with Philadelphia, some of the scheduling and things like that. For the most part, they're both their own men and they run their teams the way they want to."

Tight end L.J. Smith, who played between 2003 and 2005 under Childress when he was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia, said Harbaugh is more of a communicator than Childress was.

"He wasn’t as vocal," Smith said of Childress. "He may be now because he’s the head coach, but he wasn’t as vocal. He was a teacher though. He was good at telling you exactly what he wanted. I remember him being a hands-on guy."

Defensive tackle Kelly Gregg, who spent the 1999 season with the Eagles, got to know Childress, too.

"I remember that Childress was a good coach," Gregg said. "Under Andy Reid, like Harbs, they’re both good fundamental coaches. It’s going to be a tough game. They’re coming from Andy Reid and you know their system. They’re going to work hard, and they’re going to play well."

Posted by Edward Lee at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Three starters -- offensive tackle Jared Gaither (neck), linebacker Jarret Johnson (shoulder) and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (back) -- all missed practice. But Gaither is the only one who is considered questionable for Sunday's game at Minnesota.

Third-string tight end Edgar Jones (hamstring) was limited in practice.

In Minnesota, the only player who didn't practice is wide receiver-kickoff returner Percy Harvin (shoulder). There were five Vikings who were limited in practice: guard Steve Hutchinson (back), offensive tackle Phil Loadholt (ankle), wide receiver Darius Reynaud (hamstring), fullback Naufahu Tahi (ankle) and defensive end Ray Edwards (hamstring).

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 5:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The only current NFL city that the Ravens have yet to play a regular-season game in is Minneapolis. But that will change Sunday.

Even though the Ravens have never played a game that matters in the Metrodome, they realize that it will be loud.

"We feel like we need to attack crowd noise," coach John Harbaugh said. "That’s part of the game plan. Cam [Cameron, offensive coordinator] does a great job of emphasizing that and our guys do a great job of handling it. Not to say it won’t affect us negatively at some point because it will, and we’ll have to overcome it."

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 3:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

It's probably not coincidental that the Ravens signed David Tyree leading up to their game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Tyree should add some punch to the Ravens’ special teams, which has the challenge of trying to contain Percy Harvin. The Vikings rookie ranks second in the NFL in kickoff returns (31.2-yard average).

Coach John Harbaugh emphasized how Tyree’s style meshes into the way the Ravens play.

“We’re excited to have David Tyree on our team,” Harbaugh said. “He fits in as a football player. He’s obviously a heck of a wide receiver and he’s been in big games. He’s played for the Giants and we kind of like the way the Giants play. He’s a special teams guy. He’s a tough-hard nosed guy.”

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Using a different tone than the one on Sunday, Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason said he is now the one to blame for having no catches against the Cincinnati Bengals.

This was just the second time in Mason's five years with the Ravens that he was held without a catch. The only previous time Mason was shut out as a Raven came Oct. 15 against Carolina.

On Sunday, Mason had only one pass thrown in his direction.

"I got to run better routes," Mason said Wednesday. "I got to get open. I put that on me. That will never happen again."

After the game Sunday, Mason vented his frustations about not being involved, saying, "“Ask our offensive coordinator because I couldn’t tell you. I’m just running routes.”

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Ray Lewis said today he will "probably" be fined for the helmet-to-helmet hit he had Sunday on Chad Ochocinco, but that he never intended to hurt the Bengals receiver.

"Would I do it over? No," Lewis said. "I never played the game to hurt anybody. But the bottom line is ... when I'm locked in, I'm locked in. Whatever is there, is there. I hit my friends, too."

Lewis picked up a 15-yard personal foul penalty for the hit, as the Bengals moved down the field on the game-winning drive. He did not catch Ochocinco flush, but caught enough of his helmet to send it flying.

In his own inimitable way, Ochocinco recorded a video on Tuesday in which he delivered a long monologue about the hit. He showed off a blackened eye he said was caused by the facemask when his helmet flew off. He also said he was knocked out momentarily "and I saw the light.".

Ochocinco said earlier he didn't want the NFL to fine Lewis.

Posted by Ken Murray at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

As expected, coach John Harbaugh wasn’t expansive on his team’s injuries.

Asked about the status of offensive tackle Jared Gaither (neck) and backup tight end Edgar Jones (hamstring), Harbaugh said, “They’re looking better. They’re working hard to get healthy and working hard to get back on Sunday. But thanks for asking.”

Judging how Gaither looked Wednesday, he didn’t seem ready to play on Sunday. He couldn’t turn his head. To look to one side, he had to move his entire upper body.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Chad Ochocinco makes a video addressing how he "saw the light" when linebacker Ray Lewis hit him last Sunday. Look closely and you'll see he has a black eye from the hit.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 1:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Indianapolis Colts announced this morning that they have signed former Ravens kicker Matt Stover.

The team said that kicker Adam Vinatieri has undergone arthroscopic surgery to his right knee and is expected to miss four to eight weeks.

To make room for Stover, the Colts waived defensive tackle Ed Johnson this morning.

Depending on Vinatieri's rehabilitation, Stover could be kicking against the Ravens on Nov. 22 at M&T Bank Stadium.

Punter Pat McAfee handles kickoff duties for the Colts.

Posted by Ron Fritz at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

Since more and more teams are going to now bracket Derrick Mason like the Bengals did Sunday, wouldn't it be smart for the Ravens to move him around like other teams do with their No. 1 receiver? You line him up on the left, and then a couple of times on the right. You put him in the slot, or have him come off the line in motion to get a free release from the line of scrimmage. The Ravens should have had that as an option anyway instead of waiting for the Bengals to take Mason out of the game.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

The Ravens need to start giving rookie cornerback Lardarius Webb more playing time in the nickel and dime packages.

Vikings quarterback Brett Favre will test the Ravens' starting cornerbacks Sunday, and so will every other team until the Ravens can shut down a passing attack and Domonique Foxworth and Fabian Washington start making plays. Right now, Foxworth is hesitant and lacks confidence, which means he is slow finding the ball.

Webb has good size and speed, and doesn't mind being physical at the line of scrimmage.

Besides safety Ed Reed, at this time, he is the best playmaker among the bunch.

Posted by Mike Preston at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle was at the team's training facility in Owings Mills Monday, but he was also wearing a neck brace. Rolle is also still under doctor's orders not to drive, so it doesn't appear he will be on the field in week No. 7.

Because of a neck injury, Rolle was placed on the physically unable to perform list early in the season, which means he couldn't play in the first six games. It's unlikely that Rolle will play this season. He had another neck surgery about two weeks ago.

Posted by Mike Preston at 6:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Former Ravens wide-out/kick returner Yamon Figurs is already working on his third team this season. Figurs signed today with the Buccaneers, who released linebacker Matt McCoy.

Figurs, the first Raven to return both a punt and kickoff for touchdowns in the same season, was among the final cuts by the Ravens in early September. He joined the Lions, but was cut on Sept. 30.

He was a third-round pick -- and 74th overall -- by the Ravens in the 2007 draft.

Posted by Ken Murray at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Former Ravens kicker Matt Stover confirmed that he was in Indianapolis today for a workout with the Colts. Stover spent 13 seasons with the Ravens before becoming a free agent when his contract expired at the end of the 2008 season.

Stover worked out for the New York Giants last week, and acknowledged he turned down a chance to join the Cleveland Browns earlier this season when Phil Dawson was hurt.

"I'm seeking out my options," he said. "I think I can still kick pretty well."

Stover said he didn't feel the Cleveland situation was right for him or his family. "It's got to be the right fit," he said.

It's not certain whether Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri has an injury.

- Ken Murray

The above entry updated an earlier post on a report that Stover was trying out with the Colts.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

(This transcript of coach John Harbaugh's Monday press conference comes courtesy of Ravens' public relations staff)

Opening statement: “Good to see everybody. I just want to start off by congratulating the Bengals. It was a great win for them. They earned it. Obviously, a disappointing loss for us and our challenge is on to Minnesota. Obviously, they’re 5-0, they’re a very good team, very well-coached, talented everywhere, and that’s where our focus goes.”

What characterizes a Brad Childress-coached team and do you feel he gets enough credit for the success they’ve had? “I don’t know how much credit he does or doesn’t get, but I know Brad. I’ve known him for a long time. He’s a great coach. What characterizes a Brad Childress-coached team? It’s probably the fact that they are always going to be physical, they are always going to be sound. They play with a very mean streak. They’re a mean, nasty team. That’s the way they play both sides of the ball. And it’s obviously shown up in the results.”

After watching the film of yesterday’s game, do you feel you could have changed your approach offensively or was your offensive scheme dictated by what the Bengals’ defense was able to do? “I’m not even going there. To me, that question, answering that question, would have no value for us. We ran the ball, passed the ball as much as we thought we needed to. We called the defenses that we thought we needed to call [and] the special teams plays we thought we needed to call to win the game, and to look back at it from that perspective publicly has no value for our football team.”

Did anything you did in your offensive protection scheme have to do with the absence of T Jared Gaither: “No. We did the same stuff we would do whether he was in there or not.”

How do you think rookie T Michael Oher played yesterday? “I thought Michael Oher played well. [There are] a couple of plays he’d like to have back and play better. He’d be the first to tell you that. [There were] plenty of plays he played well.”

How does a coach put a 3-2 record in perspective in the long NFL season: “You just put it in perspective. We’re 3-2, and it’s a long season. The bottom line is this: We make a couple of plays we didn’t make, we’re 5-0. We don’t make a couple of plays in one other game, we’re 2-3. That’s the nature of the NFL. You have to win games as you go. If you want to be in the hunt, you’ve got to win games like this, and our guys know that. But no matter what happened in the last couple of weeks, we’re still the same team we would have been and everybody would be singing our praises. We’re no different. So, all the things that we’re trying to become as a football team, those things are intact. We’re just as good a team and in some areas we are not as good as we would be either way, and it’s our job to become the best team we can be in the next six days, really, because we’ve got a huge challenge in front of us.”

From your coaches’ perspective, has the very good Bengals defense gotten significantly better? “It doesn’t matter to us. That’s all for you guys to look at. How much better the Bengals are, what do we care? The Bengals were good enough to beat us on Sunday. And we weren’t good enough to find a way to score enough points to beat them. We’ll play them again in three weeks, and we’re going to have to find a way to overcome that, that difference, that we found Sunday. And they’re going to be getting better between now and the next time we play them. But in the meantime, we’ve got three or four really important games between us to make sure that we make that game important. And it’s going to be our responsibility to do that. So, that’s what we look at.”

Was it apparent to you on review of the game film that DB Chris Carr’s face mask was grabbed, as he claimed after the game? “You can probably see it on TV, all those kinds of plays that came up. We look at all that stuff, and there were plenty of things we saw without in all those situations. Does it matter right now? Does it matter whether Chris Carr was grabbed? It doesn’t matter.”

How do you get more out of the pass rush going forward? “We pass rush better. Everybody does a better job. We do a better job of coaching, we do a better job of teaching technique, we do a better job of attacking the weaknesses of a protection or an individual pass protection guy, we do a better job of getting to the runners on pressures. All the things that go into pass rush. Those are the things that you try to do to get better, and to me, that’s what’s relevant. As we go forward here, that’s what’s relevant to us becoming the kind of football team that we’re capable of being on a Sunday afternoon.”

WR Derrick Mason stated after the game that he was frustrated that he did not get as involved as he would like to have yesterday or over the past few games and he didn’t seem to know why. Is there a reason why he hasn’t been getting as many catches lately? “No, no. We’re just trying to win a football game. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Do you see the Bengals focusing on Mason a little bit and trying to take him out of the game? “I’m sure the Bengals focused on Derrick Mason. I’m sure the Vikings will be focusing on Derrick Mason, too. Derrick Mason’s a really good player. It’s important for us to get all of our guys involved. If one guy’s not involved, someone else has got to be involved. You try to attack them where they’re not defending. That’s the challenge that we have, and as coaches and players, we try to do that. Hey, let me tell you something: If you’re a really good player and you’re not frustrated, then I’d be wondering what’s going on. That’s what good players do; that’s how they feel after a loss. They want to do everything they can do to help their team win, and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. So, I kind of expect that from our guys.”

RB Willis McGahee is another player who contributed a lot the first few games but hasn’t seen as much action the last few weeks. Is there a reason why he has not played as much? “I think Ray [Rice] was playing well. The thing that was interesting about that whole situation, I was down on the sideline with Le’Ron [McClain] and Willis [McGahee], and Ray was playing well, and they were both into it – every play. And when Ray taps, when he gasses, we’re ready to go. But Ray is playing well. [Willis and Le’Ron] were supportive of Ray, but those guys want to play, too. We’ve got three guys. It’s hard to get them all in there at the same time. We could run the wishbone, I guess. They’re going to be in there and we’re going to use all those guys. If we’re not successful in one week, it’s always going to be [about] who didn’t play or who didn’t get the ball. And if we are successful, then it’s going to be [about] who didn’t play and who didn’t get the ball. It’s always going to be a conversation that we’re going to have, and it’s fair. But you’re going to see plenty of Willis McGahee and Le’Ron McLain and Derrick Mason and all of our guys as weeks go on.”

Did you decide to use Chris Carr for the return of the last kickoff because he had more experience after using rookie Lardarius Webb for kickoffs earlier in the game? “We have confidence in both those two guys. Obviously, Lardarius did well, which is good to see. He had a couple up in there really well. But that last one was a situation where we were kind of expecting the squib kick more than we were expecting a deep kick. I think there were about 21, 22 seconds left, and that’s often times a squib-kick situation. So we had those two guys positioned for the type of kick we expected, and then they kicked it the other way. The way they kick it to us [determines] who’s going to catch it, but they were both back there.”

During your time coaching in Philadelphia with Brad Childress, was there anything you learned from him or anything that you taught him? “Yes. The question is was there anything I was able to teach Brad in Philadelphia or was there anything he was able to teach me, right? Yeah, I taught him everything he knows. Just not everything I know. OK, so you’re mad at me now, you’re mad at me. (laughing) No, hey, I learned a lot from Brad. He’s a heck of a coach, and he’s got a nice beard. I want to have a beard like that. I’m not striving for the hair. He’s a fundamental football coach. He believes in good, sound fundamental football. You watch his team play, and for the last three years, four years that he has been there, that’s what he’s all about. We kind of come from the Big Ten, both of us, and I’d say we’ve shared a lot of the same kind of ideas about football over the years. I also can tell you on distance running – we used to go out and run at noon sometimes – he ran me into the ground on a regular basis.”

What is the difference in the mindset from when you were 3-0 two weeks ago and now are 3-2? What are the challenges and is it easier to coach at 3-0 or 3-2? “With our guys, I don’t think easy and hard is really a good definer of it. I think each of them have their challenges. If we were sitting here at 5-0, there’d be challenges getting their attention in some certain areas. Like we said, we’re the same team, basically, at 3-0, or 3-2 and 5-0. Essentially, we’ve got the same issues and we’ve got the same things we’re doing well. So, because we’re 3-0 doesn’t mean all those things aren’t good about us, but we’ve still got those things we’ve got to correct. Maybe they’re a little more magnified [or] we have more attention on them. But if we’re 5-0, we’ve got a two-game cushion. We get all that. We understand all that, and we can lament it one way or we can rejoice in the other way, but it really doesn’t matter. We have got to win enough football games to win our division and get in the playoffs – whatever those things are – by the end of the season. And that makes Sunday pretty darn important. Last Sunday was really important, too. We wanted to win that game. We didn’t get it done. So, whether we had won or lost, our approach would have been the same. All the things we need to get better at, we’re going to work really hard to get better at and try to come up with all the things we can to find a way to attack the upcoming opponent – which is very challenging because there are not a lot of holes in this team. But it wouldn’t have been any different, no matter what our record is. To me, that’s the realistic way you have to look at it. Any other way, it’s just distracting.”

How would you characterize what LB Jarret Johnson has brought to the defense? “Jarret Johnson? It’s great that you brought that up, because he’s played great. He’s been one of our most steady players. He plays hard. He’s always getting pressure on the quarterback. He’s tremendous against the run, whether he’s over a tight end or off the ball, and he’s really solid in pass coverage. He’s just a well-rounded player. I can throw some names out there. I think it’d probably be good to do that. You want to talk about guys who are playing well – Ed Reed. Obviously, he had the big play, [but] Ed Reed is playing as good at safety in the last couple of weeks as you can play in terms of leading defense in the back end, playing good, sound fundamental football. I’m just proud of the way he’s playing. I’m going to leave guys out, so I hate to start naming guys because guys get left out. Ray Lewis is controlling the middle of the defense as well as it can be controlled. I think our coverage, overall, even though we’ve had some plays against us, our coverage overall has been really good, it’s been really aggressive. There’s been a penalty here, they make a play there, all that stuff happens, but we’re not changing the way we’re playing. We’re very aggressive on the coverage part of it. From a coaches’ and players’ perspective, we’re good with that. We’re running to the ball, we’re playing physical up front. Are there things we want to do better? Sure. We want to cover better. We want to get better pressure on the quarterback. We want to stop the ball better. We want to do all that stuff better, and we work hard to do that. Flip over to the offensive side, I guess I can do the same thing, if you’d be interested. All those things are important.”

On the play that was reviewed for a WR Mark Clayton fumble, it appeared that the officials moved the ball back. Did you get an explanation as to why that was? “That’s something that, unfortunately, in the chaos of all the stuff, we didn’t see it. There were some people in the box who saw it but got it to us before we could do anything about it. We were excited to get our offense back out there and run the next play and stuff like that. The play, we started at the 21 [-yard line], the play went to the 25. That’s where the ruling was made. Then we got the ball back at the 20, OK? Then I think we had a penalty, and then they had a penalty. It would have ended up being third-and-five instead of being third-and-10. That will be something that we send in. I’m sure they’ll say they messed up on it, and it was unfortunate, I guess, in all the chaos that nobody caught it.”

Are you allowed to challenge the spot after the Bengals had just challenged the fumble? “Yeah, we could have challenged that. I’m not sure exactly whether it would have needed to be an official challenge or something we could have just pointed out for them to go take a look at to make sure they had it right. Usually, they have a record of that, and it’s up in the press box. If we had asked them to get that right, I’m sure we could have gotten that right in time, but we didn’t have any time.”

I’m not one to blame the officials, but the play on the punt coverage yesterday looked like the most blatant call of the last couple of weeks. Did you get an explanation that satisfied you on that? “The explanation was that he didn’t actually touch him. It’s inconclusive on tape, so that’s where we’re at with that.”

The past couple of years the league has really tried to crack down on the helmet-to-helmet hits. Have they talked to you about Ray Lewis’ hit on Chad Ochocinco? “The league has done a great job of making it really clear what’s legal and not legal for the unprotected player as far as in the discussions with us. There’s a strike zone, so to speak. It’s basically below the neck and above the knees. I don’t expect there to be any repercussions from that. Watching it on TV, I think it was in the strike zone, but I think that’s something that I’m sure they’ll take a look at, and we’ll find out and see. As far as the game and all that kind of stuff, that’s a tough call to make either way. That goes to the upper league office on that. We’ll see.”

Do you have any update on the availability of Gaither for practice this week or the game on Sunday? “We think he’s got a real good chance [to play]. We’ll see. He’s a lot better now than he was going into the game on Sunday. He’s been getting rehab pretty much 24-7, so we’ll be pushing hard to get him out there.”

Have you ever seen the call that was made on DE Trevor Pryce about lining up over the long snapper’s helmet? “Well, we know it’s a rule. Haven’t seen it called, no. And we’re very vigilant about the way we line up over the center.”

Has it been good for G/T Marshal Yanda to get in to a couple of games? “Yeah, that’s the thing. I think we have good depth in our offensive line, and Marshal’s obviously been a starter here for most of his career. We look at our offensive line right now like we have six starters. That proved out. Marshal played even better than he did the week before. In that sense, you build depth, and we’d like to build Tony Moll in there. He’s done a great job. He’s getting better every week, learning what we’re doing. He’s learned how to play different positions. Oniel Cousins continues to develop, David Hale continues to develop. We think we’ve got some really good depth on the offensive line. You can’t have enough in there, that’s for sure.”

What is DE Dwan Edwards’ story? Is he starting to meet his potential? “Dwan Edwards has played really well. There are some plays, again, that he can play better, but he’s playing very well – really good against the run, gets pretty good pressure against the pass. We’ll probably need to get him out there more in some of those situations, so we’re happy with how he’s coming along.”

You went with rookie Lardarius Webb for kickoffs for most of the game. The last one you had Chris Carr return it. What was the decision there? “Well, it had to do with the squib. We’ve had that question already, but I’ll be happy to answer it again. (laughing) You were thinking about your next question. The bottom line was we had them both back there, and we kind of expected a squib there. We had them positioned a certain way, and they kicked it deep to Chris.”

Do you have any updates on CB Samari Rolle? It’s getting close to the time when he can re-join the team. “I saw him in the building today, and that will be a report from the doctors we’re looking forward to [getting]. We’ll see how he’s doing.”

How much does Minnesota DE Jared Allen impress you? “He’s a pretty good player. Without having a scouting report on all their players yet – we’re just starting to dig into those guys – I’ve seen him on TV, I’ve read the report on him so far that our pro personnel department had. He’s one of the all-time pass rushers in the league, plays with a huge motor, loves the game. Their defense is just tremendous, and their defensive coordinator is one of the best in the league, Leslie Frazier. I think their defense has been leading the league in run defense the last three years running. We’ve got our work cut out for us. This is a really impressive group, well-coached group.”

You’re getting ready to face RB Adrian Peterson. How much do you think your group will be up for facing him? “I think they’ll be up for every aspect of the game. Adrian Peterson is a great player. He can hit a home run from anywhere on the field. It’s going to take great team defense to control Adrian Peterson. Are you going to shut a guy like that down? We’re going to sure try. We’ll see. It’s going to take great team defense to control a player like that. And it’s not just him. Their offensive line is really physical. They’re very technique-sound, and they get after you pretty good. We’ve got our hands full. Pretty good quarterback, too.”

When you say “great team defense,” what exactly do you mean? “I think we all have to run to the ball. You can’t assume that Adrian Peterson’s tackled. You can’t assume that someone, because they’ve wrapped him up, he’s down. You have to get multiple helmets on him and wrap him up at all times. That’s the challenge, too, because they’ve got receivers, and they’ve got a really good quarterback. We’re going to have to play our best defense to control this offense.”

Did the Bengals’ long snapper situation make you appreciate what you’ve got here with Matt Katula? “Well we appreciate Matt Katula. He’s done well. Yeah, we’re happy to have Matt Katula as our long snapper.”

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Ravens running back Ray Rice watched the play where he was called for a chop block, but he is still doesn't understand why he was flagged. The penalty came one play before he broke a 48-yard touchdown catch-and-run.

"I definitely would appeal it," Rice said. "I was releasing for a pass on that [play]. It was a protection where everyone on the line was in ‘cut protection,’ so at the same time, he embraced me, hit me over the head and went down. That’s a judgmental call.

"Obviously, nobody wants to get chop-blocked. It wasn’t intended to be a chop block. I’m sure whatever fine will be assessed, it will definitely be handled in a correct matter.”

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 6:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Offensive tackle Jared Gaither is making progress from the neck injury that sidelined him for Sunday’s 17-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Gaither, who was deactivated Sunday in favor of starting rookie Michael Oher at Gaither's left tackle position, is likely to be a question mark this week as the Ravens prepare for the Minnesota Vikings.

"We think he’s got a real good chance. We’ll see," coach John Harbaugh said. "He’s a lot better now than he was going into the game on Sunday."

Harbaugh also said there was no update regarding the status of cornerback Samari Rolle, who is close to coming off the physically-unable-to-perform list after undergoing surgery to repair a bulging disc in his neck in the offseason.

"I saw him in the building today, and that will be a report from the doctors that we will look forward to get," Harbaugh said. "So we’ll see how he’s doing."

Posted by Edward Lee at 4:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

The Ravens don’t expect “any repercussions” on Ray Lewis’ helmet-to-helmet hit on Cincinnati receiver Chad Ochocinco.

“Watching it on TV, I think it was in the strike zone [which is below the neck and above the knees],” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “But I’m sure that is something [the NFL] will take look at and we’ll find and see. As far as the game, that’s a tough call to make either way.”

The NFL has used harsh discipline before on a helmet-to-helmet collision. Last September, New York Jets safety Eric Smith was suspended one game and fined $50,000 for hitting Anquan Boldin, causing the Arizona Cardinals wide receiver to be hospitalized. In handing out the discipline, the NFL announced it was a “flagrant violation of player safety rules.”

When the league suspended Smith, it was announced the day after the hit.

This would mark the second straight week that a Ravens player received a fine. Last week, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was fined $5,000 when his arm hit the side of Tom Brady’s helmet. The league announced that Ngata “struck the quarterback in the head area.”

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 4:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

In case you missed it, the NFL Network is planning to repeat Sunday's game between the Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. The game will re-air on Tuesday at 8 p.m.

Posted by Edward Lee at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Where are the Cleveland Browns when you need them?

In their next two games, the Ravens play at Minnesota against perhaps the best player in the game today, Adrian Peterson, and then after a bye week, they are home against the unbeaten Broncos.

Former Colts coach Tony Dungy had a couple good lines during Sunday's "Football Night in America" broadcast.

Asked how surprised he was that the Bengals are 4-1, Dungy said: "Not as surprised as Pittsburgh and Baltimore."

Dan Patrick also asked Dungy about the Broncos.

Patrick: "You said earlier in the week that you were renting the Denver Broncos. You buying?"

Dungy: "I am buying now. I wanted to see them against a great quarterback and a great offense. And they shut them down."

Posted by Ken Murray at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

The best thing to come out of the Ravens' loss to the Bengals, if there is one, is that Kyle Boller now plays for the Rams.

Posted by Mike Preston at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

It looks like the Ravens miss inside linebacker Bart Scott more than some originally thought.

Scott was a complete linebacker who could stop the run and blitz the quarterback. Since he left after last season, the Ravens have tried four different linebackers at his position, but have replaced Scott. Some are run stoppers and some are pass rushers. Some have great speed, but Scott had all those abilities and could cover tight ends and running backs downfield.

Now, we know why former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan paid him all of that money early in free agency.

-- Mike Preston

Posted by Ron Fritz at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (33)
        

Baltimore Sun reporter Ken Murray discussed the Ravens' 17-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and more in a live chat. Read the full transcript below.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Looks like we can close out the balloting for Father of the Year.

Seen going into yesterday's Ravens-Bengals game at M&T Bank Stadium: a dad, about 35 years old, holding the hand of his cute little boy, who looked to be about 5 or 6.

The dad wore a purple Ravens jersey. Across the top of the jersey was the message: "Hey, Pittsburgh!" And below that was a cartoon raven -- a bird, not a player -- giving the finger.

Nice job, dad. Way to set a good example for the kid and keep sports in perspective.

-- Kevin Cowherd

Posted by Ron Fritz at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

This is today's Baltimore Sun Sports cover. Comment below to submit your own headline ideas for the Ravens' 17-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5.

Click here for a photo gallery of 2008 Ravens Gameday covers.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 8:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (37)
        

Ravens beat reporter Jamison Hensley will answer readers’ questions in Friday’s Ravens Weekend section. To submit a question send it to sports@baltsun.com, using Hey Jamison in the subject field. Please include your name, where you live and a phone number so we can verify your question.

Posted by Ron Fritz at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

1. Ed Reed should have his own comic book with some of the ridiculous plays he makes. Technically, this isn't something we learned today, just something we were reminded of. Reed's interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter was as good of a guess as you'll ever see a safety make against a good NFL quarterback. Prior to the snap, Reed was lined up on the opposite hash from Fabian Washington and Chad Ochocinco, and he knew the Ravens were coming at Carson Palmer with pressure from the left. If you look at the tape, you'll see almost no one rushing from Palmer's blindside. Ochocinco thought it was a hot read, and so did Palmer, and Reed saw the whole thing unfold like the field was a chessboard, and he was a grandmaster.

"Ed just made a great play," Palmer said. "With the coverage they were playing, he wasn't where he was supposed to be. He's a great defensive player, and he read the route and reacted."

"Certain quarterbacks have certain tendencies," Reed said. "It was a great jam by Fabian and me breaking on the ball. I watch film constantly, man. We've been playing against each other the last couple years, and I know him just as much as he knows me. It's just competitors going against each other and somebody making a play."

As good as Reed's been throughout his career, I still feel like he's somehow underrated because he's spent his entire tenure playing with Ray Lewis. Whenever people wax on and on about Lewis' leadership, I always feel like it deserves an asterisk because as important as he's been to the franchise, Reed has been the better player the last few years. Between the interception return and punching the ball out of Ochocinco's hands deep in Ravens territory, Reed kept the Ravens in this game. He also deserves credit for something that rarely gets talked about. After Ravens losses in recent years, Lewis has made a habit of ducking out of the locker room without speaking to reporters. He did it Sunday, quickly dressing and disappearing without saying anything. That's his prerogative, and if he feels he's too emotional and he doesn't want to say something that might get him fined, it's probably a smart decision. But Reed didn't want to talk either, and he still did, clearly understanding it was his job to explain to the fans what went wrong on the penalties. That's leadership, too.

"You can't put it anybody's hands," Reed said. "The players come out there to play and win the game, and you've got to win the game on your terms. You can't have close calls. You can't put them in a position where it's a 50/50 call for the referees, because you don't know which way it's going to go. It's not about them, it's about us playing football."

2. Ray Rice can be an feature back like he was in college, and if you thought he was a third-down back because of his height, you don't really understand football. Size does matter for running backs, but what most people don't realize is that Rice has the legs and torso of a much bigger man. He's like a bowling ball. Could he handle 30 carries a game? That's debatable, but the reality is most NFL running backs don't get 30 carries a game anyway. I'm convinced he'd hold up better than Willis McGahee over 30 touches. Rice Had 14 carries for 69 yards and eight catches for 74 yards against the Bengals, and made one of the best plays a Ravens running back has made the last few seasons on his 48-yard touchdown catch, putting a hand down, keeping his balance, and staying on his feet when it looked like the Bengals had him wrapped up. Keep in mind that Priest Holmes was only 5-foot-9, and Marshall Faulk was only 5-foot-10. Rice probably won't ever reach their level, but he can be a running back of a similar mold: A pass-catching threat who can run between the tackles and make people miss in space.

"Right now, I'm trying to be an all-purpose back," Rice said. "I don't want guys taking me for granted out there just saying he's a receiver. [I want to] prove we can run between the tackles. My yards are going to come all-purpose. That's what I know."

3. Domonique Foxworth and Fabian Washington need some help. They haven't been that great so far this season, but it's not entirely their fault. The pass rush has been so-so at best, and neither corner is big enough nor aggressive enough to keep bigger receivers from taking advantage of them when the quarterback has five and six seconds to throw. On the 73-yard completion to Chris Henry, Foxworth was actually in decent position, but Palmer bought enough time and then made a perfect throw on the run that dropped right into Henry's arms. It's no wonder Foxworth looked like he slowed up on the play right after Henry caught the ball. It was eight or nine seconds after the snap. The pass defense will likely get better, but only when the team puts more pressure on the quarterback. Rex Ryan did that the last few years by blitzing from about 1,000 different angles. Greg Mattison is still figuring out how much he likes to blitz (not as much as Rex) and where to send guys from (usually up the middle). That strategy can certainly work, but it didn't yesterday. Baltimore had just three quarterback hurries and one sack. Trevor Pryce really didn't get near Palmer all day, and neither did Suggs. Jarret Johnson seems like the Ravens' best pass rusher right now, which is a credit to him, but not a good sign for the vaunted Ravens defense. People are going to focus on the fact that Cedric Benson broke the Ravens' 39-game streak of holding running backs to under 100 yards, but the run defense will be fine.

4. Cincinnati is for real. I grew up a Bears fan, so I've always followed the franchise over the years, and I'm not kidding when I say I'm convinced someone switched bodies with Benson. He looks nothing like he did in Chicago, where his favorite play was to run into the back of an offensive lineman and then fall down for a 2-yard gain. The Bengals dug him off the trash heap, and somehow rejuvenated him, and I'm still not sure how they did it. Right now, the best theory I can come up with is they hired a priest to exorcise the ghost of Rashaan Salaam from his body. But Benson's revival has completely changed the face of this team. They can run the ball consistently even against some of the best defenses in the league, which gives Palmer the chance to be a real quarterback instead of someone who has spent the last few years running for his life. Winning and losing are both infectious, which is why it's so hard to turn around a loser. But if you can kick-start the process by lucking your way into a player like Benson, suddenly other things start to come together. Palmer really does believe he can win games in the clutch, and this team is going to be tough all year. Chad Johnson is sort of like the Lady Gaga of NFL wide receivers. His gimmick is so over-the-top all the time that you forget there is actually real talent there. With young players like Antwan Odom and Ray Maualuga, Marvin Lewis might finally be figuring out how to win in the NFL's Bermuda Triangle. The wife of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer unexpectedly died this week, and the team channeled the emotion from that tragic loss into its play. That wouldn't have happened in recent years. Pittsburgh and Baltimore better get their act together, or one of them will be on the outside looking in come playoff time thanks to the Bengals.

5. As good as Joe Flacco can look at times, he's not there yet, just because he isn't Kyle Boller. Any Ravens fan who watched highlights of the Rams game Sunday probably couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry when they saw Boller drop the ball in mid-windup, leading to a Vikings touchdown, just because it probably felt so familiar. Even when Flacco doesn't play well, you get the impression he can still untie his own shoes after the game without falling down. But there are still going to be growing pains, and that's easy to forget because aesthetically he's been such an upgrade over Boller and the final years of Steve McNair's career. I'm certainly guilty of it. If you asked me earlier this year whether I'd rather have Flacco or Eli Manning for the next 10 years, I'd probably have taken Flacco. But the last two weeks have been a reminder that it's easy to get carried away when we've lived through a decade of bad quarterback play in Baltimore. He missed on two big plays Sunday that could have changed the game: the first quarter interception near the goal line when he was trying hit hit Todd Heap, and the overthrow late in the fourth quarter when Mark Clayton was behind the Bengals' defense.

Cam Cameron clearly feels like Flacco throwing the ball gives the Ravens their best chance to win, which is fine, even though it's a clear departure from the strategy of a year ago. You have to throw the ball to win these days in the NFL. Flacco made a great read and throw late in the game to Kelly Washington on 3rd-and-12, and it looked like that might wrap up the game. But Cincinnati stacked the line, stopped Rice twice, and with the Bengals daring the Ravens' quarterback to beat them deep for the first time all game, he got a little anxious and overthrew Clayton.

"I let the ball go, and I didn't think I missed him," Flacco said. "But the ball kept going."

That's OK. Those throws will come. But Flacco clearly isn't quite Tom Brady just yet, as much as Baltimore might want him to be. Arguably, he's not even Carson Palmer just yet. Going on the road next week will be a great test to see if he can take the next step.

-- Kevin Van Valkenburg

Posted by Ron Fritz at 6:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (51)
        

Here's what our reporters thought of Sunday's game at M&T Bank Stadium

Ken Murray: Defensive penalties turned the game; none bigger than the personal foul on Ray Lewis when he knocked Chad Ochocinco's helmet off.

Mike Preston: Ravens show little interest, and can't steal one at home.

Kevin Cowherd: Bengals are for real. Ravens mistakes doomed them all day.

Peter Schmuck: Give the Bengals some credit. The Ravens opened the door, and they walked right into a big divisional victory.

Edward Lee: If the Ravens can't beat the Bengals, how can they expect to beat the Steelers?

Kevin Van Valkenburg: Fans are, once again, going to blame the referees, feeding into this idea that there is a vast conspiracy to cheat the Ravens. But that's a little silly. The pass interference call late in the game on Frank Walker looked totally bogus, but the offense's inability to score, or even run time off the clock with a four-point lead, is the reason the Ravens lost this game. For most of the day, it felt like a throwback to the Brian Billick and Matt Cavanaugh Era. If Ray Rice doesn't make a remarkable play late in the fourth quarter, the offense would have essentially produced zero points. Defensively, the pass coverage wasn't good, and Domonique Foxworth had a particularly rough first half, but a big part of the problem is pressure on the quarterback. The Ravens haven't been getting any, and it hurt them today. Ed Reed is still the greatest ballhawking safety in the history of the league, but the defense isn't as good as it's been the last few years. Penalties or no, that's impossible to deny at this point.

Posted by Ron Fritz at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (62)
        

Ed Reed did it again.

Early in the second quarter, the Ravens safety read a Carson Palmer pass perfectly, breaking early on the ball for an interception -- his second of the season -- which he returned 52 yards untouched for a touchdown.

Click here for a photo gallery of past Reed picks.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Third-year offensive lineman Marshal Yanda filled in capably at right tackle last week when Jared Gaither went out with a neck injury and Michael Oher moved from right tackle to the left side. It was hardly a surprise. Yanda made 12 starts at right tackle as a rookie for the Ravens in 2007, and then started five games at right guard last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

In fact, Yanda might be better suited to play tackle now. After his knee injury sent him to the sidelines last year, he worked to gain strength in his upper body and added about 15 pounds to his stocky frame. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron thought Yanda was too light to play tackle last season, but believes he is stout enough now with the extra weight and strength.

"I feel more and more comfortable every day that I practice at tackle," Yanda said.

Sunday's game in New England was Yanda's first full game since the Ravens' fourth game of 2008. Although coach John Harbaugh praised Yanda's effort, the tackle was hard on himself.

"I wish I could have done some things better," he said. "There were a couple crucial plays that I wanted back real bad. ... There were a couple plays that shouldn't happen to me, and I feel very responsible. If I get another chance, I want to rectify that and work hard."

Yanda almost certainly will get another start at right tackle on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Gaither did not practice all week, and will likely be held out at least this game if not more.

Posted by Ken Murray at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Offensive tackle Jared Gaither is the only Ravens player listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Gaither, who has missed practice this week with a neck injury, has already been labeled as a game-time decision by coach John Harbaugh.

Linebacker Jarret Johnson (left shoulder) and cornerback Chris Carr (groin) were upgraded to full practice Friday and are probable. Joining them as probable are wide receivers Derrick Mason (neck) and Demetrius Williams (illness), free safety Ed Reed (knee), defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (back), and linebacker Tavares Gooden (shoulder).

Mason and Williams were limited in practice.

A pair of Bengals defensive starters in linebacker Rey Maualuga (knee) and defensive tackle Domata Peko (chest) were upgraded to full practice from limited participation and are probable for Sunday.

Running back Cedric Benson (hip) and strong safety Roy Williams (fractured forearm) are probable. Defensive tackle Tank Johnson (plantar fasciitis in foot) is questionable.

Posted by Edward Lee at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Got off the phone with linebacker and special-teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo, who underwent surgery Wednesday to repair the torn tendon in his left quadriceps. Ayanbadejo, who flew down to Birmingham, Ala., to have the operation done under the auspices of renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews, said the procedure was a success.

"It went really well," Ayanbadejo said. "It wasn't as bad as what the MRI showed. … They re-attached it to the kneecap. It wasn’t completely torn. In some cases, it’s completely torn. Mine was kind of torn in the middle, but still connected on both ends."

Ayanbadejo is still in Birmingham, taking part in some punishing but necessary rehab. Ayanbadejo was uncertain about the timetable for the healing process.

"I still don’t know what the recovery is. For example, today in treatment, all I did was work on range of motion and move my leg from straight to barely bending it because every time you bend it, that’s the quad pulling on the kneecap," he said. "So that was basically the extent of my treatment today. It’s just really slow. You’ve got to let the sutures heal, you’ve got to let the muscle and everything heal before you can really start working it. Everything’s going to be slow from four to eight weeks, and I’ll be in a brace and be on crutches. I’ll be back to Baltimore, but I won’t be there for an extended period of time until around Week 13."

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Offensive tackle Jared Gaither will be a game-time decision, according to coach John Harbaugh.

Gaither, who has missed practice this week with a neck injury, wasn't in the locker room when it was open Friday for reporters.

Asked if he expected to play it safe and sit Gaither on Sunday, Harbaugh said, "I don’t expect anything right now. No expectations. We’ll see how it goes on Sunday."

On Thursday, Gaither and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron expressed optimism that the starting left tackle would be ready to play against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)