Courtesy of Bovada, (www.Bovada.lv,Twitter: @BovadaLV).

Please see below the opening spreads and results for the season opener for the defending champs since 2005. The one obvious difference is the Ravens are on the road.

Year     Defending SB Champ   Opponent/Result                                 Spread                                    

2005:    New England Patriots    (vs. Oakland Raiders: 30-20 Win)            New England 7.5 Point Favorites

2006:    Pittsburgh Steelers        (vs. Miami Dolphins: 28-17 Win)             Pittsburgh 1 Point Favorites

2007:    Indianapolis Colts          (vs. New Orleans Saints: 41-10 Win)       Indianapolis 5.5 Points Favorites

2008:    New York Giants           (vs. Washington Redskins: 16-7 Win)      New York 4.5 Point Favorites

2009:    Pittsburgh Steelers        (vs. Tennessee Titans: 13-10 Win)           Pittsburgh 6.5 Point Favorites

2010:    New Orleans Saints       (vs. Minnesota Vikings: 14-9 Win)           New Orleans 4.5 Point Favorites

2011:    Green Bay Packers        (vs. New Orleans Saints: 42-34 Win)       Green Bay 4.5 Point Favorites

2012:    New York Giants           (vs. Dallas Cowboys:  24-17 loss)          New York 3.5 Point Favorites

Notes:

•           Until this last year, the defending Super Bowl Champions were favored in the last eight season openers

•           They won all of them except 2012

•           The average spread was the Super Bowl Champ -4.7 points

•           The defending champs record Against-The-Spread was 6-2

2013 NFL WEEK 1 – Season Opener

Baltimore Ravens           +7.5

Denver Broncos              -7.5

Beginning with the NFL’s season-opening game taking place in Denver on Sept. 5, the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens will be featured in four nationally-televised prime-time games during the 2013 regular season.

For the second time in three years, Baltimore will host a night game on Thanksgiving as the Pittsburgh Steelers come to town for a prime-time meeting. The Ravens will also travel to Detroit on Dec. 16 to take on the Lions in their only Monday night appearance of the season.

In a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots will visit Baltimore for NBC’s Sunday Night Football in Week 16. It’s the second straight year the teams have met on a Sunday night.

Based on last season’s records (137-119, .535), the Ravens will deal with the NFL’s fifth-toughest schedule in 2013. They’ll play seven games – including three of their final four – against 2012 playoff teams as they attempt to advance to the postseason for a league-best sixth consecutive season.

In addition to their home opener against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 when they’re expected to unveil their Super Bowl XLVII championship banner, a highlight of the home schedule takes place the following week when former Ravens safety Ed Reed and the Houston Texans visit on Sept. 22. This year will mark the fourth straight season in which the teams have met, which doesn’t include the Ravens’ divisional-round victory over Houston two seasons ago.

Baltimore will play three straight home games in Weeks 12 through 14 before finishing off the regular-season schedule with two of three games on the road.

2013 SCHEDULE

Thursday, Sept. 5 at Denver Broncos - 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
Skinny: Baltimore is upset that it’s not hosting the league’s season-opening game as the Super Bowl champion, but NBC is licking its chops to feature Peyton Manning and a rematch of last year’s divisional-round thriller.

Sunday, Sept. 15 vs. Cleveland Browns – 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Skinny: The Browns haven’t beaten Baltimore during the John Harbaugh era and the Ravens will unveil their Super Bowl banner on this date, so it’s tough to like Cleveland’s chances in this one.

Sunday, Sept. 22 vs. Houston Texans – 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Skinny: It will be surreal to see future Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed wearing a different jersey in Baltimore, and the reaction he receives will be even more intriguing.

Sunday, Sept. 29 at Buffalo Bills – 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Skinny: Buffalo hopes new head coach Doug Marrone pumps new life into the organization, but the Ravens are just happy to avoid a late-season trip to western New York.

Sunday, Oct. 6 at Miami Dolphins – 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Skinny: Despite having much more success than the Dolphins since the Ravens came to be in 1996, Miami holds a 3-5 record in the regular season, but Baltimore has the 2-0 edge in postseason meetings.

Sunday, Oct. 13 vs. Green Bay Packers – 1:00 p.m. (FOX)
Skinny: Aaron Rodgers will visit Baltimore for the first time as the Packers starting quarterback after serving as Brett Favre’s backup in the 48-3 drubbing the Ravens handed Green Bay in their only meeting in Baltimore back in 2005.

Sunday, Oct. 20 at Pittsburgh Steelers – 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Skinny: Baltimore owns a three-game winning streak in the regular season at Heinz Field as the best rivalry in the NFL is renewed in late October.

Sunday, Oct. 27 BYE WEEK

Sunday, Nov. 3 at Cleveland Browns – 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Skinny: The Ravens travel to Cleveland immediately following their bye week for the second straight year, which doesn’t bode well for the Browns considering Baltimore is 5-0 coming off the bye week in the Harbaugh era.

Sunday, Nov. 10 vs. Cincinnati Bengals – 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Skinny: The Bengals snapped a four-game losing streak against Baltimore in last year’s regular-season finale, a game the Ravens treated like a preseason contest as they rested numerous starters.

*Sunday, Nov. 17 at Chicago Bears – 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Skinny: A Ravens defense without Ray Lewis and a Chicago defense lacking Brian Urlacher in the middle just seems strange as these teams meet for the fifth time ever, with the series tied 2-2.

*Sunday, Nov. 24 vs. New York Jets – 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Skinny: With the mess that’s existed in New York over the last two years, you wonder if Rex Ryan will even make it this deep into the 2013 season.

Thursday, Nov. 28 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
Skinny: Neither team will be thrilled to play such a physical game on a a short week, but the Steelers will do it after a Sunday game in Cleveland, making their task as a Thursday night road team even more daunting.

*Sunday, Dec. 8 vs. Minnesota Vikings – 1:00 p.m. (FOX)
Skinny: The Ravens have spent plenty of time revamping their front seven and Adrian Peterson will provide as good of a test as any to see how the run defense stacks up.

Monday, Dec. 16 at Detroit Lions – 8:40 p.m. (ESPN)
Skinny: The last time the Ravens visited Detroit was in 2005 when they committed a franchise-worst 21 penalties and Terrell Suggs was ejected in the process.

*Sunday, Dec. 22 vs. New England Patriots – 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
Skinny: Plenty of time will have passed by the time these rivals meet in Week 16, but New England will have a difficult time forgetting the psychological and physical beating the Ravens handed them in the second half of January’s AFC Championship.

*Sunday, Dec. 29 at Cincinnati Bengals – 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Skinny: Given the projected shape of the 2013 AFC North, this season finale could very well have the division crown hanging in the balance.

*** Games marked with an asterisk are subject to the league’s flexible scheduling over the final seven weeks of the regular season.

What had largely been speculated since it became known the Ravens would open the 2013 season on the road became official on Thursday.

According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the Super Bowl XLVII champions will travel to Denver to take on the Broncos in a divisional round rematch on Thursday, Sept. 5. A scheduling conflict with the Orioles prevented the Ravens from hosting the season-opening game as has become the custom for the league champion over the last decade, but Baltimore will still take part in NBC’s nationally-televised game.

Denver will be looking for revenge after the Ravens knocked off the No. 1 seed Broncos in a 38-35 double-overtime thriller on Jan. 12. Quarterback Joe Flacco connected on a 70-yard touchdown to Jacoby Jones with 31 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime and rookie kicker Justin Tucker booted a 47-yard field goal early in the second overtime to send the Ravens to their second straight AFC Championship appearance, where they defeated New England to advance to the Super Bowl.

The Broncos had been the opponent most expected the Ravens to face in the season-opening game with future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and last year’s playoff thriller as drawing points to make the game compelling for NBC.

The rest of the 2013 schedule will be revealed at 8 p.m. on Thursday night as part of a televised special on the NFL Network.

Two of my absolute favorite people on the face of the planet are WNST.net’s own Luke Jones and Yahoo! Sports’ Jason Cole.

I really mean that. They’re not just two of my favorites in the business, they’re two of my favorites in the world. I love to talk shop with those guys, I love to chat about the world in general with them and I love getting the chance to spend time with them socially.

(This type of statement always leads to a “BUT….”, right? Not exactly this time.)

Both Jason and Luke joined me on “The Reality Check” during the first week of NFL free agency and separately brought up the same word, a specific word that has been repeated to me by a number of callers and e-mailers over the course of the last couple of weeks.

The word is “regression.” If you were playing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the moderator would tell you the word was of latin origin and could be defined as “a trend or shift toward a lower or less perfect state.” Perhaps the word could be used in a sentence along the lines of “After losing the players the Baltimore Ravens have lost thus far, we can expect regression from the team in 2013.”

That was essentially how both guys (and others) used the word over the last few weeks.

(You’re now CERTAIN there’s going to be a “BUT…” coming, aren’t you?)

I had to start every discussion about the term that I’ve had both on-air and off since the offseason began by accepting that Luke, Jason and everyone else who has suggested the Ravens are going to “regress” in 2013 are…well…probably right. I’m sorry. It had to be said.

They’re right because the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2012 and it will be very difficult for them to win the Super Bowl again in 2013. Any scenario that doesn’t involve the Ravens hoisting a third Vince Lombardi Trophy would technically mean they had “regressed” from where they were last season.

(Okay, now it’s time.)

BUT…I was never REALLY willing to accept the notion of “regression” for the Ravens at any point. Sunday’s signing of former Denver Broncos pass rusher Elvis Dumervil re-inforces that belief, but it absolutely did not establish it. I just hope the addition of Dumervil will force others to similarly push aside the notion of “regression” in 2013.

(Continued on Page 2…)

An offseason of departures and disappointment brightened considerably on Sunday as top pass rusher Elvis Dumervil agreed to terms to join the Ravens.

As first reported by The Denver Post, the 29-year-old defensive end has agreed to a five-year contract with Baltimore after contemplating offers from both the Ravens and Broncos. Dumervil will take his physical on Tuesday before the deal can be finalized.

The deal will pay out a maximum of $35 million and $8.5 million in the first year of the deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. More importantly for this season’s salary cap, Dumervil will only carry a cap number of $2.5 million, per Peter King of Sports Illustrated. Dumervil is receiving a $7.5 million signing bonus, a $1 million base salary for the 2013 season, and $12 million in guaranteed money.

Dumervil had 11 sacks, six forced fumbles, and 54 tackles to help Denver finish with the best regular-season record in the AFC last season. His addition softens the blow of outside linebacker Paul Kruger leaving the Ravens to sign a five-year, $41 million contract with the Cleveland Browns on the first day of free agency.

The three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher will move to outside linebacker in the Ravens’ 3-4 system, which shouldn’t be a problem considering he held a similar role when Denver ran a 3-4 under former head coach Josh McDaniels. Dumervil had ties with the Ravens through inside linebackers coach Don “Wink” Martindale, who served as Broncos defensive coordinator in 2010.

Dumervil’s best season occurred in 2009 when he collected a career-high 17 sacks while playing outside linebacker. Entering his eighth season this fall, the 2006 fourth-round pick has accumulated 63 1/2 sacks in his career.

The Ravens can thank a fax machine snafu that forced the Broncos to release Dumervil after the sides had agreed to a restructured contract on March 14. As a result, Dumervil fired agent Marty Magid and hired Tom Condon of CAA to represent him. Earlier reports had indicated the Ravens’ offer didn’t contain as much money early in the contract as the one offered by Denver, but Dumervil was also having a difficult time dealing with the reality of the Broncos releasing him after seven years with them.

General manager Ozzie Newsome still has plenty of work to do to replace six key defensive players who have departed from their Super Bowl XLVII team, but the pass-rushing duo of Dumervil and Terrell Suggs is sure to strike fear in the hearts of opposing quarterbacks. Second-year linebacker Courtney Upshaw will likely spell the pass-rushing duo in run situations in order to keep both veterans fresher over the course of a 16-game season.

With Suggs and Dumervil lining up on opposite edges, defensive coordinator Dean Pees now has a pair of players who’ve combined for 148 sacks in their respective careers.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Much was made about Ray Lewis passing his long-held title of “The General” to quarterback Joe Flacco before the Ravens’ improbable 38-35 double-overtime win against the Denver Broncos, but the 37-year-old linebacker downplayed the significance of that moment on Thursday.

Speaking 10 days before Super Bowl XLVII, Lewis was asked about the pre-game exchange in Denver and the future Hall of Fame linebacker went on to discuss the leadership void that will be left behind for the Ravens to fill. He complimented Flacco’s stature and potential to take the reins of the franchise, but Lewis also expressed his desire for Flacco to become more vocal.

Lewis implied that he still isn’t ready to relinquish his title as team leader just yet, regardless of what he said in Denver.

“You always have a hidden agenda or reason why I do things. I knew for us to go in there and win that particular game that Joe Flacco had to play exceptionally well – which he did,” Lewis said. “To pass that along to him is whatever it is, and who knows who turns into that next leader here? There are a lot of guys that can definitely step in that role. But I think Joe has a great advantage and head start to really becoming that next true, true leader. He kind of has to come out of his quiet shell a little bit, but outside of that, Joe is definitely a great candidate for it.”

Speaking to the media following Lewis’ session at the podium, Flacco acknowledged what many have said about the linebacker’s retirement and how difficult it will be to replace that presence. Flacco’s not going to try to be someone he isn’t, but he believes he’s become more vocal over the course of his five seasons in Baltimore.

The leadership void left behind by Lewis must be assumed naturally over time, with individuals leading in their own unique ways, so for now, Flacco isn’t concerned about stepping outside his “quiet shell” to become a more vocal leader.

“I haven’t worked on it – don’t know if I agree with it,” said Flacco when asked about Lewis’ wish for the quarterback to become more vocal. “There are a lot of different ways to lead, and the bottom line is it’s about motivating your players to get the best out of them and having belief that you can go do it in any situation. And Ray does a great job of that in his own way, and I don’t know if there’s anybody quite like him in that category. In an effort to do something along the lines of the way he does it would be a mistake, just because I don’t think you’re going to live up to it.

“You’ve got to do it your own way, and I think naturally as you get more comfortable with people and people understand you more, and you become more confident in them, and they become more confident in you, you become more vocal as time goes on.”

In other words, we shouldn’t expect to see a dancing Flacco coming out of the tunnel or the quarterback giving demonstrative speeches during pre-game warmups next season, but it would be easy to see him voice his leadership a bit more with Lewis no longer in the picture.

Of course, a Super Bowl victory on Feb. 3 would likely eliminate any of the few lingering doubts over Flacco’s leadership ability after an already-brilliant playoff run this month.

As the Ravens begin preparations to play in Super Bowl XLVII, the finality has set in about inside linebacker Ray Lewis playing his final game on Feb. 3 in New Orleans.

The 37-year-old will offer his final pre-game speech prior to the game and, presumably, dance for the final time in front of the entire world as the Ravens seek their second NFL championship and first since Jan. 28, 2001. However, questions and concerns continue to exist about the daunting task of replacing Lewis’ impeccable leadership.

In addition to being regarded as one of the best defensive players in NFL history, Lewis is considered one of the greatest and most emotional leaders the sport has ever seen. Regardless of what happens against the San Francisco 49ers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, how do the Ravens fill that enormous void?

“He’s a guy who is ‘The Raven,’” safety Bernard Pollard said. “We respect him. When he speaks, everybody stops, everybody hears him. He’s kept this team together. He’s kept this organization together in so many ways, and we are all in this together. We want to go win this thing.”

The reality is that the Ravens won’t do anything differently to replace Lewis, in terms of his play on the field or his leadership. The talk in recent drafts of needing to find an “heir apparent” such as Dont’a Hightower or Vontaze Burfict or Manti Te’o has always been amusing in the sense that you never knowingly find a Hall of Fame player. Yes, someone will assume his position next season, but the Ravens will use the same approach they use for any other position on the field in looking for the right player at the right price or value, whether it comes via free agency or the draft.

Even more interesting is the discussion over how Lewis’ leadership will be replaced in the locker room. Candidates certainly exist such as quarterback Joe Flacco, running back Ray Rice, or even linebacker Terrell Suggs, but the Ravens cannot and will not alter their approach or ask any one individual to change who they are.

Lewis’ absence will be felt throughout the organization, and no one will replace the immense impact he provides in the same way. The post-Lewis era needs to be cultivated organically in the sense that the Ravens have other players they feel can be leaders — even if that leadership won’t include the same demonstrative theatrics or impassioned speeches.

The reality is the Ravens already have other leaders in their locker room, including players who have been drafted over the years and even free-agent signings. Flacco and Rice are leaders in a different sense than Lewis despite only completing their fifth season. General manager Ozzie Newsome has also combed the market in recent seasons for free agents who have provided leadership qualities in different areas such as center Matt Birk, defensive end Cory Redding (now with the Indianapolis Colts), and Pollard.

The Ravens will never look or feel the same way following Super Bowl XLVII, but that doesn’t mean the organization is obsessing over what to do in a life without Lewis. The transformation must happen naturally, just like it did with Lewis over the years after he was initially a 21-year-old rookie who entered a locker room that included veteran leaders such as Rob Burnett, Pepper Johnson, Eric Turner, and Vinny Testaverde in the spring of 1996. He didn’t become the leader that he is now overnight, and Lewis would be the first to tell you that.

“Everybody knows what kind of a player he is and what he has meant to this team and this organization,” said Birk, who could also be playing his final NFL game in New Orleans. “There is probably not another leader like him. There’s no one like him, someone that means as much as he does to this team. Everything that he has been through, being here from Day One and the way he plays and the emotion and the passion that he plays with.”

There’s simply no replacing Lewis, and the Ravens will continue to do things the way they always have and they’ll be just fine in the long run — even if it will never look the exact same way.

Caldwell staying as coordinator

The announcement by coach John Harbaugh at the end of Monday’s press conference that he would be retaining his entire coaching staff and, more notably, Jim Caldwell as offensive coordinator was hardly surprising as the Ravens won the AFC Championship.

The dramatic improvement of the Baltimore offense and quarterback Joe Flacco in the postseason made it easy to decide that Caldwell would be Harbaugh’s guy for the 2013 season.

The Ravens haven’t made any dramatic changes to what they do offensively, but Caldwell has offered a new voice, a calming presence, and an open line of communication with fellow assistants and offensive players. The former Indianapolis coach has taken very little credit, citing the execution and hard work of players and the tireless efforts of the rest of the offensive coaching staff as the explanation for the offense’s improved consistency.

Unlike former coordinator Cam Cameron who had a reputation for wanting things done his way and for not being receptive to suggestions from others, Caldwell has welcomed feedback from his players and other assistants, in part because of his lack of experience having never been an offensive coordinator prior to being elevated on Dec. 10.

He has identified the need to highlight Flacco’s strengths by being aggressive in the vertical passing game and moving the pocket to neutralize potent pass rushes. The Ravens have also used the middle of the field more effectively in the passing game, which was first evident when they scored 33 points against the New York Giants in Week 16.

If for no other reason, Caldwell deserved to remain as offensive coordinator because of the outstanding play of Flacco, who was the best quarterback in the AFC in the postseason and is on the cusp of joining a select group of NFL quarterbacks if the Ravens can topple San Francisco. It remains to be seen what type of stamp Caldwell will put on the offense with a full offseason of work, but his efforts are a significant reason why the Ravens are making plans for a trip to New Orleans.

McPhee finally making impact

CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE >>>

Following every Baltimore Ravens game this season, Ryan Chell and I will take to the airwaves Tuesdays on “The Reality Check” on AM1570 WNST.net with a segment known as “The Five Plays That Determined The Game.”

It’s a simple concept. We’ll select five plays from each game that determined the outcome. These five plays will best represent why the Ravens won or lost each game.

This will be our final analysis of the previous game before switching gears towards the next game on the schedule.

Here are the five plays that determined the Ravens’ 38-35 2OT win over the Denver Broncos Saturday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in an AFC divisional playoff game…

(Note: not all pictures are always of actual play)

Glenn Clark’s Plays…

5. Ma’ake Kemoeatu tackles Ronnie Hillman for no gain on 3rd & 7 (4th quarter)

4. Dennis Pitta 27 yard catch from Joe Flacco on 3rd & 13 from Baltimore 3 (Overtime)

3. Justin Tucker 47 yard field goal GOOD (Double Overtime)

2. Jacoby Jones 70 yard touchdown catch from Joe Flacco (4th quarter)

1. Corey Graham intercepts Peyton Manning pass intended for Brandon Stokley (Overtime)

(Ryan’s Plays on Page 2…)