As the Ravens begin defense of their AFC North division crown against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night and hope to embark on a journey to Super Bowl XLVII in John Harbaugh’s fifth year as head coach, they play the fourth-toughest schedule in the league statistically as their opponents held a .523 winning percentage (134-122) last season.

Expectations remain sky-high in Baltimore, even after a trying offseason than included key injuries and significant departures due to limited salary cap room.

Here are the five biggest questions weighing on my mind for the Ravens’ 2012 season:

1. Is the starting line good enough for the offense to take the next step?

Deemed a priority to upgrade at the beginning of the season, the offensive line remains a major question mark as the Ravens tinkered with various alignments throughout the preseason. Even determining which starting five will line up has been quite a challenge considering the circumstances the organization has dealt with since last January.

The Ravens knew Pro Bowl left guard Ben Grubbs — now with New Orleans — would be difficult to replace as they eventually settled on former Bengals guard Bobbie Williams. Playing with a surgically-repaired right ankle, the 35-year-old has dealt with swelling as scar tissue is still breaking up in the ankle, making you wonder if Williams will hold up over the course of a 16-game regular season.

The bigger surprise has been the uncertainty at the tackle position as the Ravens weren’t satisfied with Bryant McKinnie’s weight and conditioning this offseason and the tackle reported late to training camp, opening the door to the idea of Michael Oher returning to left tackle. All seemed to be straightened out when McKinnie started at left tackle and Oher shifted back to the right side in the third preseason game, but the Ravens surprisingly played hardball with McKinnie by cutting his pay last week, a tactic that nearly led to his departure.

In another twist, rookie Kelechi Osemele revealed Saturday that he expected to start at right tackle against the Bengals, meaning Michael Oher will play on the left side and McKinnie will hold a backup role for now. Osemele played well at the position in the preseason and is the most pleasant surprise of the 2012 draft class to this point, but his insertion in the starting lineup creates the question whether Oher can handle protecting quarterback Joe Flacco’s blind side, which led to the Ravens signing McKinnie in the first place last August.

The Ravens’ handling of their line is unsettling considering the offense is expected to take a significant step forward this season. The combination of Oher and Osemele is more athletic and better conditioned, factors worth remembering when you consider how much they expect to run a no-huddle offense, but much doubt remains about their ability as pass blockers. Though McKinnie is considered a below-average run blocker, he is still the best pass blocker among the Baltimore tackles, which should be the most important factor in trying to protect the most important player on the field.

It’s clear the Ravens have grown tired of McKinnie’s act, but they also didn’t have enough confidence in life without him or they would have pulled the trigger in releasing him last week when he balked at their original pay-cut demand. They appear set to try the younger duo against Cincinnati, but you have to wonder if it will work week in and week out, especially when considering Williams’ health and age at left guard and the fact that there’s no viable option behind him other than Osemele on the 53-man roster.

Even when finally appearing to settle on a starting five moving forward, the Ravens will need to show improvement in short-yardage run situations, an area in which they struggled immensely last season.

Regardless of the factors working against them, the Ravens deemed upgrading the offensive line a major priority in the offseason and even the optimistic takes on the current group couldn’t possibly feel more confident about it than last season’s group.

2. How will the defense find a consistent pass rush without Terrell Suggs?

No one knows if and when the Pro Bowl linebacker will return this season and whether he’ll display the same explosiveness he displayed last season on his way to the 2011 AP Defensive Player of the Year award. His absence has created a gigantic black cloud over a defense ranking among the NFL’s elite annually for over a decade.

The Ravens have used their “next man up” mantra since the news broke about the injury in early May, but they appear no closer to answering their pass-rush question than they were when first learning about Suggs’ partially-torn Achilles tendon. And it’s a sobering thought when you remember the defense will encounter 11 quarterbacks who have made at least one Pro Bowl this season.

Fourth-year linebacker Paul Kruger is being asked to play the strongside linebacker position in place of the departed Jarret Johnson and struggled setting the edge against the run in the preseason. However, an even more disappointing outcome of the summer was the slow development of rookie Courtney Upshaw, who dealt with a shoulder injury for much of training camp. Upshaw appeared overweight and lacked explosiveness coming off the edge and was beaten out by former practice squad member Albert McClellan for the rush linebacker spot.

While no one should have expected Upshaw to immediately enter the league as a poor man’s version of Suggs, the fact that he was unable to show any tangible signs of being a threat as a pass rusher in the preseason is disheartening after he was selected with the 35th overall pick in late April. To suggest Upshaw is a draft bust is absurdly premature, but the Ravens hope the light comes on quickly for the rookie from Alabama to be a bigger factor on passing downs.

In terms of maximizing their pass rush, the Ravens might be better served by scrapping the idea of Kruger at the “Sam” position and allowing him to move back to the rush linebacker spot where he can focus more often than not on simply getting after the quarterback. His 5 1/2 sacks in limited time last season showed he can put heat on the quarterback, but those also came with a healthy Suggs on the opposite side of the defensive line.

Defensive end Pernell McPhee will also be critical to the pass rush as his six sacks last year were a major surprise. The Ravens will elect to use him more extensively on first and second down given his pass-rushing ability, but McPhee also bulked up to 290 pounds to aid in playing the run. The second-year defensive lineman made positive plays in run support in the preseason, but you also wonder how the extra weight will affect the combination of strength and quickness he displayed as a pass rusher last year.

There’s simply no replacing the loss of Suggs and the secondary will be challenged in coverage much more without him tormenting quarterbacks for at least the bulk of the regular season. It’s difficult envisioning the defense maintaining the same level of excellence we’ve come to expect over the years, meaning the offense will be asked to be more productive if the Ravens are to remain a legitimate Super Bowl threat.

3. With the no-huddle attack expected to become a prominent part of the offense, how will it affect Ray Rice’s touches?

CONTINUE >>>

(Updated: 1:30 p.m.)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Preparing to play his first NFL game on Monday night, Ravens offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele may play a much larger role than anyone anticipated.

The rookie from Iowa State said he expects to start and play tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals, which is an interesting development after veteran left tackle Bryant McKinnie was nearly released on Tuesday before agreeing to a restructured contract that reduced his 2012 base salary from $3.2 million to $2.2 million. Osemele worked extensively at right tackle this summer while Michael Oher moved to the left side as McKinnie worked with the second team after reporting late to training camp.

“I think so,” said Osemele when asked if he thought he would start. “It looks like it.”

The last extensive action for the starting offense came in the third preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In that contest, McKinnie started at left tackle and Oher played right tackle while Osemele played left guard and Bobbie Williams shifted to the right guard position in place of the injured Marshal Yanda.

Coach John Harbaugh and the Ravens have said all along that the best five offensive linemen would start and play, and Osemele’s comments would lead you to believe the team has identified the rookie as being part of that group. Of course, his remarks do not guarantee he will actually be in the starting lineup because no member of the coaching staff has confirmed the decision.

When asked on Tuesday about Osemele’s role on the offensive line and whether he might start over Bobbie Williams at left guard, Harbaugh would not reveal the team’s plans. We’ll learn Monday night whether he was hiding the possibility of the rookie starting at right tackle instead.

“I don’t think we will be disclosing that at this time,” Harbaugh said. “But, there will be five guys starting, and we do have a plan.”

It appears that plan may be different than most would have anticipated.

On September 4^th, 2012 the Baltimore sports scene has officially turned into bizarro world. You remember bizarro world from the Superman comics where everything was opposite and Superman was evil. Well today Baltimore officially turned into bizarro world. It all started as we were wrapping up “Catch the Buzz”. I was gathering my things together when Thyrl Nelson came by and said, “anyone know why Bryant McKinnie just tweeted Decision is made I’m gone? Soon after we all knew exactly what it meant as the Ravens had called McKinnie into the office and told him that he would either have to take a pay cut or be released by the team. Huh? Six days before the season and after the team had already made their final cuts the Ravens were telling their starting left tackle to either take a pay cut or take a hike? Ultimately the two sides would come to agreement on a restructured contract but what message does that send to your starting left tackle six days before the season and why aren’t you more concerned about the Cincinnati Bengals then saving money at this point? Were the Ravens going to sign another player? How would a successful negotiation actually help the team? Were they over the salary cap? Ultimately it seems like McKinnie will be able to recoup that money if he reaches certain incentives during this year. Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh was vague about the Ravens intentions during his press conference today and only said that McKinnie never left and has always been a Raven. Quite frankly this is a move that I would have expected from the Orioles organization over the last 14 years.

Just hours later I got this from Orioles PR:

ORIOLES ENCOURAGE FANS TO “BUCKLE UP!” FOR SEPTEMBER,

OFFER THROWBACK TICKET PRICING FOR TAMPA BAY SERIES

The Orioles today announced a new ticket promotion to celebrate the team’s push for the postseason in this 20^th Anniversary season of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. In an effort to encourage fans to “BUCKle Up!” and Back the Birds, the team will offer 1992 throwback pricing for select locations during the Orioles’ series against the Tampa Bay Rays September 11-13.

            For all three games of the series, while supplies last, Eutaw Street Bleacher seats are $4.00 (regularly $19) and all Left Field Lower Box seats are just $8.00 (regularly $32). Fans can take advantage of this 75% discount online at www.orioles.com/buckleup or by stopping by the Oriole Park Box Office.

Fans who already purchased regularly priced seats in the Eutaw Street Bleachers or Left Field Lower Box will receive a refund for the difference in ticket value. A refund check will be automatically issued, and fans should allow up to four weeks for processing and delivery.

“We are looking forward to a September to remember and encourage all Orioles fans to ‘BUCKle Up!’ and support the club,” said Orioles Director of Communications, GREG BADER. “Orioles ticket prices are already the most affordable of any professional sports team in the region, and we hope this extra incentive will allow even more fans the opportunity to demonstrate that they ‘Back the Birds.’”

Orioles fans are encouraged to utilize the hashtag #BUCKleUp throughout the remainder of the season to promote the Orioles’ push for the postseason.

What? The Orioles are doing something for their fans and are reaching out to their fan base to come to the games. When I showed this to my wife and daughter do you know the first thing they said? Hey dad can we go to the games next week? I guarantee you a lot of other families around Baltimore were saying the same thing when they heard the news from the Orioles. To be honest something like this is what I would expect from the Baltimore Ravens over the last 14 years. They have done everything in their power to reach out to their fans. Instead today it was the Orioles. Oh and by the way the Orioles are now tied for first place in the A.L. East. What? Tell me this isn’t bizarro world. I just hope and pray that it’s just for one day because I would never wish what the Orioles have been through for the last 14 years on any organization.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — After a turbulent few hours in which it looked like the Ravens were dumping their starting left tackle before eventually coming to an agreement on a restructured contract, John Harbaugh did the only thing he could when meeting with the media Tuesday afternoon.

The head coach presented himself as an advocate for Bryant McKinnie after general manager Ozzie Newsome and agent Michael George ironed out an agreement to reduce the 32-year-old’s $3.2 million base salary for the 2012 season. For Harbaugh, it was business as usual talking about the man entrusted to protect quarterback Joe Flacco’s blind side.

“He’s here. I just had a great conversation with him,” Harbaugh said. “He’s been on the team, and we move forward, and we’re happy about that.”

The organization’s reasons for requesting a restructure only six days before the season opener remain a mystery as McKinnie admitted he was taken aback when the Ravens requested to reduce his salary all the way down to $1.6 million or he would be released. The left tackle had resigned himself earlier in the day Tuesday that he would no longer be a member of the organization after refusing to take a 50-percent pay cut.

The timing appeared odd for an organization always priding itself in doing things the right way.

“I’m still not quite sure what the reasoning was,” McKinnie told AM 1570 WNST.net on Tuesday afternoon. “It was a weird conversation.”

McKinnie’s agent George would not disclose the base salary on which the sides ultimately agreed, only confirming his client would have the ability to reach the original $3.2 million through incentives this season. The Ravens initially demanded a reduction to a $1.6 million base salary, a number that was “a lot lower” than the number McKinnie agreed to, according to George.

A Tuesday evening report from The Sun said McKinnie will earn $2.2 million in base pay.

Harbaugh offered no explanation why the Ravens were seeking to clear cap room or why they only approached McKinnie about his contract on Monday, instead choosing to focus on the upcoming season with the tackle in tow.

“He’s been a part of us,” Harbaugh said. “He never left us. I’m excited about Bryant, always have been. Like I told him, I’ve got a lot of respect for him as a football player. [I] love his style of play, and we’re going to be strong up front. We are going to have a strong offensive line, and he’s a big part of that.”

If the Ravens had released McKinnie and he had not signed with another team until after Week 1, the veteran’s contract would not have been guaranteed for the duration of the season. However, George downplayed that reality as a factor in McKinnie ultimately deciding to play for less to remain in Baltimore, expressing confidence that his client would have found work quickly or been awarded a signing bonus to make up for the lack of a guaranteed base salary.

“[Signing was] not because it’s secure; it’s because he wanted to play for the Ravens,” said George, who added how much he admired the organization. “In my humble opinion, they’re a much stronger team with Bryant McKinnie. They obviously feel that way, too.”

After McKinnie reacted publicly on Twitter about what he assumed to be his imminent release, many wonder whether the strained relationship will linger into the start of the regular season, but Harbaugh dismissed that notion, pointing to the left tackle’s professionalism and work ethic.

The first test will come against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, with McKinnie expected to line up as the starting left tackle. Harbaugh said McKinnie’s focus will be on that task from this point forward.

“Our expectation is that guys come out and practice hard, practice fast, give us their best,” Harbaugh said. “And he’s always done that. He continues to work his way back to that Pro Bowl form that he and I agreed that’s our goal for him. We talked about that as far back as last winter. He’s working his way back in that direction.”

Visit the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault to hear John Harbaugh’s Tuesday press conference HERE.

After revealing to the world his time with the Ravens had come to an end, left tackle Bryant McKinnie is staying put in Baltimore, after all.

The sides have agreed to a restructured contract for the 2012 season that will reduce McKinnie’s $3.2 million base salary but will keep him on the team after it appeared all but official the offensive lineman was moving on six days before the start of the regular season. The news was first reported by Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

“We were able to work things out to where everyone felt comfortable,” McKinnie told AM 1570 WNST Tuesday afternoon after the sides had come to an agreement.

The 32-year-old originally told WNST.net in a text message he was no longer with the team, which would have left major question marks regarding the starting offensive line as the Cincinnati Bengals come to town next Monday night. However, McKinnie later said in a phone conversation with WNST’s Ryan Chell that nothing was official yet and the sides were still talking after the Ravens initially asked him to take a 50-percent pay cut.

In addition to his base salary, McKinnie was awarded a $500,000 roster bonus in March. According to the veteran tackle, the Ravens were attempting to restructure the deal to reduce that number to $1.6 million, an amount he would not agree to.

In addition to McKinnie not being warm to the idea of playing for half the money, further complicating the situation is the state of his finances as the team will garnish half of his net wages as part of Pro Player Services’ lawsuit against him for a unpaid loan taken out during last year’s lockout.

“I still have a lot of football left,” McKinnie said in a text message to WNST.net’s Ryan Chell prior to the sides coming to resolution to keep him with the Ravens. “I’ll be fine. It was a business decision that was made, and I understand.”

After revealing he felt the door had been closed on Monday, McKinnie’s feelings softened after coach John Harbaugh reached out to him earlier on Tuesday.

The massive lineman’s weight and conditioning came into question in the spring before the veteran tackle missed the start of training camp after saying he suffered a fall at his home in Florida. McKinnie was fined a reported $90,000 for reporting late to training camp at the end of July. Upon reporting to training camp, McKinnie spent several days working his way into shape before passing the team’s conditioning test and practicing for the first time on August 3.

Without McKinnie, the Ravens would have presumably gone with fourth-year tackle Michael Oher on the left side and push rookie Kelechi Osemele into the starting lineup at right tackle. They used this alignment for the first two games of the preseason while McKinnie was working his way back into football shape and taking reps with the second-team line.

Coach John Harbaugh is scheduled to meet with the media at 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoon for his weekly press conference.

One of the great mysteries off the offseason and training camp has been trying to determine exactly what the Ravens offensive line will look like when they take the field against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 10.

It started with the departure of Pro Bowl selection Ben Grubbs via free agency in March and has continued on with the uncertainty surrounding left tackle Bryant McKinnie, but as the Ravens approach their third preseason game of the summer, it’s apparent that John Harbaugh and the coaching staff need to narrow in on their decision for a starting five and where those players will line up exactly. The bizarre start to camp for McKinnie left the door open for competition at the tackle position as the Ravens have used the 32-year-old veteran as well as Michael Oher and rookie Kelechi Osemele at the tackle positions at different times.

However, conventional wisdom points to the Ravens settling in with the alignment used last year with McKinnie at left tackle and Oher on the right side, and that’s exactly what they’ve done over the last two days of practice. Harbaugh has praised the group’s versatility, but quarterback Joe Flacco acknowledges the need to start building chemistry up front.

“You want to get to a point where there’s some continuity between those guys,” Flacco said, “and they can really play together and be in sync, because that is the most important position on the field as a whole. Those guys need to kind of play off each other and get comfortable with each other.”

Considering the confusing circumstances surrounding McKinnie’s late arrival and the questions surrounding his weight and conditioning, it’s apparent the Ravens not only wanted to evaluate Oher on the left side and Osemele at right tackle but have been trying to send a message to last year’s starting left tackle that he wasn’t going to be assured of anything. And though he’s worked against reserve defenders in the first two preseason games, most still regard McKinnie as the team’s best pass blocker and his conditioning has been satisfactory, which holds more significance with the Ravens looking to use the no-huddle offense more this season.

With left guard Bobbie Williams struggling in the first two preseason games and still dealing with soreness in his surgically-repaired right ankle, Osemele has been receiving his most extensive work at left guard since organized team activities in the spring.

While Harbaugh still isn’t tipping his hand regarding McKinnie’s status, it’s beginning to look like the 6-foot-8 lineman is regaining a grip on the starting job.

“He’s had a tempo and a rhythm,” Harbaugh said. “It’s just a matter of practicing, and it’s like anybody else. He is practicing well. He’d be the first to tell you he’s not there yet. Nobody is there yet, but he is practicing well, and he is in the mix. I am looking forward to seeing how it shakes out, but he is doing a good job.”

Having played with McKinnie for seven years in Minnesota, center Matt Birk says his longtime teammate has put in the necessary work to not only get himself in better condition but to also show better agility than he has in recent years. Never regarded as a strong run blocker, McKinnie is receiving positive reviews even when the play isn’t being run to his side of the line.

“He is moving well,” Birk said. “We all get a little bit older, and you learn some things and figure some things out. Bryant has done a good job of being in shape. I think he is moving as well as I’ve seen him move in a long time on the back side. He is getting his back-side blocks and back-side cutoffs.”

Even if it looks like the Ravens are on the verge of solving the puzzle at tackle, the other question remains whether Williams can hold up inside or the rookie Osemele will eventually push him out of the starting lineup.

Rice understudy still under study

After showing impressive moves and good acceleration in his preseason debut against Detroit on Friday, rookie running back Bernard Pierce appears on the verge of taking a firm lead in the race for the backup job behind Ray Rice.

But the Ravens are still keeping their intentions for the backup job close to the vest.

“Right now, it’s a huge question mark,” running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery said. “I would like to think that I know the answer to that, ‘Who’s going to back up Ray?’ But, that’s why we are in training camp to find out who’s going to back up Ray.”

Though he only participated in nine plays and carried the ball four times for one yard, Pierce showed the ability to break tackles and good vision in his limited opportunities. More importantly, however, the rookie looked to be fully healthy after dealing with a hamstring injury for most of training camp.

“He’s learning what the NFL running back position is all about,” said Montgomery, who described Pierce as finally showing the “reckless abandon” he ran with at Temple in Friday’s preseason game. “You can see the redeeming qualities that he has is that inside ability to run in between the tackles and then able to bounce plays to the outside to drop his pads and run over people.”

Kicking competition grows intense

CONTINUE >>>

Most offensive lineman have trouble sleeping the day before a game against the Detroit Lions.  The combination of Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, Kyle Vanden Bosch, and Cliff Avril is almost as scary as spelling their names.

Suh and Failey have all the talent in the world.  The sky truly is the limit for those two players.  If Detroit can keep them happy in regards to their contract situations, the two could become the next Williams Wall.

With the recognition Suh receives, Avril and Vanden Bosch often go unnoticed and dont receive the credit they deserve.  Both are high energy players with a lot of pass rushing ability.

Detroit’s defensive line is among the best in football and many Ravens fans were truly concerned after the woeful performance against the Falcons.  But the Ravens clearly made strides in a short amount of time.  In fact, none of the Lions starters registered a sack against the Ravens first team offensive line.

The only remaining question for the Ravens offensive line is Bryant McKinnie.  McKinnie has taken reps with the first team during practice but has yet to play a series with them in a preseason game.  If McKinnie can return, the Ravens offensive line can truly start to gell.

If and when McKinnie returns to the first team offense, Michael Oher will move back to right tackle where he is more suited to play.  The duo of Oher and Marshal Yanda on the right side will give Rice more holes to run through and Joe Flacco more time to survey the field.

If the Ravens want to make it back to the AFC Championship, and hopefully, the Super Bowl, the offensive line must perform at a high level throughout the season.  The Ravens will be facing very talented and proven pass rushers this season and Joe Flacco must stay healthy.

Counting down to their second preseason game on Friday night, the Ravens are still trying to find the perfect combination on their offensive line as they begin their fourth week of training camp.

With left guard Bobbie Williams sitting out Monday’s practice with a swollen ankle, Baltimore showed a new alignment up front as veteran Bryant McKinnie lined up at left tackle and Michael Oher moved back to the right tackle spot in the outside alignment the Ravens used last season. Even more intriguing was who took Williams place at left guard with rookie Kelechi Osemele shifting inside.

Osemele hadn’t worked at the left guard spot since organized team activities and had been used as the team’s starting right tackle with Oher on the left side and McKinnie receiving reps with the second-string line. Coach John Harbaugh downplayed the significance of the new alignment and chalked it up to simple experimentation, but the timing is interesting after Williams struggled against the Atlanta Falcons in the preseason opener last week.

“We’re going to work different combinations,” coach John Harbaugh said. “I think it’s important to look at guys in different spots. In the end, it will pay off for us, because guys will be more versatile, and we want to make sure we don’t miss anything. So, we have an opportunity to do that now.”

Most have predicted that McKinnie will eventually work his way back into the starting lineup, but Osemele has been the biggest surprise among offensive linemen and was complimented by Harbaugh for his play against Atlanta. The Ravens were expected to have Osemele and second-year tackle Jah Reid — who practiced Monday for the first time during training camp — compete for the starting left guard job before they signed the 35-year-old Williams in early June.

With Williams receiving rest and his durability likely coming into question, the Ravens appear to be re-examining their options to find the optimal starting five to protect quarterback Joe Flacco and to open holes for Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice. Despite his struggles in Atlanta, Williams has received positive reviews during camp and had practiced nearly every day this summer.

“That’s where we’re at right now,” Harbaugh said. “We just kind of work in some different guys and combinations and let them compete.”

Cundiff struggles

The rough days have been few and far between for veteran Billy Cundiff and rookie Justin Tucker, but the former experienced arguably his worst day of the summer Monday.

Cundiff went 2-for-5 on field goals including surprising misses from 24 and 34 yards. The 2010 Pro Bowl kicker hooked the 24-yarder wide left and pushed the 34-yard attempt to the right. Cundiff also missed a 52-yard field goal at the end of practice.

Meanwhile, Tucker finished the day going 6-for-7 with his only miss coming from 52 yards in the final portion of the workout. Unlike Cundiff, the rookie from Texas was awarded another try from the same spot and made the second one.

Harbaugh explained what contributed to Cundiff’s miss from 24 yards but also added that the try still needed to be converted.

“That was a real high snap, so that threw his timing off, and Billy was out in front of it,” Harbaugh said. “I think sometimes when you have bad conditions, the kicker will slow down to account for the possibility of a bad snap plus a plant foot sliding. So, a high snap like that [in] good conditions, he really didn’t expect that he was out in front of it, and that’s why he missed it. You still need to make it, but it makes it tougher.”

Defense shines

An impressive touchdown strike from Flacco to wide receiver LaQuan Williams highlighted the offense’s 11-on-11 work Monday, but the defense shined for much of the afternoon workout.

Cornerback Lardarius Webb stood out with an interception of Flacco and several other pass breakups. Safety Sean Considine also picked off a pass when a Flacco pass bounced off receiver Anquan Boldin’s hands on a quick slant pattern.

The second offense struggled just as much, as a Tyrod Taylor pass was thrown behind rookie tight end Matt Balasavage so badly that inside linebacker Jameel McClain began laughing and said, “He tried to catch it with his back!”

Rice clowning around

Perhaps the funniest moment of the day came when Rice was interacting with a young fan in attendance at the team’s Owings Mills facility.

With his backfield mate standing nearby, Rice insisted on trying to convince the spectator that Vonta Leach was his son. Even though the fullback is four inches taller, 48 pounds heavier, and five years older, Rice couldn’t help explaining how great it was to have his “son” playing with him on the same team.

For the record, the young Ravens fan wasn’t quite buying it.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens are getting healthier along the offensive line as veteran center Matt Birk returned to practice on a limited basis Saturday, but what the starting line will look like in September remains in question.

Following a shaky first-half performance in the preseason opener against the Falcons in which the Ravens failed to collected a first down on their first three offensive series, many wondered if we’d see the return of Bryant McKinnie to the starting group with Michael Oher sliding over to the right side to begin gaining continuity.

However, the Ravens continued to use Oher at left tackle with rookie Kelechi Osemele lining up on the right side during Saturday’s practice. Rookie Gino Gradkowski continued to work at center while Birk will increase his workload over the next few days.

Playing with the second unit well into the second half on Thursday, McKinnie continued to receive work with the second-team offense and occasional reps with the starting unit for Saturday’s practice. Coach John Harbaugh is pleased with McKinnie’s progress, but there are no clear signs that the veteran is on the verge of regaining his starting position.

“He’s practiced well,” Harbaugh said. “He’s been durable; he’s made it through all the practices that he’s been in. He played in the game a good number of reps. He’s competing like all those guys are right now, and it’s a competition on the offensive line.”

McKinnie appeared solid in pass coverage and did not seem to labor at any point against the Falcons. Though never regarded as a strong run blocker, the 32-year-old still appears to be the Ravens’ best option in pass protection on the left side.

While many assumed Oher would be the biggest factor in possibly unseating McKinnie in the starting lineup, the 2012 second-round pick Osemele has impressed at right tackle and fared well against the Atlanta starting defense. Not only was it Osemele’s first NFL action, but the Iowa State product had never even attended an NFL game before playing Thursday.

“He played well. He was a rookie, and that was a first experience for him but he handled it really well,” Harbaugh said. “He was calm, didn’t make mistakes, didn’t jump offside, had his assignments right, blocked people well for the most part. I thought he acquitted himself very well.”

While conventional thinking points to the Ravens ultimately reverting back to last year’s alignment at the offensive tackle position, Harbaugh has been adamant in maintaining there’s an open competition. He proclaimed Oher to be his starting left tackle until further notice when McKinnie didn’t report for the first four days of training camp and hasn’t made any comments to deviate from that ever since.

Harbaugh has complimented McKinnie’s work ethic since he reported for camp on July 29, but his general comments about competition during training camp sounded like they could easily have been directed toward last year’s starting left tackle.

“This program is built on competition,” Harbaugh said. “The best guys play, and the guys who are the best are the guys who play the best — presently. You go by what you see, not by what you remember or what you’re told.”

McClellan’s stock rising, Kindle still shaking off rust

Linebacker Courtney Upshaw practiced again on a limited basis Saturday after sitting out Thursday’s game. In his absence, Albert McClellan appears to be gaining ground at the rush linebacker position and started in Upshaw’s place at rush linebacker.

He and Sergio Kindle have rotated reps opposite Paul Kruger, who has primarily manned the strongside backer position, but McClellan fared better than Kindle against Atlanta on Friday. Possessing the ability to play all four linebacker positions as well as to put his hand on the ground as a pass rusher, McClellan continues to turn heads as a defensive player after becoming a special teams standout last season.

McClellan spent the 2010 season on the practice squad after being signed as a rookie free agent out of Marshall in 2010. Now, it appears McClellan is beginning to push Upshaw, who hasn’t practiced without limitations since spraining his shoulder on July 28.

“He’s competing for a starting job,” Harbaugh said. “He’s done nothing to make you think he couldn’t be a starter the way he played and the way he’s practiced. I mean, he’s played really, really well, so that makes it interesting.”

Kindle received extensive playing time against Atlanta but displayed poor positioning on several running plays and struggled to get off blocks when he was asked to rush the passer.

The Ravens will continue to evaluate the 2010 second-round pick, but it’s become apparent he’s fallen behind McClellan on the depth chart.

“He started off a little shaky [on Thursday],” Harbaugh said. “He had a couple missed assignments that led to some of their conversions a little bit. That was to be expected. We knew we were going to have that in this game. We’re going to play him a lot in the preseason. He hasn’t played much football in a long time, so he needs to play. He did pretty well.”

Pierce back at practice

CONTINUE >>>

The preseason did not start well for the Baltimore Ravens.  The starting offense, defense, and special teams units struggled throughout their time on the field.  That said, we still need to keep in mind that this is the first preseason game and the Ravens still have three more weeks to get their act together.

Although it is the preseason, there were still some obvious concerns on the team.  Scratch that, there were many issues with the team.  Going into the 2012 season, many Ravens fans are counting on the secondary to make up for the loss of Terrell Suggs.  The secondary should be one of the team’s biggest strengths but it looked like a weakness last night.  Maybe the loss of Terrell Suggs will prove to be much more significant that we thought seeing as Matt Ryan was able to stand in the pocket with little to no pressure.  Still, Carry Williams and Lardarius Webb did not look like themselves.  Williams was attacked the entire first quarter and was beaten badly by Julio Jones on more than one occasion.

If Jimmy Smith can return from injury, he should help the secondary.  If Smith had played last night, I think he would have played well against Jones.  Smith is the only corner on the Ravens roster that has the physical attributes to cover receivers like Julio Jones.  Hopefully, Jimmy Smith can return next week when the Lions come to Baltimore.  After all, Calvin Johnson is far superior to Julio Jones and it would be a great test for Jimmy Smith.

Matt Ryan had all day to throw the football.  That said, the loss of Terrell Suggs might be more significant than anticipated.  Paul Kruger, Albert McClellan, and Sergio Kindle struggled to apply pressure throughout their time on the field.  The return of Courtney UpShaw should help this defense get pressure on the quarterback.  Although UpShaw is more of a run stuffer, he also has pass rush ability.  If Kruger, Kindle, and McClellan continue to struggle when it comes to rushing the passer, UpShaw might be asked to play a bigger role than he expected.

Now to the offensive line…where do I start?  The best possible solution for the offensive line is to have Bryant McKinnie return to the first team offense.  Michael Oher looked good at left tackle but McKinnie is just a better option.  Having McKinnie and Oher at tackle gives the Ravens one of the better tackle combinations in the league.  It also lets players like Jah Reid and Kelochi Osemele develop until they are asked to play a bigger role in the years to come.

The interior of the offensive line had a bad night.  Marshal Yanda looked good but Bobby Williams and Gino Gradkowski struggled.  I recognize Gradkowski is a rookie and I will give him a pass for now.  He struggled early but looked good as the game went on.  Matt Birk’s return should help the line as a whole and should also help in Gradkowski’s development.  Bobby Williams did not play very well either.  Williams is a run blocking nightmare for defensive lineman but Williams looked sluggish when pulling.  If Bobby Williams continues to struggle, Kelechi Osemele could start at left guard.  Osemele has shown some great run blocking ability in camp thus far and will be a valuable starter one day for the Ravens.

Bobby Rainey was a bright spot for the Ravens last night.  Rainey got a lot of playing time at punt returner and was solid, but not great.  Rainey shined when it came to catching the ball out of the backfield and running between the tackles.  Rainey is almost a clone of Ray Rice.  He is about the same size, has great speed and acceleration, and for his size, he is a surprisingly powerful runner.

Rainey’s biggest play came in the fourth quarter.  Rainey caught a screen pass from Curtis Painter and broke several tackles on an eighteen yard touchdown.  If Rainey can continue to play like he did in Atlanta, it will be hard to cut him.  Rainey is getting some help from Damien Berry and Anthony Allen, both of whom are competing to back up Ray Rice and make the roster.  Both Berry and Allen struggled last night with Berry having the more impressive night of the two.

Throughout this blog I have been down on some of the players and I think it was well deserved.  But, I also recognize that its the preseason and Ravens fans should not panic unless the Ravens first team units continue to struggle.