Long before Kansas City linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston flattened quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on Monday night, we knew this year’s two-act drama of Ravens-Steelers would be different from those witnessed in previous years.

The previous elder statesmen of the best rivalry in the NFL, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, will be nowhere to be found on the Heinz Field gridiron Sunday night. Lewis will be relegated to the sideline as he recovers from triceps surgery while Ward now only runs his mouth as an NBC analyst instead of as the antagonist hated most by Baltimore fans.

In fact, neither Lewis nor Ward will be featured in a meaningful Ravens-Steelers game for the first time since before the NFL’s best rivalry actually mattered.

(Both players missed the 2007 season finale played in Baltimore, but that contest was of little consequence to either team.)

Health concerns are abundant on both sides as Steelers strong safety and defensive leader Troy Polamalu is likely to miss his sixth straight game and speedy wide receiver Antonio Brown is questionable to play. In addition to Lewis’ absence, the Ravens have already lost top cornerback Lardarius Webb for the season and are leaning on a banged-up Haloti Ngata and recovering Terrell Suggs to lead their defense.

Of course, all those absences and injuries took a backseat after Roethlisberger suffered a right shoulder sprain that leaves him questionable for Sunday night’s nationally-televised game against the Ravens. Make no mistake, his potential absence transforms the Ravens from the underdog in Pittsburgh to a group with a great chance to beat a Steelers team that could be led by backup quarterback Byron Leftwich, who’s made a total of five starts in the last five seasons.

Should Roethlisberger’s shoulder injury keep him out, it will compel me to pick the Ravens to win after previously thinking the Steelers were playing too well in recent weeks to predict a Baltimore victory in Pittsburgh.

Inflated optimism is understandable and appropriate, but if you think the Ravens are going to Pittsburgh and moonwalking their way to victory, you’re setting yourself up to be disappointed.

With the 2011 season-opening 35-7 win being the lone outlier, nothing has come easy against Pittsburgh in the John Harbaugh era. Of the teams’ last 10 meetings (including two postseason games), all but two have been decided by seven or fewer points.

History even suggests the Ravens won’t flatten the Steelers on Sunday night if Roethlisberger is sidelined after he sat out two other times in recent years.

In 2009, it was Dennis Dixon — yes, the same quarterback the Ravens cut from their practice squad earlier this month before he was re-signed Tuesday — who nearly led the Steelers to an upset in Baltimore before the Ravens prevailed in overtime. A year later, veteran Charlie Batch was in line for a win over the Ravens before Joe Flacco threw a game-winning touchdown pass to T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the final minute.

The last time I checked, Roethlisberger isn’t a member of the league’s top-ranked defense and that’s why no one should be tallying a victory just yet for a Ravens team averaging only 17.5 points per game in four road contests. The Steelers currently rank sixth against the run and first against the pass as Flacco and the Baltimore offense will need to turn in a strong performance at Heinz Field in order to win there for the third straight time in the regular season.

“It was greatly exaggerated, no doubt,” said Harbaugh when asked about the perceived demise of the Pittsburgh defense earlier this year. “They are playing great. They are the No. 1 defense in the league – run, pass, big plays, sacks; they are still getting sacks. It’s just a premier defense, no doubt.”

As impressive as the Ravens looked in scoring a franchise-record 55 points against Oakland in Week 10, are you really that confident as they face the Pittsburgh defense on the road?

Two weeks ago, the Steelers made New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning look sickly in his home stadium, holding the two-time Super Bowl winner to just 125 passing yards and an interception in a 24-20 comeback victory for Pittsburgh.

Offensively, Leftwich wouldn’t figure to pose much of a threat through the air, but the Steelers have found a formidable running game in recent weeks with the combination of Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman turning in three 100-yard rushing performances in the last four games. And while the Ravens’ run defense has improved over the last two weeks, it still ranks 26th in the NFL and will be tested by the Steelers’ improved offensive line.

Pittsburgh may not have their star quarterback on Sunday night, but plenty of others will be waiting for the Ravens, including James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, Heath Miller, and Mike Wallace.

Would Roethlisberger’s absence swing the advantage in the Ravens’ favor come Sunday night?

Absolutely.

But if you think the Ravens are just going to cruise to victory in Pittsburgh, you haven’t been paying attention to this rivalry.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Most weeks, Monday Night Football is little more than background noise for John Harbaugh, but the Ravens coach said he’d be watching closely with the Pittsburgh Steelers on the national stage.

Using a coaching eye, Harbaugh received a live look at the Ravens’ arch nemesis before preparations continued for the first of two meetings with the AFC North adversary in a matchup many believe to be the NFL’s best rivalry.

“It’s the best week of the year, because it’s where we feel our most comfortable, probably,” Harbaugh said. “It’s where I feel the most comfortable and I think our players and coaches feel the same way, because it’s a defining type of a rivalry. It means so much to both teams. We like being in this week, we love playing these guys, we love the preparation for these guys. I’d say it’s the best week of the year — both [games].”

As is the case most seasons, the fate of the AFC North will likely come down to the two head-to-head meetings as the Ravens entered Week 10 with a one-game advantage over Pittsburgh in the division. The names have changed over the years, but the games remain a marquee attraction as Pittsburgh and Baltimore meet in a nationally televised prime-time game for the sixth straight year.

This season brings an interesting wrinkle as the Ravens and Steelers meet twice over the next three weeks, a decision that’s brought much criticism from each fan base who’d prefer to have more time between the games due to the physical toll they take on each team. Harbaugh admitted the timing of his team’s two meetings with the Steelers did grab his attention when the schedule was released in late April, but he appeared more than willing to embrace the challenge during his Monday press conference in Owings Mills.

“Really, there are always quirks in the schedule,” Harbaugh said. “Every team’s got them. That’s kind of a quirk for us. We play them and then sandwiched around a trip to San Diego. That will be a big challenge for us, but everybody’s got those challenges this year. That’s ours. We just have to deal with it and make it good.”

The Ravens have won two straight regular-season meetings at Heinz Field but suffered a playoff loss in Pittsburgh to end the 2010 season. With Baltimore experiencing struggles on the road this season, Sunday night’s performance will be very telling in explaining how serious a Super Bowl contender the Ravens really are at this point.

Counting two postseason games, the Ravens are 4-6 against Pittsburgh in the Harbaugh era. The 50-year-old coach hopes to continue his team’s recent success playing on the road in the bitter rivalry.

“If you love football, there’s no greater place to be,” Harbaugh said. “Playing there in that great stadium against that great organization, those games have always been great games. We’ve always felt like it’s a rivalry. We’ll continue to consider it to be a great rivalry.”

Changing of the (left) guard?

In preparing for Sunday’s showdown with the Steelers, the Ravens will be faced with a decision at the left guard position where second-year offensive lineman Jah Reid played well in place of veteran Bobbie Williams.

Taking Williams’ place on the third offensive series of the game, Reid played in 50 of the team’s 64 offensive snaps and received positive reviews after the 55-20 win over the Oakland Raiders. When asked whether Reid had supplanted Williams, who was limited in practice last week with a sore ankle, Harbaugh would not name a starter against the Steelers.

“I don’t know who will get the bulk of it, but we anticipate both of those guys playing in there,” Harbaugh said. “Jah’s got some versatility at some other positions, too. Of course, Bobbie can play the right guard as well, so it’s good to have some flexibility there.”

Reid excelled in run blocking, getting to the second level to spring running backs Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce on several positive runs. Drafted as an offensive tackle in the third round of last year’s draft, Reid has made the transition inside despite dealing with a calf injury for the better part of several months.

“A lot of good things and some other things that he can get better at,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a very physical player, he’s really athletic, he can bend, he can get his pads down. And that’s not easy to do for a guy his size. He played well. There were some pass protection technique issues that he had with pass-set things he’s got to continue to work on that he knows about. All in all, he played pretty well.”

Go, Jacoby, go

CONTINUE >>>

Even though there was no need to look for a silver lining in the 55-20 victory over the Oakland Raiders, the Ravens were afforded the opportunity to rest injured defensive starters Haloti Ngata and Jimmy Smith a week ahead of their showdown with Pittsburgh next Sunday.

Both players were listed as active but did not play as they sat with nagging injuries. However, the circumstances for each player were different as the Ravens made a concerted effort to sit the Pro Bowl defensive tackle but had to make an adjustment on the fly as Smith’s sore groin would not loosen up during pre-game warmups.

“We decided to dress Haloti,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We are trying to get Haloti healthy. He didn’t practice this week much, but we felt like it would be smart to dress him because he is a difference-maker for us. We started the game out, and we were hoping that we wouldn’t have to play him, and it turned out that we didn’t have to.”

Ngata had seen limited action from his normal workload in each of the Ravens’ last two games and admitted earlier in the week that lingering knee and shoulder injuries are limiting his effectiveness. The seventh-year defensive tackle missed practices on Wednesday and Thursday before participating on a very limited basis during Friday’s workout.

The Ravens can only hope the extra week of rest makes a difference as they’ll need Ngata against a physical Pittsburgh offensive line next week. Following their trip to Pittsburgh, the Ravens then travel to San Diego before welcoming the Steelers to Baltimore on Dec. 2.

Rookie DeAngelo Tyson started at defensive tackle in Ngata’s place, knocking down two passes and registering a quarterback hit in the 35-point victory.

“It really helps to get him some rest,” linebacker Jameel McClain said. “We all know that he’s a force in this league, and he’ll be back at 100 percent. Our young guys stepping it up without Haloti is pretty impressive.”

There is growing concern over Smith’s groin injury, an ailment he’s dealt with for several weeks. The second-year cornerback attempted to ride the stationary bike to get loose and attempted to warm up again at halftime but was unable to go.

With temperatures in the low 60s, the weather was perfect for a mid-November game, making Smith’s inability to get warm something to monitor this week.

“We’re going to have to take a hard look at that Monday and just see where he’s at,” Harbaugh said. “This is the first time it has gotten to the point where he just couldn’t get loose enough to play.”

Regular nickel back Corey Graham started in Smith’s cornerback spot while young special-teams standout Chykie Brown entered the game to play cornerback in the nickel package as Graham slid to his normal inside spot.

The Ravens also made an in-game change along the offensive line as Jah Reid replaced veteran Bobbie Williams at left guard on the third series of the game and played the rest of the way. The 36-year-old Williams confirmed after the game he was healthy enough to continue playing, but the lineman has been dealing with an ankle injury sustained in last week’s win at Cleveland.

Baltimore viewed it as an opportunity to rest Williams as well as evaluate Reid, who temporarily replaced an injured Marshal Yanda for a handful of plays last week and has also served as an extra blocking tight end.

“Jah Reid has really been coming on and practicing well,” Harbaugh said. “What Jah needs is playing time. He needs experience, he needs snaps on the field, so it was our plan to start him out there in the third series no matter what and then play him as much as we could.”

Safety Ed Reed suffered a minor stinger in his right shoulder late in the second quarter when he missed the tackle on Darrius Heyward-Bey’s 55-yard touchdown catch, but the veteran returned to action in the second half.

Linebacker Courtney Upshaw also tweaked his shoulder but was not concerned about the injury after the game.

The Ravens officially reported no new injuries following the win.

BALTIMORE — Returning to M&T Bank Stadium for the first time in nearly a month, the Ravens welcome the struggling Oakland Raiders to town as they try to continue their league-best 14-game winning streak at home.

The Ravens are 4-0 all-time against Oakland in Baltimore and own a 5-1 overall edge in the regular season series. Of course, Baltimore also defeated the Raiders in the AFC Championship to advance to Super Bowl XXXV during the 2000 season.

Despite being listed as questionable, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and starting guards Marshal Yanda and Bobbie Williams are active against Oakland. It will be interesting to see how limited Ngata might be after admitting earlier this week that knee and shoulder injuries are hindering his effectiveness.

With Ngata banged up and defensive end Pernell McPhee out for the second straight game, defensive linemen DeAngelo Tyson and Bryan Hall are active and will play roles in the defensive line rotation.

As we learned on Friday, the Raiders will be without their top two running backs as Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson are both sidelined with high ankle sprains. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Richard Seymour is also out with knee and hamstring injuries.

Oakland will also be without Khalif Barnes, who is sidelined with a groin injury. Willie Smith has struggled immensely in his place, so the Ravens may try to line up rush linebacker Terrell Suggs on the opposite side to see if they can get a more favorable matchup in making Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer uncomfortable.

The Ravens are wearing purple jerseys and white pants while Oakland is dressed in white tops and silver pants.

Here are today’s inactives …

BALTIMORE
DE Pernell McPhee
OL Ramon Harewood
WR Deonte Thompson
S Christian Thompson
CB Asa Jackson
RB Bobby Rainey
TE Billy Bajema

OAKLAND
RB Darren McFadden
RB Mike Goodson
DT Richard Seymour
QB Terrelle Pryor
OL Khalif Barnes
OL Lucas Nix
DE Jack Crawford

Follow WNST on Twitter throughout the day as Drew Forrester, Nestor Aparicio, and I bring live updates and analysis from M&T Bank Stadium.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens ruled three starters questionable for Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders after defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and guards Bobbie Williams and Marshal Yanda returned to the practice field on Friday.

As expected, defensive end Pernell McPhee has been ruled out after missing practices all week and missing last week’s game in Cleveland. He continues to recover from thigh and knee injuries.

Ngata, Williams, and Yanda worked on a limited basis after sitting out workouts on Wednesday and Thursday, improving their chances to see action as the Ravens return to M&T Bank Stadium for the first time in nearly a month.

“They were out there today, so I do think it helped them,” Harbaugh said. “They got a little rest and got healed up a little bit.”

This marks the third straight game that Ngata has been listed as questionable after he was able to play against Houston in Week 7 and against the Browns last Sunday. The big defensive tackle decline an interview after Friday’s practice but admitted earlier this week that he’s been limited with knee and shoulder injuries.

Yanda deemed himself “great” after making it through Friday’s practice. He tweaked his knee and ankle in the 25-15 win over Cleveland.

“I just had to get a flow of things and tempo [practicing] and do it that way. I’ll be good to go.”

Williams said he expected to play Sunday but was taking his left ankle injury — the opposite of the one he had surgery on last year — day by day.

Safety Ed Reed practiced on a limited basis for the second straight day Friday and was listed as probable for Sunday’s game despite dealing with shoulder and knee injuries.

Meanwhile, the Oakland Raiders will be without their top two running backs against Baltimore as Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson were both ruled out with high ankle sprains. Seven-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Richard Seymour was also ruled out with knee and hamstring injuries.

BALTIMORE
OUT: DE Pernell McPhee (thigh)
QUESTIONABLE: DT Haloti Ngata (shoulder), G Bobbie Williams (ankle), G Marshal Yanda (ankle)
PROBABLE: LB Josh Bynes (thigh), S Sean Considine (chest), LS Morgan Cox (shoulder), LB Dannell Ellerbe (finger), WR Jacoby Jones (toe), DT Ma’ake Kemoeatu (knee), T Michael Oher (ankle), S Bernard Pollard (chest), S Ed Reed (shoulder/knee), CB Jimmy Smith (abs), LB Terrell Suggs (ankle)

OAKLAND
OUT: RB Mike Goodson (ankle), RB Darren McFaddden (ankle), DT Richard Seymour (knee/hamstring), CB Shawntae Spencer (foot)
QUESTIONABLE: T Khalif Barnes (groin)
PROBABLE: T Willie Smith (knee), FB Marcel Reece (hamstring), TE Richard Gordon (hamstring), TE Brandon Myers (shoulder), K Sebastian Janikowski (left groin), LB Miles Burris (elbow), LB Keenan Clayton (shoulder), DT Desmond Bryant (cardiac), DE Matt Shaughnessy (shoulder), DE David Tollefson (shoulder), CB Coye Francies (thumb), S Mike Mitchell (finger), S Matt Giordano (hamstring)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — As the Ravens made final preparations for Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders, they received a special visitor to their Owings Mills facility as injured linebacker Ray Lewis greeted teammates and watched Friday’s practice.

Baltimore also saw three more starters return to practice as guards Marshal Yanda (knee/ankle) and Bobbie Williams (ankle) and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (knee/shoulder) were all present for the portion of practice open to the media. All three had missed practices on Wednesday and Thursday, but it remains to be seen what their level of activity was and whether they made it through practice without any setbacks.

Safety Ed Reed (shoulder/knee) was also practicing for the second straight day as it appears there’s little question regarding his availability for Sunday’s game. He worked on a limited basis on Thursday.

Defensive end Pernell McPhee was absent for the third straight practice and now appears likely to miss his second straight game as he continues to recover from knee and thigh injuries.

As for Lewis, it remains to be seen whether he’ll address the media for the first time since suffering a torn triceps in his right arm in the Ravens’ 31-29 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 14. Coach John Harbaugh said earlier this week that Lewis isn’t expected back at the facility on a full-time basis for a while as he continues to rehab from surgery in his home state of Florida.

The 37-year-old was placed on injured reserve with the designation of potentially returning if he proves able to make a miraculous recovery in time for a postseason run.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens saw one Pro Bowl player return to practice Thursday but are still missing four other starters as they move closer to Sunday’s meeting with the Oakland Raiders in Baltimore.

Free safety Ed Reed was a limited participant a day after sitting out Wednesday in what was regarded as a day off as the safety nurses shoulder and knee injuries. Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, defensive end Pernell McPhee, and guards Bobbie Williams and Marshal Yanda sat out practice for the second straight day as questions regarding their availability against the Raiders now grows.

You have to begin wondering whether the Ravens are considering resting Ngata against the pass-happy Raiders with the thought of having the All-Pro defensive tackle in a better state of health when Baltimore travels to Heinz Field to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers next week. The three-time Pro Bowl selection has been hampered by knee and shoulder injuries and struggled to make any significant impact in the Week 9 win in Cleveland.

Williams said Thursday he expected to play against the Raiders but also acknowledged they are taking it “day by day” with his injured left ankle, which now gives him a pair of bad ankles after the right one was operated on late last season as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Yanda is dealing with minor knee and ankle injuries, but it’s difficult envisioning him missing Sunday’s game if he’s able to return to the practice field on Friday. McPhee has remained noncommittal about his status for Week 10 after missing this past Sunday’s game in Cleveland.

Oakland was without running backs Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson for the second straight day as both continue to recover from high ankle sprains. It’s appearing more likely that Taiwan Jones will start at running back on Sunday.

Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour also missed his second straight day of practice with knee and hamstring injuries.

BALTIMORE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: DE Pernell McPhee (thigh), DT Haloti Ngata (shoulder), G Bobbie Williams (ankle), G Marshal Yanda (ankle/knee)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: S Ed Reed (shoulder/knee), LB Josh Bynes (thigh), WR Jacoby Jones (toe), T Michael Oher (ankle), WR David Reed (knee), CB Jimmy Smith (abs)
FULL PARTICIPATION: S Sean Considine (chest), LS Morgan Cox (shoulder), LB Dannell Ellerbe (finger), DT Ma’ake Kemoeatu (knee), S Bernard Pollard (chest), LB Terrell Suggs (ankle)

OAKLAND
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: RB Mike Goodson (ankle), RB Darren McFaddden (ankle), DT Richard Seymour (knee/hamstring), CB Shawntae Spencer (foot)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: T Khalif Barnes (groin), TE Brandon Myers (shoulder), K Sebastian Janikowski (left groin), S Matt Giordano (hamstring)
FULL PARTICIPATION: T Willie Smith (knee), FB Marcel Reece (hamstring), LB Miles Burris (elbow), LB Keenan Clayton (shoulder), DT Desmond Bryant (cardiac), DE Matt Shaughnessy (shoulder), DE David Tollefson (shoulder), CB Coye Francies (thumb), S Mike Mitchell (finger), TE Richard Gordon (hamstring)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Hitting the practice field for the first time in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders, the Ravens were without three Pro Bowl players and two other starters.

Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, safety Ed Reed, defensive end Pernell McPhee, right guard Marshal Yanda, and left guard Bobbie Williams were absent from Wednesday’s practice.

Ngata continues to deal with shoulder and knee injuries that have limited his playing time, and the three-time Pro Bowl selection failed to register a tackle in the 25-15 win over the Cleveland Browns. The seven-year veteran played at less than 100 percent after McPhee had already been ruled out in Week 9 with knee and thigh injuries, further weakening the defensive line.

Yanda and Williams both suffered injuries in Sunday’s win, but MRI results were favorable for each player. The Ravens’ Pro Bowl right guard is expected to play on Sunday, but Williams’ status will be trickier to gauge considering he’s already dealt with soreness and swelling in a surgically-repaired right ankle.

Wednesday was likely a day off for Reed, who is dealing with a torn labrum in his shoulder and a sore knee.

Meanwhile, the Raiders were without running backs Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson as both are considered question marks for Sunday’s game. Oakland head coach Dennis Allen remained mum on their status in a conference call with the Baltimore media.

Veteran defensive tackle Richard Seymour was also a non-participant for Oakland on Wednesday.

BALTIMORE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: DE Pernell McPhee (thigh), DT Haloti Ngata (shoulder), S Ed Reed (shoulder/knee), G Bobbie Williams (ankle), G Marshal Yanda (ankle/knee)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: LB Josh Bynes (thigh), WR Jacoby Jones (toe), T Michael Oher (ankle), WR David Reed (knee)
CB Jimmy Smith (abs)
FULL PARTICIPATION: S Sean Considine (chest), LS Morgan Cox (shoulder), LB Dannell Ellerbe (finger), DT Ma’ake Kemoeatu (knee), S Bernard Pollard (chest), LB Terrell Suggs (ankle)

OAKLAND
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: RB Mike Goodson (ankle), RB Darren McFaddden (ankle), DT Richard Seymour (knee/hamstring), CB Shawntae Spencer (foot)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: T Khalif Barnes (groin), TE Brandon Myers (shoulder), K Sebastian Janikowski (left groin), S Matt Giordano (hamstring)
FULL PARTICIPATION: T Willie Smith (knee), FB Marcel Reece (hamstring), LB Miles Burris (elbow), LB Keenan Clayton (shoulder), DT Desmond Bryant (cardiac), DE Matt Shaughnessy (shoulder), DE David Tollefson (shoulder), CB Coye Francies (thumb), S Mike Mitchell (finger)

It’s difficult to recall a 6-2 start ever coming under more scrutiny than that of the 2012 Ravens, with major concerns existing on each side of the football and many doubting their ability to even make the playoffs despite being in excellent mathematical position in the AFC.

This marks the third straight year Baltimore has started 6-2, but the climate of this campaign has been much more uncomfortable as Sunday’s 25-15 win over Cleveland marked only their second margin of victory exceeding a single possession. In their first six wins last season, four had come by multiple scores as the Ravens looked the part of one of the best teams in the NFL.

Aside from expectations that were at opposite ends of the spectrum at the start of their respective seasons, the Ravens and Orioles share stunningly similar qualities in showing an ability to win close games and seemingly outperforming the eyeball tests suggesting they’re not as good as their records indicate. In the same way that many pointed to the Orioles’ run differential proving they were little more than a .500 baseball team that ran into plenty of luck, the Ravens’ plus-23 point differential would put them between four and five wins using similar metrics.

Regardless of how the second half of the season unfolds for the Ravens, this calendar year has brought an interesting case study of fan psychology with locals struggling to embrace an Orioles team playing over their heads all season and bracing for an inevitable collapse that never did happen. In comparison, many of these same fans have failed to enjoy the Ravens’ 6-2 start and are insisting the prosperity won’t continue against a beefier schedule over the final two months of the regular season. Others have even gone as far as suggesting the Ravens have underachieved, though it’s difficult to be much better than a 6-2 record when remembering the personnel losses this offseason and the injuries sustained on the defensive side of the football.

In an NFL season consumed with convoluted mediocrity as only a few teams have distinguished themselves as appearing to be very good at this point, it’s important to remember how little we actually know about the entire league and who the real contenders will be by season’s end. Few would have envisioned the New York Giants of a year ago or the Green Bay Packers of 2010 as Super Bowl champions at the midway points of those seasons.

What’s not to say the Ravens’ formula for offensive success at home doesn’t suddenly appear for road games later this season or that the defense can’t make some improvement with healthier versions of Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata in the fold? Or, will reality set in during the second half of the season, sending the Ravens crashing back to earth?

The truth is none of us really know what to make of this year’s Ravens, but it’s a much more enviable position to be 6-2 while coaches and players try to figure it all out.

> One of the central themes of the first half of the Ravens’ season has been the failure of young defensive players to fill the void left behind by free-agent departures and injured players, but fourth-year linebacker Dannell Ellerbe has been the exception to the rule while emerging as one of the best players on the Baltimore defense.

That doesn’t speak highly for the rest of a unit ranked 26th in yards allowed, 28th in run defense, and 15th in points surrendered per game, but Ellerbe deserves credit in not only being the Ravens’ best linebacker in pass coverage but also providing some juice to a listless pass rush as he leads the team with 3 1/2 sacks. Always thought of as an effective “thumper” while playing the run, Ellerbe has been a capable blitzer and recorded three quarterback hits and a sack against Cleveland’s Brandon Weeden on Sunday.

Some were surprised the Ravens offered Ellerbe a second-round tender when he was a restricted free agent this offseason, but the former rookie free agent from Georgia has more than earned his $1.92 million salary to this point. Fellow inside linebacker Jameel McClain received a three-year contract this offseason, but Ellerbe has had the better season and might be finding himself as part of the team’s long-term plans if he can remain healthy and effective.

Coach John Harbaugh has pointed to the young linebacker’s heightened level of professionalism after it was no secret that Ellerbe wasn’t always in the best physical shape in past seasons and had a reputation of lacking passion for the game. Another key for Ellerbe has been his ability to stay healthy as he missed seven games last season while dealing with hamstring and groin injuries.

Ellerbe’s 49 tackles rank third on the team and are already a new career high, but he is a sure bet to lead the unit in that category by season’s end as he’s topped the Ravens defense in tackles in each of the last two games.

> As I wrote on Monday, Ngata’s play over the last two games must be a concern for a defense already struggling to control the line of scrimmage. It’s clear that knee and shoulder injuries are hindering his ability to take on blockers and make plays, and you have to wonder if the Ravens missed an opportunity to provide a useful period of extended rest for the All-Pro defensive tackle by not sitting him out against Houston in Week 7.

Perhaps the extra week of rest coupled with the Week 8 bye would have done the trick, but now the Ravens are staring at two critical matchups with the Pittsburgh Steelers over the next four weeks without knowing how effective the three-time Pro Bowl selection will be moving forward. Defensive coordinator Dean Pees is desperately looking for others to emerge as viable options up front, so you can understand the Ravens’ hesitation in sitting down Ngata right now, but they must also weigh the long-term implications of continuing to play him at substantially less than 100 percent.

Considering the Oakland Raiders are banged up at the running back position — starter Darren McFadden and backup Mike Goodson are both dealing with high ankle sprains — and will likely lean heavily on Carson Palmer and the passing attack, it might be worth considering resting the big defensive tackle in hopes that he can look more like his normal self when the Ravens travel to Pittsburgh next week. But as Harbaugh said Monday, the Ravens are trying to win every game and this season has proven none are guaranteed victories.

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OWINGS MILLS, Md. — With a slew of injuries hampering a depleted Ravens defensive line, All-Pro defensive tackle Haloti Ngata has tried to play through two ailments of his own over the last month of the season.

Listed as questionable on the final injury report in the Ravens’ last two games against the Texans and Browns, the seventh-year defensive lineman has played with knee and shoulder injuries, but his performance hasn’t lived up to his usual standards as one of the best defensive players in the NFL. Though stat sheets rarely tell the story in describing the effectiveness of a defensive tackle, Ngata has just one tackle over his last two games as he’s played in a reduced number of snaps.

Ngata registered one tackle in the 43-13 loss to Houston two weeks ago as he played 48 of the Ravens’ 80 defensive snaps. In Cleveland on Sunday, the 28-year old increased his workload to 53 of 70 possible defensive reps, but he failed to record a tackle and appeared unable to control and beat blockers at the line of scrimmage in the way he typically does.

“I thought he played solidly,” coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s not 100 percent — he’s got the shoulder and the knee a little bit — but he’s fighting through it. He’s playing well.”

Harbaugh remained noncommittal in how the Ravens will handle his practice work as many are beginning to suggest the possibility of sitting down the Pro Bowl defensive tackle in hopes of improved health for the final stretch of the regular season. It doesn’t help that the Baltimore defensive line has struggled to find any play-makers to complement Ngata as younger players such as Terrence Cody, Pernell McPhee, and Arthur Jones have failed to step up.

For now, the Ravens are likely to continue limiting his practice time, but they desperately need Ngata to regain the dominant form not seen since early last year when he was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate prior to sustaining a thigh injury that hampered him in the second half of the season.

“I think you take that day by day and week by week,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll just have to see. We need to win every game. Every game the division championship’s on the line.”

The only notable injuries suffered in Sunday’s game came along the offensive line as right guard Marshal Yanda tweaked his knee and ankle and was replaced by backup Jah Reid for five offensive plays while he received treatment. Right guard Bobbie Williams also suffered a mild ankle sprain, so the Ravens will closely monitor their practice time leading into this Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders.

Yanda would figure to be ready to play, but it will be interesting to see how Williams responds after suffering a fractured ankle last season in his final weeks with the Cincinnati Bengals.

“[Yanda's] moving around. The MRIs were all positive, nothing there,” Harbaugh said. “Bobbie Williams had an ankle — nothing on the MRI — sprain, so we’ll see. We’ll probably give him some rest during the week sometime and try to get him to Sunday. Those were the only two things that were really anything that were significant injury-wise.”

Should either player be deemed unfit to play, Reid would likely receive the first opportunity in the starting lineup after he was active for the first time all season against the Browns. He took nine offensive snaps, with five coming at left guard and the others as a blocking tight end in run-play situations.

“Jah played well,” Harbaugh said. “He played 10 or 15 snaps at different positions in there, and he played well and did a nice job. First time of really taking any kind of extended time out there and he wasn’t overwhelmed at all. That’s kind of what you look for in a young guy.”

Pees goes upstairs

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