You can finally exhale with the Ravens’ major question at right tackle now answered with the addition of veteran Bryant McKinnie, right?

Let’s take a step back toward reality.

If the 31-year-old McKinnie’s conditioning and questionable character weren’t enough, the Ravens can look no further than their own history of bringing in veterans late in the preseason to strengthen the right tackle position. Unsurprisingly, the results are mixed.

In John Harbaugh’s first season in Baltimore, the Ravens were looking for help at tackle with Jared Gaither and Adam Terry slated to start in Joe Flacco’s rookie season. Only days after veteran Willie Anderson was released after 12 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore signed the 33-year-old to a three-year contract.

The Ravens often used max protection and Terry as a blocking tight end on Anderson’s side, but the veteran stabilized the right tackle position by playing in 14 games, starting 11 of them. As a result, Flacco was better protected, and the Ravens exceeded everyone’s expectations with an 11-5 record and an appearance in the AFC championship game.

Anderson retired after the 2008 season, but his contributions and veteran leadership were crucial for a young offensive line that was able to open lanes for the three-headed running attack of Le’Ron McClain, Ray Rice, and Willis McGahee. Anderson received the icing on the cake with the Ravens twice defeating the team that kicked him to the curb prior to the start of the season.

While the Ravens reaped the fruits of Anderson’s final season in the NFL, they struck out trying to harvest one more season from former Cowboys tackle Erik Williams in 2001.

After prize free agent Leon Searcy was lost for the season with a torn triceps early in training camp, the defending Super Bowl champions found a huge void on the right side and hoped the four-time Pro Bowl tackle could step in as the starter when the Ravens signed him to a one-year deal at the end of August. Williams had started all 16 games for Dallas in 2000 and appeared to be a far more attractive option than unproven tackles Sammy Williams and Kipp Vickers.

Despite coach Brian Billick’s optimism that Williams would be ready to assume starting right tackle duties by the third or fourth week of the season, it was apparent right away the 33-year-old was a shell of the tackle who had once opened truck-sized holes for Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith to run through in Dallas’ three Super Bowl victories in the 1990s.

Williams never made a start, playing in only five games while the Ravens eventually settled on Vickers to assume the position, though not with the prettiest results in a 10-6 season.

McKinnie — who will turn 32 next month — is younger than both Anderson and Williams were when they were signed, but he comes with far more baggage than Anderson and arguably more than Williams, who was no stranger to run-ins with the law during his playing career.

The Ravens are taking a modest risk in offering the former Viking tackle a second chance, but McKinnie will have to be fully committed to make it successful. And considering how little he apparently worked during the 134-day lockout, that commitment is far from guaranteed.

Whether McKinnie’s time in Baltimore winds up more like Anderson’s success or Williams’ whimpering exit remains to be seen, but the arrival of “Mount McKinnie” definitely adds spice to the current right tackle equation.

With Sports Illustrated releasing its list of all-time best NFL players by jersey number recently, we continue to look back at the 15-year history of the Baltimore Ravens to construct a list of the greatest players for Nos. 1-99.

Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 covered jersey numbers 1 through 60 if you missed them.

Part 4 (61-80) mostly looks at the trenches of the offensive line, with a few obvious choices and several where we need to look long and hard to find a representative.

61 Casey Rabach (2001-04)

Though in the shadow of Mike Flynn for three seasons before finally getting an opportunity to start at center in 2004, Rabach was a solid backup who has become one of the best centers in the NFC while playing for the Washington Redskins.

62 Mike Flynn (1997-2007)

Flynn made 115 starts in his 11 seasons with the Ravens, most of them at center. He was the starting right guard on the Super Bowl XXXV team and moved to center after Jeff Mitchell’s departure for Carolina the following season. Undrafted from Maine, Flynn is one of the great underdog stories in franchise history.

63 Wally Williams (1996-98)

A versatile interior lineman who played center and both guard positions in his time with the Ravens, Williams became the team’s first franchise player in 1998 before departing for the New Orleans Saints in 1999.

64 Edwin Mulitalo (1999-06)

In addition to coining the term “Festivus” for the playoffs in the Charm City, Mulitalo combined with tackle Jonathan Ogden to form an impenetrable left side of the offensive line in their eight seasons together.

65 Chris Chester (2006-present)

Though Chester came into the league undersized, he has made himself into an invaluable reserve with his ability to play all three interior positions on the offensive line. The former Oklahoma Sooner has made 33 starts in his career.

66 Ben Grubbs (2007-present)

1996 tackle Tony Jones and former guard Bennie Anderson both wore the same number, but Grubbs is the clear choice for No. 66. Though he has yet to make a Pro Bowl, Grubbs’ 44 career starts in three seasons puts him on the cusp of receiving the honor.

67 Quentin Neujahr (1996-97)

A backup for two years at center, Neujahr wins the honor, because there are no other candidates to consider.

68 Keydrick Vincent (2005-06)

Largely considered a disappointment after coming to Baltimore from the Steelers, Vincent made 21 starts at right guard over two seasons and is the only legitimate player to have worn the number.

69 Jeff Blackshear (1996-99)

Though a forgotten name from the early years of the franchise, Blackshear made 60 starts at right guard in his four seasons with the Ravens and had a productive nine-year run in the NFL.

70 Harry Swayne (1999-2000)

The recently-departed long snapper Matt Katula can stake a legitimate claim to this number, but it is hard to overlook Swayne’s 13 starts during the Ravens’ championship season, even if he was past his prime by the time he came to Baltimore.

71 Jared Gaither (2007-present)

Gaither’s work ethic has always been in doubt, but his raw size and talent makes him the obvious choice for the number. A fifth-round selection in the 2007 supplemental draft, Gaither has easily outplayed expectations, even if he has caused a few headaches on the Baltimore coaching staff.

72 Damion Cook (2002-04)

Fans would much rather have seen Leon Searcy as the choice here had he actually played a snap for the Ravens in 2001. As a result, Cook and his 13 games over three seasons earn the distinction.

73 Marshal Yanda (2007-present)

Despite suffering a devastating knee injury in 2008, Yanda has rebounded quickly to regain his right guard spot and is versatile enough to slide to right tackle in a pinch, where he started 12 games as a rookie in 2007.

74 Michael Oher (2009-present)

Already a celebrity before ever taking a snap in Baltimore, Oher amazingly had the ability to switch back and forth from right to left tackle as a rookie when filling in for the injured Gaither. He will now be in charge of protecting Joe Flacco’s “blind side” for many years to come.

75 Jonathan Ogden (1996-2007)

The indisputable choice for second-greatest Raven of all time behind linebacker Ray Lewis, Ogden anchored the left side of the Baltimore offensive line for 12 seasons and would have played longer if not for a toe injury. In addition to mauling defensive linemen every Sunday, Ogden also had an incredible amount of athleticism at 6-foot-9, 340 pounds, catching two touchdowns in his career.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgspNvFqRw4[/youtube]

76 Jarret Johnson (2003-present)

Yes, Johnson is more commonly known for wearing No. 95, but he wore a different number his rookie season when he played 15 games and started once, good enough to grab the honor for this jersey number. A past-his-prime Erik Williams and defensive tackle Amon Gordon barely warrant a mention here.

77 Orlando Brown (1996-98, 2003-05)

Though his temper rivaled his massive size, “Zeus” was a powerful force on the right side of the offensive line in two different stints with the Ravens. His comeback from an injury that nearly left him blind in one eye—thanks to an errant penalty flag—is worth mentioning, and his career trumps reserve Ethan Brooks and only one season from current veteran center Matt Birk for the distinction at No. 77.

78 Adam Terry (2005-09)

Brown wore this number in the first two years of his second stint with the Ravens, but Terry did just enough in a disappointing career with the Ravens to grab the honor. Though he would never stabilize the right tackle position as the organization hoped, Terry proved to be a viable backup to Ogden at left tackle despite battling injuries throughout his time in Baltimore.

79 Larry Webster (1996-2001)

Right tackle Tony Pashos earns serious consideration here, but Webster was a key member of the defensive line rotation in his time with the Ravens. Though he faced multiple suspensions for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, Webster gets the nod over Pashos and Willie Anderson’s one-year stint in Baltimore.

80 Brandon Stokley (1999-2002)

He struggled to stay healthy and never realized his full potential until moving on to Indianapolis, but Stokley is famous for ending the 2000 team’s five-game touchdown drought with a touchdown catch in Cincinnati and catching the first score in the Ravens’ Super Bowl XXXV victory (see the 1:00 mark below).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgzX1umIFfg[/youtube]

Next up: We wrap up our list of the greatest Ravens by jersey number by looking at Nos. 81-99 and an impressive group of players in the history of the franchise.

Losing Dino Gregory would REALLY hurt the Terps. It wouldn’t be a season-killer since the team FINALLY has some interior depth; but it would hurt.

Sorry I don’t have more to add this morning. Gotta get to Owings Mills.

Let’s see what everyone has to say….

Best of Tuesday’s WNST Blogs:

Luke Jones says Dino Gregory sat out Maryland’s exhibition win due to suspension

Mark Suchy says ’30 for 30’ series brought back plenty of Len Bias memories

Derek Arnold says Jarret Johnson ‘Played Like a Raven’ against Broncos

Gary Quill says Zenyatta ‘headliner’ for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic

Glenn Clark names Eddie Murray, Roberto Alomar to mythical World Series team

Nestor Aparicio says Blast added former MLS players Dyachenko, Dello-Russo

Drew Forrester says Teixeira not earning money with postseason bat

Ed Frankovic says NHL should do something about Ken Hitchcock going after Ovechkin

RAVENS:

The Official Site’s Mike Duffy says Harbaugh still views Frank Walker as ‘big part of team’

The Official Site’s Mike Duffy says no huddle was ‘no problem’ for Flacco, Ravens

The Official Site says Lardarius Webb finalist for Rookie of the Week honor

The Official Site says Grubbs impressed by David Hale’s moustache

Bengals Official Site’s Geoff Hobson says Willie Anderson thinks Sunday’s game ‘most even’ Cincinnati-Baltimore game he can remember

Bengals Official Site’s Geoff Hobson says team let Kooistra go, apparently to make room for Vakapuna

The Sun’s Kevin Van Valkenburg says LJ Smith waiting for chance to make impact

The Sun’s Edward Lee says McGahee knows Ray Rice ‘future of’ Ravens

The Sun’s Mike Preston says Cam Cameron sticking with ‘hot hand’ in Ray Rice

The Sun’s Edward Lee says Oher admitted to making mistake in getting penalty

The Sun’s Edward Lee says Derrick Mason apologized for, but didn’t regret outburst Sunday

The Sun’s Edward Lee says Harbs still expecting contributions from Demetrius Williams, Le’Ron McClain

Carroll County Times’ Aaron Wilson says Kelley Washington big for Ravens on 3rd down

Cincinnati Enquirer’s Joe Reedy says Bengals added Gerald Cadogan to practice squad

Dayton Daily News’ Carlos Holmes says Chase Coffman could be close to joining lineup for Bengals

USA Today has Ravens 10th in power rankings

NFL.com has Ravens anywhere from 5th-13th in power rankings

Fox Sports’ Adrian Hasenmayer has Ravens 8th in power rankings

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco has Ravens 10th in power rankings

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco gives Ravens ‘A’ for win over Denver

ESPN.com has Ravens 10th in power rankings

ESPN.com’s James Walker says pass rush must step up again this week against Carson Palmer, Bengals

TERRAPINS BASKETBALL:

The AP says Milbourne, Mosley lead way with 14 each as Terps won exhibition game against Indiana University (Pennsylvania)

The Official Site provides numerical evidence of win

The Official Site says Gary Williams knows Terps need to ‘learn’ from win over IUP

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says James Padgett started with Dino Gregory suspended

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says Jordan Williams contributed 7 points, 6 boards for Terps in win

Carroll County Times’ Josh Land says Terps outrebounded by Crimson Hawks in win

The Diamondback’s Eric Detweiler says even walk-on Ersin Levent scored in win

The Diamondback’s Michael Katz says Gary thinks Terps miss Dave Neal defensively

Washington Post’s Steve Yanda says no further details known regarding Dino Gregory suspension

Washington Post’s Steve Yanda says Terps better off than Syracuse-who lost to D2 team at home

Washington Post’s Steve Yanda says Gregory had previously worried about eligibility due to academic dishonesty

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Steve Goins also sat out win over IUP

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Dino Gregory wasn’t even on Comcast Center bench for game

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Terps shot 2-13 from beyond the arc in win

Terrapin Times’ Mike Ashley says Greivis Vasquez added 13 points for Terps in win (must subscribe)

TERRAPINS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL:

Washington Post previews tonight’s exhibition opener against Bowie State

TERRAPINS FOOTBALL:

NC State Official Site’s Tim Peeler says coach Tom O’Brien thinks Wolfpack need ‘break’ against Terps

NC State Official Site offers complete Terps-Pack release (pdf)

The Sun’s Sandra McKee says Terps could still win ACC Championship

The AP says Terps would have to win 4 straight starting with NCSU to get bowl eligible

The Diamondback’s Adi Joseph says Fridge ‘tired of losing’

The Diamondback’s Michael Katz says Terps got away during bye week

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Fridge wants to get ball to Torrey Smith more

Terrapin Times’ Mark Clem says Rashaan Moore wanted to come to College Park since he was 9 (must subscribe)

Terrapin Times’ Keith Cavanaugh says Friedgen spent bye week recruiting (must subscribe)

NAVY FOOTBALL:

Notre Dame Official Site previews Mids’ trip to South Bend Saturday

Notre Dame Official Site offers complete Midshipmen-Fighting Irish release (pdf)

Annapolis Capital’s Bill Wagner says Niumatalolo knows Irish better than Temple team Navy lost to Saturday

Annapolis Capital’s Bill Wagner says Niumatalolo reported Ricky Dobbs ‘fine’

Washington Post’s Camille Powell says Charlie Weis thinks current Navy defense ‘best’ he’s seen

Washington Post’s Camille Powell says Marcus Curry ‘probable’ for Mids

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says EagleBank Bowl has backup plan with Big 12 if Navy doesn’t get eligible in ‘11

Washington Examiner’s Kevin Dunleavy says memories of ’07 win at Notre Dame Stadium still fresh for Midshipmen

Go Mids says Navy back to EagleBank Bowl in 2011, Army 2012

Go Mids updates opponents for Midshipmen

UMBC BASKETBALL:

The Official Site says Randy Monroe Show to start again

TOWSON FOOTBALL:

The Official Site previews Saturday’s trip to William & Mary

The Official Site profiles TE Godlasky

William & Mary Official Site offers complete Tribe-Tigers release (pdf)

TOWSON BASKETBALL:

The Official Site says Pat Kennedy hasn’t settled on starting lineup

ORIOLES:

MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez says Rich Hill, Jeff Fiorentino, Guillermo Rodriguez refused Norfolk, chose free agency

MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez says Brandon Snyder hoping to reach major league level this season

The Sun’s Dan Connolly says Alfredo Simon accepted assignment to Norfolk

The Sun’s Dean Jones Jr. says Josh Perrault suffered loss for Desert Dogs in Arizona Fall League play

The Sun’s Dean Jones Jr. says Erbe, Snyder selected for AFL All-Star event

BLAST:

The Official Site says team added 6 players to roster, including return of Lucio Gonzaga

HORSE RACING:

Daily Racing Form’s Jay Privman says Rip Van Winkle 2nd choice for Classic behind Zenyatta

Thoroughbred Times’ Jeff Lowe says Bob Baffert brings Richard’s Kid into Classic

Thoroughbred Times’ Jeff Lowe says Belmont winner Summer Bird third choice for Classic

SOCCER:

The Sun’s Lorraine Mirabella says city considering two stadium options-smaller stadium to host Crystal Palace USA or bigger stadium to try to lure DC United

SOME QUICK THOUGHTS:

-Hopefully John Harbaugh will be willing to talk about Haloti Ngata today, but I doubt it.

Talk to you from 1 Winning Drive.

-G

3:30-INJURY REPORT:

Ravens:
OT Jared Gaither-DOUBTFUL-Neck
WR Mark Clayton-PROBABLE-Shoulder
LB Jarret Johnson-PROBABLE-Shoulder
TE Edgar Jones-PROBABLE-Hamstring
DT Haloti Ngata-PROBABLE-Back
WR David Tyree-PROBABLE-Hamstring

Vikings:
WR Darius Reynaud-DOUBTFUL-Hamstring
WR Percy Harvin-QUESTIONABLE-Shoulder
OT Phil Loadholt-QUESTIONABLE-Ankle
DE Ray Edwards-PROBABLE-Hamstring
CB Cedric Griffin-PROBABLE-Hand
OG Steve Hutchinson-PROBABLE-Back
FB Naufahu Tahi-PROBABLE-Ankle

2:04-When approached in the locker room, Ray Lewis declined comment regarding his $25,000 fine or appeal. He said he’s only thinking about “Minnesota.”

1:55-If you want to read between the lines a bit on Harbaugh’s Matt Birk comments, I think we can confirm that the guys are really going to rally around their center this week-and would be a likely target for a Gatorade bath should the Ravens pull off an upset. This team loves playing with some sort of emotional edge. Between the criticism both players and coaches have received and Matt’s return; I think they will have extra motivation-which they may need.

1:46-The players were again in a very good mood following today’s walkthrough, and even John Harbaugh was particularly pleasant during his meeting with the media today. Here are a few highlights….

-Regarding Jared Gaither: “we’re hopeful (he’ll play despite missing practice)…he’s been through all the walkthroughs, he’s been in all the meetings….he thinks he’s getting close.”
-Regarding $25k fine for Ray Lewis: “I’m disappointed.” Ray is maybe the “greatest sportsman that I’ve met”, plays “clean.” Harbs also discussed the kick that Ray was fined for, saying he believes it was an “inadvertent trip.”
-He said Brett Favre has a “great feel” for checkdowns, and knows that former Raven Chester Taylor is amongst the league leaders in 3rd down receptions.
-On having to practice indoors due to the weather: “We had plans to come inside anyway” with Sunday’s game being inside Metrodome.
-On Matt Birk’s return to Minnesota: “We’ll be there for Matt…..we’ll have Matt’s back.”
-On trade deadline: “It’s hard to anticipate activity…..so hard to make trades in NFL.”

I also spoke briefly with CB/KR Lardarius Webb, who many of you have told us you think should be on the field more as a Defensive Back. Webb said he trusts the guys who are out on the field and is just looking to learn from them.

You can hear from both John Harbaugh and Lardarius Webb NOW in the Audio Vault at WNST.net. You can also hear from Justin Bannan, who joined Drew Forrester this morning on The Comcast Morning Show.

12:29-ESPN’s Adam Schefter has Tweeted that the fine for Ray Lewis was for TWO plays-both the hit on Ochocinco and also for kicking an opposing player in the 4th quarter of the loss to Cincinnati.

12:15-I am probably making a mistake by even doing this; but Listener Joe emailed us this picture this morning-which is apparently of Ray’s hit on Chad Ochocinco. I do not own this picture, I cannot confirm anything about it-and I would also warn that no matter what it LOOKS like in the still photo-it was a BRUTAL hit to a defenseless receiver, who had no chance to make a play. The officials did the right thing, but I do not believe Ray intended to hurt Ochocinco on the play. It DID appear as though he was trying to make a statement, game closing hit instead of just making a football play.

But I’m passing it along, in hopes that a “See, this is just further proof that the NFL is out to get us” response doesn’t come.

Here is the video again…..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqBo9u3wjRU[/youtube]

12:00-Twitter follower @lessick passed this along from The Onion: “Kyle Boller Asks Center to Stop Snapping Ball So Hard”

Remember, you can follow us on Twitter for the QUICKEST updates…..@WNST!

11:48-Jared Gaither was not present again for the first part of practice today; it appears as though he will be DNP once more. Haloti Ngata (back) and Jarret Johnson (shoulder) were present once again. Ed Reed was not present-but that just means it’s Friday. He’ll be listed with a neck/shoulder; but is not a concern.

11:13-Greetings from 1 Winning Drive, where the Ravens are holding a final walkthrough in preparation for Sunday’s trip to Minneapolis to face the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. Some quick notes:

-ESPN reported this morning that Ray Lewis has been fined $25,000 by the NFL for his hit on Chad Ochocinco last Sunday in the Ravens’ loss to the Bengals. According to Chris Mortensen, Ray intends to appeal the fine.
-Jared Gaither has yet to practice this week, despite telling reporters he would play Sunday. I would be surprised to see him on the field Sunday against the Vikes; but if he were somehow able to practice today I would certainly say he has a chance. His ability to move his neck from left to right is a major issue.
-I am hoping to address the “chip on their shoulder” factor with John Harbaugh today. I never know how he is going to react to questions-and he rarely answers relevant ones-so we’ll see. But John has not exactly hidden from motivational tactics in the past. He made clear to his team that they were hand-picked to be sacrificed to the Cowboys by Jerry Jones for the last game in Texas Stadium. His team has rallied around players and assistant coaches with ties to their opponents (i.e. Cam Cameron against the Dolphins, Rex Ryan against his brother Rob Ryan and the Raiders, Willie Anderson against the Bengals, John Matsko earlier this season against the Chiefs). With negative attention around Greg Mattison and the defense this week, it would not stun me if Harbs was trying to use it as motivation. He’ll never give us an honest answer, but I might try to get at least a general thought about motivating factors.

We’re heading to practice now, talk to you shortly.

-G

9:53-

Willie Anderson is next up. He talks about his decision to retire after last season. He states that he believed his body needed a break and he could not go through an entire season. He has not ruled out a return to football and believes he could return to the Ravens in the future, if the team needs him. He next talks about Jared Gaither and his physical tools. He gives credit to Ozzie Newsome for continuously finding players like Gaither that other teams have passed on.  

9:34-

Senior NFL.com writer Vic Carucci makes an appearance. he begins by discussing the trade of Braylon Edwards to the Jets. He thinks that Edwards’ personality will fit better with Rex Ryan than Eric Mangini. The different attitude may allow Edwards to better focus on games. Carucci next talks about how Bill Belichick is able to assemble different players to form strong teams each season. He states that the Denver Broncos have a legitimate defense and compares their team to the 2000 Ravens. He next speaks about the disappointing results for the Sand Diego Chargers this season. He explains they have struggled defensively, especially with the loss of Jamal Williams, and have no playmakers on that side of the ball.    

9:19-

Joe Trainer, coach of Towson’s next opponent Rhode Island is next up on the Comcast Morning Show. he starts off by discussing how strong the CAA is as a conference this season. He goes on to talk about how his program and Towson are in very similar situations. Both teams are in a rebuilding mode, have the same record, and have played a BCS school this year. He talks about the week-to-week process of building up a team. He states that he must maintain an even keel as coach of a team in this situation.  

9:10-

Joe Beninati, play-by-play voice of the Capitals makes an appearance. Drew describes how Beninati “broke his heart” with his call of the Flyers’ game winning goal. He also speaks about how the Capitals have fared so far this season. He describes how Semyon Varmalov has struggles this season, but should still be a solid goalie in the future.

8:35-

Allen McCallum comes on to talk about the end of the Orioles season. He describes how his excitement for next season is much greater than in any recent season. He states that Chone Figgins should be a priority for the team this offseason. He also believes that team should overpay for Jason Bay. This addition would allow the team to move either Nolan Reimold or Luke Scott to first base or to another team.  Allen next argues with Drew about the strategy the team should take moving forward. He thinks the team should try and let the young talent develop rather than buy high-priced free agents when the team is not yet ready to win. He states that Wieters, Matusz, Bergesen, Markakis, and Roberts are the only Orioles who are untouchable in trades.

8:29-

Some Breaking News: Braylon Edwards has been traded to the Jets.

7:58-

A caller talks to Drew about the future of the Orioles in comparison to the Twins. Drew points out that since the Orioles play in the American League East they must do more to become competitive than if they were members of the AL Central.

7:35-

Rob Ambrose makes an early appearance on the show. He talks about the Tigers’ loss to New Hampshire this past weekend. He stresses that the team will not transfer into a contender overnight and the team and fans must not forget the ultimate goal. He also speaks about his individual interactions with players during the game.

Early this morning there was a great deal of discussion on the death of former Ravens Tony Fein.  

Drew and Glenn also spoke about the possibility of DC United moving to play in a new stadium in Baltimore. Drew believes the city should wait until a new arena is built before moving on to a soccer stadium. On the other hand, Glenn thinks that if possible a stadium should be added first.

Drew also seems to be very angry about the result of the Capitals-Flyers game

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ0IOnNCL3w[/youtube].

There were a number of reasons why the New England Patriots were able to hold on and defeat the Baltimore Ravens Sunday in Foxborough, but there is one that can’t help but stick out at me with the game now in the books.

When the final horn sounded today, it was still evident to me that even considering how much progress Joe Flacco has made as an NFL quarterback, he’s still not quite on Tom Brady’s level.

Consider the plays on the game’s two most important drives:

After Dwan Edwards recovered a fumble to put the Ravens within 3 at 17-14 in the 3rd quarter; the Patriots went 79 yards in 6 plays to re-take a 10 point lead.

-Pass to Fred Taylor for 13 yards
-Pass to Sam Aiken for 26 yards
-Pass to Randy Moss for 20 yards
-Fred Taylor rush for 4 yards
-Kevin Faulk rush for 2 yards
-Pass to Randy Moss for 14 yard TD

Compare that to the Ravens’ final drive, which ended with a drop by Mark Clayton:

-Pass to Mark Clayton for 12 yards
-Pass to Derrick Mason for 11 yards
-Pass incomplete to Todd Heap (dangerous pass under pressure)
-Pass to Mark Clayton for 9 yards
-Flacco rush for 2 yards
-Pass to Clayton for 9 yards
-Ray Rice rush for 4 yards
-Flacco incomplete to Ray Rice (thrown high, in danger of being picked)
-Flacco to Rice for 13 yards
-Flacco incomplete to Clayton
-Pass to Kelley Washington for 6 yards
-Flacco incomplete to Mason (thrown to back arm)
-Flacco incomplete to Clayton

It isn’t as if Flacco played poorly on the Ravens’ final drive. In fact, he played ALMOST well enough to beat one of the AFC’s best teams on the road. But not quite.  Flacco threw dangerous passes twice, and put his receivers in tough spots at other times.

Flacco is REALLY good.

Brady is GREAT.

As of right now, that’s the biggest difference in why the New England Patriots are ahead* of the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC. (*via tiebreaker)

When the Patriots most desperately needed their QB to come through today, he did-in a BIG way.

When the Ravens most desperately needed their QB to come through today, he came JUST a bit short.

The Ravens are still 3-1, and will remain atop the AFC North-but I can comfortably say that this will not be the last time the Ravens will desperately need their QB to come through this season. And there might well be much more on the line the next time.

————————————–

-Following today’s loss, John Harbaugh chose not to openly criticize the officiating (for fear of the NFL office), but made it clear he wasn’t overly thrilled with the calls. Ray Lewis DID criticize the officiating, calling it “embarrassing”; and saying “I have kids just like Tom Brady has kids”, and he wants the same level of ‘respect’ that is given to the Patriots’ star QB.

-Brendon Ayanbadejo is likely done for the year with a torn quadricep tendon.
-Jared Gaither’s injury does not appear to be serious, but John Harbaugh did not set a timetable for his return.

-Hear from John Harbaugh, Terrell Suggs, and Joe Flacco in the Audio Vault at WNST.net. Ray Lewis’ comments are available at WNST.net via WNSTv

————–

4:27-Patriots will hold on for a 27-21 win after that drop. I’ll be back following the game.

4:25-Just when I was praising Derrick Mason……

4:24-Well, this isn’t exciting at all, is it? I almost don’t want to type-just enjoy.

4:22-The knock on Joe Flacco is that he’s never had to lead his team in a situation exactly like this. The only situation that was close was the end of the playoff game against the Titans, but that was a tie game-where they always had overtime to fall back on. This is a “touchdown or lose” situation. No pressure, Joe Cool.

4:21-Derrick Mason looks the player that I named my team MVP a season ago…..and that was a good move after the catch by Mark Clayton as well.

4:18-My apologies for the delay, I had to switch computers as this game closes. Huge defensive stand to get the ball back; now they can’t worry about getting cute-but can’t just chuck the ball on every play, either.

Good movement so far. They don’t want to leave the Patriots much time if they DO score either.

4:14-Having a review there would have been helpful, it appears.

4:13-The Ravens may REALLY wish they had a challenge left here in the 4th quarter.

4:10-Ray Rice on 3rd and 1? Don’t like that call. On 3rd and 2 you need someone who can get space. On 3rd and 1, you need to bull someone over. That’s not Ray Rice.

4:07-Didn’t like that challenge from Harbaugh. It came off as a challenge out of frustration instead of an intelligent decision based on what he truly believed happened on the play.

Pats extend their lead to 27-21, but the Ravens are still in this game-which MAY end before the Chargers and Steelers kick off tonight.

4:02-Ron Winter is not doing a good job of explaining this situation-either to John Harbaugh or to the crowd. I’m still even a bit concerned on the rule myself, here. Clearly by going to the booth, it means the play CAN be overruled; so what was he telling Harbs the first time they talked?

4:01-I think that was a GREAT place for Belichick to make that call. It didn’t end up working, but that was the EXACT place for him to make that call.

4:00-REALLY big play there by Suggs. Ravens have a chance.

3:58-The Patriots have not struggled to move the ball at all today. In order for teams to beat the Ravens; they have to establish some sort of ground game and THEN throw the ball. The Patriots have done that-unlike the Chargers.

3:55-If there was ever a time to make a stop on 3rd and short…….

3:53-He caught that ball (I think). Although, the Patriots aren’t showing the replay on the jumbotron like they did with the Bodden INT; which makes me think it’s pretty questionable. We’ll see.

3:50-Looks like Ayanbadejo’s left leg.

And the Skins held on to beat the Bucs. Damn.

7 here might ice this one for New England. There’s a lot of time, but having to rally from down 10 3 different times might be a bit too much.

3:47-I say the Ravens need to get off the field on 3rd down and they don’t. I say they can’t let the Patriots get across midfield and they’re already up to the Baltimore 35.

If I say the Ravens should let the Patriots score a TD will something good happen?

Brendon Ayanbadejo hurt. Ugh.

3:44-This is a huge down for the Ravens’ defense. Getting off the field would make a WORLD of difference.

3:40-And we have a ball game. Flacco to McGahee, and the Ravens are within 3. Hopefully the rest did this defense well. They need to keep the Patriots on THEIR side of the football field on this drive.

3:38-Some signs of life offensively; and they have allowed the defense to rest; which is the most important thing here. If they can punch this in for 7, we’ll actually have a ball game here in the 4th.

3:33-I’m usually the LAST person to buy into the “there have been a lot of bad calls today” theory, but did Leigh Bodden just somehow manage to get an offensive pass interference call there by just asking for one?

Questionable officiating. QUESTIONABLE. Nothing more.

3:28-Am I the kiss of death? Randy Moss with the very smart push on Domonique Foxworth-forcing him away from where Brady was going with the ball. That’s hard to defend for anyone. It could REALLY put the Ravens behind the 8 ball here in the 2nd half.

3:27-Ravens HAVE to make a stop here. They need to keep this a 1 possession game after getting the momentum from that fumble recovery.

3:25-So, this Tom Brady fella is pretty good. Nothing like having a QB who can REALLY rally his team after their opponent seizes momentum.

Ravens defense has been on the field a LOT today.

3:20-AND ALL AT ONCE EVERYTHING CHANGES! More pressure equals more success!

Terrell Suggs with the big sack. Dwan Edwards the TD. Suggs (437) is now the team’s all time leader in sack yardage.

The Ravens are alive again. Wow.

3:09-Why are the Patriots up 10 right now?

Ravens: 7 penalties for 70 yards
Patriots: 4 penalties for 35 yards

Also, if we ignore the Patriots’ final possession right before the half; New England has had 5 possessions. Three have resulted directly in scores; and the Patriots have had the ball on Baltimore’s side of the field on ALL FIVE.

Leigh Bodden was in a very fortunate position right there. Nice play by Haruki Nakamura to try to get something going on Special Teams.

3:04-Scott/Drew: This team has looked particularly rattled today. We don’t really know much about the emotions of this team yet because until now, nothing had gone wrong. Drew-the way you like to say that the hardest thing in the world to do is “stop losing”, sometimes it is just as hard to stop negative momentum when things are going wrong.

Jarret Johnson with the big sack there to get the defense off the field. Ravens REALLY need to get something going.

3:01-Regarding Gaither; apparently the CBS team said he was carted off for “precautionary reasons.” This would be good news, and certainly make me retract my earlier statement of the injury being a potential “season-changer.”

Also worth noting (maybe): I have had a couple of people tell me that they saw John Harbaugh mouth the words “he’s OK” to Ravens players as Gaither was carted off the field.

2:51-As painful as this has been, are the Titans really losing 27-3 to Jacksonville? Jeff Fisher can only do so much without having any really good players…..

2:40-Jared Gaither was taken to Mass General Hospital in Boston for tests on his neck and shoulders. He has movement in all of his extremities.

2:39-Leigh Bodden with the pick there, and it really did appear as though he got both feet down. What an AWFUL way for for this drive to end; as the Ravens now will go to the half in a world of trouble.

2:37-Statement drive from the Ravens thus far. They really need to answer here, especially with New England getting the ball to open the 2nd half. Safety James Sanders was helped off the field for the Patriots.

2:35-I’m not certain how that could have been anything but a catch from Kelley Washington. Maybe there’s something I’m not seeing?

2:32-Big effort from Ray Rice there to get the first down. The Ravens REALLY need to score here before the half.

Jared Gaither has apparently been taken to a hospital here in Boston. (Editor’s note: This was something I overheard, but was unable to confirm.)

2:28-The Ravens were bailed out there by a personal foul call on Mike Wright. I think Cam Cameron was smart to go back to the ground to start this drive. Clearly Joe has been rattled by struggles and the injury to Gaither.

2:21-Terrell Suggs called for another roughing the passer; as he apparently went to Brady’s knees. Again……I guess……

It looked like T-Sizzle may have gone towards Brady’s knees, but it didn’t appear as though he actually got them. This team is struggling right now, and needs to settle down.

2:15-It clearly appears to be a neck injury with Gaither, and they are working with particular concern for the big man. Already well-wishing is coming in at JG’s Twitter page.

Joe did the right thing there in getting rid of the ball, but you HAVE to get the ball back to the line of scrimmage to avoid intentional grounding. With the Gaither injury and things unraveling a bit recently offensively; the defense REALLY needs a hold here.

2:12-Overheard from Ravens’ PR staff: “He’s moving everything.”

This has the potential to be a season-changing injury for the Ravens. They are not deep at OT, it was one of the major concerns for this team coming out of Training Camp. You wonder if Willie Anderson has worked to get himself into game condition….

2:08-It is a MAJOR concern to see Jared Gaither down like this. Marshal Yanda would have to be the next man in with Oniel Cousins and Tony Moll inactive.

This looks VERY bad. VERY concerning.

2:04-The good news: Randy Moss’ mauling of Domonique Foxworth was the first time we’ve heard Moss’ name today. The bad news: the Ravens should have been off the field MUCH earlier on that drive, but allowed Sammy Morris to convert a major first down. The other good news: Ray Lewis and Dwan Edwards each got good hits on Flacco on that drive; and Ed Reed didn’t let Benjamin Watson get free.

1:52-Derrick Mason is not a jump ball receiver. I don’t know why they insist on trying to throw it to him that way.

1:47-We can use some good news:

Buccaneers 7, Redskins 0

Okay, I feel better.

1:45-The Ravens MUST get more pressure, clearly. But it is easier said than done against an all-world QB.

A lot of people are Tweeting/Facebooking that Brady didn’t get in. We are in the opposite endzone from them, so I couldn’t offer any perspective on that.

1:42-Two things about the end of the quarter:

1-I do NOT know what Ray Lewis was doing there. Stop asking.
2-The refs should not have measured, and it DID give Bill Belichick a free timeout. If you win 3 Super Bowls, you will also likely get advantages other coaches do not.

1:26-Okay, with Mason getting up, hopefully he will be okay. That looked awful live AND on the replay. But the Ravens are up 7-3 after that fantastic catch.

I don’t think I need to explain that the Ravens are a MUCH better team with Derrick Mason healthy. Hauschk was true on the XP to cap off a 15 play, 81 yard, 6:35 TD drive.

1:22-After all of the red zone success early in the season, this has looked more like a Billick/Boller trip inside the 20.

Congratulations to Michael Oher for his first career catch. Wish it would have been helpful.

HOLY CRAP Derrick Mason with the great catch. But he’s down and is in a lot of trouble it appears……..

1:21-Not sure I understood that 3rd down play call; but it worked-so it was a good call. The lob to Clayton wasn’t pretty.

1:15-Does it look like Flacco is zeroed in on Mason early on to anyone else? This offense is better when Joe is spreading the ball around to Washington, Clayton, Heap, etc.

Ray Rice is “shifty.” That’s why he’s dangerous.

1:14-I’m a little surprised Jared Gaither was called for a false start early, as it isn’t particularly loud here at Gillette Stadium.

1:11-The offensive line continues to do a HELL of a job keeping Joe Flacco’s jersey clean. He had ALL DAY to find Derrick Mason on that 3rd down pass.

1:10-The usually VERY composed Joe Flacco looked particularly rattled on his first two pass attempts. I’m surprised Cam Cameron would open via the air on the road.

Willis McGahee was the first running back in the game today, not Ray Rice.

1:08-That was only the 2nd time all season Tom Brady has been sacked, for the record.

1:06-The Pats may have taken an early 3-0 lead, but that’s a win for the Ravens. They HAVE to keep New England out of the endzone when they get inside the 20.

Sam Aiken started in place of Wes Welker; Kevin Faulk started in place of Fred Taylor; Chris Baker started in place of Benjamin Watson today for the Pats.

1:04-Ravens get an early test of exactly what I thought they would have to do to win the game. They have to hold the Pats to field goal tries in the red zone.

Also, Chris Carr is REALLY struggling at the KR position. He should never have even came out of the endzone there, even before he fumbled.

1:00-The atmosphere at Gillette Stadium is really awful. No electricity in the stadium before the game. This is truly one of the 5 towns left in the country where baseball comes first and everything else is just a nice distraction.

The “O” in the National Athem was VERY loud, and the Patriots fans have been stunned by the number of Ravens fans in town everywhere we’ve gone.

Stephen Gostkowski is set to kick off to Chris Carr. Pats won the toss, deferred to the 2nd half.

12:53-As if I need to remind you, the Ravens are 0-4 all-time against the Patriots. In the pre-game video presentation, highlights from the Patriots’ come from behind win in 2007 at M&T Bank Stadium (the Rex Ryan timeout game) were shown prominently. It is also kinda humorous to see a “16-0″ banner hanging in one corner of the stadium in a similar way to how the team has hung their Super Bowl banners. If I had played on that team, I’m not sure I would want that reminder of losing to the Giants out in Glendale constantly hanging in front of my face.

12:42-The only bad thing about making road trips is finding out how a song you love has become synonymous with a team you hate. For example, it is VERY difficult for me to hear “Renegade” by Styx (a GREAT song) because of how significant the tune is for the Steelers at Heinz Field. It is also particularly difficult for me to hear “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond considering that the Sawx have made it part of the experience at Fenway.

The Patriots just started playing “Baba O’Reilly” by The Who before introductions, and I was a bit concerned it might leave a foul taste in my mouth. It doesn’t appear as though they are using it in a particularly prominent way.

12:27-It is Breast Cancer Awareness weekend around the NFL….here is the note from the Patriots:

“The NFL and the Patriots are using today’s game to raise awareness about breast cancer. Throughout the league, games will feature players, coaches and referees wearing pink game apparel to raise awareness for the campaign, as well as on-field pink ribbon stencials, special K-balls and pink coins.

At Gillette Stadium, several Patriots players will be wearing pink apparel, the goalpost padding will be pink and the cheerleaders will be in pink. In partnership with Re/Max of New England and Mass. affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, staff throughout Gillette Stadium will be wearing pink ribbons and fans will have the opportunity to donate to breast cancer research. Fans will receive a pink ribbon for $2 or a pink rally towel for $5. Also, 10 breast cancer survivors will be the Patriots’ guests today and take part in a pregame ceremony.”

The Ravens told me that Matt Birk, Kelley Washington, Todd Heap, Derrick Mason, Joe Flacco and John Harbaugh’s entire coaching staff will be wearing pink cleats, gloves, hat bills, wristbands, etc. to recognize breast cancer awareness.

12:24-A reminder that Jim Nantz and Phil Simms have the call for today’s game on CBS. If you are out of town and not getting Ravens-Patriots on CBS; the game is broadcast nationally on radio via the Sports USA Radio Network; check for your local affiliate. Bob Fitzgerald, Ross Tucker, and Tony Graziani have the call for that broadcast.

12:21 The weather in Foxborough is cloudy (I guess you could call this overcast), but no rain really so far today. According to The Weather Channel, the temperatures should stay in the 60′s, and there is only a 10-20 percent chance of rain. Shouldn’t really have much of any impact on the game. Winds are only blowing at about 2 mph; not a whole lot of movement from the flags on the goalposts.

12:14-We are slowly getting pictures up from our New England Bus Trip via our Twitter account (@WNST), YouTube, and WNST.net. We had a great time at Fenway Park last night (as well as Newbury Comics, Daisy Buchanon’s, Cask & Flagon, and the other stops we made in Boston). The highlight for me was the line Brian from my bus gave upon pulling into Beantown:

“Look at all the Red Sox fans……I feel like I’m in Baltimore!”

Well played. The lobster rolls and Legal Sea Food Clam Chowder at Fenway was pretty good too.

12:11-One of the notes that a few Patriots reporters pointed out to me today was that Brian Hoyer (rookie-Michigan State) is one turned ankle away from being “the guy” for the New England Patriots. Matt Cassel handled the situation well last season when Tom Brady got hurt, but Cassel had been in the system for a while. Bill Belichick is putting a lot of trust (or maybe a lot of ego) into his rookie QB-who the Ravens actually took a look at before the Draft, and who shares an agent (Joe Linta) with Joe Flacco.

12:05-DT Vince Wilfork (ankle) and WR Wes Welker (knee) are both active for the Patriots; they were both question marks throughout the week. It will be interesting to see how much they can go. For the Ravens, DE Trevor Pryce, WR Derrick Mason and QB Troy Smith all battled the flu bug this week.

11:45 And now the Baltimore scratches:

QB John Beck (3rd QB)
RB Jalen Parmele
LB Tavares Gooden (head-possible concussion from Browns game)
OL Tony Moll
OT Oniel Cousins
TE Tony Curtis
DT Brandon McKinney
DT Kelly Talavou

This means OLB/DE Paul Kruger IS dressed for the first time in his rookie season. Also, Jameel McClain will start in place of Gooden; who suffered his injury on the same play where Ray Lewis got hurt last week against Cleveland (hit by “friendly fire” from Haloti Ngata.)

11:36-Greetings from the Press Box here at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, where the Baltimore Ravens put their 3-0 record on the line against the 2-1 New England Patriots.

Here are your scratches for the Pats:

WR Joey Galloway
CB Terrence Wheatley
DB Bret Lockett
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis
LB Jerod Mayo
OL Rich Ohrnberger
G Kendall Simmons
DL Ron Brace

-G

-Joe Flacco set new career highs for passing attempts (43), yards (307) and TD’s (3).
-Ray Rice ran for 100 yards for just the 2nd time in his NFL career (at Cleveland last season), but has still not scored a TD in his NFL career.
-The team set a new record with 501 total yards of offense.
-John Harbaugh described Tavares Gooden’s knee injury by saying it “looks like a sprain.” He will be re-evaluated tomorrow.
-John Harbaugh was not overly concerned with Steve Hauschka’s miss from 41 yards, saying the kicker’s boot was “really true”, but the wind pushed the kick. He says that will be something Hauschka learns the more he kicks.
-Harbaugh said the team decided to go for the TD at the end of the game instead of kicking a field goal because “more (bad) things can happen on a kicking play than on any other play.” He thought running the football from a half yard out of the endzone provided the “lowest risk” of anything they could have done.
-Offensive Line Coach John Matsko received the Gatorade bath from the team following the win. Matsko coached in Kansas City during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. As you’ll remember, Gatorade baths last season went to coaches or players with direct ties to the opponent that was defeated (Willie Anderson after the win over the Bengals, John Harbaugh after the win over the Eagles, Cam Cameron after the win over the Dolphins, Rex Ryan after the win over his brother Rob and the Raiders).
-The O-Line received praise from a number of players, including Ray Rice:
“Our offensive line, Matt Birk and those guys, I couldn’t give them enough credit. We were getting five or six yards at a time, and then those five or six yard runs started turning into 15-yard runs and 10-yard runs and 20-yard runs. That’s what good running teams do.”
-Kelly Gregg and Ray Lewis tied for the team high with 6 tackles (4 solo tackles each).
-Mark Clayton lead the team in receiving with 5 catches for 77 yards and the game winning TD. About catching the game-winner, Clayton said “it’s cool.” He also said he made a similar game-winning TD catch during his freshman season at Oklahoma.
-The Ravens tallied three sacks on the day. Jarret Johnson had 2, Trevor Pryce had the other. Due to the overturned Brodie Croyle fumble in the final two minutes, the Ravens did not force a turnover in the win.
-Larry Johnson-the last back to rush for 100 yards on the Ravens defense-was held to just 20 yards rushing. The streak now stands at 36 games of not allowing a 100 yard rusher.
-Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt would be my choice for player of the game on the KC side, as he punted 5 times for 246 yards, pinning the Ravens inside the 20 yard line twice. To find out who my Ravens player of the game would be, tune into “The Comcast Morning Show” with Drew Forrester Tuesday at 7am, where we’ll break down our “Tuesday Top 7.” FB Le’Ron McClain is scheduled to join Drew tomorrow morning at 9:40.
-Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop (who the Ravens had hoped to sign following last year’s NFL Draft) connected on a 53 yard field goal, which tied for the 3rd longest the Ravens have given up in their history. Succop was also very strong on kickoffs, including a touchback that went through the endzone. Assistant GM Eric DeCosta told Drew Forrester after the Draft that Succop was the kicker the Ravens wanted; but the Chiefs made him “Mr. Irrelevant” by selecting him with the final pick of the 7th round.
-Haloti Ngata lined up as a Tight End during two different goal line sets, but did not have a pass thrown his way.
-71,099 fans attended the game at M&T Bank Stadium

-G

(Thanks to WNST’s Luke Jones for helping me compile notes.)

Not a whole lot to add today. I’d appreciate if you checked my 15-7-0 and Top 10 Baseball Distractions from yesterday. All the good shtick is there. Today I’m just catching up.

Let’s see what everyone has to say….

Best of Monday’s WNST Blogs:

Glenn Clark says ‘calm’ feeling at 1 Winning Drive surrounding start to regular season

Glenn Clark thinks signing former Eagles WR Greg Lewis ‘would make sense’ for Ravens

Drew Forrester says WNST going back to Camden Yards next Tuesday

Glenn Clark says home opener at M&T Bank Stadium highlights non-baseball week

Glenn Clark thinks O’s looked sharp in Elite Giants uniforms Saturday

Ed Frankovic says Caps opened Rookie Camp Monday at Kettler Capitals Iceplex

ORIOLES:

The Official Site’s Spencer Fordin says Pie ‘fulfilling potential’

Red Sox Official Site’s Ian Browne says Clay Buchholz takes mound tonight for Sox vs. David Hernandez at Fenway Park

The Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec says Roberts staying ‘even keel’

The Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec says BoSox come to Baltimore with ‘slim chances’ in AL East race, 2 ½ game lead over Rangers for Wild Card

The Sun’s Dan Connolly says Uehara, Waters, McCrory to rejoin Birds today; Justin Turner, Guillermo Rodriguez to start first stint with Birds

The Sun’s Phil Rogers has Birds 30th in power rankings

The Sun’s Peter Schmuck says Brian Roberts ‘not afraid to stand up for’ Dave Trembley

Carroll County Times’ Rich Dubroff says Matusz doesn’t want rookie season to end

Frederick News-Post’s Stan Goldberg says Fiorentino finally made return to Baltimore over weekend

Sporting News’ Ryan Fagan has Birds 27th in power rankings

Fox Sports’ Aram Tolegian has Birds 27th in power rankings

ORIOLES MINOR LEAGUES:

Norfolk Tides Official Site says Krynzel homered to lift Tides past Durham in season finale

Bowie Baysox Official Site says Tanaka loser as Baysox fell to Harrisburg in season finale

Frederick Keys Official Site says Sean Gleason got no decision as Keys shut out by Wilmington in season finale

Delmarva Shorebirds Official Site says Mattaliano loser as Shorebirds fell to Lakewood

The Sun’s Dean Jones Jr. says Josh Bell homered for Baysox in loss to Senators

Carroll County Times’ Matt Zenitz says Waring, Britton got rare sweep of Carolina League awards

Frederick News-Post says Keys’ Widlansky won batting title in Carolina League

Virginian-Pilot says Jim Miller got win in relief for Tides over Bulls

RAVENS:

The Official Site’s Mike Duffy says John Harbaugh ‘all but ruled out’ chance of Willie Anderson returning to Baltimore

Kansas City Chiefs Official Site previews Chiefs-Ravens

Kansas City Chiefs Official Site offers complete Baltimore-KC release (pdf)

Kansas City Chiefs Official Site says Haley thought Cassel getting on practice field ‘positive’ sign he might play Sunday

The Sun’s Jamison Hensley says Chiefs in similar place as Ravens were last year heading into Bengals game

The Sun’s Jamison Hensley says Western Tech alum Foxworth getting ‘hundreds’ of ticket requests for opener

The Sun’s Mike Preston says Ravens hope Tony Moll at least ‘serviceable’ for O-Line

The Sun’s Mike Preston says Ozzie Newsome ‘wasn’t willing to part with’ defensive talent to add another receiver

The Sun’s Kevin Van Valkenburg says Maryland Zoo in Baltimore will oversee care for live mascots Rise and Conquer

The Sun’s Mike Preston says Suggs’ stance only difference in Greg Mattison’s defense

Carroll County Times’ Aaron Wilson says Chiefs coming to Baltimore ‘rife with uncertainties’

Carroll County Times’ Aaron Wilson says Harbaugh ‘confident’ in Hauschka

Kansas City Star’s Adam Teicher says Haley ‘wouldn’t commit’ to Cassel being ready to play Sunday against Ravens

SI’s Peter King says Ravens made ‘no news’ on cut day, could still add David Tyree

Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez says 52 again ‘leader’ for Ravens defense

All ESPN.com analysts pick Ravens to finish 2nd in AFC North-except Paul Kuharsky & Len Pasquarelli (1st), Seth Wickersham (3rd)

ESPN.com’s James Walker says Flacco ‘looks like real deal’

ESPN.com’s James Walker says Ravens-Chiefs amongst bigger ‘mismatches’ of Week 1

TERRAPINS FOOTBALL:

The Official Site previews Maryland-James Madison

The Official Site offers complete Terps-Dukes release (pdf)

JMU Official Site previews Madison-Maryland

JMU Official Site offers complete Dukes-Terps release (pdf)

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says Kevin Barnes, Edwin Williams, Stephon Heyer made Skins roster, Scott Burley did not

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says loss to James Madison or Middle Tennessee State could be ‘season-breaker’

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says Bruce Campbell dealing with turf toe

The Sun’s Matt Bracken says future Terp Tyler Smith had big weekend

The Diamondback’s Greg Schimmel says loss to Bears second worst of Friedgen’s tenure

The Diamondback’s Aaron Kraut says Force3 to give away shirts at Clemson game

Washington Post’s John Feinstein says Terps part of ‘Irrelevant’ ACC

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens doesn’t expect Terps to get many more primetime games

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Madison using Drew Dudzik, Justin Thorpe at QB

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Moise Fokou (Philadelphia), Edwin Williams (Washington) making teams means 24 former Terps on active NFL rosters

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens thinks Terps have decent chance of being upset by Madison

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Don Brown’s defense gave up most yards by Terps unit since Orange Bowl vs. Florida in January ‘02

USA Today’s Andy Gardiner says Terps, ACC ‘struggled’ early on

Terrapin Times’ Mark Clem says prospect Doug Furman ready to start campus visits (must subscribe)

NAVY FOOTBALL:

The Official Site previews Navy-Louisiana Tech Saturday

The Official Site says tickets available for Saturday’s home opener at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium

The Official Site says Antron Harper, Anthony Gaskins amongst best O-Linemen in last 50 years for Midshipmen

The Official Site says Niumatalolo trying to get Mids to ‘turn the page’ from Ohio State loss

Annapolis Capital’s Bill Wagner says DB Darius Terry suspended for at least 4 weeks

Washington Post’s Camille Powell says Mids hoping they learned lessons in Columbus that will help them for rest of season

Washington Examiner’s Kevin Dunleavy says Dobbs was ‘spectacular’ for Mids in loss to Bucks

Go Mids’ Adam Nettina offers final breakdown of Buckeyes-Mids (must subscribe)

NAVY BASKETBALL:

The Official Site says ESPN, NBA TV to televise David Robinson’s induction to Hall of Fame Friday night

MT. ST. MARY’S BASKETBALL:

The Official Site says trips to Oklahoma, Georgetown highlight schedule for Mountaineers

Frederick News-Post says Eers’ home opener November 21 vs. Greyhounds

BALTIMORE MARINERS:

The Official Site offers details on open tryouts

HORSE RACING:

Daily Racing Form’s David Grening says owner Jess Jackson believes Rachel Alexandra ‘not likely’ to race again in ‘09

SOME QUICK THOUGHTS:

-Forrester is INSANE for thinking the Birds won’t get swept in Boston this week. Sorry fellas.

Talk to you tomorrow.

-G

3:23-Little to take from the first press conference of the regular season, but since I’m your trusted Ravens analyst, I guess I’ll try to break some stuff down for you anyway.

I can’t help but notice the “calm” presence around the organization this year. With the head coach in his 2nd year now and the QB position settled; there is a greater sense of “normality” around this team. No one is on the hot seat, none of the players are acting like divas, and there aren’t any MAJOR questions football-wise.

When John Harbaugh said that winning a Championship was an “unspoken” goal, it really conveyed to me the level of confidence this team currently has. They don’t NEED to talk about winning championships because there’s not a man in the organization that doesn’t believe they can.

To say that this is “business is usual” might be passing it off too easily, but it REALLY does feel that way. There’s a football game Sunday, and then there are at least 15 more after that. The team thinks they will probably win more of those football games than they will lose.

You can hear from John Harbaugh NOW in the Audio Vault at WNST.net. The team is off tomorrow, but you will hear more throughout the week on AM1570 and WNST.net.

3:00-John Harbaugh:

-”We went through each and every guy. Everybody had their say” before team made cuts.
-”We think we kept the 53 best guys at this time that we could.”
-”Obviously we’re confident” in Hauschka. “He’s gonna miss some kicks.” Team will be watching how he “handles” misses.
-Frank Walker is a “heck of a football player.”
-”We can play with” 4 Wide Receivers. Safe to assume other players on roster could line up at Wide Receiver.
-”We know what we’re up against” with Chiefs.
-Chiefs have advantage with new staff, as other teams don’t know yet what they’re going to do.
-”We’re not sure” whether Marshal Yanda can go the whole game Sunday
-”Unspoken” that the ultimate goal is to win a Championship.
-”We talk to Willie (Anderson) all the time”, he’s not physically ready to play NFL football right now.

2:08-You can hear from both Derrick Mason and Domonique Foxworth NOW in the Audio Vault at WNST.net.

For reference, Ravens VP/”Grand Poobah” of the PR Department Kevin Byrne let us know after Domonique spoke that players receive just two comp tickets to every home game. He also said players receive NO comps for away games.

1:52-Domonique Foxworth:

-”What (Matt) Cassel did with Patriots last year was amazing.”
-”I’ve gotten probably over a couple hundred ticket requests for this game.” (He’s getting ten tickets.)
-Used to say he was a fan of whatever team would pay him, but now plays for the team he actually rooted for.
-”I always thought Ozzie was the best talent evaluator in the league.”
-I feel like I’ve “let loose” with Ravens defense.

1:39-Derrick Mason:

-Mark Clayton “is gonna be great this year.”
-Offense is “light years” ahead of where we were last year
-Shoulder is fine…..”it’s football.”
-My motivation was to win a Super Bowl…….”I’m starving”
-”Possibly my last year”
-”I think everyone bought into” Harbaugh. “We know what to expect from him, he knows what to expect from us. Everyone knows what to expect from Coach.”
-”To have Lorenzo (Neal) back would be a plus.”

1:32-We’re back out at 1 Winning Drive; where John Harbaugh’s first weekly press conference of the regular season is scheduled at 3pm. We’re also expected to hear from WR Derrick Mason and CB Domonique Foxworth today.

Just a couple of quick notes:

-Obviously the “Tony Pashos to Baltimore” rumors can be squashed, as he signed in San Francisco. He joins former Ravens O-Line coach Chris Foerster.
-Todd Haley and Larry Johnson are scheduled for conference calls this week with the Baltimore media. Usually a QB is scheduled for a call.

-G

1:45-A Ravens executive has told me that he is not aware of any conversations the team has had with Willie Anderson regarding a possible comeback. He did remind me that Willie is a “very good player”, but might not be in current playing shape.

1:40-A reminder to sign up for the WNST Text Service! We will get you the cut/roster info tomorrow as SOON as it is available. I will also be available throughout the day at WNST.net for instant analysis. It takes a lot to interrupt a day of college football viewing for me, and I will absolutely NOT be available after 10pm when Maryland/Cal kicks off. But with the deadline coming at 6pm, I should have plenty of time.

1:30-As I mentioned with Drew this morning and later with Bob; if I were to make any changes to the 53 man mock roster I put together Wednesday; I would probably replace Matt Lawrence with WR Jayson Foster. I think Jayson offers special teams help and can play as a 5th receiver if need be. This is all contingent on the team not adding a WR who may be cut.

1:15-A lot is being made of the comments made by Willie Anderson via Twitter last night. I’m not sure how much to make of them, but I can tell you that I have reached out to Willie via personal email and via Twitter message to try to get some clarification. Willie is on Twitter using the name WillAnderson79, and made these comments last night:

“Just had to inform Raven’s coaching staff and manangement that for now I’m staying retired.”
“They’ve been in talks with me since May about coming back. I wanted to come back too!”
“Not saying that down the line if they need I won’t come back. I know I can play for 3 more years so who knows what may happen down the line”
“Plus I feel God has something great planned for me after Football. I wanna help try and save these kids out here in the world”
“But Who knows! We all say that till week 6 we feel like we wanna go back. I’m gon get a chance to celebrate my son’s bday for 1st time”
“He was born in Sept. I’m never home! I finally got a chance to seee him attend 1st day of school. I’ve spent so much time this August wi”
“I’ve been playing football in August since 1986. 11 years old playing for The Trinity Gardens little league midgets team”
“Then I went to JR High, High School 3 years of College, 13 years of Pro Football. 200 games to be exact!”
“Like I said who knows how I feel next week! I’m just trusting in God what I always believed that his plan will continue success for me!”
“That’s 200 games in the Pros for those of you keeping score or count. Lol”

So much to take from all of that, which is why I’m hoping for a response from Willie today. This all appears to have come about from Willie hearing that Andre Smith was hurt, and Tweeting earlier in the week that he couldn’t return to the Bengals because the Ravens hold his rights. John Harbaugh mentioned earlier this year that Willie had an emotional conversation with Ozzie Newsome regarding what it meant to be a retired football player. I’m not sure how that conversation would have lead to the Ravens asking Willie to come back to the team; but they CERTAINLY need help at the Offensive Tackle position.

Behind rookie Michael Oher and Jared Gaither, the team has Oniel Cousins (battling an ankle injury) and a group of players who likely won’t make the team (Stefan Rodgers, Tre Stallings, Joe Reitz). They will almost HAVE to scan the cut lists this week to see if anyone might become available. Willie Anderson would be a logical choice as they maintain his rights.

On the Willie Anderson side of the picture, he has every right to not want to race back and play football. However, the Ravens may not want Willie Anderson as much as they just want a veteran tackle. Should they choose to add another player; there is no guarantee they’ll still have interest in Willie if and when he feels like he’s ready to return.

1:06-Very awkward vibe coming from the Ravens locker room today. This morning’s practice was in shorts; but ran a half hour longer than scheduled. Following the practice, the mood in the locker room appeared to be a bit more awkward, as many players were unaware of their own personal futures, and others were unaware of what the future had in store for their friends and teammates. The team is not scheduled to gather again until after tomorrow’s cut, and there will be 22 fewer men on the roster when they gather.

I posted some sound in the Audio Vault at WNST.net from Lardarius Webb, Yamon Figurs, and Ray Rice. I also spent a few moments talking privately with some of the guys whose future is up in the air (Jason Cook, Matt Lawrence, Steve Hauschka, Prescott Burgess, etc.); and some of the guys intimated that they were playing the waiting game. They will learn their fate via phone call tomorrow; as they are not scheduled to be here in Owings Mills.

11:09-The Ravens have gathered this morning for some minimal on-field work. I’m not sure what the nature of the work is (may be nothing more than keeping guys crisp as they won’t go again until Wednesday), but it is obviously rare to do anything onfield the day after a game.

The bigger story today will be watching the attitudes of the players who are awaiting word on their professional future tomorrow. Last night’s win over the Falcons provided minimal clarity (if none at all), and a lot of guys are sweating out the next 18 hours or so as they await word.

One of the things we haven’t talked much about is the idea that some players could be hidden on IR this season. UFA LB Dannell Ellerbe and LB Jason Phillips jump out at me on that list. Ellerbe has battled a knee injury throughout the last weeks, and Phillips came into Training Camp off a knee injury at the NFL Draft Combine. Both are guys this organization likes, but both would be question marks on the 53 man roster.

I mentioned this morning on “The Comcast Morning Show” with Drew Forrester that the one change I would make to my projected 53 man roster from Wednesday would be to take Matt Lawrence OFF the roster and replace him with Jayson Foster. I don’t know that Foster is ABSOLUTELY one of the 53 best football players on this team; but I do think the Ravens could line him up as a WR in an emergency situation and certainly use him on Special Teams.

All of this can change in an instant based on what players become available elsewhere in the NFL. I have warned before that the Ravens feel as though they have MORE than 53 good players (and John Harbaugh reiterated the sentiment post-game in Atlanta last night), but there are areas they will likely be willing to consider additions. A veteran receiver would be a possibilty, as would someone who could provide depth at OT. BUT, Ozzie Newsome is not thinking he HAS to add players like that. If the Eagles cut a Reggie Brown or Hank Baskett, that would be a natural fit. If a player like Willie Anderson (who the Ravens added last season) were available, that would ALSO be a natural fit. But they will NOT just go out and sign a receiver or Tackle for no reason.

The deadline to have the roster down to 53 is 6pm Saturday. I expect we will approach 6pm before we get the list.

-G