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Five questions
The Ravens entered their bye week with a 5-2 record and a two-win cushion over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North. But as players enjoy hard-earned downtime back at their offseason homes or in warmer, sunnier locales, coach John Harbaugh and his staff are trying to tackle a handful of ongoing concerns that were exploited in Sunday's 43-13 loss to the Houston Texans.
"It's going to be on our shoulders. It's going to be our opportunity to see what we can do with those nine games, and we're going to attack those things with 'an enthusiasm unknown to mankind,' to quote a great coach," Harbaugh said, giving a not-so-subtle nod to his father, Jack.
Among the things the Ravens will need to attack are their inconsistent offense, a toothless pass rush, a run defense that allowed an average of 207.3 rushing yards the past three games, and their tendency to start slowly away from M&T Bank Stadium. And they must do it with urgency.
The Ravens hit the road again after the bye week to take on the Cleveland Browns and then host the Oakland Raiders a week later, followed by road trips to Pittsburgh and San Diego in back-to-back weeks. Other tough opponents after that include the Steelers (again), Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, and New York Giants, who are the defending Super Bowl champions.
"I think these next couple of weeks are going to be big," outside linebacker Paul Kruger said. "This bye came at a perfect time. I feel like we're going to get our bodies back, get our rest and it will be easier to come back and refocus and get the excitement back and come in strong."
(Thomas Campbell, US Presswire /October 26, 2012)
The Ravens entered their bye week with a 5-2 record and a two-win cushion over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North. But as players enjoy hard-earned downtime back at their offseason homes or in warmer, sunnier locales, coach John Harbaugh and his staff are trying to tackle a handful of ongoing concerns that were exploited in Sunday's 43-13 loss to the Houston Texans.
"It's going to be on our shoulders. It's going to be our opportunity to see what we can do with those nine games, and we're going to attack those things with 'an enthusiasm unknown to mankind,' to quote a great coach," Harbaugh said, giving a not-so-subtle nod to his father, Jack.
Among the things the Ravens will need to attack are their inconsistent offense, a toothless pass rush, a run defense that allowed an average of 207.3 rushing yards the past three games, and their tendency to start slowly away from M&T Bank Stadium. And they must do it with urgency.
The Ravens hit the road again after the bye week to take on the Cleveland Browns and then host the Oakland Raiders a week later, followed by road trips to Pittsburgh and San Diego in back-to-back weeks. Other tough opponents after that include the Steelers (again), Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, and New York Giants, who are the defending Super Bowl champions.
"I think these next couple of weeks are going to be big," outside linebacker Paul Kruger said. "This bye came at a perfect time. I feel like we're going to get our bodies back, get our rest and it will be easier to come back and refocus and get the excitement back and come in strong."
(Thomas Campbell, US Presswire /October 26, 2012)
The Ravens have been fined $20,000 by the NFL for violating the league's procedures for reporting injury information, a punishment stemming from failing to list free safety Ed Reed on the injury report, according to an NFL spokesman.
The NFL made a formal inquiry, reviewing practice and game video before determining that Reed should have been listed on the injury report due to the torn labrum in his shoulder and because he fully participated.
Reed first publicly revealed the injury Oct. 17 prior to the Ravens' 43-13 loss to the Houston Texans and initially said on a 105.7 The Fan radio program that it was affecting his play, reversing his stance a day later in the locker room and saying the injury wasn't bothering him.
Regardless, the NFL emphasized the Ravens had erred by omitting Reed from the injury report.
The injury report states: "All players with significant or noteworthy injuries must be listed on the report, even if the player takes all the reps in practice, and even if the team is certain that he will play in the upcoming game. This is especially true of key players and those players whose injuries have been covered extensively by the media."
Earlier this week, Ravens coach John Harbaugh defended the team not listing Reed on the injury report.
"I have no problem with that, the game tape and the practice tape," Harbaugh said. "What they'll find is that he's practiced 100 percent all of the time and played in all of the games. He hasn't missed any game time because of injuries. Our understanding of the rule has been that if they don't miss any time because of injury they don't have to be on the injury report. So, there's some nuances there.
"I'm very confident that we understand that rule as well as anyone in the league. We've kept the injury report very tight. We've kept it to the guys that have to be on the injury report, not that we're trying to hide any injuries, but we could do what some other teams do and put a bunch of guys on there. I'd be just as happy to do that. We could put all of the guys on the injury report. Whatever they tell us to do, we'll do. We're trying to follow the rules."
The NFL previously fined the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins $20,000 apiece for injury report violations involving defensive end Mario Williams and quarterback Robert Griffin III, respectively.
Last week, Reed downplayed the severity of the injury and not being on the injury report.
"I ain't drop no bombshell, man," Reed said. "I ain't no pitcher. I don't play baseball. ... I don't know why it doesn't go on. I'm sure a lot of guys have been through this league and had injuries and it's not reported.
"That's the physical part of the game and a part of the game that the fans and y'all don't anything about. That's the part that we have to deal with from a worker's compensation situation, so to say."
Meanwhile, strong safety Bernard Pollard was fined $7,875 for unnecessary roughness for a facemask penalty against the Texans.
awilson@baltsun.com
The NFL made a formal inquiry, reviewing practice and game video before determining that Reed should have been listed on the injury report due to the torn labrum in his shoulder and because he fully participated.
Regardless, the NFL emphasized the Ravens had erred by omitting Reed from the injury report.
The injury report states: "All players with significant or noteworthy injuries must be listed on the report, even if the player takes all the reps in practice, and even if the team is certain that he will play in the upcoming game. This is especially true of key players and those players whose injuries have been covered extensively by the media."
Earlier this week, Ravens coach John Harbaugh defended the team not listing Reed on the injury report.
"I have no problem with that, the game tape and the practice tape," Harbaugh said. "What they'll find is that he's practiced 100 percent all of the time and played in all of the games. He hasn't missed any game time because of injuries. Our understanding of the rule has been that if they don't miss any time because of injury they don't have to be on the injury report. So, there's some nuances there.
"I'm very confident that we understand that rule as well as anyone in the league. We've kept the injury report very tight. We've kept it to the guys that have to be on the injury report, not that we're trying to hide any injuries, but we could do what some other teams do and put a bunch of guys on there. I'd be just as happy to do that. We could put all of the guys on the injury report. Whatever they tell us to do, we'll do. We're trying to follow the rules."
The NFL previously fined the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins $20,000 apiece for injury report violations involving defensive end Mario Williams and quarterback Robert Griffin III, respectively.
Last week, Reed downplayed the severity of the injury and not being on the injury report.
"I ain't drop no bombshell, man," Reed said. "I ain't no pitcher. I don't play baseball. ... I don't know why it doesn't go on. I'm sure a lot of guys have been through this league and had injuries and it's not reported.
"That's the physical part of the game and a part of the game that the fans and y'all don't anything about. That's the part that we have to deal with from a worker's compensation situation, so to say."
Meanwhile, strong safety Bernard Pollard was fined $7,875 for unnecessary roughness for a facemask penalty against the Texans.
awilson@baltsun.com
