With one sack to show for the past three games, the Ravens' pass rush has become a rumor.
The Ravens never got to Jon Kitna in Cincinnati last week. Two Sundays ago, they got to Tennessee's Steve McNair once. When they were in Miami, Ray Lucas had carte blanche.
The prolonged absence of Ray Lewis, the best defensive player in the NFL, and veteran pass-rusher Michael McCrary has affected the Ravens' ability to pressure the quarterback, but coach Brian Billick's spin on the issue goes deeper than that, into the secondary.
With Chris McAlister, a top cover cornerback, missing three games and being less than 100 percent healthy last week in his return from an ankle injury, Billick suggested that defensive coordinator Mike Nolan wasn't free to let the hounds loose. As a result, the frequency of blitzes has dropped significantly.
"That has more do with Chris McAlister not being up," Billick said. "We're more vulnerable on the back end in certain situations. When we've got good matchups, we'll put more pressure on."
McAlister, cornerback James Trapp (chest) and tight end John Jones (knee) remained probable on the week's final injury report, and quarterback Chris Redman (back) stayed questionable.
Billick, meanwhile, was not ready to divulge the starter at free safety, where rookie Will Demps got his 10th start last week but was replaced by Anthony Mitchell.
New surface
Kicker Matt Stover was the happiest man in the locker room that the playing surface at Ravens Stadium was resodded. Five high school games in three days over the Thanksgiving holiday made a bigger mess of a field that did not hold up well in last summer's drought, conditions that had Stover talking with the acumen of an agronomist.
"From my understanding, it's a brand new Bermuda [grass] field, just like it was, with a rye overseed," Stover said. "They've got it cut short, but not too short, which will make it good and fast. There was not enough rain in the course of the summer. ... When it was top-dressed with sand, the sand stayed on top, and that made it loose and sandy. ... Everybody's happy. When you have sure footing, that creates an atmosphere for fewer injuries."
Arledge's influence
More than most, Art Modell appreciated the influence of Roone Arledge, the ABC executive whose proposal to bring pro football to prime time changed the face of American sport and added to the wealth of NFL owners. Under the urgings of Arledge, Monday Night Football originated in 1970, in Cleveland, when Modell's franchise played there.
"He was the most powerful man in the history of TV," Modell said. "He made sports on television. His vision, his courage, his convictions, there's nobody like him. He came to us about Friday night football. Pete Rozelle [then NFL commissioner] and I went to see Lee Iacocca, from the Ford Motor Co. at the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency. He chomped on his cigar, said, 'Give me the eyeballs [viewers], and I'll pay for it.'
"Congress got wind of it, and came crashing down on the NFL and the networks. That's why no pro games can be played on Friday and Saturday until their [high school and college] seasons are over. I don't know how Monday came up ... but it's been a fabulous series."
Next for Ravens
Matchup:Ravens (6-6) vs. New Orleans Saints (8-4)
Site:Ravens Stadium
When:Tomorrow, 4:05 p.m.
TV/Radio:Ch. 45/WJFK (1300 AM), WQSR (102.7 FM)
Line:Saints by 2 1/2
SunSpot:For more coverage, visit sunspot.net/ravens