TV call 'nice 'n' easy'

What a pleasure to listen to Jim Nantz and Phil Simms telecasting a Ravens game after the past two weeks of Dick Enberg and Dan Fouts, and Brian Billick and Thom Brennaman. As Frank Sinatra put it in a 1960 LP, "Nice 'n' easy does it every time."

Of course, Nantz and Simms only make it sound easy. After listening to all the misinformation and flat-out confusion at times from Enberg last week, you realize how much preparation goes into supplying the kind of smooth and steady stream of background information and context that Simms and Nantz offered throughout Sunday's victory over the Oakland Raiders.

How anyone who heard Simms could think Billick is in the same league is beyond me. Not only is Simms fabulously prepared, but he also deftly makes his points when they matter without the slightest bit of the boy-am-I-smart, hot dog about it.

Immediately after Oakland's first-half touchdown, Simms explained over a replay how Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was essentially playing safety on the pass play and got taken in by a head fake from the receiver.

"They've been playing that defense a lot," Simms said with the authority one gets only from doing his homework with game tapes.

The only fact Simms didn't have at his fingertips was the name of the Ravens center who made a key block, according to the analyst, on Baltimore's first TD. But he didn't try to fake it either. He made it clear that he couldn't remember Matt Birk's name and asked Nantz to help him out. There did not seem to be a phony, act-like-you-know moment from either of these guys.

And while some play-by-play announcers seem to always be scrambling to keep up with the action on the field, Nantz was on top of it and often ahead of everyone else. Case in point: Near the end of the first half, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco crossed the line of scrimmage and then threw a pass downfield. Nantz called the penalty before anyone on the field seemed to notice - including the referees or Ravens players and coaches. Nantz is incredibly quick and nimble mentally and verbally. And he always seems to have something worthwhile to say. There is not an ounce of gasbag in him.

One of the nicest aspects of this broadcast team is that it doesn't try to force humor the way some of the less successful, showboat "Monday Night Football" crews have on ABC and ESPN. And yet, these announcers can be amusing in a low-key, self-deprecating way. As viewers were shown videotape of a catch and long run by former Ravens tight end Shannon Sharpe, Simms joked about how much Sharpe, who is now a CBS Sports broadcaster working out of the network's New York studio, was probably enjoying the blast from the past as he sat in his "personal dressing room ... with the star on the door."

Nantz responded by suggesting that Simms had a "personal dressing room with a star on the door," too, didn't he?

"I keep demanding one, but nobody listens. That's my problem," Simms said, laughing.

Just a little easygoing banter about contracts, egos and star billing - or lack of it - to bring a little bit of background fun with a video clip.

Nice 'n' easy did it almost every time Sunday on CBS.

- David Zurawik

Superman, yes; red cape, no

He didn't wear a red cape and goofy tights, but Willis McGahee was definitely the Ravens' Superman in their 21-13 win over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, a win that propels them into the playoffs.

The Ravens didn't pass too well against the Raiders, but, boy, did they run the ball well, with McGahee rushing for 167 yards and three touchdowns and the Ravens grinding out 240 yards on the ground.

And McGahee's thrilling 77-yard TD run in the second quarter might have been the team's most exciting play of the season, punctuated by a stiff-arm that left Raiders free safety Hiram Eugene sprawled on the turf.

Ravens fans might have wondered where McGahee has been in the second half of the season.

But they have to be glad he finally showed up big-time when the Ravens needed him most.

- Kevin Cowherd

Good, but not great

The Ravens and their fans obviously will take that 21-13 victory over the Oakland Raiders, which was workmanlike and did not feature a lot of stupid mistakes, so you have to consider it progress.

There was one pass-interference penalty on Chris Carr, but you couldn't fault his effort on the bang-bang play. I've seen a lot worse not called against the guys who have been trying to beat up Derrick Mason all season.

If Job 1 was to win the game and Job 2 was to avoid those self-destructive penalties, mission accomplished.

That said, it was far from an impressive victory in a game the Ravens had to win to reach the playoffs and needed to win cleanly and convincingly to carry any momentum into the postseason.

They have gotten it done against losing teams throughout the John Harbaugh era, but this was a lot more suspenseful than it should have been.

- Peter Schmuck