Every morning, Monday through Friday, blogger Matt Vensel will hook you up with reading material -- mostly on the Ravens but with some other Baltimore sports stuff, too -- to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday. That way he'll have an excuse to do the same to start his workday, too.
RUNNING IT BACK
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Monday that he will consider making changes to his inconsistent offense. … Mike Preston says the Ravens need to know when to say when with the passing game. … Joe Flacco just isn't the same quarterback on the road. … Harbaugh admitted he didn't expect linebacker Terrell Suggs to play that much against the Houston Texans. … Harbaugh defended not putting safety Ed Reed on the injury report. … The Ravens brought back linebacker Sergio Kindle, signing him to their practice squad.
RAVENS STUFF, BUT NOT FROM US
The Ravens sure don't look like a 5-2 team. … The Texans rule the AFC, but don't dismiss the Ravens. … The coaches are putting themselves under the microscope during the bye week. … The Ravens want more balance offensively. … Flacco didn't complete a pass beyond 10 yards Sunday. … Texans defensive end J.J. Watt says he eats burritos the size of running back Ray Rice.
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
With the Ravens now on their bye, I will retire this section until next week. To tide you over, here are pictures of Ravens cheerleaders.
SHAMELESS PLUG OF THE DAY
Here are my weekly premature NFL power rankings. The Ravens took a fall after Sunday's 43-13 loss, but they are still in the top 10.
OUTSIDE OF BALTIMORE
The Chicago Bears beat the Detroit Lions, 13-7, on "Monday Night Football." … The Carolina Panthers fired general manager Marty Hurney (I assume for coveting running backs as if he was playing fantasy football). … The Kansas City Chiefs say that Brady Quinn is their starting quarterback. … The Washington Redskins signed tight end Chris Cooley after losing Fred Davis for the season.
