brandon williams football linebacker

With Ray Rice parked on the sideline in street clothes after suffering a hip injury last weekend, Bernard Pierce made his first NFL start Sunday against the Houston Texans. Predictably, it was his busiest afternoon to date. Here is a deeper look at that and other observations from the NFL's official snap counts.

Ravens wide receiver Tandon Doss was in an introspective mood Sunday following the most successful play of his NFL career.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that Ray Rice will be a game-time decision for Sunday's game against the Houston Texans but he's listed as doubtful on injury report.

Ravens star running back Ray Rice suffered a strained left hip flexor Sunday in the fourth quarter of a 14-6 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Ravens defensive lineman Arthur Jones is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. Running back Bernard Pierce is also questionable and offensive tackle Michael Oher is listed as probable.

We knew the Ravens would be in the nickel a lot against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. They probably had to use it even more than expected as the Broncos went three-wide on more than 75 percent of their plays. As a result, Jimmy Smith, Corey Graham and Lardarius Webb played significant snaps.

Thursday's season opener against the Denver Broncos was a costly game for the Ravens' offense and special teams in terms of injuries as two key players left the game nursing ailments.

The temperature, play of the Ravens' cornerbacks and the return of Elvis Dumervil to Denver all could figure prominently tonight.

The Denver Broncos have made it official, ruling out 12-time Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey for Thursday night's opener against the Ravens with a foot injury.

Ravens defensive lineman Arthur Jones remains sidelined with an undisclosed illness.

With the Ravens needing to cut down their roster from 75 to 53 by Saturday at 6 p.m., there will undoubtedly be some anxious moments for many players over the next two days. However, recent history suggests that the 10 members from the team¿s 2013 draft class shouldn¿t worry.

Especially since the 6-foot-1, 335-pound third-round draft pick recorded his first NFL sack against elusive Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, a former top overall pick of the draft and Heisman Trophy winner who won a national championship at Auburn.

The Ravens reported no serious injuries with outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil suffering a slight groin injury and rookie safety Matt Elam tweaked his ankle, according to coach John Harbaugh.

Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb looks so much more comfortable than he did two weeks ago. You can see the difference when he participates in individual position drills early in every practice.

The Baltimore sports scene is blessed with a bunch of talented bloggers who bring their unique perspective to the conversation. This week, we exchanged emails with Kris Jones, who blogs about the Ravens for Russell Street Report.

The Ravens' first official depth chart lists Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata as the starting nose guard.

Since the Ravens launched training camp last week, a deep, versatile defensive line has dominated blockers in what could be a sneak preview of the season. It's early, but depth upfront appears transformed into a hallmark instead of a question mark.

Outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw dropped roughly 20 pounds over the summer after tipping the scales at 295 pounds during the spring.

Months before they would lift the Lombardi Trophy into the confetti-filled air, the Ravens' top decision makers started to have regular discussions about the future of the organization and the potentially wide-scale changes it would face following the 2012 season.

The Ravens have several candidates for the active physically unable to perform list, including a handful of key players recuperating from injuries.

For the first time in franchise history, the Ravens could open the season with four first-year players in starting roles

The Ravens wrapped up their draft class today by agreeing to a four-year deal with Matt Elam.

Ravens nose guard Terrence Cody continues to make steady progress in his rehabilitation from offseason hip surgery.

The difference between lining up over left tackle and the left shoulder of the left guard may not seem vast, but defensive tackle Haloti Ngata of the Baltimore Ravens admits he felt lost in space when asked to play the five-technique defensive end position in 2012.

It's not exactly where the Ravens want to see one of their most accomplished defensive players. However, training camp is still about a month and a half away and Ravens head coach John Harbaugh believes that Ngata is "right where he needs to be."

Two days after they were honored by President Barack Obama at the White House, the Super Bowl XLVII champion Ravens received their ultimate reward, collecting their championship rings at a private ceremony at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills on Friday.