brian billick

Who were the best picks and biggest mistakes in the Ravens' 20 years of drafts? Columnist Mike Preston will break it down by position over the next two weeks.

The Ravens will host their annual draft luncheon today, part of a busy week of draft planning and preparation for the organization.

It has been 15 years since the Ravens won their first Super Bowl. They won another in 2012, which is remarkable for a franchise that has been in existence for only 20 years. Often there are questions about which team is better, but maybe they can be tied into one. Can Ray Lewis of the 2000 team beat Ray Lewis of the 2012 squad?

Ravens coach John Harbaugh isn't in the playoffs, but he is uniquely qualified to judge the coaches overseeing the four teams still standing.

Ted Marchibroda was so positive, professional and gracious, and maybe that's why his achievements as a coach and his impact on the NFL's return to Baltimore often are overlooked.

Ted Marchibroda is the only man to coach both the Colts and the Ravens in Baltimore. One former player called him a "true gentleman and a great diplomat for the NFL."

The Ravens have done a good job overall in their selections to the Ring of Honor, which includes Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden, Ed Reed, Ray Lewis and several of the old Baltimore Colts. But there is someone missing. Where is cornerback Chris McAlister?

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti used Thursday's "State of the Ravens" address to preach about the importance of staying the course. Speaking just four days after the conclusion of a bitterly disappointing 5-11 season, Bisciotti, seated alongside team president Dick Cass, general manager Ozzie Newsome and coach John Harbaugh, dismissed talk of significant changes following one of the worst years in franchise history.

The Ravens lost to the Bengals in Cincinnati on Sunday, giving Baltimore a disappointing 5-11 record in 2015.

Arguably the most disappointing season in franchise history ends Sunday with the Ravens (5-10) playing the AFC North champion Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. But to his players, John Harbaugh has been a pillar of strength and leadership during a year when so many parts of the team have broken down.

Heading into Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens have started two quarterbacks, Matt Schaub and Jimmy Clausen, in the past three weeks, and a third, Ryan Mallett, could get an opportunity before season's end.

The Ravens' victory over the Browns was the 86th of John Harbaugh's head coaching career, passing Brian Billick for the most wins in franchise history.

Jeff Fisher implies the Ravens are a dirty team. Like old times.

At 1-5, the kindest rankings have the Ravens as the NFL's 24th-best team. A couple have them as the second-worst.

Joe Flacco said the Ravens didn't take any shots down the field, but they need to.

As the Ravens approached the start of their 20th season, Hall of Fame left tackle Jonathan Ogden spoke with The Baltimore Sun about the team's origins, his career and his expectations for 2015.

The Ravens have added some eventual Hall of Fame players like Rod Woodson and Shannon Sharpe over their 20-year history in Baltimore, but their most important free agent acquisition arrived on March 27, 2000. That was the day the NFL announced Steve Bisciotti had purchased a 49 percent stake in the franchise.

Joe Flacco has had little trouble despite having four offensive coordinators in as many seasons, the revolving door of play callers creating a situation one prominent former NFL quarterback described as "dysfunctional." It's because he has an open mind.

2015 season predictions for the Baltimore Ravens from ESPN, Grantland, Sports Illustrated, and more.

Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs' hit on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford Saturday night wasn't illegal, just a cheap shot.

There have been injuries and plenty of good and bad early in camp, but the Ravens few open starting spots are sorting themselves out.

Former Ravens coach Brian Billick, in town for a day of live coverage on the NFL Network, assumed a familiar role Wednesday when he stood in the middle of the huddle in Owings Mills and addressed the team.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco had a strong start to Wednesday's training camp practice.

Can you imagine Ray Lewis as a wrestler? He very nearly was.

In a project posted on behance.net, artist John Raya shows off his Star Wars-themed redesigns of all 32 NFL franchise helmets.

Traded to the Detroit Lions last week in exchange for fourth-round and fifth-round draft picks, former Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata took out a full-page advertisement in the Sunday paper of The Baltimore Sun.

The Ravens moved quickly to fill their offensive coordinator vacancy, replacing Gary Kubiak with Marc Trestman, another former NFL head coach with a reputation for getting the most out of quarterbacks.

On the same day that Gary Kubiak officially was named Denver Broncos coach, the Ravens interviewed former Broncos assistant Adam Gase for their offensive coordinator job.

After dealing with issues off the field and with injuries, the Baltimore Ravens are back in the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years.

Ray Rice is eligible to return to NFL play after an arbitrator decreed Friday that league commissioner Roger Goodell had improperly punished the former Ravens running back twice for the same domestic violence offense.

Though Ray Rice is now cleared to return to the NFL, there remains lingering doubt about whether any team will be interested in a 27-year-old running back who hasn't played in a game of any significance since last December.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has become a key figure in Ray Rice's appeal of his indefinite suspension.

By nearly every measure, the Ravens' offense has improved dramatically from last season. Through 10 games, the Ravens are averaging more than five points, 56 total yards and 41 rushing yards per game than they were at this point last year. They've gone from ranking 30th in the NFL in total offense to 12th.

The Ravens' players and coaches returned to work Monday following their latest bye week in over a decade.

With six winnable games remaining after bye week, Baltimore Ravens have control of their playoff destiny.

For many players, who were sent home Monday afternoon by John Harbaugh with orders not to return until next Monday, this week's break is uncharted territory. And the Ravens are happy to navigate it.

Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston answers readers' questions about the Week 9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lardarius Webb's struggle to recover from his knee injuries and more.

Losing by 20 points to AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers is wakeup call to Baltimore Ravens with seven games remaining.

First, the Ravens started losing the football. Then, they lost their lead and all their momentum. And finally, they seemed to lose their composure. They now need to act fast to prevent their season from slipping away, too.

I take it all back. All the complaining about CBS Sports scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of the announcers sent to small-market Baltimore for Ravens games ¿ I take it all back.

After rushing the ball just 15 times in loss last game, Ravens vow to have better balance on offense

Every time the University of Michigan football job is vacant or the coach becomes embattled, NFL coaches and brothers John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh are quickly linked to the Wolverines' head-coaching position.

The process of fixing what ailed Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco didn't start with his right arm, his eyes or what's between his ears. It began with his feet.

The Ravens once again were dealt a schedule that stacks three divisional opponents in the first three games, the third time that AFC North teams occupy the first three spots on their schedule in 10 years, and the team recognizes the stakes.

However, those who have observed the Ravens' running back for the past several months see it differently. From the first day of training camp, his teammates and coaches have noticed his increased focus and intensity. Matt Rhule, one of Pierce's former coaches at Temple, saw how hard the running back attacked the offseason rehab on his surgically-repaired right shoulder.

A statue of middle linebacker Ray Lewis will be erected tomorrow at a ceremony scheduled for 11 a.m. in Unitas Plaza.

The Ravens¿ first of two open practices at M&T Bank Stadium started just before 7 p.m. on a warm and breezy night in downtown Baltimore.

Over the past six months, Harbaugh has stoically moved on from the least successful year of his head-coaching career. He overhauled his coaching staff, executed a review of the organization's ways and while privately fuming, he served as a public supporter to several of his troubled players.

The Ravens have little hope of getting one of their top targets to fall to them with the 17th overall pick if there isn't a run on quarterbacks ahead of them.