From the Ravens' lack of elite playmakers to their tense playoff outlook, here are five things we learned from their 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The sixth of 10 siblings in a blended family, Ravens outside linebacker Matthew Judon said Saturday that he is used to competition and loves to prove people wrong. Judon has carried a chip on his shoulder pad — maybe both of them — ever since being bypassed by most Division I schools.
One of the key figures behind Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston's blockbuster $101 million six-year contract is former Morgan State strong safety and Deer Park Middle school coach and teacher Greg Barnett.
The Ravens aren't expected to use their franchise tag, but what other teams do could influence the status of pending free agents Torrey Smith and Pernell McPhee.
When it comes time to properly thank Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid for helping the Ravens to qualify for the playoffs, Ravens coach John Harbaugh owes his mentor a nice dinner.
As the Ravens (9-6) square off with the Cleveland Browns (7-8) in a regular-season finale Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, here's Baltimore Sun reporter Aaron Wilson¿s checklist of things to keep an eye on:
As the Ravens (9-5) square off with the Houston Texans (7-7) at 1 p.m. Sunday at NRG Stadium, here's Baltimore Sun reporter Aaron Wilson's checklist of things to keep an eye on.
Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is growing accustomed, though, to Jeremy Hill's end zone antics. That includes an unsuccessful attempt to jump into the stands during last Sunday's rout in Cleveland, where he was pushed aside by a Browns fan.
Houston Texans linebacker J.J. Watt has emerged as one of the decade's most dominant NFL defensive players. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year two years ago when he recorded a career-high 20.5 sacks. He's regarded as the frontrunner to win it again this year with 16.5 sacks and five touchdowns, including three touchdown catches as a red-zone tight end along with an interception return for a touchdown and a fumble return for a score.
As the Ravens (8-5) square off with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-11) on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, here¿s Baltimore Sun reporter Aaron Wilson¿s checklist of things to keep an eye on.
Although Dumervil isn¿t a full-time defensive player like Houston and Watt because he splits snaps at strong-side outside linebacker with Courtney Upshaw, he says he deserves consideration for NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors
As the Ravens (7-4) square off with the San Diego Chargers (7-4) on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, here¿s Baltimore Sun reporter Aaron Wilson¿s checklist of things to keep an eye on:
Utilizing a powerful bull rush, a crisp spin move and speed off the edge, Ravens outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil is tied for second in the NFL with seven sacks.
It has been fun watching Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil chase after quarterbacks together. And after Suggs got off to a fast start, Dumervil closed the gap in that sack race with three sacks on Sunday.
For Sunday¿s game against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, Jason Campbell steps under center to start an NFL regular-season game for the first time since 2011.
For Baltimore to move the ball through the air against a top-ranked Dallas pass defense, Ravens wide receivers must shake free of physical Cowboys cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne, who excel at bumping receivers out of their routes at the line of scrimmage.
Anticipating a quarterback sneak, Reed pounced on the fumbled exchange between center Ryan Lilja and Cassel and advanced the recovery out of the end zone to the Ravens' 12-yard line.
Outside linebacker Tamba Hali is regarded as the headliner of the Kansas City Chiefs' defense. However, he's far from the only Chiefs linebacker the Ravens have to concern themselves with Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
On Sunday, it appeared the Chiefs¿ offensive strategy was to shoot themselves in the foot. They turned the ball over six times, including four times in the first half. Despite falling behind early, they were relatively balanced, giving the ball to speedy running back Jamaal Charles and throwing the ball all over the field, often times to physical wideout Dwayne Bowe.
The Ravens didn't have too much to feel good about after last week's preseason loss to the Eagles, but they bounced back with an improved effort tonight against the Chiefs.