tampa bay buccaneers

The Raven have engineered a shake-up at cornerback, cutting Dominique Franks and Chykie Brown and claiming cornerback Danny Gorrer off waivers from the Detroit Lions.

Once a staple in every Joe Flacco-led version of the Ravens' offense, the deep pass has become a secondary feature this season.

"Brandon Williams is one of the best run-stuffing defensive tackles in the NFL," says NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah, a former NFL scout.

It has been an extremely difficult month for Ravens defensive end Chris Canty as he spent the majority of it in a hospital while recovering from wrist surgery to remove a staph infection.

The NFL deadline expired with no trades for the Ravens despite exploratory discussions with teams, including conversations about Denver Broncos cornerback Tony Carter, according to sources.

The sense of urgency for Baltimore Ravens has to pick up after watching Cincinnati Bengals march for another game-winning drive.

Who are the 2014 Ravens? After they faltered in Cincinnati, we still have a lot to learn.

The Baltimore Ravens' three losses this season have been against teams that made the playoffs last season.

As the Ravens (5-2) square off with the Cincinnati Bengals (3-2-1) on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, here¿s Baltimore Sun reporter Aaron Wilson¿s checklist of things to keep an eye on.

If you are to believe the words of Ravens players this past week, avenging a rare home loss to the Bengals seven weeks ago is the furthest thing from their minds. Yet, no Ravens player made even the slightest effort to diminish the magnitude of Sunday afternoon's game against the Bengals.

Which three Ravens will make the difference in Sunday's game at the Cincinnati Bengals?

When Ray Rice was released, it was believed that Bernard Pierce would be the Ravens' starting running back going forward. However, that's not how it has played out.

Last season, the Ravens took awhile to get going. That's not the case under Gary Kubiak.

In a span of eight months, the Ravens overhauled their receiving group with a series of moves, some garnering a lot of attention and others barely generating a ripple.

Five Ravens stats that stand out ahead of the Bengals game

¿In the absence of two starting offensive lineman on the left side of the Ravens front, the two rookies who stepped in ¿ fifth-round guard John Urschel and undrafted free agent left tackle James Hurst ¿ drew mixed reviews from head coach John Harbaugh Monday.

Undefeated in three games over NFC South teams this season, Ravens veteran wide receiver Steve Smith was beating his chest Sunday afternoon following a 29-7 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

The Ravens are searching for a long snapper and will audition veteran Kevin McDermott for the job, according to sources.

Despite two interceptions, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was able to pick apart Atlanta Falcons defense with ease.

Getting to the quarterback has eased pressure on the Baltimore Ravens' secondary.

Baltimore Ravens were creative on defense in shutting down the Atlanta Falcons.

The Ravens sacked Matt Ryan five times, including a safety by Terrell Suggs, and held the Atlanta Falcons off the scoreboard until about midway through the fourth quarter in a 29-7 victory in front of an announced 71,184 at M&T Bank Stadium.

Baltimore Sun reporters, columnists and editors give their immediate thoughts after the Ravens' game against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7 of the NFL season.

The Ravens scratched left tackle Eugene Monroe and left guard Kelechi Osmele for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. Rookie tackle James Hurst and rookie guard John Urschel will start in their places.

As the Ravens (4-2) square off with the Atlanta Falcons (2-4) on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, here's Baltimore Sun reporter Aaron Wilson's checklist of things to watch.

Jeff Zrebiec breaks down what to look for when the Ravens play the Falcons on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.

After struggling as a rookie and dealing with injuries, Jimmy Smith of the Baltimore Ravens has become a top cornerback.

Baltimore Sun reporter Jon Meoli picks three potential stars for the Baltimore Ravens' game vs. the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Five sacks against a struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers team doesn't mean the pass rush is all of a sudden a strength. But the team has gotten impact performances from the pass rushes even without the sacks.

Dipping his left shoulder and lowering his center of gravity to gain leverage, Ravens nose tackle Brandon Williams shoved Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl offensive guard Logan Mankins into the backfield and discarded him.

The Ravens officially ruled out veteran defensive linemen Chris Canty and Christo Bilukidi for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons at M&T Bank Stadium.

Ravens veteran left offensive tackle Eugene Monroe and left guard Kelechi Osemele aren't practicing Friday and aren't expected to play Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

With Ray Rice dismissed, Bernard Pierce battling injuries and inconsistency and Lorenzo Taliaferro being a rookie, Justin Forsett has emerged as the surprise leader of the Ravens' running game. Heading into Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons at M&T Bank Stadium, Forsett ranks fifth in the NFL with 408 rushing yards and leads the league with an average of 6.4 yards per carry.

Ravens special team coordinator Jerry Rosburg on Devin Hester: "He can run up and smell somebody¿s breath and then disappear."

¿They¿ve got four running backs that can start for anybody in the league,¿ Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees said.

The only time reporters typically want to speak with offensive linemen is when things are going bad, like last season when the Ravens had one of the worse running games in the NFL. Times have changed. The Ravens rank in the top 10 in the league in total offense this year.

With the exception of Matt Elam ripping the football away from Indianapolis Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw, it's been another rough stretch for the Ravens' strong safety.

The Ravens are getting healthier as rookie defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and offensive guard Kelechi Osemele returned to practice.

The Falcons have posted a single road victory since the start of the 2013 season, good for a .091 road win percentage in that stretch, including five straight losses outside the Georgia Dome.

Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston answers readers' questions about the Ravens' Week 6 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and other topics about the team heading into Week 7.

Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal spoke publicly about his fractured wrist for the first time Tuesday, a few hours before the team announced that it had exercised the fourth-year option on his contract.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal spoke publicly about his fractured wrist for the first time Tuesday, a few hours before the team announced that it had exercised the fourth-year option on his contract.

On offense and defense, the Baltimore Ravens could do pretty much anything they wanted against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With the Ravens already leading 38-0 late in the first half Sunday, coach John Harbaugh sent kicker Justin Tucker into the game to attempt a 64-yard field goal.

In their blowout win Sunday, the Ravens had 475 yards of total offense, scored touchdowns on all five red-zone trips and didn't turn the ball over until the final three minutes of the game when backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor fumbled a snap.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh bristled at a suggestion that he should have considered removing quarterback Joe Flacco from the game in the third quarter to avoid a potential injury.

When the Ravens signed three free agents in the offseason to boost their offense, only the acquisition of veteran receiver Steve Smith seemed to create a buzz around town.