tandon doss

Baltimore Ravens fullback Vonta Leach played a season-low two offensive snaps, inside linebacker Jameel McClain took on a larger role and more playing time observations from Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Protecting a three-point lead with 6:44 to play, the Browns ran off all but the final 14 seconds before Billy Cundiff's field goal finalized Cleveland's 24-18 victory over the Ravens in front of an announced 71,513 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The Ravens weren't the only ones who needed a break. While I am 5-2 at guessing the outcomes of their games, my ability to nail these predictions has waned in recent weeks.

Joe Flacco has gone two games without an interception after being picked off six times the previous two games.

Player A has been targeted 26 times in his past four games, catching 14 passes for 179 yards and no TDs. Player B has been targeted 23 times in his past four games, catching 13 passes for 239 yards and no TDs. Which one is Tandon Doss and which is Anquan Boldin?

Looking at which Baltimore Ravens got a lot of playing time and which Ravens rode the pine in the first seven games of the 2013 season. Only five players, including middle linebacker Daryl Smith, have played every snap.

Because of injuries and other roster decisions, the Ravens' special teams have featured a revolving door of players, many thrust into roles that they've never occupied.

Each week, Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will answer questions from readers about the Ravens.

The Ravens entered their bye week in unfamiliar territory under Harbaugh. They are 3-4, the latest that they've had a losing record in Harbaugh's six seasons at the helm. They are also two games behind the first-place Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North.

After being sidelined for more than 10 months with a spinal cord injury, Ravens weak-side linebacker Jameel McClain returned to the field Sunday. And he didn't just play. McClain started and played a major role in the 19-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Joe Flacco failed to hit Jacoby Jones in stride during the third quarter of the Ravens' 19-16 loss Sunday at Heinz Field.

When the Ravens passed their way to a Super Bowl title last winter, they were most effective when they spread out opponents and put the pedal to the metal with their no-huddle offense.

Honestly, I don¿t know which was worse Sunday -- watching the Ravens lose the way they did to the Steelers or having to watch it on CBS, which delivered another hopelessly flawed telecast.

There was a time when Heinz Field was the Ravens' house of horrors, but those days are over, and the Ravens clearly relish the challenge of going there and facing the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Ravens once again created little running room for their running backs, a troubling trend that could prompt the coaching staff to make schematic changes.

Each week, Baltimore Sun reporters Aaron Wilson and Matt Vensel will look back at the Ravens' previous game and that of their next opponent.

Jones displayed speed and elusiveness during the Ravens' 19-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. He caught an 11-yard touchdown pass and recorded a 31-yard reception on the other pass thrown to him.

The Ravens managed to rush for only three yards on four runs during a first-and-goal situation as running backs Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce were stonewalled by the Green Bay Packers' defense. Rice generated just three yards on three runs to his right before Pierce got zero yards on a failed 4th-and-1 plunge behind left guard Kelechi Osemele instead of kicking a field goal.

One positive development from Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers was the return of injured wide receiver Jacoby Jones, who returned kickoffs and made an 11-yard touchdown reception. The Ravens limited his usage, though. Jones played just 17 offensive snaps and six snaps on special teams. More on that and other snap count observations.

Six games into the season, the Baltimore Ravens are a .500 team with about 500 unanswered questions on offense. Their saving grace has been the revamped defense, which has played very well since Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos made it rain touchdowns in the season opener. The Green Bay Packers put up big numbers Sunday, but the Ravens remained in the game because the defense held firm.

With the loss, Ravens head to Pittsburgh for matchup with Steelers at 3-3

Just five days ago, the Ravens were left with only three healthy wide receivers for their game against the Miami Dolphins. When they put out their inactive list about 90 minutes before Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers, they figure to have significantly tougher decisions to make.

Each week, Baltimore Sun reporters Aaron Wilson and Matt Vensel will look back at the Ravens' previous game and that of their next opponent.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is the toughest quarterback in the NFL, according to his teammates. But they're also becoming all too familiar for the Ravens who have watched their $120.6 million quarterback take a beating in recent weeks.

Each week during the football season, I write about the Ravens telecasts on my blog and in the Monday paper. And each Monday and Tuesday, network publicists, executives and announcers, directors and producers write or call and say I am being too harsh.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Tandon Doss got the start in Sunday's 26-23 win over the Miami Dolphins and he played a career-high 50 snaps in the victory.

Ravens rush linebacker Terrell Suggs delivered a strong message Sunday, showing he's regained his 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year form.

Ravens kick returner and wide receiver Jacoby Jones is inactive for today's game against the Miami Dolphins, missing his fourth consecutive week since spraining his medial collateral ligament in his right knee in the first game.

As they tried to chip away at a two-score deficit against the Buffalo Bills last weekend, the Ravens used a number of combinations at the wide-receiver position. Perhaps the most promising trio featured rookie Marlon Brown lined up in the slot with Torrey Smith and Deonte Thompson working on the outside.

Each week, Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will answer questions from readers about the Ravens.

Ravens running back Ray Rice received a heavy workload in Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills.