Thirty minutes into the first game of the season, Baltimore
Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis stood before his teammates and
delivered an inspirational and insightful speech that set the tone
for the entire season.

Baltimore held a 21-7 lead over the defending AFC champion
Pittsburgh Steelers, the identical score at halftime of their
playoff game in Pittsburgh nine months earlier. In that one, the
Ravens came apart in a 31-24 defeat.

Lewis placed himself in the middle of the locker room and
emphatically spiked the comparison.

“Everybody was saying, ‘We’ve been here before,’” Lewis said.
“And I was like, ‘We haven’t been here before, because 2010 is
2010, and 2011 is a whole new year.’ If you understand it that way,
then you understand that this is a new team.”

And so it is. The retooled Ravens went on to hammer the Steelers
35-7, and they enter this Sunday’s bye with a 3-1 record, alone
atop the AFC North and charging toward a fourth straight playoff
appearance.

Baltimore general manager Ozzie Newsome retooled the team during
a whirlwind offseason shortened by the NFL lockout.

Almost every move he made has thus far appeared to be the right
one, beginning with a salary cap purge of wide receiver Derrick
Mason, tight end Todd Heap, running back Willis McGahee, defensive
tackle Kelly Gregg and fullback Le’Ron McClain.

At this point in the season, the Ravens don’t miss any of them.
Not even a little bit.

Ricky Williams has proven to be a capable backup to running back
Ray Rice; Lee Evans and second-round draft pick Torrey Smith have
made up for the loss of Mason; Vonta Leach is an upgrade from
McClain; Terrence Cody has proven to be just as immovable on the
line as Gregg; and the tight end tandem of Ed Dickson and Dennis
Pitta has made it easy for Ravens fans to scrap the “HEAP!” cheer
that resonated throughout M&T Stadium for the past decade.

Newsome also added safety Bernard Pollard and a pair of
offensive linemen who made an immediate difference.

The signing of free agent tackle Bryant McKinnie enabled Michael
Oher to move back to the right side _ where he is more effective _
and free agent guard Andre Gurode has been invaluable during Ben
Grubbs’ absence with turf toe.

Oh, and the defense under first-year coordinator Chuck Pagano
has been spectacular.

As Lewis said, this is indeed a new team. And it’s not
outlandish to believe the Ravens could become even more formidable
with the sooner-than-later return of Evans (ankle injury) and
cornerbacks Chris Carr (hamstring) and Jimmy Smith (ankle).

“The scary part is, I think we can only get better,” Rice said.
“What you’re seeing is a token of hard work. Guys are not afraid to
work.”

The Ravens aren’t good enough to just show up and win. That was
proven in Week 2, when they followed up their emotional victory
over the Steelers with a 23-13 defeat at Tennessee. Then came a
37-7 rout in St. Louis and a surprisingly easy 34-17 win over the
New York Jets.

Against the Jets, Baltimore scored three touchdowns on defense
and allowed only seven first downs to hit the first quarter of the
season tied with five teams for the best record in the AFC.

“We can’t ask for anything else,” Lewis said.

Moments after the Jets game, there was an aura of cautious
confidence in the locker room.

“We feel good,” center Matt Burk said.

“Certainly we wish we were 4-0, but we’re 3-1. We take pride in
what we’ve done to this point, but when we come back from the bye
it’s a whole new deal. There’s still a long, long way to go in this
thing. They didn’t pass out the Lombardi Trophy after this game.
Good teams get better as the season goes. We’ll see where this
thing goes and where this journey takes us.”

The goal is to get to Indianapolis, site of the Super Bowl, and
the easiest way to get there is to play at home leading up to the
game.

The Ravens were eliminated at Pittsburgh in 2008 and 2010, and
in 2009 their postseason run ended in Indianapolis.

Baltimore has won 12 of its past 13 at home, including two this
season in which it outscored the two participants in the 2010 AFC
title game by a combined 45 points.

“We’re only going to get better, but getting better is a choice.
It’s based on how hard we decide to work,” coach John Harbaugh
said. “I’m excited, I’m proud of these guys, yet, hey, we have a
long way to go.”

By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) – Thirty minutes into the first game of the season, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis stood before his teammates and delivered an inspirational and insightful speech that set the tone for the entire season.

Baltimore held a 21-7 lead over the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers, the identical score at halftime of their playoff game in Pittsburgh nine months earlier. In that one, the Ravens came apart in a 31-24 defeat.

Lewis placed himself in the middle of the locker room and emphatically spiked the comparison.

“Everybody was saying, ‘We’ve been here before,’” Lewis said. “And I was like, ‘We haven’t been here before, because 2010 is 2010, and 2011 is a whole new year.’ If you understand it that way, then you understand that this is a new team.”

And so it is. The retooled Ravens went on to hammer the Steelers 35-7, and they enter this Sunday’s bye with a 3-1 record, alone atop the AFC North and charging toward a fourth straight playoff appearance.

Baltimore general manager Ozzie Newsome retooled the team during a whirlwind offseason shortened by the NFL lockout.

Almost every move he made has thus far appeared to be the right one, beginning with a salary cap purge of wide receiver Derrick Mason, tight end Todd Heap, running back Willis McGahee, defensive tackle Kelly Gregg and fullback Le’Ron McClain.

At this point in the season, the Ravens don’t miss any of them. Not even a little bit.

Ricky Williams has proven to be a capable backup to running back Ray Rice; Lee Evans and second-round draft pick Torrey Smith have made up for the loss of Mason; Vonta Leach is an upgrade from McClain; Terrence Cody has proven to be just as immovable on the line as Gregg; and the tight end tandem of Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta has made it easy for Ravens fans to scrap the “HEAP!” cheer that resonated throughout M&T Stadium for the past decade.

Newsome also added safety Bernard Pollard and a pair of offensive linemen who made an immediate difference.

The signing of free agent tackle Bryant McKinnie enabled Michael Oher to move back to the right side – where he is more effective – and free agent guard Andre Gurode has been invaluable during Ben Grubbs’ absence with turf toe.

Oh, and the defense under first-year coordinator Chuck Pagano has been spectacular.

As Lewis said, this is indeed a new team. And it’s not outlandish to believe the Ravens could become even more formidable with the sooner-than-later return of Evans (ankle injury) and cornerbacks Chris Carr (hamstring) and Jimmy Smith (ankle).

“The scary part is, I think we can only get better,” Rice said. “What you’re seeing is a token of hard work. Guys are not afraid to work.”

The Ravens aren’t good enough to just show up and win. That was proven in Week 2, when they followed up their emotional victory over the Steelers with a 23-13 defeat at Tennessee. Then came a 37-7 rout in St. Louis and a surprisingly easy 34-17 win over the New York Jets.

Against the Jets, Baltimore scored three touchdowns on defense and allowed only seven first downs to hit the first quarter of the season tied with five teams for the best record in the AFC.

“We can’t ask for anything else,” Lewis said.

Moments after the Jets game, there was an aura of cautious confidence in the locker room.

“We feel good,” center Matt Burk said.

“Certainly we wish we were 4-0, but we’re 3-1. We take pride in what we’ve done to this point, but when we come back from the bye it’s a whole new deal. There’s still a long, long way to go in this thing. They didn’t pass out the Lombardi Trophy after this game. Good teams get better as the season goes. We’ll see where this thing goes and where this journey takes us.”

The goal is to get to Indianapolis, site of the Super Bowl, and the easiest way to get there is to play at home leading up to the game.

The Ravens were eliminated at Pittsburgh in 2008 and 2010, and in 2009 their postseason run ended in Indianapolis.

Baltimore has won 12 of its past 13 at home, including two this season in which it outscored the two participants in the 2010 AFC title game by a combined 45 points.

“We’re only going to get better, but getting better is a choice. It’s based on how hard we decide to work,” coach John Harbaugh said. “I’m excited, I’m proud of these guys, yet, hey, we have a long way to go.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens are younger than last season. The big question is: Are they better?

Longtime fixtures Derrick Mason, Willis McGahee, Todd Heap and Kelly Gregg are gone, victims of a salary cap purge. All were key contributors to a team that made the playoffs in each of the last three seasons.

And all of them were over 30 years old.

Mason, the leading receiver in Ravens history, has been replaced by Lee Evans, who is seven years younger.

“He’s fast, he’s made plays, and he’s a big yards-per-catch guy,” coach John Harbaugh said of Evans. “That helps a lot.”

Heap’s job has been taken over by second-year tight end Ed Dickson; second-year pro Terrence Cody steps in for Gregg and backup running back Ricky Williams comes at a much cheaper price than McGahee.

Also missing from last year’s 12-4 team is cornerback Josh Wilson, who signed as a free agent with Washington. Playing in his place this season is first-round draft pick Jimmy Smith, who is quite talented but dangerously inexperienced.

Two other rookies, wide receiver Torrey Smith and right tackle Jah Reid, are currently projected as starters.

The Ravens aren’t in rebuilding mode, but there have definitely been some significant tweaks to team that expects to overtake rival Pittsburgh in the battle to win the AFC North.

“It’s probably a natural progression in this league,” Harbaugh said. “It’s tough. It’s hard. It’s just the reality of the salary cap and the situation we’re in right now.”

There have been some positive additions to go with Evans and Williams. Pro Bowl fullback Vonte Leach is an upgrade over Le’Ron McClain, who was allowed to leave as a free agent, and safety Bernard Pollard should make it easy for Baltimore to get over the loss of free agent Dawan Landry.

If Leach can pave the way for Ray Rice and Williams in the fashion he cleared holes for Arian Foster in Houston, the running game should be sound. Quarterback Joe Flacco should benefit from the addition of Evans and Smith, both of whom possess the downfield speed that complements the steady hands of possession receiver Anquan Boldin.

“This is a team that you sense has a chance to do something special. I think they know that,” offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said. “I think they know it is going to take a lot of hard work, and this group is not afraid to work. That’s what the Ravens do. The young guys have filled in and followed the example of the veteran guys.”

If the Ravens are to make another trip to the postseason, Cameron’s offense will have to improve. Unfortunately, the right side of the line is still under construction and the frail knees of veteran center Matt Birk could be an issue.

Then there’s Flacco, who has been asked to take a bigger role on the field and in the huddle in his fourth NFL season. Flacco is confident he can step up his game and assert himself a leader.

“We’re going to have a lot more younger guys,” Flacco said.

“This is going to be our fourth year, me and Ray, and it’s just time to kind of groom those guys and mold those guys the way we want them, the way I want them. We will have that chance.”

Flacco got married during the offseason, and it was apparent after the lockout that he did more than merely take a honeymoon and lounge around the house.

“He’s in tremendous shape. He is as sharp starting off as I have ever seen him,” Cameron said. “We’re at the best starting point with him going into the season than we have been since he has been here. I haven’t flinched on anything that I have believed about Joe Flacco since the first day I saw him. We have one heck of a quarterback, and he happens to be a young quarterback.”

Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison is gone, replaced by the fiery Chuck Pagano. But the mainstays of the unit are intact, which means the opposition still has to worry about linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, along with seven-time Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed.

Baltimore’s biggest problem on defense last year was a pass rush that produced only 27 sacks, 11 of them by Suggs. Linebacker Sergio Kindle, who missed his entire rookie season with a fractured skull, has been asked to team with end Paul Kruger to provide Suggs with support from the other side.

“Paul is a relentless guy. He’s going to help the defense,”general manager Ozzie Newsome said. “Sergio? Sometimes you need a little luck in this business. You need a bonus, and he’s our bonus this year. The first reports we got is that he would never play and now he looks like the player we drafted. The physical ability is there.”

Newsome’s plan for this season was to make the Ravens younger without a dropoff in talent. His logic is sound. Whether it works or not remains to be seen.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – The Baltimore Ravens are younger than last season. The big question is: Are they better?

Longtime fixtures Derrick Mason, Willis McGahee, Todd Heap and Kelly Gregg are gone, victims of a salary cap purge. All were key contributors to a team that made the playoffs in each of the last three seasons.

And all of them were over 30 years old.

Mason, the leading receiver in Ravens history, has been replaced by Lee Evans, who is seven years younger.

“He’s fast, he’s made plays, and he’s a big yards-per-catch guy,” coach John Harbaugh said of Evans. “That helps a lot.”

Heap’s job has been taken over by second-year tight end Ed Dickson; second-year pro Terrence Cody steps in for Gregg and backup running back Ricky Williams comes at a much cheaper price than McGahee.

Also missing from last year’s 12-4 team is cornerback Josh Wilson, who signed as a free agent with Washington. Playing in his place this season is first-round draft pick Jimmy Smith, who is quite talented but dangerously inexperienced.

Two other rookies, wide receiver Torrey Smith and right tackle Jah Reid, are currently projected as starters.

The Ravens aren’t in rebuilding mode, but there have definitely been some significant tweaks to team that expects to overtake rival Pittsburgh in the battle to win the AFC North.

“It’s probably a natural progression in this league,” Harbaugh said. “It’s tough. It’s hard. It’s just the reality of the salary cap and the situation we’re in right now.”

There have been some positive additions to go with Evans and Williams. Pro Bowl fullback Vonte Leach is an upgrade over Le’Ron McClain, who was allowed to leave as a free agent, and safety Bernard Pollard should make it easy for Baltimore to get over the loss of free agent Dawan Landry.

If Leach can pave the way for Ray Rice and Williams in the fashion he cleared holes for Arian Foster in Houston, the running game should be sound. Quarterback Joe Flacco should benefit from the addition of Evans and Smith, both of whom possess the downfield speed that complements the steady hands of possession receiver Anquan Boldin.

“This is a team that you sense has a chance to do something special. I think they know that,” offensive co-ordinator Cam Cameron said. “I think they know it is going to take a lot of hard work, and this group is not afraid to work. That’s what the Ravens do. The young guys have filled in and followed the example of the veteran guys.”

If the Ravens are to make another trip to the post-season, Cameron’s offence will have to improve. Unfortunately, the right side of the line is still under construction and the frail knees of veteran centre Matt Birk could be an issue,

Then there’s Flacco, who has been asked to take a bigger role on the field and in the huddle in his fourth NFL season. Flacco is confident he can step up his game and assert himself a leader.

“We’re going to have a lot more younger guys,” Flacco said. “This is going to be our fourth year, me and Ray, and it’s just time to kind of groom those guys and mould those guys the way we want them, the way I want them. We will have that chance.”

Flacco got married during the off-season, and it was apparent after the lockout that he did more than merely take a honeymoon and lounge around the house.

“He’s in tremendous shape. He is as sharp starting off as I have ever seen him,” Cameron said. “We’re at the best starting point with him going into the season than we have been since he has been here. I haven’t flinched on anything that I have believed about Joe Flacco since the first day I saw him. We have one heck of a quarterback, and he happens to be a young quarterback.”

Defensive co-ordinator Greg Mattison is gone, replaced by the fiery Chuck Pagano. But the mainstays of the unit are intact, which means the opposition still has to worry about linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, along with seven-time Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed.

Baltimore’s biggest problem on defence last year was a pass rush that produced only 27 sacks, 11 of them by Suggs. Linebacker Sergio Kindle, who missed his entire rookie season with a fractured skull, has been asked to team with end Paul Kruger to provide Suggs with support from the other side.

“Paul is a relentless guy. He’s going to help the defence,” general manager Ozzie Newsome said. “Sergio? Sometimes you need a little luck in this business. You need a bonus, and he’s our bonus this year. The first reports we got is that he would never play and now he looks like the player we drafted. The physical ability is there.”

Newsome’s plan for this season was to make the Ravens younger without a dropoff in talent. His logic is sound. Whether it works or not remains to be seen.

The Baltimore Ravens were running a two-minute drill in practice
Saturday when a sure-handed receiver wearing No. 85 cut to his
left, caught a pass, tapped both feet within the sideline and
slipped out of bounds to stop the clock.

It was a move that Derrick Mason _ good old No. 85 _ did
countless times in game situations. On this occasion, it was
newcomer Lee Evans.

One day after being traded from Buffalo for a fourth-round draft
pick, Lee Evans passed his physical and wasted no time making
himself part of the Baltimore offense. He ran plays with the first
team, caught several passes from Joe Flacco and finished the
afternoon with a broad smile on his face.

“I was very excited to come here and be a part of something
special,” said Evans, who experienced only one winning season since
being selected in the first round of the 2004 draft by the
Bills.

“Obviously, this has been a very historic franchise, a winning
organization. I just want to come in and do my part, and do
anything I can do to help them win.”

The 30-year-old Evans fills the hole created when the Ravens cut
Mason last month in a salary-cap purge. Not only did he assume
Mason’s role as Flacco’s second target behind Anquan Boldin, but he
also took Mason’s number, the only one left in the 80s.

“It’ll probably change,” said Evans, who wore 83 in Buffalo.
“It’s the only available one right now.”

Evans wouldn’t care if the Ravens gave him a number suited for a
left tackle, because he loves the idea of playing for a team that
has reached the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. To
Evans, the Ravens represent a sense of normality compared to
Buffalo, which went through a variety of quarterbacks and four head
coaches during his seven-year tenure.

“It’s been a whirlwind in Buffalo,” he said. “To come into a
stable situation, it builds confidence that I can continue to get
better every day.”

Evans was surprisingly sharp during Saturday’s three-hour
session, which began outside but moved inside after it began to
thunder within the opening 60 minutes.

“He looked good out there today. He definitely has an extra gear
to him,” Flacco said. “That’s going to be a big plus for us, to be
able to kind of stretch the field vertically a little bit and
challenge some teams. So, I’m excited about it. Yeah, he can run,
and he can run routes well, too.”

Evans started all 16 games for the Bills in each of his first
six seasons before an ankle injury cut his participation to 13
games last year. He finished with a career-low 37 catches and four
touchdowns _ three against the Ravens in a 37-34 overtime
defeat.

“I remember the success he had against us. It’s a bad memory. We
couldn’t cover him,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said.

Evans ranks third on Buffalo’s career list with 5,934 yards
receiving, is fourth with 377 receptions and fifth with 43
touchdowns. His best season came in 2006, when he had 82 catches
for 1,292 yards and eight touchdowns.

He’s still waiting to experience the thrill of being in the
playoffs, which explains why he was so elated to come to
Baltimore.

“I’ve been in the league for eight years now and haven’t been
there yet,” he said. “So, coming to a franchise like this, I was
excited about it, as fired up as I could be. I just want to do
anything I can to do my part to help them get there.”

NOTES: OL Marshal Yanda (back spasms) and DT Terrence Cody
(ankle) didn’t practice. … TE Ed Dickson (hamstring) and CB
Domonique Foxworth (knee) returned to practice. … OT Ramon
Harewood (knees) passed his physical and was cleared to
practice.