THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The health of Joe Flacco is a major priority for the Baltimore Ravens, and that responsibility falls on an offensive line that must do a better job of protecting the quarterback.

Flacco was sacked twice, threw an interception and lost a fumble Sunday in Baltimore’s 29-14 win over the Houston Texans. He was also hit seven times, according to the stat sheet.

“We can do better,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We don’t need Joe getting hit like that.”

The last thing the Ravens (4-1) need is to lose Flacco, especially because his backup is untested rookie Tyrod Taylor. So it is imperative that Baltimore’s offensive front form a sturdier wall, beginning Monday night against Jacksonville (1-5).

“No question. That’s the truth,” centre Matt Birk said Wednesday. “Joe took too many shots on Sunday. He played great and we won, but certainly up front we need to perform better as a unit.”

In their defence, several of the linemen are still getting used to each other. Left tackle Bryant McKinnie was added just before the season began, and his arrival caused tackle Michael Oher to return to the right side, where he played two years ago as a rookie. Also, newcomer Andre Gurode has been playing left guard in place of injured Ben Grubbs.

Harbaugh said the problem against Houston could be attributed to a few lost 1-on-1 battles and mistakes in the protection scheme. Clearly, this revamped line might need some time before it starts performing as a cohesively.

“We fit Andre in there, and I think he’s done a great job filling in for Ben. McKinnie is very new to this, and we moved Mike back over to the right side,” Flacco noted. “As a team, we’re going to do nothing but get better, and that includes those guys. They’re going to get more and more used to each other and playing in the positions that they’re in.”

The running game, led by Ray Rice, has been effective. But Flacco has absorbed 10 sacks in five games, fumbled five times and thrown four interceptions, mainly because of pressure in the pocket.

Fortunately for the Ravens, the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder knows how to take punishment. In his first three seasons he never missed a start, and this season it’s been more of the same.

“Ever since I’ve been here, when people ask me about Joe, I say I love Joe,” Birk said. “He’s tough as nails and he stands in there. Even when he knows he’s going to get hit, he still keeps his feet on the ground and throws the ball.”

Flacco considers that to be merely part of the job description.

“Every now and then you’re going to get hit a little bit. That’s the name of the game as an NFL quarterback,” he said. “I’m going to have all the confidence in the world in those guys at all times.”

And he will never complain about them, either.

“They want to do nothing more than to protect me and make holes for Ray,” Flacco said. “You know where their hearts are. I’m optimistic about it, and feel great so far about where they are.”

The health of Joe Flacco is a major priority for the Baltimore Ravens, and that responsibility falls on an offensive line that must do a better job of protecting the quarterback.

Flacco was sacked twice, threw an interception and lost a fumble Sunday in Baltimore’s 29-14 win over the Houston Texans. He was also hit seven times, according to the stat sheet.

“We can do better,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We don’t need Joe getting hit like that.”

The last thing the Ravens (4-1) need is to lose Flacco, especially because his backup is untested rookie Tyrod Taylor. So it is imperative that Baltimore’s offensive front form a sturdier wall, beginning Monday night against Jacksonville (1-5).

“No question. That’s the truth,” center Matt Birk said Wednesday. “Joe took too many shots on Sunday. He played great and we won, but certainly up front we need to perform better as a unit.”

In their defense, several of the linemen are still getting used to each other. Left tackle Bryant McKinnie was added just before the season began, and his arrival caused tackle Michael Oher to return to the right side, where he played two years ago as a rookie. Also, newcomer Andre Gurode has been playing left guard in place of injured Ben Grubbs.

Harbaugh said the problem against Houston could be attributed to a few lost 1-on-1 battles and mistakes in the protection scheme. Clearly, this revamped line might need some time before it starts performing as a cohesively.

“We fit Andre in there, and I think he’s done a great job filling in for Ben. McKinnie is very new to this, and we moved Mike back over to the right side,” Flacco noted. “As a team, we’re going to do nothing but get better, and that includes those guys. They’re going to get more and more used to each other and playing in the positions that they’re in.”

The running game, led by Ray Rice, has been effective. But Flacco has absorbed 10 sacks in five games, fumbled five times and thrown four interceptions, mainly because of pressure in the pocket.

Fortunately for the Ravens, the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder knows how to take punishment. In his first three seasons he never missed a start, and this season it’s been more of the same.

“Ever since I’ve been here, when people ask me about Joe, I say I love Joe,” Birk said. “He’s tough as nails and he stands in there. Even when he knows he’s going to get hit, he still keeps his feet on the ground and throws the ball.”

Flacco considers that to be merely part of the job description.

“Every now and then you’re going to get hit a little bit. That’s the name of the game as an NFL quarterback,” he said. “I’m going to have all the confidence in the world in those guys at all times.”

And he will never complain about them, either.

“They want to do nothing more than to protect me and make holes for Ray,” Flacco said. “You know where their hearts are. I’m optimistic about it, and feel great so far about where they are.”

“We can do better,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We don’t need Joe getting hit like that.”

The last thing the Ravens (4-1) need is to lose Flacco, especially because his backup is untested rookie Tyrod Taylor. So it is imperative that Baltimore’s offensive front form a sturdier wall, beginning Monday night against Jacksonville (1-5).

“No question. That’s the truth,” center Matt Birk said Wednesday. “Joe took too many shots on Sunday. He played great and we won, but certainly up front we need to perform better as a unit.”

In their defense, several of the linemen are still getting used to each other. Left tackle Bryant McKinnie was added just before the season began, and his arrival caused tackle Michael Oher to return to the right side, where he played two years ago as a rookie. Also, newcomer Andre Gurode has been playing left guard in place of injured Ben Grubbs.

Harbaugh said the problem against Houston could be attributed to a few lost 1-on-1 battles and mistakes in the protection scheme. Clearly, this revamped line might need some time before it starts performing as a cohesively.

“We fit Andre in there, and I think he’s done a great job filling in for Ben. McKinnie is very new to this, and we moved Mike back over to the right side,” Flacco noted. “As a team, we’re going to do nothing but get better, and that includes those guys. They’re going to get more and more used to each other and playing in the positions that they’re in.”

The running game, led by Ray Rice, has been effective. But Flacco has absorbed 10 sacks in five games, fumbled five times and thrown four interceptions, mainly because of pressure in the pocket.

Fortunately for the Ravens, the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder knows how to take punishment. In his first three seasons he never missed a start, and this season it’s been more of the same.

“Ever since I’ve been here, when people ask me about Joe, I say I love Joe,” Birk said. “He’s tough as nails and he stands in there. Even when he knows he’s going to get hit, he still keeps his feet on the ground and throws the ball.”

Flacco considers that to be merely part of the job description.

“Every now and then you’re going to get hit a little bit. That’s the name of the game as an NFL quarterback,” he said. “I’m going to have all the confidence in the world in those guys at all times.”

And he will never complain about them, either.

“They want to do nothing more than to protect me and make holes for Ray,” Flacco said. “You know where their hearts are. I’m optimistic about it, and feel great so far about where they are.”

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

BALTIMORE – 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 off-season 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 defence under first-year co-ordinator 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 defence 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,” centre 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 post-season 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.”

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens’ offensive line is off to a shaky start.

Six-time Pro Bowl center Matt Birk had surgery on his left knee and his status is in doubt. Offensive guard Marshal Yanda is sidelined with back spasms.

Offensive tackles Michael Oher, Oniel Cousins and rookie Jah Reid allowed six sacks during a 13-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles to open the preseason.

Can the Ravens rebound and have an effective line?

“We’re going to try to be,” offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said. “We really don’t know yet. We are going to know more in the next two or three weeks.”

Against the Eagles, the Ravens’ blockers got pushed around and committed several penalties. The rough night prompted more speculation that the Ravens need to sign a veteran offensive tackle.

“I definitely went through some growing pains out there,” Reid said. “It’s my first NFL game and there are going to be some jitters, but football is football. Just because it’s my first game doesn’t excuse mistakes or having bad plays.”

In his second season at left tackle, Oher wasn’t expected to have this much trouble against Eagles defensive end Trent Cole.

“I’ve got to get better from week to week,” Oher said. “You have to build on it and learn from it and go get better from week to week. We just have to get it down and be conscious of it and get off at the snap. The first preseason game, the second preseason game, you know where you are game by game by seeing different opponents.”

Oher got annoyed after the game when he drew criticism via his Twitter account.

“I’m glad I have skin like an armadillo,” Oher wrote.

The Ravens’ quarterbacks needed to have thick skin, too, since they got thrown to the ground so often.

Cousins had such a hard time against Eagles defensive end Darryl Tapp that he was moved to offensive guard after starting against Philadelphia at right tackle. Now, he’s filling in for Yanda at right guard with the first-team offense and Reid is the starting right tackle.

“He’s in the mix, whether he wants to be or not, period,” Cameron said of Reid. “In my mind, he’s either going to be playing or one or two plays from playing. We’re trying to get that point across to a lot of guys. There’s no four-year scholarships.”

Despite Yanda missing the past four practices with back spasms, Cameron isn’t worried about the veteran blocker.

“He’s one of the toughest guys in our locker room,” Cameron said. “He’s one of the guys you know you can count on.”

If Reid falters, the Ravens could always play Yanda at right tackle again after starting him at that spot every game last season when Jared Gaither missed the entire season with a back injury.

“That’s always a possibility,” Cameron said.

Improvement is needed after a rough debut.

The Ravens get a chance to redeem themselves Friday night against the Kansas City Chiefs in their second preseason game.

“We’re going to try to work out the best five in some combination,” Cameron said. “It may not be ideal, but it’s probably our best alternative.”