The Ravens may have had their best year in 2011 since they won the Super Bowl over a decade ago.

Baltimore lost to New England in the AFC Championship game, and was a Lee Evans’ dropped pass away from making it to the Super Bowl.

Baltimore’s defense was dominant once again, allowing just 16.6 points per game. Quarterback Joe Flacco is still a question mark in some people’s eyes, but the Ravens show no signs of replacing him, and Ray Rice remains one of the best running backs in the NFL.

The Ravens still have some holes to fill heading into the 2012 Season. Here are Baltimore’s biggest draft needs, as well as some players they will target.

Offensive Line

The Ravens had a strong offensive line last year, but they still have room to improve. Pro Bowl guard Ben Grubbs left as a free agent to play for the Saints. Center Matt Birk is still with the team, but there are rumors that he could be retiring in the near future. Birk is 35 years old and will be entering his 14th season in 2012.

If the Ravens decide to draft an offensive lineman with the 29th pick in the first round, they’ll likely go after center Peter Konz from Wisconsin. Konz could step in for Grubbs, and be Birk’s eventually replacement. Amini Silatolu out of Midwestern State and Brandon Brooks from Miami of Ohio would be good second round options for Baltimore.

Wide Receiver

Baltimore has never been traditionally strong at wide receiver.

The Ravens thought they might have finally found a number one option when they traded for Anquan Boldin. Boldin has been an average wide out since joining the team in 2010, failing to receive 900 yards in either of his two seasons with the club. Torrey Smith had a good year as a rookie, but still has a lot to prove.

Wide receivers Kendall Wright from Baylor and Rueben Randle out of LSU will be on the Ravens radar in the first round. Baltimore will probably wait until round two to select a receiver. Chris Givens of Wake Forest is the best fit for the Ravens at number 60 overall.

Defensive Line

While not necessarily a weakness for the Ravens, Baltimore could certainly afford to improve its defensive line. The team lost starting defensive end Cory Redding and backup nose tackle Brandon McKinney to free agency.

Baltimore could go with Chandler Jones from Syracuse to replace Redding. Jones is a natural fit, as his brother Arthur is already on the team. If the Ravens decide to wait a round to take a defensive lineman, Jared Crick from Nebraska might be their best option.

To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail:
To contact the editor, e-mail:

By: Tony Meale

The 2012 NFL Draft is just one week away so we’ve pulled together a mock draft featuring the first and second rounds for the NFC East. Do you agree with the picks? Comment below.

AFC North

Ravens

For all the talk about how the Ravens are getting old – and they are – they still came within one dropped pass of the Super Bowl last year. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if Baltimore comes that close again or goes even further, but if the Ravens are going to do it with Ray Lewis, it needs to be this year or next.

In the past, Baltimore has typically been more concerned with drafting the best player available than with filling needs – and it’s hard to argue with the success that strategy has produced. But seriously, can the Ravens get a receiver?

Joe Flacco, believe it or not, is a good quarterback. A 48-24 record. Two trips to the AFC Championship. At least one playoff win every year. Two wins over the Steelers last season.

Yeah, not bad.

As for Ray Rice, call me crazy, but he’s the best running back in football. He can run, he can catch, he can pass-protect – and unlike Arian Foster and now Adrian Peterson – he’s durable.

The Baltimore defense, meanwhile, is the Baltimore defense. Depth is a concern at a spot or two, but with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, you know this unit is going to be Super Bowl-caliber come playoff time.

But back to receivers. Anquan Boldin is good, but he’s 32 and he can’t do it alone. He led the Ravens in catches last year despite missing two games. Torrey Smith has game-breaking speed – and that’s certainly a good thing to have – but he’s more of a burner than a receiver.

After that, who do we have? Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson? Those guys won’t lose games, but they aren’t going to win them, either.

A wideout like Stephen Hill would be a good first-round pick, but the Ravens will likely draft defense (think Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower) or invest in the trenches (think Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams). Neither pick would be bad, but it wasn’t a linebacker or an offensive lineman that cost the Ravens a trip to the Super Bowl last year.

It was a receiver.

Browns

The Browns need offense. A lot.

In 2011, Cleveland went 0-6 against the AFC North, 1-7 on the road and scored 20+ points just twice.

Yes, the Browns are that bad.

Which is why selecting Morris Claiborne fourth overall – as some say the Browns should do – is a tad perplexing. Sure, he could be a staple of the Cleveland secondary for the next decade, but the Browns had statistically the second best pass defense in football last season. The offense was 29th.

Provided the Browns don’t trade the fourth pick, they should take Trent Richardson. Running backs have become devalued in recent years, but there’s no denying Richardson’s beastly tendencies – and his sub-4.5 40. He’s a tough, pass-catching, between-the-tackles runner who could be the heart and soul of a team that desperately needs, well, a heart and soul.

The football fan in me would like to see the Browns draft Justin Blackmon at 4 and Brandon Weeden at 22, but Cleveland appears interested in Ryan Tannenhill. Plus, there will be decent wideout options at Pick 22, including Kendall Wright.

If the Browns do draft Tannenhill, what becomes of Colt McCoy? Does Cleveland simply give up on him? McCoy has been far from impressive, but in his defense, who exactly has he had to throw to? I’m not saying McCoy is the quarterback of the future, but Browns fans should take McCoy’s performance thus far with at least a slight grain of salt – because he has no pieces around him.

If I’m Cleveland, I go RB/WR in the first round to give McCoy some weapons. With three of the top 37 picks – and 13 overall – the Browns can draft a quarterback later if they so choose.

Bengals

The Bengals boast three of the top 53 picks, including two of the top 21 – thanks largely to the coup owner Mike Brown pulled off by unloading the cantankerous Carson Palmer to the Raiders. Cincinnati went from worst in the AFC North in 2010 to a playoff team in 2011, and the pieces are in place for the Bengals to make a playoff push in 2012.

Cornerback and wide receiver are among the Bengals’ most pressing needs, but don’t be surprised if they draft an offensive lineman in the first round – either Stanford’s David DeCastro or Georgia’s Cordy Glenn. Protecting Andy Dalton, who showed great promise as a rookie, is a top priority, but so too is opening holes for BenJarvus Green-Ellis, whose acquisition from New England may have been one of the offseason’s more underrated transactions. Cedric Benson had his moments in Cincy (three straight 1,000-yard seasons) but was at times unreliable (12 fumbles the last two years).

While it appears Mike Wallace will re-sign with Pittsburgh, the Bengals should be doing everything they can to get him. A.J. Green, who last year averaged 16.3 yards per catch and tallied 43 first-down receptions, was phenomenal as a rookie, but the Bengals lack a true No. 2. Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham are solid pass-catchers, but it would behoove the Bengals to draft at least one wideout. Michael Floyd is an option if he were to fall to Pick 17, but there are too many solid secondary options to pass up on, including Dre Kirkpatrick and Stephen Gilmore.

While Pittsburgh and Baltimore remain the class of the division, Cincinnati has unquestionably the brightest future – not to mention the potential to win the AFC North.

Steelers

The Steelers enter the offseason with more questions than usual:

Will Mike Wallace be back? How will Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley get along? How will the franchise cope without former mainstays Chris Kemoeatu and James Farrior, among others?

And yet, Pittsburgh has two bigger questions that need answering: Can Big Ben stay upright? And who is carrying the ball?

Big Ben is one of the game’s elite quarterbacks, and his freelancing style of play has helped the Steelers to three Super Bowl appearances in less than a decade. But Roethlisberger, who just turned 30, still takes way too many hits. Part of that is the result of the way he plays; the other – and maybe bigger – part is the offensive line. Doug Legursky, Maurkice Pouncey, and Willie Colon are solid, but the Steelers would be wise to draft Ohio State’s Mike Adams if he’s available at Pick 24.

The tailback situation is even more tenuous. Rashard Mendenhall’s bum knee might cost him the entire season, and Isaac Redman – with one career start – is first in line to get the bulk of the carries. In other words, the Steelers need a running back. Investing a second-round selection in Boise State’s Doug Martin would be worth it.

>> more: Mock Draft AFC South | Mock Draft AFC East | Mock Draft AFC West | Mock Draft NFC North | Mock Draft NFC South | Mock Draft NFC East | Mock Draft NFC West

Tony Meale is a freelance writer for MLB.com, cincinnati.com and ffjungle.com, among others. His fantasy football work has led to guest appearances on several radio outlets, including ESPN Radio and Sirius Radio. He has a Master’s in Journalism from Ohio University and has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for outstanding work. A Cincinnati native, he is currently writing a book on one of the great sports stories never told. Follow Tony Meale on Twitter @tonymeale.

Randy Moss could make sense for the Baltimore Ravens in 2012. The Randy Moss question is getting posed by Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun, who thinks that the wide receiver could still have something to offer. With Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin already on the roster, this could give the Ravens a nice deep threat down one of the sidelines. That would certainly open up the field for the tandem of quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice to work even better.

Rumors are certain to continue for most of the NFL offseason when it comes to a player with such a storied past as Moss. His talent has never really been the question though, but rather what his motivation and work ethic would consist of in his next stop. There’s a reason that he has already played for five different franchises and that he doesn’t have a concrete offer from a team for the 2012 NFL season.

The last time that Moss put up significant numbers was in 2009, when he caught 83 passes for 1,264 yards and 13 touchdowns. He made Tom Brady a better quarterback for the three years he called New England home, but has found almost no success in the past two seasons. If Baltimore is willing to give him a chance, Moss should make show a willingness to take a big pay cut in order to prove that he just wants to play the game. Maybe an incentive laden contract would work for both sides.

Do you think Baltimore is a good fit for Randy Moss? Should the franchise just avoid the drama associated with him?

CBSSports.com wire reports
Dec. 24, 2011

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens achieved perfection at home for the first time, and now they’re looking to add to that ledger in the playoffs.

Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes, and the Ravens beat the bumbling Cleveland Browns 20-14 on Saturday to move one step closer to winning the AFC North.

Ray Rice ran for 87 yards and caught a TD pass for the Ravens (11-4), who led 17-0 at halftime and held on.

“I have never been perfect at home in 16 years of football. That’s amazing,” Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis said. “As good of teams we’ve had here, we’ve always found [a way] to lose one or two here or there. I think this year we really made a focus on taking care at home. This is the result, us being able to go 8-0 and being able to be sitting where you want to sit at the end of the day.”

The Ravens would win the AFC North by defeating Cincinnati on the road next week. That would also give Baltimore a first-round bye and a home playoff game – two if New England loses next Sunday at home against Buffalo.

“It’s big, man,” linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “We are at our best when we are at (home) and our fans are rocking. So we definitely need a home playoff game, by any means necessary.”

Flacco went 11 for 24 with touchdown passes to Rice and tight end Ed Dickson. He also had a 33-yard run.

Josh Cribbs had a career-high 84-yard punt return for a TD for Cleveland (4-11). But the Browns generated very little offense and were guilty of questionable play calling, bad clock management and untimely penalties in their fifth straight loss.

Cleveland saved the worst for last. Having already burned their three timeouts, the Browns lined up on defense after the two-minute warning with the Ravens facing a fourth-and-2 at the Cleveland 37.

It appeared obvious that Flacco and the Ravens were merely hoping to draw the Browns offside.

As the play clock moved close to zero, Cleveland tackle Phil Taylor jumped across the line of scrimmage to give Baltimore a first down.

“It was the first hard count and we stayed onside,” Taylor said. “The second time, I just jumped. Of course you feel bad, but you just got to move on.”

Said Flacco: “I don’t know if I’ve ever been in position for that to happen. It’s never worked.”

The Ravens then ran out the clock on their eighth straight win over the Browns, including two this month.

“We knew this would be quite a challenge for us,” Cleveland quarterback Seneca Wallace said. “We’re playing the Ravens at home, and they’re playing for everything. I should have played better, and I should have made better decisions.”

Wallace went 19 for 33 for 147 yards in place of Colt McCoy, who was out with a concussion. Peyton Hillis ran for 112 yards, but Cleveland’s offense mounted only one decent drive.

The Browns took the opening kickoff and moved from their own 26 to the Baltimore 30 behind the power of Hillis, who gained 30 yards on six carries. But on a third-and-1, Cleveland inexplicably went to the air, and Lardarius Webb intercepted Wallace’s pass for Mohamed Massaquoi.

Flacco immediately threw deep for Torrey Smith, who drew a 60-yard penalty for pass interference on Mike Adams to set up a 5-yard touchdown pass to Dickson.

Later, a 29-yard throw from Flacco to Smith led to a 48-yard field goal by newcomer Shayne Graham, signed in the middle of the week to take over for the injured Billy Cundiff.

After another Cleveland punt, Flacco directed an 82-yard drive that gave Baltimore a 17-0 lead. Rice slipped behind linebacker D’Qwell Jackson on the right sideline, caught a soft pass in stride and sprinted into the end zone to complete a 42-yard scoring play.

That made Flacco 5 for 5 for 94 yards and two touchdowns on third down.

Cleveland moved deep into Baltimore territory late in the first half, thanks in part to a 30-yard pass interference call against Chris Carr. But with the clock inside 10 seconds and the Browns without a timeout left, Wallace handed off to Hillis instead of spiking the ball, and Hillis went nowhere.

Wallace took the blame, and so did Browns coach Pat Shurmur.

“I need to communicate it better, OK?” Shurmur said.

Time expired before Cleveland could get off another play, and the Browns headed to the locker room after being held scoreless in the first half for the second time this season. The other time it happened was also against Baltimore.

Graham kicked a 43-yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 20-0.

The Browns finally scored when Cribbs took a punt on the right sideline, escaped an arm tackle and broke toward the center of the field before outrunning three defenders into the left corner of the end zone late in the third quarter.

“I was wondering where all the defenders were,” Cribbs said. “I saw all the great blocking around me. From there, it was easy. It was just a walk in.”

Cribbs also contributed to Cleveland’s next touchdown, catching a 23-yard pass from Wallace as part of an 80-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard TD throw to Evan Moore midway through the fourth quarter.

The Browns forced a punt, but on a fourth-and-4 from the Cleveland 45 with 4:03 left, a pass to Hillis did not produce the necessary yardage.

Taylor’s jump across the line of scrimmage soon followed.

Notes

• Ravens KR David Reed hurt his left knee and declared himself out for the season. Also, Baltimore OT Marshal Yanda (chest) and CB Cary Williams (concussion) did not play in the second half.
• Shurmur said the Browns sustained no serious injuries. Cleveland closes the season next Sunday against Pittsburgh.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Eight games, eight wins. The Baltimore Ravens achieved perfection at home for the first time, and now they’re looking to add to that ledger in the playoffs.

Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes, and the Ravens beat the bumbling Cleveland Browns 20-14 on Saturday to move one step closer to winning the AFC North.

Ray Rice ran for 87 yards and caught a TD pass for the Ravens (11-4), who led 17-0 at halftime and held on.

“I have never been perfect at home in 16 years of football. That’s amazing,” Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis said. “As good of teams we’ve had here, we’ve always found (a way) to lose one or two here or there. I think this year we really made a focus on taking care at home. This is the result, us being able to go 8-0 and being able to be sitting where you want to sit at the end of the day.”

The Ravens would win the AFC North by defeating Cincinnati on the road next week. That would also give Baltimore a first-round bye and a home playoff game — two if New England loses next Sunday at home against Buffalo.

“It’s big, man,” linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “We are at our best when we are at (home) and our fans are rocking. So we definitely need a home playoff game, by any means necessary.”

Flacco went 11 for 24 with touchdown passes to Rice and tight end Ed Dickson. He also had a 33-yard run.

Josh Cribbs had a career-high 84-yard punt return for a TD for Cleveland (4-11). But the Browns generated very little offense and were guilty of questionable play calling, bad clock management and untimely penalties in their fifth straight loss.

Cleveland saved the worst for last. Having already burned their three timeouts, the Browns lined up on defense after the two-minute warning with the Ravens facing a fourth-and-2 at the Cleveland 37.

It appeared obvious that Flacco and the Ravens were merely hoping to draw the Browns offside.

As the play clock moved close to zero, Cleveland tackle Phil Taylor jumped across the line of scrimmage to give Baltimore a first down.

“It was the first hard count and we stayed onside,” Taylor said. “The second time, I just jumped. Of course you feel bad, but you just got to move on.”

Said Flacco: “I don’t know if I’ve ever been in position for that to happen. It’s never worked.”

The Ravens then ran out the clock on their eighth straight win over the Browns, including two this month.

“We knew this would be quite a challenge for us,” Cleveland quarterback Seneca Wallace said. “We’re playing the Ravens at home, and they’re playing for everything. I should have played better, and I should have made better decisions.”

Wallace went 19 for 33 for 147 yards in place of Colt McCoy, who was out with a concussion. Peyton Hillis ran for 112 yards, but Cleveland’s offense mounted only one decent drive.

The Browns took the opening kickoff and moved from their own 26 to the Baltimore 30 behind the power of Hillis, who gained 30 yards on six carries. But on a third-and-1, Cleveland inexplicably went to the air, and Lardarius Webb intercepted Wallace’s pass for Mohamed Massaquoi.

Flacco immediately threw deep for Torrey Smith, who drew a 60-yard penalty for pass interference on Mike Adams to set up a 5-yard touchdown pass to Dickson.

Later, a 29-yard throw from Flacco to Smith led to a 48-yard field goal by newcomer Shayne Graham, signed in the middle of the week to take over for the injured Billy Cundiff.

After another Cleveland punt, Flacco directed an 82-yard drive that gave Baltimore a 17-0 lead. Rice slipped behind linebacker D’Qwell Jackson on the right sideline, caught a soft pass in stride and sprinted into the end zone to complete a 42-yard scoring play.

That made Flacco 5 for 5 for 94 yards and two touchdowns on third down.

Cleveland moved deep into Baltimore territory late in the first half, thanks in part to a 30-yard pass interference call against Chris Carr. But with the clock inside 10 seconds and the Browns without a timeout left, Wallace handed off to Hillis instead of spiking the ball, and Hillis went nowhere.

Wallace took the blame, and so did Browns coach Pat Shurmur.

“I need to communicate it better, OK?” Shurmur said.

Time expired before Cleveland could get off another play, and the Browns headed to the locker room after being held scoreless in the first half for the second time this season. The other time it happened was also against Baltimore.

Graham kicked a 43-yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 20-0.

The Browns finally scored when Cribbs took a punt on the right sideline, escaped an arm tackle and broke toward the center of the field before outrunning three defenders into the left corner of the end zone late in the third quarter.

“I was wondering where all the defenders were,” Cribbs said. “I saw all the great blocking around me. From there, it was easy. It was just a walk in.”

Cribbs also contributed to Cleveland‘s next touchdown, catching a 23-yard pass from Wallace as part of an 80-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard TD throw to Evan Moore midway through the fourth quarter.

The Browns forced a punt, but on a fourth-and-4 from the Cleveland 45 with 4:03 left, a pass to Hillis did not produce the necessary yardage.

Taylor’s jump across the line of scrimmage soon followed.

NOTES: Ravens KR David Reed hurt his left knee and declared himself out for the season. Also, Baltimore OT Marshal Yanda (chest) and CB Cary Williams (concussion) did not play in the second half. … Shurmur said the Browns sustained no serious injuries. Cleveland closes the season next Sunday against Pittsburgh.

If the Baltimore Ravens are going to finally break through and win their division, they are going to have to do it without their best wide receiver. The Ravens will lose Anquan Boldin for the final two games as a result of torn cartilage in his knee. This is a significant loss for a team that is looking to win their division and earn a playoff bye. The Ravens are currently 10-4 and tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers atop the AFC North. The Ravens have the tiebreaker but won’t have an easy time winning the final two games. For an offense that is already less than stellar, this is a tough loss for the Ravens.

Boldin will have minor surgery to repair the torn cartilage. While surgery on the knee is usually really serious, Boldin shouldn’t require an extensive coverage. In fact, he is expected to return for the playoffs. Apparently, the injury has been lingering and it was decided that now was the best time to get everything fixed. Baltimore did not disclose which knee was injured. However, the team did announce that Boldin will be ready for the playoffs. That is a good thing for this team, but it could make winning the division difficult.

Boldin has 57 catches and was on track for a 1,000 yard receiving season. He is one of the best threats in the Baltimore passing game. Without him, Lee Evans should get more action in the final two games. Baltimore still has Joe Flacco and Ray Rice so they should still be able to move the ball. However, losing a receiver like Boldin at this point in the season can’t be easy.

Baltimore has played seven playoff games in the past three seasons and all of them have been on the road. This team knows more than any other how important it is to get a home playoff game. The Ravens were on track for that until they lost to the San Diego Chargers. They still control their destiny. If they beat the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals in the final two weeks, they will win their division and earn a bye. They are still good enough to do that. However, losing Boldin is definitely a blow.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Chargers’ next opponent

Baltimore Ravens (10-3)

5:20 p.m., Sunday, Qualcomm Stadium

The Ravens have lost only three games. Each time, they were on the road. For all their success, the Ravens are no better than 16-14 in away games under head coach John Harbaugh.

So, ahem, there’s that.

About the last thing the Chargers needed to come along at this particular point – the virtual point of no return in terms of postseason contention – was a game with the smash-mouth Ravens. Baltimore’s a good opponent to have when it’s early in the season and you’re trying to measure yourself against the league’s better franchises – especially if you’re wondering about your own toughness — but not when you’re under .500 in mid-December and possibly one loss from elimination.

Baltimore’s not without a sense of urgency, either, despite a sweep of the arch-rival Pittsburgh Steelers and unbeaten record within the AFC North. The Ravens are one of four AFC teams at 10-3 and all too aware of the importance of home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Those two wins over the Steelers won’t mean much, either, if Pittsburgh finishes with a better record than Baltimore.

When last the Chargers faced the Ravens two years ago – see Series History below – Baltimore was built around (now) 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis. He’s missed four games – all Baltimore wins — with turf toe.

The Ravens are the NFL’s best defense against the pass and second-best against the rush, allowing an average of 15.5 points per game and an opponents’ third-down percentage of just 28.7. If anything, this year’s ravenous Ravens seem even more on the offensive when on defense.

Baltimore’s 8-5 in prime-time games during Harbaugh’s tenure, 4-1 in “Sunday Night Football’ affairs.

Three players to watch

Terrell Suggs, LB: You can toss a dart at the Ravens’ defensive lineup and hit somebody you want to avoid in your game plan, but even with Ed Reed at safety and Haloti Ngata at nose, the first force to be reckoned with is Suggs on the pass rush. Three times this season, he’s recorded three sacks in a game, putting him within two quarterback drops of the team record of 15. In addition to three picks Sunday, he also forced three Indianapolis Colts fumbles. He’ll be dancing with a former Ravens teammate Sunday night in Jared Gaither, now the Chargers’ starting left offensive tackle.

Joe Flacco, QB: Of the top 26 quarterbacks in the NFL in completion percentage, 25 are doing better than Flacco, who’s hit just 56.6 percent of his passes. He’s no higher than 21st in passer rating at 79.9. But there’ll only be two quarterbacks in the Super Bowl, and nobody would be surprised if Flacco is one of them. Why worry so much about passing stats, too, when your primary job is getting the ball to …

Ray Rice, RB: This not a height joke, but the 5-foot-8 Rice actually had been running well below the radar until most recently breaking off consecutive 100-yard games – incredibly, the first time he’s done that in his career. Rice leads the NFL with 1,622 total yards from scrimmage, including 10 rushing scores and two TD receptions. He’s now working behind one of the league’s premier fullbacks, Vonta Leach.

SAN DIEGO (AP)—Two years ago, Ray Lewis shot the gap and met Darren
Sproles head-on in the backfield on fourth-and-2 in the closing seconds to seal
the Baltimore Ravens’ 31-26 victory against the San Diego Chargers.

The Chargers hardly need to be reminded of that jarring hit. Sproles left
for New Orleans as a free agent after last season, perhaps one of the reasons
the Chargers have struggled so badly most of this season. And with their playoff
hopes barely flickering, the Chargers have to face the Ravens again, although
this time it’s Terrell Suggs who’s bringing the mayhem.

After consecutive wins against downtrodden Jacksonville and Buffalo, the
Chargers (6-7) host the Ravens (10-3), who will be assured a fourth straight
trip to the postseason if they win Sunday night. A loss would push the Chargers
to the brink of missing the playoffs for the second straight season.

“They’re as talented as any team in the league,” beleaguered Chargers
coach Norv Turner said. “They’re obviously the best defense in the league, in
my mind. They’re great on third down, they’re physical, they’re a great
pass-rushing group.”

Lewis, the Ravens’ long-time defensive leader, has missed four straight
games with an injured right toe. The Ravens, who have won those four games, hope
to have Lewis back Sunday night.

Suggs had three sacks and forced three fumbles in a 24-10 victory against
the winless Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. He also had three sacks in a 16-6
victory against the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving night, when the Ravens
tied a franchise record with nine sacks.

“Suggs is a guy that I think everyone starts with,” Turner said. “They
have a number of guys that can rush the passer. The one area I think they’re
better than they were when we played them last time is they’ve probably improved
in the secondary.”

That could be bad news for Philip Rivers, who’s looked much better the last
two games.

The Ravens also have a physical offense, led by running back Ray Rice.

“They’re able to keep the ball away from you and limit the number of
opportunities you have against them,” Turner said. “It’s going to be a
physical challenge for all of our players.”

The Chargers’ 37-10 victory against the Bills on Sunday was tempered when
Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos rallied to beat the Chicago Bears in overtime.
The Broncos are 8-5 atop the AFC West while the Oakland Raiders are 7-6.

After hosting the Ravens, the Chargers finish with road games against the
Detroit Lions and the Raiders.

Three Chargers are closing in on significant milestones.

With 582 career catches, star tight end Antonio Gates needs five receptions
to supplant Hall of Famer Charlie Joiner as the team’s all-time leading
receiver. Joiner, the Chargers’ wide receivers coach, had 586 catches from
1976-86, the final 11 seasons of his 18-year NFL career.

Rivers needs 255 yards passing for his fourth straight 4,000-yard season. He
would join Peyton Manning (1999-04 and 2006-10) and former teammate Drew Brees
(2006-11) as the only QBs in NFL history with at least four-straight 4,000-yard
seasons. Second-year pro Ryan Mathews needs 57 yards rushing for his first
1,000-yard season. Mathews has gained 100 yards in three straight games for the
first time.

The immediate goal is to get into the playoffs, but the Ravens want more. Locked in a four-way tie for the best record in the conference, Baltimore has a chance to receive a first-round bye, followed by two home playoff games.

If the Ravens win out, they are expected to become the top seed in the AFC – regardless of how Pittsburgh, New England and Houston fare. Although it’s too early to determine, if all four teams finish 13-3, it appears Baltimore will win the tiebreaker.

The Ravens don’t care about that right now.

“We have to play the San Diego Chargers. That’s the task at hand,” running back Ray Rice said.

Baltimore’s only defeats this season have been on the road against teams that entered with losing records.

(Tennessee, Jacksonville and Seattle). San Diego is 6-7. But the Ravens have won four straight by a combined 55 points and are riding a crest of confidence.

“You’re always trying to gain momentum, you’re always trying to be as good as you can be and improve,” Harbaugh said.

The Ravens are clicking on defense, offense and special teams. Baltimore has allowed only 36 points over its last three games – and that’s without injured middle linebacker Ray Lewis. Baltimore got two touchdown passes from Flacco against the Colts, Rice has run for 307 yards over the past two weeks and Lardarius Webb has rejuvenated the punt return unit.

And yet, the Ravens aren’t satisfied.

“Championship teams, they don’t settle for what’s happening right now. Every week, they try to get better,” said linebacker Terrell Suggs, who had three sacks against the Colts. “We’re doing a lot of things good, but we have to correct things and get better at the things we’re not doing so well. We’re still not satisfied. This team is hungry.”

After the Chargers, Baltimore hosts the Cleveland Browns and concludes the regular season at Cincinnati. Even if they don’t get the top seed in the AFC, the Ravens can get a home game by winning the AFC North. And playing at home is no small advantage, given that Baltimore is 7-0 at M&T Bank Stadium and 3-3 on the road.

No matter how it turns out, the Ravens intend to be at their best once the postseason gets under way.

“Keep working hard. Keep getting better,” center Matt Birk said. “We can get where we want to go, but all the stuff, all the external stuff, about playoff scenarios and what ifs, it doesn’t matter. All we have to do is focus on our opponents this week.”

Harbaugh said Monday he’s “very hopeful” of having Lewis back as soon as Sunday night. The 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker has missed four straight games with an injured right toe, and although Baltimore is 4-0 without him, he remains the team’s leading tackler.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP)—Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh isn’t
interested in the complicated tiebreaking procedure that will ultimately
determine the top seed in the AFC playoffs.

His focus, and that of the team, is solely on Sunday night’s game against
the San Diego Chargers. With a victory, Baltimore (10-3) will be assured a
fourth straight trip to the postseason.

“The object is just to win the next game, more than anything probably,”
Harbaugh said Monday. “If that happens, we pretty much know where the chips are
going to fall.”

The immediate goal is to get into the playoffs, but the Ravens want more.
Locked in a four-way tie for the best record in the conference, Baltimore has a
chance to receive a first-round bye, followed by two home playoff games.

If the Ravens win out, they are expected to become the top seed in the AFC—
regardless of how Pittsburgh, New England and Houston fare. Although it’s too
early to determine, if all four teams finish 13-3, it appears Baltimore will win
the tiebreaker based on strength of victories.

The Ravens don’t care about that right now.

“We have to play the San Diego Chargers. That’s the next task at hand,”
running back Ray Rice said.

Minutes after Baltimore completed a 24-10 victory over the winless
Indianapolis Colts 24-10 on Sunday, Houston rallied past Cincinnati and New
England held off Washington. The results did not go unnoticed in the Ravens
locker room.

“It’s out there, so you always see it,” Flacco said. “It looked like
there were a couple close games, couple of shots, looked like Houston might go
down and they didn’t. Looked like New England might go down, and they didn’t.
But I’m not really banking on that anyway. I’m looking at the rest of the season
saying we’ve got to win the rest of our games.”

Baltimore’s only defeats this season have been on the road against teams
that entered with losing records (Tennessee, Jacksonville and Seattle). San
Diego is 6-7. But the Ravens have won four straight by a combined 55 points and
are riding a crest of confidence.

“You’re always trying to gain momentum, you’re always trying to be as good
as you can be and improve,” Harbaugh said.

The Ravens are clicking on defense, offense and special teams. Baltimore has
allowed only 36 points over its last three games—and that’s without injured
middle linebacker Ray Lewis. Baltimore got two touchdown passes from Flacco
against the Colts, Rice has run for 307 yards over the past two weeks and
Lardarius Webb has rejuvenated the punt return unit.

And yet, the Ravens aren’t satisfied.

“Championship teams, they don’t settle for what’s happening right now.
Every week, they try to get better,” said linebacker Terrell Suggs, who had
three sacks against the Colts. “We’re doing a lot of things good, but we have
to correct things and get better at the things we’re not doing so well. We’re
still not satisfied. This team is hungry.”

After the Chargers, Baltimore hosts the Cleveland Browns and concludes the
regular season at Cincinnati. Even if they don’t get the top seed in the AFC,
the Ravens can get a home game by winning the AFC North. And playing at home is
no small advantage, given that Baltimore is 7-0 at M&T Bank Stadium and 3-3 on
the road.

No matter how it turns out, the Ravens intend to be at their best once the
postseason gets under way.

“Keep working hard. Keep getting better,” center Matt Birk said. “We can
get where we want to go, but all the stuff, all the external stuff, about
playoff scenarios and what ifs, it doesn’t matter. All we have to do is focus on
our opponents this week.”

Harbaugh said Monday he’s “very hopeful” of having Lewis back as soon as
Sunday night. The 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker has missed four straight games
with an injured right toe, and although Baltimore is 4-0 without him, he remains
the team’s leading tackler.

.

.