It's an emotional reunion for fans every time the Indianapolis Colts return to Baltimore, but there will be a stronger tug on the heartstrings Sunday. Matt Stover, one of the most beloved Ravens in team history, will kick against his former team for the first time as a member of the rival Colts.
For 13 seasons, Stover remembers hearing thunderous cheers from Ravens fans after countless clutch kicks. When he takes the field Sunday - suiting up for a Colts team that crushed this city in 1984 by moving to Indianapolis - he doesn't know what reaction to expect.
"I would hope that I have left a legacy here and that my reputation stands true and people honor that," Stover told The Baltimore Sun. "But hey, it's a mean business, too. I know the Baltimore people love their Ravens. I'm not faulting anybody for any other reaction."
The Ravens chose not to re-sign Stover and ultimately decided to go with Steve Hauschka, a younger kicker who could also kick off (which would allow the team to use only one roster spot on a kicker). As the Ravens replace Hauschka with Billy Cundiff on Wednesday, coach John Harbaugh said that looking back, the team should have kept Stover. "I guarantee you one thing, it'd be nice for Matt Stover [to be] kicking for us right now," Harbaugh said. "We're not afraid of [saying] that. Things didn't work out in the offseason."
On the drama of seeing Stover kick against the Ravens, Harbaugh said, "It's pretty juicy. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens." More...
Ravens kicker Steve Hauschka was cut by the Ravens, one day after missing a 36-yard field goal and getting an extra-point blocked in a 16-0 win over the Cleveland Browns.
General manager Ozzie Newsome said the team will sign a new kicker -- possibly Mike Nugent or Billy Cundiff -- before Wednesday's practice.
"I'm definitely disappointed," Hauschka told The Baltimore Sun about a half-hour after the team made the announcement. "I appreciate the opportunity that they gave me here. I wish I had done better with a couple of the kicks there. But I don't have any regrets. I'm just going to keep playing and working hard, and I think I'll be on a team sooner or later."
Not re-signing Matt Stover will likely mark the first misstep in the John Harbaugh era.
The Ravens decided to replace Stover, the only placekicker in the team's history, because they wanted a younger kicker who could also kick off (which allowed the Ravens to use only one roster spot on a kicker).
In his first season as a full-time NFL kicker, Hauschka finished 9-for-13 on field goals, missing three of his final seven kicks. More...
Held scoreless in first half, they ride third-quarter points to shutout win in 'ugly game' The Ravens' 16-0 win over the Cleveland Browns caused as much concern as celebration. After scoring a couple of touchdowns in a 17-second span of the third quarter, the Ravens (5-4) looked like a team that survived and saved their playoff hopes against the hapless Browns (1-8).
Linebacker-defensive end Terrell Suggs limped out of the locker room with a full-leg brace to protect his right knee sprain. Tight end Todd Heap walked off the field in the final minutes of the game, clutching his left side. And kicker Steve Hauschka put his job in jeopardy after missing another field-goal attempt and getting an extra-point try blocked.
An apathetic crowd at a half-filled Cleveland Browns Stadium seemed unimpressed by the Ravens. A national television crowd probably felt the same way.
"It was an ugly game," Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said, "but that's the way some of those are in the NFL."
After being held scoreless for the first 32 1/2 minutes, the Ravens took a double-digit lead in the third quarter by capitalizing on the Browns' mistakes.
The first touchdown came on a 13-yard run by running back Ray Rice -- the result of the Ravens rushing to the line and taking advantage of an out-of-position defense. The next one occurred on the next offensive play as Brady Quinn's pass bounced off the hands of tight end Robert Royal and went right to Ravens safety Dawan Landry, who ran 48 yards for the touchdown. More...
It didn't take long for Steve Hauschka to fully comprehend the delicate job security of an NFL placekicker. After Hauschka misfired on an important field goal attempt Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens brought in two kickers for tryouts. Mike Nugent and Billy Cundiff were given a look Tuesday, but neither walked away with a contract.
The Ravens remain hopeful that Hauschka will correct his flaws and prove he's the right man for the job. "We're not ready to say we don't think he's going to be a good kicker in the NFL," coach John Harbaugh said.
As a rookie last year, Hauschka handled the kickoffs as the backup to 40-year-old Matt Stover. Tired of having two kickers on the roster, the Ravens opted against inviting Stover to training camp this summer, and Hauschka won the job over Graham Gano.
Hauschka is 8 for 11 in field goal tries, but his misses include a potential game-winning 44-yarder against Minnesota and 38-yarder Sunday in Cincinnati that would have gotten Baltimore within a touchdown with six minutes left. Thus, the Ravens are apparently assembling a short list of potential replacements in case Hauschka continues to struggle with clutch kicks.
"I figured they probably would," Hauschka acknowledged Wednesday. "They're going to do what they have to do and I'm going to have to do my job - go out there and make kicks in a game." More...
The Baltimore Ravens have assumed an identity that coach John Harbaugh could do without. "If you're going to define us right now, you'd have to say we're a .500 team. That's what we are at this point," Harbaugh said Monday. "We're a .500 team that's lost four out of the past five. We're struggling to find a way to win a game right now."
For years, the Ravens were known for their defense. Early this season, they developed a potent offense. Neither unit performed effectively Sunday in a 17-7 loss to Cincinnati that dropped Baltimore to 4-4, two games behind the first-place Bengals in the AFC North.
"Obviously we're very disappointed with the result, and we're disappointed with the way we played," Harbaugh said. "Cincinnati beat us really every way you can beat a team."
In his first season as an NFL coach, Harbaugh took the Ravens to the AFC championship. His second year has not gone nearly as well. After opening with three straight wins, Baltimore lost three in a row by a combined 11 points before breezing past the previously unbeaten Denver Broncos. Then came Sunday's dud against the Bengals, who broke out to a 14-0 lead in the opening 14 minutes.
"As we sit here and take a look at where we're going, first of all, it starts with me," Harbaugh said. "It's my job to give our guys every opportunity to play as well as they can play, and I've got to find a way to do my job better. I think every person in the building feels that way right now." More...
24-year-old is first O's outfielder to receive defensive honor since Paul Blair in 1975 During his first season as an everyday major league center fielder, Adam Jones approached the Los Angeles Angels' Torii Hunter and told him one of his goals. "I want one of your Gold Gloves," Jones said to Hunter before an Orioles-Angels game in 2008.
Jones got his wish Tuesday, though not at Hunter's expense. He became the first Oriole to win a Rawlings Gold Glove in 10 years when he was one of three American League outfielders awarded the annual prize for defensive excellence.
Jones, 24, is just the second Orioles outfielder to win the award, joining Paul Blair, who won his eighth and last in 1975.
"That's shocking," Jones said in a teleconference with reporters. "I knew Brady Anderson was a pretty good center fielder. I always felt that [ Nick] Markakis deserves one, getting to play with him every single day and seeing how truly good that guy is. It's crazy it's been since 1975. That's 34 years. I'm just thrilled and honored."
Jones is the 13th Oriole to win a Gold Glove and the first since pitcher Mike Mussina in 1999. The last Orioles position players to receive the honor were second baseman Roberto Alomar and first baseman Rafael Palmeiro in 1998.
The award is voted on by league managers and coaches before the conclusion of the regular season. More...
Baltimore can't recover from 17-0 deficit, falls for second time to Cincinnati It now seems appropriate that Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco sent deodorant to the Ravens a couple of days ago. Maybe it's time for the Ravens to start sweating.
Showing no sense of urgency for a critical AFC North game, the Ravens fell apart early and never recovered in a 17-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium.
They didn't look like the team that routed the previously undefeated Denver Broncos a week ago, and they didn't look like a team gearing up for a playoff run.
The defense was exposed once again, giving up points on the first three series of the game to put the Ravens in an early 17-0 hole. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco struggled against the Bengals once again, throwing two interceptions (and it could have been four if the Bengals' defenders made plays on catchable balls) in leading the offense to a season-worst 215 yards. And Steve Hauschka missed a key fourth-quarter field goal once again, hooking a 38-yard attempt that would have cut the Ravens' deficit to one touchdown.
In getting swept by the Bengals for the third time in five seasons, the Ravens likely watched their hopes of winning the AFC North get brushed aside. Not only did the Ravens (4-4) fall two games behind Cincinnati (6-2) in the division, it's essentially a three-game gap because the Bengals now hold the edge in a head-to-head tiebreaker. More...
Ray Lewis took aim and a delivered a jarring hit intended to do more than break up a pass. In his bruising style, the Ravens linebacker was trying to wrap up a win. Didn't work out that way.
When Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco - one of Lewis' longtime friends - smacked the ground and lost his tiger-striped helmet, a yellow flag landed at the point of impact. The high hit drew a 15-yard penalty that aided Cincinnati's drive for a last-minute touchdown and a 17-14 win in Baltimore last month.
"I see this as a two-game season," Ochocinco said, "from the standpoint that with a win this week and next week in Pittsburgh, it's really setting us up for a playoff berth. And after that, continuing to win and be successful throughout the season could really give us a bye week."
Baltimore knows it can't let that happen if it wants to reach the playoffs again. The Bengals are rested, coming off their bye. The Ravens have their swagger back, coming off a 30-7 win over previously unbeaten Denver.
This one means more than most. "We know who's on the schedule," Ravens safety Ed Reed said. "We know what's at stake. They know what's at stake. So, let's go." More...
Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher is enjoying the kind of rookie season that might require Hollywood to make a sequel to a soon-to-be-released movie about his life. Drafted with the 23rd overall pick out of Mississippi, Oher has started every game for the Ravens (4-3). The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder played right tackle for the first four games, then replaced an injured Jared Gaither at left tackle for two weeks before returning to the right side last Sunday against Denver.
Oher has performed exceptionally well, but the path he took to get to the pros would be Hollywood-worthy even if he failed to get off the bench in Baltimore. Oher's odyssey was detailed in the best seller "The Blind Side" by Michael Lewis. Oher received little attention from his parents and eventually became homeless. Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy took the teenager into their Memphis home, eventually adopted him and provided him with a means of getting through high school to qualify for college. Oher became a four-year starter and All-American at Mississippi. A movie based on the book, featuring Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy, will open in theaters later this month.
"I am never ashamed of where I came from. Where I came from, a lot of people don't make it out," Oher said. "I think it has made me a tougher person, a better player." More...
Team returns from bye to knock off unbeaten Broncos, ending 3-game losing streak From Jarret Johnson delivering a crushing sack on the first defensive play to Ray Rice powering his way across the goal line on the offense's last play, the Ravens didn't just defeat the Denver Broncos. They beat up the previously unbeaten Broncos.
With three straight losses weighing on their minds during the bye week, the Ravens vented their frustrations with their most complete game of the season, roughing up Denver in a 30-7 rout before an announced 71,132 at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Ravens' defense set the physical tone and held the Broncos to 200 total yards (the fewest by a Denver team since 2003). The special teams provided the mid-game spark when rookie Lardarius Webb returned the opening kickoff of the second half 95 yards for a touchdown. And the offense finished it off with two fourth-quarter touchdowns and Joe Flacco completing his final 14 straight passes.
For the first time in a month, the Ravens didn't let the game come down to the last play. Instead, they left the lasting impression by pounding one of the NFL's three remaining undefeated teams.
"We needed that win," Johnson said. "To lose the way we've lost the last three games ... I think we needed to have a big-time opponent and play big versus them. We did that today." More...
It's an emotional reunion for fans every time the Indianapolis Colts return to Baltimore, but there will be a stronger tug on the heartstrings Sunday. Matt Stover, one of the most beloved Ravens in team history, will kick against his former team for the first time as a member of the rival Colts.
Ravens kicker Steve Hauschka was cut by the Ravens, one day after missing a 36-yard field goal and getting an extra-point blocked in a 16-0 win over the Cleveland Browns.
Held scoreless in first half, they ride third-quarter points to shutout win in 'ugly game' The Ravens' 16-0 win over the Cleveland Browns caused as much concern as celebration. After scoring a couple of touchdowns in a 17-second span of the third quarter, the Ravens (5-4) looked like a team that survived and saved their playoff hopes against the hapless Browns (1-8).
It didn't take long for Steve Hauschka to fully comprehend the delicate job security of an NFL placekicker. After Hauschka misfired on an important field goal attempt Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens brought in two kickers for tryouts. Mike Nugent and Billy Cundiff were given a look Tuesday, but neither walked away with a contract.
The Baltimore Ravens have assumed an identity that coach John Harbaugh could do without. "If you're going to define us right now, you'd have to say we're a .500 team. That's what we are at this point," Harbaugh said Monday. "We're a .500 team that's lost four out of the past five. We're struggling to find a way to win a game right now."
24-year-old is first O's outfielder to receive defensive honor since Paul Blair in 1975 During his first season as an everyday major league center fielder, Adam Jones approached the Los Angeles Angels' Torii Hunter and told him one of his goals. "I want one of your Gold Gloves," Jones said to Hunter before an Orioles-Angels game in 2008.
Baltimore can't recover from 17-0 deficit, falls for second time to Cincinnati It now seems appropriate that Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco sent deodorant to the Ravens a couple of days ago. Maybe it's time for the Ravens to start sweating.
Ray Lewis took aim and a delivered a jarring hit intended to do more than break up a pass. In his bruising style, the Ravens linebacker was trying to wrap up a win. Didn't work out that way.
Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher is enjoying the kind of rookie season that might require Hollywood to make a sequel to a soon-to-be-released movie about his life. Drafted with the 23rd overall pick out of Mississippi, Oher has started every game for the Ravens (4-3). The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder played right tackle for the first four games, then replaced an injured Jared Gaither at left tackle for two weeks before returning to the right side last Sunday against Denver.
Team returns from bye to knock off unbeaten Broncos, ending 3-game losing streak From Jarret Johnson delivering a crushing sack on the first defensive play to Ray Rice powering his way across the goal line on the offense's last play, the Ravens didn't just defeat the Denver Broncos. They beat up the previously unbeaten Broncos.
