Joe Flacco

The 2008 NFL season opened this weekend with some pretty interesting match-ups and some major news stories. One story in particular being Chad Ocho Cinco (formerly known as Chad Johnson) and the injured New England quarterback, Tom Brady. This week, reigning Super Bowl champions the New York Giants opened up in New York against Washington. They came out and in their first drive showed why they won the Super Bowl last year. Quarterback Eli Manning rushed for a touchdown and put the Giants up 7-0. The Redskins failed to answer on their next drive and the Giants continued to dominate, defeating the Redskins 16-7.

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Third-string quarterback Dennis Dixon was doing a fine job for the Pittsburgh Steelers in his first NFL start -- until he was forced to work overtime. An interception by rookie Paul Kruger set up a 29-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff with 6:42 left in the extra session, giving the Baltimore Ravens a 20-17 victory Sunday night. Dixon started because Ben Roethlisberger was sidelined with a concussion and backup Charlie Batch had a broken left wrist. Dixon had thrown only one pass in two seasons before getting the nod against the Ravens.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The Baltimore Ravens are considering a variety of players with the 26th overall pick in the NFL draft later this month -- none of them a quarterback. The Ravens solved that problem last year when they selected Joe Flacco with their No. 1 pick. Flacco started every game and looked very little like a rookie in leading Baltimore to the AFC championship game. So, upon devising his draft board for April 25, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has assembled a list of names that includes almost every position on the field except for one. After drafting a host of quarterbacks over the past 13 years, ranging from Jon Stark to Kyle Boller to Flacco, Newsome can turn his attention elsewhere.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) -- There are at least 19 reasons why the Baltimore Ravens' offensive line has cause for concern heading into Saturday night's pivotal game at the Dallas Cowboys. The number reflects Cowboys Pro Bowl linebacker DeMarcus Ware's sack total this year, the most in the NFL since Michael Strahan established the record with 22 1/2 seven years ago. Ware has already tied Mark Gastineau (New York Jets, 1983), Bruce Smith (Buffalo Bills, 1990) and Clyde Simmons (Philadelphia Eagles, 1992)

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Anquan Boldin doesn't expect to feel a sweeping wave of emotion Thursday night when he walks onto the field for his first game with the Baltimore Ravens. The three-time Pro Bowl receiver will save that kind of sentiment for the regular season. The Ravens obtained Boldin and Donte' Stallworth during the offseason to bolster a passing attack that last year ranked 18th in yardage and featured only one wide receiver with more than 34 catches. After spending his first seven years in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, Boldin will informally launch the next phase of his career in Baltimore's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Joe Flacco guided Baltimore's retooled offense to a pair of scores, and the Ravens defense held Carolina without a touchdown in a 17-12 preseason victory Thursday night. Flacco went 8 for 12 for 120 yards and a touchdown. He produced a field goal in his first series, then went three-and-out before directing a 96-yard drive that ended with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Mark Clayton. Carolina quarterback Matt Moore, hindered by poor protection and three penalties against left tackle Jordan Gross, failed to produce any points during his three possessions.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) -- Though Baltimore's offense is not in sync and quarterback Joe Flacco has not been sharp, Ravens coach John Harbaugh is not concerned. "It's always a work in progress, and it will be throughout the season," Harbaugh said on Monday. "I think we're real happy with where we're at, but there are 100 things we need to work on and those are the things we're trying to get better at. " Harbaugh and company have a lot of work ahead of them. Baltimore's longest play of the preseason has been a fake punt by backup safety Haruki Nakamura, a 51-yard run that set up a touchdown.

There's an old baseball legend about a hitter who takes a called third strike. He's so upset with the umpire that he takes his bat and gives it a mighty heave into the stratosphere. The ump gazes up at the soaring object and says, “Son, if that bat ever comes down you're out of the game.” That was probably the way most people felt Saturday as they watched Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco's last-gasp pass arch high and deep into the Denver Broncos' secondary. You had a sense it would come down sooner or later, but there was no guarantee.

BALTIMORE (AP) - The Pittsburgh Steelers are AFC North champions, and earning the crown at the expense of the Baltimore Ravens added an extra measure of joy to the accomplishment. Santonio Holmes caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 43 seconds left, and the Steelers clinched their second straight division title and earned a first-round bye by beating Baltimore 13-9 Sunday. In a duel between the top two defenses in the NFL, Pittsburgh did not permit a touchdown in earning its first win in Baltimore since 2002.

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- There's still a tomorrow for the Pittsburgh Steelers, all they could have asked for only days ago. There's also a next week for the Baltimore Ravens, or exactly what they didn't want. Jeff Reed's 38-yard field goal put Pittsburgh ahead with 5:25 remaining and the Steelers finally preserved a fourth-quarter lead, beating rival Baltimore 23-20 on Sunday to further jumble the complicated AFC postseason race. The Steelers (8-7), their season seemingly ended by a late-season five-game losing streak, followed their last-second 37-36 victory over Green Bay with another tight victory helped by Reed's three field goals and Rashard Mendenhall's touchdown run. Now, their final regular season game at Miami will have some meaning, although the Steelers could win and still be eliminated.

It seems like we can run, but we can't hide. I don't know about you, but I was spending this week getting ready for the Super Bowl. You know, the Big Game (since we aren't authorized to call it the other title). This one has a tinge of interest, especially since the Baltimore Ravens were going to be playing. But on Wednesday, I was notified that the buildup to Sunday's kickoff wasn't what it seemed. It was like when you were watching your favorite show and you hear “We are interrupting this program for a special announcement.” The announcement came courtesy of ESPN football analyst Tom Jackson.

There's an old baseball legend about a hitter who takes a called third strike. He's so upset with the umpire that he takes his bat and gives it a mighty heave into the stratosphere. The ump gazes up at the soaring object and says, “Son, if that bat ever comes down you're out of the game.” That was probably the way most people felt Saturday as they watched Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco's last-gasp pass arch high and deep into the Denver Broncos' secondary. You had a sense it would come down sooner or later, but there was no guarantee.

Ray Lewis knows a championship defense when he sees one. Now the Kansas City Chiefs do, too. Lewis and Baltimore’s tough and savvy defense overwhelmed the young Chiefs on Sunday, sacking Matt Cassel three times and forcing five turnovers in a 30-7 victory in the opening round of the playoffs. The Chiefs (10-7), who won the AFC West with a six-game improvement and took pride in not beating themselves, managed just 25 yards in the second half. “To set records is one thing,” said Lewis, who forced a fumble and had a sack in the second-half dismantling of the Chiefs.

CINCINNATI -- Instead of watching a game, Mike Nugent got a chance to win one. The kicker who spent most of last season watching from home had the best day of his career on Sunday. He made all five of his field goal tries, sending the Cincinnati Bengals to a 15-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens that extended their domination of the AFC North. Instead of Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, the star of this one was the kicker. "Hey Hollywood!" holder Kevin Huber called out to him in the locker room.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) --The Baltimore Ravens starred in this version of "Hard Knocks," punishing the New York Jets with plenty of them. The Jets intrigued audiences in the preseason with their no-holds-barred, behind-the-scenes TV show, but it was the Ravens who grabbed the spotlight Monday night with a 10-9 victory. They held New York to 176 yards, six first downs, allowed Mark Sanchez just 74 yards passing and kept Rex Ryan's crew out of the end zone. "Anytime you challenge a warrior, a warrior is always going to respond," Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said.

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Joe Flacco threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns for the pass-happy Baltimore Ravens, whose no-huddle offense befuddled the New York Giants in a 24-10 preseason victory Saturday night. Flacco completed 21 of 34 passes before leaving after one series in the third quarter. Last year, he threw as many as 34 passes only seven times for a team that relied heavily on the run. Going without a huddle and often throwing on first down, the Ravens (3-0) scored 17 points over three straight possessions in the first half and coasted to their seventh consecutive preseason win. New York (1-2)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) -- Though Baltimore's offense is not in sync and quarterback Joe Flacco has not been sharp, Ravens coach John Harbaugh is not concerned. "It's always a work in progress, and it will be throughout the season," Harbaugh said on Monday. "I think we're real happy with where we're at, but there are 100 things we need to work on and those are the things we're trying to get better at. " Harbaugh and company have a lot of work ahead of them. Baltimore's longest play of the preseason has been a fake punt by backup safety Haruki Nakamura, a 51-yard run that set up a touchdown.

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Joe Flacco guided Baltimore's retooled offense to a pair of scores, and the Ravens defense held Carolina without a touchdown in a 17-12 preseason victory Thursday night. Flacco went 8 for 12 for 120 yards and a touchdown. He produced a field goal in his first series, then went three-and-out before directing a 96-yard drive that ended with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Mark Clayton. Carolina quarterback Matt Moore, hindered by poor protection and three penalties against left tackle Jordan Gross, failed to produce any points during his three possessions.

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Anquan Boldin doesn't expect to feel a sweeping wave of emotion Thursday night when he walks onto the field for his first game with the Baltimore Ravens. The three-time Pro Bowl receiver will save that kind of sentiment for the regular season. The Ravens obtained Boldin and Donte' Stallworth during the offseason to bolster a passing attack that last year ranked 18th in yardage and featured only one wide receiver with more than 34 catches. After spending his first seven years in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, Boldin will informally launch the next phase of his career in Baltimore's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- There's still a tomorrow for the Pittsburgh Steelers, all they could have asked for only days ago. There's also a next week for the Baltimore Ravens, or exactly what they didn't want. Jeff Reed's 38-yard field goal put Pittsburgh ahead with 5:25 remaining and the Steelers finally preserved a fourth-quarter lead, beating rival Baltimore 23-20 on Sunday to further jumble the complicated AFC postseason race. The Steelers (8-7), their season seemingly ended by a late-season five-game losing streak, followed their last-second 37-36 victory over Green Bay with another tight victory helped by Reed's three field goals and Rashard Mendenhall's touchdown run. Now, their final regular season game at Miami will have some meaning, although the Steelers could win and still be eliminated.