This just in: The Ravens play 'em one at a time.
We heard this all week from every coach and player at the Castle.
Every game's important, we never look past the next game, you throw out the records when it comes to divisional opponents and blah, blah, blah.
Therefore, in the time-honored tradition of heavily favored teams everywhere, the Ravens spent the week making the Browns seem like a reincarnation of the '04 Patriots or '95 Cowboys or '85 Bears, or any other powerhouse you can name.
"As far as we're concerned, we're going into the game 0-0," said middle linebacker Ray Lewis. " 'Cause it's a divisional game. We know they're pretty formidable."
Formidable?
Um, Ray? These are the Cleveland Browns we're talking about.
Jimmy Brown doesn't play for them anymore. Brady Quinn, he of the 66.9 passer rating, fourth-worst in the league, is the starting quarterback.
The offense has been awful. The defense falls apart in the second half. And new coach Eric Mangini has been about as popular as swine flu with his players, instituting all these petty rules about parking and water bottles that are reportedly driving the Browns nuts.
"Eric Mangini can take the fun out of a 10-year-old's birthday party with Big Bird there," CBS analyst Boomer Esiason said.
Ouch. But that might be the quote of the young season.
Nevertheless, the Ravens stuck all week to the party line about how tough the Cleveland game would be.
By the time you finished listening to outside linebacker-defensive end Terrell Suggs talk up the Browns, you wondered whether the Ravens should even show up for this one.
"They're definitely going to bring their A-game," T-Sizzle said of the Browns, "and were definitely going to bring ours. ... They'll come to play. They'll come to win. We expect nothing less."
Well, OK, Sizzle.
But that's not bringing your A-quotes.
We'll see what happens today when the whistle blows.
Listen to Kevin Cowherd on Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with Jerry Coleman on Fox 1370 AM Sports.
