Antwan Barnes

The Ravens' defense might be the most well-informed unit when it comes to New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss. Cornerback Fabian Washington and secondary coach Chuck Pagano played with Moss when the trio was with the Oakland Raiders in 2005 and 2006, and cornerback Domonique Foxworth matched up against Moss during those same two seasons when Foxworth played for the Denver Broncos. "Yeah, I know a lot about Randy," Washington said Wednesday. "A lot of guys have been talking to me, picking my brain about what I know.

No one associated with the Ravens is saying publicly that offensive tackle Jared Gaither will be the next Jonathan Ogden. Ogden, however, said the comparison is not that far-fetched. "Yeah, I do," Ogden said Tuesday when asked if he sees a lot of himself in Gaither. "I see a lot of the God-given size and athleticism that you can't coach. This is really, what, his third year now, and what did he come out of Maryland as - a sophomore? He could still be in college or a rookie this year. The guy's got plenty of room to grow.

GOOD START ...: : The offense opened a live red-zone drill by scoring on its first three possessions with Flacco tossing a 1-yard touchdown pass to Williams, Smith firing a 20-yard scoring strike to Washington, and running back Ray Rice scoring on a 6-yard rush through the left side. ... BUT A POOR FINISH: : The last three series of that exercise ended with field goals of 37 and 21 yards and Frank Walker's interception of a pass from Smith intended for Harper. INJURIES: : Wide receivers Mark Clayton (left hamstring)

Four veteran wide receivers - Jerry Porter, Kelley Washington, D.J. Hackett and Tab Perry - will try out for the Ravens at this weekend's minicamp, a team official told The Baltimore Sun on Wednesday. Depending on the workouts, the Ravens could sign all or none of the receivers, the official said. The team is expected to make a decision Monday. The Ravens are looking for size, bringing in four receivers who are at least 6 feet 2 and weigh over 200 pounds. Porter, 30, had 11 catches for 181 yards and one touchdown last season for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

After coming back from having in-season neck surgery, Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle said there is "no doubt" he will come back next season. Rolle, 32, is having one of his best seasons in recent years, intercepting three passes and breaking up 10 others. He also helped force a fumble in the Ravens' playoff win in Miami. "The only time I think I don't want to play is when I feel like I can't cover my man or when I don't feel like I can play at the level I'm used to playing at," Rolle said.

Although Rex Ryan is appreciative of the New York Jets' request for permission to interview him for their head coaching vacancy, the Ravens' defensive coordinator said he is concentrating on the team's AFC wild-card playoff game Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. According to an NFL source, the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams have expressed preliminary interest in Ryan. "Every coach would like to be a head coach in the National Football League. That would be a goal for anybody, I would imagine," Ryan said.

Despite dealing with a painful hyperextended toe, cornerback Fabian Washington said he intends to play in Sunday's AFC wild-card playoff game between the Ravens and the Miami Dolphins. Washington said the toe has improved since he sat out Sunday's 27-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. "It helped a lot," he said. "I did nothing last week other than rehabbing it and getting treatment. This week, it's still sore, but I'm definitely positive about it, and I think I could play Sunday." Washington said he injured his big toe when he stepped on Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens' heel Dec. 20. Although he did not practice yesterday, Washington said he plans to test his toe today or tomorrow.

The Ravens' running-back-by-committee approach has helped the unit join some elite company in the NFL this season. The New York Giants' Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward became the fourth pair in league history to each rush for 1,000 yards. The Carolina Panthers' DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart became the fourth duo to each score 10 rushing touchdowns in the same season. The Ravens became the only team in the NFL to have running backs who have collected 900 (902 by fullback Le'Ron McClain)

To reach the playoffs, the Ravens only have to avoid something that has yet to happen this season: a letdown. The Ravens are 6-0 against teams that now have losing records, winning by an average of 19 points. That's why it isn't surprising the Ravens (10-5) are favored by 12 1/2 points over the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10). This point spread is the Ravens' largest of the season. The only other time the Ravens were more than a touchdown favorite was Week 8 against the Oakland Raiders, when the Ravens were giving up eight points.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh has given rookie first-round draft pick Joe Flacco the starting quarterback job for the rest of the season. It was previously unknown whether Troy Smith, a contender for the starting job in the preseason, would be able to compete with Flacco when Smith recovered from a tonsil infection. But Harbaugh said yesterday that Smith would remain the No. 3 quarterback this week and would be able to vie this season only for the backup job, which is held by Todd Bouman.