Backups

PITTSBURGH - Byron Leftwich completed less than 50 percent of his throws and earned a 51.3 passer rating in the Pittsburgh Steelers' 13-10 loss to the Ravens on Sunday night at Heinz Field, but the 32-year-old quarterback earned a measure of respect from a few Ravens defensive players. Asked if Leftwich is still dangerous in his 10th year in the NFL, Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata replied, “He definitely is dangerous. You saw him throw down the field. [He is] great at throwing that deep ball.

Buried in the leftover rubble and next to the carcass of the Oakland Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium is a concern that won't go away. The Ravens' pass coverage still scares me. They blew out the Raiders 55-20 Sunday in their most impressive game of the past two or three years, but they still surrendered 368 passing yards. It might not be a concern if the Ravens played the Cleveland Browns or Kansas City Chiefs next, but they have a big game against the Steelers on Sunday night in Pittsburgh.

For Towson, the path is now clear. One more win, and the Tigers all but assure themselves a spot in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. A loss, and it's most likely wait till next year. No. 17 Towson helped shed some clarity on what had been a murky playoff scenario Saturday by taking care of business against winless Rhode Island, surviving an uneven first half to pull away for a 41-10 win before an announced 7,263 at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Quarterback Grant Enders tied a career high with four touchdown passes and backup running back Dominique Booker, playing in his final regular-season home game, gained a career-best 181 yards on just seven carries, including an 83-yard touchdown run on the opening play of the second half.

As the backup to starting quarterback Joe Flacco for the past two seasons, Tyrod Taylor's time on the field has been extremely limited, throwing just four passes, completing three for 48 yards and rushing three times for 13 yards. But coach John Harbaugh suggested Wednesday that the team may need to find a way to put Taylor on the field more often. “He's a talented, gifted player, and we do need to find ways to take advantage of that,” Harbaugh said. Taylor said he is open to any possibility.

If you listen to all the criticism the Ravens have taken from the so-called experts and all the moaning their fans have done recently, you'd think they're a team on the verge of collapse. You'd think they were 2-5 instead of 5-2. You'd never know they have the second-best record in the AFC going into Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns, who are suddenly being portrayed as a team on the rise because they've won two of their last three, including that 7-6 snoozer over the free-falling San Diego Chargers two weeks ago. Let's get this straight: the Browns are not a good team.

COLLEGE PARK - Medical tests have confirmed that Maryland lost not only starting quarterback Perry Hills for the season in last Saturday's game but also his replacement, Devin Burns - leaving the Terps with a freshman who has played one series at the position and a 230-pound linebacker as his backup. The school also said Thursday that Marcus Leak, an emerging sophomore receiver whose 23 receptions and 17.1 yard average were second on the team, will miss the remainder of the season with a broken toe. “You take a look at it, it's kind of crazy,” coach Randy Edsall said of losing the freshman Hills to a torn anterior cruciate ligament and Burns, a redshirt sophomore, to a serious left foot injury in the 20-18 loss to North Carolina State.

In a city struggling to rebuild its population, construction cranes would seem to be a welcome sign. But office, shopping and housing projects in the works in Northwest Baltimore have some residents worried about the impact of development on a degraded stream that flows through their neighborhoods on its way to the harbor. Cranes tower over an 11-acre tract on Wabash Avenue, where the Social Security Administration plans to move 1,600 workers from the federal agency's aging downtown headquarters.

Maryland quarterback Perry Hills is awaiting an MRI on Monday so he can learn whether he will be able to return from a left knee injury sustained in Saturday's 20-18 loss to North Carolina State, coach Randy Edsall said today. "Really have no update on Perry whatsoever," Edsall told reporters. "He was devastated. He wanted to go out and compete. " Hills, a freshman, was injured chasing Wolfpack defensive back David Amerson after Amerson's second-quarter interception. Hills appeared to be run over from behind during the interception return by the Wolfpack's Rickey Dowdy.

After spending his rookie campaign as an active member on the Ravens' roster, Anthony Allen faced the uncomfortable and unfamiliar scenario of getting cut at the end of August by the organization that drafted him in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL draft. Since then, however, the running back has gone from free agent to practice squad to active roster and has carved out a niche on special teams, where he has collected two tackles. Being effective on special teams and occasionally spelling starting tailback Ray Rice have provided the framework for Allen's role.

As of 9:00 a.m. Friday, traffic was slow on I-83 northbound near Timonium Road, due to an accident. Accidents were slowing traffic on Route 176 near Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard in Anne Arundel County, Gorsuch Road near Manchester Avenue in Carroll County and Route 140 near Market Street in Westminster. The State Highway Administration is warning Eastern Shore motorists to allow extra travel time if they plan to drive on U.S. 50 westbound over U.S. 301 in Queenstown on the weekends, due to construction work and a lane closure there.