Buccaneers

Kevin Cowherd : Vikings Edward Lee : Vikings Mike Preston : Vikings Peter Schmuck : Vikings Matt Vensel: Vikings Aaron Wilson: Vikings Jeff Zrebiec : Vikings

The Ravens 2013 preseason schedule is highlighted by a prime-time home game against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday, Aug. 22 at M&T Bank Stadium, the NFL announced today. That game, which will be the third of four preseason games for the Super Bowl XLVII champions, will start at 8 p.m. and be televised by ESPN. The Ravens will open up the preseason against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. The exact date and time of the game has yet to be announced. In Week Two of the preseason, the Ravens will host the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, Aug. 15 at M&T Bank Stadium.

Ravens 17, Buccaneers 10 Fourth quarter: 3:05 Tampa Bay Touchdown - 5-yard pass from Josh Freeman to Kellen Winslow. (Connor Barth extra point is good). Ravens 17, Buccaneers 3 Second quarter: 0:32 Baltimore Touchdown - 10-yard pass from Joe Flacco to Derrick Mason. (Billy Cundiff extra point is good). Ravens 10, Buccaneers 3 Second quarter: 3:04 Baltimore Touchdown - 65-yard pass from Joe Flacco to Todd Heap. (Billy Cundiff extra point is good)

Kevin Cowherd : Vikings Edward Lee : Vikings Mike Preston : Vikings Peter Schmuck : Vikings Matt Vensel: Vikings Aaron Wilson: Vikings Jeff Zrebiec : Vikings

1. Generate more production from the ground game. The Ravens have struggled to find consistency in the running attack, producing the fifth-worst yards per carry (3.7) in the NFL. But Tampa Bay has allowed a 100-yard rusher in six of its past eight games. 2. Take advantage of the play action. If the Ravens find success on the ground, they should be able to go over the top of the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has given up eight passes over 40 yards, which is tied for third-most in the league.

Not long after he met with the media and answered questions about his upcoming interview for the Tampa Bay head-coaching job, Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips had second thoughts. Phillips, who has done an outstanding job in his first season with the Texans, called Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik and withdrew from consideration. “I explained my reasons to Mark, and he understood,” Phillips said. “The timing just wasn't right. The truth is I love it here.

Every time I put out one of my mock drafts, readers tell me they think things would play out differently (chances are we'll both end up being wrong). Well, now you get a chance to play GM in my first-ever reader NFL mock draft. Here's how it works. I'll post a daily poll where you can vote to decide what the team that's on the clock should do with its pick. To keep it simple, I'll give you five options for each pick. If you think I missed somebody, let me know in the comments section.

Site: Tampa (Fla.) StadiumTime: 1 p.m.TV: Channels 11, 9Radio: WBAL (1090 AM), WTEM (570 AM)Line: Buccaneers by 2 1/2Records: Redskins 2-9, Buccaneers 3-8Last week: The Redskins lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 17-14. The Buccaneers lost to the Green Bay Packers, 13-10.Last meeting: The Redskins beat the Buccaneers, 32-28, in 1989. The Redskins' defense held the Buccaneers to 1 yard rushing, and Gerald Riggs ran for 99 and Mark Rypien passed for 221. The Redskins built a 29-7 lead before the Buccaneers made it close.

TAMPA, Fla. -- In the locker room at One Buccaneer Place, the verdict appears unanimous. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are jubilant that former assistant coach Richard Williamson is now the permanent head coach."

Ravens nickel back Corey Ivy vs. Buccaneers slot receiver Ike Hilliard George Kokinis, the Ravens' pro personnel director, sizes up the top matchup against the Buccaneers: The players Ivy, a free-agent pickup from the St. Louis Rams, beat out third-round pick David Pittman for the team's nickel back job. Last season, he had a career-high 81 tackles along with three interceptions and two forced fumbles. Primarily a special teams player early in his career, Ivy played for three teams in his first three seasons, bouncing from New England to Cleveland to Tampa Bay. One of the reasons he joined the Ravens was because of his connection with defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, who coached Ivy at the University of Oklahoma.

Texans defensive players were unanimous in their excitement that Wade Phillips canceled his interview with Tampa Bay and withdrew from consideration for the Buccaneers' head-coaching job. Phillips, former Cowboys head coach, was supposed to interview Friday night in Houston with a contingent from the Buccaneers. He was a long shot to get the job, anyway, and by withdrawing as a candidate, he's guaranteed of returning for a second season. "Hey, we're selfish, and we're excited about him backing out of the interview," inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans said.

Not long after he met with the media and answered questions about his upcoming interview for the Tampa Bay head-coaching job, Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips had second thoughts. Phillips, who has done an outstanding job in his first season with the Texans, called Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik and withdrew from consideration. “I explained my reasons to Mark, and he understood,” Phillips said. “The timing just wasn't right. The truth is I love it here.

The crew of Urban Pirates has just a few simple expectations for the would-be Baltimore buccaneers it takes aboard for its adults-only, BYOG (bring your own grog) cruises: Participants are expected to make a lot of noise. They must defend the pirate ship with water cannons if it comes under "attack. " They should help finish off a bottle of rum, and they are encouraged to play pirate games. Disney's newest movie about Capt. Jack Sparrow might be rated PG-13. But the past few years have seen a proliferation of shipboard-themed events for the 21-and-older crowd.

Every time I put out one of my mock drafts, readers tell me they think things would play out differently (chances are we'll both end up being wrong). Well, now you get a chance to play GM in my first-ever reader NFL mock draft. Here's how it works. I'll post a daily poll where you can vote to decide what the team that's on the clock should do with its pick. To keep it simple, I'll give you five options for each pick. If you think I missed somebody, let me know in the comments section.

Ravens 17, Buccaneers 10 Fourth quarter: 3:05 Tampa Bay Touchdown - 5-yard pass from Josh Freeman to Kellen Winslow. (Connor Barth extra point is good). Ravens 17, Buccaneers 3 Second quarter: 0:32 Baltimore Touchdown - 10-yard pass from Joe Flacco to Derrick Mason. (Billy Cundiff extra point is good). Ravens 10, Buccaneers 3 Second quarter: 3:04 Baltimore Touchdown - 65-yard pass from Joe Flacco to Todd Heap. (Billy Cundiff extra point is good)

Now it's time to get back to real football. After a hiatus since losing to the Atlanta Falcons 17 days ago, the Ravens get back to a more competitive schedule, starting with the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday night. Games against the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the previous two weeks were just preludes to what the 2010 Ravens are really about. They are one of the top teams in the NFL but might not even be the best team in the AFC North. "We know that when the Ravens play the Steelers in December, it usually has a lot of meaning, and this game coming up definitely does so it'll be a statement game for us. We know what's in front of us," tight end Todd Heap said.

Ravens run offense vs. Buccaneers run defense Ravens running back Jamal Lewis has struggled in every season opener that he has started. He has averaged 3.5 yards a carry in his past four season openers. Tampa Bay returns the core of a defense that ranked No. 6 against the run last season. Running between the tackles is difficult to do against the Buccaneers because of stout interior linemen Anthony McFarland and Chris Hovan. It's equally as tough to get to the outside against Tampa Bay's quick-pursuit linebackers, Shelton Quarles and Derrick Brooks.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen yesterday after the team collapsed after a 9-3 start and missed the playoffs for the fourth time in six years. Gruden, who helped lead the Buccaneers to a victory over the Oakland Raiders in the January 2003 Super Bowl, was Tampa Bay's coach for seven years. Allen was general manager for the past five seasons. The Buccaneers were tied for first place in the NFC South heading into December but finished with losses to the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons on the road and the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders at home, where they had been 6-0. One more win would have landed an NFC wild-card berth.

The Ravens heard the whispers about how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' rushing duo of LeGarrette Blount and Carnell "Cadillac" Williams could gash the defense after the unit allowed the Carolina Panthers' Mike Goodson to barrel for a season-high 120 yards a week earlier. The Ravens re-asserted their strength by containing Blount and Williams to a combined 74 yards on 17 carries and zero touchdowns in the team's 17-10 win against the Buccaneers at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Quarterback Joe Flacco had a strong first half but did very little in the second. It has become typical of Flacco: hot for two quarters, cool for the other two. Those two touchdown passes were well-thrown, but Flacco gets a lot of yards going to his check-down receivers. If that's what works, then stick with it. Grade: B Running backs Ray Rice had 85 yards on 20 carries but also caught seven passes for 47 yards. He was a major factor late in the game.