Daniel Wilcox

The Ravens' rash of penalties in their last preseason game can be called an aberration. Their struggles in the running game cannot. RAVENS@REDSKINS Preseason game, tonight, 8 o'clock, FedEx Field, Landover TV, radio: Chs. 45, 9, Comcast SportsNet, 1090 AM, 730 AM, 97.9 FM, 92.7 FM What to watch for POSITION -- Receiver. With Mark Clayton out with an ankle injury, Demetrius Williams will make his second straight start. But this is the time when Devard Darling and Clarence Moore need to step up. Darling and Moore, both of whom are battling for the No. 4 receiver spot, have combined for five catches for 53 yards this preseason.

The uneven-play bug appears to have infected quarterback Troy Smith, too. In his first start of the preseason, Smith helped the Ravens score a touchdown on their first offensive series and guided the offense into Minnesota Vikings territory last night. But the offense could not collect any points on its two other forays across midfield, and Smith capped his evening with a poorly thrown slant pass behind wide receiver Mark Clayton that was intercepted by safety Darren Sharper. Smith showed flashes of what he could provide as the team's quarterback.

Terrell Suggs will report to the Ravens tomorrow, ending a 23-day absence from the team, a source said. The two-time Pro Bowl player will sign his franchise tag tender that will pay him $8.5 million this season as a hybrid defensive end-linebacker. Suggs, 25, will miss his second preseason game tonight but is scheduled to practice Monday and participate in about 15 plays in the third preseason contest at St. Louis. He would likely sit out the preseason finale and be ready to play in the Sept.

Quarterback Under contract -- Kyle Boller, Brian St. Pierre Unrestricted free agents -- Anthony Wright Outlook -- The Ravens did not declare Boller the starting quarterback next season, which means they are open to bringing a veteran quarterback to compete for the job. Wright is not expected to return, and St. Pierre is likely to remain the No. 3. Running back Under contract -- Musa Smith*, Alan Ricard, Justin Green, Ovie Mughelli* UFA -- Jamal Lewis,...

Ravens running back Mike Anderson didn't mind discussing his former employer. Defensive end Trevor Pryce, on the other hand, wasn't as philosophical. With the Ravens heading toward their first prime-time showing of the season against host Denver, much of the focus after yesterday's practice centered on the two former Broncos. But Pryce, who had 64 sacks in the first nine years of his career in Denver, declined to expound on the Broncos, saying, "They're more concerned with me if I don't say anything."

Home-field advantage has taken on a literal meaning for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 65,050-seat Heinz Field in Pittsburgh is home to not only the Steelers, but also one of the worst playing surfaces in the NFL. The turf there is called DD GrassMaster, a mixture of Kentucky bluegrass and polypropylene fibers that are sewn vertically into the sod. The grass, however, is nonexistent between the hash marks and through the entire length of the field and...

While Chris McAlister still hopes that his strained right knee will improve in time for him to play Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, coach Brian Billick hinted that the team will not have the services of the three-time Pro Bowl cornerback. McAlister has not played since injuring the knee in a 22-3 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Oct. 14, and the team described him as being limited in practice yesterday. Asked if it would be difficult for McAlister to play Monday, Billick said: "Probably.

Cornerback Chris McAlister said yesterday that his knee is improving and he thinks he could return for the Ravens' game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Although McAlister was limited in practice because of a strain he suffered in the Ravens' 22-3 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Oct. 14, he seemed optimistic afterward that he could end his three-game absence. "I get better every day," he said. "Being able to do the majority of things that I was able to do today with very little pain gives me a lot of confidence.

A few minutes after Ravens coach John Harbaugh described Derrick Mason's status as a "game-time decision," the veteran wide receiver had a different take. "I'm going to make the trip to New York, and I expect to be on the field," said Mason, who dislocated his left shoulder five days ago. Mason didn't practice yesterday and is not expected to do so the entire week. But he said he has played in the past without practicing. The last time he missed a game because of injury was Oct. 13, 2002.

The Ravens will go up against one of the NFL's most potentially dangerous passing offenses without at least one former Pro Bowl player in their secondary, and possibly as many as three. While cornerback Samari Rolle has been ruled out of tomorrow's home game against the Cincinnati Bengals because of a reoccurrence of an undisclosed medical condition, cornerback Chris McAlister and safety Ed Reed are listed as questionable. Reed, still feeling the effects of a hit he took from Pittsburgh's Hines Ward in Monday night's 38-7 loss to the Steelers, did not practice yesterday in Owings Mills.