Demetrius Williams

The pass was perfect, and so was the reception. And the Ravens are hoping this is a sign of things to come. Quarterback Kyle Boller threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demetrius Williams at passing camp Wednesday. It was a ball that barely got over the head of cornerback Corey Ivy and in front of safety Jim Leonhard. And then Williams snagged the pass with his fingertips as if his hands were covered with Super Glue. We've all seen flashes of Williams' potential, but the Ravens want him to become more consistent because they need a deep vertical threat again.

QUARTERBACKS (2): Starter — Joe Flacco. Backup — Marc Bulger. Flacco is starting his third straight season as the starter (only Kyle Boller has done that in Ravens' history). The hope is Flacco takes the step from a developing quarterback to a Pro Bowl one. He could throw for over 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns this season. Bulger is one of the top backups in the NFL and could be starting on other teams (like the Arizona Cardinals). The Ravens cut Troy Smith, which marks the first time since 2006 that the Ravens are carrying two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.

Demetrius Williams took no chances in Atlanta. In a half-empty stadium, and in a game that seemingly held interest only to the bubble guys on the Ravens' roster, Williams had no trouble finding motivation. It was survival. "My thought process," Williams said Friday, "was just to make the team. That was the biggest thing for me. Every year ... people take it as a given they're going to make the team. I can't approach it like that." The fourth-year veteran wide receiver was not a bubble guy, especially on a team desperate for receiving depth.

Billy Cundiff's stay in Baltimore will last a little longer. The 30-year-old journeyman who ended last season as the Ravens' kicker will begin this season in the same role as Cundiff beat out 32-year-old Shayne Graham, who was cut by the team Saturday. Cundiff converted 15-of-20 field goals in 14 regular-season and playoff games last year, but the incumbent was thought to be the underdog against Graham, the fourth-most accurate kicker in NFL history who had been unceremoniously released by the Cincinnati Bengals in the offseason.

Sometimes, it's hard to get past the obvious. The Ravens have overhauled their receiver corps, and it has left Demetrius Williams — once the big-play receiver of the future — looking like the odd man out as the team rests up for the opening of training camp next month. Everybody's all excited about Anquan Boldin and Donte' Stallworth and young David Reed. Williams and Mark Clayton are just so yesterday. Except that this is the National Football League and there are times when NFL should stand for Nothing's For Long.

Last week, we asked who the Ravens should start at wide receiver. The results: All three, 51.3 percent (1,281 votes) Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton, 21.5 percent (275 votes) Mason and Demetrius Williams, 20.5 percent (263 votes) Clayton and Williams, 6.7 percent (86 votes) This week's question: Which former Raven is most deserving to go on the Ring of Honor at M&T Bank Stadium when his career is over? A. Jamal Lewis B. Adalius Thomas C. Edwin Mulitalo D. Vinny Testaverde To vote, go to baltimoresun.

Demetrius Williams, the Ravens' fourth-round pick this year, could have a major impact. Just send him 3 or 4 yards off the line of scrimmage, get him the ball and stay out of his way. He looks explosive after the catch. David Wells has left Boston, but he won't be forgotten. The Red Sox are retiring his bar stool. I can admit when I'm wrong, probably because I've had so much practice. When the Orioles were courting Frank Thomas during the winter meetings, I shot down the idea. But Thomas has 28 homers and 79 RBIs entering last night's game, and he hasn't broken down.

Matchup Vs. spread -- Ravens 1-0; Raiders 0-1. Series -- Ravens lead 3-1. Last meeting -- Raiders won, 20-12, on Dec. 14, 2003, at Oakland. NFL rankings Ravens offense -- Overall (20), rush (14T), pass (20). Ravens defense -- Overall (2), rush (1), pass (5). Raiders offense -- Overall (32), rush (21), pass (32), Raiders defense -- Overall (16), rush (31), pass (4). Ravens injuries Probable -- RB P.J. Daniels (thigh); C Mike Flynn (ankle); DT Aubrayo Franklin (thigh); TE Todd Heap (back)

NICE REBOUND A day after dropping a potential interception and having 10 pushups as penance, cornerback Chris McAlister redeemed himself yesterday by stepping in front of a short slant pass from quarterback Steve McNair to wide receiver Derrick Mason during a red-zone drill. BEST CATCH Wide receiver Devard Darling, filling in for the injured Mark Clayton, made a spectacular one-handed grab during the red-zone drill. FINISHING IS KEY During a two-minute drill, quarterback Kyle Boller found wide receiver Travis LaTendresse for what appeared to be at least a 40-yard gain.

OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS The offense appeared much sharper Sunday morning than the previous two days. During a red-zone drill, the unit scored five times in 11 snaps, including three touchdown passes by Marc Bulger in four plays. In another full-team exercise, quarterback Troy Smith drove the offense 34 yards in three plays, capped by his scoring strike to wide receiver Demetrius Williams. DEFENSE MAKES PLAYS The defense also had its moments Sunday morning. Linebacker Prescott Burgess intercepted Joe Flacco's pass intended for tight end Todd Heap during a nine-on-nine drill, and linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Jarret Johnson and defensive end Paul Kruger each recorded sacks.

If the question is depth at wide receiver, the Ravens will plug in their reserves and crank out the answers this week in St. Louis. Because starters are generally excused from the preseason finale, and because Mark Clayton and Donte' Stallworth are hurt, Thursday night's game against the Rams will be a tale of survival. Of all the wide-outs who might play at the Edward Jones Dome -- and that could be as many as five -- only one figures to make the Ravens' 53-man roster. Will it be Demetrius Williams, the star-crossed, fifth-year veteran who has yet to live up to his big-play potential?

The Ravens' 24-10 preseason rout of the New York Giants brought mixed emotions to their passing attack Saturday night at M&T Bank Stadium. Injuries to wide receivers Donte' Stallworth and Mark Clayton tempered the jubilation of a scintillating highlight reel by Joe Flacco and his array of targets. Flacco threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns in a little over one half of work as the Ravens sailed to their seventh straight preseason win. He went down the seam to Anquan Boldin (four catches for 52 yards and one touchdown)

Ravens fans, I come to you today highly conflicted about your football team. I come to you with good news and bad news. This being Baltimore, the home office of gloom and doom, let's get the bad news out of the way first. Bad news item No. 1: Donte' Stallworth has a broken foot. The speedy wide receiver broke it in the Ravens' 24-10 drubbing of the New York Giants on Saturday night. He's expected to be out at least a couple of months as surgeons attempt to insert a screw to help the bone heal.

The atmosphere at FedEx Field during Saturday's preseason game against the Washington Redskins was much different than it had been during training camp at McDaniel College. For Ravens rookie receiver David Reed , so were the results. Given a chance to play receiver in the second half of his team's 23-3 victory, Reed did in one series what he hadn't done with great regularity throughout the workouts in Westminster — he held on to the passes thrown his way. Reed's four catches for 38 yards all came in a 14-play, 94-yard drive in the third quarter.

This year's Ravens training camp started with a devastating injury to cornerback Domonique Foxworth and ended with three missed field-goal attempts. In between, over the 17 days of full-team practices at McDaniel College, something new happened with the Ravens. "I can truthfully say that this is probably the first year I've been here where the competition is equal on both sides," said cornerback Fabian Washington, who concluded his third training camp with the Ravens on Thursday.

OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS The offense appeared much sharper Sunday morning than the previous two days. During a red-zone drill, the unit scored five times in 11 snaps, including three touchdown passes by Marc Bulger in four plays. In another full-team exercise, quarterback Troy Smith drove the offense 34 yards in three plays, capped by his scoring strike to wide receiver Demetrius Williams. DEFENSE MAKES PLAYS The defense also had its moments Sunday morning. Linebacker Prescott Burgess intercepted Joe Flacco's pass intended for tight end Todd Heap during a nine-on-nine drill, and linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Jarret Johnson and defensive end Paul Kruger each recorded sacks.

When veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason said recently that the Ravens' only goal in 2010 was to win the Super Bowl, some interpreted that as arrogance. In fact, it's the theme of this season. It's the Super Bowl or bust. That's the way it should be. We're not talking about the Cleveland Browns here, or the St. Louis Rams. These are the Ravens, a team that has competed near the top the past two seasons but made enough upgrades during the offseason to possibly push it to a championship.