Derrick Alexander

BaseballPirates: Purchased contract of P Todd Ritchie from Triple-A Nashville. Optioned OF Jose Guillen to Nashville. Transferred P Javier Martinez from 15-day to 60-day DL.Red Sox: Recalled P Brian Rose from Triple-A Pawtucket.CollegePepperdine: Named Jan van Breda Kolff men's basketball coach.FootballBrowns: Signed DE Derrick Alexander to three-year contract.49ers: Signed FB Tommy Vardell to three-year contract and P Shayne Edge to two-year contract.Titans: Announced retirement of Mike Holovak, director of regional scouting, effective at end of month.

CB Chris McAlister vs. WR Derrick AlexanderChris McAlister already has been schooled by one outstanding receiver. And the Ravens' rookie cornerback will be lining up for another class tonight, when the Kansas City Chiefs come to PSINet Stadium.Say hello to Derrick Alexander, who rolls into Baltimore with some of the better hands, quicker feet and slicker moves of any AFC wide-out. Oh, and extra motivation will not be a problem for Alexander, who put together back-to-back, 1,000-yard seasons in Baltimore before the Ravens let him take the free-agency route to the Chiefs following the 1997 season.

Baltimore fans who have dreamed about watching a Super Bowl contender finally get their wish today, when the Minnesota Vikings come to town.Sporting the league's premier offense, the 12-1 Vikings combine the league's most rejuvenated player in quarterback Randall Cunningham with the league's most celebrated rookie in wide receiver Randy Moss. Throw in receiver Cris Carter and left guard Randall McDaniel, each a future Hall of Famer, and left tackle Todd Steussie, a probable Pro Bowl player, and you have fireworks on tap.How good are the Vikings?

When Ravens owner Art Modell predicted that Baltimore would see an elite team in 1998, he wasn't lying.An elite team will appear tomorrow at the House With No Name, wearing purple and white, no less.It's a team that began the season with a lame-duck coach. A team that starts a 35-year-old quarterback. A team that revolves around a 6-foot-4 wide receiver.But it's not the Ravens.The Minnesota Vikings (12-1) are the first team since the 1970 merger to score 45 or more points in consecutive games.

Jermaine Lewis has made the most big plays of any Ravens receiver. He leads the NFL in punt-return average. And last week, he became only the fourth player in NFL history to return two punts for touchdowns in the same quarter.Now, if only the Ravens could keep him on the field.Lewis, a punt returner, kick returner and inside receiver, is the team's most dangerous weapon, but he has started only seven of its 14 games this season because of an assortment of leg injuries.Clearly, the Ravens need to keep their 5-foot-7, 172-pound game-breaker healthy, even if it requires the additions of two players next season to help ease his burden.

Ravens wide receiver Michael Jackson, already frustrated during a year in which he has gone six games without scoring a touchdown, could be facing season-ending surgery to repair a torn right biceps muscle.Jackson, who did not practice yesterday, is listed as doubtful for Sunday night's pivotal AFC Central game in Pittsburgh."We're losing a big threat if Michael can't go on Sunday," coach Ted Marchibroda said. "But we're still hopeful that he'll be able to play."Jackson said he thinks he might be able to play against the Steelers.

Last week, the Ravens faced the Eagles' Bobby Hoying, a second-year quarterback who completed 26 of 38 passes in his first pro start.This week, they're facing the Cardinals' Jake Plummer, a rookie who has already thrown for almost 1,000 yards.Next week, it's the Jaguars' Mark Brunell, one of the NFL's best quarterbacks -- at age 27.Suddenly, the Ravens are surrounded by promising, young quarterbacks, as numerous teams make the tough, important and inevitable transition to the next generation.

They have blossomed into one of the NFL's most productive and dangerous tandems, and Ravens receivers Michael Jackson and Derrick Alexander have a message for cornerbacks charged with stopping them.Bring it on. Take your best shot. In the end, it won't be good enough."We feel like we can beat any corners. We always feel we're going to have a big day if we go out and execute," Alexander said. "We know it's going to be tough for them to cover both of us.""After the first half of last season, when we were killing some of the so-called better corners in the league, we knew we could beat any of them," Jackson said.

Ravens quarterback Vinny Testaverde doesn't hesitate when it comes to bragging about his talented receivers, Derrick Alexander and Michael Jackson.He says they are one of the best tandems in the league."

It may be the biggest game within the game.It's the Ravens No. 1 passing game against the Washington Redskins' No. 1 pass defense. It's Ravens receivers Michael Jackson and Derrick Alexander against Redskins cornerbacks Cris Dishman and Darrell Green.And then there are the X-factors -- Ravens slot receiver Jermaine Lewis and hulking tight end Eric Green. How will the Redskins cover them, and with whom, in Sunday's game at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium?So far, Dishman and Green have limited big plays from the Jacksonville Jaguars' Keenan McCardell and Jimmy Smith and the Dallas Cowboys' Michael Irvin and Anthony Miller.

The Ravens have had a tremendous amount of offense this season compared with the past nine years, but let's not be foolish enough to think this group rates with the Ravens' offenses that were here when the team first moved to Baltimore. The present group doesn't have a veteran quarterback or receivers who can constantly get down field. In the mid-1990s, the offenses were loaded. The Ravens had great receivers in Michael Jackson and Derrick Alexander. The team also had strong-armed Vinny Testaverde.

CB Chris McAlister vs. WR Derrick AlexanderChris McAlister already has been schooled by one outstanding receiver. And the Ravens' rookie cornerback will be lining up for another class tonight, when the Kansas City Chiefs come to PSINet Stadium.Say hello to Derrick Alexander, who rolls into Baltimore with some of the better hands, quicker feet and slicker moves of any AFC wide-out. Oh, and extra motivation will not be a problem for Alexander, who put together back-to-back, 1,000-yard seasons in Baltimore before the Ravens let him take the free-agency route to the Chiefs following the 1997 season.

BaseballPirates: Purchased contract of P Todd Ritchie from Triple-A Nashville. Optioned OF Jose Guillen to Nashville. Transferred P Javier Martinez from 15-day to 60-day DL.Red Sox: Recalled P Brian Rose from Triple-A Pawtucket.CollegePepperdine: Named Jan van Breda Kolff men's basketball coach.FootballBrowns: Signed DE Derrick Alexander to three-year contract.49ers: Signed FB Tommy Vardell to three-year contract and P Shayne Edge to two-year contract.Titans: Announced retirement of Mike Holovak, director of regional scouting, effective at end of month.

Baltimore fans who have dreamed about watching a Super Bowl contender finally get their wish today, when the Minnesota Vikings come to town.Sporting the league's premier offense, the 12-1 Vikings combine the league's most rejuvenated player in quarterback Randall Cunningham with the league's most celebrated rookie in wide receiver Randy Moss. Throw in receiver Cris Carter and left guard Randall McDaniel, each a future Hall of Famer, and left tackle Todd Steussie, a probable Pro Bowl player, and you have fireworks on tap.How good are the Vikings?

When Ravens owner Art Modell predicted that Baltimore would see an elite team in 1998, he wasn't lying.An elite team will appear tomorrow at the House With No Name, wearing purple and white, no less.It's a team that began the season with a lame-duck coach. A team that starts a 35-year-old quarterback. A team that revolves around a 6-foot-4 wide receiver.But it's not the Ravens.The Minnesota Vikings (12-1) are the first team since the 1970 merger to score 45 or more points in consecutive games.

Running backsBam Morris didn't seem to have much acceleration on runs or after receptions. With only 22 yards on 13 carries, he had very little impact. -- C-QuarterbackEric Zeier's inexperience cost him early when the Bengals were playing head games with him. He was more consistent in the second half, but good teams will bury slow starters in this league. -- CReceiversThe group made some costly drops but played well overall. Michael Jackson had seven receptions for 94 yards despite a shoulder injury.

Jermaine Lewis has made the most big plays of any Ravens receiver. He leads the NFL in punt-return average. And last week, he became only the fourth player in NFL history to return two punts for touchdowns in the same quarter.Now, if only the Ravens could keep him on the field.Lewis, a punt returner, kick returner and inside receiver, is the team's most dangerous weapon, but he has started only seven of its 14 games this season because of an assortment of leg injuries.Clearly, the Ravens need to keep their 5-foot-7, 172-pound game-breaker healthy, even if it requires the additions of two players next season to help ease his burden.

Last week, the Ravens faced the Eagles' Bobby Hoying, a second-year quarterback who completed 26 of 38 passes in his first pro start.This week, they're facing the Cardinals' Jake Plummer, a rookie who has already thrown for almost 1,000 yards.Next week, it's the Jaguars' Mark Brunell, one of the NFL's best quarterbacks -- at age 27.Suddenly, the Ravens are surrounded by promising, young quarterbacks, as numerous teams make the tough, important and inevitable transition to the next generation.

Ravens wide receiver Michael Jackson, already frustrated during a year in which he has gone six games without scoring a touchdown, could be facing season-ending surgery to repair a torn right biceps muscle.Jackson, who did not practice yesterday, is listed as doubtful for Sunday night's pivotal AFC Central game in Pittsburgh."We're losing a big threat if Michael can't go on Sunday," coach Ted Marchibroda said. "But we're still hopeful that he'll be able to play."Jackson said he thinks he might be able to play against the Steelers.

It may be the biggest game within the game.It's the Ravens No. 1 passing game against the Washington Redskins' No. 1 pass defense. It's Ravens receivers Michael Jackson and Derrick Alexander against Redskins cornerbacks Cris Dishman and Darrell Green.And then there are the X-factors -- Ravens slot receiver Jermaine Lewis and hulking tight end Eric Green. How will the Redskins cover them, and with whom, in Sunday's game at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium?So far, Dishman and Green have limited big plays from the Jacksonville Jaguars' Keenan McCardell and Jimmy Smith and the Dallas Cowboys' Michael Irvin and Anthony Miller.