First Quarter

When the Ravens and Houston Texans meet Sunday, the outcome could be decided in the first quarter. That's because both teams have dominated their opponents in the opening frame this season. The Ravens have outscored their opponents, 52-7, in the first quarter, and Joe McKnight's 107-yard kick return for a touchdown in the Ravens' 34-17 victory over the New York Jets on Oct. 2 was the first touchdown the Ravens had surrendered in the opening frame. “I think anytime teams want to give you the ball, you have to get out there and go try to put points on the board as soon as you can,” quarterback Joe Flacco said.

A quarter of the way into their 2011 schedule, the Ravens are 3-1 and perched alone atop the AFC North standings. Their flight path wasn't exactly what folks expected -- most thought that if they dropped a game, it would be to the Steelers in the season opener -- but I'm sure they are pleased with where they sit entering their bye week.    Now that the Ravens have reached the quarter pole, where injured players such as Ben Grubbs, Lee Evans and Jimmy Smith get an extra week to heal up, let's take stock of the season's first month with some first-quarter awards.

As great as the Ravens' defense was Sunday night – and it was magnificent in a 34-17 rout of the New York Jets – it was the resourcefulness of quarterback Joe Flacco on third down that helped Baltimore land critical early blows in this bare-knuckle fight. Then it was Flacco's lapse into malaise in the second quarter that allowed the Jets to sneak back into the game. Flacco was masterful on third-and-long in the first quarter, converting three such plays that led to 10 points and a 17-7 Ravens lead.

Joe Flacco and Torrey Smith heard it all week. Flacco didn't have confidence in his young receivers. Smith couldn't get open against NFL cornerbacks or catch the ball when he did. The Ravens' already maligned passing game was in even more trouble without Lee Evans. Two offensive plays into the Ravens 37-7 dismantling Sunday of the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome, Flacco and Smith threw serious doubt into those conclusions. One quarter in, they made them and the woefully overmatched Rams look downright foolish.

Instead of solidifying his spot as the Ravens' backup quarterback, Tyrod Taylor added another question mark to the situation in the Ravens' preseason finale. Taylor left the first quarter with a bruise on his left shoulder and didn't return in the Ravens' 21-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at a nearly empty Georgia Dome. Hunter Cantwell (13-for-28 for 111 yards and one interception), a little-used third-string quarterback, struggled with his touch and accuracy as the Ravens' offense repeatedly stumbled and piled up the punts (a total of eight)

Fewer Maryland homeowners were in foreclosure or behind on mortgage payments in the first quarter compared to the same period a year ago, reflecting a loan crisis on the mend, statistics released Thursday show. About 133,000 of the state's nearly 1.1 million residential loans, or 12.6 percent, were either in the foreclosure process or at least 30 days late at the end of March, a 9 percent drop from last year's first quarter, the Mortgage Bankers Association said. The survey, which the group says covers most but not all residential mortgages, showed continuing improvement in the market for Maryland borrowers.

A week after the bracket for the NCAA tournament was revealed, the first-round outcomes appeared to validate the selection committee's seeding decisions. Seven of the eight seeded teams emerged victorious this past weekend, and Maryland's 13-6 rout of No. 8 seed North Carolina isn't considered an upset in many corners. But four of the favorites found themselves trailing in the first quarter or at halftime. No. 6 Denver fell into a 7-5 hole against Villanova at intermission; Bucknell led No. 7 seed Virginia 4-1 by the end of the first quarter; and Hartford and Hofstra took leads of 3-1 and 2-0 against No. 2 seed Cornell and No. 3 seed Johns Hopkins, respectively.

Medifast Inc., an Owings Mills-based provider of portion-controlled weight-loss programs, said Monday it had higher-than-expected first-quarter earnings, fueled by strong sales in its three business categories. The company, which sells diet food and offers coaching programs for dieters, had strong quarter-over-quarter revenues from its direct sales, direct marketing and weight-loss center operations. Revenues rose 23 percent to $74.3 million in the quarter ended March 31, compared with $60.6 million in the similar quarter last year.

Constellation Energy Group, which agreed last week to sell itself to Chicago-based Exelon Corp., posted a 63 percent drop Friday in first-quarter profit amid higher expenses. Separately, the Baltimore company revealed Friday that it will likely delay a request for another rate increase for customers of its utility Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. until after the merger's completion, which is expected in early 2012. BGE had warned last year, as it was seeking its first electric delivery rate increase in 17 years, that the utility would request increases on a more regular basis.

Sinclair Broadcast Group reported Wednesday that profit jumped 33 percent in the first quarter, thanks to double-digit gains in spending by automotive advertisers and revenue generated by the 2011 Super Bowl. Net income in the broadcast group rose to $15.3 million, or 19 cents per share, in the three months ended March 31, up from $11.5 million, or 14 cents per share, in the first quarter of 2010, the Hunt Valley television station owner reported. Earnings beat Wall Street analysts' estimates of 18 cents per share.