Jameel Mcclain

Speaking for the first time since suffering a spinal cord contusion on Dec. 9, inside linebacker Jameel McClain said he is feeling better. “I feel good,” he said prior to Wednesday's practice. “… Now we're just resting like always, resting right now and trying to recover completely. But if you ask me, I could go tackle someone right now. But it's not in my hands.” McClain sustained the injury while trying to tackle Washington Redskins rookie running back Alfred Morris late in the third quarter of the Ravens' eventual 31-28 overtime loss.

In his first career start at inside linebacker, Josh Bynes led the Ravens with a career-best 13 tackles (11 solo) and broke up one pass in Sunday's 34-17 loss to the Denver Broncos. That Bynes has even returned to the field is a remarkable story considering his ordeal in the preseason. He suffered a cracked vertebrae during a goal-line scrimmage close to the beginning of training camp. He needed six weeks to recover, was waived by the team on Aug. 31, and then added to the practice squad the next day. Bynes was promoted to the 53-man active roster Oct. 17 when the Ravens moved 13-time Pro Bowler Ray Lewis to the injured reserve list with a designation for return.

When Jameel McClain suffered a serious neck stinger late in the third quarter of the Ravens' 31-28 overtime loss to the Washington Redskins last Sunday, the responsibility of wearing the helmet that transmitted defensive coordinator Dean Pees' calls did not go to veterans like free safety Ed Reed, strong safety Bernard Pollard or inside linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo. That honor went to Josh Bynes, an undrafted free agent last year. And if Ray Lewis (torn right triceps) and Dannell Ellerbe (right ankle, left foot, both thumbs)

Every morning, Monday through Friday, blogger Matt Vensel will hook you up with reading material -- mostly on the Ravens but with some other Baltimore sports stuff, too -- to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday. That way he'll have an excuse to do the same to start his workday, too. RUNNING IT BACK With Sunday's 31-28 overtime loss to the Washington Redskins, the Ravens have now lost two games in a row for the first time since 2009.

One of the main reasons for the Ravens' success this season has been their ability to replace injured starters, including Pro Bowl inside linebacker Ray Lewis and second year-cornerback Jimmy Smith. When Lewis went down, the Ravens replaced him with Jameel McClain, who moved from the weak side to the inside position. It took McClain a while to adjust, but he has become a plugger inside. He's more physical than Lewis was at the start of the season when he had dropped 17-to-20 pounds.

Aside from an uncharacteristic 157-yard outburst by the Philadelphia Eagles' Brent Celek in Week 2, the Ravens have succeeded at containing opposing tight ends this season. Only one has caught a touchdown, the Houston Texans' Owen Daniels, and none since Celek have reached 90 yards receiving. The Ravens will face another tough tight end Sunday in the San Diego Chargers' Antonio Gates, who leads the team in touchdown catches with four and ranks second in yards with 355. Ravens inside linebacker Jameel McClain has been thrown at 28 times this season - the most among Ravens linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus - but he has yet to surrender a touchdown catch.

Handing out turkeys and pumpkin pies Tuesday night at Booker T. Washington Middle School in Baltimore, Ravens free safety Ed Reed said he never forgets his humble roots growing up in Louisiana. "I'm from neighborhoods like this one in the inner city," Reed said. "I had mentors who helped me to get to where I am today. That speaks volumes for me and my life. We just want to make sure as many families as we can have a great Thanksgiving.  "It's just awesome man. This is what Thanksgiving is about: the people and families that you remember, seeing those smiles knowing that you're helping someone be happy.

PITTSBURGH - Byron Leftwich completed less than 50 percent of his throws and earned a 51.3 passer rating in the Pittsburgh Steelers' 13-10 loss to the Ravens on Sunday night at Heinz Field, but the 32-year-old quarterback earned a measure of respect from a few Ravens defensive players. Asked if Leftwich is still dangerous in his 10th year in the NFL, Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata replied, “He definitely is dangerous. You saw him throw down the field. [He is] great at throwing that deep ball.

Mike Wallace is the Pittsburgh Steelers' deep threat and Antonio Brown is the jack of all trades, but eight-year veteran Heath Miller warrants a fair amount of attention from the Ravens defense. The tight end leads Pittsburgh in receptions with 43 and ranks third in yards with 431. His six touchdown catches are tied with Wallace for the team lead and are one shy of his career best of seven set in 2007. “Heath Miller, he's a crafty veteran,” inside linebacker Jameel McClain said.

Among the variety of reasons why prognosticators think the Ravens will have the advantage against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday is Byron Leftwich's long windup. Leftwich's passing motion has been compared to that of a baseball pitcher and may rival New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow's for its elongated windup. While critics question how Leftwich can release the ball quickly enough to execute offensive coordinator Todd Haley's scheme, the Ravens said they aren't giving much weight to that theory.