Lamarr Woodley

Every year, Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis delivers his "Where would you rather be?" speech before one of the team's big games. Before the Ravens open the 2011 season against Pittsburgh Sunday, Lewis should huddle with his teammates and ask them another question: "Where are the playmakers when we play the Steelers?" In this rivalry of old, historic blue collar cities, Pittsburgh has owned the Ravens lately because the Steelers make big plays late in games, especially their big money players.

The Steelers have been negotiating with the agent for safety Troy Polamalu over the past several days, an 11th-hour attempt to sign the NFL defensive player of the year before the season begins Sunday. Polamalu is entering the final season of his contract, and their previous discussions this summer with agent Marvin Demoff went nowhere and stalled. After the Steelers signed linebacker Lawrence Timmons to a six-year, $50 million contract two weeks ago, they decided they could do no more extensions until after the season.

Over the past three seasons, the Ravens' biggest problem offensively against Pittsburgh has been protecting quarterback Joe Flacco. Now, the challenge is magnified because the first time the Ravens' projected starting offensive line will take a snap together in a game is the season opener against the high-pressure Steelers defense. "We're going to make sure it's not a problem," coach John Harbaugh said after Monday's practice. "That's our jobs, all of us together, to make sure it's not a problem.

The Ravens continued to play musical chairs at right tackle Monday, and the latest player they chose to dance with is Mark LeVoir, a pretty big partner at 6 feet 7 and 310 pounds. The Ravens announced the signing of LeVoir on Sunday, and by Monday afternoon's practice, he was taking most of the repetitions with the first offense. From all indications, the experiment of trying to pencil in rookie Jah Reid, the team's third-round pick out of Central Florida, as the starting right tackle for the season opener on Sept.

The education of right tackle-in-waiting Jah Reid has turned into a frenetic crash course just four months after he was drafted by the Ravens. Reid, the team's third-round pick this year, is a willing student with all the requisite skills for the job. What he lacks in experience, he attempts to make up for with endless repetition, unwavering determination, and a passionate work ethic. Whether that will prepare him for Kansas City pass rusher Tamba Hali in the Ravens' second preseason game on Friday - or, more importantly, LaMarr Woodley of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept.

News item: Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco fired back at his critics Wednesday, after an offseason that included being blasted by Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley and Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones. My take: It's good to see Flacco continue to come out of his shell and grow as a leader. He'll get a chance to shut Woodley up in the regular season opener. It'll be a little harder to shut up Jones, since he apparently had no problem with popping off after the Bungles' pathetic 4-12 season.

Here's how different the first day of Ravens training camp was Wednesday: Joe Flacco went off on his critics. Well, sort of. Look, I love the big guy. But normally, Flacco at the microphone is the verbal equivalent of anesthesia. Usually, the Ravens quarterback is wary, reserved and modest to a fault. Usually he loathes any question that has to do with self-introspection or, God forbid, feelings. Usually he's kind of — oh, what's the word I'm looking for here?

When the Ravens open training camp Thursday, the offense will have a new look - and not just because tight end Todd Heap and wide receiver Derrick Mason are gone. Joe Flacco will walk onto the field with a swagger, based on his bold statements Wednesday. The typically laid-back quarterback defiantly fired back at his critics, saying, "I'm pretty damn good. " During the lockout, he's heard a player on another team talk about how he can't handle pressure and he's heard an NFL analyst question his work ethic.

Have you been wondering why folks around the football world have been talking about Joe Flacco so much (so much that I could put together this sizable photo gallery of Flacco backers and attackers )? Well, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs has a good explanation: There is nothing else to talk about during the NFL lockout. “Everybody’s bored. We all love football. We all miss it and we need to get back to it,” Suggs told Jerry Coleman on FOX 1370’s “Sports with Coleman” on Wednesday . “When you’re bored, stuff like that gets said.” Suggs has been staying busy will his film production company, Team Sizzle Worldwide, and was recently at the Cannes Film Festival.

This offseason has been open season on Joe Flacco, as a handful of opposing players and national media have questioned his ability to quarterback the Ravens to a Super Bowl. But Flacco fired back at one of his critics over the weekend, saying that Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Two weeks ago, Woodley said Flacco will never win a Super Bowl “ in this lifetime .” While it is annoying, it’s understandable that Woodley feels that way because the Ravens have to go through the Steelers for Flacco to do it. But apparently Woodley’s comments have hit a nerve with the fourth-year Ravens quarterback.