Qadry Ismail

In a game billed as a marquee showdown, the Ravens' defense was knocked out. In a contest there for the Ravens' taking, quarterback Elvis Grbac was down for the count.Helpless against Packers quarterback Brett Favre and hapless with a groggy Grbac, the Ravens were floored in a 31-23 loss to Green Bay in front of 59,866 at Lambeau Field yesterday. The loss puts the Ravens (3-2) in a three-way tie for second place in the AFC Central, dropping them a half-game back of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

For quarterback Elvis Grbac, the comeback validated his resiliency. For the Ravens' defense, the victory signified its blistering return.Redemption reigned supreme yesterday as the Ravens reclaimed their place among the AFC elite with a gritty 20-13 victory over the Denver Broncos before 75,082 at Invesco Field at Mile High. Grbac delivered a pointed message to the Ravens (2-1), overcoming a costly interception on his first pass by threading two touchdown throws in the second half.

This is why Shannon Sharpe came to Baltimore after 10 years in Denver. It's why Rob Burnett came back for his 11th NFL season.It's why Brian Billick came from Minnesota a year ago. Playoff football became a reality for the Ravens yesterday when they rumbled past the San Diego Chargers, 24-3, in the cold and rain of a December homestretch at PSINet Stadium. Their fifth straight victory secured the first postseason berth of their Baltimore tenure, and made a lot of career decisions look inspired in hindsight.

The magic ended, the turnovers continued and the controversies have ensued. Unable to overcome debatable replay decisions and inexcusable quarterback play, the Ravens watched their run of good fortune end with a nightmarish 27-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns before 69,353 at PSINet Stadium yesterday.The luck from the Ravens' three-game winning streak dissolved in the third quarter, when two marginal replay challenges went against the defending Super...

Ravens receivers coach Milt Jackson has a lot of work to do.He looks at his group of players -- from the unproven guys like Billy Davis, Patrick Johnson, James Roe, Justin Armour and Brandon Stokley, to the somewhat proven but aging guys like Floyd Turner, Webster Slaughter and Qadry Ismail -- and wonders where the Ravens will get the production they need to spark an offense that ranked 26th in the NFL last year.The Ravens' receiver corps basically looks like Jermaine Lewis and the Question Marks.

The Ravens may have found their quarterback of the future yesterday, but they still couldn't overcome the problems of the past. After nearly six weeks of training camp and four preseason games, the Ravens have not found answers to their erratic special teams play and inconsistent offense, two factors that played prominent roles in their 23-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at PSINet Stadium.The Ravens (0-2) kept the crowd of 68,965 on edge with a six-play, 72-yard drive that was capped by a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Stoney Case, filling in for the benched Scott Mitchell, to Qadry Ismail.

This time, there were no excuses. There was only one turnover and no fourth-quarter collapse. The receivers got open, and the inconsistent quarterback was consistent. A running back rushed for 100 yards, and the team passed for more than 300 yards.Finally. On a day when the fans cheered wildly in the final quarter, the Ravens (5-7) turned in their best effort of the season in a 41-14 win against the Tennessee Titans (9-3) yesterday before 67,854 at PSINet Stadium. Yes, it was a blowout.

TAMPA, Fla. - Jamal Lewis heard the critics. The Ravens' rookie running back was supposed to be worn down and wouldn't be able to crack the Giants' run-stopping defense. But Lewis plowed ahead for 102 yards on 27 carries and scored a touchdown as the consistent threat in the Ravens' offense last night. "People said we couldn't run on this defense," Lewis said. "But I like to prove people wrong." Lewis, the fifth pick in the draft, was injured as a freshmen when Tennessee won the national championship in 1997.

Player name (Games played) DT Sam Adams (20) FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo (8) DB Robert Bailey (20) QB Tony Banks (14) OL Orlando Bobo (7) OLB Peter Boulware (20) LB O.J. Brigance (20) OLB Cornell Brown (18) DE Rob Burnett (20) TE Ben Coates (20) DT Lional Dalton (20) LB Anthony Davis (18) WR Billy Davis (20) QB Trent Dilfer (13) TE Pedro Edison (0) FB Chuck Evans (5) G/C Mike Flynn (20) OT Spencer Folau (13) FB Sam Gash (19) SS Corey Harris (20)

Notable Ravens fans react on Twitter to news that Ray Lewis will retire at the end of this season: Actor Josh Charles ‏@MrJoshCharles: I attended Ray Lewis' first game in Sept 1996 with my Pop and we'll be there Sun to say farewell to one of the best to ever play the game. Attorney General Doug Gansler ‏@DougGansler: Sad for Maryland and NFL that Ray Lewis is retiring. Truly an one-of-a-kind, inspirational person - not to mention a great linebacker. Oriole Adam Jones ‏@SimplyAJ10: I def have to come to BMORE now. Gotta see Ray Lewis go out on a great note.