Redskins

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 Linebacker Terrell Suggs vowed Wednesday that his torn right bicep won't end his season . ... Linebacker Ray Lewis returned to Ravens practice . ... So did cornerback Jimmy Smith, but linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and tight end Ed Dickson sat out Wednesday's practice . ... Running back Ray Rice isn't publicly complaining about his workload . ... Defensive end Arthur Jones shaved his head in support of former coordinator Chuck Pagano.

In the recent past, when the calendar flipped to December, fans of the Washington Redskins could look forward to the holidays but little else. The same can't be said this season as the team is in the thick of the playoff hunt. At 6-6, Washington is just one game behind the New York Giants in the NFC East and one game behind the Seattle Seahawks for the final berth in the NFC postseason and could take one step closer with a victory over the Ravens this Sunday at FedEx Field in Landover.

There is speculation that Pro Bowl outside linebacker Terrell Suggs will attempt to play in Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins, but I don't see where it will help the Ravens much. Suggs has missed practice this week so far with a torn right biceps and might be able to play with the help of some type of harness. At this point, it is difficult to see how a harness will help. We're talking about a torn biceps here, not a separated shoulder, like former Ravens outside linebacker Peter Boulware was able to play with because of the brace/harness.

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman threw down the football gauntlet Wednesday to his Prince George's counterpart. With the Ravens set to take on the Redskins on Sunday, Ulman -- a huge Ravens fan -- sent an online challenge to Rushern Baker. If the Ravens lose, he'd shame himself publicly by wearing a red and gold jersey for an entire day. Ulman isn't afraid to let his purple flag fly -- even around the office. Two years ago, when the Super Bowl bid was looking possible, Ulman declared one Friday "Willis McGahee Day-hee" and renamed food in the office cafeteria -- there were "Harbaugh hot dogs" and "Todd Heaps of chili over Ray Rice.

Kevin Cowherd Redskins 27, Ravens 21 The Redskins are on a roll with three straight wins, aiming for the NFC East crown. Plus they're at home. Plus Robert Griffin III is having a rookie season for the ages. Plus the Ravens are banged up and their offense is sputtering. Edward Lee Redskins 19, Ravens 17 The Redskins have been disastrous at home under coach Mike Shanahan. But they are flying high after their third straight win, and if the Ravens couldn't beat a 37-year-old quarterback last Sunday, how can they beat a 22-year-old who is one of the favorites for NFL Rookie of the Year?

ASHBURN, Va. - For the first five seasons of his NFL career, Chris Chester called Baltimore home after he was drafted in the second round in 2006. But after the NFL lockout ended in July 2011, the offensive lineman made the move to the Washington Redskins. It's a decision that the 29-year-old Chester is grateful he made. “I'm really enjoying myself here,” he said after Wednesday's practice. “I had some good friends and some good experiences in Baltimore, but I'm happy to be a Redskin.

Injuries may have sapped the Ravens of starting linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs for Sunday's contest against the Washington Redskins, but the Ravens will still feature free safety Ed Reed in their defensive backfield. And the Redskins are fully aware of the eight-time Pro Bowler's potential to wreak havoc at FedEx Field. “Ed Reed, he's the top of that defense,” Washington's exciting rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III said after Wednesday's practice. “With Ray Lewis being out, he is the leader of that defense.

Washington Redskins dynamic rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III orchestrates a fast-break, hybrid offense in a manner akin to a skilled maestro. Griffin has thrived in the pistol formation, an imaginative offense that is a cross between the shotgun and single-back formations first launched at the University of Nevada and brought to prominence when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was on campus. Griffin has been granted significant freedom, operating read-option schemes to create confusion, embarrass defenders and pile up touchdowns through the air and on the ground..

ASHBURN, Va. - DeAngelo Hall hurt his ankle enough that he had to use crutches to make an appearance on a Washington, D.C. radio show Tuesday. Still, the Washington Redskins cornerback vowed that he would not sit out Sunday's home contest against the Ravens. “I feel all right,” Hall said after Wednesday's practice at the team's training facilty. “And like I said, there's no way I'm not playing this game. So it's a non-story.” Hall's availability is significant for Washington, which lost the services of nickel back Cedric Griffin after he was suspended for four games Tuesday for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Think the Ravens will be working a little this week on containing RG3? The Ravens play the Washington Redskins on Sunday at FedEx Field. And if they watched the Redskins' 17-16 win over the New York Giants on “Monday Night Football,” they know that Robert Griffin III, already one of the game's most explosive players, is only getting better and better as the season grinds on. Sure, Washington's franchise quarterback had plenty of help as the...