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Sunday, December 09, 2001

Compiled by Ed Bouchette

The Ravens keep losing players and winning games. They're using this weekend to get healthy for the Steelers.

By the time they play next Sunday in Baltimore, the Ravens expect several players to return after missing games: defensive tackle Sam Adams, defensive end Rob Burnett, running back Terry Allen, wide receiver Patrick Johnson and cornerback James Trapp.

"We could have a little pop to us," Baltimore Coach Brian Billick said of the boost they'll get next week. "This could be just what the doctor ordered."

The Ravens, at 8-4 and 1 1/2 games behind the Steelers in the AFC Central, might not be where they want to be, but they are right where they were last season after 12 games. The defending Super Bowl champions play three of their next four at home and are 9-0 in December under Billick. They have won five times in the past six weeks by coming back in the fourth quarter. They are, however, only 2-3 after taking off a weekend.

Nonstop psychoanalysis

Al Davis must be spinning in his white leisure suit because his Oakland Raiders aren't so tough. They are the worst team in the NFL at stopping the run. They have allowed 4.8 yards per rush. In the past five games, they've given up 888 yards rushing -- 5.7 yards per carry.

Instead of a patch over the Raider's eye, these guys must be wearing blindfolds.

"It's wearing on all of us," Coach Jon Gruden said. "We're not going to sit here and take Hallmark sympathy cards from anybody. We've got to go out there, get 11 guys in that huddle and get going again. ... We're not going to get so depressed we don't overcome this. We are a much better team against the run than we have been in the last three or four weeks."

Man of a thousand paces

Next up for the Raiders is Kansas City's Priest Holmes, averaging 5 yards per carry and, with 978 yards rushing, about to become the Chiefs' first 1,000-yard rusher since Christian Okoye ran for 1,031 in 1981.

Kansas City has gone through 17 running backs in the decade since then. The best was Marcus Allen, with 890.

Losing legacy

Since franchise founder Paul Brown died in August 1991, the Bengals have not had a winning season and look as if they will stretch that to 11 in a row.

But the Bengals are not even close to the longest NFL run without a winning season. The 4-7 Bengals, if they keep it up, will move high on the list in the record books, but they still have a long way to go to the top, or bottom, as it were. The New Orleans Saints suffered through 20 consecutive seasons without a winning record from their birth in 1967 through 1986.

There has to be a catch

It's amazing what happens to quarterbacks when they lose all of their receivers. Brian Griese led the NFL with a 102.9 passer rating last season. Now, with most of Denver's receivers in traction, his rating has slipped to 82.2, and they are getting all over him about his fourth-quarter rating.

John Elway owned the fourth quarter in Denver, which isn't helping Griese. He has the worst fourth-quarter passer rating of any NFL starting quarterback at 48.4.

"We've been a little off," Coach Mike Shanahan said. "It doesn't take much."

Quick slants

Crack research by an Indianapolis writer shows that Peyton Manning's six interceptions returned for scores is one off the league record held by three teams: Miami (1999), Kansas City (1984) and the Patriots (1967).

Indianapolis has a 30-29 record when Manning starts at quarterback.

The highest local TV ratings in the NFL last week? Pittsburgh, where 39.4 percent of the potential audience watched the Steelers-Vikings.

Tennessee defensive end Jevon Kearse has nine sacks this season and his 35 rank fourth on the all-time list for players in their first three seasons.

The Ravens were plus-23 in turnover ratio on their Super Bowl march last season. They are minus-11 today.

San Diego's defense has allowed the winning score in the final three minutes of regulation or overtime in 12 of the past 28 games.