Baltimore Ravens tackle Jared Gaither is ok after a frightening incident in today’s game against the New England Patriots. The crown of Jared’s helmet slammed into quarterback Joe Flacco’s back as he tried to block a pass rush. The result of the play left him on the turf for 10 minutes before he was strapped to a board and taken from the field on a stretcher.
Jared had movement in all his extremities but was taken to Mass General Hospital for tests. The X-rays on his neck and shoulder were negative but an MRI couldn’t be taken because Jared was too …read more

Current and former NFL coaches Jon Gruden, Tom Coughlin, Bill Cowher, Jeff Fisher and John Harbaugh are currently on the inaugural NFL-USO Coaches Tour. The group is traveling to meet and greet service members for several days in the Persian Gulf region.
Coach Gruden is describing the experience as “life-changing” for himself and his colleagues:
“You can read about what our troops are doing over here or you can watch reports on television, but none of that can compare to being here with them. It’s inspiring. I think sometimes people forget the role our military plays in keeping our country safe. There …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has to be happy about this. Today, the Ravens signed former Philadelphia Eagles tight end L.J. Smith to a one-year contract, giving Joe yet another weapon in his continually evolving offensive arsenal. Along with Todd Heap, this gives Baltimore two top-level, pass-catching tight ends. As improved as I think Joe will be this season (and I think he will be vastly improved over his impressive 2008 rookie season), adding L.J. is only going to make him that much better. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was in a pretty good mood …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
I would have to consult with a number of knowledgeable football historians before making this claim, but Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed has to be considered one of the best safeties to ever play professional football. He’s certainly one of the biggest defensive playmakers the game has ever seen. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh seems to agree with me:
“No one is surprised at the way Ed Reed plays. He may be the best player in the game.”
In a rather lopsided 27-9 AFC Wild Card win over the Miami Dolphins this afternoon, Ed had two interceptions, …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller was placed on injured reserve today with a shoulder tear that will force him to miss the entire 2008 season. Head coach John Harbaugh didn’t paint a pretty picture:
“He has got either one of two injuries, either the torn labrum or he’s got, I don’t know the medical term, but there’s a connection in the biceps to the shoulder that might be a problem. The torn labrum has not responded to the medication, and the other injury is a season ender. He’s done.”
Done as in most likely he’s thrown his …read more

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL
There might be a lot of hype in Baltimore about first round Draft choice quarterback Joe Flacco, but Troy Smith could be the Ravens’ answer at QB this season. Troy worked with the first-team offense for the majority of snaps in yesterday’s passing camp, prompting this from head coach John Harbaugh:
“Troy had a good practice. He was sharp. He competed. He had a good time. Troy is a leader. Anytime you’ve won the Heisman Trophy, anytime you’ve been in a national championship game, you obviously know how to lead an offense and lead …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
It was nice to see the sun shining in Indianapolis today. It certainly made getting around outside the RCA Dome and Indiana Convention Center much easier. Not that you would really need to go outside here, though. The Dome and CC are connected to much of the city with indoor walkways. I get a big kick out of this. I can walk all over the city without putting on a jacket in the middle of winter. And yes, I’m easily entertained.
The Media Work room was kind of quiet early on, but things picked …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
Former Philadelphia Eagles secondary coach John Harbaugh has been named the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. And so continues the NFL trend of hiring young coaches. John is 45-years-old and only the third Ravens coach ever. Am I surprised? Yes, you could say that. Shocked is maybe a better word for it. After starting with a list of 30 names to consider for the position, the Ravens chose someone without so much as coordinator experience. But Coach Harbaugh obviously stood out. All I can say is he must have made an incredible …read more