25-year old back-up QB Troy Smith has requested a trade from the Ravens after their season ends.  Smith has played in 4 games this season for the Ravens and he has completed 5 of 9 passes (55.6%) for 24 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 INT (21.3 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 8 times for 31 yards (3.9 ypc) with a TD run.  Smith has now played in 14 games in his three years with the Ravens and he has completed 48 of 89 passes (53.9%) for 558 yards with 3 TD passes and 1 INT (79.7 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 29 times for 109 yards (3.8 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  Smith means more to the Ravens than whatever they will get for him in a trade as back-up QBs don’t net anything more than late draft picks.

The Ravens will be sending five players to the Pro Bowl if they don’t make it to the Super Bowl.  22-year old RB Ray Rice will be going to his first Pro Bowl and he deserves it after turning in a monster season in 2009.  Rice has played in 15 games this season for the Ravens and he has carried the ball 240 times for 1,269 yards (5.3 ypc) with 7 TD runs and he has also caught 74 passes for 683 yards (9.2 avg) with 1 TD grab.  25-year old fullback Le’Ron McClain is also going to Miami.  He has played in 15 games this season for the Ravens and he has carried the ball 45 times for  175 yards (3.9 ypc) with 2 TD runs and he has also caught 20 passes for 135 yards (6.8 avg).  McClain’s most important role has been opening up holes for Ray Rice and he has done a great job of that.  34-year old inside linebacker Ray Lewis is back in the Pro Bowl as usual this year.  He has played in 15 games for the Ravens this season and he has made 121 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, 2 forced fumbles and he has defensed 7 passes.  Lewis is still the best player on a really good defense that the Ravens still have.  25-year old NT Haloti Ngata’s main job is keeping blockers off of Ray Lewis and it has gotten him into the Pro Bowl.  Ngata has played in 13 games for the Ravens this season and he has made 34 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 pass defensed.  31-year old safety Ed Reed is back in the Pro Bowl again.  He has played in 11 games for the Ravens this season and he has 45 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 3 forced fumbles, 5 passes defensed and 3 interceptions that he returned for 111 yards and a TD.  The Ravens really hope that their five Pro Bowlers will help them beat the Raiders this weekend in Oakland putting them in the playoffs.

29-year old Todd Heap has been a solid player for a long time for the Ravens and he is having a great season in 2009 for them.  Heap has played in 15 games this season for the Ravens and he has caught 51 passes for 553 yards (10.8 avg) with 6 TD grabs.  He has now played in 119 games for the Ravens and he has caught 425 passes for 4,853 yards (11.4 avg) with 36 TD grabs.  Heap has a awesome set of hands and he is the Ravens #2 target behind WR Derrick Mason and that will likely continue next season as long as Mason doesn’t retire.

The Ravens should have won this game yesterday in Pittsburgh but the usually dependable Derrick Mason dropped a ball in the end zone that he probably would catch 99% of the time.  Joe Flacco was so-so as he completed 13 of 25 passes for 166 yards with 2 TD passes and 1 INT yesterday.  Ray Rice led the way on the ground for the Ravens yesterday with 141 yards rushing on 30 carries (4.7 ypc) and he also caught 1 pass for 14 yards.  Derrick Mason led the way in the passing game for the Ravens yesterday with 7 catches for 77 yards (11.0 avg).  TE Todd Heap had a solid game with 2 grabs for 37 yards (18.5 avg) and both catches went for TDs.  The Ravens finished up with 323 total yards on offense (175 rushing, 148 passing) in this game.

CB Chris Carr led a good effort by the Ravens’ D yesterday with 9 tackles, 1 pass defensed, 1/2 a sack and 1 QB hit.  Ray Lewis (fumble recovery) and Domonique Foxworth (interception) also had big plays for the Ravens’ D yesterday.  The Ravens finished up with 286 total yards on offense (48 rushing, 238 passing) in this game.  The Ravens are now 8-7 on the season.

34-year old linebacker Ray Lewis is still the best player on the defense for the Ravens.  He has played in 14 games this season for the Ravens and he has 117 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, 2 forced fumbles, 7 passes defensed and 3 sacks.  Lewis can still stop almost every running back who challenges him and he might will the Ravens to the playoffs this year.