26-year old QB Joe Flacco was outstanding against the Steelers in the season opener but he was terrible against the Titans last Sunday.  He has played in 2 games for the Ravens so far this year and he has completed 32 of 61 passes (52.5%) for 421 yards with 4 TD passes and 2 INTs (82.8 QB Rating).  But, he has yet to carry the ball this year…..and that is a good thing.  The Ravens need Flacco to be more consistent, because as good as the defense is, the Ravens aren’t going to win a lot of games without scoring their fair share of points this year.

The Ravens have lost 24-year old kick returner David Reed for the next 3-6 weeks due to a shoulder injury.  Reed returned 3 kickoffs for 125 yards (41.7 avg) for the Ravens last weekend in his season debut.  FB Vonta Leach and CB Lardarius Webb replace him in the season opener when he was suspended, but, it’s more likely that either rookie WR Torrey Smith or rookie WR LaQuan Williams will replace Reed going forward.

The Baltimore Ravens have lost two of their top three cornerbacks for the next few weeks due to injury.  Jimmy Smith has a high ankle sprain and Chris Carr had a hamstring injury.  Smith started at corner against the Steelers last Sunday but he was injured before he made any tackles.  Chris Carr played Sunday against the Steelers and he had 1 tackle before getting injured.  With Cary Williams & Lardarius Webb now starting at corner, look for the Ravens to look for some free agents to bring in to compete for bench roles.

The Ravens have signed 32-year old center Andre Gurode to a 1-year deal.  Gurode played in 16 games (all starts) for the Cowboys last year.  He has now played in 138 games (122 starts) in his first 9 years in the NFL.  This was an outstanding picked for the Ravens as Gurode will probably start at center for them in 2011.

The Ravens have released 26-year old Tavares Gooden and 27-year old Prescott Burgess.  Gooden played in 10 games for the Ravens last year and he had 18 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss.  In his three years with the Ravens, Gooden played in 26 games in which he had 70 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss and 1 pass defensed.  Burgess played in all 16 games for the Ravens last year and he had 14 tackles.  He played in 37 games in his three years with the Ravens and he had 35 tackles.  The Ravens decided it was time to move on at LB and on special teams which led to the releases of Gooden and Burgess.

The Ravens have placed 24-year old OT Ramon Harewood on the Injured Reserve List due to a torn ankle ligament.  Harewood played in 3 games (1 start) in the preseason for the Ravens and he was injured in the finale against the Falcons.  This will be Harewood’s second year in the NFL and he will have spent them both on the Injured Reserve List without playing a down for the Ravens.

The Baltimore Ravens will be without 24-year old special teams ace David Reed for the season opener against the Steelers.  Reed was suspended for 1 game due to a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.  Reed played in 13 games for the Ravens last year and he returned 21 kickoffs for 616 yards (29.3 avg) with 1 TD return.  Reed also had 11 tackles last year and he carried the ball 1 time for 15 yards.  The Ravens are going to miss Reed as he is a big time threat on kickoff returns.

The Ravens have waived 27-year old T/G Oniel Cousins and 26-year old WR Justin Harper.  Cousins played in all 16 games (1 start) for the Ravens last year.  He played in 25 games (4 starts) in his first three years with the Ravens.  Harper only played in 2 games (o starts) in his three years with the Ravens and he didn’t catch any passes.  The Ravens shouldn’t miss either of these guys in 2011 or down the road.

The Ravens have signed 31-year old OT Bryant McKinnie.  The Ravens are planning to move Michael Oher back to the right side with McKinnie covering Joe Flacco’s blind side.  McKinnie played in 16 games (all starts) for the Vikings last year.  He has now played in 132 games (131 starts) in his first 9 years in the NFL.  This was a great signing for the Ravens who were very lucky to find a offensive tackle the quality of Bryant McKinnie this late in the free agency market.

The Baltimore Ravens have signed 29-year old OT Mark LeVoir.  He played in 6 games (0 starts) for the Patriots last year.  He has now played in 32 games (2 starts) in his first five years in the NFL.  The 6’7″, 310 pound LeVoir will challenge Oniel Collins and Jah Reid for the starting job at RT in 2011.  This was a good signing for the Ravens as RT has the look of a problem spot on the O-Line.