26-year old DT Haloti Ngata has been outstanding for the Ravens so far this year.  He has played in all 8 games for the Ravens this year and he has 43 tackles, 5 sacks, 4 tackles for a loss and 1 pass defensed.  His five sacks this year is already a career high for Ngata and if he keeps making tackles at his current pace he will soon have a new career high in tackles (63).  Ngata has now played in 70 games in his first five years with the Ravens and he has 227 tackles, 10 passes defensed, 11.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions.  He is part of the foundation that the Ravens have built their defense on.

35-year old linebackers don’t grow on trees, especially dominating ones like the Ravens’ Ray Lewis.  Lewis has played in 7 games for the Ravens so far this year and he has 60 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 tackles for a loss, 3 passes defensed, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.  He has now played in 201 games in his 15 years with the Ravens and he has 1,819 tackles, 110 passes defensed, 38.5 sacks, 15 forced fumbles and he has 29 interceptions (2 returned for TDs).  Lewis is the best inside linebacker I have ever seen and he will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.  I’m still amazed watching him play every week as he looks like a player in his middle 20′s not his middle 30′s.

29-year old RB Willis McGahee continues to play very well for the Ravens when given the chance to carry the football.  He has played in 6 games for the Ravens so far this year and he has 51 carries for 207 yards (4.1 ypc) with 4 TD runs.  McGahee has also caught 4 passes for 6 yards (1.5 avg) this year.  McGahee was thought to become a forgotten man this year because of Ray Rice’s breakout 2009 season, but that has not been the case as of late and I look for McGahee to continue to get the ball more than anyone thought he would this year.  McGahee has now played in 50 games in his four years with the Ravens and he has carried the ball 624 times for 2,629 yards (4.2 ypc) with 30 TD carries.  He has also caught 86 passes for 495 yards (5.8 avg) with 3 TD grabs in his time with the Ravens.

30-year old TE Todd Heap turned in a decent year in 2009 for the Ravens.  He played in all 16 games in 2009 and he caught 53 passes for 593 yards (11.2 avg) with 6 TD grabs.  But, the Ravens drafted TEs Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta last April to push Heap for his starting job.  Heap has responded with 17 grabs (22 targets) for 188 yards (11.1 avg) so far this year but he doesn’t have a TD yet.  Pitta and Dickson have combined to catch 2 passes for 18 yards (9.0 avg) so far this year so let’s delay the retirement party at least one more year for Todd Heap.  Heap is second on the team in both receptions & receiving yards so far this year.

WR Anquan Boldin was supposed to give Joe Flacco a top target in the passing game this year and he’s been doing his part.  He has caught 20 passes for 287 yards (14.4 avg) with 3 TD grabs so far this year.  Boldin isn’t known for getting deep but it’s looking like he is more than capable of doing just that.  Flacco really seems to trust Boldin because of his toughness and great hands so I look for Boldin to keep putting up big time numbers the rest of this year as long as he can stay healthy.

34-year old inside linebacker Ray Lewis just keeps rolling along for the Ravens.  He made 134 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and he defensed 7 passes last season for the Ravens.  Lewis has now played in 194 games in his career with the Ravens and he has made 1,759 tackles, 107 passes defensed, 36.5 sacks, 14 forced fumbles and he has 28 interceptions (one returned for a TD).  One of these days Lewis is going to lose his effectiveness but it hasn’t happened yet.

24-year old Joe Flacco stepped up big time this season for the Ravens.  He played in 16 games for the Ravens this season and he completed 315 of 499 passes (63.1%) for 3,613 yards with 21 TD passes and 12 INTs (88.9 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 35 times for 56 yards (1.6 ypc) this year.  Flacco has now played in 32 games in his NFL career and he has completed 572 of 927 passes (61.7%) for 6,584 yards with 35 TD passes and 24 INTs (84.9 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 87 times for 236 yards (2.7 ypc) with 2 TD runs in his career.  The Ravens expect Flacco to keep getting better and that should be a scary thought for the AFC North.

25-year old Troy Smith has asked for a trade after this season is over.  He played in 4 games for the Ravens this year and he 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 (3.8 ypc) this year.  Smith has now played in 14 games in his NFL career 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 in his career.  Smith was unlucky in training camp last season as he got really sick and Flacco took his starting gig away.  The Ravens will likely look to bring in a cheap veteran to replace Smith in 2010.

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.

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.