Brett Favre: He’s not even the most important piece on this team, but he has shown several times this season what he’s capable of. The game-winning throw in Week 3 against the 49ers was the manifestation of every fear we need to have about Favre.

Adrian Peterson: Stat for stat, pound for pound, yard for yard: there is no better back in the league right now. The Ravens struggled against the Bengals and Cedric Benson, and Peterson outdoes Benson is just about every way.

Big Receivers: Bernard Berrian is the vet and is 6′1. The rookie Percy Harvin is the leading receiver and is 5′11. But the real threat to the Ravens is the young gun with a few seasons under his belt, Sidney Rice, who comes in at 6′4. All three can burn.

EJ Henderson: The former Terp doesn’t get enough credit for his presence and power in the Vikings defense. He leads the defense in tackles and his impact his felt on every play, just like a certain Raven we know.

Jared Allen: The country wonderboy has 6.5 sacks and last week returned a fumble for a touchdown. Allen is in his prime and can rush with the best of them.

The Williams Brothers: Overlooked so far this season, the big boys in the middle of the Vikings defense stuff the run, put a good push on pass plays and keep the rest of the defense free to do the fun stuff.

All in all… It’s a pretty overwhelming roster to glance at. Some of the names might not be as big as others, but the numbers are all there. I wasn’t buying into the all the hype preseason – and I’m still not sure this is “the best team Favre’s ever been on” – but they have been seriously impressive over the season’s first five games. They boast the only rush defense in the league that can rival the Ravens and pair it with perhaps the league’s best rushing attack. Those two statements alone make them one of the league’s toughest teams.

The Ravens will have to win this game by shutting down Adrian Peterson and forcing Brett Favre into his occasionally woeful ways.

I waited a week and a half before writing this just so it doesn’t appear I just have sour grapes over the Ravens loss in New England but certain aspects of officiating in the NFL have bothered me for a long time.

Whether we like them or not the rules protecting the quarterbacks are here to stay. My problems are not so much with the rules, but the application of the rules. It seems to me that penalties for roughing the passer are far more likely to be called if there is a marquee quarterback. Do you really think the Suggs roughing the passer call against Brady would have been called against Matthew Stafford? I bet the ref would have ignored Stafford if he turned and made the flag throwing gesture that Brady made. If the rules are going to be in the books, they should be applied equally for all quarterbacks, not just the star quarterbacks. The star players are already better than most other players; they don’t need special rules making them even better.

The same goes for pass interference rules. It seems to me that a great receiver gets the benefit of pass interference calls far more than an average one. That’s not fair, if a player is interfered with, there should be a call no matter the contract or stats of the players involved.

Even worse, how often is Todd Heap interfered with and the announcers often justify it by saying that they don’t normally call that on passes to a tight end. Oh, so because of his position the rules in the book don’t apply. Yeah, that makes sense.

There are probably other rules that are applied unevenly as well. All I ask is that the rules are applied equally no matter the players involved. I think that would help the game a considerable degree.

After that maybe the refs can focus on spotting a ball correctly on a play that ended right in front of them. Baby steps.

This entry was written by ExtremeRavens member Spen.

His theory as laid out early in the football season is that a bad economy makes for great ratings for sports. Read it here. It kind of makes sense. He compares it to the boom in movie-going during the Great Depression. During our hardships today, we turn to sports. I can’t think of any other good reason these programs, which have tanked in recent years, are flourishing now.

So, what do you think? Are you watching more Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football? Are you tuning in to the MLB playoffs? Do you think your viewership (or lack thereof) has anything to do with the economy?

Speaking to my experiences alone – I have found myself watching the primetime games more regularly than in the past, and I’m not sure why.  In fact, for every good game (Monday’s Jets-Dolphins) there has been at least one bad primetime game. And yet I’m still watching. In past years, I just wouldn’t care.

You can also read Mr. Zurawik’s follow-up on TBS here.

Baltimore Ravens (3-2): The Ravens have had a pretty funky fall from grace in the last two weeks. They had a chance to win in New England on the final drive, but failed. They also had plenty of chances to close out the Bengals (in a game the Ravens had no business winning), but failed there as well. If the Ravens win either of these games, no one even gives a second thought to how “real” the Ravens are. But they didn’t win. And that’s all there is to it. The road ahead is no easier and the Ravens need to establish a team identity and fast. Even the Bengals have one right now, even if its as silly as “winning every game in the final minute.” Next Game: @ Minnesota (5-0)

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2): The Steelers snuck by the Lions on Sunday. A lot of people are claiming it’s nothing to even think twice about because it looked like the Steelers we all know – the game looks close, but Pitt is always in control. But I’ve got to wonder how in control the Steelers really were. The defense is coming around, but still not entirely healthy – and they won’t be until Troy Polamalu returns. Meanwhile, Big Ben and his pick-six parties are getting old in Pittsburgh. Next Game: vs. Cleveland (1-4)

Cleveland Browns (1-4): For a long while on Sunday I thought I was watching the worst football game ever played (I was watching the Ravens). Then I happened to notice the Browns-Bills game. A game that finished 6-3 Browns and a winning quarterback who completed just 2 of 17 pass attempts. That’s right, the Browns totaled 23 pass yards on 2 completed passes the whole game. And won. Brutal. The NFL has some very, very bad teams right now. The Browns are among the worst of them. Next Game: at Pittsburgh (3-2)

Thumbs Up!

Chad Ochocinco: As much as I hate to admit it, the man was all over the field against the Ravens. His fumble and whining were silly, but he was beating the Ravens every play.

Ed Reed: That’s the Ed Reed we’re all used to seeing. Hope we see more of him too.

James Harrison: The Steelers pass rushing machine was off to a slow start. It might have been the Lions, but the three sacks still count.

Thumbs Down

Derek Anderson: Seriously, Anderson is supposed to be the improvement now? (This just in: Brady Quinn put his Cleveland home up for sale)

Ravens Secondary: Demolished for the third time this season and little hope in sight – except maybe for a Brett Favre bad day.

Brad St. Louis: The Bengals long-snapper botched two more snaps Sunday against the Ravens. Luckily for him only one really made a difference. He’s been cut.

Ben Roethlisberger: Up for playing well, down for throwing big interceptions. Against a better team, a pick-six costs more.

Three Storylines to Follow

Can the Bengals Keep It Up? Houston may not look like the biggest baddest opponent on the horizon, and I’ve never bought into any of the “this is Houston’s year” silliness we hear each fall, but they are not a team that’s easy to walk over. The Bengals defense will have their work cut out for them. I expect a shootout in Cincy.

Can the Ravens Rebound? It’s kind of funny to hear people ask if the Ravens can bounce back and say that John Harbaugh has never faced this situation before. Not quite. Last year, remember, the Ravens lost three straight to three very good teams before going 9-2 the rest of the season. The better question is WHEN will the Ravens rebound, because it’s not until they see the Browns in Week 10 that the Ravens get a reprieve (Minnesota is 5-0, Denver is 5-0, Cincinnati is 4-1).

Three Playoff Teams? It seems highly unlikely. In fact, it is highly unlikely. Incredibly improbably. But look around a bit. The AFC South and AFC West both appear to be one team divisions. No one else even looks competitive. Then in the AFC North and AFC East, you’ve got three competitive teams in each. It’s somewhat unknown just how good the Jets and Dolphins truly are this year – and they get to face the Bengals and Steelers, respectively. Could all three AFC North contenders find their way to the post season? With a little help from New England, maybe.

And not just once. Not just twice. But three times over in the fourth quarter when it mattered most. Surprising in part because just last year Rex Ryan and the Ravens dominated the Dolphins in Miami twice, and the Wildcat was declared extinct.

Everyone’s vulnerable. It’s about making adjustments. The Ravens problems, but they have plenty to work with. It’s just not guaranteed. It takes time, it takes effort. There is a learning curve. Have patience.

With the Texans heading to Arizona this weekend to play the Cardinals, there’s been a popular storyline emerging about a match-up of the league’s best receivers. The Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald is the current ‘it’ receiver after his ridiculous playoff streak last season, while Andre Johnson has been considered one of the league’s best players on a bad team.

So who’s the best receiver in the league?

As always, for me, it depends on how you define best.

Statistically in their career? Randy Moss. In the last three seasons? Probably Fitzgerald, with Terrell Owens and Reggie Wayne close behind. Biggest play maker over their career? Probably Moss again.

Biggest play maker right now? Probably a guy that’s been overshadowed by Fitzgerald recently, his teammate Anquan Boldin.

Boldin’s attitude and history of injury take him out of the equation for some, but his natural ability is freakish. He averages more yards per game than Fitzgerald and more yards after catch (far more in fact, 5.4 to Fitzgerald’s 3.6). The argument could be made that Fitzgerald has simply stolen the spotlight thanks to Boldin’s injuries.

Personally, Andre Johnson hardly figures into the equation. Johnson has made some spectacular plays and long been the Texans lone shining star. But a league star he is not. And that is taking nothing away from his monstrous season in 2008, when he averaged nearly 100 yards per game and scored eight touchdowns.

But, if you were to ask me who I would want on my team right now to build an offense around, it would be Fitzgerald. No questions asked. Raw talent, speed, smart, great route runner and little attitude to boot. Tell me I’m wrong.

Cincinnati Bengals (3-1): The Bengals barely escaped the Browns in Cleveland on Sunday, winning in overtime on a Shayne Graham field goal. Still curious how the Bengals failed to run away with the game, though, as they had a big lead early following a series of Cleveland turnovers. Also wondering what kind of team lets the Browns back into it. Next Game: @ Ravens (3-1)

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2): Statement game by the Steelers… almost. The offense hit a new level on the back of Rashard Mendenhall. Proves that with a running game, every team looks better. Roethlisberger is still playing too well for his own good. But for another week the fourth quarter was trouble and the defense is not closing games out. Next Game: @ Detroit (1-3)

Cleveland Browns (0-4): The Browns showed some signs of life on Sunday, taking the Bengals to the wire. It was an unusual game: the Browns looked lost in the first half and then should have won in the second, but they let it slip away. This team will continue to struggle, but they aren’t the league’s worst. Next Game: @ Buffalo (1-3)

Thumbs Up:

Ben Roethlisberger: Big Ben threw for over 300 yards for the second time this season and didn’t throw an interception for the first time this season. He has been playing too well for the Steelers to be just 2-2.

Rashard Mendenhall: Mendenhall ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns, proving that the Steelers still have a running game (sometimes) and that Mendenhall deserves his carries (when he behaves).

Jerome Harrison: The Browns new starter in the wake of Jamal Lewis’ injury has been impressive in two starts. In Baltimore he broke 50 yards on limited carries, and against Cincinnati he topped 120.

Terrell Suggs: Played well, made a game-changing play for a touchdown in the Ravens loss to the Pats, and learned how to keep his mouth shut post game.

Thumbs Down

Ravens Receivers: After a stellar start to the game, including six receptions by Derrick Mason on the team’s first scoring drive, the Ravens receivers disappeared. Dropped passes galore.

AFC North Special Teams: Kickers, returners, punters… they’ve all been bad with few exceptions. This week it was Shayne Graham’s blocked extra point to send Browns-Bengals in overtime; Chris Carr fumbling on the opening kickoff in New England; and Stefan Logan’s fumble on a punt return. Oh, and that doesn’t include the Steelers botching an opportunity to recover an onside kick attempt by the Chargers.

Chad Ochocinco: Hard to give a thumbs down to a guy that caught two touchdown passes… but when you only catch three passes for 24 yards against a more than suspect pass defense, you’re not brag-worthy.

Three Issues:

Who’s Number One? The Bengals and Ravens face off for early supremacy in the AFC North. With the Bengals already having an edge on the Steelers, taking the one-game lead on the Bengals would be extra helpful for the Ravens. Meanwhile, the Bengals are trying to prove they belong in the conversation.

Is this division still about defense? The Ravens and Steelers are both turning heads for their offensive prowess and both have become suspect defensively. The Ravens are third in points per game and total offense, the Steelers sixth in total offense. And while Cleveland and Cincinnati have both had offensive struggles, they are both improving. For most of this decade, the AFC North was the hardest hitting division in the NFL… are they losing their edge?

Can they really win? The Browns go to Buffalo and have a chance at their first win of the season against a struggling Bills team. The Browns offense looked poised to break out against the Bengals and against a weaker Bills defense they might be able to. If the Browns get rolling on offense, they won’t be quite as much fun to play.

Familiar why? Because they are built around a stud second-year quarterback, a dominant run game, and a stout defense. Sound familiar, Ravens? The Ravens have plenty going for them, but it won’t be easy.

2. The Ravens balance on offense gives them hope. The Ravens offensive attack this season might be the league’s most balanced. It’s not just balanced pass-to-rush. The rushing game itself is brilliantly balanced between three runners of varying styles – the speedy Ray Rice, the deceptive Willis McGahee, and the powerful Le’Ron McClain. The team may not be able to put all three on the field for every play, but each is strong enough to keep this offense moving on its own. Even in pass heavy victories against the Chiefs and Browns, the Ravens runners have made an impact.

But the real key to the Ravens success on offense is its line. The Ravens line is, for the first time ever, a good at pass protection as it is at opening holes for the running game. The Ravens can open up three and four receiver sets and truly trouble defenses.

3. The Ravens have plenty of holes. Not sure why the Ravens seem to be such favorites in this game around the country, but they are getting a lot of love. I’m not even entirely against it, but it is a bit curious. It was just two weeks ago that Philip Rivers threw for 440 yards against a battered Ravens secondary – without several starters on his offensive line. The Pats offer just as many problems: a steady, deadly quarterback in Tom Brady; a corps of tall, speedy receivers featuring Randy Moss; and a powerful offensive line that specializes in pass blocking.

If the Ravens pass rush can’t get to Brady, be wary. If the Ravens secondary can’t handle Moss, be wary. The hope for the Ravens here is that thanks to less-than-super rushing game in New England, the Ravens may be able to devote all of their efforts to the pass rush. But good luck.

Cincinnati Bengals (2-1): The Bengals pulled the upset at home as predicted here (and many other places). It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t even cute. For three quarters the Bengals were pretty well handled by the Steelers, and then the Bengals offense showed up and made some plays. But a win is a win, and the Bengals are second in the division. It’s hard to tell what to believe about the Bengals this season. Their defense was still stout against the Steelers, but the Steelers offense has struggled mightily this season. And the Bengals offense only came together at the end. What we do know is that with a re-energized Carson Palmer, they can be trouble. Next Game: @ Cleveland (0-3).

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2): The Steelers lost back-to-back games for the first time since 2007 with their loss to Cincinnati on Sunday and are now two games in the hole to the Ravens for the division lead. It’s not entirely clear if this team is just struggling or if there’s something seriously wrong. The Steelers have been largely unsuccessful running the ball (Willie Parker’s 95 yards against the Bengals were mostly first half), Roethlisberger has been getting hit frequently and making mistakes, and the defense has shown weakness without Troy Polamalu. Jeff Reed missed yet another field goal. Things simply aren’t clicking in Pittsburgh. Things won’t get easier with San Diego coming to town, and still not Polamalu in the secondary. Next Game: vs. San Diego (2-1).

Cleveland Browns (0-3): The Browns look like the Browns… again. I’m not sure what the media is talking about when they say that Eric Mangini is “changing the personality” of the team, but I’m not seeing it. Mangini looks to have things just as sloppy as ever. His decision to pull Brady Quinn was just silly. The Browns defense was absolutely toothless against the Ravens. Things don’t get much easier for the Browns, they play the Bengals, Steelers, Packers and Bears before the bye. Their only chance at a win before that bye is in Buffalo, but even that is doubtful. Next Game: vs. Cincinnati (2-1).

Thumbs Up

Joe Flacco, Ravens. 347 yards, a touchdown, 71% completions. Flacco looked poised and unfazed by anything the Browns defense threw his way.

Kelley Washington, Ravens. Washington is tied for the team lead with 12 receptions, despite being the team’s third receiver.

Carson Palmer, Bengals. Palmer wasn’t spectacular against Pittsburgh, but he was effective when it mattered most.

Willie Parker, Steelers. Parker ran for almost 100 yards and caught two passes for 36 yards. He finally showed flashes of the “Fast”Willie Parker he used to be.

Thumbs Down

Steelers Defense and Ben Roethlisberger: Despite how nice the numbers might look, the Steelers signature has been playing close games and playing them perfectly. In Sunday’s game, neither of these units was anywhere close to perfect.

Derek Anderson, Browns. The one-time Pro Bowler may have been confused from his days with the Ravens.

Bengals Defense. The Bengals D was all the rave in recent weeks. And yet, that same defense let the Steelers walk all over them for nearly 400 yards and barely put a scratch on Roethlisberger.

Eric Mangini, Browns Coach. Has he put on weight?

Three Issues Upcoming…

How will Pittsburgh respond? Mike Tomlin hasn’t been in this position before. Most of the current Steelers roster probably isn’t used to this either. A losing record so early? Losing to the Bengals? It gets no easier with the Chargers coming to town. Philip Rivers decimated the Ravens, and the Steelers defense may not fair better without Polamalu. And the Steelers offense certainly has shown the ability to win a shoot out.

What will the Browns do at quarterback? Brady Quinn didn’t have much success in his first two games, but he hardly got a shot against the Ravens. Meanwhile, Derek Anderson seemed to give a spark to some of his offense, before turning the ball over three times. Both quarterbacks have to be suffering from shattered self-confidence, and based on his reputation, Eric Mangini isn’t the kind of coach that specializes in team unity or building players up.

Are the Bengals the Ravens biggest competition? The Bengals are likely to win this week against the Cleveland (we’d assume), but the Ravens have a rough game in New England. And then in Week 5 the division rivals meet. The Ravens certainly hope to still hold their one-game lead over the Bengals entering the head-to-head match-up, but seeing a pair of teams at 3-1 is not out of the question.

But here are some other random thoughts …

–Steve Tasker brought up an interesting point from John Harbaugh during yesterday’s Ravens victory. Harbaugh said that he expects the Ravens defense to give up more yards as the team’s offense improves. It sounds a bit funky at first, but it seems somewhat valid. As the Ravens score more points, they are putting pressure on opponents to score more points as well. Which means instead of just trying to grind it out and not make mistakes against the Ravens, opposing teams are going to let loose.

I’m not entirely sure how much I buy it, mainly because I don’t buy that other teams weren’t trying to get yards against us before. But additionally, I think when opponents really press to move the ball against this defense, they will force themselves into mistakes and ultimately hurt their own cause. But there may be some merit to the view that with a good offense, its hard to keep defensive numbers perfect.

–I don’t mean to hate on Rex Ryan and crew, but I’m not buying the Jets quite yet. They’ve won some great games and looked pretty strong… but I just don’t buy that their defense is the league’s best. And I really don’t buy that their offense can win games for them when necessary. The Jets beat the Patriots and Titans, both formidable opponents, but both at home. And both with glaring weaknesses.

First, the Titans, for as good as they “should” be, were 0-2 heading into New York. They lost a close game to Pittsburgh in overtime, giving up well over 300 yards passing to Big Ben and company. Then in Week 2 they gave up 34 points to the Texans. The Texans, people. The Titans are not the force they were last year, and they ran all over the Jets.

Meanwhile, the Patriots are a big question mark right now. Maybe I’ll change my mind after the Ravens game this weekend, but for now, they are a question mark. The Pats defense has been suspect since last season – and the Jets weren’t exactly able to exploit that weakness. Meanwhile, the Pats offense lacks a running game in any way, shape or form. Which opens up all kinds of opportunities for Rex Ryan and his pass rush madness.

Bottom line… the Jets have been playing well, but I think there are weaknesses that will be exposed. The Titans were able to run on the Jets, they just weren’t able to hold the ball. There are paths to glory here.

–The AFC North will be a lot of fun this season… short of the Browns. The Bengals late upset of the Steelers yesterday not only put a twinkle of great hope into the eyes of all Ravens fans (a two game lead on the Steelers?!) but also solidified the Bengals as true contenders. Perhaps what is scariest about the Bengals is that they have been successful despite mediocre play from Carson Palmer. If (when?) Palmer finds his way back to the star he once was, that team will be scary. Meanwhile, the Bengals-Ravens match-up two weeks away looks stellar – it may prove to be the Ravens first true test offensively (depending on the Pats game).