Right guard Marshal Yanda snagged a flight to his home in Iowa, center Jason Brown visited his wife and son in North Carolina while linebacker Ray Lewis and fullback Lorenzo Neal used the Ravens impromptu bye week to take it easy in hopes of keeping their bodies fresh knowing they have to play a game in 15 straight weeks.
That was just how several Ravens spent their time after the team’s game in Houston was postponed until Nov. 9 due to damage caused by Hurricane Ike.
“It was a scramble,” Yanda said. “They let us know about 4:30 on Saturday [afternoon]. They send us an email and a bunch of us scurried out after that. I caught a late flight after that just to go home for a little bit before we go 15 straight.”
Ravens receiver Derrick Mason expects the team to have little trouble playing 15 games in as many week. The Ravens were originally scheduled to have a bye during Week 10, but will instead head to Houston to face the Texans.
“We’re a well-conditioned team,” he said. “Whether we have to go 15 straight weeks — honestly, we’re looking to go more than 15 straight weeks [because of the playoffs — whatever it may be that’s the obstacle we’ve got ahead of us.”
Browns “O” feeling blue
The Browns entered the season expecting to have one of the better offenses in the NFL following a breakout Pro Bowl season from quarterback Derek Anderson (3,787 passing yards, 29 TDs) and a great season by running back Jamal Lewis (1,304 rushing yards). But the Browns (0-2) are tied with the St. Louis Rams for the worst scoring offense in the league (8 points per game) entering Sunday’s AFC North showdown at the Ravens.
Anderson has completed just 51.8 percent of his passes, and Lewis has just 100 yards rushing on 32 carries (3.1 yards per carry). Lewis believes the Browns’ offense will improve, but faces a tough challenge against the Ravens, who have not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 20 straight games.
“They’re a good defense. They’re a great defense, actually,” Lewis said. “They come with a lot of multiple fronts and have some hard-working guys up front and a great linebacking corps. So, that’s what makes it tough to run the football. It just makes for a physical running game from the offensive standpoint because you know they’re going to be physical.”
Practice notes
Running back Willis McGahee, who did not play in Week 1 against the Bengals, practiced with the first team on Wednesday. Right tackle Willie Anderson practiced with the second team, with fellow right tackle Adam Terry playing with the first team during the portion opened to the media. The only players not to practice at all were quarterback Troy Smith (tonsillitis) and defensive tackle Kelly Gregg (knee). Cornerback Fabian Washington, who is dealing with a bulging disk in his neck, may sidelined for Sunday’s game.
“It’s going to be up to [Harbaugh] how many snaps I get,” Washington said.
[email protected]
