Saturday Links

Cleveland Browns running back Jamal Lewis, who is also the Ravens’ all-time leading rusher, is looking forward to his final matchup against his former team.  Lewis has announced that he will retire after this season and considering the state of the Browns’ franchise, who can blame him?  Not counting this season, Lewis has as many 2,000-yard seasons (2003, of course) as he has seasons with less than 1,000 yards (906 in 2005).

“Being able to go out playing my old team on ‘Monday Night Football,’ that will be a great one,” Lewis said (via the Baltimore Sun). “Being that I will be playing these guys for the last time, being able to suit up against Ray [Lewis] for the last time, it’s a good thing. It will be a memorable moment. The Ravens gave me my shot. That’s who brought me in. That’s where I pretty much did all my work. I have a lot of memories there, a lot of older players that helped me out and brought me in, led me and showed me the way. That’s where I got it from.”

Any disagreements that Lewis had with Browns coach Eric Mangini over the team’s workload has been “settled in house.”

Despite missing big kicks against the Vikings and Bengals, kicker Steve Hauschka has confidence in himself.  (For the record, that makes one of us.)  “I’m very confident,” he said. “I’ve been kicking the ball real well in practice; it’s just a matter of transferring it to the game. That’s the next development I have to make: kick the ball in the game with as much confidence.”

The Ravens have been outscored in the first half by a combined score of 23-51 in their past five games.  On the season, the Ravens have scored more points in the fourth quarter (87) than they have in the first half (74) as noted by Aaron Wilson.

Running back Willis McGahee has accepted his (reduced) role well, saying “I’m cool, man.  I look at it as I’m healthy this year. I have no injuries. My body’s in good shape. You’ve got to turn a negative into a positive.”

Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun gives QB/RB the best grades (B) in his mid-season report and the secondary (D) the worst grade.  No disagreement here.

CB/KR Lardarius Webb missed today’s practice, but Ray Lewis, Chris Carr and Dannell Ellerbee returned to practice.

Tags: Chris Carr, Dannell Ellerbee, Jamal Lewis, Lardarius Webb, Ray Lewis, Steve Hauschka, Willis McGahee