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Flacco, defense lift Ravens over slow-starting Raiders

Oct 26, 2008 - 10:19 PM By Rich Dubroff PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- Even though linebacker Terrell Suggs suggested a change was needed at quarterback, the Baltimore Ravens aren't likely to bench rookie quarterback Joe Flacco anytime soon.

Flacco threw a long touchdown, caught his first career pass and rushed for a score, lifting the resurgent Ravens to a 29-10 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

Baltimore (4-3), which held the Raiders to just 35 yards in the first half, won its second straight to climb back over .500.

The Ravens' first-round draft choice, Flacco caught a 43-yard pass from backup quarterback Troy Smith to set up a field goal and added the clinching score on a 12-yard touchdown run with under four minutes remaining.

During the week, Suggs made lots of news.

He suggested that perhaps the Ravens would be a better team with Smith as quarterback and that the defense had set bounties on some Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said that he was calling Smith's option toss to Flacco the "The Suggs Package."

"I'm not an offensive coordinator," Suggs said. "We already had (the package) in. My big mouth was the catalyst."

Suggs said the defense was inspired because defensive coordinator Rex Ryan was facing his twin brother Rob, who directs the Raiders defense.

"This is a personal rivalry," Suggs said. "We had to go out there and show we love our Ryan better."

Rex Ryan, who was doused with ice water by his defense, admitted that there was some sibling rivalry.

"Just another victory over my brother," Rex Ryan joked. "I'll let him get on that plane, go home, and then I'll call it and rub it in a little bit."

Flacco hooked up with a wide-open Demetrius Williams for a 70-yard TD pass in the second quarter and in the third, he turned receiver.

"That's a one-time thing," Flacco said. "The stuff that we did today gave us an advantage, and it worked against these guys."

As a sophomore in high school, he caught a 60-yard pass, but was surprised to get a call in the pros.

"I didn't want to make a fool out of myself," Flacco said. "Yeah, I would have liked to have scored a touchdown."

Baltimore's defense set the tone early as linebacker Jameel McClain sacked Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell in the end zone for a safety on the Raiders' second possession.

In the first half, the Raiders (2-5) didn't have a gain of more than 15 yards. In the second, Russell got untracked, but the Ravens' defense didn't allow Oakland to seriously challenge.

"In the first half, we got our tails whipped at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball," Raiders interim coach Tom Cable said. "We struggled with our run blocking and protection. Far too much damage in the first half to recover."

Russell completed just 15-of-33 passes attempts for 228 yards - 192 in the second half, but he also was sacked four times.

Running back Willis McGahee scored from a yard out early in the second quarter after Jim Leonhard returned Shane Lechler's punt 46 yards to the Raiders 17.

Flacco, who passed for 140 yards, got half of it on one play - his long pass to Williams midway through the second quarter - that gave Baltimore a 16-0 lead.

Harbaugh had hinted during the week that he had some plans for Smith, whose bout with tonsilitis prevented him from playing during most of the preseason and the early weeks of the season.

"We want to be real aggressive," Harbaugh said. "We want to be very creative in what we're doing."

With Smith lined up behind center, Flacco was wide left and caught Smith's pass to the Oakland 6. Earlier in the game, Smith had taken three snaps - running twice and handing off another time.

"It was incredible," Smith said of Flacco's catch. "At 6-6, you don't really don't talk about his versatility and athleticism. I can't say if I was in that situation I would have made it."

The Raiders were without rookie running back Darren McFadden, who was sidelined by a sore big right toe. Oakland was limited to just 47 yards.

Russell's 60-yard pass to Chaz Schilens set up Sebastian Janikowski's 22-yard field goal early in the third quarter, and he threw two long passes to tight end Zach Miller that set up his 2-yard score to Justin Griffith at the end of the period.

The win was the 100th in franchise history for Baltimore. Its first win came against Oakland on September 1, 1996.