Ravens 20 @ Steelers 23
Ben Roethlisberger (191 yards, TD, INT) didn’t finish with great stats, but he played pretty well against a tough Ravens defense and his numbers would have been better had his receivers not dropped the ball a couple of times…Santanio Holmes (3-61-1) had a nice game which included a wonderful 38-yard catch and run for a score…Hines Ward (2-57) was rather quiet but almost scored on a 49-yard pass where he just needed to make one Baltimore defender miss to hit paydirt…Heath Miller (2-8) was a disappointment…Rashard Mendenhall (10 touches, 36 yards) left the game with an injury…Willis McGahee (16 touches, 51 yards) looked pretty good until he left the field gingerly with what looked like a painful chest injury. He returned for a single carry, but didn’t play after that…Le’Ron McClain (19 touches, 89 yards, TD) took over and looked strong, especially on his 2-yard TD run. He should be picked up in all leagues; he’s clearly the RB2 in Baltimore, not Ray Rice…Joe Flacco (192 yards, TD) looked pretty sharp all night, connecting with Derrick Mason (8-137) numerous times…Neither Mark Clayton nor Todd Heap caught a pass. Heap has been a huge disappointment this season and I can only assume that he slept with Flacco’s girlfriend…Both defenses looked strong and should be owned in all leagues.

After winning 10 games in 2007, the Browns just can’t get it together this year. Cleveland dropped to 0-3 on the season after division rival Baltimore handed them a 28-10 loss on Sunday.

It was over when…
The Ravens, leading 28-10, went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Cleveland 29 in the fourth quarter to keep alive a drive that would drain the clock and prevent the Browns from attempting a comeback.

Game balls
The Ravens’ defensive backs broke the game open for the Ravens in the third quarter. First Chris McAlister intercepted Derek Anderson’s pass and ran the ball back to the 12 to set up the Ravens’ go-ahead TD; On the next Browns’ drive, speedy safety Ed Reed picked off Anderson and dashed 32 yards to the end zone.

Key stat
The Ravens held onto the ball nearly 15 minutes longer than the Browns. Half of Cleveland’s possessions lasted less than one minute while the Ravens had one 14-play drive last more than nine minutes.

Noteworthy
Baltimore Strong Safety Dawan Landry was injured late in the second quarter while making a tackle on Jamal Lewis. He was taken off the field on a stretcher and taken to a hospital. … The Browns have just two offensive TD in 33 possessions this season. Dating back to last season, the Browns have just five offensive TDs in their last six games (1-5 record). … The last time the Ravens were 2-0 was in 2006 when they started 4-0.

Is it time for the Brady Quinn era to start in Cleveland? He didn’t look good in preseason, but he has to be a better option than Derek Anderson (125 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs) at this point, right? I was a big supporter of Anderson and felt the Browns were wise to hang on to him in the offseason, but he’s been awful. And he hasn’t gotten much support from WR Braylon Edwards, either.

And what do we make of the Ravens? Is their defense that good or are the offenses they’ve faced (Cincinnati, Cleveland) just that bad? Next week they play Pittsburgh, but with Ben Roethlisberger banged up, the Steelers might not be a great test for Baltimore next week, either. Regardless, rookie QB Joe Flacco (129 yards, 2 INTs) is 2-0 as a starter and RB Willis McGahee (15 carries, 64 yards, 1 TD) looked good in his first action since having an offseason knee procedure.

- The Baltimore Sun is reporting that Ravens running back Willis McGahee will play in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns, but won’t start or be the feature back. The Ravens will likely go with a running back-by-committee approach with McGahee and rookie Ray Rice sharing carries.

- Rotoworld (via Chargers’ beat writer Kevin Acee on NFL Network) is reporting that Darren Sproles is likely to see more carries than LaDainian Tomlinson, who is batting a toe/foot injury. LT didn’t run last week against the Broncos, so it’s probably a wise move to limit his workload.

- The Cleveland Browns’ official website notes that receivers Braylon Edwards (shoulder) and Donte’ Stallworth (quads) are both listed as questionable this weekend against Baltimore. That certainly doesn’t bode well for a Browns’ offense that has struggled mightily in the team’s two losses this season.

- The Green Bay Packers official website is reporting that RB Ryan Grant has been upgraded to probable for the team’s Sunday night matchup with the Cowboys. Grant didn’t fare too well against a brutal Detroit front seven last week and he’ll need to step up to help take the pressure off of QB Aaron Rodgers.

- LaDainian Tomlinson said on Wednesday that he would “definitely” play this week, but Rotoworld refers to an Adam Schefter report that says that LT2 is in danger of missing the Denver game. The plan was for Tomlinson to start some work on Friday, so keep an eye on his status today. If he practices, he should be good to go. If he doesn’t, it might be time to get worried. Darren Sproles is listed as the top backup on the Chargers’ depth chart.

- Ryan Grant will be the dreaded game-time decision against the Lions on Sunday. He is still bothered by a sore hamstring and it’s starting to look like this is going to go on for a while. If he can’t go, Brandon Jackson would be in line for the most work in a great matchup, but he’s dealing with a concussion and has been limited in practice this week. Kregg Lumpkin (yep, that’s his real name) is listed as the third RB on the Packers’ depth chart.

- Willis McGahee has been limited in practice this week and it’s starting to look more and more that rookie Ray Rice will get the start in a nice matchup with the Houston Texans. Keep in mind that the game was backed up to Monday night (due to Hurricane Ike), which probably increases the chances that McGahee will be cleared to play, though I’m not optimistic.

Ravens beat reporter Jamison Hensley thinks that the Ravens are planning to start Ray Rice in Week 1.

McGahee could be a game-time decision because he has been slow to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery in training camp. The Ravens’ mind-set right now is that Rice will be starting. If McGahee is ready, that will be a bonus. Even if McGahee plays, Rice could split time with him because McGahee won’t be at full strength. So drafting Rice in the second round might have been a surprise, but it seems like the Ravens’ best move on draft day.

Whoever starts will have a pretty nice matchup against a Bengals team that allowed an average of 118 yards and 0.7 TD on the ground last season. I’d plan on Rice starting, but if McGahee is suddenly available, that will muddy the situation. Without McGahee, Rice is a solid RB2 option for Week 1.

This is an addendum to the Fantasy Football Preview published on Bullz-Eye.com.

The tough thing about publishing fantasy football rankings in early August is that the game is fluid and things are continually changing as injuries occur, depth charts are modified and camp battles won. In an effort to keep our readers on top of things, here are several players that are rising or falling as the training camps progress.

RISING

Chris Johnson, RB, Titans
Johnson says that he wants to be rookie of the year, so the kid has high aspirations. He’s slated right now to the “lightning” to LenDale White’s “thunder,” but White has never been one of Jeff Fisher’s favorites, so the team might just give Johnson as big of a role as he can handle. I doubt he takes over the job, but it sure looks like a RBBC is forming in Nashville.

Chris Perry, RB, Bengals
Perry has been having a strong preseason and, given Rudi Johnson’s lingering injury problems, he has been tentatively given the starting job. This could be a motivational tactic aimed towards Rudi, and Perry has had injury issues of his own throughout his career, but right now he looks like a nice gamble in the late-middle rounds.

Larry Johnson, RB, Chiefs
LJ has looked good thus far and seems to be back on track. The big question is if Brodie Croyle is capable of keeping opposing secondaries honest. With his foot looking like it’s completely healed, Johnson has become a solid pick in the early second round.

Phillip Rivers, QB, Chargers
Rivers reportedly looks terrific in camp and has improved his strength and reaction time. Now that Antonio Gates is back in action, Rivers has all of his weapons in place.

Ray Rice, RB, Ravens
Willis McGahee has a sore knee and his (lack of a) work ethic has him on the outs with the team. Rice has been a nice surprise in camp and could work his way into the starting role if the team decided to part ways with McGahee (or if he can’t go because of the knee). At the very least, he’s a must-handcuff for McGahee owners.

Wes Welker, WR, Patriots
That mysterious ailment that kept Welker out of practice turned out to be a groin injury. He says he’s 100%, so there’s no reason to think that he won’t be able to finish in the top 15 in PPR leagues. He’s a nice pick in the fourth round.

Ted Ginn, WR, Dolphins
Chad Pennington gives the team a bona fide NFL QB (though the team hasn’t given him the job yet), so look for Ginn and WR2 Derek Hagan to do a little better than we might have expected before the trade. Ginn is a second-year WR with a lot of talent, so he’s a breakout candidate and is an interesting pick once the rounds hit double digits.

Ricky Williams, RB, Dolphins
Williams has looked so good thus far that there were actually rumors that the team was thinking about moving the oft-injured Ronnie Brown before the season. The coaching staff has squashed that rumor, but it does look like Williams has earned a bigger than average role for a backup RB, and should be one of the first backups selected on draft day. He might even begin the season as a starter.

Michael Turner, RB, Falcons
“The Burner” has looked great in the preseason and some folks are thinking that maybe the Falcons’ running game won’t be that bad. The fact that Atlanta is likely to be playing from behind a majority of the time is still a concern, but Turner looks like he’s ready for prime time. I’d be happy to take him in the fourth round.

Nate Burleson, WR, Seahawks
Somebody has to catch passes in Seattle, and right now Burleson is the best the Seahawks have. He’s been a fantasy tease for a few years now, but he’s an interesting pick in the late-middle rounds.

Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers
Stewart appears to be healthy and will get an opportunity to run with the first team in the Panthers’ next preseason game. The team is clearly down on DeAngelo Williams, so if Stewart can get his power game going, he may be the main back early in the season.

Antonio Gates, TE, Chargers
Gates has finally been cleared to return to practice, so he should be good to go for week 1. This news solidifies his standing in that top tier of TEs along with Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez and Kellen Winslow.

Steve Slaton, RB, Texans
The feature back job in Houston is up for grabs, and Slaton has been the most impressive thus far in camp. Ahman Green is hurt and Chris Brown will probably assume the #1 role until he gets injured. Slaton is probably too small for full time duty in the NFL, but he could turn into a decent spot starter, which isn’t bad for a guy available late in fantasy drafts.

FALLING

Bobby Engram, WR, Seahawks
Engram has a shoulder injury that is going to keep him out until at least week 5. He has gone from a savvy pick in the 8th round, to a savvy pick in the 11th or 12th. Remember, he’s 35, so there’s no guarantee that he is going to heal quickly.

Peyton Manning, QB, Colts
Manning still is sidelined with a knee injury and the team is saying that they hope to have him back for the season opener. I wouldn’t get too worried about Peyton, but I wouldn’t take him in the second round either. Tony Romo and Drew Brees are safer bets right now at QB.

Rudi Johnson, RB, Bengals
Johnson has been battling a sore hamstring. As a result, he has lost his starting job and has gone from an interesting mid-round pick to a late round flier.

Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seahawks
He lost Bobby Engram to injury and now he has a sore back. Hass is still worth a pick in the 8th or 9th, but I’d much rather have Jay Cutler or Donovan McNabb.

Ronnie Brown, RB, Dolphins
Brown is recovering from knee surgery and now has an injured thumb. To make matters worse, Ricky Williams is looking good, so it seems like Brown could open the season as a backup. That makes his fourth-round ADP look ridiculous.

Willis McGahee, RB, Ravens
Head coach John Harbaugh says that McGahee is the starter when he’s ready to go, but the rumblings from Baltimore paint a bleaker picture. They say that McGahee’s poor work ethic has him in the doghouse and Ray Rice keeps vying for the starting job. I’d still grab McGahee in the fourth, but only after guys like Brandon Jacobs, Earnest Graham and Thomas Jones are off the board.

Chad Johnson, WR, Bengals
It’s all about the dislocated shoulder. The team says he’ll be fine, but they also indicated that the injury was a big part of the decision to re-sign Chris Henry. Johnson should be okay, but I don’t think I’d draft him before Plaxico Burress, Wes Welker or Anquan Boldin until we know he’s good to go.

Kevin Curtis, WR, Eagles
Curtis is going to miss about half the season with a sports hernia injury. Obviously, his stock should take a huge hit, and he isn’t worth anything but a late-round flier with the thinking that he might be back to help during the late-season push.

Ahman Green, RB, Texans
I thought this was a horrible contract when the Texans first signed Green and now it looks even worse. Green is hurt again and he might just get cut if he can’t get it together. Stay away, stay far away.

According to the Carroll County Times, Baltimore Ravens’ running back Willis McGahee will undergo arthroscopic surgery to his left knee as soon as Monday.

McGahee’s knee has been bothering him since shortly after reporting to training camp in Westminster, and he hasn’t been practicing lately. This is regarded as a clean-up medical procedure.

Because it generally takes two weeks to a month to recover from a knee scope, McGahee could possibly return for the Sept. 7 season-opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Yet another hit to the Ravens offense. McGahee was incredibly productive last year (his first year in Baltimore) and was expected to have a huge role in the offense again this season. Given the uncertainly at quarterback (who’s the starter, Kyle Boller or Troy Smith?) and the retirement of Pro Bowl left tackle Jonathan Ogden, the Ravens offense faces a ton of questions.

Even if McGahee plays in the opener, he likely won’t be 100%. He might not even be 100% until the midway point in the season, that is, if he doesn’t suffer any setbacks when he does return.

On the flip side, I’m intrigued at Ray Rice’s potential. Scouts and pundits deemed him too small to play in the NFL, but the former Rutger’s product his a hard-nosed runner and he’s blessed with terrific speed. He won’t be able to take on a full rushing load, but maybe Rice will emerge as a quality compliment to McGahee throughout the season.

JP’s Fantasy Spin: A scope is no big deal, so McGahee should be back for the start of the season, but be sure to draft Ray Rice as a handcuff.