Mapping out your college football weekend

Work is hard, and fall football is here to comfort you. This handy-dandy guide will not only keep you entertained tomorrow, it'll also prevent you from having to run any errands or move off the couch in general.

(14) Texas A&M at (18) Arkansas, 12pm -- You're not easing into Week 5 with a creampuff matchup between Oklahoma and Southwest Texas Christian College for Midgets. Nope. You're getting thrown right into the thick of things, with a matchup between two high-octane offenses that score plenty of touchdowns. It's an all-out air raid, and you're front and center for this soon-to-be SEC duel.

Auburn at (10) South Carolina, 3:30pm -- Once that epic tug of war ends, you'll probably need a beer to unwind. And maybe some southern hospitality. Enter South Carolina, home of the Ol' Ball Coach Steve Spurrier and his Gamecocks. They play host to a 3-1 Auburn team that lost everyone but the ballboys from last season. Somehow, they've managed to win two games by one possession.

(13) Clemson at (11) Virginia Tech, 6pm -- Sticking around the Palmetto State, who'd have thought this would be a must-watch matchup a month ago? But here we are. Clemson's defense should give new Virginia Tech starting quarterback Logan Thomas more trouble than, say, Arkansas State did. But Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd has been undoubtedly the best quarterback in the ACC this year. Can he get it done in front of a drunk Blacksburg crowd?

(8) Nebraska at (7) Wisconsin, 8pm -- This looks like a battle for the Big Ten title, doesn't it? Both teams feature intriguing quarterbacks, stellar running games and stingy defenses. The Wisconsin defense is stingier than a hungry badger with a pile of grubs. That's a stretch. Let's forget I ever wrote that. This game should be fun to watch.

UCLA at (6) Stanford, 10:30pm -- Make no mistake, this game's not going to be great. But that's why it's stuck in the 10:30 slot. It is, however, a great opportunity to scout out the consensus No. 1 draft pick next year in Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. He's got it all. The cannon for an arm, the pinpoint accuracy... and soon, he'll have $50 million in his bank account. What's not to love?

Baseball was exciting last night

I sometimes get asked why Benched Press doesn't devote more coverage to baseball.

Perhaps it's the fact that my team (the Orioles) hasn't been relevant since I was 12, or maybe it's because I find the two seconds of action followed by 20 seconds of standing around about as exciting as a trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

But I'm not paying you to be my therapist. And last night's MLB action was interesting (to me!) for the first time in a long time.

If you hadn't been paying attention -- and if you root for the Nationals or the Orioles, that's totally acceptable -- there was one game remaining in the regular season, and a two-way tie in both the American League and National League Wildcard races.

At 90-71, the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays were both playing for their lives (figuratively) in what amounted to a one-game playoff to determine who would snag the AL Wildcard. The BoSox got a considerably easier matchup, playing at the Orioles (womp womp) while the Rays hosted the first-place Yankees.

Things looked gloomy for Tampa Bay, which trailed 7-0 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning. A furious rally, including a three-run shot from All-Star Evan Longoria closed the deficit to 7-6, and a Dan Johnson solo shot in the bottom of the ninth sent the game into extra innings.

The Rays ended up winning it in 12 innings after Longoria hit his second homer of the night, and the attention turned to Boston. A Red Sox win would force a one-game playoff between the Rays and Sox.

And wouldn't you know it, the Red Sox were leading 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth when the Orioles uncharacteristically won a come-from-behind-type game, after Nolan Reimold hit an RBI ground rule double and Robert Andino hit an RBI single to win 4-3. Sorry Boston, enjoy the playoffs from the comfort of your own home.

In the National League race, the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals stood at 89-72 each, while Atlanta traveled to first-place Philly and the Cardinals traveled to woeful Houston.

Atlanta squandered a late lead by allowing Phillies second baseman Chase Utley to hit a game-tying sacrifice fly. The game went into extra innings, where Philadelphia's Hunter Pence hit an RBI single in the top of the 13th to send the Braves home losers.

Meanwhile, St. Louis had no problem getting past the 106-loss Astros, winning 8-0 as ace pitcher Chris Carpenter threw a complete game shutout with 11 strikeouts.

So no one-game playoffs in either race, but man, what a night for baseball.

Toledo gets screwed by officiating

We're just four weeks into the season, but it's been a tough year for the Toledo football team already.

Two weeks after losing a late lead at No. 15 Ohio State, the Rockets made headlines again, this time for a controversial blown call.

Syracuse kicker Ross Krautman booted an extra point just left of the uprights late in the fourth quarter. Officials reviewed the play and still got it wrong. Clearly, the picture to the left shows the ball in front of the goal post before swinging left.

The extra point gave Syracuse a 30-27 lead with just over two minutes left in the game. Toledo marched down the field for a game-tying field goal with three seconds left in regulation before losing by a field goal in overtime.

According to the Associate Press, Toledo still hasn't gotten over the bitter loss, which knocked them down to 1-3 on the season.

"Toledo athletic director Mike O'Brien asked the Mid-American Conference to call for the Big East Conference to give Toledo the victory after a Big East official admitted that replay officials made a mistake in the Orange's 33-30 victory Saturday," the AP reported.

Even Big East coordinator of officials Terry McAuley admitted they got it wrong. But because play went on and the game didn't end on it, there's nothing the Big East or the NCAA can do about it now.

"By rule, once the game is declared over, the score is final and there is no recourse to reverse an outcome," said Mid-Atlantic Conference commissioner Jon Steinbrecher.

Redskins suffer heartbreaking loss in Dallas

Last night's 18-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys was a storyline Redskins fans have seen repeated far too often.

Washington, which trailed for just 2 minutes, 25 seconds until the game's final two minutes, saw a seven-point lead not only evaporate but turn into a two-point deficit late in the game.

A game that would have been huge for the Redskins' quest for the postseason. And a blown lead that Washington fans have seen happen again and again.

So a failed attempt at a two-minute drill sent the Redskins home with their first loss of the season.

It's almost silly to complain about a Week 3 loss at Dallas, which many fans had penciled in before the season even started. But, simply put, Washington has to win the games that are competitive late into the fourth quarter. Especially the ones against NFC East opponents.

Sure, it's early in the season. But the point is that Washington isn't going to be handed a lot of opportunities to win games against quality teams. It makes it even harder for the undertalented, overachieving Redskins to make the playoffs when you lose games like that.

And it's damn near impossible to win big games against good offenses by only scoring 16 points. Especially if your quarterback commits two huge turnovers.

So, Redskins fans, after another mediocre offensive output, are you frustrated with starting quarterback Rex Grossman? Is it time to see what backup quarterback John Beck has in his arsenal? Or is it an overreaction? After all, Grossman has averaged 282 pass yards per game, and has played better than his career quarterback rating by a good margin.

But Beck is the unknown. And after a win turned into a gutwrenching loss, some fans would rather roll the dice with beck.

Ravens enjoy T. Smith's breakout

Ever since the NFL preseason, Ravens fans had been hemming and hawing about how rookie wide receiver Torrey Smith was drafted too high.

It was a fair critique, albeit premature. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Smith was drafted 58th overall to be the team's deep threat after a productive three seasons as a Maryland Terrapin.

Through the preseason and two regular season games, Smith had struggled more than fellow Raven rookie (and fourth-rounder) Tandon Doss. Despite his 4.41 speed in the 40-yard dash, Smith appeared to be in his own head, overthinking the playbook and not allowing the game to come to him.

Drawing early comparisons to fellow former-Terp-turned-NFL receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who hasn't lived up to anywhere near his potential entering his third season.

One person I spoke to joked that Smith was "owned in 0% of fantasy football leagues, including his Torrey Smith Family-only fantasy league." And as funny as that is, it's probably not far off from the truth. As of Sunday, Smith was owned by 5% of fantasy teams on Yahoo.

Well, I'm pretty sure those criticisms are behind him after Sunday's breakout game against the St. Louis Rams in a 37-7 win.

Smith and quarterback Joe Flacco hooked up for three touchdowns in the first quarter, from distances of 74, 41 and 18 yards out. He finished the game with five catches for 152 yards and three scores, the first NFL player to tally three touchdowns on his first three career receptions since 1991.

Though he ended up a little dinged up from all that action, he's certainly gaining the trust of Flacco and head coach John Harbaugh, which could go a long way in making Smith a reliable member of the Ravens' receiving corps.

Check out Smith's highlights from Week 3 here.

Temple should give Terps a test

If Maryland fans were expecting a blowout score in this weekend's game against Temple, think again.

Sorry folks, the yardwork will have to wait until after the game.

The Terps (1-1) have had a bear of a start to the season, including an emotional primetime win over Miami (FL) and a tough loss to West Virginia in a comeback that fell just short.

But to overlook Temple and pencil in a win right away would be foolish.

The Owls (2-1) should have beaten Penn State last weekend, but lost 14-10 on a late touchdown.

Now consider for a moment that Las Vegas sportsbooks would have Penn State a 2.5-point favorite (give or take) over Maryland on a neutral field (according to Jeff Sagarin's numbers).

The Owls held Penn State to just 2.6 yards per carry on 36 attempts, a stingier number than Alabama's defense was able to do the week before.

Temple returns eight starters on offense and five on defense. First-year head coach Steve Addazio inherited a program that reached a bowl game in 2009 for the first time in 30 years.

And considering Maryland's defense has allowed 424 yards per game under first-year defensive coordinator Todd Bradford's schemes, the Terps' defense will have to be on-point against a seasoned Temple offense.

The saving grace for Maryland may be that its offense is better than Penn State's, and has put up 31.5 points per game against Miami and West Virginia. Temple may not be able to slow down the Terps' offense.

Though Vegas expects Maryland to win this game by nine or 10 points, the Terps' emotional reserves may be tapped out. Don't count out the Owls this Saturday.

Dolphins fan steals jersey, wears jersey to court

Nelson Walker won't be appearing on Jeopardy or receiving his MENSA invitation any time soon.

The 40-year old and his friend, 49-year old James Hanna, were arrested last week inside Sun Life Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, for trying to steal two jerseys and a hat from the team store by way of stuffing them down their pants.

If that wasn't dumb enough, both men showed up to their court dates wearing a Dolphins jersey.

"Bess? Is he new this year?" judge Diane Ward asked.

"This ain't the one, your honor," Walker explained.

Walker has 29 prior arrests on his record, according to NBC Miami. Perhaps a job at Foot Locker would make more sense. Hanna, who claimed he suffers from schizophrenia, "accepted an offer to go to the hospital instead of jail."

Walker and his friend were banned from the stadium.

KC Chiefs suffer third blow

Kansas City Chiefs fans had good reason to be optimistic heading into the 2011 season.

The Chiefs turned a 4-12 campaign in 2009 into a 10-6 record in 2010, securing a winning record and a playoff appearance for the first time in four years.

Rookie safety Eric Berry made an instant impression on the league, earning a Pro Bowl nod -- the first time a Chiefs rookie received the honor since Derrick Thomas did it back in 1989.

Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe reeled in an NFL-best 15 touchdown receptions to go along with 72 catches for 1,162 yards.

Yep, things were looking up.

But through two regular season games in 2011, the Chiefs have lost 41-7 to a Buffalo Bills team that was 4-12 last year, and 48-3 to a Detroit Lions team that was 6-10 in 2010.

The offense is struggling greatly. Bowe's numbers after two games are a paltry seven catches for 118 yards and no visits to the end zone.

The Chiefs rank dead last in scoring offense (5.0 per game) and scoring defense (44.5 per game) by a significant margin in both categories.

And they've lost way more than that.

In the final preseason game of the season, tight end Tony Moeaki went down with a season-ending ACL injury. He was the team's second-leading receiver last year.

In the season opener, Berry landed on the injured reserve with the same injury.

And in the spirit of "everything bad happens in threes," last weekend, Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles went down with the same injury, too.

That's three starters -- and arguably three of the team's best handful of players -- down with the same injury in three consecutive weeks. It's not Halloween yet, but that's downright spooky.

If you're a star for the Chiefs, it's probably time to fake an injury or call in sick. Stay in bed all day. Whatever you do, don't put on a pair of cleats. See if the NFL will let you play in flip flops.

Is it too early for Kansas City fans to start looking forward to the 2012 season?

What we really know about the Redskins

It's been a good start to the 2011 NFL season for the Washington Redskins. After two weeks, they lead the NFC East for the first time since 2005. There's a ton left to play, and while I wasn't drinking the Kool-Aid at the end of the preseason, it's hard not to be more optimistic now than I was then.

A couple weeks ago, I wrote five questions facing the Redskins this season. Just two weeks in, not all those questions have been answered. But some have, and we know more now than we did a few weeks ago. Let's get to it.

WHAT WE KNOW

1) The Redskins can beat bad teams. Wins over a beat-up Giants team and the Cardinals shouldn't have fans in the D.C. area lining up to buy Super Bowl tickets just yet. Winning games in the NFL is difficult enough, and it's important to come out on top when you can. Games against Carolina, Buffalo, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami and Minnesota are ones that the Redskins will need to win to become a playoff contender.

2) Fred Davis is a playmaker. Often grouped with wide receivers Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly as second-round draft busts in 2008, Davis is the only one of the trio still on the roster. And through two weeks, he's leading the team in receptions.

Not only that, but he's on pace for an Antonio Gates-like season. His "breakout" season in 2009 included 50 catches for 500 yards and six touchdowns. But through two games in 2011, he's on pace for nearly 90 receptions, 1,500 yards and eight touchdowns. Even if those numbers don't quite keep up, being a solid contributor for the rest of the season is critical.

3) The running game is reliable. The three-headed committee has seen none of Ryan Torain so far, and that's been A-OK. Tim Hightower and Roy Helu have combined for 244 yards and a touchdown on 56 carries. That's enough to put the Redskins in the top one-third of the league right now.

WHAT WE DON'T KNOW YET

1) Will Rex start all year? As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, Grossman is the starter... for now. And though he's had a satisfactory pair of games so far, he threw a pair of costly interceptions against Arizona, and Washington stalled on drives a few times. In all honesty, the Redskins should have beaten the Cardinals by double digits, not by the razor-thin one-point margin they did.

Grossman will be looking over his shoulder all season, as head coach Mike Shanahan has said more than once that he's got a man crush on backup John Beck. If Grossman (or the Redskins) struggles, it wouldn't be surprising to see the two split snaps in the near future.

2) Can the Redskins beat good teams? In the same vein of "we know they can beat bad teams," Washington hasn't had the chance to play a good (and/or healthy) team yet. That test comes this week when Washington travels to Dallas for Monday Night Football. After that, it's a road game against St. Louis and a home game against Philly facing the Redskins. A 2-0 start could easily slip away to a 2-3 record if Washington can't take the heat.

ACC to expand?

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you've probably seen me write about conference expansions. (If you're new, you can read them here, here and here.)

And while it's silly to spill a ton of ink on rumors, when there's smoke, there's usually fire.

The latest news is that Big East schools Pittsburgh and Syracuse have applied to join the ACC as soon as 2013. That would leave the conference with 14 teams, an awkward amount that would likely invite two or four more teams to inflate it into superconference territory.

The ACC will have a tough time convincing an SEC or Big Ten team to leave its conference, and will aim higher than a Conference USA or Atlantic 10 team. A Big 12 team like Texas has been rumored, but geographically it makes little sense.

That leaves the Big East open for picking. And considering there are only eight teams that are in the conference for basketball and football, those are the likeliest candidates.

As you can see from the map, South Florida, West Virginia, Rutgers and Connecticut make the most sense geographically after Pittsburgh and Syracuse. None of those schools extend the ACC's already-large boundaries, and all are reasonably competitive.

But in a conference already lacking recent historical tradition in football, adding Syracuse, South Florida, Rutgers and Connecticut would further water down the ACC. The ACC is clearly not lacking in basketball powers with Duke, North Carolina and Maryland winning National Championships in the last decade, and adding Syracuse and Pittsburgh would bolster that.

What the ACC could use is some more ethos in football. Virginia Tech, Florida State and Miami are carrying the 12-team conference with the pigskin. And none of the proposed six teams would improve that at all.

As of right now, though, this is all hearsay. Take everything with a grain of salt.

HS team kicks 3 onside kicks in a row

Pulaski Academy head football coach Kevin Kelley has been called high school football's Bill Belichick.

The Little Rock, Arkansas, coach has been profiled in Sports Illustrated a number of times, ESPN, Yahoo Sports and a number of other outlets for his outside the box thinking.

And a week ago, he was up to his old trick again.

In front of 8,000 fans, Pulaski led Cabot High 29-0 before Cabot even touched the ball.

As Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim describes it, "Pulaski scored on its first drive. Naturally, the Bruins then attempted an onside kick, which they recovered. Soon, they scored another touchdown. They repeated the drill -- onside kick, recovery, touchdown -- again. And then again. With 8:35 left in the 12-minute first quarter, Cabot trailed Pulaski 29-0 and had yet to run a play from scrimmage."

In the end, Kelley's Bruins won the game 64-34, a 30-point victory after taking a 29-point lead in the first quarter.

His squad put up video game-like numbers, as senior quarterback Fredi Knighten threw for 456 yards on 24-for-28 passing. He added six touchdowns, 100 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns in the win.

The repeated onside kicks is a strategy Kelley has employed for years. In a feature story on the head coach, Wertheim explained the theory behind it. "According to Kelley's figures, after a kickoff the receiving team, on average, takes over at its own 33-yard line. After a failed onside kick the team assumes possession at its 48.

"Through the years Pulaski has recovered about a quarter of its onside kicks. 'So you're giving up 15 yards for a one-in-four chance to get the ball back,' says Kelley. 'I'll take that every time!' Why not attempt to return punts? 'Especially in high school, where the punts don't go so far,' he says, 'it's not worth the risk of fumbling or a penalty.'"

It would be a blast to watch a guy that creative constructing plays at the high school level. You have to wonder if all the publicity will eventually land him a job as an offensive coordinator at a Division III program in the next few years.

61-year old kicker nails PAT

College athletes are known for giving some yawn-inspiring interviews. Quotes like "I gave it 110%," "It was a team effort" and others pop up over and over.

Unless you're a 61-year old college athlete, like Faulkner University placekicker Alan Moore.

Moore, a Vietnam veteran, returned to school and made national headlines when he tried out -- and made -- the Faulkner football team.

It's not a publicity stunt, either. According to CBS News, "Moore lives in the dorms, eats in the cafeteria and attends class."

And although the story was picked up by several media outlets, Moore wasn't expected to make much of a difference for the Eagles. But in the first game of the season, Moore made his debut in a 41-19 win over Ave Maria University.

After starting kicker Thomas Price missed a couple extra points, head coach Gregg Baker sent Moore in for an extra point in the second quarter. He nailed it, and became the NCAA's oldest football player ever.

SportsRadioInterviews.com transcribed Moore's interview with Tampa's WDAE, where he had some interesting takes on what it's like to be a college kid.

On social media, Moore said "I have Twitter and Facebook, but I don't really know how to use it."

When asked what practice was like, he said, "Have you all watched what kickers do at practice?"

Moore admits he doesn't lift weights. And as for the longest field goal he's attempted? "In practice? Look, I don't try to kick anything other than about 35 yards out. … It's kind of like you have an old car and, back in 1968, it would do 120. But now it'll only do 55 because you don't want to blow the engine."

Terps to name court after G. Williams

Four short months after his abrupt retirement, former Maryland men's basketball head coach Gary Williams is having the court at the Comcast Center named after him.

It's a move that should surprise no one -- despite happening so quickly. Williams' 668 wins ranked fifth-best among active head coaches at the time of his retirement, and his accomplishments were impressive, particularly after inheriting a team facing harsh NCAA sanctions.

"I'm honored and humbled to receive this recognition. It's important to remember that the success we achieved at Maryland was a team effort and all the coaches, student-athletes and staff who were here are a big part of this," Williams said in a statement.

The two-time ACC Coach of the Year took the Terps to a pair of Final Fours and one National Championship in his 22 years at Maryland. His 192 ACC wins rank third all-time behind North Carolina's Dean Smith and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski.

His coaching tree includes Texas' Rick Barnes, Temple's Fran Dunphy, Loyola (Md.)'s Jimmy Patsos, George Washington's Mike Lonergan, The Citadel's Chuck Driesell and several other assistants.

"Gary has been a faithful alumnus, a highly successful and iconic figure in men's college basketball across the nation, a fierce competitor, and a tireless fundraiser on behalf of student scholarships. ... I can think of no better way to recognize his success and his contributions to the University of Maryland than by naming the floor of the basketball court in Comcast Center in his honor," said school president Wallace Loh.

Though Williams will be honored on December 9, the first game held on Gary Williams Court will be a December 14 showdown against the Isiah Thomas-coached Florida International Panthers.

Digesting Redskins' 28-14 win over NYG

When most of the Redskins' offseason hinged on whether the team would trot out Rex Grossman or John Beck at quarterback, it was difficult to be optimistic about Washington's chances of a successful 2011 season.

But the Redskins enjoyed a promising preseason, including the emergence of running back Tim Hightower, who averaged 6.8 yards per carry and found the end zone twice.

But it seems things fell into place, at least for a week, in Washington's convincing 28-14 win over archrival New York on Sunday.

And as Grossman got the opening-day nod, it was hard not to think the Redskins spent less than $2 million this season on both quarterbacks, while Giants quarterback Eli Manning rakes in $8.5 million this year despite putting up a significantly worse performance.

Manning was kept out of the end zone through the air, was sacked four times and ended up with a 70.8 quarterback rating. Meanwhile, Washington enjoyed terrific professional debuts from first-rounder Ryan Kerrigan (pictured, with five tackles, one pass defended, one interception returned for touchdown) and nose tackle Chris Neild (four tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble).

Those two helped contain a formidable Giants running game to just 73 yards on the ground.

And on offense, Grossman connected with six receivers, including a career day for tight end Fred Davis, who finished with five catches for 105 yards.

It wasn't all rosy, though. The Redskins couldn't get their running game going, as Hightower was held to 72 yards on 25 carries, including only eight rushes for five-plus yards. Kicker Graham Gano missed an easy 39-yard field goal, reminding fans of last year's woeful special teams performance. And the secondary wasn't the same without safety LaRon Landry, as the Redskins were forced to use Reed Doughty, whose 11 tackles are more worrisome than anything else.

All in all, a successful first week, with the opportunity to improve to 2-0 with next week's home opener against Arizona.

Ravens shellack Steelers 35-7

Coming into Sunday, the previous five games in the Ravens/Steelers rivalry had been decided by 19 total points, a little under 3.4 points per game.

After yesterday's 35-7 thumping of their archrivals, you can throw that number out the window, Ravens fans.

Just about everything went right for Baltimore, which forced as many turnovers (seven) as points allowed. In 92 seconds, the Ravens led 7-0, a lead they never relinquished.

It certainly gave quarterback Joe Flacco a bit more pep in his step. And perhaps more importantly, it gave the Ravens a one-game lead over Pittsburgh in the race for the AFC North title.

"It's one win, although it's a big one against our divisional rival. We're going to see them again in eight weeks. We got to keep stepping on the gas," said linebacker Jarret Johnson.

In fact, the only thing that went wrong was rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith, who suffered an ankle sprain and was seen walking around on crutches. Smith hurt his ankle on the opening kickoff and didn't return.

According to the Baltimore Sun's Jamison Hensley, the Steelers sported streaks of eight straight wins in season openers and seven straight wins against Baltimore when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger started. But, as Hensley pointed out, "both streaks ended in hideous fashion."

In all, Roethlisberger was chewed up and spit out to the tune of three interceptions and two fumbles, en route to Baltimore's biggest-ever margin of victory over the Steelers in the 34-gamer rivalry. He was sacked four times, including three times by Terrell Suggs, who became the team's all-time sack leader.

Ravens fans couldn't have asked for a better way to start the season.

Baltimore Ravens: five questions

As promised yesterday, here are the five burning questions facing the Baltimore Ravens heading into their season opener against Pittsburgh this weekend.

1) Will quarterback Joe Flacco get over the hump versus Pittsburgh? The fourth-year veteran is just 2-6 all-time against archrival Pittsburgh, and if you ask certain fans, they'd prefer a 2-14 season with a pair of wins over the Steelers. Flacco needs to get a win or two against Pittsburgh under his belt this year. An 0-2 showing could start to unravel him.

2) Will Anquan Boldin have a more prominent role in his second year with Flacco? Boldin led the Ravens in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns last year, but it was the first year in six seasons he didn't catch at least 70 passes. And while the Ravens have a solid run game, it's silly not to target Boldin more. Expect bigger numbers across the board in Boldin's second year in Charm City.

3) Will Sergio Kindle contribute? Ravens fans were excited about Kindle's prospects when Baltimore drafted him in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. But a fractured skull in the offseason kept Kindle (pictured) out all year, making 2011 his first opportunity for snaps. He's penciled in at backup outside linebacker behind Jarret Johnson, but it's clear the Ravens would like to groom him as an eventual starter.

4) What linebacker will eventually fill Ray Lewis' spot? Hintity hint hint: nobody on the current roster. Lewis, as much as Ravens fans hate to admit it, probably has one -- maybe two -- serviceable seasons left in him. And it would make sense to bring in a young buck for Lewis to groom while he's still around the clubhouse. Look for Baltimore to draft an inside linebacker early in next year's draft.

5) How will the Ravens' new offensive linemen perform? Recent signings of former Pro Bowlers Andre Gurode and Bryant McKinnie were exciting, but the 30-somethings haven't had much time to get acclimated to Baltimore's playbook. Can Ravens fans expect a ton out of them from the get-go? Probably not. But as the season wears on, the once-thin Baltimore line should fare much better.

Washington Redskins: five questions

Pro football's regular season is right around the corner. Man, it feels good to say that. Today, we're highlighting the five burning questions facing the Washington Redskins this season. Fear not, Ravens fans, your post is coming tomorrow.

1) Will Trent Williams become a Pro Bowl-caliber offensive tackle? The fourth overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Williams came in with lofty expectations. And though he struggled against elite defenses in his rookie season, his sophomore year could -- and should -- see an improvement. The Redskins need Williams to take the leap from good to great this year, especially in providing protection for whoever is starting at quarterback. Which brings us to...

2) Will head coach Mike Shanahan stick with starter Rex Grossman over backup John Beck? Shanahan sung Beck's praises through the offseason, saying the 30-year old passer with one career touchdown was his favorite quarterback prospect in the 2007 NFL Draft. But Shanahan had some change of heart, because he made Grossman the starter. Neither guy is particularly good, but will Shanahan stick with Rex all year?

3) Who will lead the Redskins in rushing this year? Due to a poorly timed injury, it seems last year's incumbent, Ryan Torain, has been unseated. Shanahan's zone blocking scheme has always been good for producing 1,000-yard rushers out of neighborhood pool boys, but between Torain, Tim Hightower (pictured) and rookie Roy Helu, the committee looks muddy right now. Hightower is penciled in at starter but is hardly irreplaceable.

4) Will the new faces on defense contribute right away? Let's see... Barry Cofield, Stephen Bowen, Ryan Kerrigan, OJ Atogwe and Josh Wilson are all new starters for the Redskins' defense. That's a lot, but in a lockout season with little time to practice and learn playbooks, Washington may look lost out there, at least for the first half of the season.

5) Will Washington get stampeded in the NFC East? It seems to be the question on everyone's mind. The Redskins are 55-to-1 to win the NFC in Vegas, and 24-to-1 to come out on top in the NFC East. It seems unlikely that Washington could piece together an eight-win season, much less a playoff-caliber year, but the lockout wasn't cruel to only the Redskins. The lockout could actually level the playing field to some extent for the worst teams in the league.

Rick Reilly coming to a carpet near you

Less than two weeks ago, overpaid ESPN columnist Rick Reilly wrote a check his body can't cash.

So confident that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning couldn't possibly miss their Week 1 game on Sunday, Reilly told readers who disagreed that they must have been chugging paint thinner.

Then, it happened.

"If Manning doesn't start Game 1, I will come to your house and eat things that are stuck in your carpet."

So Reilly may or may not have crapped himself when he read his own employer's story that Manning wasn't practicing and was downgraded to 'doubtful' for Week 1.

"If Manning sits, it would be the first time the NFL's active iron man missed a meaningful game after 227 consecutive starts including the playoffs," ESPN reported.

Oops.

If you're anything like me, and you're cursing drafting Manning onto your fantasy team, take some comfort in a free carpet cleaning a la Reilly.

Me? I'll be making sure to let the neighborhood stray dogs drag their asses across my carpet.

Terps top Miami in Monday thriller

While it was a thrilling opening weekend in college football, a (biased) viewer could argue Maryland's 32-24 win over Miami last night was one of the best games of the weekend.

In the battle of new coaches -- Maryland (Randy Edsall) got the best of Miami (Al Golden) in a game that came right down to the wire.

Trailing 24-23 with 4 minutes, 4 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, quarterback Danny O'Brien completed a 52-yard pass to wide receiver Kevin Dorsey, which set up kicker Nick Ferrara's 32-yard field goal to put the Terps ahead for good. It was the game's sixth lead change.

In all, O'Brien completed 71% of his passes, tallied 348 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the season opener. And he may have found Torrey Smith's replacement in Dorsey, who finished the game with eight catches for 124 yards.

Not bad for a kid who came in with 18 career receptions.

In addition to generating a ton of buzz from its new Under Armour uniforms -- including an unbelievable Maryland state flag helmet -- it was a fantastic coming out party for Edsall.

The Terps were efficient, allowing just one sack, four penalties, one turnover, punting once and outgaining the Hurricanes 499 yards to 368.

It was a huge win for Maryland, which has 12 days off until the West Virginia game. That's potentially more important than the Miami game, and could be the momentum difference between a 6-0 start and a 3-3 start.

Dimitrov, Monfils have awkward post-match

Handshakes, hugs and high-fives are all standard parts of sports celebration, even in a sport as international as tennis.

But after Monday's opening round of the 2011 U.S. Open, things got weird when Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov went a little too far outside the box after his loss to France's Gael Monfils: he leaned in for a kiss.

For international athletes, kissing on the cheek is standard fare. Sure, it's weird in the States, but when you pair a couple of European tennis players, a kiss on the cheek is probably the most likely outcome.

Maybe Dimitrov got confused by Monfils' luscious locks of hair. Maybe he was overcome with emotion. Either way, he grabbed Monfils by the hips and almost kissed him right on the mouth.

I don't know how they do things in Bulgaria, but that's super awkward on this continent. I guess we're lucky the Frenchman didn't lead with his tongue. For that kind of action, Dimitrov better be giving Monfils a call the next morning.

Check out the awkward exchange below.

Arian Foster's Twitter diagnosis

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster seems like a good guy.

Every day, he tweets inspirational thoughts and quotes to his 59,000 followers.

"If the universe is limitless, so are it's possibilities. Dream big," he wrote last month.

But after last year's breakout season, in which he ran for a league-leading 1,610 yards and a league-leading 16 touchdowns, he's also become a top five fantasy running back.

Now, people are resting their hopes of a fantasy football championship on his shoulders.

So when he lightheartedly tweeted a picture of an MRI of his hamstring yesterday, people tuned in.

"This is an MRI of my hamstring, The white stuff surrounding the muscle is known in the medical world as anti-awesomeness," he wrote.

That was good enough for ESPN's John Clayton to ask resident doctor Michael Kaplin what he thought. And the diagnosis wasn't promising:

Ouch. For fantasy owners, it's a huge blow. Most fantasy drafts have concluded, and people are no doubt scrambling to pick up backups Derrick Ward and Ben Tate.

Part of me thinks this is exactly why Twitter is a great invention. We get to put our feet in the shoes of celebrities and athletes, and are granted access to them that we would never otherwise have.

The other part of me ran to pick up Tate off the free agent list.