Jessie Heller

Tough, high-motored, and hard hitting, Bernard Pollard has become an integral part of the vaunted Ravens defense.   The New England Patriots, who face the Ravens in Baltimore this Sunday, remember Pollard before he wore purple.In 2008, it was Pollard's hit that ended Tom Brady's season in week one, causing tears in the quarterback's ACL and MCL.  At the time, Pollard played for Kansas City.  The hard-nosed safety moved to the Houston Texans in 2009, where his pursuit of Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker caused the knee injury that sidelined Welker for the playoffs.   2010 was a quiet year for the Pollard-Patriot injury affair, but then in last year's AFC championship game, a big hit on tight end Rob Gronkowski caused him to leave the game briefly and left him limited in the Super Bowl.  Who had the hit on Gronkowski?  Who else?  Bernard Pollard. Pollard is aware that locally and nationally he's been dubbed “the Patriot-killer,” but he's quick to reject the nickname. “That's not me,” he told reporters earlier this week, “I don't laugh at anything like that because that's not my intention.  I am not a malicious player.” Pollard's play on the field backs up the assertion.

Old habits die hard. No shock, then, that throughout Baltimore can be heard the resounding cry: Run the ball! Cam Cameron critics, briefly silenced by a dominating offensive performance in week one, are back on their horses and calling for the offensive coordinator's head. They're right. But for the wrong reasons.

The problem with the Ravens game plan against the Eagles was not the run-pass ration. The problem was when they chose to run or pass.

Cameron's been long criticized for being pass happy, while consensus around the nation is that running back Ray Rice is the Ravens most dynamic player on the offense. The most convincing points in this argument are the 2011 games against Jacksonville and Seattle. The Ravens offense was anemic in both games, and Rice combined for only 13 carries over the two losses.

The issue with Cameron, though, is not as simple as the failure to utilize the run-- or, depending on how you look at it, it's actually simpler: Cameron just plain isn't a good offensive coordinator.

The Ravens welcome Monday Night Football to Baltimore in their season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. Preseason for the Ravens has raised as many questions as it has answered. On Monday night, the 2012 Baltimore Ravens will be revealed, and many expect to see a very different team than in years past. Who are the Baltimore Ravens?

1. How closely will the Ravens stick to the up tempo offense they showcased in the preseason?

The Ravens offense created a lot of buzz, running primarily a no-huddle style offense from the first snap of preseason game one. While the starters series were limited, the new approach seemed to come together well in their third preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In the first extended action for the ones, they dominated the Jaguars defense, and quarterback Joe Flacco finished with 266 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 102.3 The players themselves are hyped about the fast paced attack, none more so than Flacco.  The fifth year quarterback says he is having more fun than ever.

There was quite a bit of talk last season and during the off-season questioning the Ravens' defense and age. Countless blogs and articles brought up the question: Is the Ravens defense too old? The question mainly applies to the Ravens' two defensive mainstays, MIKE linebacker Ray Lewis and free safety Ed Reed. However heading out of preseason and into week one, a different question has arisen. Is the Ravens defense too inexperienced, even too young?

While the major concern for the Ravens is the pass rush, the line and secondary also will rely on players who are relatively young and have not been starters in the NFL. With the loss of Cory Redding in free agency, Arthur Jones, who is going into his third season and has recorded one start, will likely be a starting lineman. Pernell McPhee, didn't start in a game last year, his rookie year, and he will have to figure in on the line this year as well. Terrence Cody started all 16 games last year, but he certainly showed room for development.

There was quite a bit of talk last season and during the off-season questioning the Ravens' defense and age. Countless blogs and articles brought up the question: Is the Ravens defense too old? The question mainly applies to the Ravens' two defensive mainstays, MIKE linebacker Ray Lewis and free safety Ed Reed. However heading out of preseason and into week one, a different question has arisen. Is the Ravens defense too inexperienced, even too young?

While the major concern for the Ravens is the pass rush, the line and secondary also will rely on players who are relatively young and have not been starters in the NFL. With the loss of Cory Redding in free agency, Arthur Jones, who is going into his third season and has recorded one start, will likely be a starting lineman. Pernell McPhee, didn't start in a game last year, his rookie year, and he will have to figure in on the line this year as well. Terrence Cody started all 16 games last year, but he certainly showed room for development.