In Next Game, Ray Lewis to Walk on Water

Wow. What a difference a week can make. Heading into the regular season opener against the Buccaneers, not many people gave the Ravens much of a chance. After a 27-0 shellacking, however, people are are jumping on the bandwagon at such a prodigious rate that there's a better than even chance that Steve McNair gets injured in the process.

Sure, Baltimore looked virtually unstoppable; McNair was efficient -- something the Ravens haven't seen out of their quarterback since, well, ever -- Jamal Lewis ran like it was 2003, and the defense -- especially Ray-Ray Lewis -- conjured images of the 2000 team that won the Super Bowl despite Trent Dilfer.

In the days since the Tampa Bay drubbing, things have gotten a little out of control. Peter King, in his weekly Fine 15 rankings, had the Ravens first. The NFL followed suit by naming Ray Lewis the AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Yes, he did manage a sack, 10 tackles and two passes defended, but teammate Chris McAlister returned an interception for touchdown and the Steelers' Joey Porter recorded two sacks and a pick-for-six. Who knows, maybe Lewis threatened to have somebody killed if he didn't win the award. Whatever the case, Lewis's resurgence is the media story of the week as evidence by this Lewis Black (no, not that Lewis Black) column in the Lakeland, Florida Ledger:

... But the biggest reason is the return of Ray Lewis, who ... dominated a game that reminded people of his MVP season six years ago. The widespread assumption was that the middle linebacker from Lakeland had passed his peak at age 31. What made it so easy to dismiss Lewis was a separated shoulder, a broken thumb, and finally the torn hamstring that sidelined him for most of last season, when the Ravens went 6-10. He came into this season with a lot to prove, and he proved much of it Sunday.

"If they say I've lost a step, I ask them to watch the film and that'll take care of itself," he said.

There's no denying that Ray Lewis is a first ballot Hall of Famer, but let's not get carried a way. He dominated against a Bucs team that was missing two starting offensive linemen. That's all well and good, but can we at least wait for the Ravens to get through the cream puff part of their schedule before we anoint them Super Bowl champs? And anyway, isn't this somehow disrespecting Rodney Harrison?