League moves make Balitmore's race more interesting

Week five’s shocking trades and anticipated returns have shifted the NFL power rankings one again. Where does this leave the Baltimore Ravens?
Sunday afternoon the Ravens were considered a top five team by many after defeating their arch rivals in last minute, dramatic fashion. However now that clutch quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has returned to the Steelers without a bit of rust, his team will be even better than were when Charlie Batch was at the helm. Had that game been played with Roethlisberger starting, the outcome would have been different.

The Patriots' shocking trade of wide receiver Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings not only reveals how insignificant they perceive him to be but gives the struggling (1-2) Vikings another weapon for Brett Favre to connect with. Even at 33, Moss is capable of posing a nightmare for opposing defenses. The problem in New England was his underwhelming performance only catching nine passes this season and making himself expendable in the process.

This is news is relevant to the Ravens because the New England Patriots are hosting the Ravens in two weeks without one of their big name threats defensive coordinators planned really hard to contain. Judging from how the secondary has been playing the Ravens can handle what the receivers New England has on their roster. Welker is the biggest receiving threat with 21 catches and three touchdowns this season, the next being rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez with a team high 240 receiving yards.

Although Ray Lewis' coverage vulnerabilities have been exposed, he and the rest of the defense won't allow big plays down the middle. I will get more into this next week after the Baltimore Raven play the Broncos. One week at time people, were taking it one week at a time!

It's obvious that the Ravens' offense is still growing into its own monster. Talented and experienced players like Anquan Boldin and TJ Houshmandzadeh have never played with Joe Flacco before this season. Watching the last drive of the Steelers, Ravens game, the chemistry is building and will make trouble for teams later on in the season.

The Ravens balanced team and two consecutive fourth quarter comebacks keep them in the upper tier of teams. Neither Moss nor Roethlisberger can solely defeat the Ravens with the type of football they are playing right now.