Ravens cornerback Cary Williams declined a three-year contract extension offer from the Ravens worth about $15 million, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.

The 27 year old had signed his $1.972 million second-round tender in May and said at the time that he hoped the two sides would get back to the negotiating table.

Now, he is choosing to play out that tender in hopes of getting a better offer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

“My philosophy on doing that was just having confidence in myself,” Williams told Wilson. “I know myself, I know my ability. I know my work ethic. At the end of the day, the offer, I felt like I could always make that. I felt it wasn’t good enough and my agent said it wasn’t good enough. I love playing for the Ravens. I would love to be here, but right now we’re just in the negotiation stage.

“For me to say the money ain’t good, that wasn’t the case. It’s good money, but my job is to make the most money I possibly can for my family. I’m thinking about my daughter and any future children I want to have. I want some kind of security, and the deal we had wasn’t like that.”

Williams’ play was a pleasant surprise last season, as he emerged as a starter for the Ravens after a slow start to his NFL career. He was drafted by Tennessee in the seventh round out of Division II Washburn. The Ravens picked him up off the Titans’ practice squad in 2009.

Williams underwent surgery on his right hip last offseason after recording a career-high 77 tackles and 18 pass deflections in 2012. Williams says his hip is 100 percent, but he now favors his left hip because of overcompensation.

He will have to overcome any health obstacles, plus the competition from teammate Jimmy Smith, if he is going to get the contract he desires.

Just as he has his whole life, Williams is betting on himself.

“Cary was fired up about his value and what he’s worth after a successful year,” Marc Lillibridge, Williams’ agent, told Wilson. “We feel like if he can play as good or better than last season and lead the Ravens to a Super Bowl, then he’ll get his just due. I completely agree with that. You roll the dice on yourself your entire life.”

Wilson believes there could be  middle ground for Williams in the future, noting there are many starting cornerbacks that average above $5 million, but won’t get Nnamdi Asomugha, Darrelle Revis or even Lardarius Webb money.

Williams hopes that middle ground will be found in Baltimore.

“Although Williams turned down the Ravens’ contract offer, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s engaged in an exit strategy,” wrote Wilson. “Ideally, Williams would like to remain with the Ravens depending on the level of contract talks.”

Birk Sympathetic To Replacement Refs, Boldin Not So Much

After playing in two preseason games with the league’s replacement officials, Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin sees a need for change.

The 10-year veteran told The Sun’s Peter Schmuck, “they’ve really got to do something” about officiating. “Some of the calls out there … the way the game was being stopped. It just looked unprofessional,” Boldin said.

The officials have made a few blunders in each of the Ravens games, the most memorable from the first game when the official referred to Atlanta as Arizona on more than one occasion. In Friday’s contest against the Lions, the officiating crew needed nearly three minutes of conferences to figure out how to mark off an 18-yard facemask penalty on Detroit near the end of the first quarter.

The Lions team website writer Mike O’Hara said the refs were a “disgrace on any level of officiating football.”

But Ravens center Matt Birk is more sympathetic to the situation these men and women have suddenly found themselves in.

“They’ve been thrown into the fire on the biggest stage of the world,” he told Schmuck. “These guys have been thrown together and probably have never worked together before.”

In the CSNBaltimore.com video below, former Vice President of Officiating Mike Pereira discusses the latest in the league’s negotiations with the referees.

Zenitz: Cundiff Coming Across As ‘Very Bitter’

After Friday’s home preseason debut, in which both incumbent kicker Billy Cundiff and rookie challenger Justin Tucker were perfect on field-goal attempts, Cundiff told reporters he isn’t competing against Tucker.

Instead, he said he is competing against himself because it’s his job to lose.

“The way the coaches have approached me and the way everybody in the organization has approached it is that if I kick well, this is my job,” Cundiff said after the game. “This isn’t necessarily a competition between myself and Justin. This is really a competition with myself and how good I can be.”

The Carroll County Times’ Matt Zenitz believes Cundiff’s comments aren’t coming across in a positive light.

“Cundiff [is] coming across very bitter towards the competition with Tucker,” Zenitz tweeted. “Almost seems resentful that the comp. is even being viewed as close.”

J. Smith Developing ‘Serious Issue?’

Cornerback Jimmy Smith was right there in coverage with one of the league’s best wide receivers, Calvin Johnson, in Friday’s preseason contest. But Smith didn’t look for the ball at the last moment and ended up allowing a touchdown reception.

Turns out, he did the same thing in practice on Sunday, giving up another touchdown to 2011 Seattle Seahawks practice squad player Patrick Williams.

CSNBaltimore.com’s Ray Frager says it’s a forgivable mistake against a man called “Megatron,” but not with a receiver trying to make the roster.

“So, is this a serious issue with Smith’s technique or concentration or some other cause?” asked Frager. “Preseason is the time to figure this stuff out.

“As others have pointed out, the absence of Terrell Suggs likely means more blitzing, which means more leaving cornerbacks by their lonesome. So you can’t have a corner who’s not able to locate that oblong brown thing flying through the air.”

Dickson, Pitta Still On Schedule For Season Opener

So far, so good.

Tight ends Ed Dickson (shoulder sprain) and Dennis Pitta (broken hand) are still on schedule to play in the Ravens season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, according to The Sun.

“It’s much better, a lot better,” Dickson said of his shoulder. “I can actually do some catching and stuff, and more conditioning. The progress is definitely pretty good. Hopefully I can get back there in a week or so. I’ll do anything possible to get out there for the season opener. I don’t want to miss those. I want to play [now], but I’m glad I still have these preseason games to get healthy.”

Pitta still isn’t cleared to catch any passes, but says he’ll be ready to go.

“With the hand, you’ve got to let the bone heal,” Pitta told The Sun. “We’re being smart with it and making sure that we’re doing all we can at the proper time. If we prepare right, we’ll be ready to go when the season starts.”

So Is T. Smith Fine Or Not?

There were some conflicting opinions about how receiver Torrey Smith looked in his return to practice yesterday after being held out of a few days of practice last week and the Lions game.

“Doesn’t look like Torrey Smith is affected by that ankle,” tweeted Ryan Mink. “He’s flying around the field.”

But CSNBaltimore.com’s J. Michael Falgoust saw something completely different, saying Smith “hobbled” through parts of practice.

“Smith clearly favored the ankle when he had to come to a sudden stop, plant and push off. When Smith had to do that, he came away with a limp. Flacco went to Smith on a short pass over the middle that went off of his hands. Smith limped away.

“That could jeopardize Smith’s ability to play in Thursday’s home game vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars. Coach John Harbaugh is more optimistic.”

You can take a look at some footage of Smith from yesterday’s practice in the video to the right. It’s limited, but what do you think?

Quick Hits

• @RavensInsider: Calvin Johnson: ‘They were blitzing a lot. They leave their DBs on an island. When that happens our guys get wide and we can’t wait.’ [Twitter]
• mattvensel: Jacoby Jones with a big gain on an end around. Why didn’t that work the 448 times they tried that with Donte Stallworth? [Twitter]
• Tweet after Omar Brown already notched three fumble recoveries and an interception in two preseason games. … @mattvensel: Sweet Jesus. Omar Brown recovered the onside kick. Word of advice, #Ravens fans: If you’re at a wedding with Omar Brown, don’t even bother trying to catch the garter or the bouquet. [Twitter]
• @RavensInsider: Courtney Upshaw said he’s down to 274 pounds. “With the cardio and losing the weight,” Upshaw said, “it really helped me a lot.” [Twitter]
• @RavensCommunity: @Ravens Matt Birk kicks off back to school! Distributing school supplies to 150 Baltimore-area students! [Twitter]
• @BPierce_30: Love the fan base in bmore!!! Shout out to everyone that came out last night
• Hey Jamison Hensley, who will be the starters on the Ravens’ offensive line? “By the end of the season: LT McKinnie, LG Osemele, C Birk, RG Yanda, RT Oher.” [ESPN]

One such scuffle may have saved NFL referee Tony Corrente’s life.

In a story told by Sports Illustrated’s Peter King in Monday Morning Quarterback, Corrente was one of the game officials when the Steelers traveled to M&T Bank Stadium on Sept. 11.

Corrente was breaking up Ravens center Matt Birk and right tackle Michael Oher from Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley and safety Ryan Mundy when he got shoved out of the scrum and fell on his back and head.

Corrente felt pain afterwards and began taking Motrin on the recommendation of a fellow referee.

Because Motrin is a natural blood-thinner, Corrente brought up blood when he began coughing later that day and for the following week. That prompted him to consult a physician.

Doctors found a mass at the base of his tongue. Corrente was diagnosed with throat cancer.

The quick diagnosis allowed him to avoid surgery that would have risked his speaking ability. Corrente is now undergoing his second round of chemotherapy, and is still refereeing (he was at the Saints-Lions wild-card game Saturday night).

But before he did that, he felt he owed Birk and Oher a thank you for the literal push to the doctor.

Corrente sought out Head Coach John Harbaugh before his regular-season finale in Cincinnati on New Year’s Day, and asked if he could speak with Birk and Oher briefly. He told Harbaugh and the players his emotional story and extended his gratitude.

“I told them, ‘I just wanted to tell you that you actually may have saved my life,’” Corrente told King. “I could see they were shocked as I explained it. This crazy ref was thanking them because they knocked him on his butt.’”

“Mind-blowing is a good word,” Birk said on Monday. “You know, the guy says half-jokingly, but half-serious, that we saved his life. It’s kind of like, ‘Well, no.’

“I just came back to that you never know how God is going to use you. And here Mike and I just thought we were probably just being tough guys, getting in a little scuffle after a play, but everything happens for a reason.”

Harbaugh called it a “stunning story.” After the Ravens clinched the division title, Birk flew back to Maryland and woke up his wife to tell her.

He said the one thing he’ll take away from that conversation for the rest of his life was that Corrente said people shouldn’t try to look at their life as “glass half full.” They should look at it as all-the-way full.

“I just thought that was awesome, and certainly talking to him, it was a very humbling experience. I don’t know him that personally, but he sure seems like a heck of a guy,” Birk said.

“My family and I have prayed for him and his recovery, and I’m just glad I was a part of it.”

Funny enough, Corrente’s crew called Oher for holding during the Week 17 game against the Bengals.

“How about a free pass?” Birk joked. “That’s the NFL, huh? You saved a guy’s life. Come on!”

But not so fast.

For the second time in three games, a ruling of a catch was overturned. This time, it went against the Ravens and considering that they were leading just 7-0 at the time, it could have been big.

It begs the question, what’s a catch?

Wide receiver Jordan Norwood caught a short pass across the middle and the ball came out (it’s difficult to tell whether cornerback Danny Gorrer punched it out or not) after Norwood clearly had the ball and started moving with it. Ed Reed recovered the ball at the Baltimore 41-yard line.

But Cleveland challenged the play and it was explained that Norwood did not possess the ball long enough before it came loose to institute a catch. It was ruled an incomplete pass and the Browns punted.

Head Coach John Harbaugh thought the call on the field of a fumble was going to be upheld.

“We felt he took, you could say three steps, but at least two steps if there was a bobble in a football act,” Harbaugh said on Monday.

“[Referee] Ed [Hochuli] disagreed with that when he overturned it. He explained why. He was great. He explained exactly why. He’s one of the better communicators, so we understood his reasoning on it.”

The rule on a completed pass states the player must maintain control of the ball long enough to enable him to perform any act common to the game (i.e., maintaining control long enough to pitch it, pass it, advance with it, or avoid or ward off an opponent, etc.). It is not necessary that he commit such an act, just that he maintains control of the ball long enough to do so.

The Ravens have had a similar ruling go their way this season, however.

Against the Bengals, a late Jermaine Gresham touchdown was overruled after it was determined that Gresham did not maintain control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground. Thus, it was determined that he had not already made the catch before going down.

Baltimore also had a fourth-quarter reversal in Cleveland go their way, although not on whether there was a catch or not. Running back Ricky Williams was originally ruled to have fumbled, which was recovered by the Browns. After review, it was determined that Williams’ “backside” was down before the ball came out.

Head Coach John Harbaugh downplayed Derrick Mason’s sideline argument with a referee during the Ravens’ 13-7 win over the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday.

On his weekly WBAL radio show, a caller, who identified himself as a little league football coach, said Mason deserved to get flagged and asked Harbaugh when he was going to get Mason "under control."

"Derrick’s under control," Harbaugh said. "This is not little league football, this is pro football and these are grown men. There’s something we were talking about during the game and we talked about it on the sideline and he was upset about something. I went back over about 30 seconds later, we had a good conversation and he was ready to play. Derrick played very well, so he didn’t get flagged."

As he has done in the past, Harbaugh emphasized he doesn’t mind an occasional disagreement because that’s what happens inside a football family and open conflict can often times lead to faster resolution.

Mason and quarterback Joe Flacco had a sideline argument in the Ravens’ win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 11. The duo hasn’t had any problems since and they seem to be playing well together.

"We’re in here every single day…we’re like a family. I’m pretty sure Joe’s had some spats with some people, with some brothers and people like that," Harbaugh explained.  "Sometimes you have some of your biggest fights with the people you care about most.

"We’re not afraid of a little confrontation because we care about each other and we get it worked out and it’s all honest. I’m not into this phony, fake, ‘be nice,’ put your arm around guys, everything’s OK, and [have] underlying things that are not getting worked out.  I’d rather talk it out, work it out, put it out there, and that’s how you show people you really care about them."

Who’s the Most-Feared Playoff Team?

Teams won’t admit to fearing anyone, but there are opponents they’d prefer not to face.

NFL.com polled its eight writers on who they thought was the one team no one wants to play. The answers were diverse, but the Ravens and the Packers were the only two teams that got more than one vote.

Jason La Canfora and Elliott Harrison believe the Ravens are the most feared.

"No one in the AFC wants to face the Ravens as a wild card," LaCanfora wrote. "They’ve won three road playoff games the past two seasons, Joe Flacco is much improved, and the run game has looked better down the stretch. They have won at Pittsburgh, managed to let the Patriots off the hook in overtime in New England (they won at Foxboro last year in the postseason), and have a playmaking defense. They’re playoff-tested, and they don’t mind going on the road. Peyton Manning has had their number, and avoiding what appeared to be a likely wild-card meeting with the Colts already bodes well for them."

Said Harrison: "No one should want to play the Ravens right now. Baltimore plays a physical game on both offense and defense. The Chiefs’ main strength is their ground game, but they’ll face the league’s fourth-best run defense – a unit that forced four fumbles Sunday against the Bengals. Many consider New England the Super Bowl favorite, but the Ravens destroyed the Patriots in last year’s playoffs and took them deep into overtime at Gillette Stadium earlier this season. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Ravens right now, besides their five-game win streak, is how effective Ray Rice and the running game have been (104-66 run-pass ratio over the last three weeks.)"

Return of Marvin Lewis Could Spell the End for Ochocinco

A big-time AFC North decision was made yesterday when the Bengals and Marvin Lewis agreed to a contract that will keep Lewis as the head coach in Cincinnati.

Owner Mike Brown and Lewis didn’t announce the terms of the deal at their press conference, but Bengals.com said it was a two-year contract.

How will the return of Lewis affect the Ravens?

First, Baltimore may not have to worry about matchups with receivers Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens. The team’s website said Lewis’ return "would seem to seal the departure" of the two receivers.

Second, the Baltimore Sun’s Jamison Hensley believes as long as Lewis is around, the Ravens will continue to have tough matchups against the Bengals.

John on Jim: "Michigan is Done"

If you have been following the national frenzy around John Harbaugh’s brother, Jim, and where he could wind up coaching next year, John has narrowed the potential landing spots down by one.

The University of Michigan released a statement denying reports that current Head Coach Rich Rodriguez will be fired.

On his WBAL radio show last night, John Harbaugh said he believes there is no longer a possibility of his brother going to Michigan.

"I don’t know what he’s going to do," John said. "I think the Michigan thing is done now. I don’t think he’s interested in doing that, which is hard for him because he loves Michigan. But it says a lot about Stanford and we’ll just see what happens."

Jim is one of the hottest coaches in the country, especially after leading his Stanford team to a 40-12 blowout over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl Monday night.

Jim is also rumored to be the front-runner for the vacancies with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.

La Canfora is reporting that Jim is quietly emerging as the Miami Dolphins leading candidate too, even though the team hasn’t officially made a statement on Tony Sparano’s future.

NFL Starting Quarterback Rankings

Both ESPN’s "The Professor" John Clayton and Yahoo! Sports’ Jason Cole released their 2010 quarterback rankings.

Both agree on where Flacco ranks among all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks. Clayton put the "elite" Ravens quarterback at No. 10 and Cole placed him at No. 9.

"At some point, those who like to give me flak about Flacco’s elite status will have to concede he has it all," said Clayton. "He doesn’t throw many interceptions (10 this season); he has a big-time arm; and he wins playoff games (3-2 record)."

Cole noted Flacco and Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan’s numbers are "practically carbon copies," but the key difference is that Flacco is 10-12 in games decided by less than a touchdown.

Harbaugh believes Flacco is on a learning curve that can be compared to the top quarterbacks in the league.

"The three-year arc that Joe is on is really favorable," Harbaugh said yesterday. "I’m talking about comparing him to the Mannings, the Bradys and the Breeses and all the other top guys. Joe is right on track, and he’s ahead of some of those guys and slightly behind some others in different categories."

Week 17 Power Rankings

This is the last official list of the 2010 season. Baltimore doesn’t fall below No. 4 in any of the rankings. This weekend’s wild-card opponent, the Chiefs, was ranked as low as No. 14 and never got higher than No. 11.

ESPN: Ravens are No. 4, same as last week. The Patriots, Falcons and Steelers make up the Top 3. James Walker notes that Baltimore is a wild-card team nobody wants to face. Kansas City is No. 11.
USA Today: Ravens are No. 3, same as the last two weeks. Two teams the Ravens have lost to – the Pats and Falcons – remain the board leaders for the third week in a row.  KC is No. 12.
NFL.com’s Jason La Canfora: Ravens are No. 4, down from No. 3 last week. The Patriots, Falcons and Steelers lead La Canfora’s list, but he notes that Baltimore is a playoff road warrior. The Chiefs are No. 11.
ProFootballTalk.com: Mike Florio ranked the Ravens No. 3, same as last week. Florio says John Harbaugh’s team could be knocking Jim Harbaugh’s name out of the headlines. This weekend’s opponent is No. 12.
SI.com’s Peter King: Ravens are No. 4, same as last week.  The Top 3 are the Pats, Falcons and Eagles. King said he didn’t want to dump all over the Chiefs, who he lists at No. 14, but they got swept by Oakland have a potential distraction with Charlie Weis announcing he will be going to Florida next year.

Quick Hits

• NFLfootballinfo: Consistent winners also in playoffs. Top 6 teams w/ most playoff berths since ’00…Ind(10) Phi (9) NE (8) Bal (7) GB (7) Pit (7) [Twitter]
• AdamSchefter: Raiders offensive coordinator [former Ravens quarterbacks coach] Hue Jackson now becomes a leading candidate to succeed Tom Cable. [Twitter]
• The Ravens are bringing in Australian lefty punter Dan Power for a workout to help the team prepare for Kansas City Chiefs lefty punter Dustin Colquitt. [Carroll County Times]
• After 10,000 Accuscore simulations of the Ravens vs. Chiefs wild-card contest, Baltimore is 63 percent favorites to win. If Flacco throws for two touchdowns and no more than one interception, the percentage rises to 80. [ESPN]
• Peter King predicts the Patriots will beat the Packers in the Super Bowl. He believes the Ravens will beat Kansas City, but will lose to the Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round. [Sports Illustrated via B Blog Matter Vensel]
• Clayton’s All-Pro list includes five Ravens: fullback Le’Ron McClain, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, linebacker Ray Lewis, safety Ed Reed and kicker Billy Cundiff. [ESPN]
• How have the Ravens and Chiefs fared against common opponents? The Ravens were 5-0 against Buffalo, Cleveland, Denver and Houston. The Chiefs had a 3-2 record, beating Buffalo and Cleveland, losing to Houston and splitting with Denver. [NFL Communications]
• Running back Ray Rice appeared on ESPN’s "First Take" and said the Ravens are ready to "take the playoffs by storm."  [ESPN]

The NFL Officiating Department is making a push to crack down on players complaining about non-calls or protesting for calls to be made.

There is not an official new penalty for the offense, but it was included as a point of emphasis in the video presentation that all NFL players and coaches are required to watch during training camp.

The video, which is also shown to the media, said such behavior, “has no business in the game.”

“If [a player] persists, it opens itself up to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty,” NFL veteran official Ron Winters said. “Right now, it’s just a warning.”

Players are still permitted to ask an official – in a calm manner – why a call was made or not made. It will be a judgment call on the part of the official if the player persists too much. Examples shown in the video included wide receivers running around the field waving their arms to ask for pass interference.

One of the instances that jumps to mind is Brady’s protest for an unnecessary roughness call on Terrell Suggs during last year’s regular season contest.

If you don’t recall, Suggs fell forward towards Brady’s knee after he had released a pass. Brady moved out of the way as Suggs grazed him, but Brady immediately pointed to Suggs, requesting that the official throw a flag.

The official nodded in agreement that it was a penalty and threw the flag – resulting in a 15-yard penalty that extended an eventual touchdown drive. That official was Winters, the same referee who made the rules changes presentation to Baltimore media on Sunday.

Other than the playoff overtime rule change, another interesting change is that the umpire will now stand behind the offensive line instead of behind the linebackers. This is meant to protect officials, but it will change the angle that they view plays, which could affect how many holding penalties are seen.

Here is the full list of 2010 rules changes:

• If a replay review inside of one minute of either half results in the on-field ruling being reversed and the correct ruling would not have stopped the game clock, then the officials will run 10 seconds off the game clock before permitting the ball to be put in play on the ready-for-play signal.
• The eligible jersey numbers for defensive linemen, linebackers and centers have expanded.
• During a field-goal attempt, punt or a try-kick, a team B player, who is within one yard of the line of scrimmage at the snap, must have his entire body outside the snapper’s shoulder pads.
• The ball will be dead if a runner’s helmet comes off.
• If a loose ball in play strikes a video board, guide wire, sky cam, or any other object, the ball will be dead immediately, and the down will be replayed at the previous spot.
• The penalty yardage for interference when a kicking team player attempts to catch a muffed kick has been eliminated.
• Protection for defenseless players has been standardized and expanded.
• After the half has expired, dead ball personal fouls by the offense or defense will be enforced on the succeeding kickoff.
• In overtime of postseason games, a field goal by the team that possesses the ball first will not end the game.

The controversy over the roughing the passer penalties in the Ravens’ 21-27 loss to the Patriots is well documented. The Ravens were called twice for roughing the passer, resulting in 30 yards in penalties. The Patriots were also flagged once for 15 yards on a hit to QB Joe Flacco. Yesterday’s penalties made many question whether NFL rules for protecting quarterbacks have gone overboard.

Below is the “Protection of the Passer” rules as posted in NFL.com’s Rule Book:

By interpretation, a pass begins when the passer — with possession of ball — starts to bring his hand forward. If the ball strikes ground after this action has begun, play is ruled an incomplete pass. If passer loses control of ball prior to his bringing his hand forward, play is ruled a fumble.

1. When a passer is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional movement forward of his arm starts a forward pass. If a defensive player contacts the passer or the ball after forward movement begins, and the ball leaves the passer’s hand, a forward pass is ruled, regardless of where the ball strikes the ground or a player.

2. No defensive player may run into a passer of a legal forward pass after the ball has left his hand (15 yards). The Referee must determine whether an opponent had a reasonable chance to stop his momentum during an attempt to block the pass or tackle the passer while he still had the ball.

3. No defensive player who has an unrestricted path to the quarterback may hit him flagrantly in the area of the knee(s) or below when approaching in any direction.

4. Officials are to blow the play dead as soon as the quarterback is clearly in the grasp and control of any tackler, and his safety is in jeopardy.

What do you think, have NFL rules for protecting quarterbacks gone overboard? Debate It!