He will specifically assist Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron in establishing game plan strategies and work on the field with the Ravens’ tight ends and wide receivers.

“We are very fortunate to have him involved here,” Cameron said.  “He has as much experience in our system as anybody in the league.  By the end of the year, we will have stolen every great idea he ever had (smiling).”

“It’s a real great marriage in terms of ideas and philosophies,” Saunders said.  “Cam and I are so close to the philosophical approach to football and how to do things with the quarterbacks and receivers and passing game that it’s really an enjoyable thing for me to be here.”

He said the opportunity to join Head Coach John Harbaugh and be a part of the building process of Cameron’s offense was something he wanted to be a part of.  And joining an organization that Saunders said has an opportunity to win a world championship didn’t hurt.

“I’m at the stage of my career where I really enjoy the strategy of the game,” Saunders said.  “But most of all, you like working with the players to help their skills get really better.  So I’m really enjoying where I am right now.”

Saunders was being wasted last year as simply a “consultant”.  Now that the Ravens have stocked their offense with plenty of weapons (Anquan Boldin, Donte’ Stallworth) it should be interesting to see what Cameron and Saunders can come up with together.

I still feel Saunders deserves to be an offensive coordinator somewhere in the league, but until his next opportunity comes along he will be a huge asset to Harbaugh, Cameron and the rest of the Ravens.

The deal will be worth $900,000, with Stallworth able to earn another $300,000 in incentives, the source said.

Stallworth was recently reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after serving a year-long suspension for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk.

Stallworth, 28, played just one season for the Browns after signing a seven-year, $35 million contract in 2008.  That year he recorded 17 receptions for 170 yards in 11 games.

There was a lot of interest in Stallworth among Kansas City Chiefs fans.  While I don’t think he was worth that big contract he signed with the Browns, he has undeniable talent but I wasn’t interested in bringing him to the Chiefs.  With such a small financial investment required, clearly Scott Pioli felt the same way.

Zorn, 56, was fired by Washington Redskins on Jan. 4 after a disastrous second season as their head coach.  The Ravens, though, were overwhelmed by his experience: 11 seasons as an NFL quarterback, 11 seasons as a respected NFL quarterbacks coach and a familiarity with their offense.

“That’s a great resume for us,” Harbaugh said.

Zorn’s primary goal is to continue the development of Joe Flacco into an elite franchise quarterback.  He becomes only the second quarterbacks coach for Flacco, replacing Hue Jackson (who joined the Oakland Raiders as their offensive coordinator Tuesday).

Although he took heavy criticism as the Redskins’ head coach, Zorn is a highly regarded mentor for young quarterbacks.

As the Detroit Lions’ quarterbacks coach in 1998, he was instrumental in helping rookie Charlie Batch adjust to the NFL.  Batch’s 88.3 passer rating that season ranks as the fourth-highest rookie mark in NFL history.

Three years later, Zorn was pivotal in the growth of Matt Hasselbeck as the Seattle Seahawks’ quarterbacks coach from 2001 to 2007.  With Zorn, Hasselbeck went to three Pro Bowls and set 12 franchise records.

As I said last week when Jackson left for the Raiders, it was going to be tough for Saunders to beat out Zorn.  The former Redskins coach got killed by the local and national media during his time in Washington, but he has a fantastic resume.

There has been no official word, though I imagine Saunders will stay on with the Ravens as a senior consultant.  Would still be great to see him get a bigger job in the league sooner rather than later.

With Hue Jackson off to Oakland, Ravens now will interview Al Saunders from their own staff and former Redskins HC Jim Zorn.

Saunders is currently a senior consultant with the Ravens.

I’m still amazed that Saunders is not an offensive coordinator somewhere in the league.  His name was mentioned in Chicago, but to this point nothing has come of those rumors.

Despite Zorn’s troubles as a head coach, he knows football and will be a tough guy for Saunders to beat out in Baltimore.

Everyone who thought the Chiefs played respectably on Sunday please raise your hand… Ok, you are all dismissed.  Check in at the principle’s office for your summer school class schedule…. I don’t care that they scored 24 points.  I don’t care that they were “in the game” until late.  The facts are they were horrible on offense and horrible on defense.  Now, if you want to add an interception return and special teams, maybe not so horrible.  But, those are not repeatable and have little to do with what you can expect on a weekly basis.  The next time the Chiefs opponent might get those same breaks.  Instead of losing 38-24, we lose 52-10!

I’ve heard people saying that it was really a seven point margin instead of 14, but that’s utter nonsense!  It’s more of a 21 point margin than 7.  The Chiefs got two “gifts” compared to the Raven’s one.  At the worst, it was a 14 point margin.  Since that’s where it ended, I’ll accept it, though between the lines it was really a 31-10 game.

Manley summed up my thoughts almost exactly.  Unlike Jason Whitlock, who will hate Haley and Scott Pioli even if they won a Super Bowl, these thoughts actually make sense.  The Chiefs were, in fact, lucky to be in the same atmosphere as the Ravens throughout the game.  It’s the reason I had such trouble picking out players to award game balls to on offense and defense.

With the Ravens up by 7 points and 31 seconds left in the game, Baltimore coach John Harbaugh decided to go for it on 4th down from the 1 instead of kicking a field goal.  He explained after the game why he called McGahee’s number instead of Steve Hauschka’s.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he chose to run for a late touchdown instead of a victory-sealing field goal because he has seen botched kicks hurt a team too often.

“I’ve seen it before, when you go for that field goal there, more things can happen on a kicking play than any other kind of play.  We’re fourth and 6 inches; I think we have a better chance of making the touchdown than we do of something bad happening on the field goal.”

You can read my thoughts on those that feel Harbaugh should have kicked the field goal over at Chiefs Chatter.

Watching the game I didn’t think there should even be a discussion.  Of course the Ravens would go for it on 4th down.  The Chiefs defense had to make a stop and then Brodie Croyle would be forced to try and go 99 yards in less than 30 seconds.  Why would Harbaugh give the Kansas City special teams another chance to make a big play?

As the Chiefs prepare for their home opener against the Oakland Raiders, could Richard Seymour be the difference for the Fightin’ Cable’s?  Monte Poole of The Oakland Tribune sure thinks that’s the case.

There is ample evidence that one quality veteran can revive a foundering NFL franchise.  That’s Richard Seymour’s mission, to chip away at six years of Raiders’ irrelevance and make the franchise matter once again.

With his play and presence, his leadership and influence, Seymour beginning tonight against San Diego has to take charge of the league’s losingest outfit.  He has to hurdle the innate barriers unique to this franchise and show it how to win, validating the shot-calling of Raiders boss Al Davis, who even as his kingdom crumbles at his feet insists he still can dial up a stroke of brilliance.

For Al’s latest gamble to prove more successful than those of recent years, Seymour’s impact here has to be similar to that of the late Reggie White in Green Bay.

Understand, Seymour is not Reggie White.  No one is.  White conceivably was the most complete defensive lineman ever, a man of immense character, equally phenomenal against passers and runners, capable of playing any position in any defensive scheme — equal parts Albert Haynesworth, Shawne Merriman and the Rev. T.D. Jakes.

White said God told him to go to Green Bay. Others snickered that He was playing a cruel joke.  The Packers had managed two winning seasons the previous decade and hadn’t made the playoffs in 21 years.  And they were in Green Bay, which loves its team with a matchless passion but is the most remote outpost in American professional sports.

So White, handpicking his employer and destination, chose NFL Siberia.

He then put Green Bay back on the sports map.

Seymour is a nice little player and a guy I would have expected Scott Pioli to go hard after next season after his contract with the Patriots expired.  But Poole said it perfectly: Seymour is not Reggie White.

The Packers were in a funk when Reggie White arrived, but Green Bay was still a great place to play.  Good ownership and an even better fan base.  The Raiders are…  Well, the Raiders.

The Kansas City Chiefs dropped their first game of the season 38-24 to the Ravens in Baltimore.  As we’ve gotten accustomed to doing, here are the best of the worst.

Offense: Dwayne Bowe

Speaking of best of the worst…  Some would say Brodie Croyle should be here, but his inability to find Bowe once in the first half and his almost total lack of awareness in the pocket made it impossible for me to select Croyle.

Bowe’s stat line won’t blow you away: 4 catches for 40 yards and a touchdown.  That touchdown gave the Chiefs their first and only lead of the game.  The thing is, even with Baltimore focusing their energy on Bowe he was “available” (for the lack of a better term) most of the game but Croyle didn’t try to get him the ball.  When you have a receiver with a three inch height advantage on the defense’s two best corners, you need to get him the ball and that didn’t happen against the Ravens.

Bottom line: when he was thrown the ball, Bowe got the job done.

Defense: Derrick Johnson

Looking at the box score again won’t tell the story.  Demorrio Williams — currently residing ahead of Johnson on the depth chart — registered 10 tackles, including one for a loss, but was constantly caught out of position.

Johnson provided the Chiefs second best play of the game with his 70 yard interception return that setup Bowe’s go ahead touchdown catch.  The defense as a whole was anything but impressive, so I don’t think Johnson will take much solace in any sort of accolades he receives from a game in which the opposing offense racked over 500 yards.

Special Team: Jon McGraw

The only reason Johnson’s interception was the second best play of the game was because of McGraw.

With the Chiefs trailing 10-0 in the second quarter, the Ravens punting in the shadow of their own goal posts and Kansas City yet to record a first down on offense, McGraw came barreling through to block the kick.  Better yet, after no one on the Chiefs could manage to corral the ball, McGraw covered up the jumping bean for Kansas City’s first points of the 2009 season.  It proved to be the only points the Chiefs would score in the first half.

For a unit that was very disappointing in the preseason, McGraw’s outstanding play should give them something to build on going into the home opener next weekend.

The following are three players (Offense, Defense and Special Teams) from each team to keep your eyes on.

Chiefs

Offense: Larry Johnson

As the last player to rush for 100 yards against the Baltimore defense — in 2006 — Johnson will need to put up a similar effort if the Chiefs are going to have a chance for the upset.  Against most teams this season I expect Jamaal Charles to get his fair share of carries, but against a physical defense like the Ravens it will have to be a heavy dose of LJ.  No matter who lines up behind center for Kansas City, Johnson will have to find a way to hit back just as hard as the Ravens defense hits him.  As history has shown, not many players in the league have been up to that task.

Defense: Tyson Jackson

Both teams are going to try and pound the ball on the ground, meaning Chiefs rookie — and starting defensive end — Tyson Jackson won’t have any time to act like a rookie.  Defensive linemen are notoriously slow starters, but that won’t be an option if Kansas City is going to improve on last year’s 30th ranked rushing defense.

Jackson only registered 3 tackles and 1.5 sacks during the preseason.  Far from impressive numbers, but at times he was extremely disruptive at the line of scrimmage opening things up for the Chiefs linebackers.  Jackson could be the most important person to watch because his stat line will not tell the whole story.  Keep an eye on how often — if at all — Jackson takes on two blockers.

Special Teams: Ryan Succop

Justin Medlock, Justin Medlock, Justin Medlock… Every time I start to think Succop could be the Chiefs kicker for years to come, all I hear in the back of my mind is Medlock’s name.  Succop was much more impressive in camp than Medlock was his rookie season but I know I won’t be able to shake the nerves until I know Succop has shaken his.  For the Chiefs to beat the Ravens it will have to be a close, low scoring game and if that happens Succop will be right in the middle of helping to decide it at the end.

Ravens

Offense: Ray Rice

The Baltimore running game is usually referred to as a “three headed monster” after Le’Ron McClain, Willis McGahee and Rice split carries last season. This year it’s Rice’s show and he will be on full display Sunday.  Not only will he get the majority of the carries, but he will also be utilized in the passing game.  In the Ravens third preseason game, Rice — who had 33 receptions as a rookie — caught eight passes for 67 yards.

Baltimore’s offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron, will look to use Rice the same way he used LaDanian Tomlinson in San Diego and Ronnie Brown in Miami.  The Chiefs new defense will get quite the workout not only trying to stop the running game, but also keeping tabs on Rice when he comes out of the backfield.

Defense: Haloti Ngata

With the Chiefs focusing on pounding the ball on the ground, the first line of defense for the Ravens in Ngata.  He’s been nursing a sprained ankle, but claims it won’t limit him on Sunday.  And if that’s the case, Larry Johnson and Jamaal Charles could be in for a long day.  Ray Lewis and Ed Reed get the attention — and rightfully so — but Ngata is the one to watch at the point of attack.

Special Teams: Steve Hauschka

The Ravens, like the Chiefs, have a new kicker.  The difference for Baltimore is they are replacing the only kicker their franchise has ever known: Matt Stover.  So while every team in the league that has an untested kicker wants to see if their guy can handle the big time, the Ravens have to be a little extra nervous after parting ways with one of the best kickers the NFL has seen in recent years.  Hauschka was 6/7 during the preseason, but if Kansas City’s defense can keep the game close he could be forced to kick his first career pressure kick.

“We’ve got no choice,” left tackle Branden Albert said.  “The season’s starting.  We’ve got to come together and play our best.  It’s all we can do.”

Based on the preseason, there’s little reason to believe the offensive line can adequately handle Baltimore’s defensive front.  Kansas City’s quarterbacks were often forced to run for their lives and the Chiefs were able to get their running game going only against a bunch of backups in last week’s game against St. Louis.

The thing was, in general, so ugly that the Chiefs had to sacrifice one of their starters.  That’s what they did with right tackle Damion McIntosh, who was released.

If running back Larry Johnson is worried, though, he’s not showing it.

“Brian Waters is getting those guys ready to go against that Baltimore front,” Johnson said, referring to the Pro Bowl left guard.  “He’s obviously seen all types of looks from that defense before.  I know he’ll get those guys ready.”

In Albert, Waters and center Rudy Niswanger, the Chiefs return three starters from last year.  Many of their preseason problems came on the right side, where Mike Goff plays guard and Ikechuku Ndukwe is the latest starter at tackle.

“The sky’s the limit,” said Goff, who played for one of the league’s better offensive lines the last several years with San Diego.  “The biggest thing that’s required in a good offensive line is just continuity.  You need to get to that point where everybody else is thinking, where you can communicate with the other guys without having much conversation.  That’s where you want to be as an offensive line.  This is a big test.  It’s loud in Baltimore, such a great atmosphere.  We’ll learn a lot about ourselves in that game.”

Goff is half right.  We will learn a lot about the Chiefs offensive line Sunday, but does anyone really believe the sky’s the limit with this group?  If Goff can play more like we’ve seen from him in the past and less like this preseason it would go a long way towards helping the line move forward and keep the Chiefs quarterbacks stay upright.  It’s looks like the right tackle position will be in flux this season, but the line can survive that if the other four spots come together.  We’ll get to see just how far away they are tomorrow.

The Ravens go into their first game not only healthy, but also feeling so good about themselves that they spent their final practice joking around.

Three of the four players on Thursday’s injury report — defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (sprained left ankle) and linebackers Brendon Ayanbadejo (sprained toe on right foot) and Dannell Ellerbe (sprained right medial collateral ligament) — took part in the portion of practice open to the media.

The only player absent was tight end L.J. Smith, who has not practiced the last two days due to a pulled left hamstring.

In a moment of levity, quarterbacks Joe Flacco, Troy Smith and John Beck took turns dunking footballs over the crossbar of the field goal posts behind one end zone.  Flacco and Beck put down one-handed jams, but Smith was the clear winner after completing what appeared to be a 360-degree dunk.

Clearly the Ravens are having trouble getting loose for the first game of the season.

More importantly, it looks like they will have their full roster available to them outside of Smith.  It’s tough enough to open up in Baltimore, but when they aren’t deal with any injury problems it becomes that much steeper of a hill.

Last week, San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested on suspicion of battery and false imprisonment.  Last night came word the San Diego District Attorney dismissed those charges.

The DA decided not to charge Merriman after her office spent three days reviewing reports from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

“After a thorough review of the investigation into the Sept. 6, 2009, incident at the Poway home of Shawne Merriman, our office has determined there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any crime was committed,” Dumanis said in a statement.  “This case is now closed.  No further comment will be made.”

Informed by reporters that he wouldn’t be charged, Merriman said he couldn’t comment until after he’d spoken with his lawyers.  A few hours later, he released a statement that read in part:

“I want to express my appreciation and gratitude to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s office for carefully reviewing the evidence and not rushing to judgment on these serious allegations.  I also appreciate the objectiveness expressed by the San Diego Charges ownership and management, my teammates, my friends and especially all the fans.  I look forward to continuing to stay focused on my career goals: a great season of football and the success of the San Diego Chargers.”

Huge news for the Chargers.  As we all saw last season, Merriman is the heart and soul of the San Diego defense and he must be on the field if they are going to be the darlings of the AFC that most experts are painting them to be.

“You get to a certain age, a certain spot in your life where you just feel comfortable,” Johnson said on Thursday after the Chiefs practice session.  “I think that’s what it is, being able to be comfortable and focus on what I have to do Sunday.”

If Johnson can do this Sunday what he did the last time he played against the Baltimore Ravens defense, it would not guarantee a Chiefs victory.  But the chances of winning would certainly be enhanced, no matter whether Matt Cassel starts at quarterback or not.

Back on December 10, 2006, Johnson carried the ball 23 times for 120 yards in a 20-10 loss to the Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium.  It was one of 11 games where he gained 100 yards or more that season.

It was however, the last time the Baltimore defense gave up a 100-yard rusher.  That’s a streak of 35 regular season games since the Ravens allowed any back over 100 yards.  It’s actually a streak of 39 games if the post-season is included.

What Johnson was able to get done that cold day at Arrowhead three years ago was impressive.  He gouged the Ravens for a 47-yard run and averaged 5.2 yards per carry for the game.  Those are numbers that backs simply don’t do against the Baltimore defense.

“They’re very tough to run on.  It’s no cakewalk.  They try to get you for every inch and every yard you ever gain.  You’re going to get gang-tackled.  It’s a fun game, especially for a person who likes that aspect of the game, of being able to run the ball downhill and get hit by two or three guys.  That’s usually what football is all about. ”

It’s good LJ enjoys getting hit, because the Ravens will hit him in the mouth every single time he touches the ball.  That sort of physical style is something we haven’t seen Jamaal Charles have to deal with so it could very well be the Larry Johnson show Sunday.  It’s unrealistic to expect 100 yards, but as long as the Chiefs can move the ball enough on the ground to open things up on the outside for Dwayne Bowe it will be a successful day for the running game.

The Chiefs wasted no time putting their locker room bulletin board to use this season.  The first “offender”?  Ravens quarter back Joe Flacco.

The quote, lifted from the Ravens’ Web site was apparently in response to a question from Baltimore reporters on what kind of challenge the Chiefs face opening the season with a new coach, a new quarterback and playing on the road.

Flacco responded, in part: “I don’t think it’s a good way to begin it.  We’re going to come in here and play well, and I don’t think they’re really going to want to play us by the end of the game.”

On the Ravens’ Web site, but not quoted in the Chiefs’ locker room, his comment continued: “I’m a Baltimore Raven.  I’m obviously not going to say it’s a good thing for the Kansas City Chiefs to come in here (and start their season).”

It’s probably not enough to inspire the Chiefs to an upset victory.  But running back Larry Johnson indicated some players might find it offensive.

“It doesn’t bother me, because he’s an offensive player.  If I was a defensive player, then yeah, I’d be a little (irritated).  I don’t have to go against him.  If I was a (defensive back) or linebacker, that would be something different.  Guys talk.  It’s his second year.  He’s young.  He’s trying to find his niche and really be confident and have the team rally around him.  That’s what he’s supposed to do.  He’s the quarterback, and he has to be the leader of the team.  We’re not going to fight in the newspaper or put any ink on what we’re going to do.”

I’ve heard better smack playing pickup basketball with guys that have just as much athletic ability as I do (meaning none).  If Todd Haley, Clancy Pendergast or one of the players is trying to fire up the team they might want to just make something up that has a bit more bite than what Flacco said.

Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth has played against Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe three times in the past two seasons.  But Foxworth doesn’t plan on relying on those experiences much when Kansas City comes to town Sunday.

“It’s not more of an advantage than watching film,” the cornerback said of his previous matchups with Bowe.  “I think that’s the best way to prepare, go into the game with no preconceived notions about an individual.  Just watch the film and use that to prepare.”

Foxworth said he and Fabian Washington will split time on Bowe, with occasional doses of Chris Carr and Frank Walker.  Foxworth expressed confidence in the cornerback corps against Bowe.

“I think he has all the tools to be an exceptional receiver in this league.  But we have more than two corners with all the skill to match up against a guy like that.”

I think that statement is a lot more inflammatory than what Flacco said and I hope someone is posting it in Bowe’s locker.  The Ravens defense is fantastic, but I promise you they do not have more than two corners that can cover Bowe one-on-one.

Todd Haley is sitting in Arrowhead right now hoping that Baltimore tries to get away with Walker or Carr on Bowe.

Johnson said he has suffered from various injuries throughout the preseason but those issues weren’t the only reason he was demoted to backup inside linebacker.

“I want to be out there, but right now, I’m just working my way up.  I’ll work myself up to where I need to be.”

Johnson said coaches had not explained why he was demoted, and he added that he hadn’t asked.

“Nothing was said like that, I’m not too worried about it.”

Johnson said months ago that he felt comfortable in the team’s 3-4 defensive front and that the defense allowed him to do things he wasn’t able to do under former coordinator Gunther Cunningham.  Johnson has underachieved at times in his four NFL seasons, and he said Wednesday that he was uncertain whether Haley was sending a message by shuffling Johnson out of the starting lineup.

“I’m not discouraged or anything.”

Going into training camp I figured that without Johnson playing well, the Chiefs would struggle adjusting to their new defensive scheme.  From what we’ve seen in the preseason that doesn’t seem to be the case, with the defense more than holding it’s own with DJ running on the second team.

Demorrio Williams stats have looked good, but he has also been flattened more than a few times.  If we see the Chiefs get gashed up the middle over these few couple of weeks, hopefully Johnson will get a chance to get back into the starting lineup and prove his worth.

If you plan on putting money on the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend — legally, of course — then you will be part of the minority.

Las Vegas Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay said Cleveland, Kansas City, Oakland and St. Louis will be unpopular underdogs.

The Chiefs are 13-point underdogs at Baltimore, the Rams are 8 1/2-point underdogs at Seattle and the Raiders are 9 1/2-point home dogs to San Diego.

“As a book operator, we’re going to have a hard time finding people who want to bet the Browns, Rams, Raiders and Chiefs,” Kornegay said.  “I can tell you the general public won’t bet those teams.”

I’m the last person to advocate betting on the Chiefs, at least until we know just how good they will be this season.  But even playing on the road, 13 points is a lot to get.  It makes sense — coming off a 2-14 season — that the general public won’t be lining up to take the Chiefs, but I feel a lot better about Kansas City on the road than I do the Raiders at home with the Chargers.

All the injury talk around Kansas City is about Matt Cassel’s knee, but the Ravens are watching a leg injury to one of their main offensive weapons as well.

Among the few injury concerns the Ravens are dealing with, the most positive sign involved Mark Clayton , who said he intends to play in Sunday’s season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The wide receiver, who did not play in the preseason because of a strained left hamstring suffered Aug. 2, said the hamstring feels strong.

“I’m excited, and I’m ready to go,” said Clayton, who reassumed his starter’s job alongside Derrick Mason during the media-viewed portion of practice Wednesday.  “I’ve been practicing at a high level and taking a lot of reps on it.  I’ve been going full speed because if I’m going to go out, I needed to mimic everything that I would be doing in the games.  I’ve been able to do that well.”

Clayton’s return would bring some stability to a corps that has just four wide-outs in Mason, Kelley Washington, Demetrius Williams and Clayton.

A healthy Clayton could have a huge impact on Sunday’s game.  The Chiefs defense will have to put so much energy into stopping the Ravens ground attack that the Kansas City cornerbacks will have to play one-on-one most the game.  There’s a huge different between someone like Washington and the proven veteran Clayton.