INDIANAPOLIS -
The nasty rumor on Monday Night Football was spread by none other than the culprit.
At some point before the Ravens game with the Browns in Cleveland Monday night, Ray Lewis decided to make a point, one blade at a time, to running back Ray Rice and quarterbacks coach Hugh Jackson.
"I told them when I step on this field before the game, you've got to know how personal this is, this is a win, we're not here to lose," said Lewis after the game on ESPN's SportsCenter.
Then, he reached down to the ground with one hand.
"Make sure you know what the territory tastes like. So I eat grass first, so I that's when I put it in my mouth and I tasted it," said Lewis with a chuckle.
Peyton Manning said he'd not heard that one until asked about it Wednesday, but it was something he could see Lewis doing.
"I know fans probably enjoy that. I think other players around the league enjoy hearing Ray mic'ed up," said Manning of the linebacker. "The thing about it is, you see some guys that only talk when the cameras are around them, that's real. That's how he is in the first quarter.
"That's how he is in the fourth quarter. It's consistent. I appreciate that about the way he plays."
But while his antics and trash talking are good for gossip his play remains as solid as ever. Lewis leads the Ravens in tackles with 92 with two sacks, and continues to lead a Baltimore defense that is fifth in scoring (17.1 Points Per Game) and seventh in yards allowed (302.8 yards per game).
"He is one of the premier players that have ever played this game," said Colts head coach Jim Caldwell "He's a guy who'll certainly be a Hall of Famer at some point in time when he retires. He's as effective a leader and as fine a football player that has played that position in a long time. We have a lot of respect for him."
The veteran linebacker is the one who calls the audibles on a defense whose trademark is multiple pre-snap movements that try to cause the offense confusion.
"Every year you hope that you might see some slowdown in him, but you just don't see it. He obviously keeps himself in great shape in the way he trains in the offseason," said Manning of Lewis. "The energy has never gone anywhere but up. He seems to be more energetic every single year. I know when we play against him, he'll have that bunch ready to play."
The Grudge That Never Died
More than a few history books were opened this week when fans realized that the Colts were making a return to their original home. Not that the story is anything new.
The moving vans came in, the Colts got out, and bridges between Maryland and the franchise were burned. The ESPN documentary "The Band That Never Died" only reiterated the fact that their former team that now resides in Indianapolis will never be welcomed with open arms in Baltimore.
But after a number of visits to the city following the Ravens relocation, the Colts have become adjusted to the usual hostilities that greet them at M & T Bank Stadium.
"It's going to be just like what we've seen in every stadium. It'll be a fever-pitch sort of atmosphere. There's heighten enthusiasm. That's also why our guys play the game, too," said Caldwell of the Baltimore crowd.
In fact the old storyline hasn't entered the mind of veteran defensive tackle Raheem Brock, who has played a handful of contests in the Colts' former city.
"It's just another game," said Brock when asked if the hype surrounding the Baltimore return has died down. "We're playing everyone like it's a playoff game
Gonzalez? Hayden?
At some point before the Ravens game with the Browns in Cleveland Monday night, Ray Lewis decided to make a point, one blade at a time, to running back Ray Rice and quarterbacks coach Hugh Jackson.
"I told them when I step on this field before the game, you've got to know how personal this is, this is a win, we're not here to lose," said Lewis after the game on ESPN's SportsCenter.
Then, he reached down to the ground with one hand.
"Make sure you know what the territory tastes like. So I eat grass first, so I that's when I put it in my mouth and I tasted it," said Lewis with a chuckle.
Peyton Manning said he'd not heard that one until asked about it Wednesday, but it was something he could see Lewis doing.
"I know fans probably enjoy that. I think other players around the league enjoy hearing Ray mic'ed up," said Manning of the linebacker. "The thing about it is, you see some guys that only talk when the cameras are around them, that's real. That's how he is in the first quarter.
"That's how he is in the fourth quarter. It's consistent. I appreciate that about the way he plays."
But while his antics and trash talking are good for gossip his play remains as solid as ever. Lewis leads the Ravens in tackles with 92 with two sacks, and continues to lead a Baltimore defense that is fifth in scoring (17.1 Points Per Game) and seventh in yards allowed (302.8 yards per game).
"He is one of the premier players that have ever played this game," said Colts head coach Jim Caldwell "He's a guy who'll certainly be a Hall of Famer at some point in time when he retires. He's as effective a leader and as fine a football player that has played that position in a long time. We have a lot of respect for him."
The veteran linebacker is the one who calls the audibles on a defense whose trademark is multiple pre-snap movements that try to cause the offense confusion.
"Every year you hope that you might see some slowdown in him, but you just don't see it. He obviously keeps himself in great shape in the way he trains in the offseason," said Manning of Lewis. "The energy has never gone anywhere but up. He seems to be more energetic every single year. I know when we play against him, he'll have that bunch ready to play."
The Grudge That Never Died
More than a few history books were opened this week when fans realized that the Colts were making a return to their original home. Not that the story is anything new.
The moving vans came in, the Colts got out, and bridges between Maryland and the franchise were burned. The ESPN documentary "The Band That Never Died" only reiterated the fact that their former team that now resides in Indianapolis will never be welcomed with open arms in Baltimore.
But after a number of visits to the city following the Ravens relocation, the Colts have become adjusted to the usual hostilities that greet them at M & T Bank Stadium.
"It's going to be just like what we've seen in every stadium. It'll be a fever-pitch sort of atmosphere. There's heighten enthusiasm. That's also why our guys play the game, too," said Caldwell of the Baltimore crowd.
In fact the old storyline hasn't entered the mind of veteran defensive tackle Raheem Brock, who has played a handful of contests in the Colts' former city.
"It's just another game," said Brock when asked if the hype surrounding the Baltimore return has died down. "We're playing everyone like it's a playoff game
Gonzalez? Hayden?
