This is the leather seat that representatives from the Ravens who man their team's table use during the 2011 NFL Draft. Notice the customized team logos and colors.

I tried one out (when no one else was looking) and was impressed. Super comfortable. Perhaps, too comfortable. The Ravens didn't make their first-round pick within their allotted time, allowing the Kansas City Chiefs to swoop in ahead of them.

For Ravens news on Twitter, follow @Ravens_Live.

Follow Blog Blitz on Facebook and join the conversation.

-- MATTHEW WEISS
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com

Getting Colorado CB Jimmy Smith at 27th overall was a good pick. The method of getting there was a little weird, but we made it.

Jimmy Smith, when controlled, is the top corner in the draft. For Ravens fans longing for another Chris McAlister, they just drafted him again. Fast, strong and could on any given Monday show up on the police blotter.

But on Sunday's, the Ravens got a lot better.

For Ravens news on Twitter, follow @Ravens_Live.

Follow Blog Blitz on Facebook and join the conversation.

-- MIKE ROSOLIO
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com

The Ravens are once again featured prominently on the NFL schedule in 2011 with five prime time appearances. Based on last season, the Ravens have the 31st most difficult schedule, which should be easy. But don’t read too much into last season's records because they play the games this year. And don't read too much into what's written below since we don't know how many -- if any -- of these games will actually be played.

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 11, Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
The season starts off with a bang. This is as a big of a rivalry as there is in the NFL. It’s surprising this is a 1:00 game, but it should be a slobber-knocker.

Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 18, at Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Chris Johnson will run the ball, but with the Titans making a coaching change and coming off a season of turmoil, it’s hard to know what else to expect.

Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 25, at St. Louis, 4:05 p.m.
It seems like Sam Bradford could be the real deal. But not yet.

Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 2, NY Jets, 8:20 p.m.
A nationally televised game against the Jets. Just like last year. Maybe Bart Scott will find out how loose the Ravens really are.

Week 5: BYE
If your team's bye week is late in the season, then you want it to come earlier. And if it's early, then you want it later. But the first two home games figure to be two of the three hardest-hitting games of the season. So perhaps for once, the bye week will come right on time.

Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 16, Houston, 4:05 p.m.
They may have lost the game last season, but the Texans ran roughshod over the Ravens defense. Time for redemption.

Week 7: Monday, Oct. 24, at Jacksonville, 8:30 p.m.
Teams gear up when they play at home on Monday nights (something the Ravens would know little about), but at least Jacksonville's defense is suspect.

Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 30, Arizona, 1 p.m.
Playing at home, the Ravens ought to manhandle Arizona and its porous D.

Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 6, at Pittsburgh, 8:20 p.m.
Another nationally televised game at Pittsburgh. Will this one determine who wins the division crown?

Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 13, at Seattle, 4:05 p.m.
Another team with a leaky defense in 2010, but it's always tough playing in Seattle.

Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 20, Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
It's crazy that the Ravens will have played the Steelers twice before going against the Bengals and Browns once.

Week 12: Thursday, Nov. 24, San Francisco, 8:20 p.m.
The first of the three holiday games. Brother against brother. This shouldn’t be close.

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 4, at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
You can usually bet the Browns will be floundering, but this is just about always a tough game.

Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 11, Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
Peyton Manning. Ugh. The first of two tough games in a row. At least it’s at home.

Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 18, at San Diego, 8:20 p.m.
Going against Philip Rivers at almost 11:30 p.m. East Coast time will be a difficult task.

Week 16: Saturday, Dec. 24, Cleveland, 1 p.m.
There’s no excuse for losing at home to Cleveland.

Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 1, at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
The Ravens have just one win in their past six visits to Cincinnati. But this time Carlson Palmer's brother might be the quarterback.

For Ravens news on Twitter, follow @Ravens_Live.

Follow Blog Blitz on Facebook and join the conversation.

-- R. ZIZMOR
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com

We've already sized up the first half of the Ravens' season. Here is Part Two:

Week 9: @ Pittsburgh.
That 17-14 victory and good first half aside, Baltimore has not played well in Pittsburgh at all. Night just complicates things. Unless Ben Roethlisberger is locked up, this will be the least fun game on the menu.
Raven to Watch: Michael Oher, T. He’s got to solo up on either Woodley or James Harrison and cannot lose. Period.
Opponent to Watch: Roethlisberger, QB. Say what you want about the guy, he always makes one play at the end. For the Ravens to have a chance, they need a two score game going into the final minutes.
Win Percentage: 33%. Baltimore isn’t going 16-0. A season split is sort of a fait accomplis.

Week 10: @ Seattle.
The sneaky-tough part of the schedule continues with a trip to Qwest Field, where the Seahawks always have a chance. As bad as they are, it’s a testament to that building that they can beat teams like the Saints in the playoffs.
Raven to Watch: John Harbaugh, Coach. This is the week coaching will matter the most. A short week and long trip after an emotional Pittsburgh game against a less talented team. It’s on him to rally the troops.
Opponent to Watch: Leon Washington, KR. The return game gives the Seahawks a big edge. He also gets in there as a slot receiver and change of pace back.
Win Percentage: 60%. This would be a lock in Baltimore. But the road-trip combined with the short Steelers week brings it down. A real guts game for this team.

Week 11: vs. Bengals.
Back home against the quiet nemesis Bengals. Luckily, the ringleader said he’d never play for the team again. We’ll see if that happens.
Raven to Watch: Flacco, QB. Take away the Bengal games from 2010 and Flacco has Pro Bowl statistics. He has as much to prove against this team with two good corners as he does against any other.
Opponent to Watch: Carson Palmer, QB. If he’s playing, this will be a game. If his brother is playing, it will not be.
Win Percentage: 55%. It jumps to 99% with Carson off the field. Something tells me he’ll be back for this one. Don’t know why.

Week 12: vs.49ers.
The first home Thanksgiving game. Remember when this holiday was relaxing? Get an early dinner in and brace yourself.
Raven to Watch: Ray Lewis, MLB. National spotlight against a coach that loves to run to set up the pass. He’ll have to prove he still has stuff in the tank against his heir apparent in Patrick Willis.
Opponent to Watch: Vernon Davis, TE. The aging of Ray and Ed Reed has meant bad things against good tight ends. He’ll be the top target of whomever is throwing the ball.
Win Percentage: 67%. Short week is cancelled out by a home game, Harbaugh Bowl will come down to quarterback talent. Jim doesn’t have it just yet.

Week 13: @ Cleveland.
Late showing for both Ohio teams. Cleveland has all the makings of a shocker in 2011 (see Kansas City ’10). The good thing about not playing them until December is that they may know they’re bad by now.
Raven to Watch: Terrence Cody, DT. On the road against Cleveland means lots of hard counts and playaction. That requires a running game. That requires Peyton Hillis. That requires a massive DT to stop him from pushing the pile.
Opponent to Watch: Colt McCoy, QB. He might be Chad Pennington and he might be Drew Brees. Both would be an improvement. If he gets a big receiver in the draft, he could cause a problem for Baltimore.
Win Percentage: 58%. It’s Cleveland’s Super Bowl whenever the Ravens come to town.

Week 14: vs. Colts.
When Peyton Manning is inducted into the Hall of Fame, a disproportionate amount of his highlight reel will be against Baltimore. He picked up the Jimmy Smith/Mark Brunell torch as the ultimate Raven killer and hasn’t looked back.
Raven to Watch: Ed Reed, FS. The only guy who plays well against Manning needs to do so and capitalize on it. That includes not lateraling a pick away.
Opponent to Watch: Manning, QB. There’s no one else. He needs to play a subpar game for the Ravens to prevail.
Win Percentage: 29%. He’s just too good.

Week 15: @ San Diego.
On paper, this is a terrific game. Two talented teams, both likely playoff bound, bright lights, etc., etc. But the Chargers have been a soft team for virtually ever. That doesn't play well any time of day.
Raven to Watch: Anquan Boldin, WR. A shootout is likely and the Ravens will have to keep pace in the air. The top receiver has to be on top of his game for that to happen.
Opponent to Watch: Philip Rivers, QB. It’s very possible that Rivers is the third best quarterback in the league. Getting in his head early is the only way to stop him.
Win Percentage: 54%. It'll be a gunfight, but the Norv factor will come into play in the end.

Week 16: vs. Browns.
Back home for an Ohio doubleheader. The Browns will either have quit by now or be battling Baltimore or Pittsburgh for a wild card spot. This game is either a snoozer or a flex candidate.
Raven to Watch: Billy Cundiff, K. A good way to keep Cleveland from scoring? Don’t let Josh Cribbs touch the ball.
Opponent to Watch: Peyton Hillis, RB. Assuming he’s not injured or tired by now, the big back will provide the running game you need to survive on the road against a better team.
Win Percentage: 78%. Cleveland isn’t there yet.

Week 17: @ Cincinnati.
Odds are the Bengals have quit, Marvin Lewis is fired, Andrew Luck is on their eye, and the Ravens are resting guys for the playoffs. Then again, it is Cincinnati.
Raven to Watch: Derrick Mason, WR. Flacco will come out firing again to make up for the disaster of Week 2 2010. It’s still not a sure thing Jonathan Joseph will be back for the Bengals, meaning the second receiver could have some success.
Opponent to Watch: Antwan Odom, DE. Just a feeling. I don’t want to explain why.
Win Percentage: 70%. The seasons of these two teams could move this line an awful lot. This is the earliest guess.

For Ravens news on Twitter, follow @Ravens_Live.

Follow Blog Blitz on Facebook and join the conversation.

-- MIKE ROSOLIO
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com

With the possibility of no football in the fall, events like the schedule release take on an even bigger importance in a fan's life. According to the meaningless numbers, the Ravens have the second easiest schedule in the league in 2011. Let's see what’s on the docket and measure a few items about each stop along the way. Here's Part One:

Week 1: vs. Steelers
No previous in-game injuries on either side, no excuses. This game will dictate how we feel about the entire season. The only shame is that if any games get missed due to the lockout, it's maybe the most important one.
Raven to Watch: Joe Flacco, QB. Like Ohio State with Michigan, beating Pittsburgh is all that matters. Aaron Rodgers can do it and Flacco should too.
Opponent to Watch: LaMarr Woodley, LB. Troy Polamalu gets the pub for making a single play, but Woodley makes three to four a game. Someone has to put a hat on him.
Win Percentage: 49.9%. These games are always a coin flip, with the Steelers having the edge in the past three years.

Week 2: @ Tennessee
Old helmet, completely new team. Gone is mainstay Jeff Fisher and shoulder-pad and interception throwing Vince Young. Could possibly be the second game of a rookie quarterback's career.
Raven to Watch: Tom Zbikowski, S. This is guessing that he's starting next season in place of Dawan Landry. The Titans will attack the edges with their running game and our SS needs to step up.
Opponent to Watch: Chris Johnson, RB. He's going to be the only weapon this team has on offense in 2011. But speedy backs can give the Ravens problems and he’s the speediest of them all.
Win Percentage: 89%. Bud Adams is going to learn really fast how much he misses Jeff Fisher. He's also going to get a shot at Andrew Luck in 2012.

Week 3: @ St. Louis
Hard to say what to make of this game. By all intents and purposes, the Rams should be a lot better next year. Granted, they still have gaping holes.
Raven to Watch: Terrell Suggs, LB. Getting Sam Bradford pressured and on the ground virtually eliminates any chance of the Rams winning.
Opponent to Watch: Mark Clayton, WR. In addition to the "revenge factor," Clayton was pretty darn good for the Rams before getting hurt. Just be ready to be upset at the TV.
Win Percentage: 80%. Road games are always tough and domes are even tougher. But there isn’t any reason to respect any team in the NFC West, even the most talented.

Week 4: vs. Jets
Sunday Night Football. Rex Ryan, Bart Scott and a lot of talk about Revis Island. It's a perfect showcase game and a rematch of the Week 1 slobberknocker of last year.
Raven to Watch: Matt Birk, C. The Jets manufacture their pass rush through blitzes and it's Birk’s job to sniff it out. If he can, Flacco can play pitch and catch all day.
Opponent to Watch: Santonio Holmes, WR. He might not be on the team this year, but every time he's played against the Ravens he's been great. He also wasn’t on the field for last year's Jets game.
Win Percentage: 65%. You can't argue with two straight AFC championship games, but the ball bounced the Jets' way an awful lot last year. Here's guessing it bounces back.

Week 5: Bye.
Conspiracy theorists will be angry about having an early bye. Conspiracy theorists need to get over themselves.

Week 6: Vs Texans
Yes, we all remember the collapse against Houston last year. But this isn't in a dome. Their pass rush will be better, but the run game will not.
Raven to Watch: Lardarius Webb, CB. He's likely going to have to cover Andre Johnson, who's nearly uncoverable. That matchup will determine how close the game will be.
Opponent to Watch: Patrick Peterson/Prince Amukamara, CB. One of these guys is going to Houston in the draft and will be the far and away best player in the secondary. Flacco needs to throw away from either of them.
Win Percentage: 76%. The Ravens are 3-0 under John Harbaugh after a bye, with a combined score of 84-27.

Week 7: @ Jacksonville
The old rival from the Marchibroda days. The Jags came on strong last year before losing their last three to miss out on the playoffs. Maybe the most unpredictable team from year to year.
Raven to Watch: Haloti Ngata, DT. Everything begins and ends for Jacksonville with the running game. Ngata needs to have a big one to keep the Jags out of it.
Opponent to Watch: Mike Sims-Walker, WR. A severely underrated receiver who can get open against any kind of coverage. A week after Andre Johnson, the secondary will have another big test.
Win Percentage: 55%. The road is cruel and Jacksonville is unpredictable. The Ravens still get the edge because of experience and overall talent.

Week 8: vs Cardinals.
This is the homecoming game. If you want to introduce your young son or daughter to pro football and don’t want to scar them, bring them to this game. It will be ugly for the Cardinals.
Raven to Watch: Ray Rice, RB. This game reeks of a big one from the pint-sized playmaker. On the ground, in the air, start him on your fantasy team.
Opponent to Watch: Darnell Dockett, DT. The best player on the team. He's really the only one that can make a play in this one (Larry Fitzgerald needs someone to throw him the ball).
Win Percentage: 95%. The slam dunk of the year. Rookie quarterback at best in M&T Bank is a recipe for total disaster.

Check back soon for Part Two.

For Ravens news on Twitter, follow @Ravens_Live.

Follow Blog Blitz on Facebook and join the conversation.

-- MIKE ROSOLIO
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com