Rice to Play First Game in the Pros as a Starter Ray Rice is poised to start as running back against the in the Baltimore Ravens? preseason opener on Thursday.

Open Season on Coaches: Ravens Are First to Fire The day after the N.F.L. regular season ended, the Baltimore Ravens decided they would have better success next season without Brian Billick, who was fired Monday after the Ravens finished 5-11.

Dolphins Celebrate Their 1972 Season by Winning First Game A stunning 64-yard touchdown in overtime by receiver Greg Camarillo sealed Miami?s first victory of the season on a day the Dolphins commemorated their 1972 perfect season.

Officials Defended; 4 Ravens Are Fined The National Football League fined four Baltimore Ravens players yesterday for violating rules prohibiting verbal abuse of game officials during the Ravens? loss to the Patriots on Monday night.

Ravens Say Late Calls Favored the Patriots A furor has ignited over the conduct of the officiating crew during the game-winning touchdown drive that saved the Patriots? perfect season.

Browns 33, Ravens 30 O.T. BALTIMORE, Nov. 18 (AP) The Cleveland Browns actually had to come back onto the field Sunday to complete a 33-30 overtime victory against the Baltimore Ravens after it appeared the game ended with a missed field goal by Phil Dawson.

N.F.L. ROUNDUP; For Ravens, Six Turnovers and Five Field Goals Equal One Win It was a rout waiting to happen: the St. Louis Rams, without a win and with a depleted offense, against a Baltimore Ravens defense eager to prove it is still the best in the N.F.L. Bullying the backup quarterback Gus Frerotte into six turnovers yesterday, the Ravens delivered in a 22-3 victory against the visiting Rams.

After Controversy, Jets End Up on Other Side At his news conference Monday, Baltimore Coach Brian Billick said Jets defensive players tried to disrupt the Ravens? offense by barking out signals on snap counts.

A Final Possession Shows Promise but Ends With a Jets Loss The Jets lost the game but may have found, in quarterback Kellen Clemens and receiver Jerricho Cotchery, the next coming of Chad Pennington and Laveranues Coles.

Quarterback Stands Tall on a Dizzying Day From the vantage point of a bed in a small emergency room, I watched the emergence of the Jets? future, and perhaps their salvation: quarterback Kellen Clemens.