BALTIMORE -- As limited as they seemed on offense, the more aesthetically pleasing side of the ball, the Baltimore Ravens always figured to be a problem in the AFC. They still have a defense that is no fun to play against, and they still have a coach and a quarterback who have proven they can win the Super Bowl.But now that New England Patriots tight end?Rob Gronkowski is out for the year, turning the conference tournament into something of a jump ball, the Ravens have officially evolved into a gathering threat. Start with their history in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the most likely site of the upcoming AFC Championship Game and the scene of Baltimores next stop on Monday Night Football.John Harbaughs Ravens have won two playoff games in Foxborough, and they nearly won two others. Over the summer, after considering his relative success against New England while reading a MassLive.com ranking of the 25 biggest villains in Patriots history, Harbaugh decided he wasnt happy with his spot at No. 19.I think thats a little low, he told ESPN.com. I plan on making that higher in the future.He can start working on that next week. Harbaugh laughed when reminded of that comment after his team shredded the Dolphins and their six-game winning streak, but declined to add to it. The Ravens coach did stop outside his locker room to bat away the suggestion that the Gronk injury has opened a window of opportunity for some second-tier hopefuls in the AFC.I just think theyve got a great team, Harbaugh said of the Patriots. Theyve got Tom Brady. Theyve been the best team in the conference, and its going to be our toughest challenge of the year.No, a single 38-6 beatdown of a Miami team that wasnt as good as its winning streak suggested doesnt change the fact Baltimore has too many issues running the ball and too many receivers who have seen their 30th birthdays, including one, Steve Smith Sr., who started his career around the advent of the forward pass. But in the post-Gronk AFC, everybody is vulnerable and nobody with a defense, a coach, a kicker (Justin Tucker has made 35 consecutive field-goal attempts) and a quarterback can be counted out.Joe Flacco did a good job showing people Sunday why he remains the quarterback, and a pretty damn good one, by completing 36 of 47 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns before taking an early seat. When Flacco threw for three scores and 258 yards in the first half, building the Ravens a 24-0 lead, he reminded everyone (Ray Lewis included) that he was a Super Bowl MVP and a quarterback capable of pitching a perfect postseason game (11 touchdowns, 0 interceptions in that 2012 championship run). Lewis had blitzed Flacco from the blind side last month by assailing his supposedly passion-free approach to his craft before the retired linebacker tweeted his videotaped apology to the active quarterback.No blood, no foul. Flacco has never shown the demonstrative fire of, say, Brady, but theres a reason he has won 10 postseason games and 30 more regular-season games than he has lost. Flacco is the AFCs answer to Eli Manning -- a stoic whos a very good-but-not-great quarterback from September through December, and a fearless and opportunistic winner in January and the first week of February.Manning was the MVP of two Super Bowls four years apart, and before you start laughing over the possibility that Flacco could perform the same trick, remember that the 2011 Giants were 7-7 before ripping off six consecutive victories and seizing ring No. 2. At 7-5 and leading the AFC North, Baltimore has won four of five; its only loss came to Dallas, only the best team in the sport. Flacco completed passes to 10 different receivers Sunday, and he was so hot that he actually threw for 91 yards on a remarkable 18-play, 88-yard touchdown drive (a Smith penalty allowed him the statistical oddity).We go as he goes, Smith said of his quarterback.Flacco mightve called his best audible of the week when he jumped his offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg in a meeting about becoming more aggressive with his playcalling, a take-that poke at Lewis and all others who have doubted the quarterbacks inner fire. Mornhinweg agreed to open things up, and Flacco honored the coordinators faith by throwing touchdown passes on Baltimores first two drives.The rest of the day amounted to fast-break basketball for the home team, and a whole lot of half-court breakdowns for the visitors. The Dolphins were overwhelmed by a Baltimore defense that isnt as ferocious as the franchise standard -- the 2000 Ravens who obliterated the Giants in the Super Bowl -- but is better than the 2012 defense that won it all and almost all of Baltimores Marvin Lewis/Rex Ryan units.Their current coordinator, Dean Pees, also gives the Ravens a competitive edge that cant be dismissed -- Pees spent two years coaching New Englands linebackers and four years running its defense. In other words, he has a pretty good idea of how to defend Brady.But the Ravens didnt want to spend too much time Sunday talking about defense; theyve been doing that for years and years. They wanted to talk about offense, finally, and a breakout performance that breathes new life into their postseason hopes and dreams.I think it gives the guys a lot of confidence to see it and have done it, Flacco said. Now we have to go up into a hostile place in New England that we really enjoying playing [at]. ... Im looking forward to it, big time.So is the head coach. Harbaugh had a much better day than his kid brother Jim, whose Michigan Wolverines were denied a bid to college footballs final four. John went 2-for-2 on fourth-down gambles in the first half, and felt good enough about the performance to gesture to the crowd for more noise in the fourth quarter, with victory already assured.Harbaugh needed this one to set up the next one. He hasnt seen the Patriots since they used a Julian Edelman touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, and all that hocus pocus with ineligible and eligible receivers, to overcome two 14-point deficits in the playoffs two years ago. Harbaugh is still upset over the way the refs officiated that game and those formations, and he told ESPN.com before the season he was pissed off over Bradys postgame remark that Baltimore should study the rulebook and figure it out, a remark the Ravens coach described as uncalled for.So thats one reason why Harbaugh wants to become a higher-ranked Patriots villain in the near future. If nothing else, this Ravens team might be good enough to move him up the charts.Fake Air Max Tn Plus . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. Best Cheapest Jordan 1 . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. 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Despite the cost, effort and an improved steroid test, its possible that very few -- if any -- positives will be detected, Dr. Richard Budgett told The Associated Press in an interview. "We just dont know what the results from Torino will be," Budgett said.SAN DIEGO -- Perhaps the most interesting matchup Wednesday in the rubber match of the three-game series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Padres at Petco Park is not the one between the starting pitchers.Both teams are starting rookie shortstops called up during the past week.Orlando Arcia made his major league debut Tuesday night for the Brewers, and Jose Rondon made his third start for the Padres.Arcia, 22, was considered the top prospect in the Milwaukee farm system as well as the 13th overall prospect in the minor leagues when he was promoted to the Brewers early Tuesday morning from Triple-A Colorado Springs.Its always a thrill to call anyone up, but I knew this was a big deal when I saw a camera outside the clubhouse today waiting for Orlando, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of Arcias arrival.I know a lot of people are really excited about it. He is an important player, and now we get to watch him grow every day ... struggle and grow from it, which is fun. Its fun to get a guy like that started. Orlando has had expectation for a long time. Hes a performer. He knows how to handle it.Rondon is not ranked as highly among the Padres prospects as Arcia is with the Brewers. However, the 22-year-old Venezuelan was having a solid season at Double-A San Antonio after struggling with injuries in 2015 during his first full season in the San Diego system.He came to the Padres in 2014 as part of the package the Los Angeles Angels used to lure closer Huston Street to Anaheim.On Tuesday, Padres manager Andy Green told veteran shortstop Alexei Ramirez that he was no longer the regular shortstop as long as Rondon is with the team.Rondon, who had spent three days with the Padres last weekend while third baseman Yangervis Solarte was away from the team on family leave, was recalled Tuesday when infielder/outfielder Alexi Amarista was placed on the 15-day disabled liist due to a left hamstring strain he sustained Monday night.ddddddddddddThe more notable news was the fact that Rondon is replacing Ramirez, who started 98 of the Padres first 103 games at short.As things changed near the trade deadline, it became obvious that were moving in a younger direction, Green said. It doesnt mean that every young prospect who could be here right now is going to be here right at the present moment. But when the young guys are here, were going to have them on the baseball field pretty consistently.Alexei will get on the field on a much more sporadic basis going forward. When Jose Rondon is here, more times than not, he is going to be out there unless we fell he needs a break physically or mentally.I dont think Alexei liked it hearing that. I wouldnt have expected anything else. Hes spent his entire life on the baseball field. Its a tough thing to hear and a tough thing to adjust to. I respect that.As for the pitching matchup Wednesday afternoon, San Diego right-hander Edwin Jackson faces Milwaukee right-hander Junior Guerra.Jackson is 1-1 with a 5.19 ERA in three starts for the Padres. He is 1-2 with a 5.46 ERA in 11 games overall this year, counting his relief work with the Miami Marlins earlier in the season. Jackson took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of his Padres debut at Petco Park on July 17 against the San Francisco Giants.In his career against the Brewers, he is 5-7 with a 3.89 ERA in 17 games (14 starts).Guerra is 7-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 16 starts. More important, he has positioned the Brewers to go 11-5 in his 16 starts. Opponents are hitting .201 against Guerra. Earlier this season, in his only career start against the Padres, he blanked San Diego on two hits over six innings in Milwaukee. ' ' '