BALTIMORE (Sept. 17, 2006) -- The Baltimore Ravens still haven't given up a touchdown. The Oakland Raiders have now gone 120 minutes without one.
Baltimore staged another stellar defensive showing at the expense of the inept Raiders, forcing six turnovers and getting a half-dozen sacks in a 28-6 rout.
The Ravens (2-0) permitted two field goals -- an adequate encore to their season-opening 27-0 victory against Tampa Bay.
"They haven't crossed the goal line yet," Baltimore coach Brian Billick said. "That's something for our defense to hold onto, and something that will continue to motivate us."
Adalius Thomas led the way with seven tackles, two sacks, an interception and a safety.
"If you can hold someone to single digits in this game, you should win," said Thomas, who also had seven tackles in the opener.
Matt Stover kicked four field goals, and Todd Heap and Mike Anderson scored touchdowns for Baltimore. The only other time the Ravens won their first two games was in 2000, the season they won their lone Super Bowl.
"I think we're pretty excited," Heap said, "but we're not satisfied."
Oakland fell to 0-2 under Art Shell, whose quest to restore an air of respectability to the franchise is off to a dubious start. The Raiders, who opened with a 27-0 home loss to San Diego, have been outscored 55-6.
"Our heads might be bloodied, but they're not bowed," Shell said. " ... I'm very frustrated, but not the point where I've given up on this team or the direction that we're headed."
Quarterback Aaron Brooks was pulled in the first quarter with a sprained right rotator cuff after twice fumbling snaps from center -- turnovers that led to a pair of Stover field goals. The injury occurred while Brooks was trying to pounce on the second fumble near the line of scrimmage, Shell said.
Brooks was replaced by Andrew Walter, who also served in relief in the Raiders' season-opening 27-0 loss to San Diego. Walter fumbled three times, losing one, suffered three interceptions and completed 10 of 27 passes for 162 yards.
"Aaron is the guy right now," Shell said. "If Aaron can't go, then of course, Andrew will get every opportunity to be the guy."
The Raiders have a much-needed bye next week.
Randy Moss caught only two passes for 32 yards and LaMont Jordan ran 19 times for 35 yards. Asked if there was any reason for the Raiders to be optimistic, Jordan replied, "No, not from an offensive standpoint."
Raiders wide receiver Jerry Porter, who is locked in feud with Shell, was inactive.
"Put Jerry Porter on the field and, whether he's acting like a chump or not, you know he's going to make plays," Oakland safety Jarrod Cooper said.
In the third quarter, Walter fumbled twice, get picked off and was sacked by Thomas in the end zone. The safety made it 18-3, and Kelly Gregg returned a fumble a club-record 59 yards to set up a fourth-quarter field goal.
"The No. 1 job is to protect the football," Walter said. "I didn't do that."
Anderson scored on a 34-yard touchdown run with 1:51 left to complete the blowout.
B.J. Sams took the opening kickoff in the end zone and ran 72 yards to the Oakland 32. On first down, Jamal Lewis ran 5 yards to become Baltimore's career leader in total yardage, eclipsing the 8,001 yards of Jermaine Lewis.
A holding call against Baltimore center Mike Flynn wiped out Musa Smith's touchdown run, and the Ravens had to settle for a field goal.
Brooks' two fumbles set up a pair of Stover field goals for a 9-0 lead.
Oakland finally got its initial first down, on a 16-yard pass from Walter to Moss, with just over eight minutes left in the second quarter. The drive ended with a 34-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski, the Raiders' first points of the season after an 87-minute drought that began last week.
It was also the first points Baltimore yielded this season.
"We didn't give up any touchdowns, but we gave up a couple of scores," linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "We really thought we could have had the goose egg."
Just before the half, the Ravens put together a 65-yard drive that featured a 30-yard run by Smith and ended with 1-yard touchdown pass from Steve McNair to Heap.
McNair went 16-for-33 for 143 yards and an interception. Lewis ran for 70 yards.
GAME NOTES:
The game drew 70,744 fans, a Ravens record. ... Baltimore OT Jonathan Ogden (knee) and CB Samari Rolle (foot) left with minor injuries. ... Oakland injuries included CB Fabian Washington (hamstring) and LB Grant Irons (back). ... Stover has made 26 field-goal tries in a row.
