The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • D3

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2012 SPORTS THE BALTIMORE SUN 3 RAVENS AT CHIEFS SUN STAFF PICKS 8. I ft lie 4 Jt PETER SCHMUCK Ravens 31, Chiefs 17 It'll be loud at Arrowhead, but a well-rested Joe Flacco and Co. will take the crowd out of it early and cruise to their fourth victory in five games. AARON WILSON Ravens 27, Chiefs 13 The defense bottles up speedster Charles, and Ed Reed baits Cassel into miscues. Cam Cameron calls Rice's number more, pounding the football because of Hali's presence.

JEFF ZREBIEC Ravens 27, Chiefs 17 This could be a dangerous game for the Ravens, heading into a tough venue against a desperate team. But the Chiefs are a mess, and the Ravens have the offense that is flying high. MIKE PRESTON Ravens 24, Chiefs 13 The Chiefs have multiple personalities, but even if they all show up at once, they can't beat the Ravens. Charles will struggle against physical defenses, and the Ravens will pound on him. EDWARD LEE Ravens 23, Chiefs 14 Jamaal Charles is the type of running back who can give defenses headaches.

But the Chiefs' one-dimensional offense will eventually stall, and Ray Rice should find success on the ground. KEVIN COWHERD Ravens 30, Chiefs 10 The Ravens are rested, loving the no-huddle offense and vowing to become more punishing on defense again. The Chiefs' offense has looked so bad that fans are actually clamoring for Brady Quinn to replace Matt Cassel at quarterback. Yes, that Brady Quinn. MATT VENSEL Ravens 30, Chiefs 20 With playmakers in all three phases, the Chiefs are a better team than their record indicates.

The Chiefs can have success running the ball with Charles, and Tamba Hali will give Michael Oher problems. But the real Cassel has stood up for the Chiefs, and if he continues to play so poorly, the Ravens will get the road victory. Lewis on Charles Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis talks about the need to contain Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles at baltimoresun.comravens CATCHING UP WITH EDDIE HINTON Enjoying life in the driver's seat "I saw it coming and thought, 'Oh, my gosh, its going to be intercepted? I couldn't allow that to happen." Eddie Hinton, on catching the last touchdown pass of Johnny Unitas' career Colts receiver devotes his time to driving a school bus and giving kids direction By Mike Klingaman The Baltimore Sun The kid's name was Chase, and the driver knew he'd be trouble from the second he set foot on the school bus. "He was a sixth-grader, a little rebel," said Eddie Hinton, aka "Mr. Eddie" to the children.

"I decided to try and change that." One morning, as Chase climbed aboard, Hinton declared, "I'm going to make you my friend." Chase shrugged and moved on. "When he sat down, the kid next to him whispered, 'You know, Mr. Eddie played in the Super Hinton said. Chase glanced first at the aging driver, then at the 1970 championship ring on his hand. At that point, Hinton said, "Chase's whole attitude changed." At 65, and living in Spring Branch, Texas, this is Hinton's calling to help troubled youths navigate life's highways, the onetime Colts wide receiver said.

After six years in the NFL and a career as a homebuilder, Hinton chose last year to go another route. "I had retired, but then I asked myself, 'What have you done to make a difference in anyone's life but your he said. "So many ldds today come from broken homes. I thought that maybe I could make a difference in their lives." So he took a job driving a school bus. "It's better than sitting at home, doing honeydo's and watching 'Judge he said.

A fleet, first-round draft pick from Oklahoma, Hinton played four years in Baltimore (1969-1972) and caught 96 passes and scored nine touchdowns. He had 11 receptions, a career-high, in a 44-24 loss to the defending Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs in 1970. It was the second "Monday Night Football" game ever played and one of two losses the Colts suffered that season in their own Super Bowl run. Two years later, Hinton made history by catching the last touchdown pass that PHOTO COURTESY OF EDDIE HINTON "I've been truly blessed," says former Colt Eddie Hinton, who lives with his wife on three acres in Spring Branch, Texas, along with a dog, a cat and three horses. in the fourth quarter Hinton dropped two passes.

"Now it's fourth down, and I'm going back to the huddle, thinking, 'God, please kill me now just stop my he said. "But John looks at me and says, 'Hinton, give me 5 yards on an out He throws the ball, I catch it one-handed and we go in to score. "In the locker room, as he's walking into the shower, I go up to John with tears in my eyes. I say, 'Why did you call on me the third Unitas' response? "Because I knew you'd catch it." Today. Hinton lives on a three-acre spread with his wife and a menagerie that includes Heidi the dog, Willie the cat and three horses, named Mr.

Sandman, Mr. Moonshine and Ray. "I've always loved horses," he said. "I remember, in high school, how the Colts' helmet caught my eye." Though 30 pounds over his playing weight seem to pick up a pound every he's otherwise healthy. "Still got all of my teeth and hair," Hinton said.

"There's one spot of gray on my mustache but I use a Sharpie to touch it up from time to time. "I've been truly blessed. People still send letters, wanting autographs. It was almost like a fantasy that I got to play in the NFL, to be part of that arena and to play with the legends like Unitas, Mackey, Tom Matte and Rick Volk." It's no fantasy. The Super Bowl ring that catches kids' eyes on the school bus reminds Mr.

Eddie of that. mike.klingamanbaltsun.com Catching Up To read an archive of Mike Klingaman's stories about what athletes from yesteryear are up to now, go to baltimoresun upwith and John Mackey and Jimmy Orr, and he has the confidence to call on me at a crucial time like this? What an Unitas took the snap and launched a wobbly pass in Hinton's direction. "I saw it coming and thought, 'Oh, my gosh, it's going to be I couldn't allow that to happen," Hinton said. "I came back for the ball, reached over my shoulder and snatched it at the Bills' 40-yard line. Then I reversed field and just kept running.

It was like I was walking on air and nobody could touch me. But I felt like I had to score for Unitas." The touchdown, with some nifty broken-field running, covered 63 yards. The crowd went nuts. The play was payback for the times Unitas had bailed him out, Hinton said. Like the 1970 game against the Chicago Bears when on the Colts' winning drive 39-year-old Johnny Unitas threw for Baltimore.

With the Colts leading the Buffalo Bills, 28-0, and the Memorial Stadium crowd chanting his name, Unitas came off the bench and called Hinton's number. "In the huddle, he says, 'I'm gonna throw the crossing pattern to Hinton remembered. "I'm thinking, 'Oh, man here's a guy who I still called 'Mr. a guy who has thrown to Raymond Berry Ellerbe's grown up and stepped up for Ravens 'D' your life, and those things make you abetter person," Ellerbe said. "I've had my fair share at Georgia and here, and now I'm just trying to keep prospering." It comes at the right time.

Shortly into his rookie season, Ellerbe showed a lot of promise despite having been an undrafted free agent. There has always been talk about him as the replacement for Lewis, who is in his 17th season. But now it's more than talk. The next step is consistency and showing that he can become an every-down player. "I'm out here working hard, doing everything I can," Ellerbe said.

"I will play where they want me to play. I can play inside the box or wherever they need me. "Everybody has their own packages," he added. "I do feel like an every-down linebacker. I did that early on in my career.

They had me in only in run situations, and a couple of games later, they had me back in on every down again. In my second year I was in only on passing situations, and last year I did both. I just have to show I can do it for an entire season." Ellerbe is filling plenty of roles and is tied for second on the squad with two special teams tackles. "Ellerbe is playing great," free safety Ed Reed said. "He is doing awesome.

He fought through some injuries early, but he's doing great now" A lot of the bad things appear to be behind him. Ellerbe once weighed 266 pounds. He now stays under a team-prescribed 240. He is still learning the game from Lewis and Reed, but teaching it to some of the younger players as well. He has stepped up as well as grown up.

"I'm in my fourth year," Ellerbe said. "I PRESTON, From page 1 practice. Once, he reportedly was late for a game, which can happen on the road. But this was a home game. Harbaugh never talked about those issues to the media, but clearly he was annoyed enough that Ellerbe couldn't get onto the field.

"He can probably tell you that more than anything, and I think every year once you get into the league and understand that your role is starting to increase, increase, increase, then you understand that you've got to take the business way more seriously than he probably did in his younger days," inside linebacker Ray Lewis said. "And what you're seeing now is his study habits and the way he approaches the game now, you know that he's really turning into a real veteran to understand the business side of it" Everyone is starting to take notice. Ellerbe, in his fourth season out of Georgia, is second on the team in tackles with 23, 10 behind team leader Lewis. The Ravens have used Ellerbe almost exclusively in passing situations, primarily to cover runners out of the backfield, but he has done well as a pass rusher with 2.5 sacks. He can shoot up the gaps or come hard off the edge.

Nothing or no one is stopping him now Only injuries or Ellerbe can stop Ellerbe. "Nah, I'm not looking over my shoulder, because injuries are a part of the game," Ellerbe said. "You just have to go out there and play the game, and whatever happens, happens." And what about this Ellerbe character who used to get into trouble? "You have to go through certain things in IlsU KENNETH K. LAMBALTIMORE SUN PHOTO Linebackers Dannell Ellerbe (59) and Courtney Upshaw celebrate after sacking the Patriots' Tom Brady in the Ravens' 31-30 victory Sept. 23.

Ellerbe has 2.5 sacks this season. still learn from the veterans, but I can teach young guys what to do on and off the field. I just have to work on getting better. I can cover guys, but I can take on offensive linemen as well. I am nasty enough to stop the run.

"My goals for the rest of the season are to get better at what I'm doing, stay injury-free and try to sneak into a Pro Bowl," said Ellerbe, laughing. He might be on his way. For now, he's moving in the right direction. He's unleashed and out in the yard, away from the doghouse. mike.prestonbaltsun.com.