we ran for more than 200 yards

BALTIMORE -- There once was a time when Ray Lewis served as the centerpiece of the best defense in the NFL.That role is now being played by Zachary Orr, the Baltimore Ravens middle linebacker and leading tackler on a unit ranked No. 1 in the league.Though the names have changed, the philosophy behind the Ravens defense remains the same.So does its effectiveness.The current edition of the Baltimore defense is not yet worthy of being compared some of the great ones of the past, most notably the 2000 version, which set a record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game season before winning the Super Bowl.But entering Monday nights game against the New England Patriots, the Ravens (7-5) are in the mix for the AFC North title on the strength of a defense that has limited the opposition to an NFL-low 73.8 yards rushing per game.Theyre the first-rated defense in the league, so no one has done a better job over the course of the season than them, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said.They dont give you anything easy. You have to earn it. They do a good mix with their scheme and also with their personnel.The plan hasnt changed much since Lewis arrived in Baltimore in 1996. While the tackles jammed the front of the line, Lewis honed in on the guy with the ball. In case of a pass, safety Ed Reed had Lewis back.Tony Siragusa, Haloti Ngata, Kelly Gregg and several others played front man for Lewis, who retired after Baltimore beat San Francisco in the 2012 Super Bowl.This season, the 335-pound Brandon Williams is paving the way for Orr.He is in the middle of the defense, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs said. That is the heart of it, if you ask me.For a long time around here, we had the great Ray Lewis, but nobody ever really mentioned Kelly Gregg and the dominance that he had. Our middle linebacker and our nose guards, thats pretty much the source of our defense.Dean Pees has followed the practice of former Ravens defensive coordinators Marvin Lewis and Rex Ryan in utilizing that sound strategy.With Williams up front, Orr in the middle and three-time Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle in the back end, Baltimore has allowed only 17.3 points per game.We know how we want to play fundamentally, Pees said. You just have to play that way.Now in his fifth season as Ravens defensive coordinator, Pees knows how to put together a unit and make it work.Were sitting at the top of the league right now because of the things hes been doing, cornerback Jimmy Smith said.Last weeks 38-6 rout of Miami was one of those rare afternoons when both the offense and defense were clicking in unison. If the offense continues to improve, so will the defense.Ill tell you this: Our defense is going to look even better if -- and when -- our offense goes out and puts up points, Smith said, because we can start playing the defense where we can get after a lot of guys, pin our ears back, get sacks and a lot more turnovers.The Baltimore offense should be tested by the Patriots, who in turn know theyll have to be at their best to score on the Ravens.Asked what concerned him most about the Baltimore defense, New England coach Bill Belichick said, Pretty much everything. Tough to run against, very good on third down, dont give up a lot of points, turn the ball over.You just cant be sloppy around this defense. You have to take good care of the football and youve got to be physical with them. Theyve got some big, strong guys up front.Its been that way for a long, long time. Just ask Orr, who entered the weekend tied for fourth in the NFL with 112 tackles.I have great players around me that have allowed me to flourish in this system, Orr said. Its probably the best situation I could be in.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Mike Mayers . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. Tony La Russa . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. http://www.custommlbcardinalsjersey.com/custom-brett-cecil-jersey-large-1511q.html . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. Michael Wacha . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. Jordan Hicks . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The noise from the postgame celebration echoed well outside Wake Forests locker room into the adjacent space where reporters waited to talk to coach Dave Clawson and his players.And who could blame the Demon Deacons for their exuberance? It was the first time any of the players on this roster had enjoyed the feeling of securing bowl eligibility.Wake Forest (6-3, 3-2 ACC) took advantage of two fourth quarter interceptions thrown by Virginias Kurt Benkert, with safety Jessie Bates returning the latter 39 yards for the winning touchdown with 6:47 remaining, as the Deacons defeated UVA 27-20 on Saturday.The victory secured bowl eligibility for Wake Forest for the first time since 2011, when the Deacons lost to Mississippi State in the Music City Bowl.Weve got some kids who have really busted their butts, put a lot into this program, for three, four, five years, Clawson said. People say, `Why do you coach? You can ask my wife. I dont sleep. Why do you do this to yourself? The high of enjoying moments like that is why you keep going at it. Theres no feeling in the world like getting to share that with your team. Thats what keeps you going.The team had its stalwart defense to thank, as the pair of fourth quarter picks directly led to 10 of Wake Forests points. Cameron Glenn returned the first interception 41 yards to set up a short Mike Weaver field goal, which tied it at 20-all.It took just three more plays for the Deacons defense to generate another turnover, as Benkert was flushed from the pocket and threw a panicked pass across his body into a host of black-clad defenders. Bates secured the interception and needed only a couple of blocks to find space along the home sideline and get into the end zone.Sometimes youre going to get sacked, Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall said. Its sometimes better to take the sack than deliver the ball in traffic. (Benkert) was trying so hard to extend plays, and I applaud him for that. He doesnt have to do it all by himself.The teams traded momentum through the first three quarters. Jordan Ellis 6-yard touchdown run punctuating a 75-yard game-opening drive for Virginia.But Wake Forest took control soon after, as quarterback John Wolford scored on a 64-yard touchdown run. A Weaver field goal and a short touchdown pass to Cam Serigne just before halftime gave the Deacons a 17-6 lead at the break.But Virginia (2-7, 1-4) rallied in the third quarter, as Benkert threw a 2-yard scoring toss to Doni Dowling. The Cavaliers then recovered an onside kick, and later took tthe lead when Benkert scrambled long enough to find an open Taquan Mizzell for a 45-yard touchdown pass to make it 20-17.ddddddddddddts not always pretty. Its not how you script it, Clawson said. But we ran for more than 200 yards, our defense played really well, and we got a fourth quarter comeback to get to six wins.THE TAKEAWAY:Wake Forest: The Deacons ground game paved the way for their offensive success. Wake Forest eschewed all pretense of play-calling balance in the early stages; Wolford didnt attempt a pass in the first quarter. The Cavaliers defense simply could not stop the ground game, as Wolford combined with running backs Cade Carney and Matt Colburn for 130 rushing yards on 14 carries by the end of the quarter, including Wolfords 64-yard scoring run.I was feeling pretty fast, Wolford said. I just didnt want to fumble. That was my whole thought process, so if I felt anyone get close, I was gonna go two hands (on the ball). I was able to pull away. Its always fun to get those big runs, because people dont expect it.Virginia: The loss ensured the Cavaliers would finish with a losing record for the fifth consecutive season. Their last bowl appearance, like Wake Forest, came in 2011, when they lost to Auburn 43-24 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.ILL TAKE THAT:Wake Forests defense forced three turnovers, and the Deacons scored 17 of their 27 points on the possessions which immediately followed those takeaways. It was the fourth time this season that the Deacons forced at least three turnovers. Bates interception was his fifth of the season, good enough for second in the ACC, and his second return for a touchdown of the year.The difference in the game today was Wake Forest took the ball away three times, and we didnt take it away, Mendenhall said. There might be other story lines that branch off from there, but really you can trace that to being the difference in the game.UP NEXT:Wake Forest: The Deacons will play their final road game of the season next Saturday when they travel to No. 5 Louisville. Wake Forest has not beaten a nationally-ranked opponent since knocking off then-No. 22 Florida State 35-30 in 2011, and it has not beaten a team ranked in the top 5 since a 1946 win at then-No. 4 Tennessee.Virginia: The Cavaliers return to Charlottesville to host Miami next Saturday. That will be UVAs final home game before ending the season with trips to Georgia Tech and rival Virginia Tech ' ' '