As the practice week ended Sept. 23, head coach John Harbaugh celebrated his 54th birthday. One of his favorite phrases on the occasion is, "The days are long, but the years are short."
It's an apt phrase; because football is a sport played in short bursts, it usually doesn't take long for a truly good team to build momentum and take control of a game.
That would be the best present Harbaugh could get from his team, a group that has been known for slow starts in recent years.
In two games this season, Baltimore has recorded three first-quarter points -- a field goal in the opener against Buffalo Sept. 11 -- and hasn't scored more than 90 points in the opening frame of any full season since getting 95 in 2011, a year that ended with an AFC title-game appearance.
