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Neal has some ties to the Baltimore coaching staff, as Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron coached him in San Diego. Head coach John Harbaugh said that the Ravens view Neal not just as a quality lead blocker, but as a guy who can make plays with the ball in his hands as well.

The most entertaining part of practice came mid-way through the morning session, when Matt Stover converted on a kick that made him the most popular player on the field.

Harbaugh promised his team that if the 40-year-old kicker could connect on a 48 yard field goal, he would cancel the team's afternoon practice. Stover booted it through, setting off a celebration on par with that of a Super Bowl win.

The players mobbed Stover on the field, and linebacker Nick Greisen ran off pumping his fist and screaming.

Kickers don't exactly have a history for being the most accepted players in football locker rooms, so luckily, for Stover's sake, he came through today.

How did the pressure compare to that of a game situation?

"That's as close as you can get," Stover said. "In fact, I think that was worse than kicking a game winner, because you don't want to let your guys down."

Even though Stover's dramatics gave the Ravens the afternoon off, they still had to finish the rest of the morning practice before they could relax.

Some observations from the morning session:

The offense and defense engaged in an all-out short yardage session, which led to a lot of trash talk and a few shoving matches between the units.

On one play, outside linebacker Jarret Johnson was pushed aside by guard Ben Grubbs. Johnson was unhappy with something that went on during the play, so he went at Grubbs, prompting one offensive coach to yell, "Ninety-five [Johnson is number 95], don't get mad because he's working you over!"

On the next play, Troy Smith got caught up in a shoving match with cornerback Corey Ivy and had to be pulled away by teammates.

The offense and defense each had their moments, but Ray Rice was the clear top performer yet again. The rookie running back picked up two tough first downs in short yardage situations and then fought his way into the endzone from about three yards out. He finished it off in style, high-stepping across the goal line and flipping the ball to cornerback Ronnie Prude, who was standing behind the endzone watching the action.

Rice has had a fantastic training camp, and continues to look sharp, running incredibly hard and showing off his quick feet. Those around the team seem to feel that with the exception of the usual big-time performers (Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, etc.), Rice might be having the most impressive training camp.

Reed was in a red jersey again today, indicating that he cannot engage in contact. The star safety had spent the first two weeks of camp on the physically unable to perform list with a shoulder injury, but he was recently cleared to practice. Harbaugh said he expects the Miami product to be ready by the regular-season opener.

The lack of contact is important as Reed eases his way into game shape, but he claims avoiding the physical play isn't as easy as it sounds.

"[Wearing the red jersey] hasn't worked at all," Reed said. "I still have been getting bumped, still been hitting the ground, running through guys, which is a good thing. You really get a feel of whether you can get hit or not, which usually is a good feeling."

Despite the lack of time on the field in full-speed drills, Reed looks fairly sharp. He picked off a Troy Smith pass late in practice and took it down the sideline, out-racing the entire offense to the endzone for a touchdown.

The red jerseys are a color usually reserved for quarterbacks, and Reed said he would be willing to join Kyle Boller, Troy Smith and Joe Flacco if necessary,

"I played quarterback in high school," he said. "So if they need me to go over there with those guys I can."

During 11-on-11 drills, Flacco fired a pass over the middle that fell incomplete. The players started to turn to head back to the huddle, but a late flag for pass interference came flying in, landing near Corey Ivy.

Ivy, unhappy with the call, picked up the flag and faked throwing it into the stands, mocking the infamous Bart Scott flag-throwing incident against the Patriots last year. This is now the second time I've seen a Raven mock Scott's actions in training camp.

And now for your daily quarterback update:

Kyle Boller started off well, but yet again made a poor decision when put under pressure. Boller was blitzed, and knowing he was in trouble in the pocket, dumped the ball off over the middle. His pass hit safety Jim Leonhard right in the chest for an interception. Boller continues to look like an NFL quarterback 80 percent of the time, but his penchant for turning the ball over is a serious issue.

Smith, who will get the start in the Ravens' second preseason game on Saturday, did not look good today. Multiple times, he held the ball too long and took a "sack" (quarterbacks don't get hit, but when defenders get through to the QB, the play is blown dead), and he lacked his usual accuracy.

Smith was picked off by Reed, and threw behind Derrick Mason on a wide receiver screen. Because the pass was thrown behind the line of scrimmage, it was a live ball, which was recovered by the defense. This Saturday will be a major test for Smith, and Harbaugh will be watching to see if the second-year QB can make smart decisions in the pocket.

Flacco ran the red-zone offense the best of the three quarterbacks today, as he connected with Mason on a TD, and did not turn the ball over. He also has a tendency to hold the ball too long, and needs to make decisions a little quicker. Flacco will likely be relegated to fourth quarter duty again this weekend, but will get a chance to get more snaps later in the preseason.