Lewis Is Still Smiling, Despite PED Allegations

Sunday's Super Bowl will be Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis's final game before entering retirement. And nothing will keep him from enjoying the moment.

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Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens

In a news conference Wednesday, Lewis denied a Sports Illustrated report that he had sought to use deer-antler spray, a product that contains a banned substance, to help heal his recovery from a torn triceps injury.

"I've said it before, I've said a million times, the reason why I am smiling is because it is so funny of a story, because I never, ever, took what he says I—whatever I was supposed to do," Lewis said.

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Associated Press

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach in 1971

A Switch That Brings Back Memories of Staubach

The San Francisco 49ers' mid-season switch to Colin Kaepernick from Alex Smith has brought back memories of 1971 for former Dallas Cowboys executive Gil Brandt. Dallas had a winning record when coach Tom Landry replaced Craig Morton with Roger Staubach. "Sometimes you have to take a calculated risk," Brandt said. Staubach also had good feet, like Kaepernick, while Morton was slower. "I believe Roger at 70 could still play in this league," Brandt joked. "I'm not sure things would work out so well for a slower-footed guy like Norm Van Brocklin."

Ravens Defense Has Already Put in Overtime

If there's one group of players that has benefited the most from an extra week off before the Super Bowl, it's members of the Baltimore Ravens defense. In three games this postseason, the Ravens faced 256 plays. Their 85 plays-per-game average in the playoffs is the most faced by a team in NFL history (minimum two games), according to Pro-Football-Reference. It's also 20 more plays than the NFL regular-season average. By comparison, the 49ers defense has only faced 61 plays per game during the playoffs.

A version of this article appeared January 31, 2013, on page D6 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Heard on the Field.