For Ravens fans the hits just kept on coming after the brutal AFC Championship game loss to the New England Patriots. Shortly after the team got back to business the news rocked the Castle that Chuck Pagano, first year defensive coordinator for the team, was hired as the new head coach for the hated rival Indianapolis Colts. Pagano had a great year with the Ravens as he brought back much of the ferocity in the defense that seemed to be lacking since Rex Ryan left for New York.

Ryan's replacement, Greg Mattison, was a bit more subdued in his play calling and focused more on coverage down field than finding creative ways to rush the passer. Not that there is anything wrong with that but the teams weakest link during his tenure was the secondary and the defense was built around the front seven and creating pressure. It just seemed that there was something lacking. Just off the top of my head, the three man rush was not a strength or ours... and it was used a bit too much under Greg Mattison's regime. After 2010 he left for the same job with Michigan and Pagano stepped in an brought the defense back to life. It was never said that the team was unhappy with him but I assume it was a mutual decision for him to leave.

Now Pagano is off to a new venture. He packed his family up on a Mayflower truck and headed off to Indy. Baltimore has since promoted linebackers coach Dean Pees into Pagano's old job. When it was announced that Pees would be taking over I had no idea who he was or where he came from but after doing some research I am pleasantly surprised to find out he has quite an impressive resume.

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So I've been thinking recently and realized that our blog seems to be missing a little something. We lack a personal connection. Sure the sports conversation is always good, but I think we lack common knowledge of each other's welfare. So I'm introducing a weekly series (yes, weekly, my commitment to daily always wavers) called "What's Going On?"

What we'll do is simply just have conversation, talk about what's going on in our lives. Technically speaking, it's an open thread with the intention of finding out more about each other and what's happening in other people's lives. I think this would be a good way to get this site activity, and to get to know the people that we talk to on a daily basis. So I would like to know your guys' opinions on this idea, and if you would be willing to participate on it.

NFL Network will televise five additional regular-season games in 2012 as part of its Thursday Night Football package, NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL announced recently.

The Thursday Night Football schedule on NFL Network will now feature 13 games, all on Thursdays, from Weeks 2-15 (skipping Week 12). In previous years, the NFLN slate included at least one Saturday night game. NBC will televise the Thursday night game on Thanksgiving in Week 12, in addition to the NFL Kickoff game.

"Adding these games to the NFL Network schedule will give more players, teams, and cities the primetime stage," Commissioner Goodell said. "Our fans can now get an early start on the NFL weekend in the season’s first 15 weeks."

With the expansion of the Thursday Night Football schedule, all 32 NFL teams will now play at least one primetime game in 2012. In addition, every club will play on one Thursday following a Sunday game.

Also in 2012, NFL Network will unveil a new Spanish-language NFL RedZone channel. NFL RedZone, produced by NFL Network, debuted in 2009 and whips around to every NFL game on Sunday afternoons, delivering the touchdowns and most exciting moments as they happen. The channel keeps fans up-to-date in real time, switching from game to game with live look-ins, highlights and a chance to see the important plays.

Thursday Night Football averaged a record 6.2 million viewers in 2011 (not including over-the-air stations) – topping the average playoff viewership of other sports on cable. TNF has doubled average viewership from its inaugural season in 2006 (3.1 million viewers).

Here's your weekly look around the World Wide Web on all the news on the Baltimore Ravens from a bunch of other sources other than your best bet right here on Baltimore Beatdown:

Birk Still Pondering Retirement - ESPN AFC North Blog

Fan Gives Patriots Owner Cundiff's Missed Ball - Boston Herald

Todd McShay Sees Vontaze Burfict To Ravens - SB Nation

Dolphin Blog Mock Draft - The Phinsider

Steven Tyler Defends National Anthem Criticism - KOvideo

Eagles Claim Ravens tackle D.J. Jones - Philadelphia Inquirer

Ravens Cheerleaders Bahamas Photo Shoot - The Freeport News

2012 Predictions - FOX Sports

Ravens Off-Season Game Plan - The Sporting News

Mock Draft: Burfict To Ravens - SB Nation Arizona

Michael Oher's Story - MyFox Memphis

Bryant McKinnie To The WWE? - Wrestling Inc.

With the end of the Super Bowl, the 2012 season is now basically upon us. The NFL Scouting Combine begins in a little over two weeks and then free agency opens up on March 13th. The 2012 NFL Draft is at the end of April and unlike last year, when the NFL Lockout prevented teams from filling holes before the draft through free agency, this will be a very important free agency period.

Thanks to information from Mac's Football Blog, we have the full list of Baltimore Ravens players who are under contract or what level of free agent they will be in 2012. Franchise Tags will be placed on players between February 20th and March 5th. while tenders will begin being placed on Restricted Free Agents in the coming weeks. There are minimum amounts for the right to place a tender on a player, slightly different from past years due to new language in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Even without a new contract, Ravens QB Joe Flacco reached certain individual-specific performance levels in this season to warrant an automatic increase in his 2012 salary, going from what would have been $4.61 million to now going up to $6.76 million, a raise of $2.5 million.

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With quarterback, Joe Flacco, now entering the prime of his career, the Baltimore Ravens have decided to bring in a fresh face to work with the soon-to-be 5^th year veteran as well as former collegiate stand-out, Tyrod Taylor. To this day, controversy still surrounds former Ravens quarterback coach, Jim Zorn, and why he was released after seemingly helping Flacco to his best statistical year. After leaving the quarterback coach position vacant this season, the organization was happy to welcome Jim Caldwell into their ranks.

During Super Bowl week, former Indy head coach, Tony Dungy, took a few minutes to answer questions that varied from becoming a member of the media to how he feels about Peyton Manning’s health and ability to still play football.

During the interview, Dungy had his take on how Caldwell can help the Ravens, saying this:

"Jim will be great for him (Flacco). He’s the best quarterback coach I’ve ever been around, and he did a great job here (Indy) for me, helped us to a Super Bowl and I know that’s going to be his goal in Baltimore."

(Read more what Jim Caldwell might bring to the Ravens after the 'Jump')

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On Tuesday, Ricky Williams announced that he was retiring for the second time in his career. The news was a surprise to the Ravens considering that he told the teams website just last week that he was "excited" to play next season.

So why the sudden change of heart? Apparently his former coach and mentor in the NFL Bill Parcells had a lot to do with it.

Williams told a radio station in Miami that a text message from his former mentor with the Miami Dolphins made him reconsider his career. Williams had texted Parcells first however.

"I was really excited to express to him how excited I was about football and about the way the season ended and how much I was looking forward to coming back, and his reply kind of shook me a little bit," Williams said of Parcells' text message. "He said, 'well, that's good to hear,' he said, 'you know, don't chase this thing too long. You can contribute in other ways.'"

Williams spent the bulk of his career in Miami, where Parcells was exec VP of football operations for three years. The two have stayed in close contact since Williams left for Baltimore last year and apparently the old man still carries some wait with the Ravens back up rusher. I'm sure he was just looking out for Williams' best interest but maybe he should choose his words a bit more carefully next time instead of tampering with a player on another team.

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With the final draft order set now that the New York Giants are picking last after beating the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, SB Nation has put out their latest version of the 2012 Mock Draft. This Mock Draft even includes a huge trade near the top of the draft for one of the two marquee quarterbacks in the draft. SB Nation.

They figure that there wil also be two veteran free agents on the market that should have found new homes by the time the draft rolls around in late April. Free agency begins in early March and most likely both Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning and Green Bay Packers backup Matt Flynn should be wearing new uniforms that will take two of the suitors for top draft picks Andrew Luck (Stanford) and Robert Griffen III (Baylor) out of the running.

That still leaves teams such as the Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, New York Jets (what happened to the "Sanchize?") and Miami Dolphins in the mix depending on what happens in free agency. Check out who they see the Baltimore Ravens selecting with the 29th pick in the first round, which should make some fans happy while others questioning the pick.