NOTEBOOK: Snubs Don't Sting

Even though three players will represent Baltimore in the Pro Bowl amid a 4-10 season, there are many other Ravens in the locker room who are deserving of the honor.

Wideout Derrick Mason ranks third in the NFL in catches (92) and is tops in third-down receptions, with 31 grabs moving the chains 21 times.

Willis McGahee's 1,197 rushing yards are good for fourth in the league. McGahee has popped off five 100-yard games this season.

Even more shockingly, defensive tackles Haloti Ngata and Kelly Gregg didn't earn one of three All-Star spots for interior linemen, and they even went without mention for first- or second-alternates spots. This comes after a season when the Ravens have allowed a miniscule 77 yards on the ground per game, largely because of this unsung duo.

While many in Baltimore are puzzled at the All-Star snubs, the Ravens are not fuming over the results.

"I've never been, so I'm not going to even worry about it," said McGahee, who topped 1,000 yards for the third time in his career. "I can see if I'd been before [and] then I got bamboozled. But, hey, it is what it is."

In some cases, there are only so many spots to fill. Mason understands that he is still in the conversation among the NFL's best wideouts, but the four Pro Bowlers at his position - New England's Randy Moss, Indianapolis' Reggie Wayne, Cleveland's Braylon Edwards and Cincinnati's T.J. Houshmandzadeh - are worthy honorees.

"I realize what's going on," Mason explained. "The other four guys that made it, hands down, they should have [for] what they have done throughout the course of the season. All but one has a winning record, and that's Houshmandzadeh.

"If you look at the body of work that those other three or four [have done], you can't blame the fans or the coaches or players for picking those guys, because they deserve it."

Finishing up his second season in the league, Ngata has ample time to rack up the frequent flier miles to Hawaii, but after tallying the most tackles by an interior lineman since 2002 with 572, the Ravens thought this was Gregg's year.

But, perhaps because the former sixth-round draft pick stands shorter at 5-foot-11 than his peers and had to play his way up from Baltimore's practice squad, Gregg will have to continue his championship-caliber production under the radar.

"That's a joke," said linebacker Bart Scott, referring to Gregg's Pro Bowl snub. "Sometimes when your car doesn't look as good as everyone else's, nobody wants to buy it."

Neuheisel to UCLA?

Ravens offensive coordinator Rick Neuheisel's collegiate coaching career may be close to being resurrected. Neuheisel has been widely mentioned as a strong candidate for the head position at his alma mater, UCLA.

Neuheisel led the Bruins to a Rose Bowl Championship as a quarterback and returned as receivers and quarterbacks coach from 1988-93. The 46-year-old went on to helm the University of Colorado and Washington.

With Oregon coach Mike Bellotti pulling out of the UCLA race Friday, there is one less candidate running against Neuheisel, whose name has also been mentioned for jobs at Southern Methodist, Georgia Tech and Duke.

Ravens head coach Brian Billick was not surprised at the interest in his assistant.

"Rick Neuheisel has been and will make an outstanding college coach," Billick told the media earlier this season. "You all know Rick, his enthusiasm, his passion for the game, his temperament, his personality, his love for the competition, the way he interacts with the players. The college game needs coaches like Rick Neuheisel."

Noisy Seattle

Not only will the Ravens' offense have the challenge of breaking in rookie quarterback Troy Smith in Seattle this weekend, the unit will also have to combat the nerve-rattling noise generated by the Seahawks' home crowd.

The fans at Qwest Field are widely known as some of the loudest in the NFL, even earning the nickname of "12th Man."

Since 2005, Seattle's opponents have racked up the most false start penalties. In 23 home games, visiting teams were flagged 68 times at the 67,000-seat stadium, 14 more than the second-place Metrodome in Minnesota.

"It makes it difficult, but this is not the first situation we've been in. This is not our first rodeo," said Mason. "We've been in some loud stadiums and we had to improvise as a team. You go with a silent count, you do something different, you practice things differently on the practice field that would probably give you an advantage on the road."