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OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Its time to find out how Joe Flacco will respond to taking a hit on his surgically repaired left knee.Flacco will start at quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night against the Detroit Lions, his first game action since tearing his ACL and MCL nine months ago in a game against the St. Louis Rams.The injury ended Flaccos run of 137 straight starts. Following surgery and intensive rehabilitation, he returned to the practice field on the first day of training camp.Wearing a protective brace on his knee and a red jersey that serves as a do-not-touch warning to his teammates, Flacco has fared well this summer.But he hasnt taken a blow to the knee. How he holds up in the pocket against Detroit is far more significant than completion percentage or touchdown throws.I dont need to get hit, no, Flacco said Thursday. But if I do, its not a bad thing either. Hopefully, its the same as its always been.Flacco is the franchise career leader in yards passing (28,3220, touchdown throws (162) and 300-yard games (26). He was also the Super Bowl MVP in 2012.His value to the Ravens is immeasurable. So someone asked coach John Harbaugh if he was confident Flacco could absorb a shot to the knee on Saturday.If I wasnt, he wouldnt be out there, Harbaugh said.But the coach acknowledged, Football is always risky for everybody. Thats just the way it works. You have to weigh the benefits with the risk.That point is, the Ravens dont want to wait until the Sept. 11 regular season opener against Buffalo to get a read on the status of their most important player.Joes the quarterback. Hes not going to break, Harbaugh said. Hes going to play and were planning on him playing really well, just like he has in practice. But it will be his first game action in a long time. Im sure thats going to be a factor, but Id rather have it in this game than two weeks from now against the Bills.Flacco agreed.I really dont feel like I need to play in (preseason) games to get ready to play Game One, but I want to put myself through that whole process, he said. I just think Ill be better for it. Thats the reason for the whole thing.Flacco said watching the Ravens first two preseason games from the sideline was tough. He probably could have played, but what was the point?None of the starters will participate in the exhibition finale in New Orleans on Sept. 1, so this game will serve as Flaccos only tuneup for his ninth NFL season.Thats really what Im looking forward to, just getting back out there in live action, he said. Being in a real huddle and just seeing everybodys eyes and how excited they are to be out there.Its likely no one in that huddle will be more pumped as the guy calling the plays.Im looking forward to getting out there, Flacco said. Im excited about it. Its been a while obviously. I had to go through a little bit to get here to this point where I can go back out there and play with my guys.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL DJ Moore Jersey . The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 for Jones (19-1). It was the champions closest call. Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth. Donte Jackson Panthers Jersey . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. 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Brownes message to both players was straightforward, saying they had been dropped and telling them they were free to seek clarification from him or the selection panel if they wanted. Considering the squad has not been officially announced yet, ESPNcricinfo sought a comment from the WICB on Wednesday, but the board did not respond.Both Pollard and Ramdin had poor returns in the recently concluded limited-overs series against Pakistan in the UAE. Pollard managed 43 runs in the three T20s, and bowled two overs, going wicketless. In the three-match ODI series, which West Indies lost 3-0, Pollard scored 42 runs at an average of 14.00. He took one wicket in the 12 overs he bowled across the three matches.Ramdin, who was recalled to the ODI squad, compiled 79 runs at 26.33 in the three ODIs and did not feature in the T20s. Brownes selection panel had dropped Ramdin from the squad for the four-Test series at home against India earlierr this year.dddddddddddd Ramdin made the news public on Twitter before the squad was announced, and was subsequently sanctioned by the WICB.Ramdin has endured difficult times in the past 18 months. Despite helping West Indies level the Test series 1-all at home against England, Ramdin was stripped of Test captaincy immediately after the 2-0 home Test series loss to Australia.Pollard, meanwhile, has had mixed returns since returning from knee surgery last November. Pollard was picked for the tri-series at home in June, involving Australia and South Africa, and was instrumental in West Indies finishing as runners-up, scoring 205 runs at 41.00 including two half-centuries.Browne, who replaced former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd as chairman of selectors in June, has taken some bold decisions during his short tenure, including dropping Darren Sammy after he had led West Indies to their second World T20 title.Sammy did not hide his frustration when he called the symposium organised by the WICB and the West Indies Players Association in July, to clear the differences between the board and the players, a publicity stunt on his Twitter account. ' ' '