OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- In his first regular season game since last November, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco will wear a brace on his surgically repaired left knee.He knows the brace probably wont go unnoticed by fans, or the Buffalo Bills.Flacco returns Sunday to face Rex Ryans Bills, a team that usually makes pressuring the quarterback its No. 1 priority.Rex always likes to come after people. Thats his nature, Flacco said Wednesday. I dont think hes going to blitz me just to see if my knee will hold up. But maybe.Flacco is one of several Baltimore starters eager to get on the field again after watching the latter part of last season from the sideline. The Ravens placed 20 players on injured reserve, including linebacker Terrell Suggs, running back Justin Forsett and receivers Steve Smith and Breshad Perriman.That goes a long way explaining why Baltimore finished 5-11.Flacco tore his ACL and MCL in November; Suggs ruptured his Achilles in the opener; Forsett broke his arm in the same game that Flacco went down in; Smith tore his Achilles on Nov. 1; and Perriman, the teams top draft pick in 2015, never played a down after tearing knee ligaments during the first practice of training camp.The 37-year-old Smith intended for the 2015 season to be his last. He then decided he didnt want to go limping into retirement.Asked what he was most looking forward to on Sunday, Smith replied, Just taking the time to enjoy being with my teammates and having fun. Im excited to play with Breshad. The young man has been through a lot.So has Smith, who worked feverishly to be ready for the 2016 opener. Even after the rehabilitation process was over, there was still the matter of getting in shape to play football.You cant just go from not playing to all of a sudden playing, Smith said. When I was cleared, I was hurting. The hamstrings were tight, the calves were tight.None of the players returning from injury saw extensive action during the preseason. Smith didnt play at all, Flacco and Suggs played less than a half and Forsett had seven carries for 11 yards.Adding to Forsetts strange preseason was his release Saturday and subsequent return Monday. Forsett knew the Ravens were merely using him to manipulate the roster, but many of his friends were concerned that his career might be over.I was able to watch my own funeral happen, Forsett said with a chuckle.He intends to be rather active against Buffalo.Feed me, Forsett said. Its been a long journey back, and Im excited to get back out there with my boys.So is Suggs, who has essentially played in only one game thats mattered since the end of the 2014 season.Theres nothing like opening day and live bullets, he said. But its going to be like riding a bike. After the first couple of plays, you kind of get back into it and start to do what you do best. Its going to be fun.Flacco played in 137 straight games (including playoffs) before his injury. He missed the final six games and hated every minute of it.It was definitely a tough process, watching all your teammates go out there and play, he said. Im definitely excited to get back out there and be a part of the group.No one on the team has waged more of a fight to return that tight end Dennis Pitta, whos on target to play in his first game since Sept. 23, 2014. Pitta has played in only seven games since the start of the 2013 season because of a bothersome hip that hes injured and re-injured.I know what hes capable of when hes playing at a high level, Flacco said. He hasnt played a game in a very long time, so yeah, its a little bit different. But I expect him to adjust to it relatively quickly.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Stan Smith Baratas Online . Radwanska, making her debut in the Seoul tournament, hit eight aces in a match that lasted 1 hour, 4 minutes at Olympic Park tennis stadium. "It was definitely a very good match -- I was playing really good tennis," Radwanska said. Stan Smith Baratas . -- Five former Kansas City Chiefs players who were on the team between 1987 and 1993 filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming the team hid and even lied about the risks of head injuries during that time period when there was no collective bargaining agreement in place in the NFL. http://www.stansmithbaratas.es/ . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. Stan Smith Baratas España .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Stan Smith España . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. MILWAUKEE -- Its been a dismal season at times for the Milwaukee Brewers, who are nearing the end of the first full year of rebuilding under the watchful eye of general manager David Stearns.But one thing thats gone right for the Brewers in 2016 is their home record. Milwaukee finished up a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday afternoon to improve to 36-29 at home, where theyve won six of their last eight games including four in a row.I know weve had stretches throughout my tenure here where thats been the case, left fielder Ryan Braun said. Its just one of those weird things. Most teams in baseball are a little bit more comfortable at home, have a little better routines at home, and play better at home.History suggests the Brewers winning ways at home will continue this weekend when the Pittsburgh Pirates roll into town for a four-game set that starts Thursday night.Miller Park has been nothing short of a house of horrors for the Pirates, who have lost nine in a row in Milwaukee and are 17-64 at Miller Park since the start of the 2007 season.The Brewers have tormented the Pirates in general during that stretch, posting a 103-54 record.Theyve played better than us, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said Wednesday after his squad fell to Houston 5-4. I know it sounds (simplistic). They have. And were due. Thats the way I look at it. The longer you go without winning a game somewhere, the better your chances are to win. Its our time to do something there.Chad Kuhl tries o stop the bleeding when he takess the mound Thursday for his eighth career start and fourth since he was brought back from the minors Aug.dddddddddddd 9.He was 1-0 with a 4.19 ERA when he was sent down in mid-July and in three starts since hasnt allowed more than two earned runs and worked six innings each time out.Kuhl took no-decision after his last outing, when he allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits without a walk or a strikeout in a 3-1 loss to the Marlins.I thought he pitched a very competitive ballgame, Hurdle said. He pitched out of traffic in the third inning, when it could have really got complicated. He showed really good poise to get the ground ball to get the double play to end the inning. I thought he pitched very good ballgame.Milwaukee, meanwhile, turns to Wily Peralta, who has looked sharp since returning from a two-month demotion to Triple-A.The Brewers opening day starter was 4-7 with a 6.68 ERA in 13 starts when sent down July 11.Since returning, though, hes 1-2 with a 3.50 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 18 innings over three starts.I found my rhythm and felt better about my pitches, Peralta said of his time in the minors. The pitches dont move where they are supposed to there but you have to do whatever you can and make sure you get on top of your pitches. Its not easy; you have to learn.You have to make sure your timing and rhythm is there. If its not, the pitch is not going to do anything. ' ' '