Joe Flacco
threw two touchdown passes and the Baltimore Ravens dismantled their AFC North rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, 26-6.
NEW YORK — The NFL has called in a former FBI director to examine how it pursued and handled evidence in the Ray Rice domestic violence case as pressure increased for the league to be more transparent about its original investigation.
The move late Wednesday came hours after The Associated Press reported that a law enforcement officer said he sent an NFL executive a video in April that showed Rice striking his then-fiancee at a casino. Goodell has maintained that no one in the NFL saw the video until it was released by TMZ Sports on Monday.
Women’s organizations, members of Congress and players have called for more detail about the NFL’s handling of the Rice case. The criticism intensified after the law enforcement official’s account.
Goodell turned to Robert S. Mueller III, who was the director of the FBI for 12 years, to lead the inquiry. The probe will be overseen by owners John Mara of the New York Giants and Art Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers, two of Goodell’s strongest supporters. Both are members of key NFL committees and have closely advised Goodell throughout his tenure.
The NFL called the probe independent and did not discuss how the owners will work with Mueller.
Questions about the league’s handling of the case have come from all over.
Sixteen female senators have called on the NFL to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on domestic violence in a letter they wrote to Goodell on Thursday. Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer of California put the letter together. It’s signed by 14 Democrats and two Republicans.
THURSDAY’S GAME
Ravens 26, Steelers 6 at Baltimore: The Ravens got a pair of touchdown passes from Joe Flacco and rolled past Pittsburgh.
The Ravens ( 1- 1) shrugged off the distraction of the Ray Rice controversy to bounce back from a season- opening loss at home to division rival Cincinnati.
Bernard Pierce took over for Rice to gain 22 yards on 96 carries as part of a ground game that finished with 157 yards. Flacco went 21 for 29 for 166 yards and two TD passes to tight end Owen Daniels, and Justin Tucker kicked four field goals.
Pittsburgh (1-1) got just two field goals and committed three turnovers.
As Baltimore fans male and female, young and old, arrived, many were debating the Rice events.
All condemned Rice’s actions, but there was little consensus as to what his punishment should be. The NFL did the right thing by suspending him, some said, but the Ravens shouldn’t have terminated his contract as well. Or maybe the suspension should have remained at two games, where it stood before the latest video became public.
“There’s two sides to every story,” said Ravens fan Racquel Bailey, a 23-yearold waitress from Baltimore wearing Rice’s No. 27 jersey. “I saw the video. That’s their personal business, and it shouldn’t have affected his career. I don’t agree with domestic violence, but she’s still with him, so obviously it wasn’t that big of a deal. Everyone should just drop it.”
Others who wore Rice jerseys were getting heckles and high-fives.
“You support a wifebeater!” one female fan yelled at male fan wearing a No. 27 about 90 minutes before kickoff.
To some, the off-field issues were a temporary story line.
“That’s none of my business. Families go through that stuff every day,” said Adrian Beale, a Ravens fan who walked toward the stadium Thursday night wearing a T-shirt with Rice’s No. 27 on the front. It was a show of support, she said, for the former star.
BRIEFLY
Mathis out: Defensive end Robert Mathis will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles tendon, the Indianapolis Colts say. Mathis, 33, was injured during a private workout in Atlanta, less than two weeks after he started serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing drug policy. Mathis had a league-best 19½ sacks last season.