"Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin doesn't talk a lot, but he is never at a loss for words.

So when the Ravens were stinking up the Georgia Dome Thursday night in Atlanta, Boldin delivered a halftime speech to his teammates. Apparently, some of them didn't get the message, because after quarterback Joe Flacco threw an interception on the Ravens first possession of the third quarter, it was on.

And Boldin went off.

In front of a national TV audience, Boldin ripped into his offensive teammates in a speech that would have made Gen. George S. Patton proud. The Ravens responded with three second-half touchdowns, and the new offensive leader was born.

"Certain guys don't say much because they don't have to," said Boldin, an eight year veteran. "Certain guys are respected in the locker room because of the way they approach and how they play the game, and I think the guys respect me that way. They know I don't say much, but I say it for a reason, and I mean what I say."

I like this guy.

The Ravens haven't had a legitimate leader on offense since tight end Shannon Sharpe at the turn of the century. They've had some great players, but quiet ones like Jonathan Ogden, Jamal Lewis and Todd Heap. Veteran receiver Derrick Mason is a leader in his own way, but he has a quick trigger finger. His temper can explode like he does on a comeback route even though Mason has been pretty subdued this season.

Boldin, though, has patience, and he can have the rhythm of a Southern Baptist minister or be as fiery as a sailor that has been out to sea for a year.

Either way, he touches souls.

"You've got to pick and choose when you say things to certain people, and I think we've got enough people on the sideline that we understand that, and [Anquan] understands that," Mason said. "There's a time when you've got to uplift your team with your words, and then there's a time you just sit back and kind of let things unfold."

This offense needed a Boldin. The team has always had a leader in linebacker Ray Lewis, and the defense always had players with the most dominant personalities in a Tony Siragusa, Rob Burnett, Rod Woodson, Chris McAlister, Ed Reed, Bart Scott and Terrell Suggs."