OWINGS MILLS - The last time the Baltimore Ravens saw wide receiver Derrick Mason, he was fighting with outside linebacker Paul Kruger and arguing with cornerback Cary Williams.

With the New York Jets at the time, the former Ravens starter was on the wrong end of a 34-17 loss at M&T Bank Stadium two weeks ago.

Now, they're going to square off with the feisty, talkative veteran for the second game in a row Sunday after Mason was unloaded to the Houston Texans for a conditional seventh-round draft pick.

Mason fell out of favor with coach Rex Ryan, complaining about his reduced role and criticizing the offense as he was replaced by rookie Jeremy Kerley as the Jets' third wide receiver. There were reports that Mason didn't know the playbook well enough.

"I think Derrick Mason said, ‘Who are the Ravens playing next? Trade me to that team," Ravens cornerback Chris Carr said. "He was pretty upset. He was fighting with Paul Kruger. He was upset, fighting with Cary out there. I think he wants to get some payback. I don't think he's going to get it against us, though."

Mason has caught 13 passes for 145 yards this season, but he was predicted by Ryan to catch 80 to 90 passes when he signed with the Jets after the Ravens withdrew a veteran minimum offer to the two-time Pro Bowl selection.

He was benched for the entire first half against the New England Patriots, catching one pass for seven yards.

Kruger downplayed the scrap with Mason.

"It was a football game, stuff just happens," Kruger said. "We were teammates, we were friends. I yanked on him a little bit. I don't think he liked it. He responded, and my reaction was to push him. Nothing serious."

And Mason is serious about getting off to a good start with his new football team.

Mason said joining the Texans is "a breath of fresh air."

And he insists he will be ready to play against his old team.

"I will play Sunday," Mason told Houston reporters. "I'm going to do whatever I need to do to play Sunday and not just because it's Baltimore or just because I want to be out there.

"I'll be in the playbook all the way up until Sunday to make sure that whatever plays that I'm called to run, I'm able to run them."

It wasn't a shock that Mason rubbed the Jets the wrong way with his words, but it did surprise Ravens running back Ray Rice to see him traded.

"Mase has always been a guy that's very outspoken and sometimes probably got ridiculed for being outspoken," Rice said. "I don't know what his situation was with Rex, but he was always honest, he was always straightforward with what he had to say. I was surprised.

"I really thought that he was going to fit in up there, but Mase is one of my buddies, so I definitely wish him success wherever he's at. Overall, he was a guy that we looked up to, to make plays here, so you never want to see a guy in that kind of situation. That's just the business side of things."

The Texans were in dire need of a wide receiver with Andre Johnson sidelined with a torn hamstring and Bryant Johnson injured as well.

"It's going to be interesting, man, to see how they incorporate Mason to the offense in such a short time, such short notice," Reed said. "Mason is a smart guy. I don't know why it didn't work out in New York, but Mason is a professional, and I know he's going to be prepared if he's put in the game."

Could Mason's knowledge of the Ravens provide a boost to the Texans?

"How much you think he told the Jets?" Reed said. "At the end of the day, it comes down to execution. He can tell whatever he wants to tell. At the end of the day, it's our men against their men. So, we'll see."

The Ravens don't seem to be losing any sleep thinking about how Mason will be utilized with the Texans, but coach John Harbaugh was complimentary of the former Baltimore starter.

"You try to think in terms in how it's going to impact our game planning and where they might use him and how quickly they can get him up to speed and what they can actually ask him to do and stuff like that," Harbaugh said. "That's what we're trying to figure out right now. Obviously, Derrick is a really good player and dangerous guy, so we're just trying to figure out how they're going to fit him in there and I don't know if we're going to be able to know that until Sunday.

"Derrick is a great route runner and has great hands. He's a guy that anytime he gets any kind of one-on-one coverage, he's not going to be a guy you're going to be able to cover that way. He'll find a way to get open. Derrick is really competitive. He wants to be a big part of what's going on and that's what made him so good all of those years."

BIRK APPEALING FINE: Ravens six-time Pro Bowl center Matt Birk plans to appeal a $5,000 fine from the NFL incurred for removing his microphone from his shoulder pads.

The NFL requires centers or offensive guards to wear microphones.

"I will appeal," Birk said. "I understand the rules. It's clear now. The center is miked up for games. I've worn a microphone before. When I went out for warmups, the microphone came loose and was jabbing my neck. It was tucked in there pretty tight. I couldn't get it, so I just took it off. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to do that."

Birk said, "it's tough to say" when asked if any competitive advantage could be gained from teams listening to what a center says.

"I don't know," Birk said. "I've never tried to listen to another teams' calls. A lot of the calls are the same. The coaches move all around, a lot of the calls are the same. I think it's just a misunderstanding. I've never been fined for taking a microphone off. It's a new thing this year with the new CBA. I'm not going to get up here on my soapbox.

"It's a misunderstanding. It's not like I ripped it off because I just didn't want to wear it. I'll appeal it and wait for the final verdict. I will tell them I have my sixth kid on the way. I need all my money for diapers and Cheerios."

GETTING HEALTHIER: Several players returned to practice on a limited basis Wednesday, including wide receiver Lee Evans and offensive guard Ben Grubbs.

Evans has been hampered by a left ankle injury since the preseason and has missed the past two games.

Grubbs has been out for the past three games with a right turf toe after straining ligaments during the first game of the season.

Also returning to practice: wide receiver and kick returner David Reed (left shoulder), linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (right hamstring) and safeties Haruki Nakamura (sprained right posterior cruciate ligament) and Tom Zbikowski (concussion).

Zbikowski isn't cleared for contact yet following a concussion suffered against the Jets.

Zbikowski did practice on a limited basis, but Bernard Pollard is listed first on the depth chart at strong safety.

"Feeling better, still taking it day by day," Zbikowski said. "Going to get out there, see how practice feels, obviously no contact, but will just see how it feels running around and stuff. It's a head injury, so can't be messing around, but we'll make it around game-time."

Zbikowski said his symptoms are beginning to subside.

"Just the usual stuff," he said. "Just feel cloudy, it's hard to concentrate a little bit, but that's about it. Headaches aren't as bad as they were, but I just want to be able to stay concentrated and I guess comprehend everything we're doing on defense before getting cleared or making a move."

Zbikowski said the bye week provided a boost to his recovery.

"Yeah, without a doubt, it definitely helped," Zbikowski said. "Just stayed away from TV, stayed away from anything. Just kind of let my brain relax a bit. Just kind of being in a dark room as much as I could, without sound. Just relax."

Rookie running back Anthony Allen (thigh) was limited, too.

Cornerbacks Chris Carr (left hamstring) and Jimmy Smith (high left ankle sprain) didn't practice.

"I know everybody's probably asking, ‘What's my deal?'" Carr said. "I've been doing everything possible to get ready. I bought a hyperbaric chamber. I sleep in that. I'm trying to do everything I can to get back on the field. It's just been a very troubling situation, but I've been working hard and hopefully I'll be back soon."

Carr aggravated his hamstring injury in practice leading up to the Jets game

"It's frustrating because up to this game, I've never really missed a game before, so missing one game, I'm just like, ‘How do people do this?'" Carr said "It's been satisfying because we've been winning all these games, and what I tell people all along is we have five legit corners on this team that are starters in this league. And I'm not saying that to be nice, I'm saying that because I believe that's a fact. I knew we were going to be fine. We're a little short right now."

Carr said he plans to remain out until he's completely recovered to avoid another setback.

"What's happened in the past, once I come back now, it's going to be like, ‘OK, I'm coming back and I'm going to stay back,'" Carr said. "There's going to be no indecision, like, ‘Well, I feel kind of good, I'm about 90 (percent).' No, I'm going to make sure when I come back that I'm 100 percent, because I can't go through this any longer."

Texans star wide receiver Andre Johnson (right hamstring) isn't expected to play. He didn't practice Wednesday.

Quarterback Matt Schaub (right shoulder) and fullback James Casey (strained pectoral) also didn't practice.

Several Texans were limited, including running back Arian Foster (quadriceps), linebacker DeMeco Ryans (elbow, hamstring, knee), defensive end Antonio Smith (ankle) and offensive guard Mike Brisiel (ankle, knee).

Cornerbacks Jason Allen (knee, groin) and Kareem Jackson (knee) and wide receiver Jacoby Jones (knee) participated fully.

Reserve running backs Ben Tate (groin, Achilles) and Derrick Ward (ankle) were limited.

Wide receiver Bryant Johnson (hamstring) is limited.

PAT MODELL PASSES AWAY Patricia Modell, the wife of former Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell, died Wednesday after a battle with pancreatitis.

She was 80 years old.

Patricia Modell had been admitted to hospice a few weeks ago.

She's survived by her husband, sons John and David and six grandchildren.

A former television and movie actress, Mrs. Modell was extremely active in charity work after the football team moved to Baltimore and during her time in Cleveland. The Modell family has given millions of dollars to several charities.

Mrs. Modell served on the following Baltimore boards: House of Ruth, Gilchrist Hospice, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, The Walters Art Museum, and she was a major contributor to the St. Vincent's Center and the Baltimore Museum of Art.

The Modells donated $3.5 million to the Lyric Opera House, which was recently renamed the Patricia and Arthur Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric. And they pledged $5 million to help start a public boarding school in Maryland for disadvantaged students.

As an actress, Modell appeared in over 400 films and television programs.

She was on "General Hospital," "Peyton Place," "Twilight Zone," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Perry Mason" and "Maverick."