“Defense wins championships” is an old football proverb, to which one should add a small disclaimer, “A good offensive line” is still required. Don’t believe me, I beg Brian Billick, the late Baltimore Ravens coach.
Billick, who was once a talented offensive line coach, never got the Ravens Offense on track in Baltimore. When he managed to win a Super Bowl with the franchise, it came at a time when the Ravens set the NFL’s all-time Defensive Record. for the fewest points allowed (165 points in 2000). It was also a defense that Billick would remain on bail for a decade while winning his losing streaks. This season was a resurgence for the Ravens as the Ravens finished a dismal 5-11 after going 13-3 last year.
Billick, over the course of his tenure, repeatedly attempted to double down on the troublesome magic he brought with him to the coaching staff at Utah State (1986-1988), and later at Minnesota (1992-1998), where as the Vikings’ Offensive Coordinator, he helped set the NFL record for most points in a season (556).
However, that magic touch eluded him in Baltimore where he was never able to develop into a top flight quarterback to lead the team. Kyle Boller, the team’s first round pick in 2003 never seemed to be the answer. Through 53 games with the team Boller’s QB rating languished at nearly 70 points, and he managed to throw just one more touchdown than an interception. If Boller was average, so was Steve McNair, the former Tennessee Titan who guided Billick to the quarterback in 2006. Although McNair led the team to a 13-3 finish in 2006, his overall performance was slightly better than Boller’s.
However, it wouldn’t be fair to put all of the Ravens at great pains to place dozens of quarterbacks when the team used quarterbacks where they were partially checked by the quality of the receivers they were throwing to. Derrick Mason, the team’s most stable receiver, would be a good number two on most teams, he shouldn’t be the “go to guy” for the Ravens. If Mason has been unimpressive, at least his progress has not regressed as in the case of Marc Clayton, the team’s first round pick in 2005, who followed up the 2006 season with a disastrous 2007 thumb. Neither receiver was helped much by the star tight end. Todd Heaps, who was injured for most of the season, managed to catch a pass in just five games in 2007.
In the end he could not make amends for the offense he committed against Brian Bilick. It’s an offense that will require more than a fired coach to get the Ravens back in the playoffs next season, despite what the Ravens’ defense may say against them. At least the next coach will have the luxury of saying the offense he was dealing with was inherited from Brain Billick. How long that excuse lasts in Baltimore remains to be seen.
