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Letters 2 TL - LETTERS 2 TL: RAVENS' FANS NEED TO STEP UP!

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Posted On: 10/19/06
Written By:  
Tony Lombardi
LETTERS 2 TL: RAVENS' FANS NEED TO STEP UP! LETTERS 2 TL: RAVENS' FANS NEED TO STEP UP!
STAND BY YOUR TEAM
 
TL,
 
These are critical times for the Ravens team, organization, and fan base. There seems to be a lot of sniping going on lately, and this applies to the fan base as well (just visit the 24x7 message boards).
 
Team unity is one element that always characterized the 2000 Ravens’ leadership; team support during a 5 game TD drought; and a fan base that was still very much appreciative of the fact that the NFL returned to Charm City. Unless the team and fans forge a unified front here, I am fearful that this year is going to end up just like last year, and the Ravens team, as we currently know it, will be blown up at year’s end. So, let’s get with it fellas. There is a lot of football yet to be played. Fans, support the team, they really need it right now! And, players, quit the whining, and support one another, regardless of the circumstances! Expend your energies on the field -- not the sidelines. The true leaders on this team need to step forward, just like in 2000.
 
RavenJoe, Sykesville, MD
 
RJ,
 
I’m probably dating myself here but your note just took me back to high school typing class. If you ventured down that “career path” with me you will remember “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” Thankfully I took that class, otherwise, you’d be reading this like next Thursday…
 
Look, we’ve been down this road before -- no less than twice and each time we reached a fork in the road. We chose the right path one of those times, in 2000. Then after a 5-4 start and on the heels of 21 consecutive quarters without a touchdown, the Ravens got their groove on and we remember vividly how that season ended.
 
In 2004 after their best start of 7-3, the team went the opposite way. They came unraveled and missed out on the playoffs.
 
Which path will they follow this season? Time will tell yet as you point out it’s way too early to jump off the bandwagon. After all, the Ravens are in first place in the AFC North.
 
To the future,
 
TL
 
ONLY ONE CHIEF NEEDED
 
TL,
 
Two Sides To The Fassel Firing -- Which Is Right? As I sort through the aftermath of the Jim Fassel firing it seems clear that the problem existed on two levels. First, there is the obvious problem of the offense struggling. And second, there was the root-problem of poor communication on the sidelines and in the meeting room between Jim and his fellow coaches and players.
 
In his press conference Brian Billick explained the benefit of making this move by saying something to the effect of, "We will be successful because the offensive system will be interactive with the players, they will understand it, and they will believe in it."
 
As he said that I can't help but be reminded of the infamous Steve Biscotti press conference where Brian pledged to adopt a more "horizontal style of leadership" where players would be listened-to, and where coaches would be held accountable...to "change it or explain it." Thinking about the state of mind of befuddled players like J.O., Jamal, and Derrick, it seems clear now that Fassel collided head-long with Billick's pledge to Steve Biscotti to be more open. On the other hand, Fassel made it clear to ESPN that he wasn't very happy or open about shared decision-making when it came to offensive game planning.
 
"Everywhere I've been, I've gotten the offense up and running pretty fast," Fassel said. "It didn't happen here and the reason I believe is that I wasn't in full control. This has been building for quite a while and finally I went to Brian last week and said, 'Look Brian, you've always run a good offense and I've always run a good offense, but the bottom line is somebody has to be in charge. Somebody has to pull the trigger and it can't be two guys."
 
So, Tony, who is right here? Is Brian a micro-manager who put Jim in an impossible situation? Was Jim in the same tangled situation that young Kyle Boller found himself in, with too many voices in his ear? Or was Jim Fassel too proud? Was the former head coach a bad fit as coordinator here, where Billick's "horizontal style of leadership" seems to demand input from players, coaches, owners, and ball boys?
 
Steve Hasler
 
Steve,
 
It’s certainly an interesting situation if nothing else. The way I see it, Billick did allow the coordinators to make the calls just as he was allowed to by Denny Green when he was the O.C. in Minnesota. But both of Billick’s coordinators had the same ingredients to work with -- Billick’s playbook. If two chefs are given bad produce and Grade B meat, how can they produce a culinary treasure?
 
It very well could be the system. Perhaps the system is force fed upon the offensive personnel instead of developing the system around the talents of the personnel. When Billick had success in Minnesota, the talent available to him was very different than that here in Baltimore. The highest rated offense he’s ever produced was in 2001 when they finished 14th as a team offensively. That was behind the guidance of Elvis Grbac.
 
You touched on something that I believe is worth watching. The exact quote from Billick was, “We’ll continue to try to present as complex a picture to the defense as we can, but stay true to the integrity of the talents of our players.”
 
His interpretation on the field of this statement will be extremely interesting to watch.
 
Rave on,
 
TL

OUTCOACHED AGAIN!
 
Tony,
 
Did you notice how many times the Panthers lined up in an I formation, and then went 4 or 5 wide on us? Did you notice the two big gains (one the touchdown that was the nail in the coffin) to Steve Smith from that shift? They ran it about 5-6 times, and we totally failed to adjust.
 
What's funny, is last week on Ravens Wired you saw Ed Reed hosting a tape watching party for the secondary. Did it look like he's seen any tape on Steve Smith? Would you leave your wife one on one with a horny Brad Pitt? No! Both times Smith was wide open over the middle of the field, because he was passed off to a non-existent safety. You would have liked to see either Adalius Thomas or Ray Lewis take the deep drop, with Reed shading Smith's way, and hope the pressure got to Delhomme before he could hit the delayed route by the back.
But, where was Reed on the fly pattern earlier in the game?
 
Then, if you look at what we did, line up in the I formation and pass for the first 9 downs, it's no wonder they killed McNair, and that Fassel decided to quit. Even rats are smart enough to jump off the burning ship before it goes down. Square pegs, round holes, Billick's stubbornness, 28th ranked offense... what do they have in common?
 
Oh and by the way, Billick's claim that it was 10 seconds run off was incorrect, try 24 seconds with 1:52 left to play.
 
Mark Considine
 
Mark,
 
Ed Reed had a bad game, a very bad game and he played selfishly. He needs to be more involved than just being a lazy centerfielder who is a day late and a touchdown short.
 
Now that Billick will be knee deep in calling the plays, who will watch the clock? Oh, that’s right, no one has really been watching it that closely anyway.
 
You have to give coach credit for one thing -- he is tackling this head on and there will be no one else to blame but him if the ship does sink. The fall guys have left the building.
 
Tick, tick, tick,
 
TL
 
DON’T BE CRUEL
 
TL,
 
In a recent column you wrote that we should all take a deep breath and exhale, that Billick can get a team playing after facing adversity and that 4-2 and tied for first place in your conference isn't a bad place to be. Agreed.
 
But does our offense need to improve and if so how? At this stage I think our offensive coaches have tried everything. We’ve tried to run with Jamal Lewis or run by committee. We’ve tried to dink and dunk and to throw deep. We’ve tried to throw screens and run end-arounds. We’ve tried to pound the ball in the red zone and we’ve tried the fade route (Heap's TD on the fade route was a gift by the refs yesterday).
 
We’ve tried crossing patters (which often seem to work) and thank God we haven't tried motion plays. We’ve tried everything we can with our current personnel. We’ve even managed to get lucky (and have succeeded). It hasn't worked. The question still remains: How does our offense get better? Sure 4-2 is a good place to be but how about our performance? We can all hope for a McNair epiphany or pray that Boller magically sees the light. As you say waiting is the hardest part. Waiting for the bye week is hard. Waiting for another 46 weeks is harder.
 
But waiting for an offense to show up in 6 years is just cruel.

 
Yiannis Stasinopoulos
 
Yiannis,
 
I agree that they’ve tried many things to see if they work and they never have on a consistent basis. But that doesn’t mean the team should quit on them. Maybe it’s the execution. I believe that the play calling this past week was the best that it’s been all season. For once, we didn’t know what to expect and if you take away a few misfires and bad reads by Boller, I think they were on to something. Carolina was often on their heels.
 
I liked the boots and waggles that they ran on Sunday. The running game when they could stay with it given the game circumstances, was more varied and more productive yardage wise. Yet clearly they need to convert this to points and that’s where the turnovers factor in.
 
The Ravens can get up, dust themselves off and try again or they can feel sorry for themselves for wasting the prime of a defense over no less than the past 3 seasons. I’m for dusting off as I’m sure you are. Brian Billick has reached a crossroads in his career as a Raven. We’ll see how he navigates it.
 
TL
 
SAME OLD SONG AND DANCE
 
Hi Tony,
 
Another Sunday, another loss, another game where the Ravens' deficiencies were exposed by an elite ballclub. However, I must admit it was a pretty exciting game and it was great to see Todd Heap catch the TD right in front of my corner end zone seats.
 
But let's face it - the score should have been 23-7 and everybody knows it. The Panthers know it, we know it, and the Ravens coaching staff damn well better know it. Mark Clayton's two TD catch and runs on deflected passes were a little bit of serendipity in a game in which both passes could have easily been intercepted. Just like the Ravens have run out of the red zone gifts they got in the first two games, I doubt the Ravens will catch this type of luck in the remainder of the season.
 
The defensive backfield laps were inexplicable and I'm tired of hearing that the Ravens have a Pro Bowl defensive backfield with 3 Pro Bowlers. They didn't play like it Sunday and I think it's vastly overrated against top-notch receivers.
 
But my main concern remains with the offense. There's no continuity, no identity, no real game planning. Should Kyle Boller start in two weeks? Tony, it really doesn't matter.
 
After averaging about a different quarterback per year in the Billick era (do the math) and getting the same results, it's becoming clear to me that the problem lies with the SYSTEM, not the player. I'm dropping this one right in the laps of Billick and Fassel, and I think their jobs should be on the line.
 
As always, regards
 
Fran from Glen Burnie
 
Fran,
 
Who do you like this weekend down at Laurel Park? You must be clairvoyant!
 
I say this of course because this email arrived prior to Fassel’s firing. And clearly Billick is in the scope of Bisciotti’s rifle should he fail during the balance of 2006.
Your note reminded me of a quote from Billick during his press conference on Tuesday to announce Fassel’s departure.
 
“If we are successful, if we’re able to maintain the profile of a winning team battling at the front of the division and going into the playoffs, and if we somehow are able to manufacture a more consistent and productive offense, it’s not going to be because of any individual brilliance on my part.”
 
So is he then putting the failures squarely on the shoulders of the players? Is he saying that there will be little difference in the coordination, preparation and play calling from what we’ve seen so far and that it’s all about the execution on the field?
 
The only common denominator during the years of offensive inadequacy is Billick and his system. Funny I’m reminded of a cartoon depicting a medieval general trying to protect his fort against the onslaught of incoming arrows, rocks, spears and soldiers bearing swords. Behind him stood a salesman with a brand new machine gun. The general told the salesman to go away because he was busy in combat.
 
I wonder if Billick has a proverbial machine gun?
 
TL
 
A LETTER TO JAMAL
 
Dear Jamal,
 
You have been my favorite player in the NFL for 6 years now. I have stuck by you, thick and thin. I defended you when you were struggling, and rubbed your 2,066 yards in haters faces when you ran like the wind. But these days you are running like the wind; if the wind is going backwards...
 
I’ve met you in person, in the locker room, after a Pittsburg game, and I told you then, like I tell you now, my friend: RUN AWAY FROM THE PILE OF PEOPLE, RUN AWAY.... It almost looks like you are trying to get tackled..
 
Now, on the rest of the struggling O. Steve's passes look like ducks. The only thing separating him from Boller is his escapability from the pocket. Put Boller’s arm on Steve and it's Super Bowl city. I certainly am not on the "Bring back Kyle." I just want to win a Super Bowl again, and to do that the play calling must change (i.e. shovel pass on the goal line, Clarence Moore fade, 6 unsuccessful reverses, any given I-Form Jamal up the middle plays), and Musa and Anderson MUST equally carry the ball..... without the ability to eat clock you we will fail, and our window will close..
 
Mike Riskin, Bel Air, MD
 
Mike,
 
Jamal has to be heartbroken! But hey, who cares! Let’s just fix the broken offense. It doesn’t have to be great. It just can’t suck any more, you know?
 
By the way, the shovel pass isn’t bad, I just hate to see them test it on the 2 yard line.
 
Peace out,
 
TL
 
I DESERVE THE BALL...NOT JAMAL
 
Give me the damn ball!!! Everyone is expecting the Ravens to run Jamal up the middle on first down and of course the Ravens do that about 90% of the time. Which usually leaves the Ravens in a 2nd and long situation. In which case everyone knows the Ravens are going to pass the ball. If they are lucky they complete a pass for about 5-7 yards which leaves 3rd and 3 or 3rd and long.
 
Would it not make sense to use the pass to set up the run? Short outs or slants on first down can be just as effective as a successful run. Maybe a running back screen every once in the while. Which brings me to my last point, Jamal should not be in the line up unless we are trying to run the clock out at the end of the game. He can't catch the ball and he is slow to the hole. Musa should be the starter. Again Billick's loyalty to veteran players is killing this team. It is the reason we have Flynn as our starting center instead of Rabach. He could be the worst starting O-linemen in the whole league.
 
Musa Smith
 
Musa,
 
You must have been talking to Keyshawn Johnson when he was in town this weekend, eh?
 
By the way, you are preaching to the choir. I see no reason why two of you three backs can’t line up in the backfield together every now and then. That should be something to make defenses go “Hmm.”
 
As for Flynn, I agree, he’s bad but not that bad. The guy to his right isn’t all that either but the two together have been an inviting threshold for blitzing linebackers.
 
Run Steve Run,
 
TL

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Posted On: 10/19/06
Written By:  
Tony Lombardi

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