LOMBARDI'S WAY: A NEW ATTITUDE

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Lombardi's Way - LOMBARDI'S WAY: A NEW ATTITUDE

McNair provides more than just improvement at QB

Posted On: 5/8/07

Written By:

Tony Lombardi

This column was first published on June 12, 2006. I thought of it recently after wondering aloud how much better Steve McNair might play next season given a full year of the Ravens' offensive system under his belt. Players do get better and they do get better through familiarity.

The coming season bodes well for the Ravens. They've invested to improve last year's Achilles' Heel -- the running game. And then there's this vibe out at Owings Mills that is hard to ignore. There's a collective resolve to take care of some unfinished business from last year. Personally I think it matters. I think it makes a difference. Just as Steve McNair made a difference in 2006.

*****

During the 2000 season, so many things went right for the Baltimore Ravens. First, they were healthy and managed to get through the season without a significant injury. Starting safety Kim Herring missed a few games but the defense didn't skip a beat thanks to the capable play of Corey Harris.

That defense played as a unit.

Despite a touchdown drought that lasted 21 quarters which practically begged one of the greatest defenses of all time to start pointing fingers, they refrained. Brian Billick masterfully kept the team together and after falling to 5-4, they never looked back -- never lost another game.

In many ways, the 2005 season was the antithesis of the 2000 season. While both seasons were plagued by struggling offenses, relatively speaking 2005 was a calamity.

Injuries forced key players like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed to the sidelines for significant stretches. The team lost 2nd round draft choice Dan Cody on the first day of practice during summer camp. Kyle Boller fell to a toe injury that kept him out for half the season. Jamal Lewis never fully recovered from ankle surgery. Starting guard Keydrick Vincent missed significant playing time while Jonathan Ogden and Edwin Mulitalo fought off nagging injuries throughout the season. Anthony Weaver missed time as did Will Demps while Chris McAlister fought through leg ailments.

In the NFL, injuries are part of the game and that's where a roster's depth comes into play but clearly, 2005 was a bit of an anomaly that kept trainer Bill Tessendorf and his staff extremely busy.

For a team with such high expectations coupled with abysmal results it was only natural that frustration would set in. In 2000 to his credit, Brian Billick managed to guide an at times rocky vessel as a result of a challenged offense. Winning certainly helped. But in 2005, Billick's silver tongue was no match for the perfect storm of adversity that gripped the Ravens locker room like a steel trap that would not give.

The result -- a 6-10 season and a franchise in disarray.

This offseason, the Ravens focused on men of character to help combat the storm. The free agents that the Ravens signed and the collegiate athletes who were drafted nearly across the board are players possessing high character and great work ethics. The message was clear -- it's time for the Ravens to start being a team again.

Brian Billick was told to change or be changed. Ray Lewis was told to shut up and play football. The team as a whole was told to start living up to expectations and to shed the well deserved label of underachievers.

But talk is cheap. All of the motivational messages don't mean a damn thing to the Baltimore Ravens if they don't win. Kelly Gregg speaking for the team recently said, "We're working to get the taste of last year out of our mouths."

And that rotten taste is the taste of losing.

Ray Lewis found Patti LaBelle and is sporting a new attitude. Ed Reed is healthy and wants to show the world what he's worth. The offensive line was embarrassed and they appear determined to turn things around as evidenced by their offseason conditioning.

Vincent is healthy again as is Dan Cody. Todd Heap will start the 2006 season in the best shape of his career. Chris McAlister appears to be rejuvenated and he's seemingly rediscovered the joy of playing football. Everything is shaping up yet prior to last week there was still lingering doubt because of the position of quarterback.

Who could blame the team for not trusting in Boller?

After 3 seasons, he remains unproven at best. When the season kicks off on September 10, the Ravens will be 22 months removed from their last road win. How could there be much confidence in him? All of the weight training and cardiovascular activities -- all of the renewed vigor for the team might not add up to anything without better play at quarterback.

Steve McNair changes all of that. His presence and his resume remove the doubt. And when a team believes in itself, good things happen. We've all heard the old adage, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Imagine Boller losing another road game to open the season in Tampa . How many players might say to themselves, "Here we go again?" How long before the parts are no longer whole and the locker room breaks down again?

McNair provides hope and leadership.

While Kyle Boller possesses great character and an outstanding work ethic, it's hard for him to lead because the accomplishments aren't there. That isn't true of McNair. His presence immediately provides offensive leadership and that changes so much. The respect that opponents must give McNair makes everyone's job on offense easier. It changes things for the defense as well. Maybe they focus more on solid tackling instead of stripping the ball. Maybe they take fewer risks in the secondary and they aren't always looking for the interception. Maybe they even play with a lead.

Many out of town naysayers and even some here in our town believe that McNair is only worth an additional two wins to a team with so many holes. Don't buy that! Don't buy it for a second!

Despite his declining skills which are still far superior to Boller's, McNair gives the team a reason to believe. He gives them a reason to study film a little bit more. He gives them a reason to train a little harder. He gives them a reason to fight and to stay together. This is not an indictment on Boller but rather an acknowledgement of the intangibles that McNair provides.

Some things are hard to measure and certainly intangibles are one of those things. But give me a Ravens team that is of sound body and mind and I'll show you something you can measure -- WINS!

And my bet is that Steve McNair means a whole lot more than 2 additional wins.