The 2005 season has been disappointing to say the least and the offseason promises to be the Ravens most interesting to date.  There’s plenty of time to get to that, perhaps too much time.  The waiting may prove excruciating to sports fans here in The Land of Pleasant Living, particularly when the Orioles are 15 games back when summer begins.

But before we venture down that lane, let’s look back -- as difficult as it may be, and grade the Ravens performance on the entire 2005 season.

QUARTERBACK    1/2

Entering the 2005 season, it appeared as though Kyle Boller was given all the necessary toys to be successful.  Jim Fassel would bring his QB developmental skills that once enabled John Elway and his offensive minded prowess to help bolster the Ravens attack.  Available to Boller would be a solid array of aerial weapons including a healthy Todd Heap, Derrick Mason and first round pick Mark Clayton.  Unfortunately it never gelled.  If anything the plan was derailed.  There were hints in the preseason that things would be no different than 2004 and after Boller went down with a toe injury in the season’s opener, things went downhill quickly.  Anthony Wright stepped in and observers of the team quickly realized that there was a reason Wright was No. 2 on the QB depth chart.  His inconsistencies and poor decision making were no better and arguably worse than Boller’s.  When Boller returned to the line up, not much changed.  He did give fans a taste of why Billick’s infatuation with Boller still is in bloom during the last two home games but the fact of the matter is, a good QB has to lead his team and make plays on the road to take out the hostile crowd. 

Until Boller can make plays and beat a playoff caliber team on the road, no one can say that he’s turned the corner.  And at this point, he can’t even beat the lowly Cleveland Browns.  Contrast that against Ben Roethlisberger who has won 13 of 15 career road starts. 

At least the mirage of the Packers and Vikings games has dissipated.  Now the front office can focus on the clear and present danger of anointing Boller the starter for 2006.

RUNNING BACK  1/2

Jamal Lewis’ frustrations often broke down the filter between his thoughts and his mouth and as a result, he provided the media with plenty of candor to chew on.  Although he claimed to be healthy (one might think that such an admission has something to do with his free agent status) he just never looked quite like the Jamal of old, particularly with his indecisiveness and his failure to take advantage of cut back opportunities.  His performance will make it difficult for the Ravens front office to reach a consensus and there’s likely to be much debate over what to do with Jamal in the offseason.  The likely scenario is the franchise tag although that looks exceedingly generous for a back that managed just 3.4 yards per carry and only 906 yards.

Chester Taylor was efficient at times but not all that consistent.  He proved that if given a chance he can be very productive in the passing game particularly if isolated in the open field.  But he did little to dispel the notion that he can’t be an every down back over the course of a long season.  His role as a change of pace back that can catch the ball out of the backfield is perfectly suited to his skills.  His pass blocking was atrocious for the most part.

Rookie fullback Justin Green showed some promise in his brief time as a starter and he offers more versatility to an offense that needs it.  Ovie Mughelli hasn’t shown that he can continue in the footsteps of Sam Gash and Alan Ricard.

A mind boggling stat – this unit had only 3 rushing TD’s all year!

RECEIVER  1/2

Without question, this is the most improved unit on the team and thanks to the consistency and play making ability of Derrick Mason and Todd Heap, this group was not only the most improved, but also the team’s best over the course of the season.  Derrick Mason showed amazing consistency and tried his best to bring a fiery attitude to an offense desperately needing one.  He also proved to be a big supporter of his troubled QB’s and a solid mentor for Mark Clayton.  Clayton promises to be a Raven for a very long time and proved to us all there’s no bad mojo in that No. 89.  His ability to maintain speed in and out of breaks will create havoc in the AFC North provided he has a QB that can consistently deliver the football in way that allows Clayton or  any of these receivers to make plays.  That includes Randy Hymes who is a solid red zone receiver and fearless over the middle.  Clarence Moore, Devard Darling and Patrick Johnson did nothing.  All may be gone from the 2006 roster.

OFFENSIVE LINE 

Going into the offseason, the Ravens front office knew that improving the offensive line was prerequisite to enabling Kyle Boller to properly employ his newly received toys.  The evidence first manifested itself in preseason games but that was quickly excused as a unit not game planning for a specific opponent and one that was in the process of gelling.  The gelling process produced nothing but gunk.  Keydrick Vincent while a decent pick up was clearly not enough.  Jonathan Ogden struggled early but regained his Pro Bowl form later in the season.  Edwin Mulitalo was a shell of his former self, battling off the field and conditioning problems, not to mention a bad knee.  Mike Flynn was often overmatched and he’ll never effectively compete with Steelers' NT Casey Hampton.  Orlando Brown is hanging on for a paycheck and nothing else.  His passion has been zapped and his sluggishness is nothing but chum for speed rushing sharks.  Tony Pashos is an adequate back up but if the Ravens start next season with him at right tackle, it will be further proof that the front office is either ignoring an obvious need or overestimating the skills of this unit.  Brian Rimpf has shown some promise but again, he should be no more than a reserve player.

DEFENSIVE LINE 

Terrell Suggs followed up his Defensive Rookie of the Year season in 2003 and his Pro Bowl season of 2004 with a sub par campaign, sometimes MIA during games and who could forget the meltdown in Detroit when he literally disappeared after his ejection.  Suggs is a pass rushing specialist who managed to finish second on the Ravens in sacks (8).  He could benefit greatly from a defensive tackle that can collapse the pocket.  The Ravens defensive middle, while they provided little interior push on the passer, they were stout against the run although admittedly not on par with the former premier tandem of Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa.  When healthy Anthony Weaver while not great he was consistently productive.  Aubrayo Franklin was solid in his rotation at tackle and Jarret Johnson filled in capably for Weaver.  Dwan Edwards did little to dispel the notion that he’s a second round bust particularly when compared against the Titans’ Randy Starks who was taken after Edwards in the 2004 draft.  Peter Boulware has probably paid his final game in the NFL and rightly so – his time has come.  Thanks for the memories Pete, a quintessential professional player and outstanding citizen.

LINEBACKERS 

It’s hard to believe that Adalius Thomas isn’t a Pro Bowler.  He led the Ravens in sacks and fumble recoveries.  He was third in tackles and created havoc for opposing QB’s by playing every defensive position on the field at some point during the season.  He also was tied for second on the team in touchdowns.  Bart Scott did far more than the Ravens could ever have expected, finishing second to Tommy Polley in tackles. He played with a welcomed ferocity.  Polley was asked to do more than he ever anticipated as a Raven, playing out of position in the middle and did a respectable job.  The 46 was supposed to free Ray Lewis and allow him to attack ball carriers and that never did happen when Ray was healthy.  Seldom did he greet ball carriers at or behind the line of scrimmage.  This unit has tremendous promise particularly if Ray Lewis can return with sound mind and body (emphasis on the former) and Dan Cody can properly recover from knee surgery and deliver on his promise.

SECONDARY  1/2

This unit was perhaps the most disappointing of all units.  Many boasted that “on paper” the Ravens secondary was one of the most formidable of all time featuring the NFL Defensive Player of The Year in Reed, Pro Bowl corners McAlister and Rolle and Pro Bowl nickel and dimes of Sanders and Carter.  It didn’t work.  Surprisingly Sanders was healthy the entire season but played out of position and too often it showed.  Dale Carter is but a shadow of his former self and he should follow Deion and Boulware down the happy retirement trail.  Will Demps played with spirit and intensity but was too often out of position leaving his corner (most often McAlister) exposed in the Cover 2.  Chad Williams proved that he’s a good dime back but not a NFL starter.  The ongoing communication breakdowns amongst this group are a bit puzzling particularly considering their resumes.

SPECIAL TEAMS 1/2

The injuries to Will Demps, Ray Lewis, Alan Ricard, Musa Smith and Ed Reed placed additional burden on their back ups, forcing them into taking more snaps and bringing their overall play down.  Bart Scott, Adalius Thomas, Chester Taylor, Ovie Mughelli and others weren’t able to focus as much attention on special teams and it hurt the unit.  B.J. Sams had a great year returning punts but he lacks the explosiveness needed for kickoff returns.  Dave Zastudil had a solid season and Matt Stover, after a rocky opener finished the season 30 of 31 on field goal attempts.  Matt Katula was a solid new addition and a cap friendly one at that.  B.J. Ward also shows promise and if the Ravens can somehow blend his reckless abandon within the framework of the sub sets on defense, he could be an impact player in dime situations much like Chad Williams.

COACHING 1/2

Brian Billick rarely admits a mistake.  Through his public admission that he needs to reinvent himself, Billick has admitted to mistakes and for such an admission, the mistakes had to have been of the egregious variety.  The Ravens as a whole lack discipline and focus particularly on the road.  The team’s meltdown in the Motor City was embarrassing and this coupled with the penalties is a clear signal that Billick needs to tighten the screws.  During the preseason, Billick was quick to point out that the most impressive group in camp was the offensive line.  Enough with the moral support!  Let’s call it like it is.  There is nothing wrong with a little tough love.  Tiki Barber, a consummate professional said when asked recently what he would fear more, a Tom Coughlin tongue lashing or a tackle from Ray Lewis, didn’t hesitate to say the tongue lashing from Coughlin.  Look how Tiki responded to discipline.

Jim Fassel’s offense did nothing more than last year’s offense.  Does that mean both he and Cavanaugh are bad game planners or does it have more to do with the common denominator, Brian Billick?  In 2003 the Ravens managed 391 points; 2004 they managed 317 points.  This season the Ravens had 265 points.  The offense didn’t look the same but the results were even worse.

Defensively, Rex Ryan as promised, tried to utilize the 46 or Double Eagle more frequently as the season unfolded, but injuries and breakdowns in the secondary prevented that.  Johnny Lynn should be held partly to blame for the repeated looks of confusion on the faces of Demps, McAlister, Sanders and Rolle time and time again.  The defense was built to get after the quarterback and force turnovers yet the secondary managed only 5 interceptions combined – four fewer than Ed Reed alone last year.

The coaching staff has failed repeatedly to develop any kind of 2 minute offense in the past few years.  And while the hurry up “O” did show signs of improvement late in the year against lesser competition, it still has a long way to go particularly on the road.  The staff also has failed to provide ample evaluation time during a season that was obviously lost long ago to draft picks like Dwan Edwards, Devard Darling, Rod Green, Jason Brown and Adam Terry.  What was the point of starting Mulitalo and why play Pete Boulware or Dale Carter at all when those snaps could have gone to Rod Green and B.J. Ward?  It almost appears as though they managed the team to protect their careers at the long term expense of the club.

Summary: Browns 20 Ravens 16