More Top Picks Kenmore 70919
player ready...Only minutes into his postgame news conference, it seemed as though Ravens coach Brian Billick was conceding the obvious. He seemed baffled, and looked perplexed, which was much different than a week ago when the Ravens appeared to climb back into the AFC North race.
But after a 10-6 loss to the Bears, reality seemed to set in on the Ravens (2-4). They’re not a very good football team. Actually, they’re one of the five worst in the NFL after having lost to the Lions, Titans and Bears.
“Clearly, we didn’t do enough to win the game,” Billick said. “That sounds obvious, but we have to do the only thing I know to do, you go back to work and you work your way through.”
Here’s another suggestion that might help: The Ravens need to burn the blueprint that showed them the road to the Super Bowl in 2001. Burn it, and then bury it.
Pull it out again next year, or some time later, but it won’t work for this team anymore, not against the quality teams ahead in November.
The Ravens keep resurrecting it, but it doesn’t fit. They can no longer depend on their running game to set up the passing attack because the offensive line is too old and not agile.
Middle linebacker Ray Lewis was the best player in the NFL in 2000, but he may not even be the best player on the team now. His play has dropped off, and so has the performance levels of outside linebacker Peter Boulware and running back Jamal Lewis. There are no giant defensive tackles like Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa anymore.
The Ravens can’t play conservative on offense and win games because their defense can no longer suffocate offenses.
Pass protection is a joke. The Bears had four sacks on quarterback Anthony Wright, and he was hurried numerous times. How bad was it? Wright’s jersey was as dark as the Bears’ navy ones when he left the field.
One thing Wright doesn’t need is to be rushed. He’s got enough problems when he has time to throw. He is Kyle Boller with a different number, another quarterback who lacks touch and efficiency on short passes.
With Cincinnati and Pittsburgh coming up twice in the next five games along with Jacksonville, the Ravens might as well put in some gimmick plays because they can’t go toe to toe with those teams. They can’t even beat a team with a rookie QB that lost to the Cleveland Browns earlier this season.