He is dead on. The Ravens have been scortched by terrible corner play. The first quarter of the Pittsburgh game were all missed sacks that Worthlessburger was able to throw to uncovered receivers. In each of the losses during the last five games it has been due to the cornerback play or lack of coverage by them.

On the otherhand, our run defense is once again tops in the league.

Due to the injuries this year on the defense and offense we have underachieved. Which, unlike Mike Preston's opinion, has nothing to do with Billick. In fact, he is better than most coaches in this league and have continuously placed us in the playoffs and made us into a team that everyone feared up to this year. He deserves the opportunity to take us back to the playoffs since he has the attitude of winner, arrogance of winner and has the team believing in that attitude and arrogance.

Darren your comments and observations are dead on
Billick has given us a competative team year after year.
FIRE MIKE PRESTON NOW

Jaws is correct with his hit on the defensive secondary. But Billick lost the season on opening night against the Bungals. His poor play calling late in the 4th Qtr was the prelude to his "out of touch with the game" coaching style. The team was fighting back and had an opportunity to win but he wanted to display his inept passing attack. How many times has that happened this year???

The arrogant coach must go no matter the price$$. The vets on this team deserve another chance at the big dance. With Billick at the helm they will never see another playoff game.

Our defense rocks but the "Offensive Offense" of Billick and his crew are dead weight. CUT SLINGLOAD!!!

Ditto the injuries and corner play. Not sure how the coach is on the hook for that one, but I'm sure a reporter/writer would have been able to coach 'em up better. The Chargers are SSOOO much better this year with the coaching changes they made....

Lets take a look back. The Ravens were 13-3 and Billick got a new 4 yr contract that Preston says was a mistake. I have to agree with Preston that it was a mistake, even to bring Billick back before last yr. 2005 was a terrible yr out of control and he should have been fired then. The Ravens have had a great defense ever since the SB yr in which Billick's offense went 5 games without a scoring a TD. Just to name a few names Ogden, Jamal Lewis, P. Holmes, Shannon Sharpe, Q. Ismail, and Brandon Stoakley and you can't score a TD in 5 Games. I also blame Ozzie for a long list of QB moves like, Scott Mitchell, Jeff Blake , Tony Banks, A. Wright, cutting Dilfer after winning a SB, go figure? and cutting Derek Anderson so they could sign Kordell Stewart, aftre Boller was injured in wk 1. How would this have been entering 2006 hire Mike Martz who did a great job as OC with the Lions and has won a SB. Don't trade for McNair, let Martz help Boller cont to develop, lets face it McNair did not help us win 13 games last yr it was all defense and sepcial teams. Now my analysis at the end of last yr was not that we needed to improve our running game nor to give away 3 draft picks and $40m to McGahee. Current stats McGahee 213 for 910yds & 6 Tds, Lewis 181 for 741yds & 8 Tds. Sorry bad move and If I was the owner I wouldn't be too happy that you didn't just bring back Lewis for a couple of yrs at a bargain price and saved the 3 draft picks and a big chunk of my money. I would have spent the money to resign A. Thomas, last yr he combined with Pryce for 25 sacks, that pressure from that side also helped Suggs. Pass rush and CB coverage go hand in hand, right now with injuries both are a problem, but without injuries simply put they can't bring the pressure they brought last yr without Thomas, another bad move. And Rolle is old and needs to be replaced. Anyone watching the playoff loss to the Colts should have been able to concluded that it was not the running game but McNair who cost us that game. And that it was the passsing game that needed the upgrading. Expectations were hi this yr but my prediction was that the Ravens would finish last in their own Div and so far they have zero wins in their own Div. Analysis should have been easy....Ben R and Ward and Holmes, Palmer, Johnson and Hous and Henry, Anderson, or Quinn Edwards, Winslow, Joe J. vs McNair or Boller and Mason, Clayton and Heap. The Ravens have the worst passing attack in their own Div. Mason is old and Clayton is not a number 2 he is small like Mason and is often injured, Heap is often injured Williams has potential and who knows about Darling he's never played much. Then consider Billick's play book and it was obvious to me that the Defense would be worse without Thomas, that the offense can never help the defense and McNair was washed up. A formula for a last place finish. Where do the Ravens go from here? Preston is probably correct it would be very expensive to fire Billick now and eat 3 yrs of his contact plus pay the new coach. I don't think you can bring back McNair, so you take his cap hit too, Ogden probably retires, probably more cap hit, Boller and the team probably can't win vs the NE and the Colts, maybe you give Troy Smith some playing time. Or you clean house with all 3 Qbs and bring in new FA and rookies next yr? But they must also upgrade the WRs and play book, maybe a new OC would be allowed to actually call the games. The OL maybe young and maybe has potential but right now they are playing terrible. The Defensive Line isn't that good either, so, this team maybe last in its own div for awhile. May have too many weaknesses to over come in just one off season, esp based on faulty analysis, poor moves and Ozzies inability to bring in offensive talent. Ozzie and Billick need to share the blame for the current state of the Ravens, expectations were just too hi for the level of their talent.
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Harry,
Thanks for the contribution. I may not agree with everything but you make a reasoned argument for your pessimistic projection.
-- Bill O.

Is there a space limit on comments? "Harry" should have one. Besides being wrong on a whole bunch of stuff, that "The Defensive Line isn't that good either"comment shows what you know. Very little.
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Cesar,
Thanks for writing. We try not to censor if the comments are civil and on-point. And I'm not sure whether your objection to the defensive line comment was directed at the reader or me. My opening comment to the reader was that ... I may not agree with everything. That would be one of them, especially in the case of Gregg and Ngata.
-- Bill O.

Harry, you couldn't be more wrong about your offensive analysis. How can you blame guys like Mason or Clayton? If we can't find a decent QB to throw the ball more than 3 yards downfield, how do we know what they can really do? Mason has proven this year that he obviously isn't washed up and old. Isn't he close to the top of the league in receptions? His yards per catch might not rank up in the top of the league, but like I said, we need a QB who can threaten defenses and throw the ball downfield accurately and with some consistancy. Our recievers will make the catches. And as far as Clayton goes, he's gotta be one of the quicker recievers in the league. Once he makes a catch, he can usually make something happen. And we really don't know how good Williams can be. When he was healthy, no one could get him the ball... Boller is NOT the QB of the future in Baltimore. He's had alot of time to develop and get better, but he just hasn't. Every time he drops back to pass, I still cringe. He makes some of the same bone-headed plays he did his first year starting. He looks lost and scared alot of the time.

I think we should give Troy Smith a chance to start, at least when we are out of playoff contention for sure. I mean what do we have to lose? Smith could be good. No one knows though. But I have a feeling Billick has too much pride, and at this point won't bench his golden boy.

And depending on our situation, there are a couple good QB's and a bunch of good WR's in the draft this year. I personally like James Hardy. A 6'7 220lb monster of a reciever for Indiana. We could always use the depth. Or a guy like Brohm from Louisville.

While we're at it, why not fire Billick and get someone in here who can run a decent offense? or at least give the offense to Neuheisel. Whatever Billick's doing isn't working.