Mike,

You are in midseason form and it is only June! Football season cant get here soon enough to save us from the other team that claims to play a pro sport around here.

Where's the purple Kool-Aid???

Mike,

I, too, find it difficult sometimes to listen to Ray Lewis. In this instance, though, I think you are being a bit too critical of the intent of his prediction. No, I wasn't there for the pronouncement of his up-coming "monster season," but if Lewis wants to shout out and pump himself up (and give the rest of the league something to shudder about), I really don't think minimizing his enthusiasm is the avenue to take.

You certainly give him his props, but it's with a tone of sarcasm. Why not just report his comments, give him a little tweak, and leave it at that? Twelve years as one of the best MLBers to ever play the game should warrant a little more respect than to call him another delusional "aging athlete."

IS there any hope Neuheisel will have any effect on the offense? The offensive game plan killed us in the playoffs last year.

Deuce, you ain't nevva LIED! It's funny how there is soo much talent on the offense with the explosive core of skills players but it's been like that since Billick has been here. Yet when Mike Jackson and Derrick Alexander were the top receivers with players like James Roe subbing, the offense put up huge numbers. Look for more of the same ol' Billick offense.

One must NEVER deny Ray Lewis "his props",
eh? And, as a person who has long demonstrated tremendous respect for
law enforcement and the judicial system,
as well as his fellow human beings--
Ray Lewis deserves a full life free of
both scrutiny and critique!!!

NIce to see you haven't lost the "glass is more than half empty" approach to covering the Ravens. They went 13-3 and you didn't jump on their bandwagon until after mid season. Then you wrote that you knew they would succeed. Keep writing the negative, it may lead us to the Super Bowl this year!!!

Jeez Mike, it's only minicamp and you're already in mid season form with the negativity.

I love Ray Lewis' comment. He's been slightly injury prone the past few years, but possibly because he's getting a little older. That being said, ESPN has reported that Lewis has altered his workout regimen to include swimming and kick-boxing, both of which are great for flexibility. This should improve his durability and help him late in the season when we're trying make a run at another ring. I expect Lewis to be true to his word, lead the Ravens D to another #1 ranking and play some of his best football ever (we'll need it with AD gone and injury prone Cody as a question mark)

I hope figurs just has those rookie jitters. I would love to see him make the same transition steve smith did for carolina (as long as he can hit the weight room).

A couple of quick thoughts: Firstly, good to see a post from you on here Mike. You were missed.

I 'm so sick of the Ray Ray predictions. Anyone remember the MVP talk he gave a few years ago? We all remember how that campaign ended. Ray should shut up and play. When he's got getting runover by running backs or linemen he can start talking about his training condition. Doing it now is simply a smoke screen for the fact that he wants another fat pay day from OZ. " Look at me. I'm in great shape for the June mini-camps. Pay me Pay me!"

Re: Neuheisel. He's a smart guy. Compu Coach will throw anyone under the bus to save his own job. If Neuheisel keeps his distance any dissent about "Billick Ball" will be aimed at the master himself and not the so called " Offensive Coordinator". This will be a most intriguing storyline as the season progresses.

Finally, I'm glad that even after the Colts debacle " Billick Ball" reigns supreme. Can we expect more of the classic Billickedsque play where the QB throw a pass five yards short of the first down on third and long? Neither Billick nor the offense would be the same without their trademark play.

You're right Mike, the Ravens are complete failures. Of course not much has changed. It's basically the same group of players and coaches. Moreover, this is first time they've all played together as a complete unit.

Who cares about Ray's comments? These comments are by far the most focused and mature comments I've heard him make to date. Basically, he is in extremely good shape and ready to play football. You implied he has been too busy with his BBQ joint. Do you honestly believe that he has anything to do with managing/running that restaurant?

Actually, the offense was ranked tenth in the league during the time Billick was calling the plays so I am unsure what you mean when you say it is unchanged. You said it yourself aabout a month ago, they lost in the playoffs because they couldn't run the ball, it had nothing to do with the game plan.

i disagree with you Mike on one point,

Ray is still the fearest middle linebacker of the league, still the uncontested leader of this D and still kickin butt all over the field even if is 32... we all see what happens when he is off field (opponents gains much yard ond the ground)

and i think he is enough smart to keep is body in shape and to adapt his play for continuing to dominate at a very high level for a couple of season...

and he is the big energy catalyser this D need to continue dominating...

Pay him more respect, he deserve that...

and be sure i'm not blinded by my huge love for this team, i've just analyse all this past season , and i truly thinks that urlacher, vilma and co are still a step behind...

the old man still rocks!

Go ravens Go!!!!!

Anyone who blames the game plan for the Ravens' loss to the Colts was either drunk during the game (and has not re-watched it on video) or has an anti-Billick agenda. It was not our night -- untimely turnovers, bad breaks and the worst game by McNair all year are much more valid reasons for the loss.

And I can't stop laughing at Bacon's comment about all the explosive skill players Billick has had here during his tenure. Justin Armour, Qadry Ismail, Brandon Stokely, Travis Taylor, Patrick Johnson, Marcus Robinson, Frank Sanders, Randy Hymes...."Soo much talent on the offense"...give me a break! Fact is, he finally has some talent now and, as Joe posted, the Ravens ranked 10th in offense last year with him calling the plays.

Marc --

1. The decision to basically run out the clock at the end of the first half against the Colts -- while not being a pure "game plan" decision -- is certainly a head coaching/"Billickball"/playing not to lose type of decision. Alternatively, look at what the Pats accomplished right before the end of the half against the Chargers. That score helped them eventually turn the game around and rack up a win. Squandering that potential opportunity against the Colts was/is inexcusable, as far as I'm concerned.

2. The decision to get away from the running game in the second half after it showed reasonable success in the first half is another "game plan" decision, without a doubt. And one that could have cost us the game.

3. The decision to not even try another kickoff/punt returner (i.e. CMac or Clayton) is a form of game planning that falls squarely on Billick's shoulders. And while there are no guarantees that CMac or Clayton would have done better than Ross (who, admittedly, had an "ok" game), it's those sorts of decisions on Billick's part that have caused many fans to question his competence as an offensive engineer and/or as someone who can change gears during a game and come up with alternatives to things that just aren't working. (Fortunately for the Ravens, Rex Ryan is the exact opposite on D; just look at the adjustments he made when Haley was in for Smith who was in for Ray. We got run over in the first half; but kicked butt in the second, thanks to Rex's adjustments. Billick is totally lost when his great "game plans" aren't working.)

4. Your attempt to characterize anyone who criticizes Billick as having an "agenda" got old a long time ago. Billick's inability to engineer a potent offense throughout his tenure here in Baltimore speaks volumes for itself. It's actually people such as yourself who engage in promoting agendas; particularly, of trying to make it appear as if Billick's incompetence -- when it comes to the offense, especially in the post season -- is anything other than what it pitifully, unfortunately, is.