The reason they played well last year was Ryan blitzes kept the other teams' offense off balance, Jim Leonard and Bart Scott who they let go played great football, and they didn't have Carr, Foxworth and Landry messing up the secondary. They also finally had a decent o-line and a real nfl QB for the first time ever.

Oh, so that's why the Ravens were 8-8 in Billick's first season and Super Bowl champs in his second? Because they wanted to show that everything was Marchibroda's fault in the 1st and then sank so far to the level of mediocrity in the 2nd that they won the championship game?

As for the locker room angle, it sounds as though you're telling us that Harbs has lost this team. If that's the case, we're headed for a Off-season 2008 all over again.

Geez, never mind that neither Ryan nor Stover has yet to take a snap as a player on the Ravens secondary unit. The Ravens aren't losing because Ryan's not keeping the peace and Stover's not passing along locker room intel, they're losing because of a LOUSY secondary. We're not talking about CMac and Gary Baxter playing the corners, we're talking about a corner that even the RAIDERS didn't want and another that saw his best success as a nickleback. You want the Ravens to see Dr. Phil, but I want to see them with cornerbacks that can defend the pass AND tackle too. These guys are owning up to the responsibility for the lack of execution, but apparently lack the ability to improve.

Communication? Who cares?

The problem is that there is too much communication, too much talking, too much explaining( ie: fundamentals, technique) and not enough of Buzz getting in players faces and kicking their butts. There is no accountability.

Who cares about team chemistry? Who cares if they are all working hard to be the best Ravens they can be? Who cares how great focus they have at each and every practice.

Great family atmosphere. Coaches love and are encouraged to bring their kids to work. Ravens facility may be one of the happiest places to work in Maryland. That's great.

Buzz needs to go back to what he was last year. Someone that would not rule on a equal footing with players but would work them hard, sit them down when not performing, and find a way to get them playing their best each and every week. Stop being so nice and political. Call out players, sit players, dis players. Do whatever you need to to light a fire under their butts.

And lastly please stop letting your coordinators dictate the game plan. Run the ball to set-up the pass. Run the ball to set-up the pass. Run the ball to set-up the pass. Got it, Buzz?

Football is a game that is won in the trenches. Yes, it is a cliche. But it is true. Let our line assert their dominance, use up the clock, limit the other teams time of possession, let the defensive backs rest( less apt to fall down with more rest), beat down our opposition, and have Joe run a little play action now and then.

Makes sense-Harbs took Stovers good faith effort and turned it against him. Arroghant, as if mighty mouse needed the feedback. I worked for these types many times.

I'll be very disappointed in you Harbaugh if you feel easily crossed.

If you make such a power statement, you better be brilliant. I mean stunning at football or you will lose respect.

Are you implying that Harbaugh is not in-touch with the locker room similar to Billick?

I will have to disagree with the Switzer comment. In fact, Switzer won the super bowl in his 2nd year with the Cowboys. Switzer had less talent than the Johnson teams as they started to get ravaged by free agency and the team did not have the continuity in coordinators because Dave Wannstedt and Norv Turner the coordinators under Johnson did not serve under Switzer as they left to become head coaches.

It would appear what Harbaugh has done in a short period of time in his decision making is proving to be catastrophic to the Ravens style defense and football. To hire a guy with one year NFL experience over other candidates who been in the league several years that are more familiar with the NFL game and players is very questionable. Based on your experience, is one year ample time to get up to speed, compared to other guys like Mike Nolan who have been breaking down NFL film studying other teams tendencies and players for the past several years?
I believe that Billick would have achieved to same results as Harbaugh last year, if they still hired Cam as the OC. And I presume that the Ravens would be better off right now because Billick would have hired a competent DC.

Rich H. I agree with a lot you say. I have been saying the same thing -STOP being Mr perfect speak and be the D$#% Head Coach.

The real reason they miss Rex and Stover is Rex fired up the defense, understood his role and in many ways carried Harbaugh through his first year. Shame Harbaugh listened to all the media hype about how great he was, and instead used last year to actually learn something.

And Stover had that annoying habit of kicking the ball through the uprights.

We're still the best 4-4 team in the NFL, way better then our record. To me the problem -- Harbaugh is happy with an acceptable level of mediocrity.

management ignored a basic tenent of organizational theory and design: the need for and the advantages of continuity.

One year ago, the following exchange occurred:

"Jay: ..[I]f Matt Stover continues to struggle, at what point should the Ravens bring in another kicker?

Mike Preston: [Y]es, the Ravens need to find somebody to push Stover. It just can't be some no-name on the developmental squad, but somebody to seriously challenge him. Stover has won a lot of games for the Ravens and you have to give him time to work things out. But the clock is ticking."

And also: "Matt Stover has to get more distance on his kickoffs."
http://today.sportingnews.com/sportingnewstoday/20081024/?pg=27#pg27

However, now apparently the critical kicker issue is loss of locker room feedback to Harbaugh.

I'm so tired of Rex Ryan References. The players on this years team are soft, if harbaugh brought in soft players than it's his fault and maybe the old guys, Price, gregg, lewis, reed, landry should all retire or start hitting. Foxworth and carr are soft and GOODEN does not make plays and rarely knows where the ball is going. I guess you can blame that on communication and losing a field goal kicker but I'm not sure I buy it. This is the worst tackling and pursuit team the ravens have had. Getting burned by the PASS is a TRADEMARK of Ravens Defense when Rex was here. Especially when we had no offense just like we did sunday against CINCY. Palmer,delhomme,brady, mcnair, manning, Fatburger, Hasselback etc. all carved up the ravens secondary post 2K.

Funny when billick was here everyone said time to start over then the players respond to harbaugh and everythings ok, now the players don't respond to harbaugh so it's time to get rid of him and the defensive coach. How about making a committment to tackling like I saw the steelers do monday nite. Am I the only one who watched suggs let go of Leonard's ankle on 3 and 2 last week so he could get a first down. Where was his help how could a 30 million dollar man not hang on to that ankle of 3rd string back given the situation? BTW, where the hell is Tsizzle? His contract says it's HIS defense now and I've not heard a PEEP from the Guy?

There can be not doubt that the Ravens would be 8-0 if only Matt Stover was on the team. Boy our reporters suck.

Why not get rid of Harbaugh and Mattison , we'll find out when we don't make the playoffs.........

Dissing the coach?!? Well it's mutiny I tell ya!

It's time to stop pointing fingers, shape up and get with the program!

No more crying son, get your head up. There's 8 games left for cripesake!

OK - Now let's all get on board and come in for the big win!!

GO RAVENS!!

Im not giving up on them yet... but there are HUGE problems:

1. Ed Reed is not being the Ed Reed I know and love... but that maybe because he is the only person playing in the secondary... which brings me to...

2. All of the corners... Get BEAT everytime... When they do play good, its an aberrant...

3. Will someone keep Flacco from getting sacked every other play?... we need him!

4. Flacco, I like his style, but he has to get out the pocket... faster!

5. Linebackers... I haven't seen any good hits since that Chad Johnson incident...

6. Kicker. 'Nough said.

7. Why dont we really use McClain anymore? I like to see him run (or attempt to run) thru people.

8. Receivers... Clayton who?

... I'll support them but :( they need help!

If our d coordinator rushes 3 men again I will stop watching and sell my season tickets. We rushed 3 guys on 3rd and goal from the 6 yard line. The first score would have been a field goal instead of a TD. What a moron call. What credentials does our D coordinator have? Maybe he will learn from the Steelers and Bengals.

I agree the game is won in the trenches. Unfortunately our O lines is not very good and cannot run block. Very high draft picks on the line and not very good. I love Ozzie but have to question signing Foxworth and Carr. They are tiny guys. We need physical DBs like Pitt. Unfortunately, I think Pitt will pound us into submission again this year. But the games will not be as close this year.

The guy Bischotti said had a "thin resume" did his best Joe Altobelli impression last year. Now we see the flaws - the poor clock management that Billick was so often criticized for, the lack of discipline with the league leading penalties, the poor decision making on hiring his dad's golf buddy to coach the defense, the shoddy special teams play (he is a guru of Special Team's , right?) and dropping your HOF kicker 7 months removed from knocking on the Super Bowl door. The Harbs honeymoon is over.

You guys need to wake up - The guys loved playing for Rex. Ask any of them. They would die for him - why? because he had their back - always. They can't stand Harbaugh - don't respect him. Harbs is losing the team. Stover was one of the only guys that could speak to Harbs man to man - they were the same age and Stover wasn't afraid of him. Preston hit the nail on the head. Mike's either got someone on the inside giving him the players mindset or he's incredibly intuitive. Harbs is blowing it! And nobody will tell him - Rex would have and so would Stover.

Wow Preston stirring the pot, big surprise!!!

Toole,

So you mean to tell me that the reason the Ravens lost 3 straight games by a combined 11 points is because the players don't like Harbaugh?

Maybe I'm on an island here, but I strongly doubt anyone would be bringing this up at all if the Ravens were 8-0 or 7-1 - you know, a field goal made here, a pass defended there, an arm tackle made.

I have no idea how those veterans are responding to Harbaugh, but since Preston made the linkage between locker room communication and performance, we owe it to ourselves and the team we root for to test his claims. In this case, I think Preston is full of it.

Pete,

Your absolutely right - you have no idea how the veterans are responding to harbs - and you won't know because they can't tell you. only those closest to the players know how they really feel. they can never speak out about their coach in such a way. (they want to keep their jobs)

The players want to win - but now they are winning in spite of Harbs not "For" him. You can't underestimate the difference between that and the respect and love they had for Rex. Team chemistry is EVERYTHING when your goal is the Super Bowl.

Obviously, they couldn't keep Rex from leaving - but they certainly could have kept Stover. It's complete ignorance to let go of a proven veteran kicker when your team is on the verge of greatness and you need to win close games. Yes, the move to a younger kicker is inevitable, but this was not the year to make the change. Stover was the team player rep for something like 12 years and he was the perfect go between players and coaches. The coaches respected him and so did the players. He kept the peace between veterans and Harbs and helped Harbs realize when he was screwing up.

Rex is a genius and he tried to take Stover with him to the New York Jets!!!