No signal yet ...
Before we get back to the miserable topic of who should start at quarterback for the Ravens, a little levity, courtesy of Charlie from Owings Mills:
A guy walks into a bar wearing a Ravens jersey, and carrying a cat that also has a Ravens jersey on with a little Ravens helmet on his head, too.
The guy says to the bartender, "Can my cat and I watch the Ravens game here? My TV is broken and my cat and I always watch the game together.''
The bartender replies, "Normally, cats wouldn't be allowed in the bar, but it's not very busy in here right now, so you and the cat can have a seat at the end of the bar. But if there's any trouble with you or the cat, I'll have to ask you to leave.''
The guy agrees, and he and his cat start watching the game. Pretty soon the Ravens kick a field goal, and the excited cat jumps up and down on the bar and walks down the bar and gives everyone a high-five.
The bartender says, "Hey, that's pretty cool! What does he do for a touchdown?''
The guys answers, "I don't know, I've only had him for three years!''
Thank you, we'll be here all week, don't forget to tip your waiter.
Now, if you thought that was funny, check this out: Brian Billick hasn't picked a starter for Sunday's game. And that, as Mike Preston pointed out this morning (and as I hinted at yesterday) tells you that the savior isn't exactly sitting one spot down on the depth chart.
As much deserved abuse that is being heaped on Billick right now, you have to feel for him a little. Although he got himself into this by trusting Kyle Boller as much as he has the last five years, he clearly now realizes that he can't hand the reins to him now, and probably not any time soon, even though Steve "Air'' McNair (or, as Chris from Towson dubbed him in a postgame e-mail, "Error'' McNair), who served Billick so well last year and who the players still believe in, is (a) playing horribly and (b) apparently injured.
It all raises this question: Do 88 percent of you still want Boller to be the starter the rest of the season? The answer, according to this poll on CBSSports.com (just as unscientific and limited as the Sun poll last week), is clearly "no." According to this, only 85 percent of you want Boller instead of McNair.
There also is this to consider: after taking the field to resounding cheers, marching the Ravens toward the goal line in his first series and picking apart a bad defense playing a prevent, Boller still threw an awful pass into multiple coverage that got intercepted.
The approval ratings might still be high, but right now, where do you stand? More to the point, which quarterback will finally give that cat a chance to show off his touchdown celebration?
Comments
I really don't know why everybody needs to pile up on Boller at this point. He will play now and let's see what he does. If he plays well you will all look like fools and if he does'nt it will be obvious to everyone that he just doesn't have it. There is no need to predict what will happen if he plays
Posted by: Bob | November 13, 2007 1:13 PM
Put Boller in....he can't do any worse!
Posted by: Waterboy | November 13, 2007 1:46 PM
What are you and Preston getting at? You both interpret Billick's refusal to bench McNair as a lack of faith in Boller. There is an obvious fallacy here: You are assuming Billick would act responsibly and logically. When has this ever been the case? Billick has no legitimate reason for such indecision. Only an idiot could argue that McNair still gives us a better chance to win. It is impossible for any QB in the league to perform worse than McNair has this season. Boller has looked significantly better, even if he isn't a great QB. He came into the game last week and threw several passes that McNair simply cannot make (including the one down the sideline to Clayton). As for the pick in the end zone, we were down 21-0 with a couple minutes left in the game. Any QB in that situation is going to try to make something happen because there is nothing to lose. What good would it do to check down to a running back when you need three touchdowns in three minutes? I have to think he doesn't throw that pass into triple-coverage if it's still a game. Right now, there is no telling what Billick is thinking, because he never does what makes sense. There is no real decision to be made. McNair must be benched, regardless of who else is on the roster. Playing McNair next week would be akin to waving the white flag, and everybody knows it.
Posted by: david | November 13, 2007 2:30 PM
I have tickets to Sunday's game and I can't bear the thought of watching McNair shamble around the field tossing wounded ducks to the check-down receiver for four quarters. He doesn't even give them a chance at winning any more; at least Kyle could get lucky now and again.
Posted by: Kevin in Columbia | November 13, 2007 2:33 PM
McNair can't throw a long pass or a short pass. He looks scared. He fumbles all the time. It's all downside.
Boller can't throw a short pass, and most of the time can't throw a long pass. But once in a while, he connects downfield. Sometimes he doesn't fumble. And he throw more than five yards at times, which is at least interesting to see, if only for a few seconds.
The options are awful (thanks, Coach Genius), but clearly, the advantage goes to Boller. Mr. McNair, take a seat, and Ravens management, get rid of Motormouth and start looking to a future without him. FASTER, please.
Posted by: RevJMP | November 13, 2007 2:55 PM
Which quarterback will finally give that cat a chance to show off his touchdown celebration?
Are you talking about TROY SMITH?
Posted by: Frank Henneman | November 13, 2007 2:59 PM
Not really sure what the signigance is of 88% vs 85% >
Posted by: jimontheshore | November 13, 2007 3:09 PM
I'm not quite sure how Billick's reluctance to embarrass Steve McNair with an emphatic press conference announcing that Kyle Boller is the new starter is such a huge indictment of his faith in Boller? I'm pretty sure the only indictment that matters came two off-seasons ago when the Ravens traded away a small portion of their draft to acquire a new starter and demoted Kyle.
At this point, Kyle is what Kyle is... an experienced backup with some talent and some flaws. Enough flaws that he's a backup under normal circumstances (i.e. Steve McNair plays anywhere close to what he did in 2006, not like Kyle Boller in mid-2005).
Billick's snail-paced handover of the reins is more tied to the club's faith and patience in Steve McNair's ability, which he earned through an extensive and excellent track record. That and the hope ingrained in just about every player and coach that Steve would turn things around, because he both earned and deserved that chance.
Both Steve McNair and Kyle Boller have shown more class and dignity, even on their worst days, in their time here than a lot of writers and fans seem to possess in a lifetime. To stoop so low as to kick them when they're down speaks volumes about one's own character...
Posted by: Eric | November 13, 2007 3:19 PM
almost seems like a no-brainer.last year's heisman's trophy winner is on the bench;he played at high profile program and led OSU to NCS game. What have we got to lose by using Smith? Boller proved long ago he isn't first string
Posted by: harfordnits | November 13, 2007 3:30 PM
Given the alternative, I don't think Billick has a choice -- either start a wonky McNair and get rode out of town, or hide behind the "injury" and use that as an excuse if Boller falls flat on his face.
Personally, I'd much rather see Boller in than McNair. If both are equally bad, why not go with the healthy one?
Posted by: Stephen | November 13, 2007 3:37 PM
Great joke Charlie...it was so funny that for a moment I forgot how sad it was.
Does it matter who QB's this team really?
No one is going to be successful in the Billick system...look at all the names...Banks, Wright, Boller, Case, Blake, Grbac, McNair, Mitchell, Cunningham, Redman, Stewart and the only one who consistently won under that system is the one Billick fired...Dilfer.
That's 12 QB's in less than 8 full seasons, not counting the other 2 who never got a chance...Olsen and Anderson.
During all that time, the best they placed in scoring was EIGHTH in 2003 when Lewis ran for 2000 yards.
Posted by: Ed D | November 13, 2007 4:00 PM
Boller still sucks, just not as bad as McNair has sucked since the playoff loss vs. the Colts. Of course we stand a better chance of scoring TD's with Boller; at least he can throw the ball PAST the first down marker.
Posted by: Macadamia | November 13, 2007 4:50 PM
Has Mcnair offered any eeson for us to celebrate this seson? It is a case of using the next worse instead of the worst. What do we have to lose by starting boller?? How can it ba any worse?
Posted by: bob jones | November 13, 2007 4:57 PM