Brian Billick sucks

[James Boston]

I'm not really a Ravens fan, but last night bothered me. I spent all that thinking I was going to see history be made. THE GAME HAD NO BEARING ON THE POST SEASON. The Ravens were in the playoffs and the Steelers weren't, no matter what happened. Lewis needs 40-50 yards for the record. Why did Billick keep the ball in the air? Why go for the field goal and the win? Let the game go into OT and give Lewis some time to run the ball.

[Dynasty]

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THE GAME HAD NO BEARING ON THE POST SEASON

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Except that the Ravens were playing all their starters and wearing them out in a game that could, and did, go into overtime. The fact that their playoff game is on Saturday just made things worse.

Lewis was getting stuffed by the Pittsburg defense from the second quarter on. He didn't have much hope to break the record.

[James Boston]

OK, I did neglect to consider how long the starters had been in the game. But, Lewis can break one away at anytime. He could have easily gotten 40+ yards on one drive.

[Oski]

If Billick really intended to let Lewis go for the record, why did he sit him down for the 4th quarter against Cleveland? If he wanted to rest Lewis for the upcoming Pittsburgh game (in case it Cincy had won); then why would he not let Lewis rest the WHOLE Pitt game for the playoffs once it was clear that it was not necessary? This makes no sense.

The record could have been had, but the failure to get it goes back to Cleveland.

[James Boston]

I'm not talking about the prior game or even the prior quarter. All I'm saying is that with Lewis within 50 yards of the record, why not keep the ball on the ground? In no way did I mean to suggest that Billick's overall strategy should be based on helping Lewis. But, once he got REALLY close, he didn't get the ball as much.

[J.R.]

Reagrdless of your opinion of this, Baltimore-Pittsburg is a rivalry few outside of PA-MD can understand. The Ravens had never beaten the Steelers in their new house (PSInet, now M&T bank). They were beat by the Steelers in their last playoff game 2 years ago, and lost to the steelers the first game of this season. The Ravens had always been second fiddle to the Steelers (and prior to that, the Steelers and the Titans) in their division. They did not want to go out like Mike Shanahan's Broncos (who got blown out playing many second string players).

Beating the Steelers was an emotional and psychological hurddle that was magnified by the knowledge that they would be playing at home next week in the playoffs. You saw Ray Lewis and Joey Porter getting hot, this game meant something. Ray and the Bus have had some great battles over the years. Its like a college rivalry game when these two familar teams play. I pushed for Jamal too, but winning the game meant more.

If you know much about Jamal, you know what a team first, modest, softspoken person he is. The whole joking with friend's about breaking the single game rushing record before the Cleveland game earlier this year was blown out of proportion. He's a team guy. It was clear the Steelers were going to make Anthony Wright beat them, and Brian Billick/Mike Nolan were playing to win the game.

Its very unlikely Jamal would have gotten the record had the Ravens given up on their offense and handed the ball to Jamal at every opportunity. And that would have been wrong, to both the team and their loyal fans. Beating Pittsburg was much bigger than you might put stock in, as much of Baltimore's current identity is wrapped up in its football team and that team's success against the other blue collar towns in its conference (Cinncinnatti, Cleveland, Pittsburg) that share a gritty similarity in their current deomgraphics. Maybe you have to live there to understand it, (or grow up there), but from my seat, that was the Ravens biggest win since perhaps the Tennessee playoff game during the 2000-2001 season.