Until now I have refrained from commenting on the Baltimore Ravens performance this season. Kind of like when a pitcher is throwing a no-hitter in baseball, I figured if I didn't say anything, maybe they would stay undefeated. But now, after their second loss, I figure there's nothing left to jinx.
They started out with four straight wins. Two of them, against Cleveland and San Diego, were decided at the last minute. The defense kept them close, and they mustered just enough offense to win it at the end. That formula has worked for them before (when they won the Super Bowl in 2000), but it puts too much pressure on the defense.
One could argue that new QB Steve McNair was showing veteran leadership and poise with those last minute, game deciding drives, but the truth is that he was having to make up for 3 quarters of offensive ineptitude. Against Denver, he was unable to muster the magic, throwing 3 interceptions, and Baltimore lost a winnable game 13-3. In their last game against Carolina, he was knocked out with a concussion and Kyle Boller stepped up and played well, but not enough for the win.
While the Baltimore D is still one of the best in the league, the offense is still not carrying it's share of the load. At this point in the season, you aren't going to be able to make significant personnel changes, so Ravens head coach Brian Billick did the only thing he could -- fired the offensive coordinator, Jim Fassel. Since Billick himself is going to get the boot next year if he can't at least get the Ravens back to the playoffs, he figured he'd take the reins and live or die by his own hand. I think the key is playing to the strengths of his players, rather than trying to overscheme and rewrite the whole playbook. If he can at least make the passing game a threat that other teams have to honor, the running game will open up, and the Ravens will be the favorites to win their division, and make some noise in the playoffs.