Gary Lambrecht, The Examiner
2007-11-05 08:00:00.0
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BALTIMORE -

With apologies to Yogi Berra, unless the Ravens find a way to upset the Pittsburgh Steelers tonight at Heinz Field, it’s over. Unless the underachieving, overly penalized, Ravens (4-3) play their best game of the season, which they will need to beat the best team in the AFC not named New England or Indianapolis, any hopes of sneaking into the playoffs as a wild card are toast.

With all of this season’s messiness — injuries to one-third of the team’s starters, a once-elite defense showing its age and some cracks, an offense that can’t function in the red zone, a head coach whose play calling has drawn public criticism from linebacker Ray Lewis — the Ravens have arrived at a one-game fork in the road.

If Baltimore wins, it’s in a tie for the AFC North lead, yet still facing a terribly difficult schedule. But when the Ravens lose to the Steelers (5-2), they’ll be standing at 4-4, still winless in the division, 1-4 on the road, and facing a buzz saw of a schedule that could render them 8-8 at best.

Which brings us to Coach Brian Billick, General Manager Ozzie Newsome and Owner Steve Bisciotti, who form the most interesting subplot of the season’s second half.

Does Billick need to make the playoffs to keep his job? If and when the Ravens are eliminated from the postseason for the third time in the past four years, will Bisciotti give him another pass because of the way injuries have disrupted the team’s continuity?

Based on his track record, Bisciotti probably would bring back the coach he publicly spanked after the team finished 6-10 two years ago.

After last year’s 13-4 finish that included a runaway division title, then ended with an embarrassing 15-6 playoff loss to the Colts —Billick’s second, one-and-done, January whiff at M&T Bank Stadium — Bisciotti signed Billick through 2010 with a four-year extension reportedly worth more than $5 million a year.

You have to wonder if the self-made billionaire is second-guessing himself. Bisciotti certainly didn’t get rich by playing it safe. And he can’t possibly be enjoying the sights from his owner’s box this fall.

Billick’s strengths have always been in the organizational and motivational areas — the behind-the-scenes stuff that happens during the week.

Sundays have been another story.

Between his lack of in-game adjustments, his failure to find roles for certain players — veteran running back Mike Anderson is the latest glaring example — his play calling, clock management and general feel for the game, we’re not talking about Bill Walsh or Earl Weaver. Those guys were real geniuses at their craft.

Billick, grinding through his ninth season in Baltimore, might be running out of steam here. When Lewis popped off on his radio show recently regarding Billick’s failure to run the ball at odd times — the same way the future Hall of Famer complained to me after the Ravens barely held on for a 20-13 win over the Jets on Sept. 16 — he violated a code between players and coaches. Don’t air your disagreements in public.

But it all made sense to me. It reminded me of two years ago, when Lewis made no bones about his frustration with Billick.

Time is running out for No. 52 to win another Super Bowl, and he spoke for more veterans who are keeping their eye-rolling and finger-pointing to themselves. He also was aiming his words at Newsome and Bisciotti.

Had Billick never caught defensive lightning in a bottle and won that Super Bowl nearly seven years ago, he most likely would been long gone by now. And I still remember him talking about how the Ravens had raised the bar of expectations after they won it all.

Well, let’s review: Since they brought home the Lombardi trophy, the Ravens have won one playoff game, a wild-card affair at Miami in January 2002. Since then, they’ve missed the postseason three times, won a pair of division crowns, only to flop both times in their first playoff game. And, with the exception of last year, Billick’s offense has been consistently ineffective and unwatchable.

It might be nearing time for Bisciotti to raise the bar by lowering the boom on Billick.

Gary Lambrecht writes about the NFL, Major League Baseball and college sports.

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