Does anyone else out there think that Brian Billick is trying to see just how far he can go before the Baltimore Ravens fire him?
Clearly Billick too proud to resign as head coach, but he must not want this job anymore, because everything he’s doing seems geared to sabotage his position — starting with his declaration that Kyle Boller will return as starting quarterback after he recovers from his toe injury. Said Billick:
Anthony Wright is the starter for an undetermined period right now due to injury. Kyle Boller is our starting quarterback. If I left it open to interpretation, if I left that in a way that led to speculation that we did not have the faith in Kyle, that our faith is wavering, that was not my intent.
Why Billick continues to put lipstick on this pig is beyond me. Perhaps it’s to cover up the fact that Billick’s offense has no passing attack with or without Boller, and it makes it that much easier for teams to put eight in the box to stop RB Jamal Lewis, who’s still nursing a sore ankle and has only 57 yards on 26 carries in two games.
Lewis gained 9 yards on 10 carries against the Tennessee Titans last Sunday. Let that sink in for a minute. Nine yards on 10 carries. By comparison, the Steelers’ Willie Parker gained 161 yards on 22 carries against the same Titans’ D. At what point between 9/11 and 9/18 did the Titans become world beaters?
That doesn’t even begin to address the fact that the Ravens are now running the 46 defense, which hasn’t worked for anyone since Buddy Ryan was run out of Philadelphia in the early 90s. There’s a reason you don’t see the 46 anymore. Peyton Manning needed about 36 minutes of football to solve it, and Norm Chow appeared to have it figured out well before the opening kickoff.
Yet Billick insists he’s going to keep doing things the way he’s doing them until this team turns it around. Huh?
I am accountable for everything that goes on with this football team. I take that very personally. The buck stops here. I am accountable and am going to be the one that has to put us on a course to correct it.
Billick must want out of Baltimore without it looking like he’s running away. Either that, or he’s trying to figure out just how much good will a Super Bowl ring buys him. I have a feeling that question will be answered come New Year’s Day.