Spring Break
Billick Should Step Down
NFL
Tim Ehrens
Issue date: 11/13/07 Section: Sports
The more I look around, the more it becomes true - Brian Billick, old buddy, old pal, you need to step down as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
Either that, or owner Steve Bisciotti needs to wake up, smell the coffee and hand this incredibly overrated coach a pink slip if he cares about winning.
I know what you're saying, how can a coach who brought Baltimore a championship and has restored football in a city that was devoid of a football team after the Colts bolted for Indianapolis in 1984?
And yes, Billick's history in Baltimore isn't that bad. He has an 80-56 record with the team, including the playoffs, and has coached one of the greatest defenses in recent memory that defined the trendy phrase "defense wins championships" with their lopsided 34-7 domination of the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.
Those accomplishments are all well and good, but since Billick's Super Bowl glory, it's safe to say that the team has gotten worse and has squandered the respect that was once showered on this team.
Before the Ravens' Super Bowl season in 2000, they were nothing special. They missed the playoffs in their four previous years, including Billick's first year as head coach in 1999.
However, since that Super Bowl, the Ravens have gone a dismal 1-3 in the playoffs and have missed the playoffs three times. The two years they have finished the regular season as AFC North champions, 2003 and 2006, both ended with first-round losses.
All this brings us to this year, where the Ravens are shockingly in the midst of a season that is slowly slipping away.
Coming into this season, the Ravens were seen as an elite AFC contender, tabbed by most to be amongst the top-5 teams in football. Sadly, leave it to Billick to screw up another Ravens season.
The Ravens are now 4-5, coming off of three straight crushing losses to the Bills, Steelers and Bengals, teams that have a semi-respectable combined record of 15-12 but who outscored the Ravens 78-28. And to make matters worse they are looking up at the Browns in their own division.
Either that, or owner Steve Bisciotti needs to wake up, smell the coffee and hand this incredibly overrated coach a pink slip if he cares about winning.
I know what you're saying, how can a coach who brought Baltimore a championship and has restored football in a city that was devoid of a football team after the Colts bolted for Indianapolis in 1984?
And yes, Billick's history in Baltimore isn't that bad. He has an 80-56 record with the team, including the playoffs, and has coached one of the greatest defenses in recent memory that defined the trendy phrase "defense wins championships" with their lopsided 34-7 domination of the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.
Those accomplishments are all well and good, but since Billick's Super Bowl glory, it's safe to say that the team has gotten worse and has squandered the respect that was once showered on this team.
Before the Ravens' Super Bowl season in 2000, they were nothing special. They missed the playoffs in their four previous years, including Billick's first year as head coach in 1999.
However, since that Super Bowl, the Ravens have gone a dismal 1-3 in the playoffs and have missed the playoffs three times. The two years they have finished the regular season as AFC North champions, 2003 and 2006, both ended with first-round losses.
All this brings us to this year, where the Ravens are shockingly in the midst of a season that is slowly slipping away.
Coming into this season, the Ravens were seen as an elite AFC contender, tabbed by most to be amongst the top-5 teams in football. Sadly, leave it to Billick to screw up another Ravens season.
The Ravens are now 4-5, coming off of three straight crushing losses to the Bills, Steelers and Bengals, teams that have a semi-respectable combined record of 15-12 but who outscored the Ravens 78-28. And to make matters worse they are looking up at the Browns in their own division.
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cravnravn
posted 11/15/07 @ 4:06 AM EST
You look at the D and see nothing but all-pro's? I dont know what game you are looking at then. Can I pin this season on Billick? yes I can, but I also look at the fact that we have been without All-Pro corners, C-Mac and Samaro Rolle, We havent had Rolle in 5 weeks. (Continued…)
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