Chemical Reaction

Football Digest, Oct, 2001 by Steve Silverman

Last year the Ravens were synonymous with hits like this one--but have they messed with that winning formula by shifting some of the focus away from their menacing defense?

BALTIMORE RAVENS COACH BRIAN BILLICK isn't one to bask in past glory. He's always looking forward, not backward.

Case in point: In the offseason, he waived his starting quarterback from last year (Trent Dilfer) and brought in someone new (Elvis Grbac)--an unprecedented move for a defending Super Bowl champion. Did we also mention that Billick isn't afraid to take a gamble?

Before we examine Billick's bold decision, let's take a look at Differ's recent history: Prior to catching on with the Ravens last year and earning a Super Bowl ring, Dilfer had suffered mightily in the NFL. He played six seasons in Tampa before Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy finally threw up his hands after the 1999 season and decided that Dilfer wasn't the QB who could take his team to the next level.

There was plenty of evidence to support Dungy's conclusion--a 70-to-80 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio and a passer rating of 69.4--and the only grumbling heard around Tampa was that the move came a couple of years too late.

Billick came to Dilfer's rescue, giving the former first-rounder an opportunity to back up Tony Banks. And after the Ravens offense went to sleep in October--the team went five straight games without an offensive touchdown--Billick really had no choice but to bench Banks and make Dilfer the starter.

Dilfer wasn't spectacular, but he was a functional signalcaller who seemed to spark his teammates. After losing his first start--9-6 at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9--Dilfer and the Ravens caught fire. They went on to win their last 11 games, a streak that was punctuated by a dominant 34-7 triumph over the New York Giants in Super Bowl 35.

Dilfer's regular-season numbers last year were pedestrian: 1,502 yards, 12 touchdown passes, and 11 interceptions. But basically, he did his job, which was to keep the costly mistakes to a minimum. His postseason was just as ordinary from a statistical standpoint. While he didn't do anything stupid, he didn't do anything great either, throwing only two touchdown passes in four games. That's not exactly Montana-like production.

Ironically, though, Dilfer's inability to make big plays may have been the best thing that could have happened to the Ravens. The defense knew it had to suffocate opposing offenses if the Ravens were going to win--and it did just that. Led by middle linebacker Ray Lewis, the Ravens defense intimidated opposing offenses with its attitude and eviscerated them with its physical prowess.

Giants quarterback Kerry Collins never used the words "scared" or "intimidated" when he met the media following his team's Super Bowl 35 pounding, but he was literally shaking when he described how the Ravens defense attacked the pocket and left him no room to breathe.

Collins was not alone. The Ravens defense also battered quarterback Rich Gannon and running back Tyrone Wheatley in the AFC Championship Game against the Oakland Raiders. Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George is one of the most imposing physical specimens in the league, but he was fed his lunch by Baltimore in their divisional playoffs game. And Broncos quarterback Gus Frerotte looked like an accident victim after being mercilessly tormented in Denver's wild-card game against Baltimore.

These events did not happen by accident. The Ravens allowed the fewest points ever in a 16-game regular season (165) and gave up just 23 more in their four postseason games. But they had to be that good. Defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis knew the offense would struggle if it were asked to go 80 or more yards on a regular basis. Therefore, the defense had to give the offense the ball on a short field, a feat it accomplished regularly.

Whether it was defensive tackle Sam Adams shooting the gap in the middle of the line, outside linebacker Peter Boulware coming around the corner, or cornerback Chris McAlister locking on a receiver in coverage, the defense was nearly perfect. That physical superiority was coupled with the mental edge of having to make spectacular plays to compensate for an offense that could barely keep its head above water. The defense fed off that need, getting better each week.

Now, heading into the 2001 season, the question is: Can the defense do it again?

It may not be asked to. Grbac appears to be a much better passer than Dilfer was. Last year for the Kansas City Chiefs, he threw for 4,169 yards and 28 touchdowns, and had a passer rating of 89.9. If Grbac plays like that in 2001, Baltimore's offense should control the ball longer and put more points on the board than it did last year. And even if Grbac goes down with an injury--which has been known to happen during his seven-year career--Billick is very confident that second-year quarterback Chris Redman can move the ball consistently.

All of this means that the Ravens defense may get more rest on the bench and occasionally have a two- or three-touchdown cushion. In other words, it may be able to relax from time to time.