A young coach, a rookie QB and an aging defense may make for a soap opera season

By Joe Platania

The Ravens open the 2008 season against the Bengals on Sunday. (Sabina Moran/PressBox)

Some teams go into the season with loads of talent and optimism. For the Baltimore Ravens, it's nothing but questions.

Who's the quarterback going to be? Will the offensive line jell? Can the defense muster a pass rush again? How many more years do veterans like Ray Lewis have left? Which rookies will rise to the occasion? How will new head coach John Harbaugh react in a crucial game situation?

If these issues are resolved successfully, the Ravens could challenge in what is expected to be a weak division. If not, they could follow their fellow parking-lot tenants -- the Orioles -- into the division cellar.

WHO'S THE QB? 
 
The Ravens open their season Sunday.

But to understand the root of the Ravens' current quarterback problem, one must go back to another Sept. 7 lid-lifter, this one in 2003.

On a sunny day at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field, a rookie quarterback named Kyle Boller saw blitzes he had never seen before, coming from defenders larger and faster than any he had ever encountered.

Steelers linebacker Kendrell Bell intercepted a pass on Boller's first-ever drive as a pro, returning it 42 yards to set up an early field goal. The Ravens went on to fumble four times, allow two sacks and commit 10 penalties in a 34-15 loss.

Ever since that shell-shocked beginning, the Ravens have been loath to put a rookie in such a position again. General manager Ozzie Newsome has publicly acknowledged that mistake, saying that it hurt both the team in general and Boller (20-22 career as a starter) in particular.

That's why first-rounder Joe Flacco hasn't been named the starter by default despite Boller's shoulder injury and Troy Smith's battles with viral and tonsil conditions that have caused dehydration and serious weight loss.

But Monday afternoon, Flacco was awarded the job. The Delaware product will become the first AFC rookie quarterback to start the first game of his maiden season since Boller did so five years ago.

In August, Flacco and Smith committed just one turnover each while Boller authored three giveaways. That's important for a team that was worst in the league last year with a minus-17 turnover ratio.

What's also important is the way the three have gone about their jobs. 

Flacco has brought a calm, almost laconic approach to the table, while Smith has a confident swagger and Boller brings a strong work and team ethic. None of that can help if they aren't healthy enough to be on the field.

To give the Ravens short-term breathing room at the position, journeyman Casey Bramlet was brought in for the final preseason game before being signed to the practice squad.

As this week began, free agents such as Chris Simms and Daunte Culpepper were not only available, but on the lips of many an impatient fan. Simms, Joey Harrington and ex-Jacksonville and Minnesota quarterback Todd Bouman worked out for the Ravens,  with Bouman reportedly agreeing to a one-year deal Tuesdat afternoon.

Coach John Harbaugh has said that a decision on the Week 1 starter against Cincinnati might not be made until five minutes before game time. Whether the first-year mentor was being serious isn't certain. But he is trying his best to make the best of a bad situation.

"I don't want to say it's been hindering us moving forward because you just move forward," Harbaugh said. "You take the situation as it is and you attack it every single day. As coaches, what we tend to do is take for granted how far we've come and we say that we need to get this next thing accomplished. That's where we are at." 

But finding a quarterback is especially important in a place like Baltimore, which has experienced feast and famine under center.

The Colts' era featured the long-term legendary brilliance of John Unitas and the short-term dazzle of Bert Jones.

However, the Ravens have seen 23 different players throw at least one pass for the team with none having a higher career passer rating than 87.3 (Eric Zeier) and nobody posting a better number over a single season than 88.7 (Vinny Testaverde, 1996).

At least Zeier and Testaverde were on the field often enough to make something happen.

That was the biggest key in this year's muddled competition, getting to play enough to make Sept. 7 -- and every game day after it -- mean something.

After what was seen in August, will it?

HARBAUGH: NEW COACH, NEW STYLE 
 
After a new president is inaugurated in January, there will be countless lists printed detailing what's "in" and "out" around the White House.

Such comparisons are inevitable when there's change at the top. That's why the Ravens' change in head coaches -- from the verbose, New Age aura of Brian Billick to the down-to-earth, hardcore John Harbaugh approach -- has been so striking.

Whether or not Harbaugh's ways are born out of the fact that he has never been a head coach or coordinator at any level is debatable. He has found the experience challenging, to say the least.

"It's been everything and more in a lot of ways," Harbaugh said. "It's been challenging, it's been invigorating and it's been great working with this group of guys."

But there is no doubt that the youthful looking Harbaugh, who will turn 46 this month, knows what he wants to achieve and how to achieve it. 

For one thing, Harbaugh has not been shy about releasing players during training camp -- a rare occurrence with roughly a full month to go before the cutdown dates -- or trying them out at different positions.

The new coach has strongly recommended that no one be allowed to sit while at practice -- not players, not visiting sponsors, not even the media.

While football is a game, Harbaugh is all business, so much so that he didn't allow any rookie hazing when training camp ended.

Obviously, Harbaugh likes being organized as much as any coach. But he has walked into a situation presenting many vexing problems.

For one thing, the Ravens are a team in transition, with many health and salary-cap questions that are sure to nag this team in the immediate future.

The three-man quarterback battle of attrition had to be especially frustrating, especially to a coach coming from a team that has had Donovan McNabb manning that position for the better part of a decade.

Also, a more rigorous training camp led to an injury list so long that fully one-quarter of the roster missed a significant amount of field time at Westminster. 

The lack of depth didn't help with one of the team's marquee players -- linebacker Terrell Suggs -- holding out in a contract dispute. Neither has the potentially serious, season-ending injuries to quarterback Kyle Boller and safety Ed Reed.

Harbaugh has had to deal with new defensive radio helmets that haven't worked consistently, and he piped in crowd noise before a dome preseason game in St. Louis that ended up with an atmosphere akin to that of a public library.

On top of everything else, the very public head-coaching role is one that still has the former Philadelphia Eagles' special teams coordinator somewhat uncomfortable. The near-daily media briefings, especially, are something he didn't count on.

But there's no doubt that when this son of a coach -- and brother of another -- gets to the sideline Sunday for the home opener, he'll be in his element.

When Harbaugh runs out of the tunnel to see his team face the Cincinnati Bengals, all the trials, tribulations and problems a head coach has to face -- if only for a few moments -- will go away.

"I'm looking forward to my first game at M&T," he said. "I've been there before as an opponent, and it was loud. So I want it to be just as loud or louder. It should be exciting."  

FIVE NEWCOMERS TO WATCH 

RAY RICE: The undisputed star of the rookie class in general and training camp in particular, the second-round pick from Rutgers displayed good speed, acceleration, agility and soft hands in showing what an outstanding all-around back he can be in this league. Rice led the team in preseason receptions with 10 and he gained 5.6 yards per carry on the ground. 

FABIAN WASHINGTON: The former Oakland Raiders speedster, picked up in a draft-day trade, was the fastest man at the 2005 pre-draft scouting combine. In training camp, nearly every time he matched up with Yamon Figurs -- the Ravens' fastest receiver -- he denied Figurs the ball. He will serve a one-game suspension at the start of the season, but  could be a valuable addition to a secondary torched often in 2007. 

BRENDAN AYANBADEJO: His brother, Obafemi, won a Super Bowl ring for the Ravens on a squad that had good special teams play. Brendan was named to the Pro Bowl as a Chicago Bear because of his outstanding coverage ability. Ayanbadejo has enough speed and tenacity to make a difference at linebacker as well. The chance to play there is why he came here. 

MARCUS SMITH: The fourth-round pick from New Mexico was part of the Ravens' efforts to get bigger at the wide receiver position. At 6-foot-1, 215 pounds -- second-tallest on the team to the 6-foot-2 Demetrius Williams -- he has the flexibility to go up for a high pass or to slide on the grass for low ones. He is not afraid to go over the middle, as previous Ravens have been. 

JIM LEONHARD: One glance at the 5-foot-8, 186-pound unrestricted free agent pickup from the Buffalo Bills and one would think he's not even old enough to shave. But the man who will likely start at free safety in Ed Reed's absence will knock the whiskers off anyone who comes his way. He has a nose for the ball as well, which has served him well in the return game. 

FIVE KEYS FOR THE 2008 RAVENS 

UNPREDICTABILITY
The Ravens are trying to transform themselves into an offense that can dictate tempo and do it in many different ways under new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Shotgun formations, no-huddle drives and widely varying receiver/running back packages are the objective for a team that has to hold on to the ball more and give its older, yet still dominant, defense a rest. 

BALL SECURITY
Baltimore went from a league best  plus-17 turnover ratio in 2006 to a league worst minus-17 last season. This has bred an ultra-sensitivity toward giveaways, but it's hard to say the Ravens will hold on to the ball more when they are not sure who the quarterback will be. It's also tough to ask receivers to make more plays downfield after the catch when opponents will be salivating, looking to knock the ball out. 

PASS RUSH/COVERAGE
Trevor Pryce's chest injury last year began a domino effect: a pass rush that had 60 sacks the year before saw that number drop to 32 and a secondary that covered well suddenly allowed 15 plays of more than 40 yards, tied for most in the league. Pryce's health and plenty of pass-rushing options -- Terrell Suggs, Jarret Johnson, Bart Scott, Ray Lewis, et al -- should help an aging, injured defensive backfield cope. 

FIELD POSITION
This has everything to do with special teams, a middle-of-the-road unit in recent years before the additions of special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg and aggressive coverage players like Brendan Ayanbadejo and Haruki Nakamura. The results are encouraging so far. Punter Sam Koch dropped seven of 24 preseason punts inside the coffin corner and netted 38.5 yards per punt. Kicker Matt Stover got surprising depth on his kickoffs once Piotr Czech was waived. 

CRUNCH TIME
As a rookie head coach, how will John Harbaugh react in a close game when it's time for the two-minute drill in a game that counts? Clock management and poor decision-making in such moments was a big talking point for that sector of fans who wanted Brian Billick fired.  

Issue 3.36: September 4, 2008