By Joe Platania, PressBox Staff

The drill is innocuous, but intense enough to make an observer sweat.

Five large human beings line up next to one another. They all bend their knees, lean over at the waist and put one hand apiece on McDaniel College's scorched earth.

A hard, clipped voice springs them into action: "Readeeee.... go!"

The quintet comes to life; each man throws a pair of hands in the air and takes three decisive steps to the right before putting on the brakes. There are no adversaries in the area, no blocks to make, no pancakes to bake.

(Photos by Sabina Moran/PressBox)

In this sweltering kitchen, only the ingredients matter, because the main course is an unknown entity.

No one is allowed to taste the meal -- no one, not even the chefs themselves, can even see what it looks like -- until game night.

***

The play of the Ravens' offensive line has definitely left a bad taste in fans' mouths in recent years.

Whether the subject on the table is passing pocket time for Kyle Boller and his myriad of backups, or running lanes for Jamal Lewis, the line is seen -- justifiably -- as the fulcrum on which hangs the renaissance of the Ravens' offense, not to mention the fortunes of the entire team.

To be sure, the seven-year offensive malaise that has hung over Baltimore since 1998 seemed to ease in 2005.

The Ravens ranked 24th in overall offense (up seven spots from 2004), 22nd in passing offense (up nine spots), 19th in first downs per game (up 11) and 16th in third-down efficiency (up six). But while those numbers are a noticeable improvement, they still aren't high enough to indicate the offense is all the way back from its turn-of-the-century doldrums.

That's because a few problems still remain.

Ravens' quarterbacks were intercepted more in 2005 (3.7 percent of their attempts, 2.7 in 2004) and sacked just as often (.70 sacks per play each of the last two years). In fact, the offensive line has allowed fewer than 40 sacks only three times in team history (1996-97, 2004).

"Protection-wise, we just have to worry about first and second downs," second-year offensive line coach Chris Foerster said. "Those are the key downs. We have to avoid first- and second-down sacks and we have to shore up our protection on those downs."

Also, the effectiveness of the rushing game, a Ravens staple in recent seasons, actually went down in 2005 as it averaged 28 fewer yards per game and the per-carry average went down from 4.2 to 3.6 yards.

All of the above translated into an average time of possession per game of just over 30 minutes. The Ravens haven't held an appreciable advantage in that category since they rang up over 33 minutes per game in -- you guessed it -- the 2000 Super Bowl season.

"As professionals, we definitely want to come out and be an asset to the team," left guard Edwin Mulitalo said. "We never want to be the guys that cause more problems. Losses compound a lot of things, so we definitely want to come back and be contributors."

And what has to happen to help make the running game better?

What could help new starting quarterback Steve McNair get those precious few seconds to pick out receivers instead of picking up parts of his 33-year-old body off the turf again?

What could keep a veteran, star-studded, Pro Bowl-laden defense off the field? Five men hold the key. They have a lot to live up to... and a lot to overcome. 

LEGENDS AND PITFALLS
When it comes to high-profile status, national renown and the riches that come with them, defensive lines have benefited.

From the mid- to late-'70s to approximately the mid-'80s, it was an especially heady time for units with catchy monikers, such as the "Sack Pack" in Baltimore, the "Grits Blitz" in Atlanta, Detroit's "Silver Rush" and the Jets' "New York Sack Exchange."

While their offensive line teammates profited from the inevitable winning, they privately chafed at the fact that no one knew who they were unless the referee announced their number on a holding call, a practice that began around the same time dancing defenders reveled in their new nicknames.

Sure, there have been notable offensive lines, going all the way back to Fordham University's "Seven Blocks of Granite," a unit that featured a young Vince Lombardi.

There was "The Electric Company" in Buffalo and the "Hogs" in Washington, replete with theme songs, folk heroes and winning seasons. But whenever anybody talked about an offensive line, it was all about holding calls, crackback blocks, cutting and other dirty tactics.

It was all about semantics, too.

Defensive linemen were described as "quick," "athletic" and "tenacious."  Words used to describe an offensive lineman included "nasty," "ugly" and "brutish."

Even rule changes, most of which have opened up the game to the offense's benefit, have restricted areas and modes of lineman hand usage through the years.

In pro football's rough-and-tumble past, a hands-to-the-face move wasn't given a second thought. Now, the hands must remain within the torso area and can't venture up to the defender's shoulder pads or around to his back.

It's tough enough trying to erase a negative reputation. It's even tougher to do it when a player is not allowed to use the physical tools he works so hard to maintain.

"We got a job to do," right guard Keydrick Vincent said. "We have to do better than we did last year. We got a bunch of guys that have to get back on the field and get our focus back, so that's what we have to do."

It's a strange paradox. It's as if the National Football League said, "We want our skill-position players to score points, drive up TV ratings and put fans in the seats, but you guys in the pits will be limited in how you keep defenders away from them."

No pressure, right? 

FOERSTER'S FIVE
The Ravens' offensive line doesn't need to feel pressure from talk-show callers, print or broadcast media or the game-day fans.

The unit is under the gun every time Foerster barks out a new protection or directs a new drill.

"It's a new season," Foerster said. "We took a look at last season to see what we can improve on. The guys are out doing their job every day, and we're working as hard as we can every day to be a productive unit."

The offensive line is tied with the tight ends for having the fewest position coaches in Ravens history (not including assistant line coaches). Foerster is the third, following Jim Colletto, who left Baltimore for the Oakland Raiders after the 2004 season, and Kirk Ferentz, now a successful head coach at the University of Iowa and the first name that comes up whenever an NFL job is available.

But Foerster's responsibilities also include that of assistant head coach. It's as if the organization places such a high degree of importance on the performance of the "o-line" that it's willing to elevate Foerster's profile to see that the job gets done.

And it's not as if the no-frills Foerster, to be assisted this year by ex-Houston assistant Greg Roman, hasn't already been under the gun himself. Foerster has been an offensive line and tight ends coach in the NFL since 1993, when he joined the Minnesota staff a year after offensive coordinator Brian Billick came aboard. Since then, the 44-year-old Milwaukee native has led units in Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Indianapolis, Miami and Baltimore. Those teams combined for a 107-85 record, eight playoff berths and two conference title game appearances.

Similar expectations greet the Ravens this year. Here's how Foerster feels about the unit charged with delivering them:

LT JONATHAN OGDEN
The nine-time Pro Bowl selectee is on the cover of the media guide for the first time. That's the most fans have seen of him this summer as he has been tending to family matters since the passing of his father, Shirrel, just one day before he was to report to training camp in Westminster.

But on the field, the 6-foot-9, 345-pounder who began his NFL career as a guard, still has many of the assets that not only coaxed the Ravens to make him their first-ever draft pick in 1996, but have convinced observers nationwide that he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Foerster: "He's a very, very good pass blocker. He's also, obviously, a very good run blocker. He's been to the Pro Bowl all those times, so he obviously has a lot of skills."

LG EDWIN MULITALO
The eighth-year man from Arizona stopped a revolving door at this position (Wally Williams, Ben Cavil, Leo Goeas, Sale Isaia, Everett Lindsay, et al) that was almost as bad as the quarterback carousel.

This year, a physical and mental rededication took place.

Mulitalo's father, Moliki, passed away during the 2005 preseason. He'll never stop dealing with that, but this off-season he was at the Owings Mills facility more than practically anybody else to get in better shape and show more athleticism. His 6-foot-3, 350-pound frame is more streamlined as a result.

Foerster: "Edwin brings a lot of experience to the group. We love his power, he's a big powerful guy, the way he powers a running game."

C MIKE FLYNN
The state of Maine has been good to local teams, considering the Orioles' Mike Bordick and Maryland basketball's Nik Caner-Medley hail from that state. Flynn is a former Black Bear who, like most centers, is the lightest of the starting five at 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds.

Flynn is part of the pantheon of undrafted free agents that have made the Ravens' roster. But, unlike Will Demps and Priest Holmes, he's still here.

Foerster: "Mike Flynn ties the group together. He's a very solid player, run and pass, and you have to stress that he's a coach on the field. He does an excellent job of bringing things together."

RG KEYDRICK VINCENT
The former Pittsburgh Steeler missed seven games last season with a thigh injury and was part of a long list of Ravens on injured reserve.

But the 6-foot-5, 325-pound Vincent's quick hands and good footwork are especially important to fend off defenders who may feel that after dealing with Ogden and Mulitalo on the left side, there's a fall-off on the right.

Footwork has been a big Baltimore issue on the right side, especially when it comes to some one-dimensional players the  Ravens have had in this spot in the past, such as Bennie Anderson and Jeff Blackshear.

Foerster: "Keydrick Vincent brings a form of athleticism with his ablity to run and make plays in space. He's a big guy with a lot of power."

RT TONY PASHOS
Even though the 6-foot-6, 320-pound Illinois product is entering his fourth NFL season, he's the new kid in town, having started seven games in place of an injured Orlando Brown in 2005.

Physicality is a big deal to the 2003 fifth-round pick, who trimmed off at least 25 pounds of spare tire between his second and third seasons, giving him more of a chance to show his mobility and aggressiveness.

Foerster: "Tony Pashos is a rough-and-tumble guy. If you want someone to have your back in a street fight or brawl, Pashos brings that to the table. He brings personality to the group. They all have it, really, but Tony brings more of it."

HOW THEY'RE DOING IT
If you thought that specialization was only for passing-down rushers and third-down running backs, you'd be wrong. As in recent seasons, the Ravens' line will continue to try to become proficient in all three major blocking schemes. Specialization has reared its head in the blue-collar world of the offensive line as well with buzz-phrases such as "zone blocking," "cut blocking" and "man blocking" having worked their way into the lexicon.

Man blocking is the essence of the art. It's one-on-one, man-on-man, or, as coaches might say, "getting a hat on a hat."

Cut blocking is also rather self-explanatory and somewhat controversial. It is legal between the tackles and within three yards on either side of the ball as long as the blocker's head is in front of the legs and above the knee. If a player dives too low on an opponent, he could be injured and the offending player could be hit with a 15-yard penalty, not to mention a fine and/or suspension.

Zone blocking is the vaguest of the three. There's contact involved, of course, but every man is responsible for an area, not necessarily a given opponent.

"We need to do a little bit of everything," Foerster said. "We'll zone block, we'll man block, we'll do some angle and power blocking. They are all phases of the running game.

"Some teams are exclusively zone, some exclusively man. We try to do a little bit of all of them because different defenses warrant different types of schemes."

Only four teams primarily use zone blocking: Denver, Atlanta, Houston and Green Bay. But it must be noted that those are smaller offensive lines given to more jarring hits on defenders. The Ravens' mammoth quintet is a bit slower than those teams, so it won't -- or, more accurately, shouldn't -- have their technique called into question, which sometimes happens in a cutting zone scheme.

"It doesn't matter what I do," Mulitalo said. "It's all X's and O's. In zone blocking, you're blocking more of an area, not just a person. Whoever comes in that area, that's who you're blocking.”

Undaunted, the Ravens have already used zone and man blocking this month.

During McNair's much-discussed first touchdown drive against the New York Giants in the preseason opener, area, or "seal" blocks were used by Vincent and Pashos on a seven-yard Jamal Lewis run that set up first-and-goal on the Giants' 8-yard line.

Earlier in the drive, Pashos was assigned to take on a probable pass-rusher one-on-one and man-blocked him past the pocket as McNair hit Todd Heap for a 17-yard gain.

"We've run the ball very well (in the preseason)," head coach Brian Billick said. "The protections have been excellent, and I'm very pleased (with the line play) so far."

The numbers bear him out.

The Ravens have averaged 319 yards of offense in the first two preseason games at an average of just over five yards per play. In passing situations, Baltimore has allowed 12 sacks, but only twice has the first unit allowed McNair to go down.

"It's a process we have to get ready for the season," backup tackle Adam Terry said. "That's how we do it in the preseason, just get out there and play hard." Mulitalo is looking farther ahead.

"You don't want to toot your own horn too much," he said. "But we have a positive attitude, and we're excited about the season."

Issue 1.18: Aug. 24, 2006