Ravens fire Billick (1 Viewer)

[bostonfred]

Mark Clayton might be a good buy low dynasty candidate if a new coaching/management philosophy comes in.

 

[benm3218]

Mark Clayton might be a good buy low dynasty candidate if a new coaching/management philosophy comes in.

I was thinking that same thing about troy smith too. I watched the last game and for his second game smith looked pretty confident and threw some great passes i thought.

 

[redman]

Of course, if that happens Chris Redman will be

I won't blame you, Chris.

 

[roadkill1292]

Regardless of what anyone thinks about Brian Billick, it stands to reason he will get another head coaching job (if he wants it). He may sit out a season or two until a job comes open that really interests him, but you can be sure he hasn't seen his last offer. Look at all the retreads that get second and third chances and then tell me a 53 year old guy with a SB ring and 2 division titles won't get another gig.

Agreed. He may be an unlikeable snot to many, but he's an unlikeable snot with a lot better resume than most. There're always franchises in dire straits who would kill for the type of success he's had.It was probably time for him to go. But who's next? Are we in for 3-4 years of housecleaning and starting pretty much from scratch? Do we hire someone with a resume, albeit an incomplete one (like a Schottenheimer)? Do we gamble and hire a new face? That's pretty scary in its own way to a fan base who's gotten used to a familiar face on the sidelines. Do we promote Rex Ryan? Does he really have the goods to run the whole show? (My apologies for using the annoying "we" here; saves time)Like I said, scary times in Crabtown.

 

[Franknbeans]

Regardless of what anyone thinks about Brian Billick, it stands to reason he will get another head coaching job (if he wants it). He may sit out a season or two until a job comes open that really interests him, but you can be sure he hasn't seen his last offer. Look at all the retreads that get second and third chances and then tell me a 53 year old guy with a SB ring and 2 division titles won't get another gig.

that doesn't make it right

 

[Couch Potato]

It was probably time for him to go. But who's next?

Per Rotoworld, Ozzie will be interviewing Rex Ryan. I guess that's no surprise, to interview him out of respect even if they might not really be looking to go that way. Also, Schefter says Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz will be on the short list. Given the recent track record of HCs coming straight from the college game, though, I'd be concerned about that if I were a Ravens fan.

 

[Bill Lust]

It's about time. Five years too late (IMO). The Ravens should have been serious contenders just about every year this decade. Maybe the biggest waste of a championship caliber defense I have ever seen.

He has never lived up to the hype that he had as Minnesota's OC. I know he won a SB, but that was due to the defense. He has had nine years to put together something resembling an NFL offense and he had failed. The fact that he is a pompous ### doesn't help his case, either.

 

[fatness]

This isn't specific to Baltimore, but Jay Glazer just wrote an article about Assistant Coaches Ready to Move Up.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I figure Billick is the head coach for another team within a week.In this age, where you don't want to wait too long to assemble your staff, one would think if a team wants to bring in Billick, they would also want to assemble the staff as soon as possible.

that poor yet-to-be-named team

please not the fins.

Everyone is terrified Billick will go to their team. :(

I think he would still make a great OC. I would love to see him become the new OC for the Buffalo Bills. We are losing Fairchild and Billick would do alright replacing him.The Bills young offense has potential.

I would jump up and down for joy if he took the Bills' OC job, but that isn't going to happen. He'll be a head coach for somebody in the next few days.

 

[Snotbubbles]

It's about time. Five years too late (IMO). The Ravens should have been serious contenders just about every year this decade. Maybe the biggest waste of a championship caliber defense I have ever seen.

He has never lived up to the hype that he had as Minnesota's OC. I know he won a SB, but that was due to the defense. He has had nine years to put together something resembling an NFL offense and he had failed. The fact that he is a pompous ### doesn't help his case, either.

Shouldn't Ozzie Newsome be gone as well, he's also part of the problem.

 

[Bri]

I figure Billick is the head coach for another team within a week.In this age, where you don't want to wait too long to assemble your staff, one would think if a team wants to bring in Billick, they would also want to assemble the staff as soon as possible.

that poor yet-to-be-named team

please not the fins.

his Ravens had the D and run game and tough OL Bill loves....

 

[twitch]

If I were Baltimore fans, Id be feeling pretty optimistic about next year. They have alot of pieces in place, and of course a few NOT in place. But I dont think this team was as poor as its record reflects. These guys just tuned out the coach, imo. They had QB issues all year. But their Oline was solid, their running game is solid, and with any luck Heap will actually be able to contribute next year. Their D was hurt in the secondary, so they need young draft picks at the CB spot, imo. But I dont see this as a team that will be down for long. And you look at what Payton did his first year in NO, and Phillips his first year in Dallas, and Mangini in NY, and then Tomlin this year with Pittsburgh, and youve gotta know the team has hope. Hell, I dont even play for that team and I tuned out Billick about 5 years ago. Billick was too much of a psychologist. That team needs a football coach. Next year, I think theyll figure out some things and be right back in the hunt.

 

[twitch]

It's about time. Five years too late (IMO). The Ravens should have been serious contenders just about every year this decade. Maybe the biggest waste of a championship caliber defense I have ever seen.

He has never lived up to the hype that he had as Minnesota's OC. I know he won a SB, but that was due to the defense. He has had nine years to put together something resembling an NFL offense and he had failed. The fact that he is a pompous ### doesn't help his case, either.

Shouldn't Ozzie Newsome be gone as well, he's also part of the problem.

Newsome is one of the best in the league. He's top notch at evaluating talent and loading up a roster. Imo, there's no questioning that. I think FULL blame for the problems there fall on the coach. Once the GM brings in the talent, its up to the HC to make it happen. And to a degree, with the QB position specifically, you have to trust your HC to develop those guys. Billick never developed one single, young QB prospect. He always won with veterans who already knew how to play. Newsome is absolutely safe.

 

[roadkill1292]

As a steeler fan, I am sad to see him go...Hopefully they'll still trot out Boller for at least part of the year next year..

For all of the Ravens' problems, the Stillers are only 10-9 against Billick and haven't won in Baltimore since 2002.

 

[Darth Cheney]

MY read on Billick is that he was supposed to be an Offensive and QB guru who didn't live up to the hype and instead relied on a great DEF to win him games. He's had a great DEF, a good O line, one of the better TE's in the game, a string of successful RB's and a tepid offense. Frankly, I was surprised he didn't go eariler. All of the Baltimore guys I work with I'm sure wil be ecstatic.

 

[Sabertooth]

How many active coaches can say that they are Super Bowl champs. Ravens fans don't seem to appreciate how elite a club Billick belongs to.

Holmgren

Gruden

Dungy

Belichick

Shanahan

I after seeing Mike Sherman take over for Mike Holmgren (with Ray Rhodes babysitting the job for a year) I can assure you that letting go of a super bowl winner isn't always as good of an idea as you might think it is.

 

[Darth Cheney]

How many active coaches can say that they are Super Bowl champs. Ravens fans don't seem to appreciate how elite a club Billick belongs to.HolmgrenGrudenDungyBelichick ShanahanI after seeing Mike Sherman take over for Mike Holmgren (with Ray Rhodes babysitting the job for a year) I can assure you that letting go of a super bowl winner isn't always as good of an idea as you might think it is.

Joe Gibbs..... and point taken. But part of me feels that the Ravens would have won the SuperBowl with a number of coaches at the helm. That DEF was that good.

 

[redman]

It's about time. Five years too late (IMO). The Ravens should have been serious contenders just about every year this decade. Maybe the biggest waste of a championship caliber defense I have ever seen.

He has never lived up to the hype that he had as Minnesota's OC. I know he won a SB, but that was due to the defense. He has had nine years to put together something resembling an NFL offense and he had failed. The fact that he is a pompous ### doesn't help his case, either.

Shouldn't Ozzie Newsome be gone as well, he's also part of the problem.

Newsome is one of the best in the league. He's top notch at evaluating talent and loading up a roster. Imo, there's no questioning that. I think FULL blame for the problems there fall on the coach. Once the GM brings in the talent, its up to the HC to make it happen. And to a degree, with the QB position specifically, you have to trust your HC to develop those guys. Billick never developed one single, young QB prospect. He always won with veterans who already knew how to play. Newsome is absolutely safe.

Newsome has done generally well, but he's shown a marked weakness at successfully drafting good QB's and WR's. Even at RB, he can point to Jamal Lewis, but he traded away the arguably superior Priest Holmes too. These problems at the skill positions have been hand in glove with whatever the complaints about the offense under Billick have been.

 

[roadkill1292]

How many active coaches can say that they are Super Bowl champs. Ravens fans don't seem to appreciate how elite a club Billick belongs to.HolmgrenGrudenDungyBelichick ShanahanI after seeing Mike Sherman take over for Mike Holmgren (with Ray Rhodes babysitting the job for a year) I can assure you that letting go of a super bowl winner isn't always as good of an idea as you might think it is.

Just as this thread is revealing a diversity of opinions, I'm getting the vibe that Ravens fans are also pretty conflicted about the Billick firing. We're very aware of his resume and equally aware of the difficulties in finding someone who will outperform him.The people who are suggesting that the head coach had nothing to do with the defense's performance in 2000 have perhaps an oversimplified vision of how an NFL club is run.

 

[dickey moe]

It's about time. Five years too late (IMO). The Ravens should have been serious contenders just about every year this decade. Maybe the biggest waste of a championship caliber defense I have ever seen.

They won exactly as many Super Bowls as the often vaunted 80s Chicago Bears defense did.

 

[Slider]

You normally need O and D to win a SB. Billick got by in Minnesota with Moss powering an awesome O and in Baltimore with Del Rio and Lewis coaching a phenomenal D. I'm not sure Billick has done anything to deserve a new job. He's the biggest coattail guy in football.

 

[Yah_Shoor_Yoobetchya]

<----- Jeff Fisher

 

[J Andersson]

If I were Baltimore fans, Id be feeling pretty optimistic about next year. They have alot of pieces in place, and of course a few NOT in place. But I dont think this team was as poor as its record reflects. These guys just tuned out the coach, imo. They had QB issues all year. But their Oline was solid, their running game is solid, and with any luck Heap will actually be able to contribute next year. Their D was hurt in the secondary, so they need young draft picks at the CB spot, imo. But I dont see this as a team that will be down for long. And you look at what Payton did his first year in NO, and Phillips his first year in Dallas, and Mangini in NY, and then Tomlin this year with Pittsburgh, and youve gotta know the team has hope. Hell, I dont even play for that team and I tuned out Billick about 5 years ago. Billick was too much of a psychologist. That team needs a football coach. Next year, I think theyll figure out some things and be right back in the hunt.

I agree. However if I were a Baltimore fan I would be afraid the new coach will be too tempted to pick a QB out of the trio of Matt Ryan, Brian Brohm and Andre Woodson (in my opinion all three are way overrated) to fix the offense. The message to the new guy is clear - fix the offense! Hopefully for Baltimore fans that doesn't lead to a bad chain of decision starting with this draft.I think the wise path would be to pick a guy like Erik Ainge in the second and use my first-rounder on defense (a defense that to some extent consist of older stars and needs to be adressed in the near future) and pick a great LB or CB available at the 1.08 spot.

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

... The message to the new guy is clear - fix the offense! ...

I don't think this is the message at all for the next coach in Baltimore. The message will be to reign in the personalities a bit to add some discipline so they can avoid meltdowns that have plagued the Ravens. That would of course include toning down the public persona of the head coach.

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

... I'm not sure Billick has done anything to deserve a new job. ...

I would say his performance in 2001's season of Hard Knocks alone would demonstrate his [anal] organizational and preparation skills to put him on short lists.

 

[roadkill1292]

... The message to the new guy is clear - fix the offense! ...

I don't think this is the message at all for the next coach in Baltimore. The message will be to reign in the personalities a bit to add some discipline so they can avoid meltdowns that have plagued the Ravens. That would of course include toning down the public persona of the head coach.

They don't get many close calls (when was the last time a fan of another team came into this forum and claimed his team was screwed in a game with the Ravens?) but they bring a lot of that on themselves with the way they overreact to the bad breaks. And they don't respond very well to adversity. I'm thinking particularly of a total meltdown in Detroit a couple of years ago but there are lesser examples along the way as well. Getting a grip and putting themselves in a position to win when things aren't going well will be a priority.But fixing the offense will still be big. In the AFC, you have to have something close to competency to be able to compete with the big dogs.

 

[J Andersson]

They don't get many close calls (when was the last time a fan of another team came into this forum and claimed his team was screwed in a game with the Ravens?) but they bring a lot of that on themselves with the way they overreact to the bad breaks. And they don't respond very well to adversity. I'm thinking particularly of a total meltdown in Detroit a couple of years ago but there are lesser examples along the way as well. Getting a grip and putting themselves in a position to win when things aren't going well will be a priority.But fixing the offense will still be big. In the AFC, you have to have something close to competency to be able to compete with the big dogs.

I very much agree - by this day and age and so many teams making it a priority to throw the football it has gotten increasingly harder to win a SB with great play from your defense (the way Baltimore did in 2001) without an offense worth to be called just that. I just don't see a team with a "Trent Dilfer-type QB" winning the SB in the foreseeable future. If you're competing in the AFC you better be able to sustain drives and put up points cause the better opponents will do just that.

 

[Sabertooth]

Didn't Ben post the worst QB rating for a winner in Super Bowl history just a few years back?

 

[mad sweeney]

... The message to the new guy is clear - fix the offense! ...

I don't think this is the message at all for the next coach in Baltimore. The message will be to reign in the personalities a bit to add some discipline so they can avoid meltdowns that have plagued the Ravens. That would of course include toning down the public persona of the head coach.

They don't get many close calls (when was the last time a fan of another team came into this forum and claimed his team was screwed in a game with the Ravens?) but they bring a lot of that on themselves with the way they overreact to the bad breaks. And they don't respond very well to adversity. I'm thinking particularly of a total meltdown in Detroit a couple of years ago but there are lesser examples along the way as well. Getting a grip and putting themselves in a position to win when things aren't going well will be a priority.But fixing the offense will still be big. In the AFC, you have to have something close to competency to be able to compete with the big dogs.

Mine was!!! The refs gave them an extra TO late in a game ("administrative error" they called it) and the Ravens got the ball back when they shouldn't have and took the game to OT and won. The ref was actually fined half a game check for it. Since then the only other time I ever heard of a ref getting fined was the Quick tackle in GB.

 

[fatness]

from PFT (speaking of Jason Garrett)

Per Schefter, both the Falcons and the Ravens have requested permission to interview Garrett.

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

They don't get many close calls (when was the last time a fan of another team came into this forum and claimed his team was screwed in a game with the Ravens?) but they bring a lot of that on themselves with the way they overreact to the bad breaks. And they don't respond very well to adversity. I'm thinking particularly of a total meltdown in Detroit a couple of years ago but there are lesser examples along the way as well. Getting a grip and putting themselves in a position to win when things aren't going well will be a priority.But fixing the offense will still be big. In the AFC, you have to have something close to competency to be able to compete with the big dogs.

I very much agree - by this day and age and so many teams making it a priority to throw the football it has gotten increasingly harder to win a SB with great play from your defense (the way Baltimore did in 2001) without an offense worth to be called just that. I just don't see a team with a "Trent Dilfer-type QB" winning the SB in the foreseeable future. If you're competing in the AFC you better be able to sustain drives and put up points cause the better opponents will do just that.

I'm not saying that the Ravens don't need to find some offensive consistency, an offensive identity. I'm just saying that Steve Bisciotti did not fire Billick because of the performance of the offense, especially in this injury riddled season. He was fired because he lost his ability to control the team. And the new coach to be hired will very likely be hired for possessing a different style of leadership and not because he has a different offensive playbook or scheme.In fact I'd guess that Bisciotti has a gut feeling that simply getting a coach without any need to stubbornly display his offensive intellectual superiority over us common folk fan and media detractors that the offense might very well take care of itself.

 

[Koya]

Careful what you wish for Ravenites.

An offense?Billick deserved to be fired and should have been a few seasons ago. "Offensive genius"

What telling a QB to throw the ball to Randy Moss does not impress you?

Randy Moss, Chris Carter, Robert Smith. All in peak form. Very happy with this news. I've always been a fan of Billick, but the guy does major in douchebaggary at times. Snarkiness is an understatement. However, he was an above average coach who at this point has to be viewed as solid but flawed. His offensive guruness is in such question and I wonder how much of that is due to his stubborness re: QB's and his lack of scouting abilities to get the right QB into a better system.

 

[J Andersson]

Didn't Ben post the worst QB rating for a winner in Super Bowl history just a few years back?

Yeah I think you might be spot on here - however I think we all would rate Big Ben very much higher than Trent Dilfer any day (and thus by my reasoning he's not a "Trent Dilfer-type" QB). Let's not forget Roethlisberger had some beautiful games in the foregoing playoffs before the Superbowl to lead the Steelers to Detroit (it was Detroit wasn't it?).

 

[Snotbubbles]

It's about time. Five years too late (IMO). The Ravens should have been serious contenders just about every year this decade. Maybe the biggest waste of a championship caliber defense I have ever seen.

He has never lived up to the hype that he had as Minnesota's OC. I know he won a SB, but that was due to the defense. He has had nine years to put together something resembling an NFL offense and he had failed. The fact that he is a pompous ### doesn't help his case, either.

Shouldn't Ozzie Newsome be gone as well, he's also part of the problem.

Newsome is one of the best in the league. He's top notch at evaluating talent and loading up a roster. Imo, there's no questioning that. I think FULL blame for the problems there fall on the coach. Once the GM brings in the talent, its up to the HC to make it happen. And to a degree, with the QB position specifically, you have to trust your HC to develop those guys. Billick never developed one single, young QB prospect. He always won with veterans who already knew how to play. Newsome is absolutely safe.

Who did he really have to develop? Kyle Boller? Chris Redmon? Looking at Newsome's drafts, other than the first round layups, who has he drafted in Rounds 2+ that have panned out. I would label most, if not all of his drafts mediocre to poor. Most of the major contributors on that team past and present came from the drafts prior to Newsome becoming the GM (Lewis, Ogden, McAllister, Heap, Reed). Since he's become the GM he's had what...Heap, Ngata and Suggs.

 

[roadkill1292]

It's about time. Five years too late (IMO). The Ravens should have been serious contenders just about every year this decade. Maybe the biggest waste of a championship caliber defense I have ever seen.

He has never lived up to the hype that he had as Minnesota's OC. I know he won a SB, but that was due to the defense. He has had nine years to put together something resembling an NFL offense and he had failed. The fact that he is a pompous ### doesn't help his case, either.

Shouldn't Ozzie Newsome be gone as well, he's also part of the problem.

Newsome is one of the best in the league. He's top notch at evaluating talent and loading up a roster. Imo, there's no questioning that. I think FULL blame for the problems there fall on the coach. Once the GM brings in the talent, its up to the HC to make it happen. And to a degree, with the QB position specifically, you have to trust your HC to develop those guys. Billick never developed one single, young QB prospect. He always won with veterans who already knew how to play. Newsome is absolutely safe.

Who did he really have to develop? Kyle Boller? Chris Redmon? Looking at Newsome's drafts, other than the first round layups, who has he drafted in Rounds 2+ that have panned out. I would label most, if not all of his drafts mediocre to poor. Most of the major contributors on that team past and present came from the drafts prior to Newsome becoming the GM (Lewis, Ogden, McAllister, Heap, Reed). Since he's become the GM he's had what...Heap, Ngata and Suggs.

Ozzie has been a key mover in the Ravens' draft since his arrival in 1996. From Ravens.com:"Under Newsome's guidance, the Ravens own a remarkable draft success. In the team's 1st 9 drafts, Newsome selected 1st-rounders who have earned the Pro Bowl a total of 27 times. The team's 1st picks ever, Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis - the 4th and 26th selections in the 1996 draft - have combined for 15 Pro Bowls. Both are considered likely NFL Hall of Famers. In those 9 drafts, Baltimore has selected in the bottom half of the 1st round with uncanny success: Lewis, who has twice been named as the NFL's defensive player of the year; Todd Heap, at 31 in 2001, has been to 2 Pro Bowls; Ed Reed, the 24th pick in '02, has gone to Hawaii twice and earned the NFL's MVP of defense in '04; and Kyle Boller, the 19th in '03, who started as a rookie and continues as the Ravens' starting QB.Over the past 5 drafts (2000-04), the Ravens are the only NFL team to select more than 2 Pro Bowlers in the 1st round (Jamal Lewis, Heap, Reed and Terrell Suggs). Reed is the only player in that span who was picked in the bottom 3rd of the 1st round to go to the Pro Bowl. In the 1st 9 years of Ravens' history, Newsome and his staff have drafted 10 players who have been selected to go to Hawaii. Don Banks of SI.com wrote on 4/20/05: "The Ravens are the NFL's gold standard on draft day, consistently making choices that stand the test of time."Now, that doesn't answer the question about his later round picks, but it's pretty clear that Ozzie has done a good job bringing stellar talent to Baltimore, with the obvious and painful exception of the QB position. I would be the most surprised Ratbird fan in Baltimoron land if Ozzie is ever given the boot.

 

[saintfool]

IF they can find a legit starting QB that can effectively play an entire season then they can find their way to the playoffs. They have too much talent on both sides of the ball to be this bad. Billick might have lost control of the team over the course of a year but injuries really hurt them too.

Billick will find a new team, if he wants to coach next year.