More on the Billick firing

Before today's firing of Brian Billick, there was speculation that he would return. But there had been no official word either way until today. Or so I thought.

Scroll about halfway down on this post from Kevin Byrne's official blog.

Kevin Byrne: SVP of Ravens PR (four days ago)
"I’m pretty sure some owners would have fired Brian Billick after a season like we’re having. I’m glad Steve Bisciotti did not. Steve will give his explanation when he meets with the media next Wednesday, Jan. 2."

There's no need for Bisciotti to explain his about-face. Billick won the Super Bowl, and he made the playoffs in four out of nine seasons, but he hadn't won a playoff game since the year following the Super Bowl, and he had lost confidence in his players. He also didn't know how to discipline a team. Too many penalties, too many mental mistakes, too many losses.

Baltimore Ravens: Year in Review

January: Ravens lose at home against the Colts in the first round of the playoffs, 15-6. The offense is terrible.

February: Indianapolis wins Super Bowl XLI. Ravens fans whine incessantly about Baltimore's history being lumped together with Peyton's accomplishments.

March: Draft hype begins. Most fans want to improve the O-line: Joe Staley, Ben Grubbs, Justin Blaylock or Ryan Kalil.

April: The NFL schedule is released. The Ravens get four prime-time games, all of which they'll lose. The Ravens draft Troy Smith in the fifth round.

May: Steve McNair is arrested for driving under the influence. Even though he wasn't driving.

June: Chad Johnson races a horse and wins. The Bengals wide receiver puts on more of a show in a single 100-meter race than Baltimore will all season.

July: Charges against Steve McNair are dropped.

August: "Brian Billick is the problem."

September: "Brian Billick should be fired."

October: I break my hand and elbow the night before the Bills game. Blogimore Ravens takes a nearly two-month hiatus. The team's nine-game losing streak begins.

November: The Ravens lose three straight division games, one to each rival. Numbness takes over.

December: God shows mercy on Ravens fans. Baltimore beats the Steelers. Brian Billick is fired.

Brian Billick fired!

Baltimore's season started with disappointment, which was followed by shock, depression and the numbness of failure. Fortunately, the team's abysmal performance was punctuated with two positives: yesterday's scrappy win over the lifeless Pittsburgh Steelers, and today's news that Brian Billick was fired by owner Steve Bisciotti.

I was afraid that yesterday's win would give Billick a new lease on life. Fortunately that was not the case. The firing comes only a year after Bisciotti gave Billick a four-year extension. Smooth move, buddy. Whatever, it's your money.

This is the most exciting thing that has happened to Ravens fans all year, which says a lot considering the year ends today. The team now needs to hire a new head coach and a new offensive coordinator. Both are desirable jobs, the latter even more so now that Billick is gone.

Even though Billick's final season was the most disappointing season in franchise history, the legacy of Billick is markedly more positive. He embraced the swagger that has made Baltimore's defense such a unique force, and he brought the Lombardi Trophy to Baltimore. Sort of. Everyone knows Ray Lewis won that trophy pretty much by himself, but at least Billick didn't get in his way.

Billick's tenure lasted longer than most marriages. It was a good run, but it was time to go. Thanks, Billick. Good luck in your next job. I'm sure you'll have more than one suitor. My advice? Pick a team that already has a good offense.

PS: For what it's worth, I've been calling for Billick's head since two weeks before the start of the team's nine-game losing streak.

Dawg Pound

The Dawg Pound whimpers.

The Browns came so close to making the playoffs. So very close. But Jim Sorgi ain't no Peyton Manning. With the Titans victory last night over the Colts, who had nothing to gain from a win except momentum, Jeff Fisher, Vince Young and the Titans go on the road to face San Diego in the first round of the playoffs.

So instead of getting a free vacation to San Diego, the Browns get to go back to Cleveland. Ouch.

Maybe next year, Clowns fans.

Ravens OC prediction: Mike Mularkey

Former Ravens offensive coordinator Rick Neuheisel is off to UCLA. Obviously he needs to be replaced. Preferably by someone who is better at calling plays than Brian Billick. God help me if owner Steve Bisciotti continues to let Billick call the plays next year. God help me if Billick is even around next year.

My guess as to whom will replace Neuheisel?

Mike Mularkey: Currently Mularkey is an assistant coach with the Dolphins. Snooze. Before that he was head coach of the Bills. Yawn. Mularkey does have a claim to fame, though, and it is his time spent as offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He loves trick plays, and unlike Billick's, they worked. He masterminded an offense that for three years averaged more than 10 wins per season, and which always seemed to catch Baltimore's defense off guard, back when that was still rare, back when Charm City still had a secondary.

And he's familiar with the AFC North.

Before he was hired as head coach of the Bills, I secretly wanted the Ravens to hire him to replace Billick. I was always amazed by Mularkey's ability to figure out Baltimore's D. If Bisciotti can land Mike Mularkey as the team's new offensive coordinator, it would be a great follow-up to today's satisfying and long overdue win.

Bittersweet victory against the Steelers

Even though the Steelers didn't really show up, and even though the Ravens nearly blew a 20-point fourth-quarter lead, it was still nice to get a win today. And what better way to end a nine-game losing streak and cap a 5-11 season than with a win against Pittsburgh? The victory was Baltimore's fifth in a row at home against its toughest division rival.

Troy Smith looked pretty good. Not great but at least good enough to compete for the starting job next year. He looked better than Boller most of the time, and obviously better than Steve McNair, whose A.A.R.P. card should be arriving any day now. My hope is that the Ravens won't draft a QB in this year's draft, at least not on day one. Let Boller and Smith fight it out next year.

NFL Draft: Ravens pick 8th
Had the Ravens lost today, they would have secured the seventh-overall selection. With their first-round pick, Baltimore should take a corner or defensive end. Someone to replace Suggs perhaps. Honestly, I'm not sure I want T-Sizzle back. His play this year was average, and he'll be looking for an off-season payday. Let someone else give it to him.

Jonathan Ogden retiring?
I'll be surprised if Ogden returns for a 13th NFL season. Thanks for a great run, J.O. You've been an offensive force in Baltimore for a decade now, which makes you a member of a very small fraternity (Jamal Lewis, Matt Stover, end of list). A Super Bowl ring, 11 Pro Bowls, and a guaranteed bust in Canton is a damn fine career.

Patriots fans love ticket stubs on eBay

Who knew you could make so much money selling unused Patriots ticket stubs?

I'm selling my unused Patriots/Ravens ticket stubs on eBay. Right now those two little pieces of NFL history are at $122.50 and counting. The face value of the tickets was only $120 for the pair.

UPDATE: Tickets sold for $293.88. Absurd.

When I sold them originally -- the tickets are unused because they were delivered via email and then printed by the recipient -- I sold them for face value minus PayPal and email-delivery fees. I ended up getting less than they were worth, and less than it appears I will get for the unused tickets.

My tickets for the Steelers game today? I had to pay so somebody would take those. No one wants to go to the game because the Ravens are so bad this year. Remember that next time you pretend to be the most loyal fans in the league, Baltimore. No one would buy them so I paid the fee to email them to my buddy Ben. I live in California; otherwise, I'd be there myself. Have fun, Ben. Go Ravens.

Why Rick Neuheisel to UCLA is a good thing

Ravens offensive coordinator Rick Neuheisel graduated from purgatory today and is moving on to baby blue and gold pastures as UCLA's new head coach. The move is great for UCLA, Rick and the Ravens.

UCLA gets a great college coach, a guy who only lost his job at the University of Washington because he gambled on a high-stakes March Madness pool. The school's compliance offer had said beforehand that it was OK, but apparently it turned out not to be. Neuheisel eventually won a wrongful-termination lawsuit ($4.7 mil, baby) but not before he became a coaching untouchable.

Billick threw Neuheisel a life jacket when no one wanted him, and now Rick gets a chance to coach his alma mater. Neuheisel quarterbacked the UCLA Bruins to a Rose Bowl victory back in 1984. The Bruins were huge underdogs to Illinois, but they crushed the Fighting Illini, winning by more than five touchdowns, 45-9. This is a dream job for Rick.

The move is also good for Baltimore. It forces owner Steve Bisciotti to make a decision. Are you going to hire a new coordinator and give him the keys to the offense? Are you going to keep letting Billick do his thing (whatever that is)? Or are you going to clean house entirely on that side of the ball and start fresh?

Boston College QB Matt Ryan

From what little I saw of this guy today, and some earlier this season, I was not impressed. He threw for 3 TDs and 249 yards, but he looked pedestrian in the process. He had a pick, completed only 47 percent of his passes, demonstrated pocket awareness but had no quickness, and he fumbled the ball on a crucial snap. I'm not sure why everyone is so head-over-heels about this guy. He looks average. Seriously, tell me what I'm missing.

I'm not really impressed with any of the quarterbacks coming out in this draft. Not to say that none of them will be good. Just that none of them will probably be all that good in Baltimore. Baltimore's offensive line will get better with age, and with a healthy Willis McGahee, expect to see better pass protection next season. But Baltimore will never have a great QB until it gets better coaching, play calling and clock management. So if you're going to keep Billick, taking a QB in the first round of the draft this year is a mistake. Go with a shutdown corner or T-Sizzle replacement instead. That guy disappeared this year. Without Trevor Pryce in the lineup, Terrell Suggs wasn't nearly as effective.

"Goof on the Roof" arrested

Ravens fan. Moron. Deadbeat?

You know the guy. The one whose team is in the midst of a losing streak, so he takes to the roof and vows not to come down until said team wins. Terribly hackneyed publicity stunt. Worth a few local newscasts and local notoriety. Usually not much more.

Except for this idiot, who had outstanding warrants for not paying child support. His "local notoriety" has landed him in the slammer. All this and the Ravens still haven't won a game since many moons ago.

"Baltimore City police picked up Ron Stack, 41, for failure to pay child support in Baltimore County, the county sheriff’s office said. Stack was making numerous television appearances publicizing his unique form of sports-fan protest."

Troy Smith Era begins

Today the Troy Smith Era began, and honestly I missed his first play, temporarily distracted by a bartender who put an orange peel in my beer (no thanks). Then, buried at his own two-yard line on third down, Smith scrambled about 10 yards to move the chains.

Not a bad start.

Unfortunately that's about all that went well for Baltimore today. There was no protection from the offensive line, and no cojones from Billick. You're not playing for anything except pride (and perhaps your job). Why so conservative? The secondary was a mess, but that was to be expected with all those injuries.

Seattle is a notoriously tough road game, so I wasn't expecting a win, particularly not after such a disastrous performance a week earlier 3,400 miles away in Miami. But it would have been nice to keep it close. At least make it interesting. It was one of the most terrible games I've ever watched. Oh, and Willis McGahee broke two ribs. Awesome.

The Ravens are a week away from locking up a top-5 draft pick, and about four months away from the NFL Draft, which at this point is about the only thing Charm City has going for itself. Fortunately the 49ers won today, which means chances are good the Ravens will be drafting ahead of the Patriots, who have San Francisco's first-round pick next April. It would be tough to have lost that Pats game the way we did, and then have to sit behind them on the Draft clock.

Hang in there, Ravens fans. One more week.

Ray Ray, epilepsy and the Heisman Trophy winner

Now it looks as though Ray Lewis will not play against the Seahawks on Sunday. Dislocated finger. We already knew Todd Heap wouldn't play. That guy has been out of action since about 1987. And Samari Rolle, who suffered from epilepsy this season, has shut it down. Today he was placed on injured reserve. It has been a pretty tough season injury-wise for the Baltimore Ravens. So it goes.

The good news, I suppose, is that Troy Smith will get the start at quarterback. Fans have been clamoring for Heisman to get more playing time. Personally, I see no need to rush the guy. I probably would have said the same thing about Derek Anderson. He never really got his shot in Baltimore and now he's lighting up the league with Cleveland.

Heisman has looked pretty good in limited action the past two weeks. He was playing against Indy's eleventh-string D and Miami's first-string D, both of which are equally untalented, but it's encouraging that he looked so good scrambling in the pocket. He even scored a touchdown. Those are pretty rare in Baltimore.

Ravens losing OC to UCLA?

I meant to post this yesterday but I've been busy. Sue me.

Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Rick Neuheisel has been interviewed twice now for the open head coaching position at UCLA, according to the four-letter network in Bristol.

It won't be a huge loss for Baltimore if Neuheisel leaves. Not because he's not a smart guy. I'm sure he is. The only reason he got fired from his job five years ago as head coach of the Washington Huskies was because he gambled on a March Madness pool. Lame.

The reason his departure wouldn't/won't be a huge loss for the Ravens is because he has been handcuffed in Baltimore. Neuheisel is an offensive coordinator who is not allowed to call the plays (thanks, Brian Billick). Lame, part deux.

My buddy, who is a graduate of the fine school from which Neuheisel was fired (Go Huskies!), emailed me this quote today from Brian Billick:

"Rick has learned the college game is the thing for him. He's an excellent pro coach, but the enthusiasm and the affection he has ... it's better suited for the college game."

Screw you, Billick. You're better suited for fantasy football.

PS: Kyle Boller has a journal. Hat tip to J.C. at SVP Style.

Ravens in the Pro Bowl

Starter: Ed Reed
Reserves: Ray Ray and J.O.

Ogden goes to the Pro Bowl for his 11th straight year. Ray Lewis goes to Hawaii for the 9th time. Poor Eddie Reed has been selected to only four times, but least he's a starter.

Here is the full AFC roster. The NFC is inferior, and I won't link to its roster.

NFL Draft: Thank you, B'more Birds' Nest

Today B'more Birds' Nest did what I have been too lazy to do. They calculated the top order of the NFL Draft if the season were to end today. Well, not the entire top order. Just enough to figure out where the Ravens would be selecting. Good enough for me.

The Ravens are one of four teams currently slotted for picks 5, 6, 7 or 8. That I already knew. What I didn't know, though, is where exactly Baltimore would pick. I had assumed that they would draft #8, considering that the Ravens strength of schedule is pretty impressive. That's the first tiebreaker, and Baltimore has played New England, Indianapolis and San Diego. But my assumption was wrong.

Turns out that the Ravens are currently slotted to draft #6 overall. Check out B'more Birds' Nest for more details.

Ray Lewis is not Jewish

Is Ray Lewis Jewish?

According to the Internets, the answer is yes and yes; however, the Ravens staff has informed me that Ray is not Jewish. No huge surprise there.

Photoshop: Kissing Suzy Kolber.

Baltimore's bright spot: Ray Lewis

Say what you will about the Ravens. Chances are, I agree with you.

They're playing terribly. Boller is not the answer. Billick is an average coach with an above-average ego. The secondary is as bad as it has ever been. Suggs is overrated. Scott has disappeared.

And so on.

But in addition to dark clouds, there is at least one bright spot: Ray Lewis. For weeks now, the post-season has been out of reach, but Ray has continued to play with passion and ferocity, leading a defense that is drowning in the wake of its own depleted secondary. Even though he has lost a step, Ray remains one of the league's best linebackers.

He left last weekend's game with a dislocated finger in the third quarter. It would be easy for him to hang 'em up and call it a season. The Ravens aren't going anywhere, and Ray probably wants (and needs) to heal, rest, whatever. But Ray will play. Too bad he can't also coach.

Slotting the NFL Draft

The NFL Draft is my favorite weekend of the year. Seriously. Number one. Easily. Not even close. A few years ago my buddy got married on Draft-day Saturday, and I spent most of the ceremony bugging my friend with a Sidekick for updates on the Draft.

What kind of guy gets married on Draft day? A terrible one, that's who(m).

Her: You do realize our friends are getting married, right?
Me: You do realize Mark Clayton might drop to the Ravens, right?

Silence.

Our friends are married. Mark Clayton is on the Ravens. Good times.

It's too soon to tell when the Ravens will be drafting this April, but J-Red at East Coast Bias is doing the math. Which is good news. I'm too lazy to do math. Plus, I'm pushing 30 and therefore haven't done math in about 10 years. I barely remember what a fraction looks like.

Playing it safe: Why am I not surprised?

Troy Smith can escape Joey Porter, but not Brian Billick

Fourth and goal with less than a yard to go. A touchdown wins the game.

What do you do?

If you're playing the Steelers and the division is on the line, kick the field goal, tie the game and send it into overtime. But if you're in the middle of the worst losing streak in franchise history, and you're playing an 0-13 team with nothing on the line except perhaps your job, you go for the win and give a vote of confidence to your rookie quarterback, young offensive line and $40 million running back.

Unless you're Brian Billick.

"Blah, blah, blah, my ego is bigger than yours!"

For those of you who think I'm playing the 20/20 hindsight card, consider this:

September 30: "Billick takes too many chances when he shouldn't (throwing the ball early and often) and not enough when he should (4th and short in the red zone)." It is one of the many reasons why Brian Billick should be fired.

What's next?
Owner Steve Bisciotti has reportedly said that Billick will return next season as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, but Jeremy over at East Coast Bias reminds owner Steve Bisciotti that "a vote of confidence is not legally binding." How can you retain a guy who has managed to beat only the Jets, Cardinals, 49ers and Rams?

Ravens football: Sad but true

Dolphins 22, Ravens 16 (OT)
Miami Dolphins (1-13)

1: No one in the history of the Ravens has thrown for more yards than Kyle Boller.

2: Boller's last win as a starter on the road was three years, one month and two days ago (Nov. 14, 2004). And he needed OT to get it.

3: The Ravens have not scored an opening-drive TD in any of their past 19 games.

4: I called it two weeks before the start of Baltimore's current eight-game (and counting) losing streak: Brian Billick should be fired.

Why the Dolphins suck

...courtesy of my cousin Ted's blog, Ted Ginn & Tonic.

1) How much worse is it than you expected?

It is much worse. No one ever expects their team to be winless through 13 games. I thought worse case scenario they would struggle and go 4-12. They have been victimized by countless injuries especially to their best players. They are also playing for a rookie coach who doesn't know much about game management yet. The biggest culprit in the eyes of fans however is the GM Randy Mueller. Countless bad drafts, trades and free agent signings have led to this problem where one or two key injuries cripple the team.

2) If Cam Cameron could go back in time, what do you think he would do differently throughout the season?

The biggest thing is that he wouldn't have gone to John Beck at QB in week eleven. Cleo Lemon wasn't playing horrible and it's evident now that Beck wasn't ready. The struggles of Beck also just fuels the anger that most have for passing on Brady Quinn. Also there would be several key decisions he would like to redo in some of the close games, namely trying a field goal instead of going for 4th and 15 in the fourth quarter at Pittsburgh.

3) If Cam Cameron could in fact go back in time, would that be reason enough to not fire him, the fact that he is able to travel through time? Because we both know he can't coach pro football.

I'm not sure. People are on the fence about Cam. A head coach should really be given more than one year to instill his system and philosophy. But, there have been teams with worse collections of talent and more injuries and more bad luck than the Dolphins, and they were all able to win at least one out of sixteen.

In my opinion, he should be fired. He doesn't have the "it" factor when it comes to coaching. He isn't getting better at game management and he can't be inspiring the team because they are further away from winning now than they were a few weeks ago. There isn't much of an argument for keeping him.

4) Do you think the Dolphins will win any games this year?

Could they? Yes. Will they? No. The team has a lot of pride and they will not quit, but that alone doesn't win you games in the NFL. The talent gap between the Dolphins and even the other teams in the bottom third of the league is significant. Also, because of the multitude of injuries, the teams units have never had any consistency of personnel on the field to gain the experience needed to excel.

5) What will be Baltimore's biggest challenge with the Dolphins (on both offense and defense)?

For the Ravens defense it's simple. Make the Dolphins drive the length of the field. Miami's offense hasn't proven it could sustain long drives. Baltimore should be fine as long as they don't give up big plays and cheap touchdowns.

On the offensive side of the ball, the only challenge for Baltimore will be not turning the ball over. The Dolphins defense can be very opportunistic at times. Joey Porter is finally starting to earn his contract money and Jason Taylor is always a dangerous player.

The biggest concern for the Ravens should be Ted Ginn. He has one return touchdown and had a few others nullified by penalties. The last couple weeks, teams are not kicking to him. I would suggest the Ravens do the same.

6) With the #1 pick in the NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select...

Darren McFadden. I'll be writing a piece for my blog soon as to why the Dolphins MUST either trade the #1 pick, or select Run DMC. The majority of Miami fans will actually be upset if we pick him! I know we have Ronnie Brown, but McFadden is the consensus best player in the draft and if we don't want him we at least need to trade the pick and acquire more picks because the Dolphins need many good players, not just one great player. If I had to guess right now, however, I believe they will take Glen Dorsey number one overall.

If you are looking for a prediction, I'll say the Birds win 20-16. Miami will make one more mistake than Baltimore.

Blogimore Ravens on Ted Ginn & Tonic

My cousin Ted is a Dolphins fan. He writes the wittily named blog, Ted Ginn & Tonic. Get it? Ted Ginn plays for the Dolphins. Gin and Tonic is a drink. Ted Ginn & Tonic.

Cousin Ted is funnier than I am. My blog has a boring name.

Anyway, Ted asked me some questions about the Ravens in advance of this weekend's game against the Dolphins, and he posted my answers on Ted Ginn & Tonic. I asked him some questions about the Dolphins, and I'll post his answers here later.

Source: Brian Billick will not be fired

All I want for Christmas is for owner Steve Bisciotti to fire Brian Billick, and if you looked at Ray Ray's letter to Santa, I'm sure it would say the same thing. But a source today indicates that Brian Billick will return to the Baltimore Ravens in 2008.

Now all I want for Christmas is the NFL Draft.

Bisciotti isn't expected to publicly back Billick until after the season, but that's only because he doesn't talk to the media during the season. That's his thing. Sort of like retaining bad coaches. It sounds like that's his thing, too.

Why Billick is coming back
Word is that Bisciotti blames the team's dismal performance on injuries and quarterback play. Both of those factors are more than legitimate, but Billick's role in the collapse can't be discounted.

Why Billick is to blame
The Ravens are fifth-worst in the league when it comes to both penalties and penalty yards, and that can't be blamed on anyone but Billick, who doesn't know how to discipline his football team. And more often than not Billick's play calling is horrible.

Is there a silver lining?
Only if Bisciotti forces Billick to hand over play-calling duties to Rick Neuheisel, the offensive coordinator who since his arrival in Baltimore has essentially been in handcuffs.

Billick Quotables and injury notes

From a recent Brian Billick press conference...

On the Miami Dolphins: "Offensively, they're a bit like us."

You mean terrible?

On players not giving it their all: "No one can ever question the courage and want of a player."

When the team is 4-9, we're going to question a lot more than that.

Injury Notes!

Things got so bad against the Colts that on-the-small-side offensive lineman Chris Chester had to come in to play defensive tackle. I'm pretty sure he got bowled over by Joseph Addai, who scored a touchdown on the play.

Chris McAlister today was placed on injured reserve, meaning Baltimore's best corner is done for the year.

Brian "smug and selfish" Billick

Brian Billick this week said that he'll be returning next year as head coach of the Ravens.

Interesting. I hadn't heard anyone in the organization say this. Or confirm this. Or even suggest that Billick's head won't be in the guillotine following what has become an obviously disappointing season.

Billick knows his job is in jeopardy, and that's exactly why he's starting Kyle Boller this week as opposed to Troy Smith. Boller gives the Ravens the best chance to win now. Don't get me wrong, I think starting Boller is the right move, but I think Billick is doing it for the wrong reasons. He's doing it to try to save his job.

If his job weren't in jeopardy, I don't doubt for a second that he'd start Troy Smith for the final three games of a lost cause. At the very least to get a taste of what's to come. Certainly that's what a lot of Ravens fans (not me) want.

Video: Troy Smith scores touchdown

For the brave few who watched all of last night's crushing defeat, this is old news (but worth watching again): video of Troy Smith's scoring drive last night against the Colts.

I would embed the video here, but surprisingly the NFL won't allow that.

Enjoy.

Bad grades in Baltimore

Following each game, Ravens beat reporter Mike Preston grades the team on its effort: quarterbacks, running backs, offensive line, receivers, defensive line, linebackers, secondary, special teams and coaching.

Nine grades overall.

He's been hatin' on the Ravens for a minute now, and usually is pretty tough with his grades. Ironically one of the few times he has ever been optimistic about the team's chances was before this season. Goes to show what he knows (i.e. about as much as the rest of us clowns).

This week he gave the team six Fs, a D and two Cs. Ouch.

It looks like what I imagine Kevin Garnett's college transcript would have looked like had he been able to qualify for college. Fortunately for him, that never happened. I heard he's doing pretty well in Boston.

Jim Sorgi, Troy Smith, crab cakes!

Who is to blame?
I have been calling for Billick's head for months ("Brian Billick Should Be Fired").

But you can't pin tonight's loss on Brian (Colts 44, Ravens 20). With both starting corners on the bench, Baltimore didn't stand a chance against the league's best quarterback.

If Tony Dungy didn't bring in Jim Sorgi early in the third quarter, Peyton Manning might have thrown for seven touchdowns against Baltimore's depleted secondary.

Troy Smith gets in the game
Three for five, 33 yards and a six-yard touchdown run. You'd think he was Vince Young (except only one of them won the Heisman). Unfortunately for Smith, most of Baltimore had already turned off their televisions.

Boller vs. Smith?
Troy Smith looked great in his first regular-season action, but it was two minutes against a defense that was probably more worried about not getting injured than giving up points. The Colts were already leading by about 11 touchdowns.

Let Boller finish the season. Give Smith a shot to earn the starting job next year, but don't hand it to him. Make him earn it. Boller outplayed Tom Brady last week. He deserves the right to finish out the season as Baltimore's starting QB.

John Madden Hates crab cakes
"I'm not a crab cake guy," Madden said late in the fourth. "I'm not exactly sure what goes into them."

There is a food that John Madden won't eat?

There's not much to it, John. Just a whole lot of crab, and some seasoning, mayonnaise and bread crumbs: Here is the recipe.

Baltimore returns to Earth

A two-touchdown deficit, Kyle Boller interception, and too many injuries (Haloti Ngata, Bart Scott, Le'Ron McLain and Willis McGahee). This is unacceptably familiar.

Peyton Manning just threw his 300th career touchdown. Now it's a three-touchdown deficit.

Colts 21, Ravens 0.

And it's still the first quarter!

Pro wrestling, strippers and a backup QB

Steve McNair + pro wrestler + strippers + same-sex rape case = insert tasteless joke here.

And the fines continue...

The Ravens racked up $70,000 in fines during its loss to the New England, and now the NFL has fined Patriots strong safety Rodney Harrison $5,000 for taunting Brian Billick.

Billick responded to the taunts by blowing kisses at Rodney. "I hope he doesn't misinterpret my gestures," he said, "because he's not that good-looking a guy."

What's another $5,000 to Rodney? He already forfeited $470,588 this season during his four-game suspension for cheating.

HGH!