Right now, he’s just another fan, stuck in the same situation as the rest of us, and that’s frustrating for Brian Billick.
The coach would rather be in Jacksonville, Fla., preparing his Baltimore Ravens for next week’s Super Bowl. Instead he’s stuck at home in Owings Mills, Md., poring over statistics and videotape in search of solutions to a disappointing 9-7 season.
But since the Ravens played both New England and Philadelphia this past season, Billick is also uniquely qualified to dissect what makes these teams tick.
And, because Baltimore lost to both teams, he should know exactly what works and what doesn’t.
“Just looking at it, I’d say New England is in the best position to win,” said Billick. “If I had to bet — and I don’t — I’d probably bet on New England.
“I’d be more surprised ... if Philadelphia beats New England and Pittsburgh couldn’t.”
Before dismissing his comment as pure AFC North hyperbole, understand that Billick doesn’t have a bias here. He believes the two best teams in the NFL will be vying for the Lombardi Trophy.
He’s also convinced his conference’s recent run of dominance in the Big Game — five of the past seven Super Bowls have been claimed by the AFC — is cyclical, and he’s correct. The NFC had won the previous 13.
No, his stance was fortified by the notion of what it takes to be successful in the playoffs. In Pittsburgh’s case, it was a strong running, a punishing defense and — perhaps most important — home-field advantage. The Steelers all but locked that up with a 34-20 pasting of New England on Oct. 31 at Heinz Field.
But none of it mattered last week against the Patriots, and that floored Billick.
“Ultimately, I picked the Patriots because it came down to Tom Brady against Ben Roethlisberger, who’s a rookie,” said Billick, whose Ravens knocked Tommy Maddox out of the Steelers’ starting lineup for good on Sept. 19.
“I thought Pittsburgh would hold up much better defensively. I thought Pittsburgh would be able to run the ball. I thought they would be able to control the game with the running game much better than they did.
“Those are things the Steelers are capable of, but they were unable to do any of those things. That’s a testimony to New England.”
Conversely, Billick feared the Eagles might have been susceptible to Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick’s undeniable talents, but that never materialized.
He liked what he saw of the Eagles’ offense, which featured running back Brian Westbrook in a variety of sets to compensate for the absence of wide receiver Terrell Owens. The same Terrell Owens whom Billick and the Ravens briefly acquired via trade in the offseason.
Seeing what the Eagles are on the cusp of, Billick can’t help but think what might have been.
“Would we have been a better team this year with T.O., had we stayed healthy? No question in mind,” said Billick. “We would have been a Super Bowl contender. ... Because of him, if he plays, the Eagles are capable.”
Some of his other observations seemed basic, bordering on obvious — such as Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb needing to have a significant impact on the game.
Others, though, dug deeper.
“The loss of Chad Lewis is huge,” said Billick. “Particularly in the scheme of what they do. There’s a certain efficiency the Eagles rely on, and I think Chad is a big part of that.
“The other tight end, L.J. Smith, is pretty good, so it’s not a major void. But Donovan and Chad have a relationship. That’s something that they’ve always been able to count on. I think it’s a big loss.”
Still, Billick was able to detail a scenario in which the Eagles, currently 6½-point underdogs, deny the Patriots their third Super Bowl in four years.
On offense: “I don’t know if Philadelphia will be able to get the run going. The Eagles aren’t the best at running the ball (24th in the league). Better teams have tried and not been able to run the ball against the Patriots. If they can do that, it will help.”
On defense: “I think Philadelphia has the ability with its blitz package. (Defensive coordinator) Jim Johnson is one of the best.
“You have to pressure Brady. If you let him get comfortable, he has proven he will pick you apart. He’ll surgically take your heart out, and you won’t even know it’s gone. They have to pressure him. Philadelphia has the potential to do that, but it leaves you a little vulnerable. But if you play too passive against New England, they’ll kill you.”
In the end, though, Billick was seduced by the brilliance of one of his coaching peers, Bill Belichick, and the star quarterback, Brady.
“I’ve come around to being a huge New England fan from the standpoint of them being so consistent,” said Billick. “It’s hard to pick against them. You can’t quantify them individually as this player or that player. I didn’t think they had the best personnel (against Pittsburgh), but I thought they were the better team.
“As for Brady, he wins. Period. You can use whatever criteria you want to judge a quarterback, but given the way he’s won, he’s the best.”
Pleased with the analysis he’d provided, Billick’s role as a coach was finished.
His role as a fan, complete with the second-guessing and flip-flopping to come in the week ahead, was just beginning. “But how do I know?”
York Daily Record
The coach would rather be in Jacksonville, Fla., preparing his Baltimore Ravens for next week’s Super Bowl. Instead he’s stuck at home in Owings Mills, Md., poring over statistics and videotape in search of solutions to a disappointing 9-7 season.
But since the Ravens played both New England and Philadelphia this past season, Billick is also uniquely qualified to dissect what makes these teams tick.
And, because Baltimore lost to both teams, he should know exactly what works and what doesn’t.
“Just looking at it, I’d say New England is in the best position to win,” said Billick. “If I had to bet — and I don’t — I’d probably bet on New England.
“I’d be more surprised ... if Philadelphia beats New England and Pittsburgh couldn’t.”
Before dismissing his comment as pure AFC North hyperbole, understand that Billick doesn’t have a bias here. He believes the two best teams in the NFL will be vying for the Lombardi Trophy.
He’s also convinced his conference’s recent run of dominance in the Big Game — five of the past seven Super Bowls have been claimed by the AFC — is cyclical, and he’s correct. The NFC had won the previous 13.
No, his stance was fortified by the notion of what it takes to be successful in the playoffs. In Pittsburgh’s case, it was a strong running, a punishing defense and — perhaps most important — home-field advantage. The Steelers all but locked that up with a 34-20 pasting of New England on Oct. 31 at Heinz Field.
But none of it mattered last week against the Patriots, and that floored Billick.
“Ultimately, I picked the Patriots because it came down to Tom Brady against Ben Roethlisberger, who’s a rookie,” said Billick, whose Ravens knocked Tommy Maddox out of the Steelers’ starting lineup for good on Sept. 19.
“I thought Pittsburgh would hold up much better defensively. I thought Pittsburgh would be able to run the ball. I thought they would be able to control the game with the running game much better than they did.
“Those are things the Steelers are capable of, but they were unable to do any of those things. That’s a testimony to New England.”
Conversely, Billick feared the Eagles might have been susceptible to Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick’s undeniable talents, but that never materialized.
He liked what he saw of the Eagles’ offense, which featured running back Brian Westbrook in a variety of sets to compensate for the absence of wide receiver Terrell Owens. The same Terrell Owens whom Billick and the Ravens briefly acquired via trade in the offseason.
Seeing what the Eagles are on the cusp of, Billick can’t help but think what might have been.
“Would we have been a better team this year with T.O., had we stayed healthy? No question in mind,” said Billick. “We would have been a Super Bowl contender. ... Because of him, if he plays, the Eagles are capable.”
Some of his other observations seemed basic, bordering on obvious — such as Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb needing to have a significant impact on the game.
Others, though, dug deeper.
“The loss of Chad Lewis is huge,” said Billick. “Particularly in the scheme of what they do. There’s a certain efficiency the Eagles rely on, and I think Chad is a big part of that.
“The other tight end, L.J. Smith, is pretty good, so it’s not a major void. But Donovan and Chad have a relationship. That’s something that they’ve always been able to count on. I think it’s a big loss.”
Still, Billick was able to detail a scenario in which the Eagles, currently 6½-point underdogs, deny the Patriots their third Super Bowl in four years.
On offense: “I don’t know if Philadelphia will be able to get the run going. The Eagles aren’t the best at running the ball (24th in the league). Better teams have tried and not been able to run the ball against the Patriots. If they can do that, it will help.”
On defense: “I think Philadelphia has the ability with its blitz package. (Defensive coordinator) Jim Johnson is one of the best.
“You have to pressure Brady. If you let him get comfortable, he has proven he will pick you apart. He’ll surgically take your heart out, and you won’t even know it’s gone. They have to pressure him. Philadelphia has the potential to do that, but it leaves you a little vulnerable. But if you play too passive against New England, they’ll kill you.”
In the end, though, Billick was seduced by the brilliance of one of his coaching peers, Bill Belichick, and the star quarterback, Brady.
“I’ve come around to being a huge New England fan from the standpoint of them being so consistent,” said Billick. “It’s hard to pick against them. You can’t quantify them individually as this player or that player. I didn’t think they had the best personnel (against Pittsburgh), but I thought they were the better team.
“As for Brady, he wins. Period. You can use whatever criteria you want to judge a quarterback, but given the way he’s won, he’s the best.”
Pleased with the analysis he’d provided, Billick’s role as a coach was finished.
His role as a fan, complete with the second-guessing and flip-flopping to come in the week ahead, was just beginning. “But how do I know?”
York Daily Record
