December 30, 2002
"When you're at where we're at, hell, you take a shot," Billick said. "You guys get on the radio tomorrow, don't rip Jeff, don't rip [offensive coordinator] Matt Cavanaugh. That was my call. You rip me for taking a shot on a 7-8 football team instead of just ... saying, `Whoa, baby, I don't want to do this, let's kick a field goal and hope things work out.' "
OK then, it was stupid. Why not throw it up to Heap instead of Hymes, who played quarterback at Grambling a year ago? Didn't Troy Aikman throw to Michael Irvin and didn't Steve Young throw to Jerry Rice in those situations?
Anyway, you can't lay the blame solely on anyone. Right offensive tackle Ethan Brooks had problems again yesterday, and constantly whining cornerback Chris McAlister got slapped into next week by Hines Ward on Ward's 23-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter.
And if the Ravens' Chester Taylor hadn't fumbled the kickoff that eventually led to Pittsburgh's winning touchdown with 2:38 left in the game, there wouldn't be any conversations about Blake.
Before yesterday, Blake had completed 34 of 58 passes for 371 yards and only one interception in the Ravens' previous two games, which were also their best back-to-back offensive games of the year.
Is he the answer? Who knows?
But a quarterback battle between two players familiar with the offense is better than starting all over again with another nomad.
