At the start of Wednesday's practice, Ravens players lined up on the sideline to begin their warm-ups across the field.
But everyone waited.
They stood there shoulder to shoulder as quarterback Steve McNair moseyed over to the team in his typical, laid-back manner.
"We go when you go," offensive tackle Tony Pashos said, bringing a smile to McNair's face.
Carrying their best record in team history, the Ravens (10-3) have taken their cue from McNair all season.
Never before has a Ravens quarterback become the pulse of the team. The Ravens are calm in adversity, tough under pressure.
It's McNair's steady demeanor that has kept the Ravens as level-headed as ever, even on the brink of clinching a playoff berth today against the Cleveland Browns (4-9).
"He's a big part of why we take the personality that we take on," tight end Todd Heap said. "It's not about statistics. It's more about a mind-set when we're out there on the field."
Statistics say McNair has made an average impact.
He's 13th in the NFL in quarterback rating (83.1). His 2,578 yards passing rank 16th, and his 13 touchdowns are 20th.
But his teammates know otherwise.
"No matter what he does wrong, it's just a matter of time [before] you sit back and say, `OK, something is going to happen, because [the offense has] the ball,' " linebacker Ray Lewis said. "I think that's the beauty of our offense right now, that they do have a leader with that type of calmness to keep them calm when things might not be going particularly well. Right now, Steve McNair is the nucleus over there and he's doing a heck of a job with that."
The numbers that have always defined McNair have been wins.
In 10 victories, he has completed 64 percent of his passes, throwing 12 touchdown passes and five interceptions. His quarterback rating has been 90.2
In three losses, he has connected on 59.3 percent of his throws, passing for one touchdown and four interceptions. His rating dips to 55.4.
"It all starts with me," said McNair, the third-winningest active starting quarterback behind Brett Favre and Peyton Manning. "If I don't play well, this team doesn't play well. That's the attitude I take."
McNair seems to play his best when there's the most pressure, exhibiting a certain coolness that trickles throughout the team.
The first sign of this came in the Ravens' last meeting with the Cleveland Browns, when McNair led a game-winning 12-play, 47-yard drive in the final minute to rally the team to 15-14 victory.
