Billick

THAT NEVER-ENDING drama, The Temptation of Brian Billick, was in prime form last night during the Ravens' 27-13 victory over Cleveland. Jamal Lewis was back from a two-game suspension, legs fresh, engine running hot. The stage was set perfectly for the Ravens' star runner to shine; he had set the NFL's single-game rushing record against the same team on the same field a year earlier. But instead of relying on Lewis, the Ravens attempted a pass on each of their first four plays, seven of their first nine and nine of their first 12, using the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year as a decoy.

One of the most enduring images of the Ravens' Super Bowl season was Shannon Sharpe, streaking down the field at Network Associates Coliseum on the way to one of the longest touchdowns in playoff history and a victory over the Oakland Raiders in the AFC championship game. No wonder Brian Billick is conflicted about him. It's hard not to like Shannon. He's loud and funny and articulate and opinionated and he's a major Ravens hero, even though he only played for the team for a couple of years.

NEW ORLEANS -- The Ravens scored three offensive touchdowns. Jamal Lewis rushed for 109 yards, and the offense had close to 300 yards and more than a 13-minute advantage in time of possession. But the Ravens weren't getting too carried away yesterday after beating the New Orleans Saints, 35-22. They all kept it in perspective, from coach Brian Billick down to the players. The Ravens were solid and effective, but they weren't Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. And the Saints aren't the current Chicago Bears on defense, either, allowing an average of 306.9 total yards, including 122.1 rushing per game, and giving up numerous big plays.

As the Ravens' new offensive coordinator, coach Brian Billick inserted himself into his team's huddle yesterday. By Sunday, Billick said, he expects quarterback Steve McNair to be there, too. Ravens@Saints Sunday, 1 p.m., Ch. 13, 1090 AM, 97.9 FM Line: Saints by 2

For Patrick Johnson, the news regarding his injury layoff was tempered in part by Brian Billick's decision yesterday that he will not put the wide receiver on injured reserve anytime in the near future. Johnson fractured his left collarbone in the fourth quarter of the Ravens' 26-7 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday and will be out six to eight weeks. "I'm glad he's not going to put me on IR," Johnson said. "I've had this injury before, it's something that is going to take time.

Just over a month after announcing a contract extension for Brian Billick, the Ravens confirmed yesterday that they have given their head coach a new four-year contract. A week from his 53rd birthday, Billick is now signed through the 2010 season. The new deal was first reported by WBAL Radio, which cited unnamed sources. The team's flagship radio station indicated that the Ravens will pay Billick "the going rate" for an NFL head coach (which is believed to be about $5 million per season)

In his first Super Bowl news conference more than five years ago, Ravens coach Brian Billick introduced himself to the national media by lashing out at reporters who had brought up Ray Lewis' legal issues. One reporter asked Billick how he could tell the media how to do their jobs. Season opener Ravens@Buccaneers, Sept. 10, 1 p.m., Ch. 13, 97.9 FM

Brian Billick's endless attempts to reconnect with his players over the years have taken him from the Las Vegas strip to an IHOP restaurant in Oklahoma City. Yet it wasn't until three weeks ago in a cramped, dingy locker room in New Orleans that Billick truly felt he bonded with his team again. Falcons@Ravens Today, 1 p.m., Ch. 45, 1090 AM, 97.9 FM Line: Ravens by 4

A day after Kyle Boller produced the most efficient quarterback performance in Ravens' history, coach Brian Billick didn't offer his much-maligned starter any guarantees about the status of his job for next season. Instead, he rewarded Boller with a game ball, a few encouraging words and another goal to set his sights upon. "Kyle stepped up; it was his time to do it," Billick said at yesterday's news conference. "Now, the challenge is to follow up." In Monday night's 48-3 rout of the Green Bay Packers, Boller provided the first signs of hope in a disappointing season, recording the highest quarterback rating (136.

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti shocked his team as well as Ravens fans yesterday by firing Brian Billick, the coach who brought a Super Bowl title to this football-hungry town. A grim Bisciotti told the players the news in a 2 p.m. team meeting and called it the "toughest decision I've ever had to make." He said he agonized over dismissing Billick. Just 18 days ago, a high-ranking team official told The Sun that Bisciotti had informed the coach he would return. "I believed that it was time for a change," said Bisciotti, who appeared to be still struggling with the decision during his news conference an hour and a half later.