Cam Cameron

Sports writer Mike Preston 's criticism of fired Ravens coach Cam Cameron was caustic and unfair ("Harbaugh now has no shield from critics, Flacco has no excuses," Dec. 11). Mr. Cameron didn't drop the ball that would have been a touchdown in a game last season that very likely would have sent us to the Super Bowl. And Mr. Cameron didn't miss the kick that might have sent us there as well. Also, he had nothing to do with our special teams let-down when the Redsklns returned the ball 64 yards at a critical phase of last Sunday's thriller.

Every week, blogger Matt Vensel breaks down a critical play, sometimes with the help of Ravens players, from that week's game. Today, he looks at Cam Cameron's final three-and-out as Ravens offensive coordinator. You might have heard by now that the Ravens relieved Cam Cameron of his duties on Monday, firing the embattled offensive coordinator amidst his fifth season in Baltimore and replacing him with Jim Caldwell. I was the last media member to ask Cameron a question in a podium setting (last Thursday, he interrupted my question about Ray Rice's workload to give what seemed like a prepared statement about how the offense needed to convert more first downs)

If nothing else, the surprising in-season dismissal of Cam Cameron this week should provide some clarity at a time when the Ravens are going through a serious offensive identity crisis, but you may not like what it eventually reveals. Now, we're finally going to find out whether it was Cameron who was holding Joe Flacco back or the other way around. The only thing that was obvious was that Flacco was no longer progressing under Cameron and the Ravens attack had become inconsistent and incoherent.

With replacement officials continuing to work NFL games indefinitely, there is a theory that defensive players will take advantage by being more aggressive with opposing receivers to disrupt their timing with their quarterbacks. That may not be far-fetched, but Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said the coaches and receivers can't concern themselves with the holding and grabbing they can expect as they run their routes. “Defensive guys are allowed to jam you and even grab and hold you,” he said Thursday.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco got the news via an early Monday morning phone call from coach John Harbaugh. Cam Cameron, the only offensive coordinator that Flacco has ever worked with in the NFL, had just been fired. “I was definitely stunned,” Flacco said Wednesday. The decision to let go Cameron and replace him with quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell remained the prevailing topic of conversation Wednesday at the Under Armour Performance, even as the Ravens accelerated their preparations for Sunday's showdown against Peyton Manning and the first-place Denver Broncos.

Tyrod Taylor's evolution as a quarterback continues to progress as the sixth-round pick in last year's NFL draft takes his reps behind Ravens starter Joe Flacco. And as much as Taylor is finding his footing with the team and in the league, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron conceded that he too is developing a comfort level with Taylor. “I don't know if you're ever comfortable with a second-year quarterback because they are just learning so much as they go,” Cameron said after Tuesday's practice at the team's training facility in Owings Mills.

Calling it the hardest decision he's had to make as a coach, John Harbaugh fired Cam Cameron on Monday, ending the offensive coordinator's five-season tenure which was defined by some improvement but overall inconsistency. Jim Caldwell, the Ravens' quarterbacks coach and the former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, will take over offensive coordinator and play-calling duties immediately. The somewhat surprising move - given the Ravens' first-place standing in the AFC North at 9-4 and the organization's history of not making rash decisions - came a day after the Ravens' 31-28 overtime loss to the Washington Redskins.

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones has purchased a five-bedroom home along Falls Road in Lutherville for the price of $1.75 million. The seller is one Malcolm Cameron according to state records. He's better known as Cam Cameron, the offensive coordinator fired by the Ravens toward the end the most recent season, which ended in a Super Bowl victory. He bought the home for $1.5 million in July 2011, three years after joining the Ravens following a one-year stint as head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Each week, we've brought you a Q&A with a Ravens player to help you learn a little more about the team. Today is a little different. The guest is offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, who has guided the offense to 12th in the NFL in average yards gained. Cameron reflected on life as an offensive coordinator, the process of crafting the weekly game plan, and the impact of other coaches on him. Question: What's the most difficult part about being the offensive coordinator? Answer: I never looked at anything being real difficult other than going against great defensive coordinators and veteran defensive players.

Bryant McKinnie's continued absence due to personal reasons may have forced the Ravens offense to shift Michael Oher from right to left tackle and rotate rookies Kelechi Osemele and Jack Cornell and Cord Howard at right tackle, but offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said he's not worried about not having McKinnie in camp. In fact, Cameron said McKinnie's absence has opened the door for others along the offensive line to get reps in training camp that they might not have gotten. “You just let it play out,” Cameron said.