Cam Cameron

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.

More than two months since he was relieved of his duties as the Ravens offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron officially returned to coaching today, this time at the college level.   The 52-year-old, who called the Ravens' offensive plays for five seasons before he was fired by head coach John Harbaugh a day after the team's Dec. 9 loss to the Washington Redskins, was announced today as LSU 's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, reuniting him with his longtime friend, Tigers coach Les Miles . Cameron and Miles worked together for seven years on the University of Michigan coaching staff, prompting a question about whether he has any concerns working with a close friend.

The absence of Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta from Thursday's injury report suggest that the team's top two tight ends will play fully in the Ravens' regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. Dickson (sprained right shoulder) and Pitta (broken bone in right hand) suffered their respective injuries in the preseason and missed substantial time while rehabilitating. Despite their ailments, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said Friday that the duo worked hard to keep pace with the rest of the offense.

En route to a 12-4 record and the AFC North title in 2011, the Ravens demonstrated a knack for overwhelming their opponents early. The offense outscored opposing teams 95-42 in the first quarters and 110-86 in the second periods. The unit scored a touchdown on its opening possession in five contests and added field goals in two more games. While jumping on opponents early and often is a priority for many teams, the Ravens also want to improve their ability to finish drives with touchdowns.

John Harbaugh's decision to fire offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and promote quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell to that position was shocking in terms of the timing, but it wasn't unprecedented in the NFL this season. The Philadelphia Eagles dismissed defensive coordinator Juan Castillo two days after the team fell to 3-3, and the Tennessee Titans did the same with offensive coordinator Chris Palmer one day after that squad dropped to 4-7. Making a change at coordinator wasn't even unheard of among the Ravens.

In his first year on the job, Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron scored high in creativity, patience and understatement. He needed all three to coax an erratic, driver-less offense into the NFL's 21st century and help the Ravens reach the 2008 playoffs. Who can forget the unbalanced line? A formation with three offensive tackles - often abreast - delivered the league's fourth-most productive running game. Or the running back by three-man committee? Cameron took a fat, out-of-shape fullback in Le'Ron McClain, gave him the ball in the fourth quarter and pointed him toward the Pro Bowl.

Although center, guard and tackle are the three positions along the offensive line, the players who make up that front usually say that something as simple as moving from one spot to another or switching from one side to the other is not as easy as it sounds. Mastering that ability to adjust, however, is critical for offensive linemen vying for a spot on a team's active 53-man roster. That's especially true for the Ravens, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron says. “To be a backup, you have to be versatile,” Cameron said after Tuesday's practice at the team's training complex in Owings Mills.

When the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2000, Steve Bisciotti was a minority owner, content to stay in the background and enjoy the week with family and friends. Bisciotti completed the purchase of the franchise from Art Modell in 2004 and his team is back at the Super Bowl. Bisciotti arrived in New Orleans last night and again is adamant about remaining in the background this week. He did sit down for a 35-minute interview with select reporters this morning and discussed Joe Flacco 's future with the Ravens, his role in the firing of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron , and Modell's Hall of Fame chances.

Jim Caldwell's debut as the Ravens offensive coordinator did not go swimmingly as the offense went three-and-out in its first five possessions and didn't record a first down until midway through the second quarter en route to the Ravens' 34-17 loss to the Denver Broncos Sunday. A good portion of the post-game questions centered on the offense's transition to Caldwell, who succeeded Cam Cameron after he was fired a week ago. Tight end Dennis Pitta conceded that the upheaval in the coaching staff last week gave way to a period of adjustment for the players.