First Down

The Baltimore blueprint

During the offseason, the Baltimore Ravens signed free agent center Matt Birk and drafted offensive tackle Michael Oher in the first round. This is called addressing a need — a strange concept in some circles.

Birk is a solid veteran, a six-time Pro Bowl selection in 11 years with Minnesota. Oher started immediately on the right side. When starting left tackle Jared Gaither missed some time with a neck injury, Oher moved over and the Ravens plugged in former starter Marshal Yanda. The Ravens’ defense has underperformed so far, but the offense ranks fifth in the league.

Connect these dots, and there’s a blueprint of how things should be done. It’s a picture that sharply contrasts with that of the Washington Redskins. Here, in microcosm, is the difference between a capable, respected organization and another that, um, falls a tad short. The Ravens might lose to Denver on Sunday and fall to 3-4, but the distance between that and the Redskins’ 2-5 is way more than one game or the length of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

The Redskins’ on-field problems stem mainly from a neglected and now depleted offensive line. When the Ravens lost a lineman, they were prepared.

“I think the thing that’s great is we have some depth and young guys, too,” Birk said. “That obviously bodes well for us. But being a young guy, you have to play more than one position. Guys have got to know multiple positions. That’s something they preach here and develop. …

“I don’t think I’ve been on a team where all five guys started all 16 games. You’re gonna have injuries, and some guys are gonna miss time. So it’s imperative to have guys who are gonna step up.”

Birk graduated from Harvard, but you don’t have to be an Ivy Leaguer to know the meaning of “imperative.” Still, some apparently do not.

He said what?

“As coaches, we failed to make our coaching points more compelling than their fat little girlfriends.”

— Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, trying to explain last week’s 52-30 loss to Texas A&M