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Baltimore Ravens

QB Grbac charged with upgrading champs' offense

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2001 schedule Head coach: Brian Billick (third season, 20-12-0 career) Stadium: PSI Net Stadium Ravens all-time record: 36-43-1 2000 rankings: Offense, 16th; Defense, 2nd 2000 team statistics 2000 season results Ravens alerts from CNNSI.com! City Page: Baltimore, Md.

Baltimore opens its training camp at Western Maryland College in Westminster, Md., on July 29.

By Jarrod Breeze, CNNSI.com

The Ravens know defense wins championships. They parlayed the fewest rushing yards (60.6) and points (10.3) per game into a Super Bowl title. The signing of free-agent quarterback Elvis Grbac gives the team an extra dimension -- the threat of a passing game.

The Ravens can make the playoffs if ... Grbac can do his best Trent Dilfer impersonation. But whereas Dilfer was asked not to lose games in compling an 11-1 record as a starter, Grbac will counted on to win games in a pinch. (Remember, the Ravens went 21 consecutive quarters without an offensive touchdown last season.) Grbac was one of only three quarterbacks to pass for more than 4,000 yards last season (4,169). His 28 touchdown passes tied for fourth-best.

Pivotal games: The Ravens play host to Minnesota on Monday night in the second game of the season, then have an early stretch when they sandwich a home game against Tennessee with games at Denver and Green Bay. A possible Super Bowl preview looms in the season finale when Baltimore plays at Tampa Bay.

On the hot seat: Baltimore wide receivers were excused for subpar performances last season. But with Grbac throwing the passes, more will be expected, especially of Travis Taylor. The 10th overall pick in the 2000 draft caught only 28 passes for 276 yards before a broken collarbone ended his season after nine games.

Up-and-coming: Jamal Lewis proved all the naysayers wrong when he made good on his selection as the fifth overall pick in the 2000 draft. Lewis was second only to the Broncos' Mike Anderson for rookies with 1,364 rushing yards. Lewis became the workhorse in Baltimore's no-frills, don't-make-any-mistakes offense during the Ravens’ stretch run to the title.