3 Baltimore Ravens

At training camp in Westminster, Md., one day in early August, former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, on assignment for ESPN, stepped onto the field for three throws during a seven-on-seven drill. After watching Theismann hit wideouts Qadry Ismail on a curl route and Billy Davis on a slant, one spectator remarked, "Maybe we should get the pads back on Joe."

The Ravens hope they can move the ball as readily, because if the offense clicks-Baltimore ranked 24th in the NFL in total yards and last in third-down conversions, with a 28.4% success rate—they believe they will be in the playoffs for the first time since they were the Browns. Keeping that in mind, no team made more off-season moves to boost its attack.

With the fifth and 10th selections in the draft, Baltimore picked power runner Jamal Lewis of Tennessee and fleet wide receiver Travis Taylor of Florida. Free agency delivered a pair of tight ends who have 12 Pro Bowl appearances between them: Shannon Sharpe and Ben Coates, late of the Broncos and the Patriots, respectively. The only question is how all the pieces will fit together.

As promising as the upgrades on offense appear, coach Brian Billick has already faced some early challenges. Taylor was set back by a nine-day holdout at the start of camp and has been playing catchup as he tries to learn the offense. The Ravens also have been stung by the injury bug. Lewis dislocated his left elbow on July 28 and may not be ready for the opener. Starting wide receiver Patrick Johnson (broken right clavicle) won't be available until Week 3, and Chuck Evans, the projected starting fullback, may miss the season after tearing his left triceps on Aug. 5.

Still, the Ravens believe they have enough depth at the skill positions to overcome these setbacks. Priest Holmes averaged 5.7 yards a carry on 89 rushing attempts last season, and to replace Evans, Baltimore signed free agent Sam Gash, the AFC Pro Bowl starter at fullback the last two seasons while playing for the Bills. The Ravens also believe that their productivity will improve as they become more comfortable in Billick's aggressive system. In 1999, Billick's first season in Baltimore, the Ravens averaged only 13.6 points in limping to a 2-5 start. Then, over their last nine games, they scored 25.4 points a game, running up more than 30 points on five occasions, and won six times.

The key to the surge in the second half of the season was the maturation of quarterback Tony Banks. After arriving from the Rams in an April 1999 trade with a surprisingly cocky attitude for a guy who had little to show for his first three NFL seasons, Banks immediately got himself in Billick's doghouse by suggesting that the coach was being too critical of his play. He was the third-string signal-caller on opening day, behind Scott Mitchell—whom Banks had predicted he'd beat out in the first week of camp—and Stoney Case. After being put on the inactive list for the first two games, Banks says he told Billick "that he was going to need me to win football games. It was a bold statement, but it worked out."

After Mitchell and Case faltered, Banks started the final 10 games and finished the season with an 81.2 rating, 17 touchdown passes and only eight interceptions, all career bests. He also learned how to prepare better for games and adjusted to Billick's no-nonsense style. "The tension between us has been overplayed," Billick says. "Tony had always been coached with the big, warm, fuzzy arm that said everything you do is all right because you're young. But he reached the point where I had to draw the line in the sand and tell him that if he wasn't getting it done, I was going to make sure he knew that. It took him a while to understand that, but now he does. In fact, he's told me to keep doing it."

Billick shouldn't have to worry about what's happening on the other side of the ball. Baltimore's defense ranked second in the league last year and didn't allow a runner to rush for 100 yards in a game. The unit returns virtually intact.

"We've had to be more cautious on defense in the past because we were behind a lot," says Pro Bowl defensive end Michael McCrary. "I'm tired of playing when we're down and the opposing team is trying to run out the clock. Now it's time for the other teams to try coming from behind and throwing those long balls, so we can let our defense loose."

The Ravens believe that their time is now. Many of their younger players, such as left tackle Jonathan Ogden and linebackers Ray Lewis and Peter Boulware, have matured into stars, and with leadership from veterans like Sharpe and free safety Rod Woodson, Billick is convinced Baltimore has the right mix of talent and experience. "We've set these expectations from the minute last season ended," he says. "Now we plan on living up to them."