Billick Wasn’t Very Happy With Scoreboard Message

Apparently the Tennessee Titans didn’t like it when Raven Coach Brian Billick saluted his troops at the Titans’ expense after Baltimore’s 24-23 victory here in November.

There’s no question Billick didn’t appreciate it when the Titans used the comments to rally their fans before Sunday’s AFC playoff game.

Several comments by Raven players and coaches were played on the video screen before and during the game. One was a scene from the postgame locker room Nov. 12, a shot of Billick waving a copy of a Sports Illustrated cover that proclaimed the Titans the No. 1 team in the NFL.

“Not today they weren’t,” Billick says in the clip.

That got the Adelphia Coliseum crowd motivated, and infuriated Billick. It was his first topic of conversation after his team won Sunday.

He said he didn’t blame Tennessee Coach Jeff Fisher, team President Jeff Diamond or General Manager Floyd Reese.

“I am confident that they know absolutely nothing about that classless, totally classless display on their board,” Billick said. “There is no way that anybody is going to convince me that those three gentlemen knew anything about that shameless display.

“When you go into the lion’s den, you don’t tippy-toe in,” Billick said in explanation of his team’s bold comments. “You carry a spear. You go in screaming like a banshee and say, ‘Where’s the son of a . . . ?’ If you go in any other way, you’re going to lose.”

Said Fisher: “It wasn’t my video.”

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Baltimore lineman Keith Washington didn’t even get a look at the kick he blocked that was returned for a touchdown by teammate Anthony Mitchell because his helmet was blocking the view.

“They pulled my helmet off, but I was determined not to let that stop me,” Mitchell said. “I kept pushing it and I went up and I felt the ball hit my hand.

“I couldn’t see the ball, because . . . my chin strap was going across my nose and my eyes. All I could do was just go up and try to predict the trajectory of the ball.”

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Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis escaped Tennessee offensive tackle Fred Miller during his 50-yard interception return in the fourth quarter, although he wasn’t able to escape some teasing by his teammates.

“You did get caught by a lineman,” Raven linebacker Peter Boulware said. “You pulled through it, but he caught up with you.”