Ravens Already Reach Level of Grate-ness

It’s a good thing the Oakland Raiders are going to end the Baltimore Ravens’ season Sunday, because this crock about The Greatest Defense Ever has overstayed its welcome, and the calendar on the wall says it’s time for all of us to roll up our purple prayer towels and move on to the next unworthy candidate to hype to death.

The uncritical masses who got behind this one--mainly, fans and media hacks with attention spans shorter than the life of a fruit fly--were the same ones who fell over themselves christening the 6-0 St. Louis Rams as The Greatest Team Ever (that was a good one) . . . and calling 1998 The Greatest Sports Year Ever because Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa hit a lot of home runs . . . and naming Michael Jordan athlete of the century because Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Jim Thorpe were, like, you know, really old dudes.

So, let’s all just catch our breath now and get this straight.

The 2000-01 Baltimore Ravens’ defense is:

* Not the greatest defense in the history of the NFL. It probably wouldn’t crack the top 10.

* Not the greatest defense in the history of Baltimore. How about the ’68 Colts? Bubba Smith, Billy Ray Smith, Mike Curtis. Or the ’58 Colts? Gino Marchetti, Art Donovan, Big Daddy Lipscomb.

* Not the greatest defense in the history of the AFC Central. The Steel Curtain, kiddies. Have your dad tell you about them.

* Not the greatest defense this season, if you’re basing the rankings on yards allowed, also known as “total defense.” Tennessee, not Baltimore, ranked

No. 1 in that category. Or, if you’d rather base it on sacks, the Ravens had 35 during the regular season. Twenty-one defenses had more. The New Orleans Saints led the league with 66.

This is a defense that gave up 524 yards to the New York Jets on Dec. 24.

But that was nearly three weeks ago and, as I say, attention spans these days are short.

The legend of the Raven defense sprang from one hot-graphic statistic--fewest points given up during a 16-game regular season, 165. Baltimore also led the league in rushing defense, becoming the first team in league history to yield fewer than 1,000 yards rushing in a season. That was enough to build the balloon. The Ravens also talk a lot. That provided the hot air . . . and away it went.

Baltimore’s points-allowed record was built on some flimsy woodwork. Membership in the AFC Central gives the Ravens six games a year, automatic, against the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. What kind of havoc might the Dick Butkus Bears have managed with six games a year against Akili Smith, Doug Pederson and Kordell Stewart?

The Ravens also played a third-place schedule in 2000, granting them games against the Arizona Cardinals, the San Diego Chargers and the near-collapse Dallas Cowboys. Points allowed in those: 7, 3, 0.

In two playoff games, the Ravens have held Denver to three points and Tennessee to 10. This is where Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams began to take on mythical status. Blame it on marketing: The Broncos came in with the No. 2 offense in the league! label--and the Titans, of course, were defending Super Bowl finalists!

On to the fine print: Denver came in with Gus Frerotte, not Brian Griese, who manufactured much of that No. 2 ranking before separating his shoulder in November. Tennessee, despite the ad-lib abilities of quarterback Steve McNair, remains, at its core, a ground-oriented offensive team that lives on pitching the ball back to Eddie George.

I will say this for the Ravens: They know how to stop the run.

So they stopped George. And when they did, the Titans went with him, 24-10.

It was a nice run, while it lasted, but the run stops in Oakland. And not a second too soon for the hyperventilating sports/media circus.

Next up on the docket: Jon Gruden--The Greatest Coach Under 40 of All-Time.

BETTER THAN BALTIMORE

A few defenses to rate above the Ravens’, just for starters . . .

1985 CHICAGO BEARS

Achievement: Held 16 opponents to 198 points en route to a 15-1 regular season. Shut out the Giants and Rams en route to the Super Bowl. Held New England to seven yards rushing in 46-10 Super Bowl victory.

Key players: Hall of Fame LB Mike Singletary, four-time Pro Bowl DT Dan Hampton, DE Richard Dent, LB Wilber Marshall, DB Gary Fencik. Bonus sideshow: DT William “the Refrigerator” Perry.

1976 PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Achievement: Had a league-record five shutouts in a 14-game season. (Ravens had four in 16 games.) Gave up 138 points, for a per-game average of 9.8. (Ravens averaged 10.3). Gave up 28 points in last nine regular-season games.

Key players: DT Joe Greene, LB Jack Lambert, DB Mel Blount--all Hall of Famers. LB Jack Ham played in eight Pro Bowls. DE Dwight White, DT Ernie Holmes, LB Andy Russell, DB Donnie Shell.

1975 LOS ANGELES RAMS

Achievement: Gave up 135 points during a 14-game season, a 9.6 average. Held seven opponents--half their schedule--to seven points or fewer.

Key players: DT Merlin Olsen, in the Hall of Fame. DE Jack Youngblood, should be in the Hall of Fame, maybe elected this month. LB tandem of Jack (Hacksaw) Reynolds and Isiah Robertson. DE Fred Dryer, DT Larry Brooks, DB Dave Elmendorf.

1973 MIAMI DOLPHINS

Achievement: Followed up perfect 17-0 1972 season by allowing 14 regular-season opponents 150 points. Outscored three postseason opponents--Cincinnati, Oakland, Minnesota--by an 85-33 margin.

Key players: Known then as “the No-Name Defense,” LB Nick Buoniconti and DBs Dick Anderson and Jake Scott combined to play in 16 Pro Bowls.

1966 GREEN BAY PACKERS

Achievement: Yielded fewer than 12 points a game in a league that included Gale Sayers, Johnny Unitas, Roman Gabriel, Leroy Kelly and John Brodie. Routed Kansas City in the first Super Bowl.

Key players: The ’66 Packers sent five defenders to the Hall of Fame--DE Willie Davis, LB Ray Nitschke, LB Henry Jordan, DB Herb Adderley, DB Willie Wood. The ’00 Ravens are sending three to the Pro Bowl.

QB OR NOT QB: ROUND 3

Theory: You need a top-shelf quarterback to reach the Super Bowl. Or at least you used to.

Practical application: the 2000-01 NFL playoffs.

How the board looks after two rounds, with playoff quarterbacks ranked according to their regular-season quarterback ratings (in parentheses). Quarterbacks still alive in the playoffs listed in bold-faced caps:

1. Kurt Warner, St. Louis (98.3): Out in the first round.

2. DAUNTE CULPEPPER, MINNESOTA (98.0): Passed for 302 yards, three touchdowns in his playoff debut against New Orleans. Leaving the Metrodome’s climate-controlled comfort zone for the chill of the Meadowlands this Sunday. On-the-road mantra: Randy Moss, Cris Carter--don’t leave home without them.

3. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis (94.7): Out in the first round.

4. RICH GANNON, OAKLAND (92.4): Efficiently choreographed 27-0 victory over Miami last week. Worrisome stat line for next opponent, Baltimore: In home games this season, Gannon has a 108.8 quarterback rating, 19 touchdown passes, four interceptions.

5. Steve McNair, Tennessee (83.2): Out after one game, the Titans’ 24-10 loss to Baltimore.

6. KERRY COLLINS, NEW YORK GIANTS (83.1): Passed for 125 yards, led offense to two field goals in 20-10 second-round win over Eagles. Call him NFC finalist. Call him 13-4. Just don’t call him Y.A.

7. Gus Frerotte, Denver (82.1): Out in the first round.

8. Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia) (77.8): Went to the Meadowlands on Sunday looking for Jimmy Hoffa or a capable wide receiver, whichever might appear first. Still searching.

9. TRENT DILFER, BALTIMORE (76.6): Last week against Tennessee, completed passes the way Shaquille O’Neal shoots free throws: five for 16. Tennessee still lost. Tennessee has a lot to answer for.

10. Shaun King, Tampa Bay (75.8): Out in the first round.

11. Jay Fiedler, Miami (74.5): Threw 37 passes last week against Oakland, threw three interceptions--one for a game-breaking 90-yard touchdown return by cornerback Tory James. After watching the game film, Baltimore Coach Brian Billick pulled his starting quarterback aside and told him, “Trent, today we practice more handoffs.”

12. Aaron Brooks, New Orleans (NR): Didn’t throw enough passes to qualify for the final regular-season rankings. Had 48 in last week’s defeat at Minnesota--13 of them low-risk dump-offs into the hands of running back Chad Morton--with only two going for completions of more than 18 yards.