Given the fact that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti doesn't grant interviews during the season, it was left up to head coach Brian Billick to announce that his job was safe.
Turns out he spoke too soon.
Bisciotti, who once employed the author of this blog, had a change of heart and decided to fire Billick less than a year after giving him a contract extension through 2010.
"I just changed my mind," the owner told The Baltimore Sun this morning. "I can't explain it to you. It's the toughest decision I've had to make."
I'm sure a 5-11 season made the decision a little easier. Last year, the Ravens turned their season around and won the AFC North after Billick took over as the play-caller. This season, his play-calling baffled fans and led to linebacker Ray Lewis calling him out on a Baltimore radio station.
Billick led the Ravens to a Super Bowl title in 2000, but he's only had one playoff win since. Bisciotti informed the players of Billick's firing earlier this afternoon, and it sounds like they took the news pretty well.
"Sometimes the message can get repetitive after a while," said 12-year offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden, who played nine seasons under Billick.
I don't think Billick helped himself in the locker room when he basically questioned linebacker Bart Scott's intelligence after he hurled a penalty flag into the stands during a loss to the Patriots earlier this month.
When he became the head coach in 1999, Billick was regarded as one of the best offensive minds in football. In 1998, he coordinated a Vikings offense that score 556 points. But in nine seasons in Baltimore, the offense was Billick's biggest problem. First-round draft pick Kyle Boller never panned out at quarterback and the Ravens acquired Steve McNair on the downside of his career.
Who's next? Well, defensive coordinator Rex Ryan would probably be the popular choice in the locker room. He's the only coach on the staff remaining from Super Bowl XXXV, and he's gone to great lengths to position himself to be a head coach, including a crash diet this past offseason.
The problem for Ryan is that Bisciotti might want a fresh approach after such an awful season. You can also bet that 49ers assistant head coach Mike Singletary's name will be on the list of potential candidates.
Singletary is a former Ravens linebackers coach, and has a great relationship with Lewis. Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels are now on every team's radar. And don't rule out Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, the runner-up to Mike Nolan for the 49ers job.
I honestly thought all the injuries in the secondary and problems at quarterback might earn Billick another season, but it didn't work out that way. The Ravens will go after a quarterback on the first day of the draft, and that's why I think they'll lean toward bringing in an offensive-minded coach.
General manager Ozzie Newsome and college scouting director Eric DeCosta have put some nice pieces together along the offensive line, but the Ravens aren't going anywhere until find some form of consistency at the quarterback position.
At some point, the "We won a Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer" line stops working. And that's one of the major reasons Billick is looking for a new job.
