| | More good times for Grbac? Ravens hope so
By Wayne Drehs
ESPN.com
MIAMI -- Backed up on his own 10-yard line and facing a third-and-1 against the Miami Dolphins last Sunday, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Elvis Grbac unleashed a shocking 45-yard rope down the right sideline that landed in the hands of teammate Travis Taylor. Jaws dropped everywhere.
But perhaps even more shocking, more surprising than the Ravens putting it up on third and short while deep in their own territory, was the name of the player who sprinted downfield to greet Taylor after the game's biggest play -- Grbac.
Legs churning, fists pumping, a smile spread from ear to ear, Grbac sprinted the 45 yards and smacked Taylor upside the helmet in celebration. To most of the 72,000 fans at Pro Player Stadium, the detail went relatively unnoticed. But to those who know the Ravens, Grbac's smile -- and the accompanying kid-in-a-candy-store jubilation -- was an important moment.
|  | | Ravens QB Elvis Grbac pumps his fist after throwing a 4-yard TD pass to Travis Taylor. |
"In that game, Elvis and the offense did things I ain't seen all year," said Baltimore linebacker Jamie Sharper. "They ran the ball with determination, used the precision passing game and then even tossed it up downfield. And yet the best part of all was seeing them smile. Seeing Elvis laid back, relaxed and having fun. Let me tell you, that's a good sign."
That's because for the Ravens to return to the Super Bowl, they know they'll need Grbac, who has struggled mightily through much of his first year with the team. But now it's playoff time. And Baltimore needs him -- not to shred opposing defenses and pass for 350 yards, but to be consistent, confident and not turn the ball over.
It all starts with relaxing and having fun, and that's just what Grbac did against the Dolphins, completing 12 of 18 passes for 133 yards and, most importantly, no turnovers.
"He executed the game plan beautifully," head coach Brian Billick said. "I have a lot of faith in him. He is really starting to get the feel of the flow of this offense."
By getting the feel of the offense, Billick means that Grbac has accepted being "Dilferized." It boils down to handing the ball off, making the easy passes when they are there, limiting risky plays and holding on to the ball, and letting the Ravens' defense do its dirty work.
It's the same plan Baltimore used last year under Trent Dilfer to earn the franchise its first Super Bowl title. And now the Ravens are asking Grbac, the former Pro Bowler whom Baltimore signed in the offseason to a five-year, $30 million dollar contract, to do the same.
Thus far, despite some regular-season raggedness, it has worked.
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Elvis The Impersonator
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It looks like the Ravens are once again going to rely on their defense to carry them in the playoffs, asking their qarterback to simply avoid making mistakes. Elvis Grbac's numbers in last week's Wild Card win over the Dolphins are very similar to those Trent Dilfer put up during the 2000 playoffs. Here's a look at how the the two stack up, with Dilfer's completions, attempts and yards listed as a four-game average and his TD-INT numbers as a four-game total.
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Grbac '01
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Dilfer '00
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Comp.-Att.
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12-18
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9-18
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Yds.
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133
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148
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TD-INT
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1-0
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3-1
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–Rico Longoria, ESPN.com
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"Elvis might be 6-of-18, but as long as we win, I don't care," tight end Shannon Sharpe said. "We are not going to go out there and ask Elvis to throw the ball 30 or 40 times, because that formula has proven it can't win for us. Some teams, they can win with that formula. We can't. We have to run the football, be very cautious with throwing the football down the field and not turn it over. We don't turn the football over, we win. We turn the football over, we lose."
Such was the problem during the regular season. While Dilfer flourished as a seldom-used backup in Seattle, Grbac threw a career-high 18 interceptions (compared to 15 touchdowns). Just as demoralizing were his nine fumbles, five of which the team turned over.
Of the NFL's 31 starting quarterbacks during the regular season, 22 of them had a better completion percentage than Grbac's 56.7 percent. And only three QBs -- Carolina rookie Chris Weinke, Cincinnati's Jon Kitna and Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck -- had a worse quarterback rating than Grbac's 71.1.
But the playoffs are a clean slate, and the Ravens hope Grbac stops beating himself. Against the Dolphins, the plan worked to perfection. Baltimore rushed for 246 yards and, just when the Dolphins would have bet the farm Baltimore was going to run some more, Grbac went up top to Taylor. On third down, Grbac was 5-of-8 passing for 84 yards. Baltimore's two touchdown drives -- 90 and 99 yards -- were the longest of the season.
Should the plan continue to work, Baltimore could become the first Super Bowl champion with a quarterback who has more interceptions than touchdowns since Phil Simms of the 1986 New York Giants.
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I don't look at it as, ‘Oh, I better not go out there and screw this thing up.' Just go out there and have fun, play the game. ” |
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— Elvis Grbac, Ravens quarterback |
"This is why I came here. You go through 16 games of the ups and downs and when you get to the playoffs, you just have to lay it on the line," Grbac said. "Be smart, let everything go. I don't look at it as, 'Oh, I better not go out there and screw this thing up.' Just go out there and have fun, play the game."
Entering last Sunday's game, the Ravens hadn't scored a touchdown in five straight trips inside the opposition's 10-yard line. That included seven plays in the season finale against the Minnesota Vikings, one of which Grbac overthrew a visibly irritated Sharpe.
After Sunday's game, in which Sharpe was one of eight different Ravens to catch a pass, the All-Pro tight end was quick to stick up for his beleaguered quarterback. But he didn't go so far as to offer outright praise. At least not yet.
"Elvis proved today that he can play in this system," Sharpe said after the win. "He realized that he doesn't have to carry this team, to be the one to lead us to the promised land. Doesn't that sound familiar?"
Eerily. And just like Dilfer last year, Grbac is learning that victories, not statistics, shut up critics. All season, Grbac was widely criticized for being too slow, having an inaccurate arm and terrible footwork, and for not fitting in with the trash-talking Ravens.
The criticism clearly bothered Grbac, who at one point was seen on the sideline with a tear running down his cheek. Though he and many of the other Ravens contend he wasn't crying, others aren't so sure.
That's why last Sunday's sense of joy, celebration and excitement was so important. As the final seconds ticked down against the Dolphins, Grbac joined Sharpe in a tease of a celebration dance on the sideline.
"It was important with everything that was going on," Grbac said of his performance. "Everybody talking about Trent Dilfer, and me coming in here and all that. It was just a good opportunity. Quarterbacks really make their mark in the playoffs, so it was a good feeling."
Will the naysayers stop doubting Grbac? It remains to be seen. Billick, who has stood by his quarterback from day one, said his view of Grbac won't change.
"That's up to you all," he told the media. "It doesn't do a damn thing for me. That's the way I felt about it all along. But maybe you all can get off his (butt), at least for a week."
Maybe. Sunday's game against the AFC Central champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL's top-ranked defense will be no easy task. In one game against the Steelers this season, Grbac completed 20 of 38 attempts for 159 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also threw an interception.
Much of Grbac's success against the Steelers will depend on how well Baltimore runs the ball. In the teams' first meeting this season, the Ravens managed just 41 yards on the ground. But when they busted loose for 226 yards against the Dolphins, it clearly eased the pressure off Grbac.
But until Grbac can slide a Super Bowl championship ring on his finger, the criticism will continue. And those who'll blame Grbac for the Ravens not repeating as champions will -- gulp -- yearn for the days of Dilfer.
It's a saga that even the eloquent Sharpe has a difficult time dancing around.
"I don't sign the checks," Sharpe said. "I'm happy with Elvis. More than happy. I love Trent. He's a great friend and he did a great job for us, but I don't sign the checks. Elvis is our guy. And we're going to ride him as far as we can in these playoffs."
Wayne Drehs is a staff writer for ESPN.com.
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