Kyle Boller - An Objective Review

[DesperateDerelict]

Brian Billick continues to defend young Kyle Boller from his many detractors.

If scientists created a time machine that would allow us to travel to the 17th week of the 2005 season, we would see a 9-6 Baltimore Ravens team that would need a win at Cleveland to have a chance to get into the postseason. The Ravens do not bring their A-game, because the Browns have a pedestrian 5-10 record. The hard-working, blue-collar Browns, under Romeo Crennel, have a 17-13 lead with two minutes remaining, shocking the NFL world, and upsetting the bettors who laid four points with the road favorite.

However, Kyle Boller has a chance to get his team into the playoffs. He connects on several passes, but on a third and eight at midfield, he throws an ugly pass into the hands of former teammate Gary Baxter. Game over. Boller chokes away the season.

I’m the next Miss Cleo. All I need is a bad haircut, ugly clothes and a psychic hotline number.

Cleo-ness aside, the whole point of my prognostication is a simple fact that a large portion of the football world knows to be true.

Boller sucks and should not be quarterback of the Ravens.

Head coach Brian Billick disagrees. He is enamored with the third-year quarterback and has defended Boller’s detractors for the previous two seasons.

“[boller] gets beaten up for not having the numbers, obviously, which is a little difficult, but he has managed the game well all year long,” Billick told www.patriots.com in November. “When he has been forced to step up and throw the ball 30 or 35 times, he has responded to that as well. So, we are very pleased with the progress he has made all the way through. For a young player, he does manage the game well.”

Well, not really. The admiration for the young signal caller could be out of pride, since Billick burnt two first-round picks on him. Or, it could be out of a poor eye for talent, considering Baltimore has gone through Boller, Tony Banks, Jeff Blake, Stoney Case, Randall Cunningham, Trent Dilfer, Elvis Grbac, Jim Harbaugh, Scott Mitchell, Chris Redman and Anthony Wright during Billick’s tenure.

Billick makes it sound like Boller is the second coming of Joe Montana. In reality, he’s not even the second coming of Dilfer. Unlike the signal caller who facilitated the Ravens to their only Super Bowl victory in franchise history, Boller does not take care the ball and contrary to what Billick said about him, he is not a good game manager.

Ignoring the fact that Boller only threw for 2,559 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2004, the 19th pick in the 2003 Draft threw 11 interceptions, and maintained a horrific completion percentage of 55.6 and an equally-hideous quarterback rating of 70.9.

When the Bengals came from behind and beat the Ravens, 27-26 -- which would ultimately lead to Baltimore’s demise -- Boller threw the ball 33 times, but accumulated just 172 yards. He threw no touchdowns and one interception in the process. When Boller faced the Indianapolis Colts, who have one of the worst defenses in the league, he threw 40 passes, but completed just 19 of them. Boller threw a touchdown, but also had two interceptions. The Ravens scored just 10 points against a defense that surrendered 21.8 points per game the entire season.

I could keep listing the games where Boller was responsible for losing, but it’s almost 8 p.m., and I don’t feel like staying at work until 12, pointing out more fallacies with Billick’s statement.

One thing Billick cannot be guilty of is placing weapons around Boller. The Ravens still have Jamal Lewis and Todd Heap, who are respectively among the best running backs and tight ends in the NFL. Boller will be protected by one of the league’s top offensive lines, and he will be throwing to a great cast of wide receivers, which features Pro Bowler Derrick Mason, first-round pick Mark Clayton and 6-6 Clarence Moore.

If Boller continues to struggle with the plethora of skilled players around him, Billick will have no choice but to bench the California product in favor of the more-talented Anthony Wright. So, it’s not a matter of if Boller gets benched; it’s a matter of when.

I guess my week 17 prognostication was wrong after all.

[CJBestInAFC]

I honestly don't think Boller is going to struggle that much this year. I think with the coaching staff and the new WRs that the Ravens acquired, Boller should do fine, not mention a healthy Heap will also help.

[DontPushMe]

these boller sucks threads are about as stupid as the fans that make them, you dont know he sucks, you think he sucks because you want him to suck, because you dont like the ravens, its as simple as that, he had some ups and downs his first couple seasons, now he has his RB and TE back full time, and a pair of upgraded WRs, if he still plays poorly this year, he will be a bust, but untill then, give it up

[GROIIIDayton]

agree... he still gets one more year that team had many injurys last year not to mention no one to throw too.

[jditty47]

im sorry but i disagree DPM. boller does suck and he has proven to suck since he's been in the league. how many times has jamaal rushed for over 100 yards, the D holds their opponent under 20 pts and they still lose? im guessing alot of their losses were that way. The man is s**t. and how can u say we want him to suck and we jsut think he sucks. man, now ur just trying to start s**t up.

i bet you even with the new weapons that he wont throw for more than 300 yards in a victory all season.

[membengal]

these boller sucks threads are about as stupid as the fans that make them, you dont know he sucks, you think he sucks because you want him to suck, because you dont like the ravens, its as simple as that, he had some ups and downs his first couple seasons, now he has his RB and TE back full time, and a pair of upgraded WRs, if he still plays poorly this year, he will be a bust, but untill then, give it up

substitute "boller" for "klingler" or "akili" and you could have written the same things about them...

[BengalsOwn]

Boller is trash.

I don't know what DPM spends more time doing, bashing Rudi or sticking up for Kyle Boller.

Maybe he is actually a Ravens fan?

[Tiger Stripes]

Boller is trash.

I don't know what DPM spends more time doing, bashing Rudi or sticking up for Kyle Boller.

Maybe he is actually a Ravens fan?

my thoughts exactly.

[Arizona]

As the resident expert here, let me offer that there were no games where Jamal got a hundred, the defense held the other team under 20 and we lost.

The major problem last year, and the problem for Boller in the past, was general offensive strategy. The Ravens have traditionally played defense aggressively and played offense not to lose. You can't play offense not to lose. That will be a big shift this year. Our defense has not played the same as they did in the superbowl season any year since and will never do so again. That kind of greatness is an anomaly, like the Rams of a few years ago. Eventually you come back down to earth. The other side of the ball needs to pick up the slack. Being conservative on offense doesn't allow that.

Second, watching the kid, by the end of the season I didn't see him making stupid mistakes. I saw inefficiency on the offense. I saw missed routes, poor timing, and balls bouncing off of receivers hands to create interceptions. I clearly remember two interceptions that occurred when Clarence Moore ran 15 yard deep ins and then either stopped or didn't look for the ball, the ball would fly through where he was supposed to be, and pick city. And these aren't purple colored glasses. The first half of Boller's rookie season, he made stupid mistakes, got confused and got himself into trouble. Late last season I didn't see him doing that.

I make no claim he is the next Elway, but neither is he a bust. Young qbs are hard to judge. Remember the Falcons traded a young Brett Favre away before he had a chance to grow into the role. Again, not claiming Boller is the next Favre, but give him some time. With the rest of our team, Boller will be good enough to get us where we want to go.

[Rimington over Marino]

Baltimore has Mason, Clayton and Moore. Last year they had Travis Taylor, Kevin Johnson and Moore. Where is the big improvement? Maybe Mason is a little better than Taylor. Wait and see. I am not scared by them. I am more concerned by our Defenses execution. Jamal Lewis is still the key to stopping this team.

[Arizona]

I don't disagree. We aren't going to be the Colts this season. It's just a matter of being able to convert a couple of third downs and be a little unpredictable, the offense still goes through Jamal. But, if we turn half our three and outs into 30 or 40 yard gains, with this defense, that is a big deal.

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

I don't disagree. We aren't going to be the Colts this season. It's just a matter of being able to convert a couple of third downs and be a little unpredictable, the offense still goes through Jamal. But, if we turn half our three and outs into 30 or 40 yard gains, with this defense, that is a big deal.

"With this defense?"

The defense that signed Samari Rolle, the aging 8 year veteran? Yes, he's good. Yes, he's got a few years left in him. However, is he enough to make up for losing Gary Baxter and Corey Fuller? I doubt it. Baxter was just as good as Rolle. Your other corners are 12 year vet Dale Carter, who isn't good enough to play nickle any more, and is injury prone, McAlister who is better than Rolle, and a few total scrubs.

The defense that lost Peter Boulware, Cornell Brown, Edgerton Hartwell, and TJ Slaughter? The defense that replaced Hartwell and Boulware with only Dan Cody and Tommy Polley? Cody MIGHT be good enough to replace TJ Slaughter this year, but lets face it, If Ray Lewis, or Adalius Thomas get injured, your depth at linebacker is in a sad sad state.

The defense that has no nose tackle? Dawn Edwards is a girly man! Kelly Gregg is ok.

Lets face it, your defense isn't all it once was.

[Spain]

The guy cant get though his reads I hope they keep him forever, They would be much better if they had a Kitna.IMHO

[jditty47]

no s**t. i love boller being on the ravens.

[Turi]

Second, watching the kid, by the end of the season I didn't see him making stupid mistakes. I saw inefficiency on the offense. I saw missed routes, poor timing, and balls bouncing off of receivers hands to create interceptions. I clearly remember two interceptions that occurred when Clarence Moore ran 15 yard deep ins and then either stopped or didn't look for the ball, the ball would fly through where he was supposed to be, and pick city. And these aren't purple colored glasses. The first half of Boller's rookie season, he made stupid mistakes, got confused and got himself into trouble. Late last season I didn't see him doing that.

I actually agree with that. I saw an improved Boller last season, not a vast improvement but a step in the right direction. He threw balls away that previously he would have forced making an interception.

Now this season he's having the offense built around him. It's do or die time. We all saw the change Drew Brees went through last season. I'm not saying Boller is this years Brees (I've reserved that for Harrington) but it can happen.

[jditty47]

i dont know who's on the hot seat more - boller or harrington.

[BengalNation1281]

Harrington will be this year's Brees, and Boller will be this year's NFL Joke Punchline of Choice.

Harrington has had moments in the last couple of years where you could see that he will do something when he is comfortable in Mariucci's system and has a decent receiving corps around him...Boller has shown that he is proficient at throwing INTs and is not as good as the guy sitting on the bench waiting for his shot. Maybe it's just that Billick isn't good at developing QBs...maybe it's the Tedford Curse...or maybe it's just that Boller is a chump. I personally think that he's a chump, and this will be the year that he proves it definitively.

And in DPM's defense, he is not a Ravens fan...he is just sad and lonely and takes your hatred in like a cold lager on a summer's day.

[WHO DEY AGAIN?]

Boller needs to be the starter in s**t Town for a few more years. He has hardly had time to build a relationship with the crack whores.

[JPW]

these boller sucks threads are about as stupid as the fans that make them, you dont know he sucks, you think he sucks because you want him to suck, because you dont like the ravens, its as simple as that, he had some ups and downs his first couple seasons, now he has his RB and TE back full time, and a pair of upgraded WRs, if he still plays poorly this year, he will be a bust, but untill then, give it up

Climb down off of your High-Horse ...

If he was a Bengal, YOU would be Leading the Boller Sucks Charge.

[Arizona]

I definitely thing Harrington has more pressure on him, for the same reason that Palmer has more pressure on him: Because the lions and bengals are offense first teams. Despite all the criticism of Boller, he doesn't need to be amazing for us to win, he just needs to be average. Despite the posted criticism of the defense, it will be one of the NFL's best.

[CantStop85]

Boller will be better this year. He will be much better than Trent Dilfer (haha). I, also, think he might do better than Ben Roethlisberger. He could possibly be the 2nd best starting QB in the AFC North next season. Nothing spectacular...but more TD's than Int's.