Perhaps it was the work of the head coach, called back to the offensive-coordinator duties of drawing up imaginative plays for a stagnant unit. Maybe it was a running back finding his bulldozing stride again, or rookies making their presence known.
Whatever caused the Ravens? dominating 35-22 win over previously surging New Orleans Sunday mattered little to the victors. The only thing that counted was the result, which snapped a two-game losing streak.
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The stunning domination of the Saints (5-2), who had taken on the persona of “America?sTeam” in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, came swiftly and thoroughly. By the end of the first half, the Ravens had scored 28 points, and a crowd of 69,152 fans at the Superdome began booing their hometown heroes.
“Obviously, this is a huge win,” Ravens head coach Brian Billick said. “Now, having been here, there is no question: This is the hardest place right now to win in the NFL.”
The Ravens improved to 5-2 on the season and claimed sole control of the AFC North. The Cincinnati Bengals come to M&T Bank Stadium this Sunday a game behind the Ravens.
Billick, who fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel two weeks ago, made his debut as the offensive play-caller Sunday with sometimes-spectacular results. In total, the Ravens amassed a modest 293 yards, but they did considerable damage in the first half, when quarterback Steve McNair ran and threw for a touchdown.
“Today was about players knowing what it is they needed to do, having worked it properly in practice and executing it the way we practice, for the most part,” Billick said.
The result was a crisp offense that often spread out with four receivers. McNair successfully managed the unit, connecting on 17 of 23 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
Still, the offense found its beating heart in the running game. Jamal Lewis topped the 100-yard mark for the first time this season, carrying the ball 31 times for 109 yards. Lewis has publicly lobbied for more carries in recent weeks, and history was on his side. When Lewis tops the 100-yard mark, the team is 22-7.
“I was pretty surprised,” Lewis said of his total carries. “I didn?t know it was gong to be like that. The line was getting a good push, and we were rolling. It felt like old times.”
It also helped that the Ravens? swarming defense caused the Saints considerable angst. New Orleans committed five turnovers. Quarterback Drew Brees threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns by Ravens rookie defensive backs Dawan Landry and Ronnie Prude.
Both Prude and Landry are Louisiana natives and said the return home meant quite a lot. It was clear that helping the team win meant more, however. Landry collected two interceptions on the day and has three in the last two games.
“The defensive line had a great rush, and Brees got hit when he threw it,” Landry said of his touchdown interception. “I was just at the right place at the right time.”
