Ray Lewis Wants to Get By With a Little Help From His Offense

With the Ravens' humbling 38-7 loss to the Steelers and the team dropping to 4-4, who is a bigger disappointment: the Baltimore Ravens or the Cincinnati Bengals?

Granted the Bengals (2-6) are doing an excellent job at embarrassing themselves on a weekly basis, the Ravens are making a good case in the "Biggest Disappointment" category this season.

With any kind of semi-decent quarterback, the Ravens could be a perennial AFC contender. The only thing that's ever held them back is the offense, and unfortunately for Baltimore, that unit just so happens to be a big part of the game.

In previous years, the defense has always been good enough to make up for the offense's shortcomings. Hello, this squad won a Super Bowl in 2001 with Trent Farfiss Dilfer as its quarterback and went five games without an offensive touchdown that year.

A team can afford an anemic offense when its defense is that good, but now the Ravens' defense can't deny Father Time much longer, it's getting older.

Yes, defense wins games, but present times call for Baltimore's offense to show up in those games.

Or at the very least, not give the opposing team short-field advantage. During Monday night's game, the Steelers' five touchdown drives began after a fumble, fumble, fumble, punt return and interception at the Baltimore 20, 28, 36, at midfield, and the Baltimore 44.

"It ain't hard to correct what's wrong,'' a clearly upset, but eerily smiling Ray Lewis told reporters after the game. "Just don't turn it over, and make people beat us.''

Amen.

"We held the second best rusher in the league to 40-something yards on nearly 30 carries and only gave up three points in the second half once the offense stopped turning the ball over. Bottom line," Lewis said.

I'm inclined to take Ray Lewis at his word and believe he's speaking the truth here. For one, he may know where some bodies are buried. And two, he's a minister.