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Brian Billick
Brian Billick is a Super Bowl-winning coach who led the Ravens to the Lombardi Trophy in 2000. He spent nine seasons as Baltimore's head coach (1999-2007) after previously working as the Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator (1994-98). In addition to writing for NFL.com, Billick is an analyst on NFL Network's Total Access and other shows.
A handful of observations as we turn the page on Week 13 and head into Week 14: » Bears really bring it. The Chicago Bears got another turnover on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks . When Brian Urlacher punched the ball away from running back... more
Three observations as we turn the page on Week 12 and head into Week 13: San Francisco's simply the best Harrison: Week 13 Power Rankings Twenty-six of the NFL's 32 teams are on the move -- some up, some down -- in Elliot Harrison 's updated pecking... more
Last Sunday, we saw two fake punts by the St. Louis Rams, a fake field goal for a touchdown by the Baltimore Ravens, a punt return for a touchdown by the Denver Broncos (albeit on a play that should have actually resulted in a touchback ) and a punt... more
Amid flying rumors and opining analysts, Andy Reid announced Wednesday that he would not replace Michael Vick as the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. And you can hardly blame him. Benching Vick would have been the same as waving a... more
By now, most of you have probably seen the great hustle play by New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins, who ran down Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Vincent Jackson on a 95-yard pass play, tackling him just before the goal line. While that moment was... more
G. Newman Lowrance/Associated Press Kansas City Chiefs QB Brady Quinn continued to struggle as a starter Sunday, dropping his career record to 3-10. A handful of observations as we turn the page on Week 6 and head into Week 7: » New... more
A handful of observations as we turn the page on Week 5 and head into Week 6: » Next man up in Houston. Brian Cushing's season-ending ACL injury obviously is a blow to the Houston Texans, but I don't believe it will send the team into a tailspin.... more
Ed Zurga/Associated Press Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles has lost two fumbles in four games this season, matching his total from the 2010 season. A handful of observations as we turn the page on Week 4 and head into Week 5: » The fumbling... more
I'm not going to spend much time discussing what happened in Seattle on Monday night , but the class displayed by Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy shouldn't go unnoticed. Coaches' postgame news conferences have provided some pretty intense (and often... more
A handful of observations as we turn the page on Week 2 and head into Week 3: Breer: Why are young QBs thriving? Ten teams are starting QBs with less than two years' experience. Is it working? Albert Breer explores in his weekly notes. More ...... more
As made clear in Parts 1-6, teams need an elite quarterback to compete in today's NFL. But getting one is the biggest risk an organization can take. It is easy to identify the qualities it takes to be successful as a quarterback in this league, but... more
When projecting the potential of any quarterback, you have to look at the environment he is entering. Signal callers develop differently in different systems, and a QB's brilliance and development can be stifled by the wrong setup. Archie Manning might... more
The task of identifying the quarterbacks of the future isn't getting easier. There's an apple-and-oranges problem that's only getting worse. It's difficult to project quarterbacks from the spread offenses so prevalent in college into the multiple... more
It is obvious that finding the right quarterback is the key to success in the NFL. So, you're thinking to yourself: Find an expert. Find someone who knows. Someone with a track record. Over the past 25 years, no one has had a better track record than... more
The only thing that scares coaches and personnel people more than selecting a first-round quarterback who becomes a bust is not taking one who develops into a franchise player. Think about the teams that needed quarterbacks, yet passed on Aaron Rodgers,... more
If you're the general manager of a team that drafts the right quarterback -- like the Steelers, who took Terry Bradshaw in 1970, the Cowboys, who picked Troy Aikman in 1989, or the Colts, who picked Peyton Manning in 1998 -- you will feel that you have a... more
Academy Award-winning screenwriter William Goldman ("Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "Marathon Man") says there is a key rule that you must always remember to understand the way things work in Hollywood: "Nobody knows anything." When it comes to... more
Ed Zurga/Associated Press In the NFL's current replay system, referees go under the hood to review multiple angles on a TV monitor. One of the more subtle points of intrigue at the NFL Annual Meeting this week in Palm Beach, Fla., is the proposal... more
Associated Press Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael (left) and DC Steve Spagnuolo are candidates to replace Sean Payton in 2012. What now? The most difficult aspect of the path forward for the New Orleans Saints and coach Sean Payton is that... more
Associated Press Cedric Benson (left) and Brandon Lloyd are two players who still merit interest from several teams in free agency. Now that we are through the first flurry of free agency, it gets very interesting with regards to the value a team... more
When the NFL Network rolled out its Top 100 players in the NFL series last summer, eyebrows were raised by Eli Manning's complete absence from the list. The Giants quarterback was coming off a 25-interception season and in the eyes of his peers, who... more
The NFL season began with New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning making a statement to a New York radio station that he considered himself to be among the league's elite at the position. At the time, it was a highly debatable topic. Now, having a shot at... more
Back in my coaching days, I would set aside time every year to take a hard look at the final four teams that were playing on Championship Sunday. These teams obviously represent the most successful franchises of each particular season. The objective is to... more
Rematches have been a hot topic this week, sparked by Monday night's BCS title game between Alabama and LSU. The Tigers won the regular-season meeting, but the Tide took round two and left New Orleans with a national championship. In the NFL, rematches... more
As Mark Twain was fond of saying, "There are lies, damn lies, and statistics." People can use statistics to serve whatever argument they might want to support. Coaches are the first to dismiss statistics as irrelevant to the game. They often say that the... more
This is my annual futile attempt to propose to the NFL that it is time to consider reseeding the playoffs once the teams have been established. How Billick would reseed playoffs Teams would get in by winning the division and there would be two wild... more
I have called Detroit Lions games a couple of times in the past month and will have them once again to finish the season next weekend against the Green Bay Packers. Of all the things you can point to in identifying how they have transformed from the... more
With the firings of Todd Haley and Tony Sparano this week, the annual coaching frenzy officially has begun. The three dismissals (Jacksonville canned Jack Del Rio earlier in the season) nearly match the number of coaches who were let go during the season... more
When the calendar flips to 2012 next month, the country will be focused on three things: 1. Who will win the Iowa caucuses? 2. Will the Broncos stay with Tim Tebow at QB? 3. Will the Colts draft Andrew Luck? The Colts-Luck situation will be the... more
A few quick thoughts around the league: Selfish Stevie Steve Johnson is the type of player who keeps me from getting back into coaching. His TD celebration was a selfish act that said this is all about "me" and not about "us." Johnson's celebration had... more
Jim Brown/US Presswire Danieal Manning (38) and the Texans have 14 interceptions as a team this season, third best in the NFL. Â People are constantly looking for the right combination of stats to indicate the probable success of a team. What... more
Tim Heitman/US Presswire Aaron Rogers, left, lobbied in the offseason for the Packers to re-sign wide receiver James Jones. Â After calling the Packers-Chargers game for Fox last Sunday, I was told via Twitter that I might have a slight... more
Every team has a tough schedule in the NFL. But when and where specific games are scheduled plays a huge part in the momentum it takes to get into the playoffs. Case in point, the NFC East. After Dallas was beat down in Philadelphia , Cowboys owner... more
As we approach the midway point of the NFL season, the inevitable march to the first firing of a coach has begun. Based on last year's record number of in-season firings coupled with the performance of some of the teams thus far, we know the day is... more
Associated Press/US Presswire Alex Smith (left) and Frank Gore have helped lead the Niners to a surprising 5-1 start to the season. It's unfortunate the incident between Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz overshadowed one of the best defensive... more
When it comes to age, they say 50 is the new 40. When it comes to fashion, gray is the new black. And when it comes to passing yardage, 400 is the new 300. It used to be that if a quarterback threw for 300-plus yards, it was something special... more
The Philadelphia Eagles' defense is in full crisis mode, and new coordinator Juan Castillo needs to find a way to adjust his strategies to fit the considerable assets the unit has acquired. Lombardi: What's wrong in Philly? Frustration has set in for... more
I have been on the offensive side of the ball for virtually my entire football career. I love the passing game and the artistry it represents. Heading into Week 4, NFL quarterbacks have thrown for better than 300 yards 34 times, obliterating the previous... more
Winning on the road is the hardest thing to do -- not just in the NFL but in all of professional team sports. The time-honored formula to be a good team is to win at home, split on the road, beat the teams you are supposed to beat and split with the ones... more
Tim Heitman/US Presswire Quarterback Kevin Kolb threw for 309 yards and led the Cardinals to victory in his first game. Lost in all the excitement over Tom Brady's 517-yard night and Cam Newton's 422-yard debut in Week 1 was another... more
Former NFL coach Brian Billick, who led the Ravens to a Super Bowl XXXV title, is now an analyst for NFL Network. This is his first column for NFL.com. Due to the lockout and the unique nature of this year's offseason, there are three criteria I am... more
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