Ups And Downs

The opening-game win was a huge lift for a franchise that had gone just 42--38 in the regular season since winning the Super Bowl in 2001 and has spent the last three seasons struggling to develop quarterback Kyle Boller. "Not taking anything from Kyle," said veteran tailback Jamal Lewis, who rushed for 78 yards (a 4.3 per-carry average) on Sunday, "but when you've got a young guy in there, you feel like you've got to tell him what to do. A guy like McNair, you just wait and let him tell you what to do."

McNair's experience was vital in Sunday's win, which ended an 11-game road losing streak for Baltimore. The Bucs, with rush end Simeon Rice and linebacker Derrick Brooks, are among the elite defensive teams in the NFL and present a particular challenge because of their constant presnap movement. To offset the Bucs' schemes, Fassel gave McNair the option to flip sides--run or pass right or left--on nearly every play with an audible at the line of scrimmage. "And we did it a ton," said tight end Todd Heap.

The Ravens and McNair set the tone for the game on the first possession, going 80 yards in 14 plays to take a 7--0 lead. The drive consumed more than nine minutes on the game clock on a day when the heat index approached 100?. "Nine minutes on the first drive," said Ray Lewis. "That tells you the offense has got your back." The Ravens had only one drive longer than that in 2005.

Simms's afternoon was as ugly as McNair's was attractive. His offensive line was depleted by injuries to both starting guards, and he faced a formidable Ravens' defense that once again had a healthy Ray Lewis (he missed 10 games in '05 with a torn right hamstring) and safety Ed Reed (he missed six with an injured right ankle).

With his team down just 7--0 at the start of the second quarter, Simms tried to force a deep ball to Doug Jolley on the right sideline. Ravens corner Chris McAlister, who was responsible for deep coverage of the right third of the field on the play, easily intercepted the ball and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown, giving the Ravens a 14--0 lead. It may as well have been 40--0, given the Bucs' lack of offense.

Two days before the game Simms had reflected on three years spent waiting to begin a season as the starter. In spring 2005 the southpaw had worked long hours with quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett on fundamentals such as the placement of his hands under center (left hand on the bottom instead of on top) and his stance at the snap (square and wide instead of open and narrow). The work paid off when Brian Griese was injured and Simms took the Bucs to the playoffs. This year the job was Simms's from the start. "It's been a grind getting to this point," he says, "but you don't think about that big picture every day. You just think about the now."

In the now, Simms and the Bucs need vast improvement soon; McNair and the Ravens have the kind of promise they last showed five years ago.

"Two leaders, that's what we talked about," said Lewis as he walked out of the Ravens' locker room, resplendent in a shimmering tangerine suit. "Couldn't draw it up any better."