Saturday, November 20, 1999Ravens' passing game comes down to Banks
Once 3rd string, QB now leads struggling offense
BY TOM GROESCHEN
The Cincinnati EnquirerScott Mitchell couldn't do it. Stoney Case never really could. So the Baltimore Ravens are down to Tony Banks as their quarterback, entering Sunday's game at Cincinnati.
Baltimore (3-6) obtained Banks in a draft-day trade from St.Louis, where he had been the starter for three years.
While the Rams have soared to a 7-2 start, the Ravens think the 26-year-old Banks might be their quarterback of the future. It's just that the present is not good, with Baltimore's passing game ranking above only expansion Cleveland's in the AFC.
“We're not as bad as we've been playing,” Banks said this week. “But offensively, we're a little discouraged.”
The Ravens have the No.1 defense in the NFL, but the offense ranks 27th. Mitchell, Case and Banks have started games this season, and none has completed more than 48 percent of his passes. They have not been helped much by marginal receivers such as Qadry Ismail, Justin Armour and Jermaine Lewis, who have just four TD catches among them.
Banks has put up good fantasy-league yardage in his career, throwing for more than 8,000 yards in three years with the Rams. But real life has been a different story. In 43 games with the Rams, he threw 42 interceptions but only 36 touchdowns.
The Rams suddenly are succeeding without him, but Banks said he is happy about old friend Kurt Warner's success at quarterback. Banks also pointed out that while he was in St.Louis, he rarely had a healthy Isaac Bruce at wideout or a running back such as Marshall Faulk.
Banks joined the Rams as a second-round draftee out of Michigan State in 1996. He finished his rookie season with 2,535 yards passing, the fourth most in NFL history for a rookie. But the Rams won only 15 games in his three seasons.
“It was time for me to get out of St.Louis,” Banks said. “I want ed to leave, and I think the fans wanted me to leave. But I'm happy for those guys. I've still got a lot of friends on that team.”
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Banks has been a victim of circumstances as much as anything, Ravens coach Brian Billick says.
“If he comes back here next year, that'll be the first time he's had the same offensive coordinator for two straight years, including college,” Billick said. “I think he has a bigger upside for next year. He just needs to settle into a system.”
For now, Banks is struggling. He rolled his ankle last week and missed some of the Jacksonville game, which Baltimore lost 6-3.
“It's hard to watch our defense play as well as it has and not be able to help out,” Banks said.
Banks has completed 45 of 94 passes this season, 47.9 percent. He has thrown only two TD passes but just one interception, which Billick interprets as a sign that Banks isn't forcing passes any more.
“We've shown some signs,” Banks said. “We've shown some consistency in the passing game at times and some consistency in the running game at times. We just haven't put it all together.”
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