That organizational stance about maintaining focus solely on the next opponent and not concentrating on job-hunting also applies to defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, who has been contacted by the New York Jets and linked to the St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions’ head-coaching positions.
"We will not be granting permission for any interviews until after our game," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said Monday afternoon in a telephone interview with the 24×7.
Kokinis is heavily involved in helping the coaching staff and players get ready for games, sharing his knowledge about opponents’ tendencies and personnel through his advance scouting.
The Ravens have set aside Sunday as a possible availability for interviews.
The Ravens have also reportedly informed the Browns that Kokinis can only leave the team for a position that contractually gives him final-say authority over all football-related matters. Kokinis is close friends with recently-fired New York Jets coach Eric Mangini, a former Ravens assistant labeled as the leading candidate by Cleveland and national reports.
Kokinis, 41, worked for the Browns from 1991 to 1995 as a scout, spending the last 13 years with the Ravens.
Ryan, who interviewed for head-coaching jobs last year with the Ravens, Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins, could be in good position to run his own team following this hiring cycle with so many openings.
For now, though, it’s the Titans who are occupying all of his time and efforts.
"On a short week, I know this: Rex’s complete focus is on getting ready for the Titans," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "If some of that stuff happens at some point in time, it will be secondary to getting ready for the Titans and that’s how he wants it."
OVERLOOKED: Ravens free safety Ed Reed’s strong finish to the regular season wasn’t enough for him to claim the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, an honor bestowed on disruptive Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison.
Reed finished third in the balloting of a nationwide media panel of reporters who cover the NFL behind Harrison’s 22 votes and Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware’s 13 votes. A five-time Pro Bowl selection, Reed won the award in 2004 and received eight votes this time.
Reed led the NFL with nine interceptions during the regular season and picked off two passes against the Miami Dolphins in a 27-9 wild-card victory. However, the voting closed before the playoffs.
"I think Ed Reed deserves to be the Defensive Player of the Year, without question," Harbaugh said. "We’ve said it many times about all our guys. We think we have the best players in the National Football League. We know each other. We recognize each other and we’re excited to play this week."
Even before Reed was snubbed in the voting, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs was bemoaning his teammate being overlooked after intercepting 10 passes in the past seven games.
"He’s the greatest safety in the game and he’s proven that week in and week out," Suggs said. "We as a team are disappointed that he didn’t get the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, but then again we probably didn’t want him to win it.
"Everyone who has won an individual award is either out of the playoffs or they didn’t make it at all. We commend them on winning their individual awards, but we are trying to win a bigger award as a team."
INTERPRETING WILLIS: Harbaugh acknowledged that he met with disgruntled running back Willis McGahee last week after he made several mildly controversial comments in a national radio interview, including saying that he plays the game only for himself and subtly blaming the coaching staff for his injury-plagued, unproductive season.
"I know that Willis is a team guy," Harbaugh said. "That’s something that he’s said many times. If you look at his comments up until what he said last week, it was really clear. I think that what he was being pressed on was the fact of how his season has gone personally. And he tried to answer the question honestly, that personally he felt like he could have done better. He’s said that many times before.
"Whether he prepared the way he wanted to prepare or could have done a better job or is looking forward to next season, that’s kind of all what he was talking about. We talked about what he can do in December, what he did and what he can do in January. And he’s doing those things. He’s had a heck of a December. He’s having a heck of a January. So, he’s focused on this week right now."
BIG PLAY: Cornerback Frank Walker’s blocked extra point in the second half prevented the Dolphins from making it a two-score deficit, and seemed to halt the momentum of their aborted comeback attempt.
"That play was huge that Frank made," Harbaugh said. "He got a great jump. He had been studying some tendencies and he got a takeoff right as the ball moved, Frank moved and he got around the wing and got it. It was just a tremendous play. It’s not a play you’re going to see very often."
Conversely, Walker was flagged for a personal foul for tackling a Dolphin out of bounds.
"The guy was a little out of bounds," Harbaugh said. "Frank didn’t realize he was out of bounds, but he was out of bounds and he should have held up and let him go. That cost us some yardage. So, we were real happy with one play and I know Frank would like to have the other one back."
QUICK HITS: The Ravens and Titans combined for 21 penalties for 169 yards of infractions in the first meeting, a 13-10 Tennessee win in Baltimore, where there were several personal fouls and skirmishes. Wide receiver Derrick Mason and Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan were each fined by the league office for their feisty confrontation. When asked if he expected another chippy game, Harbaugh replied: "I don’t get that sense from our side at all. That term, I would never use that term with our team because that’s not us. We’re classy. Our guys are a tough, competitive, classy outfit. That’s the way we play, and that’s how we’ll play in this game." … The Ravens didn’t play rookie running back Ray Rice against the Dolphins even though he was active after not being healthy enough to play due to a shin contusion the previous three weeks. "We just didn’t feel as the game was going on that we wanted to put him in," Harbaugh said. "Not that we couldn’t have. He was ready to play, just the way the game went." Harbaugh said he expects Rice to play against the Titans, though. "We sure do," he said. "Ray is getting healthier, and he looked good toward the end of last week and we expect him to do well." … Team spokesman Kevin Byrne said the Ravens were greeted at their training complex Sunday just after 10 p.m. by about 90 fans lining the driveway into the team’s headquarters. "It was exciting, it was neat to see that the fans and the players could share the moment together," Harbaugh said. "That’s kind of what it’s all about, right? I know our guys enjoyed it. I know I enjoyed it." … The Ravens resume practice today. When asked if he has had to motivate players to practice hard this year, Harbaugh replied: "On this football team, everybody gets everybody going. We don’t have to talk our guys into practicing."
Aaron Wilson covers the Baltimore Ravens for the Carroll County Times and the Annapolis Capital.
