The lengthy list of failed quarterbacks who have worked for Brian Billick reads like a “Who’s Not” in NFL circles: Scott Mitchell, Stoney Case, Tony Banks, Chris Redman, Jeff Blake and now Kyle Boller have struggled significantly under the guidance of the head coach formerly known as the offensive guru. However with the recent addition of Steve McNair, we may now have a keeper at the most highlighted of positions.
Most Ravens’ fans believe the playoffs are now within reach. With parity the way it is in today’s NFL these feelings are certainly justified. The big question is, “What can we expect from our new quarterback and team with the pairing of Steve McNair and Brian Billick?”
When trying to look forward in the NFL, try looking back first. The one thing the NFL has is a ton of history. Let’s tap that resource and then try to project with some clarity what we might all bear witness to in 2006.
Steve McNair brings a veteran presence with an impressive resume. As Billick tries to improve an offense that ranked 24th last year, we can look back towards two other veteran quarterbacks who worked with him and possessed similar skill sets. Each had lengthy careers with their original teams prior to being paired with Billick. Their names are Warren Moon and Randall Cunningham and we’ll focus upon each of their first seasons in Minnesota where Billick was the offensive coordinator.
We’ll begin with Warren Moon…
Moon completed a successful college career at the University of Washington by leading the Huskies to a surprising 27-20 victory over Michigan in the 1978 Rose Bowl. Moon then was projected by NFL scouts as a defensive back. He wanted to play quarterback so he headed north to Canada and the CFL. There, he led the Edmonton Eskimos to five consecutive Grey Cup championships from 1978 to 1982. During that time he threw 144 touchdown passes and gained the attention of the NFL. Moon headed south to Houston for the 1984 season and took over as starting quarterback for the Oilers.
His first season as an Oiler was sub par, throwing for only twelve touchdowns. The Oilers finished 3-13. Houston began to build their offense around Moon’s talents. The employed what became known as the Run and Shoot offense, using four wide receivers and one running back. This mirrored the offense he worked with in Canada.
Beginning in 1987, Moon led the Oilers to 7 consecutive playoff appearances. He threw for 156 touchdowns during this period and was played on six Pro Bowl teams. Despite his success, the Oilers never advanced to a Conference Championship with Moon. After their home divisional playoff loss to the Chiefs in1993, Houston and Moon decided to part ways and he was traded to the Vikings. He left Houston with 70 career victories, the most by any starting quarterback in franchise history.A record which stood until Steve McNair broke it in 2004.
During the 1994 season in Minnesota, 37-year-old Warren Moon joined Brian Billick who was in his third year as Vikings’ offensive coordinator. The year before, the Vikings were a wild card team at 9-7 when they lost to the Giants in the Wildcard game. They had talent at wide receiver with Cris Carter and veteran Anthony Carter, playing in his final season. The problem was the Vikings had an aging Jim McMahon and journeyman Sean Salisbury at quarterback. They felt their missing ingredient was quarterback and made the trade Moon.
The Vikings ran a standard pro type offense, two wide receivers, a TE, tailback and fullback. Moon began working with Billick immediately after his trade to learn his new offense. He had been running a variation of the Run and Shoot since 1978 in Canada. Billick had to teach Moon an entire new system. Moon learned the new offense and while Billick took away the Run and Shoot from Moon he allowed the veteran to use a three wide receiver set at his choosing.
Working with Cris Carter, Jake Reed, and Qadry Ismail at wide receiver the Vikings became the number one ranked offense in football that year. Moon relied mainly on Carter and Reed, who combined for over 200 receptions and 2300 yards while scoring 11 touchdowns between them. Ismail, who was inserted when Moon went to the three wide receiver set caught forty five passes for 5 touchdowns, and averaged over 15 yards a reception. Moon was able to take the existing Vikings players along with Billick’s offense and make it his own. By blending the existing offense with his Run and Shoot roots, Moon took a lightly regarded Ismail, and turned him into a solid NFL receiver. Not to be forgotten Terry Allen gained over 1,000 yards while being led by Chuck Evans at fullback.
The Vikings contacted 34-year-old Cunningham who agreed in 1997 to come out of retirement and back up Johnson. During 1997 the Vikings seemingly had a playoff spot clinched when at 8-2 they went into a five game losing streak. Cunningham then took over, he threw 4 touchdowns in a playoff clinching victory over the Colts during the last regular season game. Cunningham led them to a first round playoff win over the Giants but lost the next week 38-22 to San Francisco.
The Vikings improved to 10-6 winning the NFC Central. With Moon the Vikings scored 5 more points a game than they did the year before. Moon and Carter went to the Pro Bowl along with three other Vikings that year.
They lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Bears, 35-18. While Moon and Billick’s work together made them the best on the offensive side of the ball, the defense with Pro Bowler Jack Del Rio at linebacker ranked 27th. One has to wonder, with a better defense what the possibilities may have been for the 1994 Vikings.
Next up, Randall Cunningham…
Randall Cunningham, the younger brother of former New England Patriots RB Sam “Bam” Cunningham played his college football at UNLV, a basketball school. Cunningham was a quarterback but was regarded as a better runner than passer. He was also the team punter and was thought by some NFL scouts to be the best college punter in the 1985 class. He was selected in the second round of the 1985 draft by the Eagles.
Head coach Marion Campbell did not know what to do with him. In the pre season he was by far the most exciting player on the team. When he played against second team defenses in the pre season he moved the team mainly with his legs. Veteran Ron Jaworski was the starting quarterback but was past his prime when Cunningham arrived. Cunninghan saw little action his first year behind Jaworski as the Eagles finished 7-9.
In 1986 Buddy Ryan was the new head coach. He again started Jaworski but by mid season Cunningham shared the job with him. By year end, Jaworski gave way to Cunningham as the starter. He threw for 8 touchdowns, but also ran for five and moved the team. Cunningham took the Eagles to the playoffs 4 times and played in three consecutive Pro Bowls. He threw for 150 touchdowns and ran for another 32 scores from 1985 to 1995.
By 1995 Ray Rhodes was head coach and he wanted a pure pocket passer for his offense. He and Cunningham clashed on offensive philosophy and Rhodes replaced Cunningham with Rodney Peete. Cunningham was benched and was miserable. He retired following the season and become an analyst for TNT in 1996.
Cunningham had been the one constant ingredient with the Eagles. He played for Campbell, Ryan, Rich Kotite and Ray Rhodes. He was forced to play in numerous offensive schemes and while having success, never really found his niche. Ryan was the only head coach he played for that encouraged him to get outside the pocket and use his abilities. Meanwhile in Minnesota, the Vikings replaced Warren Moon who was later traded to Seattle, with Brad Johnson and were looking for a veteran back up for their young starter.
The Vikings contacted 34-year-old Cunningham who agreed in 1997 to come out of retirement and back up Johnson. During 1997 the Vikings seemingly had a playoff spot clinched when at 8-2 they went into a five game losing streak. Cunningham then took over, he threw 4 touchdowns in a playoff clinching victory over the Colts during the last regular season game. Cunningham led them to a first round playoff win over the Giants but lost the next week 38-22 to San Francisco.One thing was clear — the Vikings had a new starting signal caller.
In 1998 Cunningham found himself at the controls of a very talented offensive team. The Vikings drafted all world wide receiver Randy Moss in the first round. This gave Cunningham the best pair of wide receivers in the game. Veteran Cris Carter now had someone who could stretch a defense in Moss to go along with his ability to make tough catches in traffic and convert third downs. They complimented one another perfectly.
Cunningham picked up Billick’s offense easily in 1997. Having played in different schemes his entire career, he used his past knowledge to quickly master Billick’s version of the West Coast offense.
The Vikings were talented at every skill position with Moss, Carter and Jake Reed at wide receiver while Robert Smith and Leroy Hoard handled the tailback duties. Chuck Evans was a punishing lead blocker at fullback, and TE Andrew Glover had the size and speed to make him not only a great blocker but another receiving option for Cunningham.
The offensive line was anchored by Randall McDaniel, Jeff Christy, and Todd Steussie. Billick had his most talented group of receivers since he had been in Minnesota. Billick’s fast work with Cunningham in getting him comfortable in what they wanted to do with the ball set the table for a record setting season.
Minnesota won fifteen of 16 regular season games, only a three point road loss to the Buccaneers spoiled their perfect season. Cunningham threw for 34 touchdowns, including 17 to Moss, who set the rookie record for touchdown receptions. Carter had twelve, and Glover had five scores. Robert Smith ran for over 1100 yards, but the Vikings key was their passing game. The Vikings racked up 566 points that year, the most scored by one team in a season. The Vikings sent 7 players to the Pro Bowl including Cunningham.
The season ended on a down note as they were beaten in overtime by the Atlanta Falcons, 30-27 in the NFC Championship game.
There were many keys to that team, Moss pairing with Carter at wide receiver and the offensive line play were huge but none more important than Randall Cunningham knowing how to direct and spread the football around in Billick’s offense. Cunningham always possessed the skills for a season such as this. He simply needed the proper blend of a system and surrounding talent to make it all work and under Brian Billick’s guidance it did at a record setting level.
The Steve McNair scenario here in Baltimore with Brian Billick has similarities with both Moon and Cunningham. All three were discarded by their original teams for one reason or another. They all had led their team to post season play during their tenure, and they were all Pro Bowl quarterbacks before they began to work with Billick.
Cunningham had more talent to work with in Minnesota than Moon did. McNair’situation here is more like Moon’s in Minnesota. There is talent at wide receiver with Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton. Todd Heap at TE has few peers. Moon had an offensive line that had questions coming into the season as McNair’s line does here. Jamal Lewis’ possible production still is not known, much like that of Terry Allen’s before the 1994 season. Moon brought that team around and they jelled around him. The same is possible right here in the Land of Pleasant Living with McNair.
There is one major difference between the McNair-Billick partnership and the Moon-Billick pairing. The 2006 Ravens can play defense. The 1994 Vikings could not! If Billick can get the same type of production from the 33-year-old McNair that he got from Moon their first year together coupled with the usually stout play of the Ravens defense, a playoff berth is certainly within reach.
Tony Lombardi contributed to this article
