Boller accepts blame for tough preseason

OWINGS MILLS - Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller didn't need to get hit in the head to know how to play his position or take responsibility when things go wrong.

Although he was offered little protection in the pocket during the Ravens' 21-6 victory over New Orleans on Friday night, Boller on Monday took the blame for a shoddy performance in which he went 5-for-11 for 53 yards and an interception.

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<!-- end wrapper --><!-- HTML ad style --> <!-- /Ad Space: html.ng/tag=std&site=sunspot&color=none&edition=newspaper&content=sports&channel=football&adtype=cube&adsize=300x250 -->"As a quarterback, you have to be a leader," Boller said. "People don't know, but there's a lot of different things that can happen. It might look like it's one guy's fault when it's another guy's fault."

Now in his third season, Boller is under pressure to improve his game and make use of free agent wide receiver Derrick Mason and first-round pick Mark Clayton, a gifted receiver out of Oklahoma.

In the preseason, however, Boller has completed only 57 percent of his passes and has four interceptions and two touchdown throws. It adds up to a 52.7 quarterback rating that pales next to his mediocre 68.1 career mark.

Coach Brian Billick believes Boller's willingness to be accountable for his mistakes will help the team in the long run.

"I think that's a quarterback trying to take on his share of responsibility," Billick said. "That's why you love the kid. Let me tell what I saw of Kyle Boller (against the Saints). I saw, on three separate occasions, him go 30 yards -not 10, not five -30 yards downfield making a block on a running play.

"I saw a young man, after getting his bell rung, throw up as pretty a deep route, in a critical situation basically to win a game, as I've seen."

In the second quarter, Saints linebacker Ronald McKinnon took a head-on shot at Boller as the quarterback tried to avoid the blitz. McKinnon was penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness, and Boller rebounded to hit Clarence Moore on a 31-yard streak route three plays later that helped give the Ravens a 14-6 halftime cushion.

"It was fun," Boller said. "That's why you play the game. You're going to take some shots every now and again. If you're going to capitalize on them bringing the house, that's what is going to get teams to stop bringing that much pressure."

There is pressure on the Ravens to get some of their star players healthy to make up for last year's 9-7 season that ended without a playoff appearance.

Billick said running back Jamal Lewis and linebacker Peter Boulware would be worked particularly hard in practices heading into Thursday's preseason finale against Washington. The status of that pair, and tight end Todd Heap, was uncertain.

"I think I'm doing pretty good," the recently re-signed Boulware said. "It's been a while, so it'll take some time to get back there."

Lewis, who hasn't played this preseason because of right ankle surgery, denied reports that a bone spur in his left foot kept him out against New Orleans.

"It was in the same foot," Lewis said. "It was sort of like a spur, but it was from scar tissue breaking up and from the ankle being tight from not doing a lot of cutting."