WESTMINSTER, Md. (AP) -Cam Cameron worked for years to become an NFL head coach, then lost his coveted job after one horrid season with the Miami Dolphins.
“Every player or coach in this business, you get stung,” Cameron said of his dismissal after Miami went 1-15 in 2007. “That’s just the way this business is.”
Fortunately for Cameron, the Baltimore Ravens appreciated his value as an offensive strategist. Upon embarking on his first season as a head coach, John Harbaugh hired Cameron last year to work a makeover on an attack that long had been a liability on a team known for its defense.
Working with a rookie quarterback, a young front line and battered backfield, Cameron solidified his stature as one of the finest offensive coordinators in the NFL.
ion to throwing for 14 touchdowns, Joe Flacco ran for two scores and caught a 43-yard pass.
With an offense that finally rendered support for a Ray Lewis-led defense, the Ravens beat Miami during the regular season and again in the playoffs on their way to the AFC title game.
John Beck, who started four games as a rookie for Cameron in Miami and now is a third-stringer with Baltimore, took delight in seeing his former mentor perform so well.
“It was a tough situation for everyone involved (in Miami), but I think it shows what kind of a coach he is by what happened last year, taking these guys one game away from the Super Bowl,” Beck said. “Just like a good athlete, when you’re in a tough situation it’s hard to shine. Same with a good coach. You get him in a good situation and then he shines.”
The 2007 Dolphins were depleted by injuries – including a season-ending concussion to starting quarterback Trent Green – and overrun with youthful players. Cameron tried to make a go of it, but there were simply too many obstacles to overcome.
His job with the Ravens last year was far more indicative of his talent as an NFL coach.
ack, then this probably not the profession for you.”
Cameron got his job with Miami because of his work as offensive coordinator of the high-powered San Diego Chargers from 2002-06. The Chargers led the NFL in scoring in 2006, the third straight season in which they exceeded 400 points.
The Ravens aren’t quite there yet – they scored 385 in 2008 – but Cameron believes the offense will be improved this season.
“We’ve got to get better in a lot of areas, but I think we are better,” he said. “Looking at the offense as a whole, I think we’re better up front. I think our quarterbacks are better. I think all our running backs are the healthiest they’ve been.”
This year, however, Baltimore’s offense will no longer be perceived to be a conservative unit whose main focus is to avoid turnovers that might undo another standout performance by the Ravens’ defense.
“We’ve got to get better, because we know there is no defense that is going to overlook us,” Cameron said. “Maybe we got overlooked a little bit last year.”
The Ravens’ improvement on offense is greatly appreciated by Lewis, a veteran linebacker who has embraced the notion that the team can win games by 33-24 and 37-27 (which actually happened last year).
“Bottom line, we’ve got some great young talent over there,” Lewis said of the offense. “As a team, we’re built. If you’re going to defeat us, you’re going to defeat us as a team. There’s no one side to any of this. When we step on the field, we’re one heartbeat.”
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