“We've worked hard to do it,” said Billick, wryly.

After five straight defeats, the fifth a 32-14 disappointment against the Chargers yesterday at Qualcomm Stadium, the Ravens have arrived at a phase of their season that could not be more testing – consecutive games against the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts.

“A great challenge,” decided Billick of the match against the Patriots. “We've been presented a great opportunity to display to the world that we're better than we are.”

They haven't been very good and they weren't again yesterday. A team that a year ago was 13-3, a record exceeded only by the Chargers' 14-2 regular-season reading, now is 4-7 and Billick said he is at a loss concerning what he can do to extract his side from its malaise.

“I'm open to suggestions,” said the Baltimore coach. “It gets more tiring when every week there's always a cycle we go through. It's the cycle we're in, and it's not easy going through it.”

To Billick and some of his athletes, the most frustrating occurrence for them yesterday came after Willis McGahee had gone a yard up the middle late in the opening period to give the Ravens a 7-3 lead. But Matt Stover, a kicker in his 18th NFL season, sent the following kickoff out of bounds, permitting the Chargers to scrimmage from their 40.

They proceeded to traverse the short field, Philip Rivers passing 35 yards to Antonio Gates for the touchdown that supplied the hosts a lead they would not relinquish.

“When we came back and scored, it was a positive,” Billick said, “but then we kicked the ball out of bounds. We do something well, and then we do something to leave ourselves short. If we get rid of that, then we'll have a chance.”

The Ravens are unwilling to concede that their winning opportunities are negligible against the Patriots. For one thing, Baltimore expects to regain two of its most accomplished athletes for this game, cornerback Chris McAlister and tight end Todd Heap. McAlister has been idled by a knee injury, Heap by a hamstring problem.

“We just have to go out and do what we need to do, regardless of whether they're the best team in football or not,” wide receiver Derrick Mason said of engaging the Patriots. “We can be the team that beats them. That's our goal. To go home, get a little rest and come out Monday and try to beat a very good New England team. Hey, any team is beatable. I think we can win, but we have to execute the game plan flawlessly, basically 100 percent.”

Mason, the NFL's No. 3 receiver in number of receptions (behind T.J. Houshmandzadeh of Cincinnati and Larry Fitzgerald of Arizona), had seven catches for 99 yards yesterday, but he wanted to take responsibility for the Ravens' failure. Twice in the first half, he said, he had passes that he should have held escape him.

None of the other Ravens has a history with the club that matches that of Jonathan Ogden. For the former UCLA athlete, arguably the NFL's most celebrated offensive tackle, this is his 12th professional season. Ogden said he has experienced many good times and many bad times.

“Definitely, this is one of the lower ones,” the 6-foot-9, 345-pounder said. “Where we go from here, I don't know, but I know we're not going to give up.”

Like Billick, Ogden said he does not know what is at the source of the Ravens' ills. “If I knew, I could pinpoint it and we could get it fixed, but I don't know,” Ogden said. “We never get into a rhythm. We're not a bad team, we just do bad things to ourselves.”

The afternoon went awry for the Ravens yesterday in the final five minutes of the first half. The visitors were trailing 9-7, but they had the football at their 44. On second down, Kyle Boller rolled out, but he did not appear aware that Shawne Merriman was closing on him from behind. Merriman stripped the quarterback, his fumble giving the Chargers possession at the Baltimore 29.

Boller's error led to the hosts whipping across 13 points within a period of 5:03, including 10 within 22 seconds after the Ravens mishandled a kickoff. “All of a sudden, we're behind 22-7, or whatever it was,” Ogden said. “It just kind of got out of hand.”

It was, indeed, 22-7.

“You make your own destiny,” Ogden said. “But at the same time, that ball is funny-shaped, and it can take some funny bounces.”

Jerry Magee: (619) 293-1830; jerry.magee@uniontrib.com