TWO GAMES remain that might put the Ravens into the playoffs, but the 2002 season is already a success. If the Ravens beat Cleveland today at Ravens Stadium, get a little help and beat Pittsburgh next week, great. Bring on the playoffs.

And if they are eliminated, that's fine, too. Bring on 2003.

This year wasn't about wins and losses, but finding future players, and the Ravens have found quite a few. A team that started the season with 18 rookies or first-year players is far ahead of the learning curve.

"This is fun, much different than what it might have been," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "Right now, it's about one thing, beating Cleveland, the playoffs. They [the players] are understanding when I'm saying let's learn what it's like to be in a playoff atmosphere because it's going to pay off in the future. That's not to say that it isn't going to pay off now.

"But let's learn, and next year when we have those couple of other guys, we can be classified as a playoff team right from the get-go. Our guys are focused on the here and now, but have a little bit of an eye for the future. Most of them know, about 90 percent, for a fact that they are going to be here next year, and the other 10 percent figure they are going to be here."

Billick and Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome are realists. They know the Ravens (7-7) aren't a good team, but one that is stuck between poor and average. The rating can change from week to week, half to half and even quarter to quarter.

Are the Ravens overachievers?

Hardly.

Most people thought they'd win five or six games. To go one game over expectations in the NFL is not overachieving. If they win today, or go to the playoffs, that's a different story.

These Ravens are a product of a very good front office, one of the league's best coaches and a watered-down league. In the future, though, there is the potential to be special again.

The Ravens had as many questions as answers when the season began, but they'll finish with a lot of optimism and $17 million of salary cap room to plug a few holes.

They found out that rookie safety Ed Reed has Pro Bowl potential and rookie Lamont Brightful could develop into a top return specialist. They found out that rookie Tony Weaver could be their starting defensive end for the next decade, and that fellow rookie Chester Taylor has good enough hands to become the new third-down back, saving running back Jamal Lewis from playing 60 snaps a game.

Instead of waiting one or two more years to determine whether tight end Todd Heap can become an impact player, he became one this season at a stacked position. There is the story of second-year linebacker Ed Hartwell stepping up, and a rookie linebacker named Bart Scott not too far behind.

Even where experiments failed, things still worked out. Left guard Edwin Mulitalo failed at right tackle, but he has put some punch back into the running game on the left side. Fourth-year player Travis Taylor might not be a No. 1 receiver, but he could be a No. 2. Second-year player Gary Baxter might be too stiff to be a cornerback, but he can make an impact as a safety.

Now, put these guys into the mix with inside linebacker Ray Lewis, offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden, outside linebacker Peter Boulware, cornerback Chris McAlister and Jamal Lewis, then add a couple of top-tier free agents, and the Ravens are back in the thick of playoff contention.

What should be on the Ravens' list?

A receiver, an offensive tackle, a defensive lineman and a cornerback.

"There are clearly areas we have to address, but fewer than we had optimistically hoped for," Billick said. "When we're talking about holes, we're talking about filling them via free agency. The draft is basically a roll of the dice."

Ever since Newsome has had money to maneuver, the Ravens have done well in free agency with players like defensive linemen Tony Siragusa, Sam Adams and Michael McCrary, safety Rod Woodson and tight end Shannon Sharpe (those guys erase Elvis Grbac from the memory banks). The team has also done well in signing undrafted rookie free agents.

Newsome and Billick have a pretty good marriage going. Newsome is good at evaluating talent, and Billick is good at focusing on the big picture (organization, motivation, planning).

There is potential for him to become a great coach. But for that to happen, Billick has to recognize his weakness, and find a way or someone capable to run the offense. Everyone in the organization knows it's his Achilles' heel, much like it was for former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson until he hired Norv Turner as offensive coordinator.

"On and off the field, Brian and his staff have a process for getting players ready to play," Newsome said. "Have our players hit the proverbial wall that rookies hit? No, I don't think so. They survive because Brian never over-practices. He shuts it down at midseason, goes to pads once a week. Then there comes a point where they only wear shells on Thursdays because he doesn't want to beat them down.

"On Thursdays, they are out of here by 3 because he doesn't want them to get mental fatigue of sitting in meetings. He does a good job of keeping them fresh. I don't think we've over-schemed with our young players, especially defensively. Mike [Nolan, defensive coordinator] has used a very conservative approach where he didn't put our young players in high-risk situations, especially early in the season. He gave them a chance to gain some confidence."

It's all part of the big picture. And with the league being so watered-down, the big-picture coach should have his team as a more serious playoff contender next season.

"Right now, you win, you keep playing," Newsome said. "If you lose, you go home. We're basically experiencing that right now because this is such a meaningful game. This is the part of the learning curve that we didn't think we would deal with until next season. We're ahead."