Harbaugh: McGahee still part of the plan

Dec/01/08 08:16 PM Filed in: Willis McGahee
WillisMcGahee
Coach John Harbaugh spent a good portion of his news conference this afternoon reiterating that running back Willis McGahee is a valued cog in the offense. McGahee has been overshadowed by fullback Le’Ron McClain as the team’s leading rusher the last two weeks, and he did not get one carry in yesterday's 34-3 win against the Cincinnati Bengals as McClain and rookie Ray Rice shared tailback duties.

"I don’t know what everybody’s talking about," Harbaugh said. "We really like Willis McGahee. We think he’s a really good player, and we plan on Willis being a huge part of what we’re doing in December. He’s been practicing very well. He’s getting stronger and stronger throughout the course of the season. There’s no question in my mind that Willis McGahee is a very talented back, and he’s going to be a huge part of what we’re doing here down the stretch."

Harbaugh said the plan will continue to utilize the three running backs based on health, strategy and effectiveness.

"Really, we think we’ve got three good players, and if you’ve got three really good players, why would you want to put two of them on the bench?" he said. "So we use them where we can, when we can according to health, according to who’s most effective, according to the game plan. We have 53 guys on the roster, and we can put 45 guys up. We want to use all 45 if we can. That makes us stronger as a group, as a team. That’s really the whole idea."

Earlier this afternoon, McGahee issued a statement, which read, "I support my Team and Coach Harbaugh, and I love playing in Baltimore. I am working hard and look forward to helping our Team win another Championship. Recently, LeRon, Ray and myself had the opportunity to give back to 700 families for Thanksgiving. It has been great working together with such good teammates on and off the field."

(baltimoresun.com)