McGahee bided his time

OAKLAND, Calif. –- Behind a powerful stiff-arm delivered by running back Willis McGahee and the instincts of rookie linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, the Baltimore Ravens had just enough resolve to hurdle their final remaining road block standing between them and the playoffs.

McGahee’s emphatic left arm maneuver sent Oakland Raiders free safety Hiram Eugene flailing to the ground before the veteran runner accelerated up the sideline into the end zone for a 77-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

McGahee rushed for a season-high 167 yards and three touchdowns during a 21-13 victory Sunday as Ellerbe contributed a clutch interception and a fumble recovery in the second half to propel the Ravens into the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Triumphing in a must-win situation before 38,400 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum sets up a rematch between the Ravens (9-7) and the New England Patriots (10-6) in an AFC wild-card game next Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

McGahee’s second touchdown run was the Ravens’ signature moment Sunday, capping a regular season defined by close losses, lots of penalties and a few squandered opportunities.

The former Pro Bowl runner busted through the line of scrimmage up the right sideline before faking Eugene off-balance and grabbing the defensive back by the shoulder pad and pounding him into the ground.

“I don’t know if it was a stiff-arm or a beat-down,” Harbaugh said. “That was a physical play, as physical a play as you’re ever going to see.”

McGahee had just enough energy left over to make it the remaining 55 yards, diving over the goal line.

“I wasn’t expecting it to work that well,” McGahee said. “I was shocked just like everybody else was shocked. I knew I was going to stiff-arm him, but I didn’t know he was going to fall backwards. There was no looking back.”
The Ravens overcame their share of struggles, especially Joe Flacco who was sacked four times and passed for a season-low 102 yards.

So, they relied on a strong running game and a stout defense to get the job done.

The Ravens rushed for 240 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries for their second-highest total of the season behind their 308-yard output in a 48-3 win over the Detroit Lions last month.

Defensively, they stonewalled the Raiders. Oakland was limited to 51 rushing yards, an average of 2.6 yards per carry.

“With that type of formula, that’s how you win playoff games: with defense and an aggressive running game,” outside linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “You win a lot of games in the playoffs like that. We knew we had to win by any means necessary to give ourselves a shot at redemption. Now we’re in the playoffs and anything can happen.”

McGahee’s 36-yard run to convert a third-and-four from his own 15-yard line allowed the Ravens to run out the clock with Flacco kneeling three times.

McGahee served notice that he was going to be a factor on the Ravens’ second drive as he was untouched on his two-yard touchdown run behind the blocks of Grubbs, fullback Le’Ron McClain and center Matt Birk.

McGahee is now in the Ravens’ record books.

With his 14th total touchdown of the season, he tied former wide receiver Michael Jackson and former running back Jamal Lewis’ single-season record for touchdowns.

Afterward, he carried the game ball into the press room for interviews.

McGahee hasn’t complained about his reduced workload this season, accepting his role as Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice’s primary backup.

“It means a lot, but I thought my season went pretty well,” said McGahee, who has rushed for 528 yards. “I have 14 touchdowns, so I can’t complain. I might not have all the yards, but I had a lot of touchdowns. It was basically having fun watching Ray run and earning his first Pro Bowl. The ability this offense has, there’s a lot of power behind it.”

The Raiders seemed like they had prepared solely for Rice, who still rushed for 70 yards on 14 carries, and ignored McGahee during their preparations.

“I think they did game plan for Ray, but they had to stop the run,” McGahee said. “We were doing such a great job running the ball with the offensive line blocking like that, so it didn’t really matter.”

McGahee’s strong performance was a testament to his unselfish approach.

“Willis took over the game with the way he ran,” Harbaugh said. “And I think our offensive line deserves a lot of credit. Obviously, there were holes, but this guy was running north and south.

“He was powerful. He was explosive. And I think he’s worked really hard all season to have this kind of game. His attitude, his work ethic has been off the charts. Willis McGahee is a leader on this football team, and it was so good to see him step up the way he did.”

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(nationalfootballpost.com)