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McGahee, Flacco help Ravens snap skid

Oct 19, 2008 - 9:50 PM By Christopher Stock PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MIAMI (Ticker) -- Willis McGahee accounted for 152 yards and a touchdown in a return to his hometown to help lead the Baltimore Ravens past the Miami Dolphins 27-13 on Sunday.

McGahee, a Pro Bowler last season, rushed for a season-high 105 yards on 19 carries and caught two passes for 47 yards in helping the Ravens halt a three-game losing steak. His 5-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter gave Baltimore (3-3) a commanding 27-13 lead.

"The whole team needed this win, basically," said McGahee, a Miami native who played collegiately at the University of Miami. "We were going on a little losing streak and if we would have lost, it probably would have determined our season."

Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Flacco completed 17-of-23 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown. Flacco came into the game with eight interceptions to just one touchdown, but was very effective in his best start since being drafted 18th overall in the 2008 draft.

"There's a little bit of a roller coaster ride to an NFL season with a rookie quarterback in their first season," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "But there's going to be dips, and he's going to have to bounce back for the next play, and play the next game."

Derrick Mason was Flacco's main target catching six passes for 87 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown, his first of the season.

"It was a relief and it came at the right time, we needed it," Mason said.

Baltimore held Miami (2-4) to just 71 yards rushing and holding down the wildcat-style offense. Ronnie Brown gained 27 yards on 13 carries.

"(The wildcat) was a focus for a couple weeks because we figured a lot of people would try to put it in their offense," Ravens star safety Ed Reed said. "It's pretty simple once you are doing what you are supposed to be doing and getting lined up."

Prior to his touchdown run, McGahee caught a screen pass from Flacco, weaved through the Miami defense until Yeremiah Bell knocked the ball loose and teammate Charlie Anderson recovered the fumble at the Miami 5-yard line.

"That was the worst highlight of my career," McGahee said. "It was a good screen, a good run, but it wasn't a good finish. It was all for nothing."

Miami was unable to move the ball following the fumble and the Ravens responded with a 7-play, 68-yard drive capped off by McGahee's touchdown run.

"I said that I owed us one," McGahee said.

After the two teams traded field goals in the first quarter, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs intercepted a pass from Chad Pennington and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown to give the Ravens a 10-3 lead.

Jim Leonhard had Pennington in the grasp, but the quarterback tried to force a throw intended for Patrick Cobbs. Suggs stepped in front of the pass and raced up the Ravens sideline untouched for his first career touchdown.

"I always get caught at the one and it is sad to say I was almost caught at the one again," Suggs said. "I was looking at the JumboTron, and I am not Ed Reed so I don't know the feeling. But, looking at that JumboTron it looked like that first 10 or 15 yards took forever. I got in there and I think it changed the outcome of the game."

Flacco led the Ravens down the field just before halftime and threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Mason to stretch the Ravens' lead to 17-6. On the drive, Flacco completed 6-of-8 passes for 68 yards.

"It was a simple out route, Demetrius (Williams) did a good job on the outside in running his man off and I was able to get eight or nine yards down the field and break out," Mason said. "Joe put it on the money."

After another field goal by the Ravens, Chad Pennington threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Davone Bess for his first career touchdown to pull within 20-13.

"I'd trade the touchdown for a win any given day," Bess said.

Pennington completed 24-of-35 passes for 295 yards and a touchdown with one interception.

"It's our second game in a row that we've lost and we've been here before," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. "We lost two games in the beginning of this thing and we need to understand how we win."