Harbaugh: McGahee still part of the plan
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."
Other notes:
*Harbaugh said he's beginning to take note of the rivalry brewing between the Ravens and the Washington Redskins, the opponent this Sunday night. "I think it’s real, but it’s football," he said. "It’s sports. It’s going to be a rivalry. We’re not too far apart. We hear about them, they hear about us. Our guys know their players. I’m sure they’ve been around their players at different times. We’ve got a lot of respect for them, so it’s kind of a natural backyard rivalry. We’re looking forward to playing in it."
*A little later, however, Harbaugh said he nor the players should feel honored about playing in front of a national TV audience. "We don’t care about playing on primetime, we don’t care if the rest of the country knows about us or not," Harbaugh said. "We’re not interested in any of that. We’re not trying to impress anybody. We’re getting ready to play a football game on Sunday, and I think our guys understand how to win a tough football game when it counts. They’ve proven that."
*As the Ravens have done several times this season, they were forced to burn a timeout when quarterback Troy Smith stepped onto the field for the first time in the first quarter Sunday. "It’s easy to say that it’s time management," Harbaugh said. "It’s a substitution issue. … We’ve got Mark Clayton down there at the 5-yard line trying to get back, and it’s hard for him to know exactly what the substitution pattern is within that 40-second clock, and that’s what happened in that situation."
*Harbaugh began his session with the media by singling out linebacker Terrell Suggs for making two key blocks on strong safety Jim Leonhard’s 35-yard interception return for a touchdown; Smith’s block on a Rice carry; and defensive end Trevor Pryce's overall performance.
Comments
Am I the only one who thinks that there is no rivalry between the Redskins and Ravens? We may be geographically close, but I do not see anything to this game that would put this 'rivalry' next to any of the opponents that we do call rivals. If anything, it is manufactured. I could not care less for the Redskins, but that doesn't make us rivals.
Posted by: Ryan | December 1, 2008 6:47 PM
I loved how the ravens played yesterday, but they have to do it against a good team. They beat up on teams that they suppose to but when they play good teams where are the trick plays. Show some backbone and kick the crap out of some good teams and I say that with love. That's what the big boys do so lets get with it.
Posted by: Darryle Graves | December 1, 2008 8:27 PM
Ryan:
I hear ya, man. I root for both teams. I follow the Ravens, not the Skins, but I can't imagine ever rooting against the Skins unless they are playing the Ravens.
Posted by: Delaware Dan | December 1, 2008 11:52 PM
Against the really good teams, I think the Ravens should start with a slightly less conservative offense, because (this year) it's only after we've fallen behind and opened it up that we've been able to hang with the better teams. So plan on it and open it up from the get go! Not sure this applies to the 'Skins game.. Heh heh...
Posted by: Lea Jones | December 2, 2008 7:51 AM
ryan
I am with you. I love the idea of playing on sunday night, but the Redskins are no different then the Eagles, Giants, etc.
Now, rivalry...I can't wait for the Steeler game.
If i had to pick other rival teams, i would list Tennessee ahead of the Redskins...a carryover from when we were in the same division. I would list the Colts, not because of the history with the city, but because of late they have our number.
Posted by: steve | December 2, 2008 8:27 AM
I agree with Ryan! They may be a rivalry between Ravens & Skins fans but not between the actual players. Now, the Steelers and Ravens, that's a rivalry!
Posted by: jls | December 2, 2008 9:05 AM
For those purple blinded idiots who posted that everything was fine with McGahee, and that the Ravens were "resting him", and that I should "shut up" about it, please take note of Mike Preston's column today. Some of you need to wake up and take a sip of pragmatism.
As I said yesterday, Mcgahee is in Harbaugh's doghouse, he won't play until if and when he buys in, and he will be gone next year. Mcgahee is a flake who stole the money from the Ravens. Good riddance.
Posted by: Gil Jr | December 2, 2008 9:21 AM
I sure hope T'Sizzle remembers when Jensen, the offensive tackle for the Deadskins, said on national TV on draft day that Suggs must not have played against any good offensive tackles in college. That of course was his opinion as to why Suggs was drafted so high and had so many sacks in college.
Posted by: Bill Mohler | December 2, 2008 9:33 AM
Anyone who doesnt believe a rivalry exists between Baltimore & Washington doesnt understand the Baltimore sports culture
Posted by: Cereal Blogger | December 2, 2008 9:36 AM
I think this notion of a Ravens/Redskins rivalry is largely media inspired. We're not even in the same conference let along the same division. The only time I can recall bad feelings toward the Redskins was after the Colts left and the NFL basically told us Baltimore fans that we should now embrace the Redskins. That's like saying, "You can't have a bike of your own, but you can admire your big brother's bike." Otherwise, the Redskins are irrelevant to me.
Posted by: Neal | December 2, 2008 9:49 AM
The real rivalry is between the Steelers and the Ravens. also the indy colts is a close second,but we can never beat them. The redskins have never been a rival even in the old days of the Baltimore Colts, the packers where a rival then. I agree with Darrel Graves, beating the bengals and browns and the lower ranked teams is great, but before I buy playoff tickets,I want to see them beat good teams like the Steelers or Dallas.If we cant beat the redskins, we dont belong in the hunt. I hope we beat them, GO RAVENS
Posted by: rosie | December 2, 2008 10:09 AM
Some local DC sports guys (The Junkies) had a report that Flacco has an injured hand, is there any truth to this?
I personally dislike the Redskins. As a relocated Baltimorean, I have to deal with the moron Redskins fans. They all have delusional expectation every year. After their "hot" start, the Super Bowl was every day conversation. The Redskins fans love to do the "Baltimore" accent and make fun of my main man Flacco.
Dan Snyder is the Peter Angelos of the NFL. and their stadium is terrible.
Posted by: Ian | December 2, 2008 10:49 AM
Seems like s similar situation that happened earlier in the year with McAlister. The Ravens were very quiet about McAlister's injury which sparked a lot of speculation as to why he wasn't playing. McGahee isn't 100%, and Harbaugh wants to let him get healthy so he is fresh for the last few (and very tough) game, and hopefully the playoffs. Although the running game has been fine without McGahee, many rookies hit a wall late in the season because the NFL season is longer than the college season they are used to. Rice is a rookie, and McClain is getting carries for the first time is his career, so these guys tiring out before the end of the season is very possible.
Posted by: Aaron | December 2, 2008 12:49 PM
Before the Ravens came to town, it seemed that the mantra was "anyone but the Colts or Redskins."
I think the fact that the fan base refused to accept the Skins as their team is what makes it a bit of a rivalry.
Amongst the fans. Unlike the O's/Nats, which is a joke, there are a few fans that actually get excited about Ravens/Redskins. Good for them.
Posted by: Jake | December 2, 2008 12:59 PM
The rivalry between the Ravens and Reskins exsists between the fans of each team. The teams rarely play each other so a rivalry between the players on the field is pretty unrealistic. Ravens fans and Redskins fans live throughout the same area and naturally talk some trash to each other. I hope for the win on Sunday mostly because I'm a Raven's fan, but it'll be icing on the cake if I can rub it in to all the Redskins fans I know.
Posted by: Alex | December 2, 2008 1:09 PM
The only reason for rivalry is because the Skins were forced down our throats as the home team for so long that now that we have our own back we just love to knock em down. On their side, they're just pissed that we stole some of their thunder.
But most importantly, it's cuz their uniforms are ugly.
Posted by: Kevin | December 2, 2008 1:14 PM
I think the rivalry is actually between the Baltimore Colts and the Washington football team -- that's why a lot of Baltimore football fans hold a special dislike for the [racial slurs]. There was a rivalry back at one time because Baltimore played
Washington an average of once per year..
Posted by: Paul Kilduff | December 2, 2008 2:53 PM
It's the city rivalry Ryan. It goes way back, even before JKC and his other DC lawyer friends (Tagliaboo-boo) unneccesarrily keeping football out of B'more for years. Not to mention the snobish attitude of DC towards working class B'more. On top of that, the NFL force fed us skins games the whole time we were without a team. I agree it's not a football rivalry per se, it's bigger than that. DC has always looked on Baltimore as provincial and just a place to get gas on the way to Philly or NY.
Posted by: Ted | December 2, 2008 3:25 PM
Maybe this is lost on younger fans, but there is definitely a rivalry in my mind regarding the racial slurs. I attended a Monday Night game back in the early 80s that was a barely contained riot. Then the Colts left, and all of a sudden we were supposed to become a Redskin town. The obstructions that Redskin ownership placed before Baltimore in trying to win a franchise team are also well known. Finally, the DC crowd like to look at Baltimore as a quirky town not really deserving a NFL franchise. When DC decides to join the 21st century and change the name of their team perhaps I will begin to cut them some slack.
Posted by: Bill | December 2, 2008 8:28 PM
I can't imagine ever rooting for the Skins unless they were playing against the Steelers!
Posted by: Joe Kluskey | December 3, 2008 11:40 AM
I don't see a rivalry. It takes two fan bases and two teams that don't much care for each other. I don't think the teams much care and it is only some Ravens fans that have any dislike for the Redskins and their fans. The Redskin fans are really too arrogant to acknowledge the existence or the superiority of the Ravens. I talk to a lot of Redskin fans and they scoff at the idea that the Ravens can win this game.
Can't wait till Monday.
Posted by: Rick H. | December 3, 2008 11:47 AM