Dallas Cowboys' run defense faces Ravens' big bruiser
December 17
Dallas Morning News Columnist Rick Gosselin
"The Cowboys rank seventh in the NFL in run defense, having mastered the matchups this season against smaller, shiftier speed backs.
But the Cowboys haven't fared as well against the hammers - and they'll face a hammer Saturday in Baltimore fullback Le'Ron McClain.
Frank Gore, Willie Parker and Brian Westbrook are Pro Bowl backs who rely on speed. None of them gained 60 yards against the Cowboys. Small backs Earnest Graham, Julius Jones and Chris Perry also struggled against the Cowboys. None of them gained 50 yards.
But in the Cowboys' two games against bigger running backs - Brandon Jacobs (6-4, 264) and Steven Jackson (6-2, 231) - their defensive front was trampled.
Jacobs rushed for 117 yards for the New York Giants, and Jackson ran for 160 for the St. Louis Rams. The Cowboys lost both games.
Willis McGahee starts for the Ravens at halfback; McClain starts at fullback. Baltimore leaned on McGahee and rookie Ray Rice to carry the ball through the first 10 games with McClain serving as the blocking back.
But when McGahee struggled against Philadelphia (seven carries, eight yards), the Ravens decided to go physical and started handing the ball to the 6-0, 260-pound McClain. They liked what they saw.
McClain rushed for 88 yards on 18 carries against the Eagles. He followed that up with 86 yards on 25 carries against the Bengals, 61 yards on 20 carries against the Redskins and 87 yards on 23 carries against the Steelers.
The Ravens have always been a physical defense. With McClain, they have become a physical offense.
Against Washington, the Ravens put the game away late in the fourth quarter with a 12-play, 83-yard drive. McClain carried the ball on 10 of those plays for 43 yards to break the Redskins."
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