Fabian Washington showed how valuable he is to Ravens — and he wasn’t even on the field to prove it.
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Washington stood on the sideline during the fourth quarter of a 13-9 loss to the Pittsburgh after suffering a hamstring injury, and the Steelers took advantage of his absence. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 89 of his 246 passing yards in his final drive before tossing a game-winning 4-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 43 seconds remaining.
“I was starting to play where I’m getting comfortable and just flying around playing football, and then you get a hamstring injury,” Washington said. “For a guy like me, I need my legs out there almost at full strength to perform like I want to perform. So that was definitely a setback.”
But Washington is optimistic he’ll no longer have to spend any more decisive moments on the bench, beginning with Saturday night’s game against the Cowboys in the final regular season game at fabled Texas Stadium.
The game essentially is a playoff game for both teams, as the Ravens (9-5) and Cowboys (9-5) control their postseason destinies, but a loss likely would leave them home for the holidays.
“We win the next two games, and we’re in — and it starts with the next game,” Coach John Harbaugh said. “We’ve got a very tough assignment down in Dallas, one in which we think we’re very capable of taking care of, and that’s what we plan to do.”
The game likely will come down Cowboys’ prolific air attack, which ranks eighth in passing yards (238.8) against the Ravens, who are second in the NFL in pass defense (179.5 ypg) and tied for first in interceptions (22) with Washington (1 INT, career-high 18 pass breakups) playing a major role.
If Washington can’t play, Frank Walker or Corey Ivy would start in his place of the former first-round draft pick who was acquired from the Raiders for a fourth-round draft pick.
“[Washington is] the player we thought we were getting,” Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan said. “He’s dropped a few interceptions this year, but I think if he would’ve caught them he’d probably be headed to the Pro Bowl.”
Dallas quarterback Tony Romo has wreaked havoc on secondaries this season, as he thrown for 3,013 yards, with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions despite missing three games with a broken pinkie finger on his throwing hand.
The Cowboys are 8-3 with Romo behind center, which includes a dominant performance in a 20-8 victory over the NFC East-leading Giants this past Sunday.
“He can do some amazing things with the football,” Harbaugh said of Romo. “Sometimes, I think he’s got eyes in the side of his head. With Tony, like any quarterback, you’ve got to go get him, and you’ve got to hit him.”
But if the Ravens can’t, they will be vulnerable. Romo has an array of receivers, led by tight end Jason Witten (team-high 69 receptions, 815 yards, 2 TDs) and Terrell Owens (58 catches, 886 yards, 9 TDs).
“I think the thing you can’t do is just sit back there and let him be comfortable,” linebacker Ray Lewis said. “He has a lot of playmakers on his side of the ball, so to let him sit back there and pick and choose, I think that’s where he’s most successful. People that have had success against him have really made him not sit back there comfortable.”
But “comfortable” is a word that hasn’t been associated with the Cowboys in recent weeks, as reports of locker room altercations, in which Owens accused Romo and Witten of fazing him out of the offense, have made national headlines.
“When you get on the field, it’s just about being a guy,” Romo said. “You get your team into the right play call [and you win]. Who knows what are the things that decide football games. It’s not [things like], ‘Oh, he’s mad at him,’ or ‘He’s talking about him.’ You don’t even think about that stuff when you’re on the field.”
3 keys to a Ravens win 1. Protect QB Joe Flacco
The Cowboys lead the NFL with 53 sacks and have had at least four sacks in eight games this season. Linebacker DeMarcus Ware has an NFL-high 19.5 has a chance to break the single-season mark of 22.5, set in 2001 by the Giants’ Michael Strahan. The Ravens protected well against the Steelers last week, with linebacker James Harrison (15 sacks) getting shut out and LaMarr Woodley (11.5) finishing with one sack. The Ravens are 7-3 when allowing two sacks or fewer.
2. Make the Cowboys one-dimensional offensively.
Running back Marion Barber’s status for Saturday is uncertain with a toe injury. He leads Dallas with 872 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. Barber did not play in a 20-8 win over the New York Giants. But rookie Tashard Choice rushed for 91 yards on nine carries, highlighted by a 38-yard touchdown run. Still, the Cowboys will be challenged to run against the Ravens, who have not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 33 straight games.
3. Don’t let T.O. get a TD
Terrell Owens leads his team with nine touchdown receptions, which is fourth-best in the NFL. Dallas is 5-3 when Owens, who has 58 catches for 886 yards, gets scores. The Ravens, however, have allowed just two offensive touchdowns in the past 18 quarters.
PREDICTION Joe Flacco is good, but he’s not good enough to lead the Ravens to a victory in what could be the final game in historic Texas Stadium. Flacco will be swarmed by the Cowboys, as Dallas deals a major blow to the Ravens’ playoff chances.
COWBOYS 20, RAVENS 12