Ravens allow record rush yards, hold off Cowboys 31-29

BALTIMORE -- Winning never hurt so much.

Malaise permeated the Baltimore Ravens locker room following a 31-29 home victory Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, as the Ravens yielded a franchise record 227 rushing yards and left with questions on the health of several key players.

Linebacker Ray Lewis, voice and heart of team, missed the end of the fourth quarter with a right triceps injury. He wanted to have an MRI on Sunday night, but hospital services were not available, according to the team, and he is expected to get one Monday morning.

Before the exit, Lewis had struggled, days after a former teammate said the 37-year old was "out-manned" in previous games.

BOX SCORE:Ravens 31, Cowboys 29

The defense took an earlier hit in the first half, when cornerback Lardarius Webb left the game with a knee injury and did not return. He, too, is expected to get an MRI on Monday morning.

Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, himself hampered by knee and shoulder pain, called the defensive performance against the run "disgusting."

"I don't like it," Ngata said. "I think it's disgusting. We need to fix it right away because we've got a good Houston (Texans) team that we're going to play against next week."

Ngata said the Ravens needed to "go back to the drawing board" before facing Texans running back Arian Foster in a game between two of the top AFC contenders in the NFL season's seventh week.

Baltimore was able to extend its home winning streak to 14 games only when Dan Bailey's 51-yard field goal attempt went wide left in the closing seconds. Before that, the Cowboys racked up 227 yards on the ground, a single game record for any team against the Ravens.

Never in Ravens history, since the former Cleveland Browns relocated here in 1996, has the defense allowed more than 400 yards rushing over a two-game stretch. In Weeks 5 and 6, wins against the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas, the Ravens have given up 441 yards on the ground.

Cowboys starter DeMarco Murray turned in 93 yards on 14 carries before leaving in the first half with a foot injury. Felix Jones added 92 yards and a touchdown with a score, Phillip Tanner added 31 yards rushing and undrafted free-agent pickup Lance Dunbar spun off an 11-yard run for a clutch first down in the second half.

It was a departure from recent rushing performances by the Cowboys (2-3), who were averaging 68 yards heading into Week 6.

"We didn't have that many self-inflicted wounds so we was able to do what we wanted to do today," said Cowboys fullback Lawrence Vickers.

The Cowboys also had measured success through the air, with Tony Romo passing for 261 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He led an 18-play, 80-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter which brought the Cowboys within two points, setting up a successful onside kick and Bailey's field goal miss.

Ngata said the Cowboys were efficient on play-action passes because the Ravens couldn't stop the run.

"The problem is not being able to stop the run because they're able to run the ball and then pass it wherever they want," Ngata said. "They were able to do some play action plays where they had us not rushing as hard because we're playing the run."

Are the Ravens now a team which opponents will expect to run the ball against?

"Definitely, of course you can right now," Ngata said. "We're not doing anything to stop it."

One of the biggest surprises about the Ravens in a season where the offense has carried a limping defense has been poor tackling. The Cowboys consistently ripped off big runs after contact on rushes and catches.

"We're historically a very good tackling team," said Ravens coach John Harbaugh. "And we were not a very good tackling team today. That's nothing that our players won't tell you."

But for all their defensive woes, the Ravens did just enough to win. For that simple fact, cornerback Cary Williams wasn't feeling the funk in the locker room after the Ravens ineffectually denied a Dallas victory.

He covered Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant on the two-point conversion attempt which would have tied the game with 32 seconds left to play. Bryant claimed pass interference, but Williams said it was just "good defense."

"I'm happy as hell," Williams said. "I can't tell you how other people feel but I'm ecstatic. It's a great win for the organization. We're 5-1. As far as I'm concerned, I'm going to smile all night."