Ravens-Cowboys: Late Runs Spoil Cowboys' Last Game at Texas Stadium

Following a 13-9 loss to the Steelers, Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens showed great poise, leading the Ravens to a 33-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night, moving Baltimore to 10-5.

The Ravens didn't start off so hot, though. After Tony Romo made a horrible throw into the hands of Ed Reed, the Ravens fumbled on their own four-yard line, giving the Cowboys the ball on the Ravens' four. Tashard Choice responded with a four-yard touchdown run. After 3:01, the Ravens were trailing Dallas, 7-0.

But Flacco and the Ravens, who have shown great persistence all season, did just that on the next drive. After a pair of passes to Mark Clayton and runs by Le'Ron McClain, Lorenzo Neal and Willis McGahee, the Ravens were on Dallas' seven-yard line. The Ravens didn't get the touchdown, but narrowed the Dallas lead to 7-3 on a Matt Stover 26-yard field goal.

Despite the score, it would be tough to stop Dallas, with a newfound star in Tashard Choice and the always dangerous Tony Romo, Terrell Owens and Jason Witten.

Choice showed this the next play, gaining 29 yards all the way to midfield. However, the Cowboys didn't gain a yard the rest of the drive. In fact, they lost five yards on a sack by Terrell Suggs.

The Ravens, who had a clear momentum swing, would have a chance to take a 10-7 lead the next drive. But they couldn't. After a one yard gain by Le'Ron McClain and a four yard completion, Flacco threw an incomplete pass and the Ravens were forced to punt.

After another three-and-out by Dallas, the Ravens would have a chance to take a lead or narrow it down to one, at 7-6. The Ravens would have excellent position, at the Dallas 46, after a good return by Jim Leonhard.

The drive was highlighted by a 25-yard pass-and-catch by Joe Flacco and Todd Heap on 3rd-and-5. The Ravens couldn't score the touchdown, though. They settled for another Stover field goal, this one from 29 yards.

After a loss of one on a pass to Tashard Choice, Terrell Owens and Tony Romo hooked up for the first time on a 22-yard reception. It was with 9:16 left in the second quarter. However, the Cowboys couldn't build on that, gaining three yards on a Choice run, but nothing more. The Ravens would again have a chance the next drive.

After a 14-yard run by Le'Ron McClain and two passes to an injured Derrick Mason for 25 yards, the Ravens were on the Dallas 47. However, all the Ravens could do was move back nine yards on a sack.

The Cowboys had another lackluster drive again, going three-and-out on two incomplete passes and a two-yard run. The Ravens only gained three the next drive, but Ed Reed gave them the momentum. Tony Romo was struggling, to say the least. He had a 3rd-and-2 on the Cowboys' 37-yard line.

Romo decided to go deep in the direction of Terrell Owens. The unfortunate thing was, it was also in the direction of Ed Reed, the best ball hawk in the NFL. Reed picked it off and returned it 29 yards all the way to the Ravens 49.

The Ravens could go into the locker room with the momentum—and a lead. They did just that, driving to the Cowboys 19 and drilling a 36-yard field goal to make it 9-7 at the half.

Not only were the Ravens putting together time-consuming drives, the Cowboys were going nowhere. After an early score, the Cowboys had managed zero points and the furthest they went down the field after the score was the Baltimore 45-yard line.

At the half, Joe Flacco looked like the veteran and Tony Romo like the rookie. Flacco was 11-for-15 with 112 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. Romo had horrible numbers at the half, going 8-for-15 with 59 yards and two interceptions.

Anyway, the second half was starting and the Ravens had a 9-7 lead with the ball. But who got the ball first in the half didn't matter, as Baltimore gained nine yards and was forced to punt after a two minute, 10-second drive. The Cowboys didn't do much better the next drive, either.

In fact, they did the exact same. They gained nine yards and also were forced to punt. After another series of lackluster drives by Dallas and Baltimore, the Ravens got a spark from Jim Leonhard. The starting safety returned a punt 23 yards all the way to the Dallas 37 yard line and the Ravens offense took advantage.

After an 11-yard catch by Derrick Mason, the Ravens were on the 26. Le'Ron McClain ran for two yards and fumbled. After the Cowboys recovered it, they dropped it into the hands of Mason, who jumped on it. After an incomplete pass and a two-yard gain by McClain, Stover would be in to put Baltimore up, 12-7.

But wait! The Ravens faked it! Punter Sam Koch ran it for nine yards and a Ravens first down. Flacco responded by throwing a 13-yard touchdown strike to Derrick Mason. So instead of 12-7, it was 16-7.

The Cowboys responded. After small gains, but enough to move the chains, the Dallas Cowboys found themselves on the Ravens 18-yard line. One of the best kickers in the NFC in Nick Folk booted a 35-yard field goal to make it a more winnable game at 16-10 Ravens.

The Ravens would respond with a field goal of their own. A huge 3rd-and-6 conversion turned the tide of the drive and the Ravens drove to the Dallas 17 and Stover kicked his fourth field goal, this one from 34 yards, to make it 19-10 Baltimore with just six and a half minutes to play and it appeared Baltimore had it in the bag.

But no! Tony Romo and Dallas showed they can have the most automatic offense at will, even against a great Baltimore defense. Huge gains by Jason Witten (35 yards) and Patrick Crayton (15 yards), put the Cowboys on the Baltimore seven. Terrell Owens did his fade route and Tony delivered it to him and the Cowboys made it a two-point game, at 19-17. But the next play would squeeze the life out of Cowboy Nation.

Willis McGahee was having a decent game until then. He had seven carries for 31 yards. Not exactly Adrian Peterson numbers, I know. But he was doing fine when he was getting the chance to. The next play would exceed my wildest dream.

McGahee got a hand off and ran up the middle for about 77 yards and a touchdown! It was 26-17 Ravens with just 3:50 left. After Romo put together an amazing drive to make it a two point game, McGahee followed to erase the drive in seven seconds.

But Romo and his receivers seemed to have newfound chemistry. They showed it the next drive, going to the Ravens 21-yard line and capped the drive with a touchdown pass to Jason Witten. It was now 26-24 with just 1:36 left. For some reason, the Cowboys decided not to go with the onside kick. It didn't matter, though. Le'Ron McClain made the longest run of his career, going 82 yards for a score, his eighth touchdown of the season.

After a turnover on downs by Dallas, Flacco knelt three times and the Ravens came away with a victory in the last game at Texas Stadium. After 15 games last season, the Ravens had four victories and 11 losses. The Cowboys had already clinched the playoffs and had 13 wins and two losses. Now, the Ravens are 10-5 and the Cowboys are 9-6.

It's a new year.

Joe Flacco: 17-25, 149 yards, 1 TD's, 0 INT's

Tony Romo: 24-45, 252 yards, 2 TD's, 2 INT's

Le'Ron McClain: 22 carries, 139 yards, 1 TD's

Tashard Choice: 17 carries, 90 yards, 1 TD's

Derrick Mason: 6 catches, 66 yards, 1 TD's

Jason Witten: 5 catches, 87 yards, 1 TD's

Ray Lewis: 5 tackles, 0.5 sacks

Bradie James: 9 tackles, 1 sack