The Baltimore Ravens are the greatest rushing team of all time.
Needing just 93 yards entering Week 17 to set the NFL record for team rushing yards in a season, John Harbaugh's team needed less than a half to blast past the 1978 New England Patriots (3,165).
Six Ravens players combined for 99 yards on 16 carries in three drives to get Baltimore the record, led by Gus Edwards, who scampered for a 38-yard run, and 78 overall on the Ravens' first three possessions. The team finished with 223 rushing yards in its 28-10 win over the Steelers, and ended the season with 3,296 rushing yards.
It's apropos that this Ravens squad set the all-time record. Led by MVP front-runner Lamar Jackson, who set the mark for rushing by a QB, zipping past Mike Vick weeks ago, Baltimore has destroyed teams with a diverse ground game all season. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman should get head-coaching consideration given the work he's done installing an unstoppable offensive scheme.
Sitting out Week 17, Jackson gobbled up 1,206 yards on the ground in his record-setting season. Running back Mark Ingram, also sitting out, generated 1,018 yards on the ground. Jackson and Ingram's performances mark the second time a QB-RB duo has rushed for 1,000-plus yards each (2006 ATL: Michael Vick & Warrick Dunn).
The duo helped Baltimore average 204.9 rushing yards entering Week 17. The Ravens are the first team since at least 1950 to average 200-plus pass YPG (201.6) and 200-plus rush YPG (206) in the same season.
Even without its top two rushers Sunday, the AFC's No. 1 seed proved it can plow on the ground against a Steelers D that came in allowing 102.0 rush yards per game (10th in NFL).
