Raven running back predicted a record-breaking day

BALTIMORE -- Jamal Lewis was never one to set modest goals for himself.

Upon joining the Baltimore Ravens as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2000 draft, Lewis began a quest to earn a place among the league's greatest running backs.

Breaking the single-game rushing record was never part of the plan.

"It's not really something I set out to do," Lewis said. "I wanted to be the leading rusher in NFL history."

The former Tennessee star is well behind career leader Emmitt Smith, but on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, Lewis juked and stiff-armed his way into the record book.

No NFL player -- not Smith, O.J. Simpson, Walter Payton or anyone else -- ever gained more yards rushing during one afternoon than Jamal Lafitte Lewis.

Lewis rambled for 295 yards on 30 carries, shattering the record of Corey Dillon of Cincinnati, who collected 278 yards on Oct. 22, 2000.

Calling his shot

Legend will dictate that Lewis predicted the unprecedented feat in a phone call to Browns linebacker Andra Davis, although the running back contends that his boast was not to be taken too seriously.

"Just trash talk between friends," he said.

Still, Lewis knew that it could happen, especially since he ran for 100 yards against the Browns three times earlier -- including a 187 yard effort last October.

"I didn't think it was impossible. Corey Dillon got it," Lewis said. "I knew it was possible, but when, I didn't know."

The task became a lot more realistic after Lewis ran for an 82-yard touchdown on the second play from scrimmage. He busted through the line, stumbled a bit and cut left before following a block from Travis Taylor into the end zone to complete the longest run in Ravens history.

"The play was totally textbook. I just had to turn on the burners and go," Lewis said. "Luckily it was the first run and my legs were good."

Restoring the speed

It was a play Lewis would not have been able to make last year, when he was returning from reconstructive knee surgery after missing the entire 2001 season.

"Last year, he got caught," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "This time, they didn't catch him."

Lewis ran for 1,327 yards in 2002, a fine performance for a running back returning from a serious knee injury. But he was not quite as quick or durable as during his rookie year, when he rushed for 1,364 yards to help Baltimore become world champions.

He's back at full strength now, thanks in part to the countless hours he spent in the weight room and on the treadmill.

"I'm just proud to be there with him," Ravens linebacker Peter Boulware said. "The guy works so hard, he deserves everything he can get."

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis leads the defense with boisterous talk and spirited tackling. Jamal Lewis is not as vocal, but just as adamant about carrying the offense.

He insisted upon getting the ball so that Baltimore would not have to rely on rookie quarterback Kyle Boller to score. Boller struggled Sunday, as he did one week earlier against Pittsburgh, when Lewis had only five carries in a 34-15 loss.

"My goal was to take the pressure off him," said Lewis, now the NFL rushing leader with 364 yards. "That's where my leadership skills come in."

With Lewis running wild through the Cleveland secondary, the Ravens disposed of the Browns 33-13.

Before the game, Ray Lewis said, "Hey, look, Lewis and Lewis. You start it off and I finish it. Just like in our Super Bowl year."

Jamal Lewis delivered a performance that usually occurs only on Saturdays, when talented running backs plow their way through overmatched opponents.

"That really was kind of like a college day," Ravens left tackle Jonathan Ogden said. "Just to be part of it was spectacular. This is as close as we linemen get to the record books."

It's impossible to determine how long Lewis will stay atop the list. Certainly, that type of performance doesn't happen often.

"Will it be broken one day? Sure," Billick said. "But a lot of things have to happen. Whether the moons align for that to happen again anytime soon, I don't know. That could hold up for a while."