“Making the playoffs would be a good thing, but the season is still going to be there in the records. You just have to put it in the past."

McGahee used to regularly proclaim that he was the best running back in the NFL and has traditionally displayed that trademark University of Miami swagger.

However, he has quietly gone about his business this year without complaint despite a drastically reduced workload.

Following the longest run of his five-year career, McGahee's colleagues were equally excited.

Despite skipping the majority of the offseason training program and minicamps and admittedly showing up at training camp out of shape before hurting his knee badly enough that he needed arthroscopic left knee surgery, McGahee has remained a popular locker room figure.

"We loved it," center Jason Brown said. "We knew that Willis was going to break out sooner or later, but for it to happen right there at the time we needed it, it was amazing."

"I was so happy for him,” said McClain, who topped McGahee’s touchdown sprint by seven yards with an 82-yard score on the Ravens’ subsequent drive. “I hugged him on the sideline."

Even though he's no longer the Ravens' featured runner, McGahee hasn't lashed out at the coaching staff, sulked or griped to reporters about his altered role.

However, he has drawn heavy criticism from fans and media. Especially during a stretch where he gained just 76 yards in five games following a season-high 112-yard, two-touchdown performance Nov. 9 against the Houston Texans.

"Willis has handled the whole season pretty well," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "He's been disappointed because things haven't worked out, I'm sure, the way he planned going in as far as number of carries and yards and all those measurable things.

“To me, the real measurable thing is the character that he's expressed through this whole deal. He's continued to work at it."

Yet, the future for McGahee, 27, is unsettled due to performance and contractual reasons.

If McGahee was cut or traded after the season, the Ravens would owe the remaining prorated portions of his guaranteed money from a five-year $40.12 million contract that also has two option years for a total of $11.25 million in dead money against next year's salary cap.

He currently just counts an affordable $3.12 million against the 2009 salary cap, but could be asked to accept a pay cut for next season and/or regularly attend offseason workouts.

"Right now, we're still in this season and we can't talk about next season until next year comes," said McGahee, whom Baltimore acquired in a trade from the Buffalo Bills in March of 2007 to replace Jamal Lewis.  "I would love to be back here, but this is a business. So, if it happens, it happens."

Aaron Wilson covers the Baltimore Ravens for the Carroll County Times and the Annapolis Capital.