Injuries weren't an issue only in the regular season.
During the postseason, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs played through a shoulder sprain, and tight end Todd Heap did the same with severe back pain.
The Ravens had to play the AFC championship game without cornerback Samari Rolle, who had a partial tear of his hip flexor.
"It wasn't a surgery-type situation," Harbaugh said of Rolle's status. "We were rehabbing him like crazy. We'd been very hopeful to get him back for the Super Bowl, and I think there was a chance to do that."
But the Ravens fell short of the Super Bowl, which probably provided the most pain of all.
Notes: Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson reportedly could interview for the San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator position. The 49ers met yesterday with former NFL head coach Dan Reeves, who is considered the favorite for the job. ... Because the Ravens lost the AFC championship game, their staff will coach the AFC in the Pro Bowl. "It's a good honor for our staff, and it's a great opportunity for the families," Harbaugh said. "Hopefully the other bowl will be the one that comes up the next time around." ... Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti was asked what would have been the team's fate if Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett accepted the offer to become the Ravens' head coach. "We'd be 5-11," Bisciotti said with a laugh. "I'm teasing. I have no idea how that would have gone. I really don't. It wouldn't be fair [to speculate]." ... Linebacker Ray Lewis will be featured in a SoBe Lifewater commercial that will debut during the Super Bowl. The 3-D commercial, set to air immediately after the second quarter, will feature Lewis dancing in a "skintight white leotard alongside fellow players Justin Tuck and Matt Light," according to a SoBe statement.
playing through pain
Ravens starters missed 64 games because of injuries, which was tied for the fourth-highest total in the NFL and was the most by any playoff team:
Team GL IR '08 finish
Cincinnati 84 6 Third in AFC North
Seattle 72 6 Third in NFC West
Denver 65 3 Second in AFC West
New England 64 4 Second in AFC East
Ravens 64 4 Lost AFC title game
GL-equivalent number of games lost by starters because of injury
IR-number of starters who finished the season on reserve lists
Source: The Dallas Morning News
