TEMPE, Arizona (Ticker) -- With their offense asleep for much of the afternoon, the Baltimore Ravens' defense once again was wide awake.
The red-hot Ravens moved another step closer to the NFL record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game season with a 13-7 victory over the hapless Arizona Cardinals.
Baltimore (11-4) has yielded just 145 points and is on pace to break the 1986 Chicago Bears' record of 187 for fewest points allowed in a 16-game season. The Ravens close their season next Sunday at home against the New York Jets.
The Ravens also came up with a big defensive stand late in the fourth quarter today afer Arizona drove inside their 15-yard line with just over two minutes remaining.
"We think the defense is one of the best defenses in the league," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "I don't like the term they bailed us out. That goes back to you guys looking at the defense and offense as two different teams. They did what they were supposed to do, stop the team they were facing."
Rookie Jamal Lewis was the workhorse on offense for the Ravens, carrying 29 times for 126 yards, including a one-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter that provided a 10-7 lead.
Lewis, the first running back taken in the draft, when he was chosen fifth overall, has four 100-yard games this season and 1,312 yards for the season.
It was a good thing Lewis had a big game with Trent Dilfer completing 12-of-22 passes for just 70 yards and one interception.
Dilfer had a comical excuse for his rough day.
"Here is my story. I was in the locker room before the game and some guy hit me across my face and taped me in my locker and went and played. I don't know what happened," he said.
Baltimore gained just 214 net yards against the 29th-ranked defense in the league.
Fresh off garnering the first playoff berth in franchise history last week, the Ravens (11-4) extended their club-record winning streak to six games and remained one game behind first-place Tennessee in the AFC Central.
Arizona (3-12) suffered its sixth straight loss and fell to 1-7 under interim coach Dave McGinnis.
Despite his poor record, McGinnis is expected to have the interim tag removed on Monday. The Cardinals have a news conference scheduled for 3 p.m. EST and McGinnis is expected to receive a four-year contract.
McGinnis had his team ready to play this afternoon and they gave one of the NFL's top teams all they could handle before finally succumbing in the final minutes.
Trailing 13-7, Arizona had a 2nd-and-4 at the Ravens 12 with 2:42 remaining. Linebacker Peter Boulware made a huge play on second down when he sacked Jake Plummer, who fumbled and safety Rod Woodson recovered on the 16.
But the Cardinals challenged the play, claiming Plummer's arm was moving forward, and the play was reversed. Plummer completed a short pass on third down to rookie running back Thomas Jones before his pass on fourth down was batted down at the line of scrimmage.
Baltimore took over on the 12 and ran out the clock behind Lewis, who carried five straight times.
Plummer, who missed last week's game at Jacksonville with sore ribs, hung in against the stingiest defense in the league to complete 23-of-43 passes for 266 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals had another chance to erase the six-point deficit after linebacker Johnny Rutledge recovered a fumble by Lewis on the Baltimore 20 with 12:28 to play.
The Cardinals, however, gave the ball back on the next play when tight end Terry Hardy fumbled after getting hit by Jamie Sharper. Pro Bowl safety Rod Woodson recovered for Baltimore on the 5.
Arizona committed three turnovers but did manage to gain 309 total yards.
"You can't turn the ball over," McGinnis said. "You can't throw the picks. I don't want any turnovers because turnovers were the key. We try to answer it on defense. You turn the ball over, especially in the red zone against a defense like this, you saw what happened."
It looked like the Ravens were going to have their way with one of the worst teams in the league, moving 68 yards in 13 plays on the opening drive, culminating in a 42-yard field goal by Matt Stover.
Baltimore had a chance to increase its lead late in the first half. But on 3rd-and-goal from the Cardinals 2, Dilfer threw an ill-advised pass intended for tight Shannon Sharpe that was intercepted by safety Pat Tillman in the end zone.
Coming out of halftime, the Cardinals went 60 yards in seven plays on their opening possession of the third quarter to take the lead on Plummer's 27-yard TD pass to Frank Sanders. Plummer set up the touchdown with a 24-yard completion to Mac Cody on 3rd-and-14 that moved the ball to the Baltimore 25.
Plummer helped give the lead back on the next possession when he was intercepted by Sharper, who returned the ball 45 yards to the Arizona 6.
"We have a good defense and guys just make plays," Sharper said. "When the play comes to you and you get the opportunity you have to make the play."
Three plays later, Lewis plunged over from one yard to give Baltimore a 10-7 lead with 6:22 remaining in the third quarter.
Stover, the league's leading scorer with 129 points, kicked a 42-yard field goal with 21 seconds left in the quarter, extending the lead to 13-7.
Cardinals running back Michael Pittman left the game in the first quarter with a concussion and did not return. He was replaced by Jones, the second running back taken in the draft, who carried 14 times for 39 yards. Jones also had seven catches for 41 yards.
