Ray Rice is finally 100%

[wickedsolo]

Barry Sanders and Walter Payton had poor lines and still set records. Rice has nothing, can't break tackles, can't outrun anyone and trips over blades of grass when there is a hole. Maybe your not old enough to remember those two. Plus its sad to see a 3rd string QB outplaying the $120 mil man just like BUFs rookie QB outplayed him. Joes not even a top 20 QB this year so far. The great ones find a way to make a play. They just do.

Comparing two of the greatest players to ever play the game to Ray Rice?


...ooooook.

[wickedsolo]

Per PFF Ray Rice has broken 4 tackles on 97 carries. Nuff said

ahhhh PFF...the bastion of truthiness and context.

[wickedsolo]

Are you serious? I just joined this board, I really hope this isnt a consensus around here.

No, it is not the concensus.

Most realize that there are two likely contributing factors to Ray Rice's 2013 performance.
1) The offensive line is terrible.
2) Rice's claims of being 100% are not really true and he is still suffering from latent issues surrounding his hip injury.

While it is possible that Rice's abilities have declined, it is unfair and inaccurate to really try and gauge if he still "has it" or not with the offense being in the current state that they are.

[wickedsolo]

Willis McGahee, RB CLE 100 for 262 at 2.6
McGahee had 21 carries for 31 yards at 1.5 per carry and a lost fumble

Ray Rice, RB BAL 97 for 259 at 2.7
Rice had 11 carries for 17 yards and 1.5yds per carry

Bernard Pierce, RB BAL 85 for 230 at 2.7
Had 6 carries for 11 yards 1.8 per carry

So all 3 took another step dis-improving their standings





Agree.... wondering is this also a ZBS function?
That RB instinctual running is not flowing because the RB is not quite sure where the nuances of the block is going to be to follow?
Before we would see Ray get tight up on someone's butt and follow until the spin off for the extra yard(s)..... now it appears he is not exactly sure where the butt will be or in what direction it will be moving.... if that makes any sense?

I think it has a lot to do with it.

Rice more than Pierce because even going back to college Pierce has had a tendency to bounce it outside any chance he can get. He is fast enough to turn the corner and make something out of nothing, but against a good defense he'll never get a good angle.

To me, it looks like an entire offense that just isn't on the same page at all with the blocking scheme.

[pslholder96]

Are you serious? I just joined this board, I really hope this isnt a consensus around here.

How do you expect a running back to run when they are being hit in the back field every other play? There is no blocking in front of Rice or Pierce. This isnt some black or white issue. The running game isnt bad because "rice and pierce" are bad. The running game is bad solely because of the scheme change.

Look at the jumbled mess on the line when they are trying to block. Players look constantly out of position and there are zero holes being opened up. Its just a big mound of meat stacking up in front of Joe/RR, at best. Otherwise, youre looking at 2-3 free rushers coming at Joe or RR.

Welcome to the board. Don't mind Factoid. He only shows up when the ravens lose.........

[Dade]

It should be, but the O-Line isn't giving Flacco enough time to properly get off his patented aerial bombs.

The problem with this team this year isn't a lack of a running game or a faulty offensive line. It's a lack of a running game and a faulty offensive line.

Joe Flacco is not the problem. Our receiving corps are decent and will be improved even further when Pitta returns. But they've got very little to work with surrounding them. Through very little fault of their own, the offensive machine is just broken.

Totally agree. Flacco throws the best deep ball in the league. Its what he's known for (also deep out routes). But the line won't allow for anything like that.

What I meant was that type of offense should've been the focus by the coaches and FO during the off season. But instead they choose, stupidly, to have a ground and pound philsophy and change the blocking scheme.

[mrfactoid]

Welcome to the board. Don't mind Factoid. He only shows up when the ravens lose.........

Which is becoming more frequent. Ok guys, all is well RR is still the best. Joes problems are a result of everything wrong with the offense before the snap, no sarcasm here. I don't blame Joe but he has missed way too many throws that that could of helped win a hunch of close loses. 4-9 in the last 13 regular season games puts me on here more than I like.

[iggyman555]

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/4645

[goodandfast]

On Sunday's broadcast they were saying that in zone blocking schemes the backside typically cuts the opposing linemen and that our guys are not doing that. I don't know how much that would help, but creating a pile on the backside of these runs would help slow down linebackers as they try to 'run under.'

To me, run unders have been the things that have killed the run game, as opposed to losing at the point of attack. Too many opposing LBs have been able to not only fill gaps, but get into the backfield before our RBs hit the LOS.

[Raven1998]

Watching Alfred Morris break tackles in the backfield on one play followed by carrying the defense back down the field on the next play. Our RB's are not doing this. I hope it is all Super Bowl hangover and they can go back to their pre Super Bowl forms after this off season.