Ray Rice is finally 100%

**flaccoseagulls** · 11-04-2013, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by mrfactoid

Wow, nothing like watching a real offenses. RR can't hold Lacys or Fortes jock. No comparison healthy or not. Fast and strong runners must be nice.

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.

**mrfactoid** · 11-05-2013, 12:12 AM

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.

**mrfactoid** · 11-05-2013, 12:17 AM

My post was about watching offenses play without cringing and have someone pulling out my teeth with pliers, not running backs falling down and getting tackled 4 yds. behind the line. Its sad how even teams using backup QB,s:bag: look more like an offense then ours.

**flaccoseagulls** · 11-05-2013, 12:27 AM

Originally Posted by mrfactoid

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.

None of this makes any sense because none of this is true, besides Joes contract.

Are you watching the games? Please watch the offensive line. Please actually watch them and then say that there are holes for Ray or Bernard to run through. How many times does an offensive line have to be penetrated with defenders in the backfield, before you stop saying Ray Rice cant make anyone miss? How is it possible to make people miss when they know that we run the same running plays over and over or when you are constantly tackled in the back field? How can Ray out-run someone when there is no where to run?

Also, why are you comparing Ray Rice to Walter Payton and Barry Sanders? They are completely different styles of runners and should never be put in the same sentence together.

The same year that we change our blocking scheme, which coincidentally ruined our offensive lines ability to do their job, youre going to also say that Ray sucks? Seriously? These Ray Rice is bad comments are baseless. We have to have an offensive line that can block at least similar to the way they used to, in order for us to judge Ray. Especially when you have Bernard Pierce going no where as well.

Whats the excuse for Bernard? Why cant he play as well as he could last year? Probably because there are no holes for him to run through either.

Our offensive line is historically terrible. Which happens to also make a running game bad.

Then, you go and say that Joe has played bad this year. Joe is the sole reason why we have 3 wins in the first place. He is the sole reason why all of our losses except for Denver were 1 posession games. How can you say that Joe has played bad when he is constantly faced with 3rd and long or he gets sacked on 3rd down? These arent sacks because hes holding onto the ball.

Joe has been amazing in the pocket. Hes had bad throws here and there but another thing - he has basically all new receivers. TE, WR2, 3, etc. They are all new. Joe never really threw to Jacoby last year. The timing with these receivers, has naturally been off, especially considering most of them are first timers.

How can you expect Joe to do anything, with the playcalling that has been dealt? The only time we move the ball is when Joe is in the no-huddle, calling the shots. Unfortunately, most of these drives end with Joe being sacked or Joe facing 3rd and long because we have no run game/hes been pressured on 1st and 2nd.

Im not saying Joe has been perfect, but he has been the absolute best player on this team this year. And it really pisses me off when people just say hes been bad. Because it shows that you arent actually watching the game, youre just watching the stat-sheet.

**landshark52** · 11-05-2013, 12:29 AM

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

**flaccoseagulls** · 11-05-2013, 12:31 AM

Originally Posted by landshark52

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

Not really "nuff said," its hard to break a tackle when theyre pretty much all around the line of scrimmage.

Also, how many of these tackles are from free rushers? How many happen in the back field? How many happen when hes running the same run play over and over straight up the middle where it is basically impossible to break a tackle?

These issues are not black and white.

**landshark52** · 11-05-2013, 12:39 AM

Originally Posted by flaccoseagulls

Not really "nuff said," its hard to break a tackle when theyre pretty much all around the line of scrimmage.

Also, how many of these tackles are from free rushers? How many happen in the back field? How many happen when hes running the same run play over and over straight up the middle where it is basically impossible to break a tackle?

These issues are not black and white and these comments are making me reconsider coming here.

Hey chill out man, I know the major problem is the offensive line. But he used to be able to make more people miss. You can see with his receiving yards average. He has averaged 8 or 9 yards a catch in his career but this year he is only at 5 yards per catch. He's not making that first guy miss anymore, but it doesn't matter right because the o-line sucks. Just felt like throwing Nuff said in there at the end lol.

iggyman555 · 11-05-2013, 12:57 AM

Originally Posted by flaccoseagulls

Not really "nuff said," its hard to break a tackle when theyre pretty much all around the line of scrimmage.

Also, how many of these tackles are from free rushers? How many happen in the back field? How many happen when hes running the same run play over and over straight up the middle where it is basically impossible to break a tackle?

These issues are not black and white.

are you pa37 brother?

**RavensRule21215** · 11-05-2013, 01:33 AM

Originally Posted by flaccoseagulls

Are you serious? I just joined this board...

Welcome to:

Forum: Ravens 24x7

The friendly Ravens forum for everyone!

**The Excellector** · 11-05-2013, 03:39 AM

There was a part of his statement that was indeed true. Barry Sanders and Walter Payton dealt with horrible offensive lines and did indeed break records.

The issue for fans is that even though more holes were opened in the past, they were still used to seeing Rice make something out of nothing when things were dicey. He's not doing that anymore, which makes him just like any other RB. Fans have difficult times dealing with that sort of thing.

**Rxdoxx** · 11-05-2013, 09:57 AM

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

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

He's playing slow.

Both he and Pierce aren't hitting the right holes. I can't tell you how many times this season I've seen both Rice and Pierce completely whiff on cut-back opportunities by trying to bounce it outside.

That is coaching all day.

You can get 1,000 yard rushers every season just by simply following blocks. Mike Shanahan did it practically every year in Denver.

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?

**Tommy_Carcetti** · 11-05-2013, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by Dade

We should. The offense is kinda built that way already. With Flacco's arm, Torrey, Brown, Jones and Doss...this team should be slinging it like Green Bay was a few years ago.

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.