Rice and Gino need to be benched.

**wickedsolo** · 11-10-2013, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by Bhcforlife

I said in another thread that Gino is probably the worst non-injury starter this franchise has ever had, including the early years of guys like DeRon Jenkins. I can not think of another guy who was a starter who was as horrible and so totally incapable of executing the basic requirements of the position. He's so unbelievably bad to the point that you have to wonder what exactly made the FO and staff think at any point over the offseason that he was capable of being a starting NFL C.

I'm not burying Rice until I see him play this poorly behind a line that is actually capable of opening holes for him.

I don't think Rice will turn it around until he realizes that he can't "shake" guys like he used to.

I see similar stuff happening with MJD down in Jacksonville except he has figured out how to lower his shoulders and keep his legs churning. Rice is still running like he is a fleet footed 24 year old weighing 200lbs. He is bigger now, which isn't a bad thing if he learns that in order to he successful he needs to decisively hit a hole, lower his shoulder and keep his legs going. He is more power than finesse now and that can still be effective if he learns to adapt.

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**Tolucaraven** · 11-10-2013, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by nickh0801

I was just about to ask him the same thing. :) Maybe he should call to clarify that he meant this season....

If Pees was GM he would be. Pees was also the main reason Pollard was cut. Pees said he couldnt tell how good HIS defense was going to be because of how bad Gino was in TC. "Gino is not an NFL center". Gino was getting abused and confused in TC practices by the Ravens front.

**Tolucaraven** · 11-10-2013, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

I don't think Rice will turn it around until he realizes that he can't "shake" guys like he used to.

I see similar stuff happening with MJD down in Jacksonville except he has figured out how to lower his shoulders and keep his legs churning. Rice is still running like he is a fleet footed 24 year old weighing 200lbs. He is bigger now, which isn't a bad thing if he learns that in order to he successful he needs to decisively hit a hole, lower his shoulder and keep
his legs going. He is more power than finesse now and that can still be effective if he learns to adapt.

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I agree he needs to be both healthy and lighter. He has steadily every year gotten larger since he broke in the league. Now he is just way too wide when compared to him a few years ago. His decline has been steady over past few years as he has gotten bigger.

**wickedsolo** · 11-10-2013, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by Tolucaraven

I agree he needs to be both healthy and lighter. He has steadily every year gotten larger since he broke in the league. Now he is just way too wide when compared to him a few years ago. His decline has been steady over past few years as he has gotten bigger.

I don't think he really declined until the end of last year and even then I'm not entirely sure what the deal is.

I will say that right now he isn't running like he should be. He is trying to make people miss and no one is biting.

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**NC Raven** · 11-10-2013, 11:06 PM

Rice is down as far as (1) straight line speed (2) lateral quickness, (3) agility. Without those, at his size, he's not even ordinary.

whether he's hurt, or in steep decline, I have no way to know. But we are probably better off trying out the new guy we signed or bringing back Damian Berry or somebody like that, right at this moment. This is a sad thing to say, but I don't see how it's not correct.

The line is horrible, true, but of the two active backs, Pierce gives us by far the better chance to make something of nothing, and right now, nothing is what we have on most plays.

**Tolucaraven** · 11-10-2013, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by NC Raven

Rice is down as far as (1) straight line speed (2) lateral quickness, (3) agility. Without those, at his size, he's not even ordinary.

whether he's hurt, or in steep decline, I have no way to know. But we are probably better off trying out the new guy we signed or bringing back Damian Berry or somebody like that, right at this moment. This is a sad thing to say, but I don't see how it's not correct.

The line is horrible, true, but of the two active backs, Pierce gives us by far the better chance to make something of nothing, and right now, nothing is what we have on most plays.

I agree 100%. He is actually less than ordinary. He is playing more like a fullback. Even worse it's making it harder on Flacco, they used to respect Rice as a HR hitter and pass catcher...now they don't care and just blitz the hell out of Joe. Rice can't even pick up the blitz blocking either. Berry, Rainey..some other practice squad guy is much better at this point. Pierce is unfortunately hurt. Rice is a detriment at this point.

**AirFlacco** · 11-10-2013, 11:19 PM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

I don't think Rice will turn it around until he realizes that he can't "shake" guys like he used to.

A bad hip will do that to you. At least he's not using it as an excuse or blaming
the o-line. He's saying he's having a down year like so many others and will bounce back.

**Whitty Hutton** · 11-10-2013, 11:32 PM

There is a lot of suck going on, but i cant blame Rice so much.
How about Shipley getting ran over and put on his back during a run today? How many other team's starting OLinemen do you see getting dropped like that?

**NC Raven** · 11-10-2013, 11:33 PM

You're right, he hasnt been blocking well either, picking up blitzes. Something is wrong with Rice, and I'd rather them sit him a few weeks than pretend "he's 100%" nonsense. Anybody watching film can see he's not 100% so why the charades? Not fooling anyone...

**ERey** · 11-10-2013, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by cjandrze

Dude, this ain't Madden. you can't just give grown men fresh assignments mid season and expect them to perform at 100%.

I agree. Some teams think they can move a LT to RT, the RT to LG and play a guy at LT who's been riding the bench all season a win the Super dBowl. Can you believe the nerve of some teams?

Seriously, I like some of the ideas on this thread. They can't run the ball at all. Tweaking with the line and using different guys couldn't be much worse. I say try it.

**Tolucaraven** · 11-10-2013, 11:52 PM

[QUOTE=AirFlacco;697596]A bad hip will do that to you. At least he's not using it as an excuse or blaming
the o-line. He's saying he's having a down year like so many others and will bounce back.[/Q

"A man has to know his limitations" AF who coined that phrase.?..it applies here.

**srobert96** · 11-11-2013, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by Corey

Speaking of Jamal. He was asked a few weeks ago to diagnose the running game and he basically said, he sees running backs that do not trust the blocking. They are so preoccupied with dodging defenders behind the line that they miss the hole when it is there. He said he saw that from Rice and Pierce. Can't remember where I saw the article, I am sure somewhere here will pull it out of the air.

The RBs are missing holes when they are there at times. They are not there as often as they should be that is for sure. Rice is done. He is slow hitting the hole even when it is there. He can't make the one guy miss in the open field anymore. He is almost not even serviceable at this point. If he is not injured the Ravens need to do something with him in the off season. If he is injured, I guess we hope he rebounds some.