Ray Rice

[Alexir]

I think it's funny that everyone is trashing Flacco and he has to depend on an offensive line, receivers getting separation and receivers catching the ball.

What about Ray Rice?

We have always been known as a running football team, we move our mauler back to right tackle, we sign Yanda to lock down the right interior and we have 3 pro bowlers in the left and middle as of now and when Grubbs is back he will have his spot back, and we go out and sign the best full back in the league. What has Ray Rice done. Where are his critics? He is just as responsible (if not more) for our offense stalling in those 2 games (Jets, Titans)

Listed below are the Titans and Jets Rushing yards on attempt against them from this season

[i][u]Titans[/u][/i]
Rice 3.3
[b]Jones Drew 4.0[/b]
McGahee 2.4
[b]Hillis 4.6[/b]
Redman 3.3

[i][u]Jets[/u][/i]
Rice 2.6
F.Jones 2.6
[b]Jones-Drew 4.9[/b]
[b]McFadden 9.0[/b]
[b]Green-Ellis 5.0[/b]

Highlighted in black are YPA that I feel are acceptable for a starting running back to have. 4.0 is what you want your guy to at least get every time.

Is the Jaguars offensive line better than ours? I don't believe so at all and I know their fullback isn't better than leach.

While the Browns do have a pretty sturdy, athletic Left tackle and Center, their offensive line isn't the greatest for run blocking and Vickers went to Houston. How come Hillis can put up 4.6 on the Titans?

Isaac Redman has the same YPA as Rice and has a horrible offensive line and split carries with Dwyer.

Yes McFadden is playing out of his mind and yes Green-Ellis was more of a fluke IMO but let's lay off Joe and realize that it's the WHOLE offense.

It doesn't help that we are running play action in those 2 games when the run game wasn't a real threat. In those situations we should go shotgun to just get an extra second or 2.

By no means am I saying bench Rice, or cut someone, just saying it's not all on Flacco. Rice needs to produce better.

[ball hawkin 20]

Well considering both teams stacked to stop the run, and by no means is Rice a top 5 rushing back.. He is averaging like, 4.6 ypc, which is fine with me.

[Alexir]

[quote name='ball hawkin 20' timestamp='1318281203' post='820237']
Well considering both teams stacked to stop the run, and by no means is Rice a top 5 rushing back.. He is averaging like, 4.6 ypc, which is fine with me.
[/quote]

4.5. but yeah, his best year was 5.3. My point being, that in the 2 games Flacco struggled, Ray Rice didn't do much either.

[RavensAllTheWay]

This is where I think the loss of Grubbs really hurts.

[darklight1216]

That's very interesting. I had realized that Rice didn't exactly have his best game against NY, but your breakdown really puts it in perspective.

[Alexir]

[quote name='RavensAllTheWay' timestamp='1318281396' post='820241']
This is where I think the loss of Grubbs really hurts.
[/quote]
Gurode is doing better than Cousins or Chester could of done but yeah, Grubbs needs to play this weekend.

[Guest ArmyRaven52]

[quote name='Alexir' timestamp='1318281392' post='820240']

4.5. but yeah, his best year was 5.3. My point being, that in the 2 games Flacco struggled, Ray Rice didn't do much either.
[/quote]
yes but that is a given if the pass game is suckin, then they just stack the box and blitz. If Flacco would have played better than rice owuld have well in correlation.

[Mick0311]

What have Rice's receiving numbers been looking like?

[RavensAllTheWay]

I admit that I haven't been the biggest Rice fan since he's been here because I get frustrated when we put a huge portion of the offensive load on just him in playoff games and other big games. Hey, sometimes I just get frustrated with it even when it's not a big game. And I think going forward, we are already starting to see that go away as more players are stepping in and stepping up.

All of that being said, Ray Rice is a special football player. He's been receiving Barry Sanders and Marshall Faulk comparisions ever since he took over the starting role in 2009. I'm really not sure we ever see another RB as good as Rice in Baltimore again.

So now that I realize and appreciate all of this, yes, I am certainy a Ray Rice fan.

[berad]

OL is inconsistent and it affects more than just the passing O. Our running game is definitely better than 2010, though.

[indianstick]

I'm not worried about ray, he will get his 1000+ rushing yards this year but he is an all around back, one of the best in the league actually and he is a coverage nightmare. Those who can cover him can't tackle him and those who can tackle him can't stay with him.

Ray rice is a stud and he hasn't even reached his prime. His work ethic is one of the best things about him and he's actually a smart kid who knows football

[FootballMasta20]

2 simple answers...

1. Without Ben Grubbs our offensive line goes from great to pretty good.

2. Good defenses dont respect our passing game. The Jets and Titans stacked the box to stop Rice

[Militant X 1]

[quote name='ArmyRaven52' timestamp='1318284095' post='820264']
yes but that is a given [b]if the pass game is suckin, then they just stack the box and blitz[/b]. If Flacco would have played better than rice owuld have well in correlation.
[/quote]

this!

[quote name='FootballMasta20' timestamp='1318287769' post='820327']
2 simple answers...

1. Without Ben Grubbs our offensive line goes from great to pretty good.

2. [b]Good defenses dont respect our passing game[/b]. The Jets and Titans stacked the box to stop Rice
[/quote]

and definitely this!!

~Mili

[Ravensstrike4424]

everone ? i disagree,and i dont consider anyone that gives ravens crap all the time a fan.and im not giving ravens any flack

[Romo Ravens]

I don't think a lot of teams think that Flacco can beat them through the air, but they know Ray Rice could have a field day if he's not accounted for, so they do all that they can to stop him.

[Alexir]

[quote name='FootballMasta20' timestamp='1318287769' post='820327']
2 simple answers...

1. Without Ben Grubbs our offensive line goes from great to pretty good.

2. Good defenses dont respect our passing game. The Jets and Titans stacked the box to stop Rice
[/quote]

So, Blaine Gabbert and Josh Mccown gather more respect from defenders in the passing game than Joe Flacco?

Righttttt lol

Ben Grubbs is one person and he is a great talent but Gurode isn't making our run game fall apart. He has been a solid fill in.

[harfordravenfan]

[quote name='Militant X 1' timestamp='1318290178' post='820362']


this!

I'll second that, not exactly fair to compare the 2 teams that game planned to stop the run. Rice will be just fine (although 4.5 is just fine for an NFL rb). Ya gotta understand that like it or not, we'll be passing more often and even still rice will have a good season imo



and definitely this!!

~Mili
[/quote]

[gabefergy]

Really? Where exactly would our team be without Rice? I think [i]that[/i] is a more pertinent question than throwing the best offensive player on our team under the bus.

You also just cherry-picked the two bad games Rice had, not mentioning his impressive performances against Pitt and St Louis. The Tennessee game was an aberration IMO considering we were starting LeVoir, and the Jets have a very strong run defense no matter what those stats might indicate.

[redrum52]

Again.. no Flacco water hut I call it how I see it. I feel we could win games if flacco was to go down but the hit the offense would take with rice out would be very noticeable. Rice doesn't get as much blame because he can't run if no holes are open. Many times Flacco has the time, open man or ability to change the play if what he sees on the field isn't going to put the o in position to succeed. So if he's not recognizing that who's fault is it? Rice doesn't have as much control of the offense and is basically going to sink or swim cause of those factors. There are only so many tackles you can break. Also I never see Rice looking scared or dejected breaking a huddle in crucial moments.

[FootballMasta20]

[quote name='Alexir' timestamp='1318291103' post='820372']

So, Blaine Gabbert and Josh Mccown gather more respect from defenders in the passing game than Joe Flacco?

Righttttt lol

Ben Grubbs is one person and he is a great talent but Gurode isn't making our run game fall apart. He has been a solid fill in.
[/quote]
Im really not sure what you mean by that first statement. Elaborate

[The Raven]

I have a love/hate relationship with Rice. He makes so many plays for us, and he's probably our best offensive player, but he makes a lot of stupid decisions sometimes. I often see him try and cut back runs and then lose a couple yards, and had he kept going he'd have at least 5 yards.

Now, I know I've said this a lot. But I think it's also a product of the blocking scheme. We run far too many zone stretch plays that any good defense can stop easily. The zone blocking scheme in my opinion is boom or bust. It's typically a big gain, or nothing. It's great for big play type backs like Rice, but I think our OL is better fitted for a man blocking scheme. That's my opinion though.

[Alexir]

[quote name='FootballMasta20' timestamp='1318293065' post='820392']
Im really not sure what you mean by that first statement. Elaborate
[/quote]

It just seemed that several people are suggesting that they stack the box on Ray Rice and that's why he has struggled in those 2 games because no one is afraid of the passing attack and I don't think that's what it is because Blaine Gabbert and McCown aren't good QB's and they really don't have anyone to throw the ball too yet MJD had some solid numbers against those defenses.

[Alexir]

[quote name='gabefergy' timestamp='1318291612' post='820379']
Really? Where exactly would our team be without Rice? I think [i]that[/i] is a more pertinent question than throwing the best offensive player on our team under the bus.

You also just cherry-picked the two bad games Rice had, not mentioning his impressive performances against Pitt and St Louis. The Tennessee game was an aberration IMO considering we were starting LeVoir, and the Jets have a very strong run defense no matter what those stats might indicate.
[/quote]

Think you are totally misunderstanding the thread. It's more of a "Stop throwing Flacco under the Bus, the whole offense is playing poor" Thread. The reason I selected those 2 bad games is because as many of you know....those were are 2 worst offensive games.....

Not cherry picking or throwing anyone under the bus, just saying It's not all Flacco yet that's all people tend to talk about. Rice needs to play a little better too.

[CalvinSmoke]

Ray Rice isn't perfect, he's always looking for the home run, but that's the way our offense is built. Feast or famine. Flacco gets all the blame because he's the QB, that's just how it is. They get all the praise and all the blame.

[gabefergy]

[quote name='Alexir' timestamp='1318298764' post='820493']

Think you are totally misunderstanding the thread. It's more of a "Stop throwing Flacco under the Bus, the whole offense is playing poor" Thread. The reason I selected those 2 bad games is because as many of you know....those were are 2 worst offensive games.....

Not cherry picking or throwing anyone under the bus, just saying It's not all Flacco yet that's all people tend to talk about. Rice needs to play a little better too.
[/quote]
Allrite I hear ya. I agree the offense isnt nearly where they need to be at. Flacco certainly has his share of the blame, as does pretty much everyone else. I havent been too harsh on Flacco simply because there are still a lot of moving parts that need to come together. To me it just seemed overly harsh to single out Ray Rice when he has been the one piece that has given (relatively) consistent production. Even when he hasnt had great rushing numbers he has made huge plays in the passing game.

[SnOoPy]

imagine our offense without Ray Rice..lol

[Radinho84]

[quote name='SnOoPy' timestamp='1318301023' post='820532']
imagine our offense without Ray Rice..lol
[/quote]
oh my god. i don´t even wanna think about that. lol

[Radinho84]

i think we are just right where we have to ba as a team at the moment. now we should come out the bye strong and beat the texans. we are allways at our best football at around week 12-17. our defense seems to be the best in the nfl again. that calms me down a lot. ray doesn´t even have to stand out. all the other guys making great plays.

back to topic: rice isn´t a pure rushing rb. he is a do it all kind of player. actually i like him a lot for the things he does.
but alexir is right. he has to produce against the best defenses too, because we face them every year. just like flacco has to take a step every year and every other guy on the team has to do too...

[-Truth-]

I think it's a bit much to expect an RB to sustain a 4.0+ YPC through every contest. In both of those games, Rice had 95+ scrimmage yards, and in both, he had the only offensive TD for the Ravens. Yes, Flacco is credited for the TD pass in the Titans game, but given that it was a screen play wherein Ray eluded numerous defenders, obviously he deserves the bulk of the credit. Rice was bottled up in the running game by the Jets. But after being gashed around every corner by McFadden and the Raiders rushing attack, I'd bet my last dollar that stopping Rice was arguably their biggest priority.

Running backs have off games. Is it entirely their fault? No. Do they deserve at least some of the blame? Of course. Darren McFadden is averaging an impressive 5.7 YPC so far this season. In my opinion, he's a Top 10 RB. However, he had a YPC of 3.6 against the Bills, who rank 29th in rush defense, and an even worse 3.2 just this week against the Texans. Adrian Peterson put up a YPC of 3.5 versus the Chiefs. LeSean McCoy has the highest YPC of any starting RB in the NFL at the moment, and he dropped a 2.0 against the 49ers. Lastly, Matt Forte is averaging over 150 yards per game, and he had a YPC of .2 against the Packers. That isn't a typo. Was Rice as effective on the ground as he could've been in those games? Probably not. Did he help his team by being effective in the passing game? The answer is a resounding yes. As long as at least one of those remains a yes, I'm not overly concerned. That's not to say that I'll be content if puts up less than stellar numbers, but I certainly don't see myself pointing the finger at him neither.

[Thepurplehaze]

[quote name='Radinho84' timestamp='1318319913' post='820620']
oh my god. i don´t even wanna think about that. lol
[/quote]
Don't forget Ricky!
No but seriously, now we're upset with Rice on the offense?