[News] Undrafted Rookie Michael Pierce Is Surprising With Pass Rush

[BR News]

The Ravens nose tackle is the team’s second-highest graded defensive player on Pro Football Focus. He logged his first career sack in his second NFL game in Cleveland.

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[griffrb]

Stay humble. Stay focused. Keep grinding. And just know the competition will get tougher as the season goes on. Play Like a Raven!

[SeaHawk]

IF we had a better DC, we'd be using much more 4-3.

[Raven1995]

Pierce what a great find, But I still want Dumervil back, at practice and ready for Sundays game.

[b93333]

Kudos to the scout who found this guy... looks like Williams' replacement... too bad we can't afford them both.

[January J]

Diamond in the rough.

[huntrgathrr]

This guy is an incredible bonus for an already stout DL. With him and Williams in the middle accompanied by Urban, Jernigan and Guy the Ravens have an incredible front seven. Plus the emergence of Orr and McClellan as very good linebackers gives the Ravens the deepest, strongest and most talented front seven in the NFL. We are rotating 12 players in the front seven without a drop off in talent. That's really sick. Their prowess does nothing but help a pretty good secondary giving the Ravens one of the top defenses in the NFL.
The first quarter against Cleveland was an fluke that won't be seen again the entire season.. Plain and simple, they got very lucky. But when push came to shove the defense beat McGowen unmercifully and took him out of the game. Then they shut out the Browns on the road for the next 50 minutes. Make no mistake, this is a big, fast and physically dominating defense that has left opposing offenses with a slew of injury problems. I wouldn't bet a nickel on any team in their next game after playing Baltimore. Rex Ryan, who knows something about defense, recognized a little too late how good the Baltimore defense was and said so publicly. Holding Buffalo to 7 points and shutting out Cleveland for 3 quarters is the reason the Ravens are 2-0. What is comforting for Raven fans is that defense travels. It is realistic to say that the Ravens will have a chance to win every game they play. Beating them will take a very good team playing very well and getting the breaks (i.e. officiating). Of course there is the gambling influence which bought the officiating crew in the Jags-Packers game and stole the win from the Jags with 16 bad calls favoring the Packers. After that fiasco every one that cares about NFL football should be screaming for a federal investigation of all officiating individuals including bank accounts, personal surveillance, all phone records and all known contacts. Letting the mob pay these refs to fix games should be targeted and eliminated. The mob guys have a term for this they have used for the last 30 years..."buying a whistle" and I state this from personal knowledge. The problem is that Goodell and the owners are complicit in the process and share in the profits....no matter how clean they claim to be. Certain games are fixed and fans have to suffer the disgrace.

[towens2921]

Bottom line is: if you're that good, the coaches will find a place for you. I look for that 33% to move up to 50% before long.

[A Fish Called Yanda]

I know that no one wants to hear my comments on the organized crime influence on the NFL but that doesn't mean it's not very well and alive.

In my opinion, no amount of money made off of betting would make up for the destruction in value of the NFL if anything like what you are saying was true in the game today. The risk outweighs the reward in almost every way possible.

In truth, I think it all comes down to the simple fact that we see far more of the game nowadays than ever before. We have more cameras around the field and higher quality pictures to look at in every NFL game. Refs are human beings - they make mistakes, they have biases. These mistakes went unseen before simply because we didn't have the ability to see that they were occurring, but the game has changed and every year they become more and more evident.

At the end of the day, the most obvious answer is normally the correct one. There is no conspiracy - its just human nature.

[Ravenous_Ravens]

Kudos to the scout who found this guy... looks like Williams' replacement... too bad we can't afford them both.

Wouldn't go that far. Pierce is already signed for 4 years and BW will get his new contract this next off season, if not before. Pierce gives reason for optimism but BW has been doing his thing carrying the bulk of the load for several seasons now. Not saying Pierce won't become that caliber of player, just has not shown it yet to make FO think they are completely safe if they were to move on without BW.

[FloridalovesRavens]

Kudos to the scout who found this guy... looks like Williams' replacement... too bad we can't afford them both.

Who says?

[757RavensFan]

If our scouting department could find WR talent like they find D-line talent we would be unstoppable.  

[Purple Dawg 96]

If our scouting department could find WR talent like they find D-line talent we would be unstoppable.  

Are you serious? ! The Ravens beat the hottest team in football with backups last season! The play calling and routes need to be upgraded and stop with the run first mentality and open it up like Sunday in Cleveland! Marlon Brown let me down big time but the WRs I think have been fine in my book! Smh our scouting dept. do a great job PERIOD!

[Purple Dawg 96]

Michael Pierce "I SEE YA BOI"! SALUTE

[RRRRRavens]

I know that no one wants to hear my comments on the organized crime influence on the NFL but that doesn't mean it's not very well and alive.

It's just that some of us would like to see some verified facts to go along with your opinions. We can all fantasize criminality in every closet. In fact we often do. But where is your evidence?

[Moderator 3]

4 hours ago, huntrgathrr said:

I know that no one wants to hear my comments on the organized crime influence on the NFL but that doesn't mean it's not very well and alive.

And it really has no place in this thread about Michael Pierce.  Don't you think he's deserving of a non-hijacked thread?

[huntrgathrr]

Yes you are absolutely correct and I apologize. It's just that I am so overjoyed by the play of Pierce and the D in general that my fear that external forces will negate their superiority was heightened by the events that occurred in the Green Bay Jacksonville game.

[sizzlingdoom]

IF we had a better DC, we'd be using much more 4-3.

I think we would do way better using more 4-3 with our personel as well. Sometimes Pees pulls some stuff out. But, for being in charge of the Baltimore Ravens Defense....sometimes is not enough. i'm not a fan either

[ellicottraven]

Just stay at it and improve your craft Michael. You are going to be very good if you want it badly enough. I think you do.

[ellicottraven]

  20 hours ago, b93333 said:

Kudos to the scout who found this guy... looks like Williams' replacement... too bad we can't afford them both.

Who says?

The salary cap maybe?

[ellicottraven]

Why are we not using Anthony Levine Sr. as a LBer? He was incredible in the few preseason games right? I don't think they've utilized him much in that role if at all.

[VermontRaven]

20 hours ago, b93333 said:

Kudos to the scout who found this guy... looks like Williams' replacement... too bad we can't afford them both.

Pierce will be cheap for the next few years.  I am sure the Ravens would love to retain Williams, but Pierce's play definitely helps the Ravens with negotiations because they won't feel like they HAVE TO overspend to keep Williams.  I think the Ravens will give Williams a fair offer, but another team very well may overpay for him, like the Raiders did with KO.  At least now with Pierce's play, the Ravens have a viable alternative if that happens. (By no means am I saying Pierce is as good as Williams, but I think he fits Ozzie's 80-20 rule....Getting 80% of the production for 20% of the price)

[RavenSwag]

Glad we found this guy because after this season Brandon Williams won't be a Raven. I think he has priced himself out of Baltimore and will get a huge payday from another team.

[Filmstudy]

There was a cool "coming out" party for Pierce on the Browns final drive.

He played the first 2 snaps, which is very ususual for 2 reasons:
1. You virtually never would see a NT inserted in such a situation, because pass rush contribution is paramount.
2. Those were the first NFL snaps he has ever played without Brandon Williams lined up next to him.

Other options to maintain 4-man front included BWill himself, a rested Brent Urban, Guy (who did play the last 4 snaps), or any of the OLBs moved inside. pees chose Pierce.

That is statement usage.

[CaliRavenFan]

11 hours ago, RavenSwag said:

Glad we found this guy because after this season Brandon Williams won't be a Raven. I think he has priced himself out of Baltimore and will get a huge payday from another team.

Unfortunately I have this same feeling, I was hoping we would get him a new contract before the season started because that was the only way I seen him coming back next year. I am a huge Michigan fan so im bias towards Willie Henry but I think he will do great things for us in the future also..

Edited September 23, 2016 by CaliRavenFan

[Fastynart]

This guy is a player. You gotta love him and root for him. Talk about rising to the occasion. If some of those wasted high draft picks had performed as well as this guy, we would be unbeatable. So glad they kept him. Just love watching him play.