Ray Rice has been quiet

[ballhawk]

I think his hold out affected him this year too.

[AirFlacco]

I figured after a SB win, he would be one of the main media guys.

I know he had an appearance on Ripa (?) and Strahan, but other than that haven't heard much from him.

Maybe he is a little bummed about his playoff performance?


Colts:
rush - 15/68
pass - 1/47
2 fumbles

Denver:
rush - 30/131, 1TD

NE:
rush - 19/48, 1TD
pass - 3/22

SF:
rush - 20/59
pass - 4/19
1 fumble

Playoff totals:
rush - 84/306 for a poor 3.64ypc, 2TDs, 3 fumbles
pass - 8/88

In fact I think his stats this year were a bit of a down year for him. I really hope we didn't burn him out 2-3 years ago with over usage (similar to Turner in Atlanta).

I am glad we have Pierce, because that should push Rice more to maintain top dog status. Even still, I'd be happy giving Rice fewer carries and making him more integral in the passing game such as Sproles in NO.

See Ozzie thread on Pierce. He wants to draft RB depth because Pierce was injured too much during practices
and games.


As people keep forgetting, some of Rice's poor stats occurred in the playoffs because all the defenses were
stopping Rice up the middle which opened up the great plays to Boldin on the outside.

The 3rd and inches from Joe to Boldin was on the outside lane made possible by teams shutting down Rice.

They can't stop everyone which is why we won the SB - geesh!

Same thing happened to the great Jim Brown in the 64 championship game. Colts threw everything at him to
stop him and they did but that opened up the outside lane to former Terp Gary Collins who scored 3 TDs from
Frank Ryan.

Rice was our Jim Brown and people down't even know it.

[JoeCool5]

I think Rice will be just fine going forward. He is one of the special talents in the league, and we are lucky to have him. Now, having said that, Mr. Pierce needs to see the field A LOT -- that dude is a beast. It will be interesting to see if Caldwell designs some plays that incorporate both of them at the same time.

[leachisabeast]

I think his hold out affected him this year too.

What hold out?

[Paintballguy]

Rice is fine. I'm not worried about him. As another poster said, RB's typically don't have huge games in the Super Bowl for whatever reason. Before this SB, the last 100 yard rusher was 6 years ago in the Colts/Bears game where both RB's went over 100.

[ballhawk]

What hold out?

He wasn't around in the offseason until they signed him. He missed ota's, minicamp, all that stuff. Might not have affected him but it just as easily could have.

[leachisabeast]

He wasn't around in the offseason until they signed him. He missed ota's, minicamp, all that stuff. Might not have affected him but it just as easily could have.

Do you realize how worthless OTAs and minicamps are to veterans? Highly doubt it had any effect on him at all. He still had a pretty decent statistical year.

[Stone]

I concur with the notion that teams keyed in on Rice in the playoffs forcing us to beat them with our other weapons which of course we did. That being said, I also agree he could have played a little better. Especially with regards to the fumbles. When all is said and done though; this is a team game, and Ray definitely had a part in helping us win it all. Having Pierce will definitely help him, and help us win in the future.

[Stone]

Let's also remember the regular season games where Cam barely used Rice, or Pierce for that matter.

[srobert96]

I don't buy that teams were keying in on Rice. Bottom line is he had a bad playoffs. He put the ball on the ground 3 times. Teams did limit him in the passing game. They did not let him run free in the passing game. Pierce was the more effective runner. With the exception of the broncos teams keyed on T. Smith. Teams did not over commit to stop the run.

[ballhawk]

Do you realize how worthless OTAs and minicamps are to veterans? Highly doubt it had any effect on him at all. He still had a pretty decent statistical year.

I hear that. But he wasnt around the team at all. That includes the trainers. His playoff struggles and somewhat down year could be attributed to conditioning issues.

[Rex Thunder]

Last 3 years...

Regular Season:
2010 4.0 ypc
2011 4.7 ypc
2012 4.4 ypc

Postseason:
2010 3.1 ypc
2011 3.0 ypc
2012 3.6 ypc

I think using Pierce more will preserve Rice better for the long season.

Youre also facing the best of the best in the playoffs- whereas the regular season stats have a way of balancing out. Stats can fatten up against the Browns of the world...

[Rex Thunder]

See Ozzie thread on Pierce. He wants to draft RB depth because Pierce was injured too much during practices
and games.


As people keep forgetting, some of Rice's poor stats occurred in the playoffs because all the defenses were
stopping Rice up the middle which opened up the great plays to Boldin on the outside.

The 3rd and inches from Joe to Boldin was on the outside lane made possible by teams shutting down Rice.

They can't stop everyone which is why we won the SB - geesh!

Same thing happened to the great Jim Brown in the 64 championship game. Colts threw everything at him to
stop him and they did but that opened up the outside lane to former Terp Gary Collins who scored 3 TDs from
Frank Ryan.

Rice was our Jim Brown and people down't even know it.

Umm, actually they only put 7 in the box for that crucial 3rd and 1 call where Joe hit Anquan. They were hardly concerned with over committing to stopping Rice.

[bt12483]

Youre also facing the best of the best in the playoffs- whereas the regular season stats have a way of balancing out. Stats can fatten up against the Browns of the world...

Good point.

[Poeboy]

I think the team sent him a message in the Parade. All the "Superstars" got their own Humvee's. Ray Rice, you get in the Humvee with the 2nd team. The positive in all of this is that Rice knows he screwed the pooch in the playoffs and hopefully it will make him a better player.

[StingerNLG]

I think the team sent him a message in the Parade. All the "Superstars" got their own Humvee's. Ray Rice, you get in the Humvee with the 2nd team. The positive in all of this is that Rice knows he screwed the pooch in the playoffs and hopefully it will make him a better player.

??? He was on a float, and he was with all the backfield players. He wasn't with the "2nd team".

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[Maelstrom]

Do you realize how worthless OTAs and minicamps are to veterans? Highly doubt it had any effect on him at all. He still had a pretty decent statistical year.

Actually, I'd suggest with the limitations on training camp activities under the new collective bargaining agreement that OTAs and mini-camps are more important than ever, even for veterans.

[shine]

I think the team sent him a message in the Parade. All the "Superstars" got their own Humvee's. Ray Rice, you get in the Humvee with the 2nd team. The positive in all of this is that Rice knows he screwed the pooch in the playoffs and hopefully it will make him a better player.

Huh!? That's crazy... If that was the case then Bolden and Pitta should have gotten separate humvees.

[DonNMass]

A single season lower yards/carry wont put doubt in the coaches until a trend emerges; Rice will get and should get a mulligan for that this year. The fumbles on the other hand, especially in the big games would be end of a career cause once those seeds of doubt are planted they stay, and it's been more than a one time thing.

Was it the Colts game he fumbled and after the missed field goal the camera panned to him and his sigh of relief?

[Purple Maniac]

During the season John told rice to be patient and wait for the holes to open up. With Pierce its one cut and go and off to the races. I would like to see Pierce bulk up and Rice in the slot.