A new offensive coordinator was not only a breath of fresh air for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, but also for the team’s running game. Under Jim Caldwell the Ravens have utilized both Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce in their three playoff games and have seen significant improvements in the ground attack.
ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley points out that Pierce in particular has been utilized since Cam Cameron’s departure.
No one has benefited more from the change in offensive coordinators than Pierce. In his first 13 games this season, all under Cam Cameron, Pierce was on the field 17 percent of the time, according to ESPN Stats & Information. In Jim Caldwell’s six games, Pierce has been on the field for almost one-third of Baltimore’s snaps.
Pierce, who finished as the second-leading rusher in Temple’s history, has taken advantage of the extra playing time. In his six games with Caldwell, Pierce has gained 401 yards rushing (66.8 per game). He totaled 300 yards rushing in the 13 games that Cameron called plays.
The one-two punch of Rice and Pierce has really benefitted the Ravens offense. Rice is a quick, crafty back who can stiff arm some of the biggest tacklers in the game, while Pierce has proven to be a more traditional ground-and-pound runner.
This is a good thing because Rice doesn’t normally show up in the big games or he fumbles in them……………..