The Ravens running game has been awful this season. Ray Rice is averaging a career-low 2.8 yards per attempt, down from 4.4 last season and 4.7 in 2011. He’s averaged just 17.4 yards per game which would put him at a whopping 278.4 at the end of this season.
That five-year, $40 million contract might be causing quite a few sleepless nights in the Ravens front office right about now.
The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec took a great indepth look at Rice’s struggles and the inconsistencies on the Ravens offensive line this season in his latest column. In that piece he quoted former Ravens RB Jamal Lewis who had an interesting take on the whole debacle.
“Me watching from the outside looking in, I see [hesitancy] in both him and Pierce,” Lewis said. “Any time you take the ball and your second step is side-to-side, that’s pretty much doubt. That’s not having trust in your offensive line. The play is already drawn up where the hole is and where it’s supposed to be. There should be no hesitation in where you go. When you have doubt, that’s when your second step is not north and south, it’s east and west. That’s a problem as a running back.”
Lewis added that Rice’s hip injury combined with teams game planning against him (as one of the Ravens best offensive weapons) have likely also contributed in his disappointing numbers this season.
Shelf life on an NFL running back? 5 years. Ray Rice is entering his 6th season. Need I say more?
I know the o line is porous, but the fact that Rice is slower, even before the injury, is a result of the expiration date having past. Bad contract they gave Rice with salary cap implications for years. There can be no loyalty, no “thanks for all you did” contracts if you’re going to remain competitive for titles.
Two Words- Salary. Cap.