Let me start off by saying that I'm not complaining, but after watching the game this week, and both games against us, I just can't believe this guy has had such a bad drop-off this year. He used to destroy us and this year he's been such a non-factor.
I understand that his line has been injured, and lost Matt Birk, but in rewatch in both games over the last two weeks, he has been slow to the hole, un elusive, and almost looks as though he lacks urgency.
Just wondering if anyone else has any observations. I almost feel like he's hit some sort of wall either mental or physical.
Again, no complaints here.
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Just wondering if anyone else has any observations. I almost feel like he's hit some sort of wall either mental or physical.
NFL running backs die young.
Larry Johnson had two straight 1700 yard seasons and then never gained over 1000 yards again.
Shaun Alexander won the MVP and then was never good again.
Clinton Portis went from 1400 yards to 494 yards to 227 yards.
Willie Parker went from 1316 to 791 to 389 yards.
When it ends, it ends.
It's usually not gradual. It's more often than not sudden.
True. Here's hoping...
I'm just surprised he "died" so young.
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Just wondering if anyone else has any observations. I almost feel like he's hit some sort of wall either mental or physical.
NFL running backs die young.
Larry Johnson had two straight 1700 yard seasons and then never gained over 1000 yards again.
Shaun Alexander won the MVP and then was never good again.
Clinton Portis went from 1400 yards to 494 yards to 227 yards.
Willie Parker went from 1316 to 791 to 389 yards.
Does this mean Frank Gore is in the special category?
He just keeps doing it year after year after year.
There are some players that break the mold. Gore is definitely one of them. Curtis Martin also comes to mind.
1. Running backs 'hit the wall,' - head on.
"The Wall" rarely gives. "The Wall" is hard.
Ray Rice "hit the wall."
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I believe it's part of the reason that our current FO dumped Trent Richardson, 3 years before any other previous FO's might have.... and at least 2 seasons before other FO's would have.
The game as changed.
Defenses have schemes to negate premiere RB's impact on The Game..... and it will take a RB like Adrian Peterson to keep RB's relevant in today's game.
IMHO, Trent Richardson is NOT A. Peterson... and any team that goes 'all in' behind him, is asking to hand themselves a series of beat-downs.
Current NFL defenses are simply too fast, too reactive, too good to let a TRich torch them.
Jim Brown (in his prime) might be the ONLY running back to keep the game as it was in the '60's/'70's..... but TRich, Emmitt, and Curt Warner simply aren't enough (on their own) to keep RB's relevant in today's NFL, IMHO.
Ray Rice can't do it like past RB's could do it.
He gashed us... when we sucked, defensively.
He CAN'T do it against The NFL for a seasonal run to the Super Bowl.
And this year, we're seeing it come to pass.
Ray Rice had a fairly severe hip injury earlier this year.
One thing I have noticed, however, is despite his improved health, that his lateral agility seems to be gone. He's not doing the jump cuts he used to do ..... in fact he's not cutting at all like he used to. He looks more like a straight line runner this year than at any time in his career. I don't know if he's still hurt or not.
The Ravens also lost one of their starting Guards, which had to hurt their rushing attack. I believe that Pierce is way down in rushing efficiency as well this year. His rushing average is about half what it was last year.
OK, I just looked it up.
Last year Pierce ran for 532 yards at 4.9 yards/carry. This year he has run for 261 yards (in 9 games) at 2.8 yards/carry.
Rice has run for 289 yards at 2.5 yards/carry. Last year he ran for 1143 yards at 4.4 yards/carry.
Heavy duty drop off for both guys.
Part of the reason is that nobody fears Baltimore's passing game this season.
The Ravens have gone from an in line man blocking scheme to a zone scheme. Those big boys are no longer firing off the ball like before and it takes a different skill set to be effective in zone compared to manup.
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Just wondering if anyone else has any observations. I almost feel like he's hit some sort of wall either mental or physical.
NFL running backs die young.
Larry Johnson had two straight 1700 yard seasons and then never gained over 1000 yards again.
Shaun Alexander won the MVP and then was never good again.
Clinton Portis went from 1400 yards to 494 yards to 227 yards.
Willie Parker went from 1316 to 791 to 389 yards.
Does this mean Frank Gore is in the special category?
He just keeps doing it year after year after year.
There are a bunch of guys that have played the game at a High Level for years and years...(Brown, Sweetness, sanders etc) .
I don't knjow what you can make out of that,, It was a different time. Maybe that's it.
He's definitely beat up. Just from what I've seen in 2 full games, and various flipping around on Sunday Ticket, they aren't really trying to feature him. They still want to throw the ball a ton. I'm just surprised he's not getting more pass plays set up for dump offs and screens.
I think Baltimore will probably look back and just chalk this up as the typical hangover year.
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Just wondering if anyone else has any observations. I almost feel like he's hit some sort of wall either mental or physical.
NFL running backs die young.
Larry Johnson had two straight 1700 yard seasons and then never gained over 1000 yards again.
Shaun Alexander won the MVP and then was never good again.
Clinton Portis went from 1400 yards to 494 yards to 227 yards.
Willie Parker went from 1316 to 791 to 389 yards.
Larry Johnson was placed on IR one year and suspended for multiple games the following year. He would have broken the 1000 yard mark many times in his career if those two things never occurred (Though the suspensions were right) and he didn't have to sit behind Priest Holmes at the start of his career.
Shaun Alexander went on IR one year and then was constantly injured the following year.
Clinton Portis went on IR following his 1400 yard season and then was plagued by injuries.
Willie Parker went on IR during his 1000 yard season and then got plagued by injuries.
I think what you're saying is that players who were great who then become injured suck 
You know I'm not a WR are great kind of guy.
But in thinking about your question WTH happened?
I'd have to say a big big reason is the exodus of Boldin...such a big clutch threat and made the 2nd banana Torrey Smith better along with Jacoby as the 3rd n 4th threat. Now combine that with the loss of Pita. Teams no longer have a reason to utilize Cover 2 which would always end up with 7 in the box. Also they have struggled in the OL a bit - last year McKinnie brought a spark to them but McKinnie is who we thought he was...LAZY so he became expendable. A few key OL injuries.
Just a different scenario...teams are coming after Flacco eliminating double moves along with that they are attacking the gaps while having 8 in that box. Unable to get outside there is no Horizontal stretch...
Well this is JMHObservation 
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You know I'm not a WR are great kind of guy.
But in thinking about your question WTH happened?
I'd have to say a big big reason is the exodus of Boldin...such a big clutch threat and made the 2nd banana Torrey Smith better along with Jacoby as the 3rd n 4th threat. Now combine that with the loss of Pita. Teams no longer have a reason to utilize Cover 2 which would always end up with 7 in the box. Also they have struggled in the OL a bit - last year McKinnie brought a spark to them but McKinnie is who we thought he was...LAZY so he became expendable. A few key OL injuries.
Just a different scenario...teams are coming after Flacco eliminating double moves along with that they are attacking the gaps while having 8 in that box. Unable to get outside there is no Horizontal stretch...
Well this is JMHObservation
Boldin drove me nuts. Kept drives alive for that team. As much as their defense is lacking since two HOF'ers walked out the door in the offseason, I think not having him or a player like him is hurting them the most. He's one of the few players on the Ravens that I actually had at on of respect for because the guy is as tough as they come and a hell of a pro.
It's a lot of things. Boldin and Pitta gone but personally, I think the biggest part is not having Matt Birk. People don't seem to realize how good he was throughout his career. That offensive line is not playing well, neither is Rice, but still.
That's true. Think about the numbers RBs put up behind him at Center.
Good points. AND without Boldin, especially him, the box is packed. More this year of attacking Flacco. If you break him mentally, the silliness stops, most of the dancing hippo crap. Mentally they are not as tough, and Rice has lost some heart as well as a step. More talk than walk IMO. Still good, but not Rice.
You do not think that there is a correlation between being a running back and getting injured often?
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You do not think that there is a correlation between being a running back and getting injured often?
No, I don't believe that. Please do not put words in my mouth. While they're the most injured, I don't believe that running backs hit imaginary walls to show a decline, I think it's more of a gradual decline like all other positions.
That's what happens when a dinged-up RB goes behind a very bad offensive line.
It's way too early to say Rice is washed-up at the age of 26. I can't ever recall a RB being viewed as having lost his ability at such a young age. Seems like a big overreaction to me.
Damn glad it's happening, though.
While I don't disagree with you Toad on that it's too early. The other thing you have to keep in mind is that Rutgers ran the hell out of him in college too.
Just comparisons……
Ray Rice (3 years Rutgers age 26): Attempts 910 Yards 4,926
Matt Forte (4 years Tulane age 27): Attempts 833 Yards 4265
Adrian Peterson (3 years Okla age 28): Attempts 747 Yards 4,045
Arian Foster (4 years Tenn age 27): Attempts 650 Yards 2,964
Jamaal Charles (3 years Tx age 26): Attempts 533 Yards 3,328
Actually looking at that, he had over 900 attempts (not even counting receiving stats) in 3 years! His soph/jr years combined for 715 rushes
Good lord Petersons numbers in college are staggering.
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Good lord Petersons numbers in college are staggering.
And that's with missing almost an entire season in addition to his forgone Sr. season.
Yea he had half those total yards his frosh year.