The Baltimore Ravens are not having the season everyone expected from them. The offense is struggling behind a bad offensive line and quarterback Joe Flacco is clearly missing a few favorite wide receivers. The team is 3-5 and a far cry from what they looked like the year the Ravens won the Super Bowl. With division rivals Cincinnati Bengals facing off Sunday, something needs to change. Ray Rice is confident he can be that needed boost.
Through nine weeks of the season, the Ravens rank last in rushing yards per attempt. Rice has struggled this season, putting up just 2.7 yards per attempt. Is it the offensive line causing headaches? He team returned four of their five starters from last year so that is not an excuse. So what is it? Rice is not sure, but he believes he has his health back and confidence to make a difference.
"My level of confidence is where it was in Week One," Rice said, via the Baltimore Sun. "I still believe we'll get the run game going. We have the guys. It's never going to be an effort thing. We've just seen some pretty good fronts, and I've battled through stuff this year. I don't have to hesitate to do anything. I just want to go out there and let it fly. The next eight games, I'm just trying to go out there and be the best Ray Rice I can be for the next half of the season."
Rice has been adamant that he is totally healthy after a hip flexor injury suffered earlier in the season. That type of issue appeared to start the downfall of Rice's year. At this point, Rice has just 259 yards off 97 carries. He is the second-lowest running back in the league. According to NFL experts, Rice is on pace to finish the year with 519 yards, but he is not panicking, noting every player goes through these types of things.
"Everybody has these situations," said Rice. "A down year isn't going to make or break me as a person. I've been through a lot worse than averaging what I'm averaging in carries. I've got broad shoulders. As long as you're not jumping on my front lawn, you're all right."
Most of the blame for the offensive struggles is being placed on the offensive line, something head coach John Harbaugh says is not fair. However, it is clear the Ravens are missing center Matt Birk. The coach simply believes the team just needs confidence, something that will come with earned wins.
"Until you start doing it with some consistency, it's hard to be confident in what you're doing. So, sure, we have to get that done. It's the cart before the horse. We have confidence, but as we start doing things, it will build on that confidence," said Harbaugh.