Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice carried the ball 15 times for 45 yards and caught four passes for 27 yards in a 19-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7. Rice has now averaged three yards per carry or less in all but one game this year.
Ray Rice struggled against Steelers in mediocre fantasy performance
The Ravens running back was held in check by a tough Steelers defense in Week 7. We break down the fantasy implications.
Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
Fantasy impact: So far this season, Rice has yet to crack the 100-yard plateau running the ball, something he did four times last year. Earlier this season, it looked like coach John Harbaugh was content having Rice split carries with teammate Bernard Pierce, which had an effect on his fantasy value.
Two games into the season, Rice suffered a hip injury that caused him to miss the team's Week 3 game against the Houston Texans. Though many in the fantasy community worried that Pierce would steal the starting role from Rice or at least take a chunk out of Rice's carries, that hasn't happened to this point.
The NFL is a tough league where a running back’s shelf life only lasts for so many years, so maybe Rice is just experiencing the pitfalls of being pounded as the team’s starter over the last few seasons. Hopefully getting the chance to rest during the team’s Week 8 bye will be just what the doctor ordered.
