Ravens Run

The way Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce are rolling up yards, the Ravens' running back duo may need a nickname of their own. Reviving memories of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (the Miami Dolphins' Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick) and "Thunder & Lightning" (the New York Giants' Ron Dayne and Tiki Barber), Rice and Pierce played significant roles in the Ravens' 24-9 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC wild-card playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday. Pierce led the offense in rushing with 103 yards on 13 carries, including the team's longest runs of 43 and 18 yards.

The last time the Ravens visited Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, they needed to beat the Bengals to clinch the AFC North title. And the Ravens did so courtesy of 191 rushing yards from running back Ray Rice. So with the Ravens poised to return to Cincinnati again this Sunday, Rice relived the fond memories of that performance. “I definitely remember it,” said Rice, who earned his third Pro Bowl invitation in the last four seasons. “It was a great way to finish the year.

This season, there are two very worthy candidates for the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award. Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Dec. 24 against the Washington Redskins, leads the league in rushing (1,600) and has scored 10 touchdowns. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who sat out last season after undergoing neck surgery, ranks second in the NFL in completion percentage (68.3) and touchdowns (30)

ASHBURN, Va. - One of the factors that contributed to the Pittsburgh Steelers' 23-20 win against the Ravens last Sunday was the Ravens' questionable decision to play the entire fourth quarter without giving running back Ray Rice a single carry or targeting him once in the passing game. Because of that omission, several members of the Washington Redskins - the Ravens' opponent this Sunday - said they fully anticipate that they will see a lot of Rice at FedEx Field in Landover. “We get the short end of the stick.

Ravens defensive end Pernell McPhee simultaneously furrowed his brow, shook his head and frowned. It was a telling reaction triggered by McPhee recounting instances of how the defense has consistently failed to stop the run this season, a bizarre departure from a traditional hallmark of the reigning AFC North champions. "We're real disappointed," McPhee said. "It's about the name that the Baltimore Ravens holds, and we aren't playing that kind of defense, especially run defense.

In their previous four seasons, the Ravens could count on three things when traveling to Cleveland to take on the Browns: unpleasant weather, opportunities to run the football and a victory over their AFC North rivals. The Ravens, who haven't lost to the Browns since John Harbaugh became head coach in 2008, have averaged 193 rushing yards per game in their last four trips to Cleveland Browns Stadium. Sure, that number is inflated a bit by their 290 rushing yards in a 24-10 win in Cleveland last December.

After they uncharacteristically allowed 129 rushing yards in their season-opening win over the Cincinnati Bengals, stopping the run seemed to be the biggest concern for the Ravens defense. But the Ravens have spent the last three weeks watching footballs whiz past their ears and into the arms of receivers. Only three teams have been victimized for more passing yards than the Ravens, who rank 23rd in the NFL in total defense. But while those struggles against the pass remain a primary concern, the Ravens have quietly gotten back to smothering running backs.

Since being drafted by the Ravens in 2008, Ray Rice has been eager to carve a place in NFL history, and one of the more accommodating opponents has been the Cleveland Browns. From a 21-carry, 154-yard performance on Nov. 2, 2008 to a 29-carry, 204-yard showing on Dec. 4, 2011, the running back has thrived against Cleveland. In his career, Rice has averaged 96.9 rushing yards against the Browns, which ranks as the second-highest total against an opposing team that he has faced at least three times.

Wearing a sharp designer suit, Ravens running back Ray Rice exited M&T Bank Stadium late Monday night looking as fresh and content as he did at any point during his team record-breaking 2011 season. He had just scored two touchdowns and gained 93 yards of offense in the Ravens' 44-13 blowout victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, and he did it while touching the ball only 13 times. That kind of workload for the Pro Bowl running back last year inspired finger pointing inside and outside of the Ravens' locker room.

Running back Bobby Rainey defied the odds by making it on the Ravens' 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent. But while the former Western Kentucky standout won the No. 3 running back job, he feels like he remains in a daily competition for a roster spot. “There's no time to be relaxed at all, not once,” Rainey said. “That's the way I approach every day, basically like it's a competition with myself. I don't want to lose my job. I want to help the team and be productive for the team.” Rainey was one of the Ravens' most productive offensive players in the preseason.