Rice

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.

The shaky, mistake-prone quarterback morphed into a precise passer. An offense that hasn't consistently moved the ball for weeks chewed up yardage at will. A defense that has been giving up ground for much of the season had a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback on the run. Nothing the Ravens had done in the past month foreshadowed their 33-14 throttling of the New York Giants on Sunday in front of an announced 71,470, the second-biggest crowd in M&T Bank Stadium history. Picking a fine time to play their best all-around game of the season, the Ravens overwhelmed the reigning Super Bowl champions in every way. When it was all over, the Ravens celebrated the end of their three-game losing streak, their second consecutive AFC North crown and the right to host a first-round playoff game.

Joey Belcher, a popular presence in Washington's restaurant scene, has died. Belcher, 37, was found dead in his Washington apartment on Monday, according to news stories. This morning, Belcher's family released a statement to the Washington Post: "... Originally from New Orleans, Joey was a pioneer, seeing vision in the rehabilitation of H Street NE and the growth of a dynamic D.C. food truck scene. In addition to owning Sticky Rice D.C. and Dangerously Delicious Pies on H Street NE, he was a partner at 1905 Bistro & Bar on 9th Street NW and owned several food trucks, including Chupacabra.

Some form of the question is asked pretty much every time Ray Rice goes behind a microphone or faces reporters. After all, he has to crack at some point, doesn't he? Five months after signing a contract extension that made him one of the NFL's highest paid running backs and seemingly solidified his status as the focal point of the Ravens' offense, Rice is on pace to finish with his fewest rushing and receiving yards since his rookie season. Barring a dramatic workload increase over the final two regular season games, Rice will have his fewest carries since 2009, his first year as a starter.

Whether Susan Rice jumped or was pushed from consideration to succeed retiring Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, her removal from the equation clears one bone of partisan contention from President Barack Obama's plate as he heads into his second term. The UN ambassador asserted that she withdrew her name to save her boss from "an enduring partisan battle" that would further distract him and the country from urgent national priorities, including job creation, deficit reduction, immigration reform and "protecting our national securitiy.

The young Pittsburgh Steelers fan who helped rile up Steelers Nation by giving Ravens running back Ray Rice his Terrible Towel after the Ravens beat the Steelers at Heinz Field four weeks ago says he has no regrets. As the Ravens walked off the field following their 13-10 victory, Rice approached a section of fans and asked if any of them wanted to exchange one of the Steelers' signature yellow towels for the pair of purple football gloves he was wearing. Cody Yocca, a Pittsburgh native who is a year removed from high school, volunteered his. “No one was budging.

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)

Ray Rice had just topped 100 rushing yards in a game for the first time since early October, but the frustration showed on his face. As the Ravens packed their bags before making the short drive back to Baltimore, he couldn't help but feel as if they had left yards and points - and a victory - out on the field. "It's the way you finish games," Rice said. "As a leader on this team, I like to finish teams out. " The Ravens rushed for a season-high 186 yards on 35 carries Sunday, including 121 from Rice, his highest total of 2012, and a career-high 53 yards from rookie backup Bernard Pierce.

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.