"I've eaten burritos bigger than you."-Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt
Not much stops Baltimore Ravens dynamo Ray Rice so Watt's crack about his size likely only motivated him. I love when football players come into the NFL and pretty much shatter the myth that they have to be some large human to succeed. Rice may be hard to find behind his offensive line at 5'8". He's also hard to bring down once he's passed that line. At 210 lbs, he's short but he's not small. He's a terrific back and he has been since he stepped on an NFL field in 2008. His peers see things the same as Rice showed up at #13 on NFL Network's Top 100 players. It should be no surprise.
Perhaps the most significant play of the 2012 season came in week 12 when Ray Rice caught a screen pass on 4th down and 29 yards to go against the San Diego Chargers. He wasn't brought down until he had moved the ball about 29.5 yards. It led to a game-tying field goal to force overtime. The Ravens won that game in overtime. The Ravens lose that game and their season is basically over. That incredible play made the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl possible. It was a play that will be remembered by Ravens fans for a very long time.
Ray Rice can do pretty much everything that you could ever want from a running back. Run, catch, block, all at an incredibly high level. He did all those things at Rutgers yet he still dropped to the bottom of the second round in the 2008 NFL Draft. If he's two inches taller, he's an early first round pick. With the retirement of linebacker Ray Lewis a new Ray is emerging as a team leader. The Ravens have been known for so long as a defensive team. Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata. These were the players that everyone knew. Now, quarterback Joe Flacco, Rice, and receiver Torrey Smith are the main men now. If Flacco is the face of the franchise, Rice is the heart.
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