Some players get their opportunities because their starter gets injured. Bernard Pierce gets an opportunity because Ray Rice is a scumbag — or rather, he’s suspended two games. Regardless of the circumstances, Pierce has the opportunity to make a name for himself. This could be his chance to be the next Ben Tate, a player who was a long-time reserve on the Houston Texans but got paid to start for the Cleveland Browns.
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According to Jamison Hensley, Pierce had been downplaying his shot — until now.
“I’m excited as I can be,” Pierce said, via ESPN.com. “At the end of the day, I can’t really overthink it. I have to make sure I stay mentally locked in and focused because this could possibly be my only shot. I got to make it count.”
Pierce has not capitalized upon his reps in the past. In his previous two seasons with the Ravens, he’s only averaged 3.7 yards per carry. It is, however, night and day between his first and second year. In his first year, when the Ravens’ offense was thriving and eventually won a Super Bowl, he averaged 4.9. The following year, when the Ravens tanked, he averaged 2.9 yards.
Which version of Pierce will appear during the Ray Rice suspension? Ravens’ coach John Harbuagh this it’s the 2012 version.
“We took him as high as we did for a reason,” coach John Harbaugh said of Pierce, a 2012 third-round pick (84th player taken overall). “He’s got talent. He’s tough. He works really hard. We’ve all seen him carry the ball at his best. We just want to see him at his best.”