Ray Rice Trying to Push Baltimore Ravens into Playoffs

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice had an average rookie season. He ran for 454 yards on 107 carries and caught 33 passes for 273 yards. He didn't score any touchdowns. The 5-8, 210 pound Rice has had a sensational second season. Rice has carried the football 194 times for 1,041 yards, totaling seven rushing touchdowns. He has caught 68 passes for 652 yards and another score.

Quarterback Joe Flacco is another second-year player for the Ravens. As a rookie, Flacco started for the team, and lead them to the American Football Conference championship game, where they lost at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Flacco didn't do anything spectacular in his first season, but simply didn't lose games for the Ravens, which is the most a team can expect from a rookie quarterback. Flacco's numbers have modestly improved in his second year. They won't jump out at anybody, but anyone who has seen him play realizes that he has the potential to become a big star in this league.

The Ravens' defense has been great, which doesn't surprise anybody. They are eighth in the NFL in yards allowed, and rank third in the league in points allowed per game. Ageless linebacker Ray Lewis, who is now 34-years-old, leads the team with 108 tackles.

Baltimore is fighting for its playoff life, as it holds a 7-6 record. The team won its first three games of the year, but lost its next three. They won their next game, and have alternated between winning and losing a game ever since that. The Ravens have struggled against good teams. Only two of their seven wins were against teams that currently hold a winning record. They play three teams with losing records to close out the season. However, even if they are able to make the playoffs, their inability to beat good teams will make it very tough for them to advance.

Baltimore doesn't look like they'll make another deep playoff run this year, even if they make the playoffs. However, Flacco and Rice should be a top quarterback/running back duo for several years, and should lead the Ravens to many deep playoff runs.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/