For much of the 2013, we all waited for the Ravens running game to come around and produce at its usual level. It just didn't happen -- not at all.
Two months after the end of the season, I am still shocked at how bad Baltimore’s running game was last season. These were the defending Super Bowl champs, right? With the one-two punch of Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce in the backfield?
Since John Harbaugh showed up there, Baltimore has done nothing but pound opponents with the run – 4th, 5th, 14th, 10th and 11th in rushing the previous five years. When Baltimore went on its Super Bowl run in 2012, it was with the running game leading the way. In their final nine games last year, they averaged 130 rushing yards.
But it all fell apart last year. Rice and Pierce didn’t seem to run with the same speed/pop, and the offensive line definitely slipped badly.
Only two teams ran for fewer yards, and the Ravens averaged only 3.1 yards per carry. The running backs actually finished down at 2.9 per attempt.
In yards-per-attempt, Baltimore not only ranked last in the entire league, but it had the lowest figure by any team since San Diego in 2000. That was the year before the Chargers selected LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees in the draft.
LOWEST RUSHING AVERAGES SINCE 2000 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | Att | Yds | Avg |
2000 | San Diego Chargers | 351 | 1062 | 3.03 |
2013 | Baltimore Ravens | 423 | 1328 | 3.14 |
2007 | Chicago Bears | 423 | 1330 | 3.14 |
2005 | Arizona Cardinals | 360 | 1138 | 3.16 |
2002 | Houston Texans | 424 | 1347 | 3.18 |
2006 | Arizona Cardinals | 419 | 1338 | 3.19 |
2000 | Cleveland Browns | 336 | 1085 | 3.23 |
2001 | Cleveland Browns | 417 | 1351 | 3.24 |
2007 | Kansas City Chiefs | 383 | 1248 | 3.26 |
2000 | Carolina Panthers | 363 | 1186 | 3.27 |
2000 | New England Patriots | 424 | 1390 | 3.28 |
2009 | San Diego Chargers | 427 | 1423 | 3.33 |
2013 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 378 | 1260 | 3.33 |
2003 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 446 | 1488 | 3.34 |
2003 | Tennessee Titans | 486 | 1623 | 3.34 |
2001 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 407 | 1371 | 3.37 |
2005 | Green Bay Packers | 398 | 1352 | 3.40 |
2003 | New England Patriots | 473 | 1607 | 3.40 |
2012 | Arizona Cardinals | 352 | 1204 | 3.42 |
2006 | Baltimore Ravens | 476 | 1637 | 3.44 |
—Ian Allan