Ravens Stock Up, Stock Down Preseason Week 3
By Brett Foote
Aug 23, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Bernard Pierce (30) carries the ball as Washington Redskins linebacker Keenan Robinson (52) tackles in the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
Stock down: Bernard Pierce
After looking like the second coming of Terrell Davis in the first two weeks of the preseason while averaging over seven yards per carry, Pierce suffered a concussion early Saturday night. What hurts even more is that before he went down, Pierce just wasn’t effective at running the football.
It may be unfair to pile on the guy at this point but there are high expectations for Pierce, who the Ravens are counting on to start the first two weeks of the season while Ray Rice serves his suspension. Secretly, the team probably hopes that he seizes the starting job. An ideal situation would be Pierce getting most of the work between the tackles on early downs with Rice serving as the ultimate change of pace and third down back.