5 Baltimore Ravens who need the bye week most

4. The Baltimore Ravens need to give the big man a breather

Michael Pierce is having one of the best years of his career for the Baltimore Ravens. However, if the Ravens want him to be at his best in the playoffs, they need to give him a breather. This bye week should help. 

Pierce has played 472 snaps. In 2020, 2021, and 2022, Pierce played just 342 snaps combined. In 2019, he played 483 snaps, which was the second-most in his career. 2017 was the most, which was 594 snaps. That year, he played 54.3% of the defensive snaps, but this year, he is at 57.8% of the snaps. At his current rate, he would finish over 660 snaps this year. So, this is a big step up for him. 

Pierce has been good, but the run defense can sometimes have small leaks. The Ravens should try to mix in Travis Jones a bit more, but they should also be thankful that he is healthy and heading into a much-needed bye week.