The Baltimore Ravens sure have a lot on their plate right now heading into their Thursday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and at some point they’ll have to decide which running back will start that game.
The Ravens forthcoming decision has nothing to do with running back Ray Rice as the recently released player was already scheduled to miss Thursday night’s game due to his suspension. Instead, they will have to decide whether or not to continue benching current starter Bernard Pierce following him fumbling deep in his own territory in the Sunday loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
After Pierce fumbled, he was replaced by Justin Forsett, who finished the game with 70 yards on 11 rushes. Pierce never played another down the rest of the game.
“Justin did a great job,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said after the game. “He has been playing that way all since he got here, all through offseason and training camp. He proved it in the game.”
During his first six seasons in the league, Forsett has only started seven games with his last start coming way back in 2010. The former seventh-round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks has also only carried the ball more than 17 times in a game just twice.
Even if Forsett does get the start Thursday night over Pierce, one would think that the Ravens would also allow Pierce or rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro to share the load. Taliaferro was mostly relegated to playing on special teams against the Bengals, but did see the field for three snaps on offense.
