Baltimore Ravens: Lorenzo Taliaferro Becoming a Common Name
Sep 21, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Lorenzo Taliaferro (34) runs from Cleveland Browns inside linebacker Craig Robertson (53) during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens won 23-21. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Baltimore Ravens running back Lorenzo Taliaferro has become a much more commonly-known name in recent days after his 91 yards on 18 carries in Pittsburgh this past Sunday. Whereas Ravens fans locally have been very interested in seeing him get some serious playing time after his good preseason performance, the former Coastal Carolina runner was not a top-rated name that most fans around the country would know.
That is changing – one reason being the Ray Rice debacle (about which two Forest Gump quotes come quickly to mind: “Stupid is as Stupid does” and, “That’s all I got to say about that!”). The second reason is because of an injury to Bernard Pierce (imagine that!). And it all resulted in Joe Flacco handing the ball to this Taliaferro fellow (with a famous Civil War name – bet most of you didn’t know that!).
What is interesting is to see how all of this has brought Taliaferro’s name onto sports pages around the country.
NFL.com mentioned him near the top of an article about the progress being made by rookie running backs around the league, saying …
"The truth is that Baltimore’s offense doesn’t miss Ray Rice. Losing Bernard Pierce on Sunday didn’t hurt, either, with Justin Forsett and Taliaferro lashing the Browns for nearly 160 yards on the ground. The Ravens showed plenty of trust in their rookie, riding Taliaferro’s hot hand for 91 yards at 5.1 yards per carry in his first legitimate action of the year. Nimble on his feet, the former Coastal Carolina rumbler repeatedly burst past Cleveland’s first wave for extra yardage."
Rant Sports sees the rookie as certainly a hot hand that is in line for a significant level of play, saying …
"Taliaferro may carry the ball less with Pierce expected to return in Week 4. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh mentioned the idea of going to a committee approach or using the hot hand. After this week, Taliaferro is the hot hand."
Quite a number of sites are talking about Taliaferro in light of his potential contributions in Fantasy Football – speculating on the extent of his usage. At XM Sports they wrote …
"Running Back Targets: The Ravens needed an answer at running back and the rookie out of Coastal Carolina delivered. Taliaferro rushed 18 times for 91 yards and a touchdown against a solid Browns defense and looks to be the guy as Bernard Pierce and Justin Forsett don’t elicit the same optimism. He’ll face Carolina whose run defense was handled easily by Tampa and blown out of the water by Pittsburgh. He’s got good matchups in Indy, Tampa, and Atlanta after that."
Actually, none of this is a surprise to us at The Baltimore Wire. Of course, we can just sorta forget it if we blow it completely and say something stupid that never comes true. But, we do actually hit it frequently, and we did so at the end of May in this article that talked about Baltimore Ravens running back possibilities …
"“I am looking for the Baltimore Ravens’ fourth-round pick to not only make the team but contribute significantly. At 6-2, 230, he is a big back with speed and a one-cut downhill approach.”"
This article talked also about the Bernard Pierce injury situation.
Frankly, I just like a bigger back than has become popular in recent years with 5’8” fire hydrant types squeezing through narrow openings. At 5’10” and 200 pounds, I see myself as a little guy relatively speaking, and I find it difficult to believe someone smaller than me can be a success in the NFL.
In any event, Baltimore Ravens fans have to like this draft choice of Lorenzo Taliaferro.