What would the Baltimore Ravens do without Justin Forsett?

The year that running back Justin Forsett has put on display for the Baltimore Ravens is absolutely incredible. This is a guy that has been in the league for seven years, spending them with five different teams.

He eclipsed 400 yards just twice prior to this year and never topped the 700-yard rush mark. And he never received 120 carries or more in a season. Through ten games in the 2014 season, he has broken all of his previous career-highs.

He has carried the ball 133 times for 721 yards and five touchdowns. He also leads the league among running backs in yards-per-carry average, as he rushes for 5.4 yards per attempt.

The Ravens present a running game that is quite unique. They don’t just use two running backs, they use three. In addition to Forsett, rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro and Bernard Pierce have both received over 60 carries. This is obviously an advantage for the Ravens, as the opposing defense does not know which player to prepare for.

However, it has now become pretty obvious. Forsett is the lead back, and he has earned that spot.

What Forsett has been able to accomplish this year is quite amazing. He never rushed for less than four yards-per-carry in any single game this season, and he has been a huge factor both rushing the ball and catching the ball out of the backfield.

His breakout performance came at a great time for Baltimore, as they had just lost their starting running back in Ray Rice prior to the season’s start. He was suspended for the first two games after committing an alleged assault, and he was released by the team after the Ravens’ opening matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.

He has helped the Baltimore Ravens to present one of the most consistent running games in the league; and after Rice left, no one saw that coming. Rice was one of the best running backs in the league for a four-year stretch from 2009 through 2012.

He rushed for over 1,100 yards in each of those seasons, and totaled 33 touchdowns on the ground. Through the air, he was even more vital. He hauled in over 60 passes in each of those four seasons, and he led the league among running backs in that time span. He possessed the hands of a wide receiver, the strength of a linebacker, and the speed of a running back.

It’s a shame that his career in Baltimore had to end the way it did, but Justin Forsett has made Ravens fans forgot about him pretty quickly.

Ray Rice; who’s that?