After missing eight days of practice, Bernard Pierce returned to the practice field on Saturday. Bernard Pierce finds himself in the midst of a battle for the back-up running back position. Once considered to be a lock for this role, Pierce is going to have to prove his worth with the outstanding performance of Bobby Rainey Thursday night, and still imminent threats of Anthony Allen and Damien Berry.
Both Bernard Pierce and Head Coach John Harbaugh claim that Pierce is not "battling from behind", but he's certainly not a "lock" for the position, especially after an unimpressive training-camp prior to his hamstring injury.
From BaltimoreRavens.com: "It's not really a race in that sense," Harbaugh said. "It's not that he's behind or anything like that. He's just going to have to do well with the reps and opportunities that he gets, and that's going to be his body of work."
I think the real test of Bernard Pierce's ability will be how he deals with this challenge, and whether-or-not he will end up winning the back-up role. One thing is for certain, he's definitely confident and eager to prove himself.
From BaltimoreRavens.com: "I don't feel like I have to make up any ground," Pierce said. "I know my plays. I was in the film room. I was watching practice sometimes. I'm really not behind from that aspect. I'm trying to climb the ladder a little bit, but not try do overdue anything I'm trying to preserve my body right now, so that when I hit the open field, I can full-out sprint."