Ray Rice has been a "fixture" at the Ravens' offseason program.

That's in contract to last year, where a franchise tagged Rice missed the Ravens' entire offseason program as the sides negotiated a long-term deal. "I'll be honest, it was different this year," Rice said. "I wasn't playing football at this time last year. That was totally different." Coming of a down season by the lofty standards of Rice's 2009-11, Rice remains locked in as an elite RB1 despite the presence of an emerging Bernard Pierce.

Ray Rice wants to catch more passes this season.

Rice's 61 receptions were second only to Darren Sproles' 75 among running backs last season, but 15 fewer than he caught in 2011. "Now that guys know that I'm a threat out of the backfield, I got to use my hands a little more," Rice said. "I get pushed a lot coming out of the backfield, and that's a sign of respect, but if I can get my hands and get out on pass routes and continue to get open for Joe Flacco." Rice has averaged 70 catches the past four seasons, and should be around that number in 2013.

Ray Rice rushed for just 59 yards on 20 carries in Super Bowl XLVII and caught four passes for 19 yards with a lost fumble.

Just as San Francisco had narrowed the deficit to 28-20, Rice lost a fumble on a swing pass in the flat late in the third quarter, having the ball popped loose by 49ers RCB Tarell Brown. The Niners capitalized on David Akers' third field goal. The Ravens ultimately escaped, but it was Rice's fifth career lost fumble in the playoffs and third in this year's postseason alone. Although Rice remains a top-five fantasy back, his 2013 workload may be a concern with Bernard Pierce emerging as a regular candidate for carries.

Ray Rice rushed 19 times for 48 yards and a touchdown in the Ravens' AFC title game win in New England, adding three catches for 22 yards.

Ray Rice rushed 30 times for 131 yards and a touchdown in Baltimore's Divisional Round upset of the Broncos.

Rice was held without a catch for just the second time all season - with the other coming in Baltimore's meaningless Week 17 tilt with the Bengals - but put his team on his back as he totaled 30 or more carries for just the third time in his five-year career. Getting gobbled up in a number of obvious running situations brought down Rice's yards per carry, but he helped put the Ravens in manageable third-down situations all afternoon. The Ravens will get either the Patriots or Texans in the AFC Championship Game. Houston held Rice in check in Week 7, but he stung New England for 150 total yards in Week 3.

Ray Rice has lost four fumbles on 152 career playoff touches.

It's an alarmingly high rate, but we'd chalk it up to a statistical anomaly. Rice has touched the ball 1,527 times in the regular season and lost just six fumbles. "I'm not a fumbler," Rice said after Sunday's two-fumble outing. "You guys know that, and that'll be the last time I address me fumbling. It won't happen again."

Coach John Harbaugh indicated that Bernard Pierce's increased playing time in the fourth quarter had nothing to do with Ray Rice's two lost fumbles.

"We like both of those guys in that situation," Harbaugh said. "Bernard has earned the right to be in on those kind of situations. I like both of our backs a lot." Pierce has been handling a series here and there to keep Rice fresh, and that will remain the plan going forward. A resolute Rice has vowed to put the fumbling behind him.

Ray Rice rushed 15 times for 70 yards and added one reception for 47 yards versus the Colts in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

Rice showed his open-field brilliance with a 47-yard screen pass, but watched from the sidelines on the next play as Vonta Leach vultured a 1-yard touchdown. The story of the game was Rice's two lost fumbles, the first of which should have been awarded back to the Ravens. Although Rice ceded playing time to an impressive Bernard Pierce in the final quarter, the benching is highly unlikely to carry over to next week's Divisional Round game at Denver.

Ray Rice played two series and rushed for five yards on three carries in Sunday's Week 17 game against the Bengals.

Rice also was credited with a personal foul penalty when he and Bengals rookie LB Vontaze Burfict got mixed up after a first-quarter play. Bernard Pierce and Anthony Allen will carry the load for the rest of the regular season finale as the Baltimore starters watch from the sideline. Rice ends the regular season with 257 carries for 1,143 yards (4.4 YPC) and nine touchdowns. He added 61 catches for 478 yards and another score. His 318 touches were a season-low since his 2008 rookie season (140). We'll see the Ravens next weekend in the playoffs when they host either the Bengals or Colts.

Ray Rice is active for Sunday's game against the Bengals and "will play a series or two."