Rice captures weekly award for second time this season

By By Edward Lee

Jan 04, 2012 | 1:09 PM

Ray Rice was named the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week Wednesday, joining the Philadelphia Eagles’ LeSean McCoy as the only two-time winners of this honor in 2011.

The Ravens running back was cited for rushing 24 times for 191 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s 24-16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Rice scored touchdowns of 70 and 51 yards – with the former occurring on the fourth play of the game.

Rice, who earned his second Pro Bowl invitation in his last three seasons, captured the honor after his Week 13 outburst against the Cleveland Browns, who could not prevent him from compiling a career-best 204 yards on 29 carries. Rice, who also scored a touchdown, boasted the highest yards-per-carry average (7.0) among all tailbacks with more than 10 attempts that weekend.

Rice earned similar nominations twice before. He posted 104 yards and two touchdowns in the Ravens' 31-24 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10, but the Detroit Lions’ Kevin Smith got more votes.

Rice totaled 149 combined yards and two touchdowns in a 35-7 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but McCoy won the award.

This week, Rice edged out the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Maurice Jones-Drew (169 yards in a 19-13 win against the Indianapolis Colts) and the Atlanta Falcons’ Michael Turner (172 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

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