A former teammate was extremely critical of Ray Lewis' performance during Super Bowl XLVII. CBS Sports Network analyst Trevor Pryce, who played with Lewis for five years, said the Baltimore Ravens linebacker struggled mightily.
"Half of his playoff check should go to Dannell Ellerbe for making that last play on that last fade route," Pryce said on "The Jim Rome Show", via USA Today. "The other half to Greg Roman, the 49ers' offensive coordinator. ...
"I think (Lewis) played with a case of the nerves. I think he had the yips. I really do."
Ellerbe posted a team-high nine tackles, while Lewis was next with seven.
Lewis isn't the same player he used to be. He can't cover the likes of San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis anymore, and he can be a liability on run defense. Both proved true Sunday.
But Pryce questioned Lewis' psyche, too.
"He had it (nerves) bad; he didn't look like himself, even his new self. Forget his old self, that guy's gone, that guy's named Patrick Willis," Pryce said. "But even the guy he was (in the AFC Championship Game), he wasn't that guy. He had a case of it bad, badly. It was almost like he was just hoping, let's get this over with."
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
