Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers travel down to Baltimore, Maryland to face the division rival Ravens. This is a huge game for both teams. If the Steelers win they win their second consecutiv AFC North Title, and damage the Wild Card hopes of the Ravens. If the Ravens win they tie for the division lead with the Steelers, and it helps their bid for a Wild Card if they still lose the division.
Also, these two teams don't like each other. It's borderline hate. Bart Scott hates Hines Ward. The entire Steelers team hates Ray Lewis. This game is going to be a war.
Matchups:
Steelers Offensive Line vs. Ravens Front Seven: The Steelers offensive line has been less than good all season long. They have trouble picking up the blitz, they aren't very good on the goal line, the cannot sustain pass protection. The Ravens have a very good front seven and will have no problem blitzing this Steelers offensive line. The Ravens also haven't allowed a 100 yard rusher in ages, and I don't believe that they will allow one this week either.
Steelers Running Backs vs. Ravens LB Ray Lewis: Ray Lewis eats running backs for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a bedtime snack. The Steelers right now do not have a bonafide power rusher, the best way to combat a defense like this. Willie Parker has never had a good game against the Ravens defense. Mewelde Moore has done a good job this season and had an excellent game against the Ravens as a receiver out of the backfield on the Monday Night game earlier in the season. But can he duplicate that, much less turn it into a strong run game? I doubt it.
Joe Flacco vs. Steelers OLB's James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley: In the Monday Night game, Flacco had a decent game. However the key play in the game was when James Harrison came off of the edge and strip-sacked Flacco and Woodley returned the fumble for a touchdown, sparking the Steelers to win the game. Flacco so a rather vanilla defense in that first matchup, and Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is going to throw everything including the kitchen sink and the rookie this time around. Harrison has already tied the Steelers single season sack record of 15 sacks in a season, this week he plans on sole ownership of it. Harrsion and Woodley have combined to set the OLB-combo sack record for the Steelers also.
Ravens Running Backs vs. Steelers Defense: The Steelers defense is #1 against the run this season. The Ravens are going to need to get a strong game out of their three backs to keep Flacco from having to win the game himself. I don't see the Ravens having a strong run game, not against this defense.
Steelers Defense vs. Ravens Defense: I know, defenses actually don't face each other. But this game will be decided by the defenses. The Steelers are #1 overall, #1 against the pass, #1 against the run, and #1 in scoring. The Ravens are within the top 5 in all those categories. Neither defense has allowed a 100 yard rusher this season. The Steelers have not allowed a team to get 300 yards of total offense in a single game this season. So this game is going to come down to which defense forces the other team's offense to make a mistake, probally a big mistake. Will it be Ed Reed picking off a Roethlisberger pass to the house? How about another strip-sack of Flacco returned by the other outside linebacker? A forced fumble on a big hit from Ray Lewis? Troy Polamalu making a great play to ignite the Steelers?
Ravens LB Bart Scott vs. Steelers WR Hines Ward: Bart Scott thinks Hines Ward is a cheapshot artist. Hines Ward won't say it, but I am sure he thinks Bart Scott is a whiney little pansy. Bart Scott has said that the Ravens had a bounty out on Ward and rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall in the Monday Night game. I think Bart Scott needs to keep his fucking mouth shut, and he better have his head on a swivel because I think Hines Ward will be looking to lay him out this Sunday on Baltimore's turf.
Steelers 23
Ravens 6
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