The Ravens beat the Steelers again on November 6 for their fourth consecutive win and sixth in the last seven meetings in the series.
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If the Ravens beat the Steelers again, there won’t be too many holly or jolly folks in the Steel City.
As much as Flacco and the offense has struggled to this point, the narrative would change quickly if the Ravens went into Pittsburgh on Sunday and pulled out a win with their veteran quarterback leading the way.
Ben Roethlisberger was returning to the Steelers lineup just 20 days after having surgery to fix a meniscus injury and now admits he might have rushed things a bit. Their offense boasts the playmakers to put up points against anybody, even a defense as tough as the Ravens.
But when the rivalry resumes on Sunday at Heinz Field, Foster maintains the Steelers will be better positioned to provide what’s required.
Wright will be under pressure to shackle Antonio Brown, the NFL’s best wide receiver. Plus, Baltimore’s edge rushers have been pretty solid at defending those flat areas.
“There is a professional hate with each other”, Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith said. “Every man in a helmet can be the reason we win”, Brown said after Friday’s practice.
Smith wore an adult-sized onesie for the second time in recent weeks as he addressed the media at the Under Armour Performance Center.
But the Steelers are 6-point favorites, and that number is high enough for me to side with Baltimore.
Flacco’s passes have drawn six pass interference calls this year, but since he entered the league in 2008, Flacco and Eli Manning lead all quarterbacks in drawing defensive pass interference calls, forcing refs to throw their flags 87 times. That’s not all – the Steelers’ passing attack got that much better with the news that Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith will be out for his second-straight game. Mosley has a run stopping metric of 88.4, the second highest grade in the National Football League, and Orr who’s PFF run stopping metric is a below average 43.3. They have a cause to rally around, and winning the division championship is always a top priority.
Houston is 5-1 SU at home this season, but has failed to cover in four of its past five games overall. He was listed as questionable for Sunday. Le’Veon Bell could only muster 32 yards on 14 carries, which have been his lowest of the season so far. The Ravens offensive line is super-talented, and if they start running the ball at will, they may never stop.
To be confident of victory, though, this offense needs to amount to more than just Ben, Bell, and Brown when the chips are down. “I guess when you are looking at it from the outside, and it is going to be more of a primetime game and more of a TV event, I guess you can say that, yes”. Bell is also a dual threat running back. Roethlisberger is eight completions away from passing Testaverde for 10th all-time (3,787). A week ago the Ravens lost to the Patriots on Monday Night Football and it put the club in a funk because the Ravens thought it would be a closer game.
Green is averaging a healthy 16.9 yards per catch since coming off the physically unable to perform list against Dallas last month, but who knows how long he might be out after getting drilled while finishing off a 28-yard reception in the fourth quarter against the Bengals. He has drawn only two pass interference plays this season.
Colts (+3½) over RAIDERS: A week after Oakland clinched its first playoff spot in 14 years, an emotional letdown is possible. Safety Eric Weddle, who could dye his massive beard white and play a pretty good Santa Claus on Sunday, said the other day that this is the stuff of which childhood dreams are made.
The Baltimore Ravens’ path to the postseason just got narrower.
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On the afternoon of Christmas, the Pittsburgh Steelers have the opportunity to seize the ultimate gift: The title of AFC North champions. The victor is headed to the playoffs while the loser could be on the outside looking in.
