STEELERS WEEK: Ravens @ Steelers

This post comes late for the smack talk of Steelers weeks, but at least it came in time for game day.

The Raven begin their 3 week road trip up in Heinz Field facing their arch rivals. Pittsburgh has gotten the best of Baltimore in this rivalry lately winning their last three matches. Anything can happen in these games and one thing is for certain: Neither team can hold the other down for long.

The Ravens offense is running a on a hot streak and it seems to be a good match up for them against a Steelers team that has been slipping as of late. Joe's offense has looked as good as it's record setting 2014 season. Joe is healthy, hungry and motivated with more weapons at his disposal than ever before it seems. Ranked 14th overall they've been relying on their passing attack (9th) to carry them while the running game (26th) has been more of an afterthought. This bodes well facing a Steelers D that his 29th overall and giving up 288 pass yds/gm (28th) and 123 rush yards (25th). Despite that the Steelers D is still dangerous especially during these match ups and especially at home. The question is whether they choose this week to get their act together. The chief concern is the Steelers pass rush. Also, look out for Hurst who says he's ready to play and just waiting on the trainers' OK. Since Pittsburgh has struggled against TEs, he could have an explosive debut if he can play (get him on your FFL squads!).

Joe is going to have to get the ball off quick. The OL is going to need to give him the time to get a few long balls out. And since their are the weakest most suspect unit this season, they'll be challenged to fend off Pittsburgh's pass rsuh and open some holes. This unit did add Hroniss Grasu as an interior lineman this week and there's no telling if he'll start or even play, but his presence means that all guards an centers are on notice to keep Joe upright and clean. It's entirely possible for this offense to hang 28 points in the first half against a bad defense like Buffalo's or nearly that many against a good one like Denver's. Considering the grudge and the road game I'd expect somewhere in between.

The Ravens offense is top ranked at 1st overall in yards allowed. Rush defense ranks 13th allowing just over 100 yards/gm while the pass defense ranks 2nd allowing just 169 yards/gm. Considering they accomplished this without Michael Pierce, Henry, Jimmy Smith and CJ Mosley (for a game). It appears that Michael Pierce and CJ Mosley will be ready to play again this week and just in time to face the 3rd ranked offense. Humphreys will need to stick to Antonio Brown like glue while just about all the other DBs will share in containing Juju Schuster-Smith. Also look for Mosley and Kenny Young to be prowling the midfield for Jesse James and Vance McDonald who've both proven to be capable targets. James Connor is doing a fine job in Le'Beon Bell's stead, but he lacks the dynamism that the Ravens are used to.

It will comedown to how well their OL can prevent this defense from closing the gaps and keeping Big Ben upright. RT Marcus Gilbert is nursing a tweaked hamstring. Roethlisberger is still nursing a sore elbow on his throwing arm. The Ravens pass rush will need to penetrate and get the Ben early an often, but the new roughing the passer calls are going to make this a double edged sword and Ben admitted to hamming it up on at least one call against Tampa Bay to get draw a critical penalty.

Expect this rivalry to be rekindled and be happy with a crucial Ravens road win 38-24 and expect Joe to light it up in the passing game.

 

Don't get your Hope's up about Humphrey on Brown. It's said often, but the Ravens just don't shadow. Their CBs play sides, so Brown will see Carr ad he'll see T.Young as well (maybe eve. K.Young).

 

Yeah I think the thing that is going to drive fans insane and probably be a game decider is going to be Carr. We all know when Jimmy is in the lineup that Antonio is invisible. Without him though, the steelers are going to purposefully pick on Carr, and the Ravens are going to let them do it constantly. Not that the Ravens won't give extra attention to help out Carr, but they will leave him 1-1 in instances too, and as has happened in the past, Carr is going to lose out. Just going to have to hope that the offense is putting up enough points where it's insignificant.

 

All the hype on this game is going to come down to the typical Steelers offense vs Ravens defense. But the real key to the game will be the other side, the Ravens offense vs the Steelers defense.

Pittsburgh is the #29 total defense, #28 pass defense, #24 run defense, and #28 scoring defense. Anyway you slice it, the defense simply isn't good. Flacco and the offense need to continue scoring TDs and not settling for FGs like prior years. The redzone perfection won't continue forever, but they need a high scoring percentage there today. The offense also needs to consistently move the ball and avoid multiple 3 and outs, especially on back to back drives.

The Ravens defense will get beat a few times tonight. They will also make stops and possibly force turnovers. The key to this game is the offense continuing to play as well as they have. That and not spotting Pittsburgh an early game, multiple TD lead like we did against Cincy and Denver.

Side note, why are our only two prime time games against divisional rivals on the road??

 

I felt like this was a good time of year to catch them down but they played a rowdy game against a Bucs team that was playing tough.

Now it feels like a real slobber knocker is going to happen today.

We need Great Joe. Good Joe won't get it done.

 

Prediction: Ravens get grounded on the strength of Big Ben’s arm. Steelers offense controls T.O.P. in route to big win!

At least I hope.

 

You know what, these rivalry games used to be full of venom and claims of one team crushing another. Now it's all respect and I hope we win talk. So let me change that.

Three predictions.
1. Ravens win comfortably. "Comfortably" meaning it does not come down to the last drive.
2. If he plays, Hayden Hurst scores his first NFL TD.
3. Brandon Carr gets picked on, but gets an INT and just misses a second one.

 

Hurst is inactive. John Brown scores the first TD of the night

 

And that's how you start

 

It's amazing how quickly they meshed. Now Crabs, Andrews, & Snead have caught up to Brown. Flacco's having fun!

 

Well, since Hurst inactive, change the 2nd one to Alex Collins averages 4.7 yards per run or better

 

And that's how you continue

 

oh boy, this game could get out of hand really quickly for the Steelers but I will never count them out.

 

Even if he didn't get the football, he stopped him from getting a 1st down. But taking it right out of his hands.....priceless.

 

Collins TD Steelers D could be historically BAD this season

 

13 for 13 in the red zone. That has to be some kind of record or at least close to one.

 

I said the Ravens win comfortably and I'm sticking to that. This Steelers defense IS bad and they are up against a........wait for it........good Ravens offense.

 

wishful thinking

 

It is. Actually, 12 for 12 was an NFL record. Everything going forward is just making the record harder for other teams to break

 

Kenny Young is really fast, but he has to slow it down just a bit and make sure he makes the tackle at the point. He wiffed John Connor just then