With Tebow completing 6 of 22 passes for 60 yards and a game-sealing interception, Denver (8-8) claimed a first-round home game by virtue of a tiebreaker over Oakland and San Diego and will host Pittsburgh next weekend.

The Raiders’ loss also pushed the Bengals (9-7) into the playoffs as the sixth seed even though Cincinnati’s comeback fell short against Baltimore. Cincinnati will go on the road to play Houston (10-6), the No. 3 seed, in the first round.

With the Ravens (12-4) winning, the result of Pittsburgh’s game against Cleveland was all but meaningless. The Steelers (12-4) wound up beating their AFC North rival, 13-9, and are the No. 5 seed, but lost the tiebreaker to Baltimore, which swept the season series from the Steelers.

Baltimore didn’t have its game in hand until the final play, when Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton’s desperation pass fell incomplete as time expired.

Earlier in the afternoon, the New England Patriots secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, with a 49-21 victory over Buffalo. Quarterback Tom Brady passed for 338 yards and three touchdowns to rally New England from a three-touchdown deficit as the Patriots scored 49 consecutive points. The Patriots (13-3) finished the regular season with eight wins in a row, and Brady’s 5,235 yards passing were the second most in NFL history for one season.

While much of the AFC picture unfolded late in the afternoon, all but one of the NFC playoff teams were settled by the early games. A night game between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys would decide the NFC East champion and No. 4 seed.

The top-seeded Green Bay Packers (15-1), who clinched the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye last week, beat the Detroit Lions 45-41, despite five touchdowns and 520 yards passing by Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford,

The loss, coupled with Atlanta’s 45-24 win over Tampa Bay, made Detroit (10-6) the sixth seed. Detroit will play at New Orleans (13-3) in the first round. The Saints clobbered Carolina, 45-17, behind five touchdowns and 389 yards passing from quarterback Drew Brees, who finished the season with an NFL-record 5,476 yards passing. But the Saints drew the third seed when San Francisco (13-3) outlasted St. Louis, 34-27, to claim a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed and NFC West champion.

The fifth-seeded Falcons (10-6) will visit Dallas or New York in the first round.

The Indianapolis Colts have been a thorn in the side of the
Baltimore Ravens over the past 10 years, but the team has shown this season
that it has much less of a bite without Peyton Manning under center.

Involved in a tight race atop the AFC North, Baltimore will look to take
advantage of the Colts’ woes this Sunday and win a franchise-record ninth
straight game at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Ravens have won all six of their home outings in 2011 and have taken 16 of
their last 17 games as the hosting club. Their success at home this year has
helped them post a 9-3 record, good enough for a tie with Pittsburgh, Houston
and New England for the best in the AFC entering this week’s play. The Steelers
will own a half-game edge on the pack heading into Sunday’s games, however,
after defeating Cleveland on Thursday.

A win over the Colts would also place the Ravens back into a first-place tie
with the Steelers in the AFC North, but Baltimore owns the tie-breaker edge
thanks to a pair of triumphs over Pittsburgh this season. Both teams are coming
off Week 13 victories, with Baltimore running its current win streak to three
straight with a 24-10 victory at Cleveland last Sunday.

The Ravens used their ground game to keep the Browns in check, attempting a
franchise-record 55 rushes. Ray Rice got the bulk of the work and set a career
high with 204 yards rushing and also scored once.

“I have to give it all to my offensive line,” Rice said about his performance.
“I think it was my first 200-yard game. It felt good to get it against a
divisional opponent.”

Baltimore’s fifth victory in six games was also big from a mental standpoint,
as it had lost three road games this year against teams that were under .500 at
the time of the meeting. Two of those defeats followed wins over the Steelers,
but the Ravens were up to the task against a struggling team last weekend.

“We know we control our own destiny,” Rice said. “Regardless of who we play,
we’ve got to take care of business.”

Baltimore is aiming to reach 10-3 for just the second time in franchise
history, joining the 2006 squad, and snap an eight-game slide to Indianapolis
that includes the postseason. The Ravens haven’t beaten the Colts since Dec.
2, 2001.

The Colts would normally be a big test for the Ravens, but they haven’t given
any teams much trouble in 2011. Indianapolis has yet to win in 12 games and is
off to its worst start since beginning the 1986 season 0-13.

Indianapolis was a huge underdog last weekend versus New England and trailed by
28 points late in the third quarter before Dan Orlovsky helped engineer three
fourth-quarter touchdown drives in his first start at quarterback since Dec.
28, 2008 with Detroit.

Orlovsky threw a pair of touchdown passes, but the Colts still fell to 0-6 on
the road this season after the 31-24 loss. Orlovsky, taking over for a
struggling Curtis Painter under center, will get the start again this weekend.

“He played pretty well,” Indianapolis head coach Jim Caldwell said about
Orlovsky. “Obviously, that’s one thing that is quite evident and he certainly,
I think, did a nice job all around — in the running game and in the passing
game and just moving the ball. He was very poised out there. You’re going to
see him again.”

SERIES HISTORY

The Colts own a 7-2 advantage in their overall regular-season series with the
Ravens, the most recent being a 17-15 triumph at M&T Bank Stadium in 2009. The
Colts also topped the Ravens in Baltimore, the city the franchise had resided
in from 1953-83 before moving to Indianapolis, in both 2005 (24-7) and 2007
(44-20) in addition to a 31-3 rout at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2008.

Indianapolis has also defeated the Ravens twice in postseason play, including
a 15-6 decision at M&T Bank Stadium in a 2006 AFC Divisional Playoff en route
to a Super Bowl title. The Colts also bested Baltimore by a 20-3 count in a
2009 Divisional Round game held in Indiana, with Indianapolis reaching the
Super Bowl that year as well.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is winless in three lifetime matchups with the
Colts, which includes the 2009 playoff loss, while Caldwell is 2-0 against
Baltimore and in head-to-head encounters with Harbaugh as a head coach.

WHEN THE COLTS HAVE THE BALL

Orlovsky (475 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) is the third quarterback given the
task of replacing Manning (4700 passing yards, 33 TD, 17 INT in 2010)
this year. When it was learned that a neck injury would keep the Colts’
franchise signal-caller on the sidelines, the club added Kerry Collins before
he was lost for the season early on. Painter (1541 passing yards, 6 TD, 9 INT)
then took over and was less than impressive, leading to Caldwell giving
Orlovsky a shot last week. With the journeyman under center, Indianapolis’
29th-ranked offense put up 437 total yards and Colts receivers combined for a
season-high 21 catches. Orlovsky himself set career highs with 30 completions
and 353 passing yards, finding wide receiver Pierre Garcon (55 receptions, 6
TD) twice for touchdowns while also getting intercepted once. Garcon logged
career bests with nine receptions and 150 yards, fellow wideout Austin Collie
(38 receptions) added seven grabs for 70 yards and Reggie Wayne (52 receptions,
2 TD) chipped in with five receptions for 55 yards. Perhaps Orlovsky is what
this talented group of receivers, which also includes tight end Jacob Tamme (16
receptions), going. Running backs Donald Brown (397 rushing yards, 4 TD) and
Joseph Addai (319 rushing yards, 1 TD) nearly split 27 carries against New
England and accounted for 80 of the Colts’ 99 rushing yards, while Brown
also scored a touchdown.

Orlovsky was sacked twice a week ago and figures to be under fire again this
Sunday against the league’s third-ranked defense. Baltimore is giving up just
287.3 yards per game and ranks second versus the run, while its 16.0 points
allowed per game also ranks third. The Ravens allowed the Browns to post only
233 yards of offense last weekend, and all but two of Cleveland’s possessions
came to an end with either a punt or a turnover. The bulk of the pressure on
Orlovsky should come from outside linebacker Terrell Suggs (53 tackles, 10
sacks, 2 INT), who had one of Baltimore’s three sacks a week ago as he reached
double-digits for the fourth time in his career. Suggs also ranks second in
the AFC in sacks, and the Ravens as a team are first in the NFL with 41 despite
linebacker Ray Lewis (68 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT) missing the past three games
with a toe injury. He may return this week, but if not expect linebackers
Jameel McClain (63 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) and Dannell Ellerbe (14 tackles) to
step up in the veteran’s absence. The two had seven tackles each versus the
Browns, while rookie defensive end Pernell McPhee (20 tackles, 6 sacks) logged
a pair of sacks. Rookie corner Jimmy Smith (6 tackles, 2 INT) also picked off a
pass and of course, the Colts must keep their eye on safety Ed Reed (40
tackles, 1 sack, 3 INT) as well.

WHEN THE RAVENS HAVE THE BALL

The Ravens have been using a balanced attack this season to rank sixth in the
league in points per game (24.7), but went run-heavy at Cleveland last weekend.
Rice (926 rushing yards, 56 receptions, 11 total TD), who also leads the team
in catches, rushed the ball 29 times and ripped off a 67-yard run while
averaging seven yards a carry. In an effort not to wear down their small back,
the Ravens also gave Ricky Williams (338 rushing yards, 2 TD) 16 carries, and
he responded with 76 yards and a touchdown as Baltimore finished the game with
290 yards on the ground, almost 200 over their season average of 114.8 per
week. With all that ground work, quarterback Joe Flacco (2895 passing yards, 13
TD, 8 INT) didn’t have much to do. He completed 10 of his 23 passes for 158
yards and was sacked once without an interception. Baltimore as a team has
given up only three sacks in the past four games, however. Even with limited
chances, wideout Anquan Boldin (50 receptions, 3 TD) made a pair of catches for
32 yards last week to reach 700 career receptions. Tight end Ed Dickson (46
receptions, 3 TD led the way against Cleveland with three receptions and 47
yards, while rookie wide receiver and deep threat Torrey Smith (32 receptions,
5 TD) made a 32-yard grab.

The Colts rank dead last in the NFL with an average of 29.8 points allowed per
game, and their meeting with the Patriots did little to help that fact. Indy is
also giving up 144.2 yards per game on the ground, 30th in the league. The
Colts did outgain the Pats a week ago, but New England still put up 362 yards
of offense, with quarterback Tom Brady throwing for 289 yards with a pair of
touchdowns. The Ravens aren’t likely to deploy the same strategy, but when
Flacco drops back he’ll be facing two of the game’s best ends in Dwight Freeney
(15 tackles, 5.5 sacks) and Robert Mathis (30 tackles, 5.5 sacks). Neither was
much of a factor versus the Pats, but the two have combined for 77 sacks in
their last 57 games. Freeney, meanwhile, remained a half-sack shy of 100 for
his career and would be the 26th player to reach that mark. With the two pass
rushers shut down, defensive tackle Fili Moala (15 tackles) logged his first
career sack. Safety Antoine Bethea (102 tackles) led the club with nine tackles
against New England, while outside linebacker Ernie Sims (31 tackles) added
eight and counterpart Philip Wheeler (75 tackles, 1 sack) made seven stops.
Indianapolis did lose leading tackler Pat Angerer (112 tackles, 1 sack) in the
game due to a knee injury that leaves the linebacker questionable for this
game, while a pair of cornerbacks in Terrence Johnson (37 tackles) and Jerraud
Powers (51 tackles, 2 INT) were lost for the season due to injuries. Cornerback
Jacob Lacey (42 tackles) did play for the first time since Oct. 16 and had six
tackles.

KEYS TO THE GAME

The Colts didn’t catch a break by having to travel to Baltimore, where the
Ravens have allowed the fewest points per game (13.4) and touchdowns (45) in
the league since 2008. The Ravens have also forced an NFL-high 72 turnovers in
that span and are second overall with an average of 272.2 yards allowed per
game at home.

One thing that helped the Colts catch up to the Patriots was their ability to
convert on third down. They went 10-for-15 in said scenario last weekend after
entering the game having converted only 32.4 percent of their third downs. A
repeat performance will help wear down a Ravens defense that got a lot of rest
versus the Browns.

Baltimore, in part because of the weather, really rode its ground game last
weekend, but given the Colts’ injury concerns in the secondary, it could be
Flacco in the spotlight for this one. Boldin will likely draw most of
Indianapolis’ attention, meaning Torrey Smith could have some room to make some
more big plays. Also expect the tight end duo of Dickson and Dennis Pitta to be
heavily involved as well as Rice out of the backfield.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

With a playoff berth almost nearly assured, the Ravens still need to finish
strong as they remain in the mix for the top spot in the conference. For the
Colts, that means they can’t bank on Baltimore looking past this game for next
Sunday’s road date against a desperate San Diego team. The Ravens have shown
an inability to get up for games like this season, but Harbaugh’s club
seemed to show last week it has learned its lesson and should be focused.
Expect plenty or Flacco and Rice in this rout.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Ravens 27, Colts 13

©2011 Sports Network. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have developed one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries, and the two have found themselves in several highly competitive and physical matchups over the past few seasons.There was little drama in their season opener in Baltimore, however, as the Steelers were handed a humiliating loss. Many were ready to write off the defending AFC champions at that point, but they’ve regrouped and now own the conference’s best record.Pittsburgh looks to win its fifth straight and exact some revenge for the lopsided opening loss Sunday night when its hosts a Ravens team that has regressed a bit over the past few weeks.Heading into its Sept. 11 opener, the Steelers (6-2) had won six of eight meetings with Baltimore (5-2), including playoff victories following the 2008 and ’10 seasons. Each of the last five matchups had been decided by seven or fewer points with a field goal providing the difference four times.The Ravens, though, seemed to set the tone for the 2011 season in the opener with a 35-7 win over Pittsburgh, their most lopsided victory in a bitter rivalry that began in 1996.Baltimore, which irked some Steelers by converting a two-point conversion with a 20-point lead in the third quarter, sacked Ben Roethlisberger four times and forced a team-record seven turnovers. Roethlisberger threw three interceptions and fumbled twice in losing to the Ravens for the first time in eight games. He is 7-1 all-time against Baltimore at Heinz Field.“We don’t like it, but we accept it, and we’ll respond accordingly,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said following the defeat.The Steelers have responded by winning six of seven and are coming off an impressive 25-17 victory over New England last Sunday. Pittsburgh limited the high-powered Patriots, who were 6-1 against the Steelers with Tom Brady at quarterback, to a season-low 213 yards. Roethlisberger picked apart New England’s defence for 365 yards and two touchdowns.The Steelers are off to their fifth straight 6-2 start and have taken a half-game lead over Cincinnati and Baltimore atop the AFC North.“We can be as good as we want to be,” said Roethlisberger, who is averaging 288.5 yards and has thrown 11 touchdowns and two interceptions during the four-game win streak. “When we don’t kill ourselves and stop ourselves, we can be pretty dangerous.”They’ve also proved they can win with a patchwork defence.Linebackers James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley and James Farrior are nursing injuries. Harrison has missed the last four games with an orbital bone fracture but is expected to return. Woodley has been ruled out after leaving the New England game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. Farrior remains questionable after sitting out last week with a calf injury.All of those injury problems mean rookie Chris Carter, second-year man Stevenson Sylvester and Larry Foote could take on bigger roles. Tomlin also didn’t rule out going to a four-man defensive line.Despite playing without some regulars and being run over for 385 yards by Baltimore in September, the Steelers rank second in the league in total defence at 270.8 yards per game, right behind the Ravens at 263.3.“They are slaying people and we are a part of that,” Tomlin said of Baltimore’s defence. “They are playing extremely fast, they are really talented, they know what they are doing and they are very rarely out of place. They have uniquely talented people at every level of their defence.”That defence has been especially stingy the last two games, allowing fewer than 207 yards in each.The Ravens’ offence hasn’t been nearly as impressive.After managing a season-low 146 yards in a 12-7 loss to Jacksonville on Oct. 24, Baltimore had two first-half turnovers that led to Arizona touchdowns last Sunday. The Ravens trailed the one-win Cardinals by 21 points in the second quarter before mounting the largest comeback in franchise history to win 30-27.Ray Rice, who rushed for a season-best 107 yards and scored two touchdowns Sept. 11, had three second-half TDs.Baltimore seems unlikely to win at Heinz Field if it puts together a repeat performance of the Jaguars game or of the first half against the Cardinals. The Steelers have won seven straight at home, including playoffs.“When we play good fundamental football, we’re a good football team. It comes down to that,” coach John Harbaugh said. “It’s technique, it’s attention to detail, it’s getting a little momentum.“We know how to play that game, they know how to play that game. We looking forward to it, I do know that.”Although Pittsburgh has forced an NFL-low three turnovers, the Ravens have to do a better job of protecting the ball. Baltimore has turned it over 13 times since the opener, with Joe Flacco responsible for four fumbles and six interceptions.Flacco put together a strong performance against the Steelers in September, passing for 224 yards with three touchdowns, but has only thrown for five TDs since.

(Sports Network) – A blowout victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers back in Week
1 helped to propel the Baltimore Ravens to the top of the list of contenders in
the AFC.

Pittsburgh has slowly been making its climb back into the conference mix and
has hit its stride just in time for Sunday’s rematch with Baltimore, this time
on the home turf of Heinz Field.

The Steelers aim for a fifth straight victory on the season and seventh in a
row at home, including the playoffs. To do that, they’ll have to shake off the
memories of a turnover-filled 35-7 defeat in Baltimore back on Sept. 11.

The Ravens’ defense was in top form in that game. Baltimore forced a
franchise-record seven turnovers, intercepting Pittsburgh quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger three times and forcing a total of four fumbles. Roethlisberger
was also sacked four times, and the Steelers’ seven giveaways were their most
in a game since also turning the ball over seven times versus Minnesota on
Sept. 24, 1995.

With the Ravens having set a club record for their largest margin of victory in
games against the Steelers, many expect Pittsburgh to be better prepared for
Baltimore’s swarming defense in this rematch.

And despite the Steelers having the second-ranked defense in the league behind
only the Ravens, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin was quick to praise the
opposition on Tuesday.

“It’s probably a coincidence at this juncture. I am not ready to at least put
us in the conversation with the Ravens’ defense,” Tomlin said. “We are not even
close to doing what they are doing right now. Maybe statistically, but the way
they are generating splash plays sets them apart.”

Pittsburgh does have a huge win to build off of, as it defeated Tom Brady and
the New England Patriots at home for the first time since Oct. 31, 2004 with a
25-17 victory last Sunday.

The Steelers held the ball for almost twice as long as the Patriots, taking
some pressure off of their injury-plagued defense. Linebackers James Harrison
and James Farrior were out, as was defensive end Aaron Smith. Linebacker
LaMarr Woodley also suffered a hamstring issue towards the end of the game,
putting his status for this contest in doubt.

Harrison (eye) has been cleared for practice but is unlikely to play until
after the team’s Nov. 20 bye, while Farrior is battling a calf issue and is
questionable. Woodley’s hamstring was reported to be a serious injury that
could sideline him until the bye, but the linebacker said not to rule him out
for this game. Tomlin added that Woodley’s ability to practice will decide if
he plays.

Wide receiver Hines Ward also missed the New England win with an ankle issue,
but is expected to be available for this rematch.

The Steelers are trying to open a season 5-0 at home for the first time since
2007 and have won six of seven since their loss to the Ravens to take a half-
game lead over Baltimore and Cincinnati for first place in the division.

The Ravens won four of five to open the season before suffering an ugly 12-7
loss in Jacksonville on Oct. 24. They were then in danger of losing a second
straight time last Sunday to an Arizona team that came into the game with only
one win, but rallied from 21 points down to beat the Cardinals, 30-27.

Baltimore trailed 24-6 at the break, but outgained Arizona by a 249-56 margin
in the second half and scored 24 unanswered points. The Ravens then won it on
Billy Cundiff’s 25-yard field goal as time expired.

“We woke up, plain and simple,” said wide receiver Anquan Boldin. “Our offense
came out flat. We turned the ball over a couple times. We felt like we gave
them 14 points. We just woke up in the second half. We knew that we couldn’t
keep putting our defense in that situation. Still had a bitter taste in our
mouth from last week, so we wanted to come out and rectify that.”

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said earlier this week that the come-from-behind
victory may have given the club more confidence for this game than its Week 1
rout of Pittsburgh.

“We have to look back at it and see what we did well, and see what
we can carry over to this game plan,” Flacco said of the first win over the
Steelers. “I think last week, really, was more important for our confidence
heading into this week than that week was. We always feel like we can play
with these guys and go give them a good matchup and go beat them.”

Baltimore is trying to start a season 6-2 for a second straight season and the
third time in club history.

SERIES HISTORY

Baltimore’s win at M&T Bank Stadium in the 2011 opener cut Pittsburgh’s
overall lead in this regular-season series to 18-13, and the Ravens also
handed the Steelers a 17-14 defeat at Heinz Field during Week 4 of last year,
though Roethlisberger did not play in that contest while serving a suspension.
Pittsburgh has bested Baltimore in the Steel City in seven of the past nine
seasons, however, and the Ravens have not swept the home-and-home set between
the teams since 2006.

Pittsburgh moved to 3-0 against Baltimore in postseason play with last
season’s win in the Divisional Round. In addition to a 23-14 home verdict for
the Steelers in the 2008 AFC Championship, the Black and Gold also earned a
27-10 triumph in a 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff at Heinz Field.

Including the playoffs, Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh is 3-6 all-time
against the Steelers, while Tomlin owns a 7-4 record versus the Ravens and is
6-3 in head-to-head encounters with Harbaugh.

WHEN THE RAVENS HAVE THE BALL

Flacco and the offense shook off some early turnovers that gave the Cardinals
some easy points. Baltimore managed just a pair of Cundiff field goals in the
first half, but running back Ray Rice (489 rushing yards, 33 receptions, 7
total TD) went off for a career-high three touchdowns in the second half, all
from three yards or closer. Rice ended with 63 yards on 18 carries and also
caught seven balls for 36 yards. Boldin (34 receptions, 2 TD) also had a big
day against his former team, hauling in seven passes for a game-high 145 yards.
Tight ends Ed Dickson (28 receptions, 1 TD) and Dennis Pitta (16 receptions)
made six catches each, but wide receiver Torrey Smith (15 receptions, 3 TD)
caught only three of his nine targets for 57 yards. Though he did not throw a
touchdown pass and was intercepted once, Flacco (1751 passing yards, 8 TD, 6
INT) still posted 336 yards passing, completing 31 of the career-high 51 throws
he attempted. Flacco was also sacked three times, but could have left guard Ben
Grubbs back in the lineup for the first time since Week 1 as he recovers from a
toe injury. Wide receiver Lee Evans remains doubtful with an ankle problem,
however, while both center Matt Birk and receiver David Reed are questionable
because of injuries.

Pittsburgh hasn’t allowed more than 20 points in a game since its loss to
Baltimore, a matchup in which the Ravens racked up 385 yards of offense. The
Steelers, though, now rank second overall in total defense (270.8 ypg) and
stand first versus the pass (171.6 ypg). Unlike the Ravens, the Steelers
struggle in forcing turnovers, however, as they have just two interceptions and
four fumble recoveries on the season. Overall, Pittsburgh has a turnover ratio
of minus-10 and did not force one versus the Patriots. Still, the fact that the
Steelers limited New England to just 213 yards of offense without Harrison (23
tackles, 2 sacks) and Farrior (45 tackles, 2 sacks) is impressive. Woodley (36
tackles, 9 sacks, 1 INT) managed two sacks before suffering his injury, while
Harrison replacement Larry Foote (30 tackles, 1 sack) and safety Ryan Clark (50
tackles, 1 INT) led the team with eight tackles each. Defensive end Brett
Keisel (19 tackles, 3 sacks) added a sack, while cornerback Ike Taylor (20
tackles) ended with six stops. If Woodley and Farrior can’t play this weekend,
Lawrence Timmons (37 tackles) would be the lone regular starting linebacker in
the lineup.

WHEN THE STEELERS HAVE THE BALL

Roethlisberger (2302 passing yards, 14 TD, 7 INT) has done his best in putting
the season-opening game behind him. He has just four interceptions in seven
games since getting picked off three times by Baltimore and has thrown 11
touchdown passes over the Steelers’ four-game win streak, including two versus
the Patriots. Roethlisberger finished that contest with 365 yards on 36-of-50
passing and was also picked off once. Mike Wallace (43 receptions, 5 TD) ended
with seven catches for 70 yards, but the wideout’s long was only 16 yards as
the Patriots looked to take away his deep-play ability. That left plenty of
balls for wide receiver Antonio Brown (34 receptions, 1 TD) and tight end Heath
Miller (30 receptions, 2 TD), with Brown pulling in nine passes that included
his first career touchdown. Miller had seven receptions for a team-high 85
yards. With Ward (26 receptions, 2 TD) out, Emmanuel Sanders (18 receptions, 2
TD) added five catches for 70 yards against New England. Seeing as the passing
offense was clicking and ranks eighth overall in the NFL, starting running back
Rashad Mendenhall (421 rushing yards, 3 TD) got just 13 carries last week, but
did turn those opportunities into 70 yards for a 5.4 average per carry.

The respected Ravens defense may have yielded 27 points last week, but short
fields and a special-teams score inflated that total. The NFL’s top-ranked unit
(263.3 ypg) actually gave up a mere 207 yards of net offense, including just
98 through the air. On the season, Baltimore ranks third against both the run
and the pass. Linebacker Terrell Suggs (33 tackles, 6 sacks, 1 INT) was all
over the field against Arizona, recording a game-high 13 tackles and a sack. He
has 13 1/2 career sacks versus the Steelers in the regular season, the most any
active player has compiled against the franchise. Safety Ed Reed (27 tackles, 1
sack, 2 INT) had a pair of interceptions in the Week 1 meeting with Pittsburgh
and Suggs had three sacks in that game. Linebacker Ray Lewis (55 tackles, 2
sacks, 1 INT) also had a pick and seven tackles in the Week 1 rout, and added
five more stops versus the Cardinals. In all, the Ravens logged six sacks
against Arizona, getting a pair from pass-rush specialist Paul Kruger (6
tackles, 3 sacks) and one each from cornerback Chris Carr (7 tackles, 1 sack),
linebacker Jarret Johnson (26 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and safety Bernard Pollard
(21 tackles, 1 sack). Rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith, who suffered an injury at
the season’s onset and has been working his way back since, is expected to see
an expanded role in this game. Though he did not log a tackle versus the
Cardinals, he did have one pass defensed.

KEYS TO THE GAME

Keep an eye on Rice. The Steelers’ defense has allowed just three 100-yard
rushers in its last 58 games dating back to 2007, but Rice has two of them.
That includes 107 yards in the Week 1 victory and a 141-yard effort in
Pittsburgh on Dec. 27, 2009.

Flacco and Roethlisberger both have their work cut out for them this week, and
whichever quarterback finds a way to make plays will likely come out on the
winning side. The edge could go to Flacco given the Steelers’ issues at
linebacker.

Keep Heinz Field involved. The Steelers are always tough to play at home and
bring an impressive run into this meeting. The Ravens are just 5-10 all-time at
Pittsburgh during the regular season and 0-3 there during the playoffs.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

While a Week 9 matchup certainly won’t decide the AFC North, especially with
Cincinnati lurking in the shadows, the victor of this key clash will certainly
have an edge should the Steelers and Ravens meet for a third time this season
in the playoffs. That being said, Baltimore’s Week 1 victory likely won’t
factor into how this game will shake down. Enough time and games have passed to
make that meeting irrelevant at this point, and the change in venue certainly
seems to favor the Steelers. Pittsburgh’s injuries on defense could be the x-
factor, but the Ravens have been just too inconsistent this year to leave Heinz
Field with a win.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Steelers 21, Ravens 17

The Sports Network

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have developed one of the NFL’s
fiercest rivalries, and the two have found themselves in several highly
competitive and physical matchups over the past few seasons.

There was little drama in their season opener in Baltimore, however, as the
Steelers were handed a humiliating loss. Many were ready to write off the
defending AFC champions at that point, but they’ve regrouped and now own the
conference’s best record.

Pittsburgh looks to win its fifth straight and exact some revenge for the
lopsided opening loss Sunday night when its hosts a Ravens team that has
regressed a bit over the past few weeks.

Heading into its Sept. 11 opener, the Steelers (6-2) had won six of eight
meetings with Baltimore (5-2), including playoff victories following the 2008
and ’10 seasons. Each of the last five matchups had been decided by seven or
fewer points with a field goal providing the difference four times.

The Ravens, though, seemed to set the tone for the 2011 season in the opener
with a 35-7 win over Pittsburgh, their most lopsided victory in a bitter rivalry
that began in 1996.

Baltimore, which irked some Steelers by converting a two-point conversion
with a 20-point lead in the third quarter, sacked Ben Roethlisberger(notes) four times
and forced a team-record seven turnovers. Roethlisberger threw three
interceptions and fumbled twice in losing to the Ravens for the first time in
eight games. He is 7-1 all-time against Baltimore at Heinz Field.

“We don’t like it, but we accept it, and we’ll respond accordingly,”
Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said following the defeat.

The Steelers have responded by winning six of seven and are coming off an
impressive 25-17 victory over New England last Sunday. Pittsburgh limited the
high-powered Patriots, who were 6-1 against the Steelers with Tom Brady(notes) at
quarterback, to a season-low 213 yards. Roethlisberger picked apart New
England’s defense for 365 yards and two touchdowns.

The Steelers are off to their fifth straight 6-2 start and have taken a
half-game lead over Cincinnati and Baltimore atop the AFC North.

“We can be as good as we want to be,” said Roethlisberger, who is averaging
288.5 yards and has thrown 11 touchdowns and two interceptions during the
four-game win streak. “When we don’t kill ourselves and stop ourselves, we can
be pretty dangerous.”

They’ve also proved they can win with a patchwork defense.

Linebackers James Harrison(notes), LaMarr Woodley(notes) and James Farrior(notes) are nursing
injuries. Harrison has missed the last four games with an orbital bone fracture
but is expected to return. Woodley has been ruled out after leaving the New
England game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. Farrior remains
questionable after sitting out last week with a calf injury.

All of those injury problems mean rookie Chris Carter, second-year man
Stevenson Sylvester(notes) and Larry Foote(notes) could take on bigger roles. Tomlin also
didn’t rule out going to a four-man defensive line.

Despite playing without some regulars and being run over for 385 yards by
Baltimore in September, the Steelers rank second in the league in total defense
at 270.8 yards per game, right behind the Ravens at 263.3.

“They are slaying people and we are a part of that,” Tomlin said of
Baltimore’s defense. “They are playing extremely fast, they are really talented,
they know what they are doing and they are very rarely out of place. They have
uniquely talented people at every level of their defense.”

That defense has been especially stingy the last two games, allowing fewer
than 207 yards in each.

The Ravens’ offense hasn’t been nearly as impressive.

After managing a season-low 146 yards in a 12-7 loss to Jacksonville on Oct.
24, Baltimore had two first-half turnovers that led to Arizona touchdowns last
Sunday. The Ravens trailed the one-win Cardinals by 21 points in the second
quarter before mounting the largest comeback in franchise history to win 30-27.

Ray Rice(notes), who rushed for a season-best 107 yards and scored two touchdowns
Sept. 11, had three second-half TDs.

Baltimore seems unlikely to win at Heinz Field if it puts together a repeat
performance of the Jaguars game or of the first half against the Cardinals. The
Steelers have won seven straight at home, including playoffs.

“When we play good fundamental football, we’re a good football team. It
comes down to that,” coach John Harbaugh said. “It’s technique, it’s attention
to detail, it’s getting a little momentum.

“We know how to play that game, they know how to play that game. We looking
forward to it, I do know that.”

Although Pittsburgh has forced an NFL-low three turnovers, the Ravens have
to do a better job of protecting the ball. Baltimore has turned it over 13 times
since the opener, with Joe Flacco(notes) responsible for four fumbles and six
interceptions.

Flacco put together a strong performance against the Steelers in September,
passing for 224 yards with three touchdowns, but has only thrown for five TDs
since.