The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have supposedly also followed the Chicago Bears’ blueprint for trying to build an NFL champion during Lovie Smith’s tenure as Chicago’s coach. An examination of drive stats shows that’s not true, and just how much less support the Bears offense provides their defense than any other NFL team.

Before we go any further, this is not meant as a Fire Lovie Smith screed. Despite a seemingly misguided philosophy, Smith has won 55.5 percent of his games with good, but not overwhelming talent. In short, it’s hard to argue that Lovie Smith is a bad coach. He may not be a good one, but he’s been at least average. At least. No, this blog post is Part II of an earlier post that is about what Chicago needs to do in the future, namely make offense far and away the No. 1 offseason priority, hopefully starting with signing TWO receivers capable of topping 1,000 yards such as Vincent Jackson or Marques Colston and Mario Manningham.

The good folks at footballoutsiders.com provided the drive stats that are the basis of this analysis. I took their numbers and compared the Bears to the Ravens and Steelers in each of Lovie Smith’s eight years as head coach.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chicago Bears quarterback Josh McCown (15) rolls out in the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Chicago on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011. Starter Caleb Hanie struggled again filling in for the injured Jay Cutler in the team’s loss to Seattle.

This is where we see how misleading all the talk was about how close the Bears were on offense because they averaged 32 points in the five-game stretch right before Jay Cutler was injured this year, or how the Bears tied for second in the NFL in scoring in 2006.

If you break it down by how the Bears did for all the chances they got, they may have been No. 2 in points in 2006, but they were No. 17 in drive success (a combination of yards per drive, points per drive, fewest punts per drive and fewest turnovers per drive). This year, they were 27th.

Because the Bears pass so poorly (or so unwillingly), they put their defense on the field more than any team in football.

Over the last eight years:

Pittsburgh’s defense has been on the field for 1,397 total drives, an average of 10.9 per game.

Baltimore’s defense has been on the field for 1,490 drives, an average of 11.6 per game.

Chicago’s defense has been on the field for 1,593 yards, an average of 12.44 per game.

With an average of 25 more drives per year, Chicago’s defense has basically played 2 1/2 games more than Pittsburgh’s defense has played. Every year for eight years in a row. No wonder Chicago’s defense seems to wear down in the fourth quarter. With Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman and Julius Peppers all going to be at least 10-year veterans next year, the Bears need to give them more rest. The best way to do that would be by holding the ball more on offense, the way Peyton Manning protected the Colts’ defense for over a decade.

Here are the Bears compared to the Ravens and Steelers in terms of their year-by-year NFL rankings in Yards gained per drive, points scored per drive, total offensive drive rating and total defensive drive rating:

CHICAGO BEARS                            Baltimore Ravens                Pittsburgh Steelers

Year     Yds   Pts.  Off.  Def.             Yds   Pts. Off.  Def.             Yds    Pts.   Off.   Def.

2004      32   32    32     9                 26       26    28    3              12      9       10     5

2005      31    31    31    1                 27       28     26    7              8        6        8      11

2006      16    10    17    2                19       15     20    1               3       11       6       9

2007      31     25    30   4                23       27      24   2              12       6        7       5

2008      27     24    27   9                24       19     20    1              23     18      18      2

2009      23     19    24   22              12       10     12    4               7      12       10     8

2010      30      22   28    5               14       13     13    3               5       14        6      8   

To sum up, the Bears are almost nothing like Pittsburgh. The Steelers have actually been well-balanced on offense (with an average ranking of 9.9) and defense (average of 6.8). The Steelers have an average score of 10.3 in yards gained, with a high of No. 3 and three seasons in the top seven, and an average of 10.8 in points scored. In short, the Steelers have had close to a top-10 offense by almost every measure every year. They had only one season in eight when they weren’t in the top 10 in either yards gained or points scored per drive.

The Bears, on the other hand, were in the top 10 only once in either yards gained or points scored per drive, and then barely so, finishing 10th in points in 2006. The Bears have never been in the top 15 in yards gained per drive, and ranked in the top 22 only once. Their average offensive rankings per drive are 27.4 in yards, 23.4 in points and 27 in drive-success rate. The points are artificially propped up by Chicago’s great special teams play and a defense that often gives them a short field by taking the ball away. Chicago’s defense, with no help from its offense, works out to an average rating of 7.1. Seven times in Lovie Smith’s eight years, Chicago has had a top-10 defense per drive, including five times in the top five.

The Ravens are the only team that has played better defense than Chicago, ranking in the top 10 all eight years and in the top four six times. But their offense has been at least closer to middle-of-the-road than Chicago’s. The Ravens have an average ranking of 19.9 in yards gained, 19 in points scored per drive and 19.5 in overall offensive drive success compared to 3.8 on defense.

The Steelers defense has had more fourth-quarter failures than any other great defense in memory. And people get mad when the Bears can’t hold late against Denver.

When the Bears have failed late, it’s usually been in games that would have been already over for Pittsburgh.

The Ravens play somewhat like the Bears, but are clearly better on both offense and defense. And haven’t really won any more in the playoffs than the Bears have.

Chicago doesn’t need to improve it’s defense. The Bears just need to give that defense less of a load. Shorten the game by two drives by per game and Urlacher, Peppers, Briggs, Tillman and Co. won’t need any more help.

And the way to shorten the game is with more first downs on offense. And the way to do that is with a better offensive line and far, far better receivers for Jay Cutler to throw to.

Six NFL teams won more than 10 games last year. The Packers (178 drives defended), Saints (177), 49ers (190), Patriots (175), Ravens (184) and Steelers (166) averaged 178.3 times they put their defense on the field. The Bears did so 201 times. That’s twice more per game.

Fix that and you go a long, long way toward fixing the Bears.

The Baltimore Ravens are in control of their destiny in the AFC North and
the race for a first-round bye. Maintaining that edge, though, will likely be
difficult if they turn in another lackluster performance.

A matchup with the ailing Cleveland Browns on Saturday would appear to give
the Ravens a good chance to stay on track for the division crown and the No. 2
seed, with Baltimore having dominated the series of late.

The Ravens (10-4) have put themselves in control with a sweep of division
rival Pittsburgh and a victory over Houston on Oct. 16, giving them a leg up on
those 10-4 teams.

Baltimore, though, missed out last week on a chance to move ahead of the
Steelers and Texans, both of whom lost. With a playoff berth already wrapped up,
the Ravens were blown out 34-14 in San Diego.

Pittsburgh fell 20-3 to San Francisco on Monday night, and Houston was upset
28-13 at home by Carolina.

“It’s a gift, but we wish we didn’t have to get it that way,” Ravens
linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “We’ve just got to take care of business.”

Baltimore, winner of nine in a row at home dating to last December, appears
to have a good chance to do that with Cleveland (4-10) visiting M&T Bank
Stadium. The Ravens have won seven straight over the Browns, tied for the
longest win streak against an opponent in team history. They’ve also won seven
consecutive games over the New York Jets.

Baltimore’s latest victory in the series came Dec. 4 as Ray Rice ran for a
career-high 204 yards in a 24-10 win. Ricky Williams added 76 yards rushing as
the Ravens piled up 290 on the ground.

Cleveland has made adjustments as it looks to slow down Rice. The Browns
allowed 147 rushing yards in a 14-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Dec. 8, but limited
Arizona to 74 in a 20-17 overtime defeat last week.

“The goal (is) to make sure we minimize his effect on the game,” coach Pat
Shurmur told the team’s website. “We’ve done some things schematically to help
us, and we just keep emphasizing that everyone has to play better. I’ve seen
that.”

At 3-4 on the road, winning this game might prove vital to Baltimore’s
chances of accomplishing its regular-season goals. The Ravens close out their
schedule at Cincinnati on Jan. 1.

“We’re playing two teams that know us very well, two division foes, so it’s
going to be interesting,” Suggs said. “We’ve got to get back to doing what we do
best, and that’s playing Ravens football.”

Suggs, who has a career-high 13 sacks, chased down Colt McCoy for one of
those, but the Browns quarterback likely won’t play this week. McCoy has been
out since taking a hit to the head against Pittsburgh earlier this month.

The controversy surrounding Cleveland’s failure to check McCoy for a
concussion has led the NFL to put certified trainer in every press box. McCoy
still had symptoms of a concussion Wednesday and has yet to be cleared to return
to the field.

“Like anybody that wants to play, he’s anxious to get back out there,”
Shurmur said. “But he understands there is a process that you have to go through
before he will be able to play again.”

With McCoy out, Seneca Wallace is expected to start again after he threw for
226 yards and a touchdown versus the Cardinals. His 76-yard scoring pass to Greg
Little gave the Browns a 17-7 third-quarter lead, but they couldn’t hold it and
suffered a season-high fourth consecutive defeat and sixth in a row on the road.

Wallace’s one start against the Ravens came in the team’s most recent trip
to Baltimore on Sept. 26, 2010. He threw for 141 yards and a TD in a 24-17
defeat, while counterpart Joe Flacco passed for three touchdowns.

Flacco has eight TDs and one interception over his last six matchups with
the Browns, who might need a strong performance from Peyton Hillis to help snap
their losing streak.

In his fourth game since returning from an injured hamstring, Hillis ran for
a season-high 99 yards and a touchdown last week. He rushed for a then-career
high 144 yards in Baltimore last September but has been held to a combined 80
over the past two matchups.

The Ravens might have a new kicker for this game as Billy Cundiff is dealing
with a sore left calf. On Wednesday, the team signed Shayne Graham, an 11-year
veteran who has played for six other teams.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh arrived for work in a good mood Tuesday morning following the San Francisco 49ers’ victory Monday night over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And with good reason: The Ravens moved back into first place with the Steelers’ loss.

“He was coming in: ‘Did you see that game? Who won?’” quarterback Joe Flacco said about Harbaugh. “OK, we all know who won the game. We know you’re way more excited now than you were two days ago. You could definitely tell he was excited, and we should be. We’re obviously in a better position because of what happened.”

The 49ers’ win over the Ravens’ AFC North rival put the Ravens (10-4) back in first place in the AFC North and into the second seed in the playoff standings.

The Ravens’ embarrassing 34-14 loss to the San Diego Chargers on Sunday night knocked them out of first place in the division for a day, and they fell from the top-seeded team in the AFC to fifth. Now, they’re second behind the New England Patriots.

The Ravens own the tiebreaker edge over the Steelers (10-4) after sweeping the annual series. They are in position to earn a first-round bye and a home playoff game provided they win their final two regular-season games against the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals.

“Man, it was a fun to watch,” Harbaugh said. “It was pretty cool. The fact that if we win both games now, we will win the division, that means a lot. That’s really meaningful. It’s a tough league, and we have to win every week.”

However, the Ravens would have preferred to not require assistance.

“It’s a gift, but we wish we didn’t have to get it that way,” linebacker Terrell Suggs said.

The Ravens are 7-0 at home heading into their home game Saturday against the Browns.

And they’re undefeated in their previous games against Cleveland and Cincinnati this season.

“We’ve just got to take care of business,” Suggs said. “We’re playing two teams that know us very well, two division foes, so it’s going to be interesting. We’ve got to get back to doing what we do best, and that’s playing Ravens football.”

The Baltimore Ravens are well aware of their letdowns suffered against
weaker foes on the road following quality victories.

A dominating season-opening win over Pittsburgh was followed by a loss at
Tennessee in Week 2.

A victory over Houston in Week 6 preceded a defeat at lowly Jacksonville the
following Monday night, and completing a season sweep of the Steelers on Nov. 6
quickly was forgotten with a loss in Seattle the next week.

Enter the 4-7 Cleveland Browns, who await the visiting Ravens (8-3) on
Sunday after Baltimore’s 16-6 win over NFC West-leading San Francisco on
Thanksgiving.

“We certainly acknowledge that those three losses coming off big wins were
not good performances. They’re there. They’re on the record,” coach John
Harbaugh said. “Now we face a similar challenge this week, but a tougher
challenge, because now we’ve got to go play a team in our division.”

That may not be cause for worry, however, as Browns quarterback Colt McCoy(notes)
is 0-6 with a 66.6 passer rating lifetime against the AFC North, and division
co-leading Baltimore (8-3) has won six consecutive meetings.

McCoy, who has passed for more than 300 yards only once this season, threw
two interceptions to Ed Reed(notes) and three overall in the most recent meeting – a
20-10 Baltimore victory Dec. 26.

“Two things – their front seven is really good. They just are,” McCoy said.
“They rotate in and out. They’re fresh. They’re playing really well. … And,
you have to know where Ed Reed is. He’s a playmaker. He’s a ball hawk. He can be
here one time and there the next.”

Despite McCoy’s struggles, the Ravens are anticipating a tough challenge.

“It doesn’t matter how many wins and losses they have,” linebacker Jarret
Johnson(notes) said. “They always play good against us. It’s going to be a dogfight, so
we better bring it.”

Johnson is part of a Baltimore defense that held San Francisco to only 170
yards while tying a franchise record with nine sacks. It ranks third in the
league allowing an average of 292.3 yards, and the Ravens have held the Browns
to 280 yards or less in five of the last six matchups, with the lone exception
being Cleveland’s 304-yard performance Sept. 26, 2010.

Peyton Hillis(notes) accounted for 180 of that amount in that contest, including
144 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Hillis, though, has exceeded that
rushing total once since and has averaged only 47.9 yards on the ground over his
last eight games dating to last season.

Hillis has missed six games this year while battling illness and a nagging
hamstring injury, and while he is aware of his struggles, he maintains a
positive attitude.

“It’s probably been my worst season so far from a mental standpoint and
physical one,” Hillis said. “All I can do from here on out is just go forward
and hope the best happens.”

In his first game since Oct. 16, Hillis rushed 19 times for 65 yards in last
week’s 23-20 loss to Cincinnati – the Browns’ fourth defeat in five games.

The Ravens, No. 3 versus the run allowing 91.5 yards per game, believe
Hillis will present a challenge no matter his struggles.

“He’s a really aggressive runner,” Terrell Suggs(notes) said. “Everybody knows he’s
Peyton Hillis, and he likes to have good games against good defenses. I expect
for the juggernaut to be in there and try to run down some walls.”

Baltimore’s defense may be without Ray Lewis(notes) for a third straight game as he
nurses an injured right toe. The veteran linebacker was held out of practice
Wednesday, but he is still hoping to suit up against the Browns.

“I’m doing everything I can to get back and help this team get where we want
to go,” Lewis said.

Joe Flacco(notes) has provided enough leadership on the offensive side to help
Baltimore to the top of the division. The often-criticized quarterback threw for
161 yards and a touchdown against San Francisco while completing 15 of 23 passes
for a season-high 65.2 percent.

Flacco has never lost to Cleveland, throwing eight touchdowns and three
interceptions in six victories.

He’s gotten some help from Ray Rice(notes), who is averaging 5.0 yards per carry in
his career versus the Browns.

The Ravens will face a Cleveland defense that ranks sixth in the NFL, though
it will be without veteran linebacker Scott Fujita(notes) for the rest of the season.

Fujita will have surgery on his broken right hand suffered last week.

“It’s a big loss for us,” linebacker D’Qwell Jackson(notes) said. “It’s a great
confidence having him out there. But other guys have to step up.”

The Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers are tied for first place in the AFC North. The teams split the two-game series.

With five games left, the Steelers host the Bengals, Browns, Rams and visit the 49ers and the Browns.

The Ravens visit the Browns, Chargers, Bengals and host the Browns and the Colts.

Which team will win the division?

Which team will win the AFC North?

Terrell Suggs is at it again with the trash talk. Not that he ever quit, really.

It’s just that his words pack a little bit more venom when it comes time to chat with the media during Pittsburgh Steelers week.

Terrell Suggs, one of the better linebackers in the game, didn’t hold back when talking with reporters yesterday.

“We have been declared war upon. We are the enemy of the state,” he said, according to NFL.com. “I’m guaranteeing the NFL, the world will stop for this game, and everybody wants to see it. We will be ready.”

Gee, Terrell, how’s about a side of football with the professional wrestling antics?

In all seriousness, the fact of the matter is that that type of talk is exactly what makes this rivalry great. In fact, it is arguably the greatest in the NFL. Maybe not as storied as, say, the Packers versus the Bears, but in terms of intensity you’d be hard pressed to find a harder hitting matchup, rife with hatred.

Yes, hatred. It’s a phrase often overused in sports parlance, but “these teams do not like each other.” Look no further than Terrell Suggs’ mocking of Steelers stalwart Hines Ward.

“I’m looking right at you 86. I need you to play,” Suggs said. “Please put on…that smile and all the things you do.”

You have to wonder what the Steelers are thinking about all of this. Remember, it’s not like they need any extra motivation, thanks to the season opening beatdown they suffered at the hands of the Ravens. Then again, trash talk is nothing new between these two AFC North foes. In fact, there have been rumors of actual bounties placed on players in this bitter rivalry, most recently Hines Ward.

That said, Terrell Suggs’ most recent comments probably come off as light-hearted…relatively speaking of course. Will the Steelers respond and let their play do the talking? Or will Suggs and company back up the brash talk?

The Baltimore Ravens are currently 6-2, tied for first place in the AFC North, and a top contender to dethrone the Green Bay Packers. Baltimore’s rousing come from behind victory over Pittsburgh on November 6th gave the Ravens a season sweep of their chief rivals. The Ravens must not allow a post-Pittsburgh letdown to set in as they travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks.

Seattle is struggling. They have problems at quarterback and have been unable to consistently run the football. Seattle does however have one of the NFL’s loudest stadiums and boisterous fan bases. Tavares Jackson is unlikely to upend the Ravens, but an overwhelming crowd response could give Baltimore headaches in the Emerald City.

The Ravens had unexpected let downs following big wins earlier this season. Baltimore followed up week one’s 35-7 thrashing of the Steelers with a perplexing effort in a 26-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans. The game was brushed aside by the Ravens as a tough road game against a solid team led by veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Now we see that the Titans simply aren’t a very good team. Tennessee has been outscored by 13 points on the season and has dropped lost three of the past four games.

The Ravens had another stupefying let down in a Monday night game against hapless Jacksonville in Week seven. The 12-7 loss to the Jags came on the heels of two dominant home efforts against Houston and the New York Jets. In the loss the Ravens failed to record a first down until well into the third quarter. I know it’s always difficult to win on the road in the NFL but the Ravens road lapses have been extreme in nature and too frequent for a true title contender.

Baltimore can make a statement about his position as an AFC power by going to Seattle and shutting down the Seahawks and quieting the crowd in the process. If the Ravens come out slow and the false start happy Michael Oher gets another case of the yips it could be a dog fight. The Ravens should look to establish Ray Rice on the ground and get Joe Flacco into an early rhythm in order to post some early points and take the Seattle crowd out of the game.

* Information gathered from Yahoo! Sports.

Dan Soderberg is a freelance writer, lover of pancakes and lifelong baseball fanatic. You can read some of Dan’s other work athttp://mudville9.blogspot.com/ . Follow Dan on Twitter @dan_soderberg

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The AFC North has been wild this year. The season started with the Baltimore Ravens absolutely drubbing the Pittsburgh Steelers, establishing a possible early dominance in the division. But as the season progressed, the Steelers have bounced back, the Ravens have made a case for why they could be an AFC favorite and the young Cincinnati Bengals have surprised everyone by going 6-2, creating a virtual three-way tie for first place (the Steelers are 6-3, but have not yet had a bye week). This AFC North division race is going to continue to be a tight one, but at the end, look for the Pittsburgh Steelers to emerge on top.

Most recently, the Steelers lost their second game of the season to the Baltimore Ravens in a game that came down to the final minute. Led by quarterback Joe Flacco, the Ravens were able to come back from a 20-16 deficit on a touchdown pass to rookie receiver Torrey Smith. A game in which the Steelers controlled for the most part was out of their hands, and they took the loss. Although Pittsburgh lost to Baltimore both times this season, Pittsburgh has shown something on both sides of the ball that the Ravens have not–consistency. Once the Steelers picked up their play following the season-opening loss to Baltimore, they’ve been dominant as always defensively and executed the offense as expected. The Ravens, on the other hand, have shown their defensive dominance, but have struggled at times offensively. Joe Flacco has played well recently, but going back just three games, he had a less-than-spectacular performance against the mediocre Jacksonville Jaguars. Additionally, a huge part of the Ravens’ offense is their running game, which was non-existent in that game against the Jags. It makes analysts wonder whether the offensive coaching is responsible because running back Ray Rice is a Pro-Bowl-caliber back. With these flaws offensively, the Ravens are a tougher team to pick. In addition, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been having a good year, and running back Rashard Mendenhall has made big contributions as well to the offense.

Consistency always helps make a safe pick. But there is another reason why the Steelers are a better pick to win the division over both Baltimore and Cincinnati: experience. The players on the Steelers have, for the most part, all been to the playoffs before. Just a season ago, the Steelers were in the Super Bowl. Many of the returning players know exactly what it takes to get back there. Although the Ravens have experienced players in terms of the playoffs, very few, if any ,have made it to the Super Bowl other than Ray Lewis. The defense of the Ravens, like that of the Steelers, is championship quality and could propel them to the Super Bowl, but the Steelers are a much safer choice.

We’re halfway through the season, and the remaining schedules of each team also contribute to this decision. The Steelers have a much lighter schedule than the Ravens for the rest of the season, which is just another reason why the Pittsburgh Steelers will win the AFC North division. 

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ray Rice had a 4-yard touchdown run, Billy Cundiff made three of four first-half field-goal attempts and the Baltimore Ravens held a 16-6 lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers at the end of the third quarter of a crucial AFC North game Sunday night.

Rice’s touchdown came with 4:27 left in the third quarter to cap a 12-play drive that lasted more than six minutes. The possession was aided by a pass interference call on Pittsburgh’s Ike Taylor two snaps earlier that gave the Ravens a first-and-goal at the 4.

Rice had 15 carries for 37 yards, and Joe Flacco was 18 for 28 for 180 yards for the Ravens (5-2), who are looking to sweep their bitter rivals and move past them in the division.

Cundiff had field goals of 18, 43 and 51 yards, the latter coming on the final play of the first half. Cundiff also missed from 40 yards, and Pittsburgh’s Shaun Suisham kicked field goals of 36 and 30 yards in a game befitting the NFL’s two best statistical defenses.

The Ravens converted 10 of 14 third downs and had 224 yards of offense against the team that ranks No. 2 in the NFL in defense, trailing only Baltimore.

Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger was 14 for 26 for 235 yards — but Terrell Suggs intercepted him on the first drive of the second half with the Steelers at the Baltimore 14.

The Steelers (6-2) have won four consecutive games and are 6-1 since a 35-7 blowout loss at Baltimore in the season opener.

Baltimore took the opening kickoff and held the ball for 14 plays and 6:50, getting a first-and-goal at the 1 after a pass interference call on William Gay in the end zone.

But Ryan Clark nearly intercepted Flacco’s pass on the ensuing play, and Rice was stuffed running up the middle on the next two plays, setting up Cundiff’s first field goal.

Rice had taken the first play from scrimmage 76 yards into the end zone, but the play was called back for a holding penalty on Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith.

Baltimore’s second field goal that gave it the lead again came at the end of a 10-play drive in the second quarter.

A week after holding the ball for almost 40 minutes in a 25-17 win over New England, the Steelers had less possession time than the Ravens through three quarters.

The Steelers drove to the Baltimore 18 early in the second quarter, but the drive stalled after Hines Ward could not hold onto a pass near the first-down marker on third-and-7 due to a helmet-to-helmet hit from Ray Lewis.

Ward left the game with a stinger and his return was questionable. Ward, who missed last week’s win over New England due to an ankle injury, was sitting on the sideline without his helmet.

Suisham’s second field goal came with 1:05 left in the first half, but Davis Reed returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards. That — along with a personal foul call on Clark for hitting a defenseless receiver — allowed Flacco to drive the Ravens in position for another Cundiff field goal.

Pittsburgh has beaten Baltimore six of the previous nine meetings — including in playoff games following the 2008 and ’10 seasons. That includes five of the past six played at Heinz Field, although the Ravens did win here in the regular season last season.

The previous meeting was the Ravens’ most lopsided victory in the 15-year series between the teams. In that game, Baltimore sacked Roethlisberger four times and forced seven turnovers.

Pittsburgh, though, has just two turnovers during its four-game winning streak.

Flacco had three touchdown passes in the September meeting against the Steelers, but has only five since.

Pittsburgh welcomed back former All-Pro linebacker James Harrison, who had missed the past four games since sustaining a broken orbital bone in a loss at Houston. Harrison had his third sack of the season late in the second quarter.

Former Pro Bowl linebackers James Farrior and LaMarr Woodley are not active for the Steelers due to injury. Also inactive for Pittsburgh was nose tackle Chris Hoke and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

The winner of the game keeps pace in the division with Cincinnati (6-2).

This is the fifth consecutive season these two teams have played a prime-time game.

Rice had 15 carries for 37 yards, and Joe Flacco was 18 for 28 for 180 yards for the Ravens (5-2), who are looking to sweep their bitter rivals and move past them in the division.

Cundiff had field goals of 18, 43 and 51 yards, the latter coming on the final play of the first half. Cundiff also missed from 40 yards, and Pittsburgh’s Shaun Suisham kicked field goals of 36 and 30 yards in a game befitting the NFL’s two best statistical defenses.

The Ravens converted 10 of 14 third downs and had 224 yards of offense against the team that ranks No. 2 in the NFL in defense, trailing only Baltimore.

Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger was 14 for 26 for 235 yards — but Terrell Suggs intercepted him on the first drive of the second half with the Steelers at the Baltimore 14.

The Steelers (6-2) have won four consecutive games and are 6-1 since a 35-7 blowout loss at Baltimore in the season opener.

Baltimore took the opening kickoff and held the ball for 14 plays and 6:50, getting a first-and-goal at the 1 after a pass interference call on William Gay in the end zone.

But Ryan Clark nearly intercepted Flacco’s pass on the ensuing play, and Rice was stuffed running up the middle on the next two plays, setting up Cundiff’s first field goal.

Rice had taken the first play from scrimmage 76 yards into the end zone, but the play was called back for a holding penalty on Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith.

Baltimore’s second field goal that gave it the lead again came at the end of a 10-play drive in the second quarter.

A week after holding the ball for almost 40 minutes in a 25-17 win over New England, the Steelers had less possession time than the Ravens through three quarters.

The Steelers drove to the Baltimore 18 early in the second quarter, but the drive stalled after Hines Ward could not hold onto a pass near the first-down marker on third-and-7 due to a helmet-to-helmet hit from Ray Lewis.

Ward left the game with a stinger and his return was questionable. Ward, who missed last week’s win over New England due to an ankle injury, was sitting on the sideline without his helmet.

Suisham’s second field goal came with 1:05 left in the first half, but Davis Reed returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards. That — along with a personal foul call on Clark for hitting a defenseless receiver — allowed Flacco to drive the Ravens in position for another Cundiff field goal.

Pittsburgh has beaten Baltimore six of the previous nine meetings — including in playoff games following the 2008 and ‘10 seasons. That includes five of the past six played at Heinz Field, although the Ravens did win here in the regular season last season.

The previous meeting was the Ravens’ most lopsided victory in the 15-year series between the teams. In that game, Baltimore sacked Roethlisberger four times and forced seven turnovers.

Pittsburgh, though, has just two turnovers during its four-game winning streak.

Flacco had three touchdown passes in the September meeting against the Steelers, but has only five since.

Pittsburgh welcomed back former All-Pro linebacker James Harrison, who had missed the past four games since sustaining a broken orbital bone in a loss at Houston. Harrison had his third sack of the season late in the second quarter.

Former Pro Bowl linebackers James Farrior and LaMarr Woodley are not active for the Steelers due to injury. Also inactive for Pittsburgh was nose tackle Chris Hoke and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

The winner of the game keeps pace in the division with Cincinnati (6-2).

This is the fifth consecutive season these two teams have played a prime-time game.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Matt Freed /Post-Gazette

The Baltimore Ravens lead the Steelers 16-6 after three quarters of their game tonight at Heinz Field.

The Ravens scored the only touchdown of the game in the third quarter. As the fourth quarter began, the Steelers had a second down at Baltimore’s 9.

On the first series of the half, the Steelers drove to Baltimore’s 14, but on first down Terrell Suggs intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass headed toward Mike Wallace. It was one of those quick sideline passes. Suggs was rushing, leaped into the air and caught it behind the line of scrimmage.

The Ravens then mounted the first touchdown drive of the game from their 29 to go ahead 16-6. they converted three more third downs on that drive, giving them 10 of 14 at that point. The most crucial play, though, was a 23-yard pass interference penalty called on cornerback Ike Taylor that gave the Ravens a first down at the four.

With the Steelers pass defense on the field, Ray Rice ran up the middle on second down for a four-yard touchdown.

First published on November 6, 2011 at 9:07 pm

The Baltimore Ravens remind me of another absurdly arrogant Beltway team — the Washington Capitals.

Both behave as if they have won something of signficance when everybody knows they haven’t.

Not unless you go back 11 years, anyway, and the only player left from the Ravens’ 2000 Super Bowl team is Ray Lewis.

Check that. I’m sorry. The Ravens did win a Super Bowl recently. You probably saw the footage. Their coach giddily flapped his arms during the final minutes of the blowout win. Players laughed and danced on the sidelines.

I would have sworn the Ravens popped champagne and threw a ticker-tape parade, too, until I remembered one key detail: The game took place in early September.

It was the first game of the season.

Even now, eight weeks after their 35-7 victory over the Steelers, the Ravens obviously need a reminder that seasons aren’t made before Thanksgiving.

Check out this quote from running back Ray Rice, as his team prepped for a visit to Heinz Field: “If we win, we’ve swept them. We don’t have to worry about Pittsburgh no more the rest of the year.”

Really? Somebody should tell Rice that even with a win, the teams would be separated by a single loss with two months left in the regular season, to say nothing of a possible third meeting in the playoffs.

The biggest games are yet to be played, but it would be silly to minimize the importance of this one. Especially for Baltimore.

Forget about their sour playoff endings, this is the victory the Ravens have been unable to secure under John Harbaugh– the critical regular season win that could help earn them a bye and some home playoff dates.

Though the Ravens tout their 4-3 road playoff record under Harbaugh, it’s more of a blemish than a badge. That many road games prove they haven’t taken care of business in the regular season.

Three factors traditionally ruin the Ravens:

1. The Steelers.

2. A self-destructive offense.

3. A lack of humility.

Taking the last issue first, you might remember some Ravens players laughing and waving to the Heinz Field crowd as they ran off with a 21-7 halftime lead in last year’s playoffs.

Or you could simply refer to the season-opener. Have you ever seen the Steelers celebrate a regular-season win — let alone one in September — like that?

The Steelers were mum on the subject this week, but they are often mum on such topics until after the fact.

Exhibit A: Last year’s AFC Championship, when Mike Tomlin played nice all week with Rex Ryan, who said the game “wasn’t personal” to him, as opposed to the previous week’s game against the Patriots.

Well, there was Tomlin afterward, greeting his players outside the locker room and shouting, “Maybe next time it’ll be personal!”

You know he pounded the disrespect angle that week.

All you need to know this week is what Hines Ward said after the loss in Baltimore: “We’ll remember everything.”

Not that there was much love between these teams, anyway. Steelers tackle Max Starks is no fan of Baltimore’s boastful style.

“It’s just a different type of demeanor down there in Baltimore, amongst their players,” Starks said. “They have their way of doing things. Fine. But I don’t condone it.”

As for the Ravens’ offense, well, some things don’t change — even if Baltimore did break out a no-huddle attack to beat woeful Arizona.

I asked linebacker Terrell Suggs on Wednesday the same question I asked him before last year’s playoff game: Why should anyone believe the Ravens’ offense will finally rise to a critical occasion?

“That’s a good question,” Suggs said. “Why should anybody believe it’s going to be different, until we show it?”

I’ll believe it when I see it. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco was alleged to have shed his Steelers demons last season, when he finally won at Heinz Field. Four months later, he disintegrated on the very same patch of grass.

After the season-opener, it was “Flacco finally beat Big Ben and got the monkey off his back.”

Not exactly.

I mean, until he finds a way NOT to kill his team when it matters most, Flacco will have done nothing more than shoo a baby orangutan off his back. The gorilla’s still there.

Nobody should be shocked if the Ravens offense implodes again, in a game that should go a long way toward deciding the AFC North. The Steelers, remember, still have their secret weapon: Baltimore offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.

On the other hand, it is entirely possible the Ravens exploit a wounded Steelers defense and win the game.

And then carry Harbaugh off the field.