After missing the post-season for the first time in six years last season, the Ravens rebounded this year and find themselves about to face their arch nemesis, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The rivalry between these two clubs is undeniable. We can expect some hard-hitting, throw 'em down and smack 'em yack 'em football this evening. But the big question is whether or not the Ravens can finally knock off the Steelers in the playoffs. In the their three previous post-season meetings, Pittsburgh has put an abrupt end to Baltimore's journey to the Super Bowl. All three of these games were played in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers are favored by three points in tonight's game which basically means that it's even, since Pittsburgh is playing at home. In the two previous meetings this season, both teams have each won a game by a margin of 20 points.
The biggest blow to Pittsburgh is going to be the loss of their star running back, Le'Veon Bell. With the forecast of a wet field in Pittsburgh tonight, I'm not sure how big of a factor Bell's absence will be. Nonetheless, I'm sure the Steelers would love to have him out there tonight.
If the Ravens expect to win this game, they are going to have to figure out a way to contain Pittsburgh's receiving squad, most notably Antonio Brown. Baltimore's pass coverage has struggled much of the season. They really need to find a quick solution. One option might be to drop an extra guy (or two) back into coverage. Of course, you sacrifice the pass rush in this scenario. But since Ben Rothlesberger is not only hard to sack, he's also very good at capitalizing on busted plays. So, dropping an extra man into coverage might be worth the gamble. The Ravens will also have Haloti Ngata back on the field tonight. So, this should give them a little more security against Pittsburgh's running game.
The Ravens will also have to be careful to not commit any stupid infractions. They can not have players blatantly lining up in the neutral zone. Are you listening, Mr. Dumevil? And they certainly can't have any of those ridiculous personal fouls. Discipline, discipline, discipline!
Joe Flacco has been remarkable in the post-season through his career. He needs to pull out some of that magic tonight. If the offensive line plays well, we should expect to see a productive day between Flacco and the two Smiths. The number one priority for the O-line should be to keep James Harrison off of Flacco's ass!
Pittsburgh's eight-time Pro-Bowl safety, Troy Polamalu, has been hobbled by a sore knee over the past two weeks. He is expected to play tonight but will he be at 100%? If he shows weakness early, we might expect to see Baltimore's receivers test him. If this happens, Flacco has got to be very careful not to under-throw these guys or it could turn disastrous for the Ravens really quickly.
Here's an interesting fact about Joe Flacco. Since 2010, he has a higher combined passer rating in the post-season than Aaron Rogers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and, drum-roll please, Tom Brady. However, if he doesn't win tonight, that rating means nothing.....
Admittedly, as a Raven fan, it's really hard for me to be completely objective. But I really think that Baltimore has a chance to win this game. That's why, I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that the Ravens win 27-24 in a typical Baltimore/Pittsburgh grudge match...
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