Interesting stats to consider

[one side only]

Steelers need to establish a lead. The Steelers posted a 9-1 record this year leading at the half (blew lead vs.Tampa) and went 2-4 when trailing at halftime (they came back to beat the Titans and Bengals).
Turnovers will determine the winner. The Ravens are 13-2 in their playoff history when winning the turnover battle, and 0-5 with a losing turnover margin, including going minus 7 against the Steelers in 3 playoff losses.
Attack that secondary! Haloti Ngata is tied for the lead in interceptions with C.J. Mosley. They both have two. Seven other guys have one each.

[GBMelBlount]

Attack that secondary!

Ben needs to come out firing on all cylinders and never take his foot off their throat.

[polamalubeast]

The Steelers are 9-0 this year when they score the first TD of the game!

[86WARD]

Steelers have played a team 3 times in a season nine times. All 9 times the Steelers have won the third game which was a playoff game.

[Crow-Magnon]

Most of the season the Ravens have tried to shore up that Spongebob Secondary by having Suggs and Dumervil attack from the edge with Ngata in the middle, and having linebackers drop back in coverage. That was a mistake. After the Chargers loss they started blitzing more and applying more pressure, and that gave the corners and safeties a big boost.

Granted, they did not face a QB of Ben's caliber, but the attack has to be the same. If they give him 4-7 seconds to look for open receivers and throw....game over. But if they can keep the pressure up and limit his ability to find receivers, the lack of a good rushing attack could hurt Pittsburgh.

[Hawkman]

third game which was a playoff game.........well duh!!:lol:

[Steelersfan]

Most of the season the Ravens have tried to shore up that Spongebob Secondary by having Suggs and Dumervil attack from the edge with Ngata in the middle, and having linebackers drop back in coverage. That was a mistake. After the Chargers loss they started blitzing more and applying more pressure, and that gave the corners and safeties a big boost.

Granted, they did not face a QB of Ben's caliber, but the attack has to be the same. If they give him 4-7 seconds to look for open receivers and throw....game over. But if they can keep the pressure up and limit his ability to find receivers, the lack of a good rushing attack could hurt Pittsburgh.

Crow, my memory isn't what it used to be. Help me out!!! If memory serves, the 1st game against you this year, your front 7 applied much pressure on Ben and Dumervil had a great game with a few sacks. Basically, yinz pressured Ben all game. The 2nd game, I remember Suggs being a non factor, Dumervil held in check and I believe Ngata played that game and was pretty much held in check also. If I'm recalling the two games about right, what would you say the difference was???

[Crow-Magnon]

The first game against Pittsburgh the secondary wasn't as racked by injuries as it has been most of the season. Jimmy Smith was having a great year, through that first Steelers game. He got injured in week 8 against the Bengals and that's when the secondary really started to tank. The next game was the 6 TD meeting with the Steelers. If you recall, the Ravens put some pressure on Ben early, but stopped after they were getting ripped apart piecemeal by Ben.

The difference as I see it was the DC made the decision to drop the LBers back in coverage and relied on Suggs, Dumervil and Ngata only for pressure on the QB. That was insufficient. I guess that is conventional football wisdom-drop more bodies in coverage if your secondary blows. But over 60 minutes it doesn't hold up. Rivers proved that without a doubt.

The front seven, not three, need to provide a consistent and punishing attack on the QB and throw him off his game rather than hope LBers are going to cover 3-4 WR sets when the corners and safeties look like they are Pop Warner rejects.

[cold-hard-steel]

The Browns , i'm sorry the Ravens limp into this game against a team that is up to the challenge.Are we limping ? I guess so . Our defense has not been too much of a factor for the whole season . Have they gotten better ? You tell it . So you know where i'm goin with this now .If any running back can whiff off 5 yards in one pop , we got us a win .