Well Ravens fans knew it would come down to this one. It is week 16 and if the Ravens win they have a great chance of sliding into the playoffs. If they lose, it is pretty much over.
The intriguing matchup for this game seems to make it a must see. Neither team is the defensive titan that they were a year ago but they get the job done. Both team's offenses are putting up points, the Ravens are using Ray Rice to run up and down the field on opponents and the Steelers are allowing Roethlisberger to throw as much as he can. Last week he threw for 503 passing yards against a solid Packers defense. Will this be a shoot out? I do not think so.
The Ravens defense has been improving all year long. They are currently ranked fourth in the league in yards allowed. Despite the crucial injuries to the secondary, the Ravens have been able to hold there own versus all of the average quarterbacks. The problem has been the Ravens defense has not contended well versus elite quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, and Brett Favre can all testify that this secondary has its vulnerabilities.
The Ravens have a chance to win as long as they do not turn the ball over and they run the ball effectively. This means that Ray Rice, Willis Mcgahee and Leron Mcclain should all get in some work. But do not get confused, Flacco must be able throw under pressure and punch it in the endzone whenever he has the chance. 14 points will not put away the Steelers on Sunday.
It is unlikely that Ed Reed will play and Lardarius Webb was put on Injured Reserve this past week. This comes at a great time since the team is traveling to Pittsburgh to face Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward and Mike Wallace.
This game would lie in the Ravens favor if it did not take place in Pittsburgh. The Ravens win this game if they can score points in the redzone, take the ball away from the Steelers and prevent turning it over. On Sunday they will do everything but score in the redzone and that will prevent them from winning.
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