Ravens @ Steelers: Prediction & Gametime 'Open Thread'
by Bruce Raffel on Dec 27, 2009 10:57 AM EST
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PrintKeep it here on Baltimore Beatdown all afternoon to post your thoughts on today's game in this 'Open Thread.'
Better buckle up those chinstraps and turn up the volume on the surround sound to feel every hit that these two teams will guarantee to deliver this afternoon because IT IS ON! The Baltimore Ravens travel to Heinz Field to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in their second match up of the 2009 NFL season and it is sure to be just another classic of what we see as the best rivalry in the NFL nowadays.
True, old school football with both teams bringing the pain on every play. This game is not for the faint of heart, as it always seems that at least one player is laid out on the field until they stretcher him off and a bunch more limp to the sidelines wondering if anyone got the license plate of the truck that just hit them.
Today, both teams are smack dab in the middle of the hunt for the playoffs The Ravens sit at the top of the heap in the Wild Card race and still have a slim shot at the AFC North title. The Steelers sit at the bottom of the Wild Card race and will need to win out and hope a bunch of other things happen to get them in the post season. In the playoffs, anything can happen and you can be sure the rest of the AFC would be a lot happier if these two teams were sitting home come the end of the regular season.
However, little of that matters when these two face each other, as the stats mean nothing because the players on both teams actually do not like each other and certainly want to have bragging rights until next year The Ravens had to endure losing to the Steelers three times last year and that stung a lot more than watching Pittsburgh win the Super Bowl. Now Baltimore has the chance to prove beating Pittsburgh without Ben Roethlisberger was not a fluke and sweep them for the first time since 2006. The Steelers and their faithful would like to return the favor by knocking us down the playoff chain and improving their chances at the same time.
The Ravens are a better balanced team on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the Ravens at least have a running game to complement or better yet, lead their passing game. Ray Rice is near the top of the league in rushing and all-purpose yards and is also one of Joe Flacco's favorite targets out of the backfield. While the Steelers are rated #1 against the run, their passing defense is their weak link and although the Ravens should still be able to run the ball with some sort of success, they key will be how well we are able to pass the ball without making any critical mistakes, such as turnovers in the Red Zone, which has plagued Flacco in the team's frustrating close losses this season. The Steelers boast a very good passing attack but also need to rely heavily on it to win, as their running game has not been solid this year and appears to be an afterthought of the Steelers' game plan. The key for the Ravens defense is not only to put pressure on Big Ben, but to bring him down when they do get their hands on him. Somehow, he always seems to slip out of the grasp of tacklers time and time again to complete that key completion to either keep drives alive or win the game.
If the Ravens win the turnover battle and can put any resemblance of pass pressure on Roethlisberger, they have a very good chance to win this game and secure a playoff spot by the end of the weekend to make next week's game in Oakland meaningless. A Ravens win combined with a Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets' losses clinches a Wild Card slot at the very least with an outside chance at the AFC North title, provided the Cincinnati Bengals lose this week and next while we sweep these last two games.
But today, it's all about the black and gold and the chance to take out all those frustrations of earlier losses this year much less the constant reminders of what Pittsburgh did to us last season. Today we exact revenge and own the trash talking until the 2010 season. Today, the Ravens show what they were supposed to be doing all season long. The last two games, despite being against sub-par opponents, proved the Ravens can dominate, as they outscored their opponents 79-10, without allowing a defensive touchdown, and are now the second most stingiest team in the league and the top rated defense over the past two months.
Ravens: 21-13
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We need to stop the run. I’m not sure if it was just the fact that Dixon was QB that we really didn’t have success stopping the run. I was praying for the Steelers to pass and Ariens granted my wish. If the Steelers kept pounding Mendy they would have been better off. We couldn’t stop them.
To me, this is a Ray Lewis defining game. He has come up short in the big ones over the past few years and IF he has any physical leadership left he needs to show it today. It will make his player kisses so much sweeter. The dude is approaching the shark and might jump it if he can’t get this done for his team. He will be the focal point of the D as Pitt. runs those damn 3 man slants and picks and Ben scrambles just out of reach. Our LB’s needs to take away the short pass OR jam the run. Pick your poison.
It will also
help define the short career of Tom Zbikowski, who will play in Ed Reed’s absence. And of course, Chris Carr will make or break his season as well.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Dec 27, 2009 12:43 PM EST up reply actions
…If Flacco grabs his own face mask and scolds himself like Napolean Dynamite it could be a long day. BUT, I have HOPE that Cam will use ALL his receivers and ALL his backs. It seems that with Cams offense it’s all or nothing. Either we look like Aikmens Cowboys or Zorns Skins. We will either score 30 or 13. Which team shows up and how tight Cam gets and how many times Rice is forced to carry in a row will be interesting to see.
Clayton is active (so is K-Wash)
which might mean less reps for D-Will, which will disappoint me if so.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Dec 27, 2009 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
Urban Meyer retires after having to watch Florida Cheerleaders every day and not being able to do anything about it. That puts a lot of stress on a guy.
My worry for this game: Holmes slants! That’s it. If Holmes isn’t hawked we are in trouble. If Ray is our primary defense against Holmes it will be a long day. It’s almost as if we need to hawk him with a DB at the line. He is so fast and can turn 4 yards into 30. Ward will be a designated blocker for Holmes today if Ward’s knee is hurting him. I expect that Holmes will be the primary receiver most of the game. I’m not a believer in Wallace..yet.
Everyone on the NFL TOday
are taking the Steelers today, including, surprise..that ugly chin, Bill Cowher.
aka 'Rexx'
Try these
http://www.rwbsports.com/ channel 3
Lonely Ravens fan in Cheese Head country (Watertown, WI)
YW but.......
I am female lol at least last time I checked
Lonely Ravens fan in Cheese Head country (Watertown, WI)
Already it looks like
the offense is back to Cam’s conservative ways, while Pittsburgh is playing like a wounded bear with its back to the wall. Which is the better way to prove you deserve the postseason?
Koch’s punt, if that’s what you want to call it, was not the snap’s fault! Throw it downfield and tackle Ben, dammit!
aka 'Rexx'
Deshea Townsend is not going to be fooled by the playaction pass, especially when he's defending
a burner like Williams. So why throw the ball to that side?
Now, that I think about it, Williams was probably the only receiver on the route, so the play was bad from the start.
Just run the ball until Steelers can stop you.
Heap wasn't even in for the TD
His elbow was down before he crossed the line but Pitt was so stunned they didn’t challenge!
If we can stop the stupid plays on defense, we should win this game!
Dolphins getting killed, Jags down by 2 scores Even Cleveland is beating our next opponent.
aka 'Rexx'
classic cb blitz, haven’t seen that in a while..
by purpleonblack86 on Dec 27, 2009 2:15 PM EST reply actions
Flacco's play fake is horrible
I just don’t know why he even does it, as it fools no one and just takes more time to set up
aka 'Rexx'
DAMNIT WALKER!!!!!!!!!!!!
The key to success in life is doing what people constantly say you cannot do.
Well they are about to score so it really doesn't matter.
The key to success in life is doing what people constantly say you cannot do.
LOL. What are the Steelers doing that we aren’t? Throwing deep and making things happen. Throw deep and you will get a penalty or a slip etc…We don’t do it. NOW, we will be an obvious passing team in the 2nd half as we play catch up. The steelers will run mendy up our ass and we will be too tired to stop it. any passing surprise is now out the window.
wooooohoooooo
The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done."
-George Carlin
FU
The key to success in life is doing what people constantly say you cannot do.
by Zachary Beard on Dec 27, 2009 2:26 PM EST up reply actions
That's a terrible defensive playcall. Seriously, why would you ever blitz corner that is furtherest from the QB?
Not only do you blitz the corner, but you also leave Landry one-on-one vs Holmes, which the latter won pretty easily. That was just a dumb play call. The Ravens could’ve held the Steelers to a field goal, instead they give up a touchdown. That play call was horrid.
That was an embarassing defensive sequence!
A few plays ago they were on their own 3 yard line, then Frank Walker and Domonique Foxworth work their “magic” and walla, a Steelers TD Why in the world would they blitz to leave a WR uncovered? Ben figured out that he had a free pass play on the offsides from his own 3 yard line then recognized that horrible defensive call and hit Holmes uncovered. He must read The Beatdown and know how bad Walker is and must have laughed when he saw our coverages this series!
aka 'Rexx'
One more series like that
and we can just put in the replacements and hope to back into the playoffs next week at Oakland!
aka 'Rexx'
how can we blitz ben and leave ward open!!! that is idiotic!!! that sorry d-coord did that in NE and Reed got burnt. that’s the 3rd TD we’ve given up with the DB blitz. we could have burned the clock and given them 3.
WORLDS DUMBEST TEAM NOW PLAYING
face me IKE!!!
The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done."
-George Carlin
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