Could Ravens' Heap Make The Difference?

When the Baltimore Ravens met the Pittsburgh Steelers for the second time during the regular season, tight end Todd Heap pulled his hamstring muscle on the game's first play and never returned the rest of the game. The Ravens lost that game 13-10 and the team's final play was an unsuccessful fourth down attempt when a poorly thrown Joe Flacco pass short-hopped Heap's backup, rookie Ed Dickson. If Heap played the entire game and was in there for that ill-fated pass, might he have made enough of a difference in the game, much less on that final play?

It's obviously hard to say and worthless to look back at that as the reason the Ravens lost that game, but one could certainly wonder. After seeing how the team utilized a healthy Heap in last week's record-setting performance (10 catches, 108 yards). Not only did he catch so many balls, he was consistently open over the middle along with the other receivers, an area of the field that the Ravens had rarely attacked over the course of the regular season.

If Heap can continue his post season resurgence, he may be the x-factor that could very well free up the other wide receivers and open up the running game if the Steelers defense now has to contend with another offensive weapon this Saturday afternoon.