Kickoff Weekend 2011 will conclude in doubleheader fashion this Monday night as four AFC quarterbacks aim to start the season on a winning note.
In the first game, quarterbacks TOM BRADY of the New England Patriots and CHAD HENNE of the Miami Dolphins will meet at Sun Life Stadium in the first Monday Night Football game (7:00 PM ET, ESPN) of the regular season. Brady leads a Patriots team into Miami that has won seven consecutive games on Kickoff Weekend. The two-time MVP is 44-11 (.800) as a starter against the AFC East and hopes to improve that mark. Henne looks to register a division win as Miami hopes to capture the AFC East for the first time since 2008.
The second game will feature a showdown between AFC West rivals, as KYLE ORTON and the Denver Broncos host JASON CAMPBELL and the Oakland Raiders at Sports Authority Field at Mile High (10:15 PM ET, ESPN). Campbell guided Oakland to an undefeated record (6-0) against the AFC West last season. Orton hopes to help the Broncos extend their streak of 11 consecutive wins in home openers.
A look at the Ravens & Steelers quarterback position in the AFC in 2011:
BALTIMORE: JOE FLACCO is determined to lead the Ravens to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. The strong-armed quarterback set career highs in passing yards (3,622), touchdowns (25) and passer rating (93.6) in 2010. Flacco will target a veteran wide receiver duo of ANQUAN BOLDIN and LEE EVANS, who was recently acquired via trade from Buffalo. All-Star running back RAY RICE will be a factor on the ground and out of the backfield.
PITTSBURGH: A proven winner since entering the NFL in 2004, BEN ROETHLISBERGER owns a 69-29 record (.704) as a starter, the third-best winning percentage among active NFL quarterbacks (minimum 10 starts). After missing the first four games of the 2010 season, Roethlisberger led the AFC with 3,200 passing yards for the remainder of the regular season. The strong-armed quarterback aims to stretch the field with speedster MIKE WALLACE and keep defenders on edge with his elusiveness in the pocket.
(Click on the 'Jump' to see that match-up stats from the NFL on the Ravens-Steelers game)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS
SERIES
|
STEELERS |
RAVENS |
|
|
SERIES LEADER |
18-12 |
|
|
STREAKS |
4 of past 6 |
|
|
COACHES VS. OPP. |
Tomlin: 7-3 |
Harbaugh: 2-6 |
|
LAST GAME |
12/5/10: Steelers 13 at Ravens 10. Pittsburgh scores 10 4th-quarter points to erase 10-3 deficit, including 9-yard TD pass from QB Ben Roethlisberger to RB Isaac Redman. |
|
|
LAST GAME AT SITE |
12/5/10 |
|
|
BROADCAST |
CBS (1:00 PM ET): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms. Westwood One Radio: Howard David, Tony Boselli. SIRIUS: 112 (Pit.), 86 (Bal.). XM: 228 (Bal.). |
|
2010 STATS
|
PASSING |
Roethlisberger: 240-389-3,200-17-5-97.0 (3C) |
Flacco: 306-489-3,622-25-10-93.6 |
|
RUSHING |
Mendenhall: 324-1,273-3.9-13 (T2L) |
Rice: 307-1,220-4.0-5 |
|
RECEIVING |
Wallace: 60-1,257 (3C)-21.0-10 (T3C) |
Boldin: 64-837-13.1-7 |
|
OFFENSE |
345.3 |
322.9 |
|
TAKE/GIVE |
+17 (2L) |
+7 |
|
DEFENSE |
276.8 (2L) |
318.9 |
|
SACKS |
Harrison: 10.5 |
Suggs: 11.0 |
|
INTs |
Polamalu: 7 (T2L) |
E. Reed: 8 (1L) |
|
PUNTING |
Sepulveda: 45.5 |
Koch: 43.6 |
|
KICKING |
Suisham: 61 (19/19 PAT; 14/15 FG) |
Cundiff: 117 (39/39 PAT; 26/29 FG) |
NOTES
STEELERS: Head coach MIKE TOMLIN is 4-0 on Kickoff Weekend…Incl. postseason, QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER is 9-2 (.818) as starter vs. Ravens & has 17 TDs vs. 9 INTs & 84.8 passer rating. Has thrown career-best 158 consecutive passes in regular season without INT, longest such streak by Steelers QB since KORDELL STEWART (159 consecutive passes without INT in ’01)…RB RASHARD MENDENHALL (1,273 rush yards, 13 rush TDs in ’10) joined WILLIE PARKER (1,494 rush yards, 13 rush TDs in ’06) as only Steelers w/ 1,200+ rush yards & at least 13 rush TDs in season… WR HINES WARD (11,702) needs 133 receiving yards to surpass HOFer DON MAYNARD for 20th in NFL history. In ’10, WR MIKE WALLACE (7) tied HOFer JOHN STALLWORTH (7 in ’84) for most 100-yard rec. games in season in club history…Steelers allowed NFL-low 62.8 rushing yards per game last season, 5th-fewest per game in NFL history…LB JAMES HARRISON became 1st Steeler to post double-digit sacks in 3 consecutive seasons (16 in ’08; 10 in ’09; 10.5 in ’10)…Incl. playoffs, LB LA MARR WOODLEY has 8.5 sacks vs. Bal., most vs. any opponent…RAVENS: Incl. postseason, JOHN HARBAUGH has led Ravens to 36 wins as head coach, 3rd-most in NFL since ’08 (Colts, 38; Steelers 38). Harbaugh is 3-0 on Kickoff Weekend…QB JOE FLACCO had 3,622 passing yards & 25 TDs in ’10, both rank 2nd in Ravens history. Flacco is 19-5 (.792) as home starter & has completed 419 of 671 passes (62.4 pct.) for 5,125 yards w/ 29 TDs vs. 13 INTs & 92.3 rating…For career, RB RAY RICE averages 121.4 rush yards per game when he has 25+ att. (607 total in 5 games)…RB RICKY WILLIAMS will make Ravens debut…WR ANQUAN BOLDIN posted 5 rec. for 118 yards (23.6 avg.) with TD catch in last game vs. Pit…WR LEE EVANS will make Ravens debut. Evans (5,934) needs 66 rec. yards to reach 6,000 career…S ED REED had NFL-best 8 INTs in ’10. Since ’02, Reed leads NFL with 54 INTs…LB TERRELL SUGGS (68.5) needs 2 sacks to surpass PETER BOULWARE (70) for most sacks in Ravens history. Incl. postseason, Suggs has 15.5 career sacks vs. Pit…LB RAY LEWIS led team with 145 tackles in ’10.