The Ravens have been to the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons.
When this trend began, the Ravens had hired John Harbaugh and drafted Joe Flacco in the first round of the 2008 draft. And in each of those playoff trips, the Ravens have come away victors in each of their postseason openers.
On Saturday, the Harbaugh-Flacco duo came up big again, getting a 30-17 win over the Steelers in the Wild Card round.
Harbaugh and his coaching staff came into the game with a great gameplan. On defense, with running back Le'Veon Bell unavailable, defensive coordinator Dean Pees sent pressure at Ben Roethlisberger all game long, sacking him five times and getting two interceptions.
Offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak drew up some great balance with 25 runs and 29 passes. Flacco had a great game behind center, completing 18 of 29 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns.
If the Ravens can get this kind of performance next Saturday, they'll have a good shot to upset New England. The Harbaugh-Flacco duo has proven clutch in the playoffs over the years, especially when others begin counting them out.