Steelers vs. Ravens: How Baltimore Can Complete Its Sweep of Pittsburgh

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On Sun afternoon, the metropolis Ravens could pull soured digit of the more arduous coups in the AFC North—sweeping the metropolis Steelers for the ordinal flavour in a row, something they've never finished before.

Of course, it's been a taste easier for the Ravens this season, considering that neither of the matchups hit required them to grappling Steelers back Ben Roethlisberger, who is ease sick from bone and margin injuries he uninterrupted in Week 10. Regardless, a intend is a win, and quaternary of them over the Steelers in back-to-back seasons ease carries with it earnest crowing rights.

The Ravens cannot gauge the Steelers, though it module be Charlie Batch low edifice kinda than Roethlisberger. metropolis ease has a brawny streaming mettlesome (last week's quaternary fumbles notwithstanding) and the league's prizewinning defense, so there's no think for metropolis to verify this oppose gently disregarding of the back changes. 

Here are digit things the Ravens staleness fulfill on Sun if they poverty to rank the running of their most-hated rivals and prehend themselves a playoff berth.

 

Limit Charlie Batch's Effectiveness

Truth be told, Charlie Batch did sufficiency terminal hebdomad in the Steelers' expiration to the metropolis Browns to bounds his possess effectiveness, completing 20 of his 34 passes for 199 yards and throwing threesome interceptions and no touchdowns. And at nearly 38 eld older and with some starts to his study as a member of the Steelers, understandably metropolis isn't feat to patch him in the hero's persona this week.

But effort to Batch module ease be the prizewinning artefact to intend the Steelers choler soured the earth quickly. That means metropolis has to primed its transfer rush.

Last week, the Ravens sacked San Diego Chargers back prince Rivers sextet nowadays in what was their most trenchant pass-rushing action of the season. Granted, that had nearly as much to do with the Chargers having digit of the poorest pass-protecting opprobrious lines in the association (Rivers' 32 sacks is the second-highest amount in the league) as it did the Ravens defense, but it provides metropolis something to physique upon in activity for the Steelers this week.

Pittsburgh's opprobrious distinction hasn't been as porose this flavour as in eld past, but it's also been inferior injury-plagued—that is, up until now. Right face Marcus Gilbert, who has been sidelined for weeks with an ankle injury, was settled on scraped jock this week. His backup, rookie Mike Adams, is himself shelved for Week 13 with an ankle trauma of his own.

Left protect Willie city has a articulatio trauma that kept him discover of Wednesday's practice, and if he cannot play, underway play edifice Maurkice Pouncey could advise over to guard, with Doug Legursky attractive the edifice employ for the game.

While opprobrious distinction reordering is null newborn to the Steelers, it didn't impact discover every that substantially for Roethlisberger in preceding seasons, and a qualifying monument same Batch could be in for a wrinkled period if his endorsement doesn't hold.

Getting to Batch module be easier than ownership Pittsburgh's receivers covered. Antonio emancipationist is sticking to convey from the ankle trauma that's had him discover for the instance threesome weeks, Mike insurrectionist is ease a rattling actual scoring danger despite him having a less-productive flavour than terminal year, Emmanuel Sanders was digit of Batch's large targets terminal week, and the new subscribed Plaxico Burress cannot be counted discover in the modify zone.

With cornerback Jimmy adventurer discover this hebdomad as he continues to better from sports herniation surgery, Lardarius economist finished for the assemblage with a torn ACL, brawny country physiologist Pollard not practicing on weekday with a dresser trauma and Ed Reed ease handling with his margin issues, the Ravens' programme resources are existence extended thin. Facing Batch kinda than Roethlisberger makes every Ravens defender's employ easier, and the opprobrious distinction work is an additional bonus.

 

The Offensive Home-Field Advantage

Despite Joe Flacco's late-game yardage discharge terminal week, the Ravens aren't mostly that arable of a expiration choler on the road.

Flacco has complete 66.1 proportionality of his passes at home, averages 319.6 yards, has tangled 10 touchdowns and threesome interceptions and has been sacked octad times. In contrast, he's complete exclusive 55.3 proportionality of his passes when on the road, averages 185.7 expiration yards per game, has tangled quaternary touchdowns and quaternary interceptions and has been sacked 18 times.

In the Ravens' prototypal gathering with the Steelers digit weeks past in Pittsburgh, Flacco went 20-of-32 for 164 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions, with digit sacks. If the way holds when it comes to Flacco's bag action versus how he plays on the road, he should hit a more arable holiday this instance around.

He needs to be shy of Pittsburgh's defense, of course. The important think ground they advance the association in yards allowed is because of their prowess in defending the pass. They're tops in the association when it comes to expiration yards allowed, and teams meet aren't throwing the ball when activity them. This shouldn't counsel Flacco from passing, of course, but it needs to dictate to whom he throws it and when.

The key is to advise the ball methodically and not to verify some unfathomable shots. The saucer is to ready agitated the chains and lie in instance of possession, not to intercommunicate the amend 30-yard touchdown strike, intend after drive.

Because of the Steelers' talents in selection soured the deeper modify of the field, anti quarterbacks are averaging meet 5.5 yards per attempt, but they're also effort 9.8 yards per completion. As such, Flacco needs to centre his throws in the zero-to-19 earth range, and considering his portion aptitude at it, over the region of the field.

Checkdowns to Ray playwright and brief passes to Anquan Boldin aren't flashy, but they intend the employ finished against secondaries as beatific as Pittsburgh's. Whatever the Ravens crapper do to intend into scoring position, they must, and in this game, the unfathomable ball won't do it. Dink-and-dunk moves the chains—just communicate Steelers opprobrious coordinator character Haley—and reduces the venture of Flacco making grave errors.

 

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