Ravens vs. Steelers: Breaking Down Baltimore's Keys to the Game

The Baltimore Ravens are back in the NFL playoffs after a one-year hiatus, and their first game comes against a very familiar foe. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers, winners of the AFC North, will play host to Baltimore Saturday night in Round 3 of arguably the NFL's best rivalry. 

After the Ravens won the first matchup 26-6 in Week 2, Pittsburgh rebounded with a convincing 43-23 win over Baltimore in Week 9.

Not only is this the third time these teams meet this year, but this is also the third time Pittsburgh has hosted Baltimore in the playoffs since 2008. 

In both of the previous two postseason meetings, Pittsburgh beat Baltimore on its way to the Super Bowl. The Steelers once again have the potential to make a Super Bowl run, but that won't happen if star running back Le'Veon Bell is out for the playoffs.

Bell injured his knee during Pittsburgh's Week 17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. It looks like he'll miss this week, though there is some hope that he'll be able to go. 

That said, here is what Baltimore's game plan should be for beating the Steelers, assuming that Bell does not play. 

Blitz Conservatively

When the Ravens beat the Steelers in Week 2, they did so by not having to bring a lot of extra rushers to keep Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger from picking them apart.

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

That game saw Baltimore get just two sacks and three QB hits on Roethlisberger, but the Ravens managed to hold Pittsburgh to six points.

In the Week 9 rematch, Baltimore put a bigger emphasis on blitzing Big Ben, to the tune of three sacks and eight QB hits. 

However, Baltimore left the back end of its defense more exposed, allowing Roethlisberger to throw for 340 yards and six touchdowns. 

Part of the reason Baltimore blitzed more was because of its depleted secondary. The Ravens lost starting cornerbacks Asa Jackson and Jimmy Smith over the course of the season, so relying on the secondary to hold up in coverage against Pittsburgh is asking a lot. 

Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees is going to have to find a way to mix up coverages and confuse Roethlisberger while not sending too many guys on a blitz and leaving the secondary prone to big plays. 

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Establish the Run and Win on 3rd Down

The best way to keep Pittsburgh's offense from exposing the Ravens secondary is to keep it off the field altogether. That means establishing the run, something Baltimore was unable to do in the second matchup.

That game saw the Ravens rush for just 63 yards on 18 attempts and lose time of possession by almost three minutes. In the first matchup, Baltimore rushed for 157 yards on 36 attempts and won the TOP battle by over 10 minutes. 

Pittsburgh's offense can't score if it's not on the field, and Baltimore's offense has to help its defense by establishing the run and avoiding 3rd-and-long situations. 

In Baltimore's Week 2 win, the Ravens converted six of 12 third-down attempts. However, they went just 3-of-13 in the Week 9 loss at Pittsburgh. 

Limiting Pittsburgh's possessions is key in slowing down the Steelers' prolific offense, and a strong ground game will be key to doing that for Baltimore. 

No Turnovers

Pittsburgh's offense is too good to give extra possessions to, but that's exactly what Baltimore did in the Week 9 loss. That game saw the Ravens commit two turnovers, both of which gave the Steelers a short field that they converted into touchdowns. 

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

In the Week 2 win over Pittsburgh, Baltimore didn't commit a turnover and forced three Steelers turnovers, which the Ravens converted into 10 points. 

The Ravens have to win the turnover battle if they are to win this game, as the Steelers are too good a team to give extra opportunities to score.

Conclusion

In the end, all three of these keys are pretty straightforward, but all three were key reasons why Baltimore won the first matchup and, in turn, lost the second one.

If the Ravens execute all three of these keys, they'll have a great chance of coming out of Pittsburgh with a win and advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs.