Ravens vs. Steelers: Breaking Down Pittsburgh's Game Plan

It has been a long 17 weeks, but the NFL playoffs are finally here. Thankfully, the Pittsburgh Steelers rallied to secure not only a playoff spot, but another AFC North title.

The Steelers are going to host an old foe on Saturday in the Baltimore Ravens, which will mark their third game against one another of the season.

For what it is worth, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Mark Kaboly suggests the Steelers have history on their side:

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9 times the Steelers have played a team 3 times in a season. All 9 times the Steelers have won the third game (playoff game.)

— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly_Trib) December 30, 2014"

However, the dynamic of the team that won the North is significantly different from the squad that will line up against the Ravens. During Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh star running back Le’Veon Bell injured his knee in a collision with Bengals safety Reggie Nelson.

The latest on the injury, according to ESPN.com’s Scott Brown, is that things are promising, but nothing is guaranteed for Saturday’s game.

Before we dive into the game plan for Pittsburgh, let’s take a look at the numbers courtesy of statmilk.com:

When the Steelers Are on Offense

At this point, I think it is safe to assume that Bell will not be available for the Steelers. At least, that is exactly what i assume the Steelers are planning for. It is prudent to assume the worst and hope for the best.

If Bell can get in there, all the better, but this offense must be willing to contend with a physical Ravens defense without its top running back.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Steelers did make a move to bolster their running back depth chart:

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Steelers now have signed running back Ben Tate to the 53-man roster, the team announced today.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 30, 2014"

How much can Tate help this offense? It starts on passing downs. One underrated part of Bell’s game is his ability to pass protect when needed and get out into the route when he isn’t. This is the facet of Tate’s game that should be in greatest demand.

However, with only a few days to prepare, all enthusiasm surrounding Tate's contributions must be tempered.

This means the onus of the offense is going to fall squarely on the arm of Pro Bowl quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. In other words, the offense is in very good hands. But how will the Steelers attack this Ravens defense without Bell?

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Here is what I expect from head coach Mike Tomlin and his staff. The first time the Steelers have the football, they are going to come out and try to assert themselves with the run game. That might mean Tate or running back Josh Harris.

However, don’t be shocked if Tomlin and offensive coordinator Todd Haley are arrogant enough to think that they can come out and run their regular game plan with backups at running back.

Now, once that fails because defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and rookie linebacker C.J. Mosley start crushing Pittsburgh running backs, the Steelers will be forced to go to Plan B. What is Plan B you say? Read on.

Don Wright/Associated Press

If Pittsburgh wants to slow down the aggressive Ravens defense, it will fall upon the horizontal passing game—the screen game and shallow crosses as an extension of the rushing game.

Let players like wide receivers Martavis Bryant and Antonio Brown do the heavy lifting on first down. If the Steelers can create manageable second and third downs, they can attack the weak link of the Ravens defense: the secondary.

As for the run game, let it come organically from the passing game. There’s no reason to force it and no reason to assume the Steelers cannot run the ball with this current group of running backs.

The offensive line has been doing a great job in recent weeks and I believe Pittsburgh can and will be able to use guard David DeCastro, fullback Will Johnson and tight end Heath Miller as the leads for that counter game that has worked so well.

When the Steelers Are on Defense

It took most of the season, but the Steelers defense is finally finding its stride as we approach the playoffs. The pass rush has started to get some traction, which has ignited the secondary.

This inspires confidence that Pittsburgh can keep the Ravens offense in check like it did back in Week 9.

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

In that game, the Steelers made a concerted effort to keep running back Justin Forsett in check and force quarterback Joe Flacco to beat them. I expect much of the same on Saturday. Stack the line, chase and tackle, and protect the cutback lanes.

If Pittsburgh can make Baltimore one-dimensional, this will let the Steelers pass-rushers tee off on Flacco.

In coverage, I expect to see cornerback William Gay covering Baltimore wide receiver Steve Smith, and the faster Brice McCain and Antwon Blake to share time chasing Torrey Smith.

However, the matchups Pittsburgh must be most mindful of are against the Ravens tight ends. All season long, Pittsburgh has been susceptible to giving up catches and touchdown catches to opposing tight ends.

In two games against the Steelers, Baltimore tight ends have caught three touchdowns.

Pittsburgh must get more physical with these tight ends and not give them so much cushion that they can catch and run. If they do catch the ball, just like with all these Baltimore skill players, tackling the route and not allowing splash plays will be key.

The player to watch on defense? I expect linebacker James Harrison to come out and take rookie left tackle James Hurst to school. Hurst has a bright future ahead of him, but Harrison is a star and wise veteran.

Prediction

Understanding that the loss of Bell is significant, the fact that Pittsburgh should still be confident is a real tip of the hat to the rest of this team. I look for both sides of the football to rally the troops and lift up the running game.

Sorry, Baltimore, but Pittsburgh has your number and you can’t deal with what it does best. The Steelers win and this run continues.

Steelers 35, Ravens 27

All player data courtesy of NFL.com.