Steelers Must Go Old School Against Ravens: Win It With Defense

I have said numerous times this year, that this is not your parent's Pittsburgh Steelers football team. No longer is this unit forced to run the ball on first and second down, then hope for a decent pass on third.

The 2009 Steelers can win in the air. Ben Roethlisberger is one of the NFL elite, and they normally rely on him to take the game over, when it is on the line. When the Steelers travel to Baltimore on Sunday, Roethlisberger won't be able to save them, he will be inactive.

Dennis Dixon will make his first career start due to the concussion like symptoms Roethlisberger suffered when he took a knee to the head in overtime against the Chiefs last week.

For the Steelers to come out of Baltimore with the victory, they are going to have to do it old school. The defense is going to have to shut the Ravens down, keep them out of the end zone, and possibly put some points on the board themselves.

The Steelers defense will be without Troy Polamalu yet again this week, but they will have to play at their highest level of the year.

The Ravens strength at the beginning of the season was Joe Flacco putting the ball in the air. Lately, Ray Rice has been the gear that turns the wheel in Baltimore. The Steelers defense is the best in the league against the run, allowing 139 yards less than the second place Bengals, and under 70 yards per game.

The key to success for the Steelers will be keeping Rice in check and forcing Joe Flacco to beat them through the air. Ike Taylor is going to have to lock down Derrick Mason, and keep him under 100 yards receiving.

The other key for a Steelers victory will be running the ball, which against Baltimore, is easier said than done. Haloti Ngata returns to the Ravens line up for the first time in a month.

There are some injury issues that the Ravens defense is concerned with as well. Both Ray Lewis (foot) and Ed Reed (undisclosed illness / foot) are questionable, while Terrell Suggs has been ruled doubtful, meaning he likely will not play.

Brendon Ayanbadejo and Fabian Washington have both been placed on IR, while Samari Rolle is on the PUP list, so none of them will be playing the rest of this year.

Dennis Dixon is going to have to play mistake free football for the Steelers to be successful. He needs to not try to be Roethlisberger, and when his receivers are not open, do what you did best in college, take off running. Dixon will have to go through his progressions, check the check down, then take off running if no one is open.

On offense, the Steelers are going to have to limit mistakes and run the football to exploit the injuries the Ravens have, and to give the defense as much rest as they possibly can.

For the Steelers to win, they are going to have to do it with defense. They will have to play old school football, like only the Steelers can.