Ravens Vs Steelers: Five Biggest Storylines of This Week 4 AFC North Battle

The Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers continue arguably football's best rivalry in Week 4 of the 2010 NFL season.

Pittsburgh comes into this game undefeated, despite not having Ben Roethlisberger for the first four games of the year. On the flip side, the Ravens look to build on the win at Cleveland, and continue to put the full team package out on the field.

Being that the control of first place is on the line, the intensity will be at its highest, no matter who is on the field.

Here is my guide to the Ravens-Steelers rivalry, giving you the five biggest storylines to watch out for this Sunday.

Matt Miselis is a Baltimore Ravens and NFL FC for BleacherReport.com. He is also a contributor to NFL Blog Blitz on NFL.com as a Ravens writer.

Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/MattMiselis.

Steelers Offensive Line Against Ravens Defensive Front

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TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 26: Rookie center Maurkice Pouncey #53 of the Pittsburgh Steelers points during the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

One of the key match ups to watch is the offensive line of the Steelers against the defensive front for the Ravens.

Despite the injuries and inexperience on the line, Pittsburgh's offensive front has played fairly well in protecting whoever has been behind center.

The Ravens defensive line is off to a bit of a slow start, but should be motivated after last week's disappointing performance against Cleveland.

There are a few guys I need to keep an eye on. On the Ravens side, Terrell Suggs is No. 1 on my list. He is always extra motivated whenever he puts on the chin strap in a Ravens-Steelers game, and is going to be focused on getting to Charlie Batch.

The Maurkice Pouncey-Haloti Ngata matchup interests me as well. Pouncey has played very well for a rookie starter, and will face his biggest test thus far when going up against Ngata, one of the best defensive lineman in football.

Can Ray Rice Make an Impact Against the Linebackers of the Steelers?

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BALTIMORE - SEPTEMBER 26: Ray Rice #27 of the Baltimore Ravens can't hold onto a pass as he's taken down by Scott Fujita #99 of the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens defeated the Browns 24-17.

Through three weeks of the season, Ray Rice has been the biggest disappointment amongst fantasy owners thus far.

Rice has 52 rushes for 210 yards, and zero touchdowns. While part of the problem is due to the Ravens pass happy offense in the first three games, Rice has just been unable to find any holes to run through.

Last season, Rice was able to find success against the Steelers defense, especially in the overtime win at home.

However, the Steelers linebackers are ready for him, as they are led by Lawrence Timmons and James Farrior.

A balanced attack is going to be key for the Ravens if they want to pull out the victory, with Ray Rice leading the way in the rushing department.

Can the Steelers Passing Game Finally Expose the Ravens Secondary?

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NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 19: Mike Wallace #17 of the Pittsburgh Steelers makes a catch as Chris Hope #24 of the Tennessee Titans defends during the first half at LP Field on September 19, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Im

With points expected to be tough to find on Sunday, the game could be decided by the passing attack of the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Ravens secondary.

Both units have seen great starts to their season. Mike Wallace is emerging as a No. 1 threat for the Steelers, taking the place of the departed Santonio Holmes.

The thin Ravens secondary has been led by Chris Carr, who is having a great start to his season.

Only one of them will be able to have success on Sunday. I think it's a deadlock due to the absence of Ben Roethlisberger.

It will be interesting to see which side wins, as this will be a likely outcome of the winner of the game.

Is Joe Flacco Ready To Take the Next Step Against the Steelers Defense?

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CINCINNATI - SEPTEMBER 19: Quarterback Joe Flacco #5 of Baltimore Ravens throws against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on September 19, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

The biggest question on the experts mind is can Joe Flacco take the next step against the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Since his rookie year, Flacco has continued to make strides against the teams biggest rival. Yet, in most cases, it isn't enough to pull out the victory.

With an improved weaponry on the offensive side, there is definitely hope that it can change.

I'm going to be watching how the chemistry is made between Flacco and his receivers early. I expect him to target Anquan Boldin early to try and get him into the game. I also expect Joe to mix it up a bit and throw to his other offensive targets around him as well.

Troy Polamalu and the Steelers defense is going to focus on creating turnovers, and time will tell if Flacco is ready to learn from those mistakes and put the Ravens in line for first place after Week 4.

1. Can Ray Lewis and the Ravens Defense Shut Down the Steelers Running Game?

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PITTSBURGH - DECEMBER 27: Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens prepares for the snap during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on December 27, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Karl Walter/Getty Images)

My biggest key to the game is the Steelers running attack against the Ravens front seven.

Whoever wins this match up will be the winner of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry in Week 4.

Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall  had a breakout game last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which led to a balanced attack that couldn't be stopped.

The Ravens defense had a disappointing game against Cleveland, allowing Peyton Hillis to run down the entire middle of the field.

You would think Ray Lewis will have his defense extra motivated, especially playing the Steelers on the road. If they allow Mendenhall to have success on the ground, Charlie Batch will be given enough help to score on the Ravens defense and get their fourth win of the year.

If Pittsburgh can't run the ball however, I can't see Charlie Batch being able to make enough big plays down the stretch against a top defense like the Ravens.