Ravens vs. Steelers: 10 Things Baltimore Must Do To Win in Pittsburgh
Saturday’s AFC Divisional round of the 2010-11 NFL playoffs will likely be the highlight of the season, when the Baltimore Ravens (13-4) travel to Heinz Field for the second time this year to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4), winners of the AFC North.
The Ravens are on a five game winning streak, with their last loss coming at the hands of the Steelers by a score of 13-10 in Baltimore.
Three points decided both regular season contests between these two teams, and last-second drives by both teams in the final quarter of play determined the winner in both games.
Looking back at Baltimore’s Week 13 loss to the Steelers, a missed assignment by LT Michael Oher allowed for safety Troy Polamalu to reach QB Joe Flacco. The result of the play was a sack-fumble, setting the Steelers up for the go-ahead touchdown with little time left on the clock.
It was that game-changing play by Polamalu, which negatively altered the Ravens season in 2010, and ultimately crowned Pittsburgh division champions.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh called the 13-10 loss to Pittsburgh “the worst of his coaching career.”
Given the vast improvements Baltimore has made in every aspect of the game since their devastating loss to Pittsburgh, the Ravens have put themselves in position to win their first playoff game at Heinz Field, where the Steelers currently hold a 2-0 advantage.
The Ravens can walk away from Pittsburgh victorious on Saturday if they can dominate the game in 10 specific categories. Let’s look at what Baltimore must do to secure a trip to the AFC Championship game.
Todd McGregor is a Baltimore Ravens Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
Follow Todd's work on Twitter! Twitter.com/ravens023
Protect Joe Flacco's Blind Side
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Much criticism has been directed at Ravens LT Michael Oher from within the Baltimore community in 2010. Oher had his triumphant moments during the regular season, but lack of consistency continued to be one of Oher’s downfalls, whether it was false start penalties or missed assignments on the offensive line.
Unknowingly, Oher’s biggest mistake of the season came in Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when a simple shift to the left allowed safety Troy Polamalu to make a play on QB Joe Flacco, which resulted in a Ravens fumble deep in their own territory.
Pittsburgh would recover the fumble and go on to win the game, 13-10.
One of the keys to victory for Baltimore is mitigating the violent Pittsburgh pass rushers, including linebackers LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison.
The last time these two teams met, the Ravens were without their best blockers, TE Todd Heap and FB Le’Ron McClain. Both players are now healthy and should play a huge role in Baltimore’s ability to neutralize Pittsburgh’s blitz packages.
If Baltimore’s offensive line succeeds in keeping Flacco upright, the Ravens offense should have a solid day, and bring the team that much closer to a win.
In addition, every player and team coach must account for Polamalu’s presence on the field. The Ravens can’t afford another mental lapse like the one suffered Week 13, when Baltimore failed to recognize Polamalu standing near the line of scrimmage.
Polamalu is still listed on the Steelers official injury report with an ankle injury, but will play on Saturday.
Stay True to Their Identity
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This concept seems easy enough to grasp for most teams, but for the greater part of 2010, the Baltimore Ravens had trouble deciding what kind of team they were. Part of the Ravens' identity problems stemmed from their inability to establish a running game, not in the sense of attempts per game, but yards gained per rush.
What the Ravens didn’t realize was the fact they were turning into a pass first team. However, many fans in Baltimore pleaded with the team to stick with the running game instead.
As the 2010 season progressed, Baltimore found balance in both the running and passing game, as the offensive line started opening up bigger holes for running backs Ray Rice and Willis McGahee.
In order to be successful and come out victorious in Pittsburgh, the Ravens must stick to their own strengths, and work with what the Steelers give them on the field.
If this means passing the ball on every down, then that’s what Baltimore must do to win.
Utilize Their Big-Time Receivers
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The reason why teams acquire premier athletes in the first place is to stay competitive with the most successful divisional foe. In this case, the Baltimore Ravens have been building a team that will remain in the running with the Pittsburgh Steelers for years to come—and hopefully this year, surpass the Steelers in the playoffs.
However, one aggravating aspect of the Ravens offense has been the absence of receivers Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh in several key games during the 2010 season.
WR Derrick Mason remains QB Joe Flacco’s go-to-guy, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Nevertheless, Baltimore as a team would benefit even more by opening up the offense, not holding back, and including the big-time receivers they acquired in the offseason.
Boldin and Houshmandzadeh are two of the best possession receivers in the business, and their presence was finally felt in Baltimore’s 30-7 win over the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday.
If the Ravens can concoct a game plan that includes both Pro Bowl receivers, the team should wind up having the same success they had in Pittsburgh back in Week 4.
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Remain Patient Running the Football
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This point goes hand-in-hand with generating positive results in the passing game, and while it’s important to maintain a balanced attack on offense, a team can only work with what their opponent gives them.
How many times have we heard the phrase “Baltimore isn’t running the football enough” echoed throughout the season? My thinking is way too much.
The Ravens actually rank sixth in the NFL in rushing attempts with 487 through the end of Week 17. The real problem fans have witnessed, mainly in the distant past, was inconsistent play from the offensive line, resulting in low yards-per-carry averages from running backs Ray Rice and Willis McGahee.
Rice hasn’t had an astounding year from a statistical standpoint, but he still ranks in the top half (13th) of all running backs with four yards per attempt.
Rice has been gaining more momentum in recent weeks, scoring three touchdowns in four games (two rushing, one receiving).
The Pittsburgh Steelers thrive on shutting down opposing running backs, but Rice and McGahee have a good matchup on Saturday, as both players tend to play their best football in the postseason.
Baltimore must remain committed to the run if they want a shot at winning on Saturday.
Be Aggressive on Both Sides of the Ball
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Coordinators Cam Cameron and Greg Mattison have been on the hot seat of perpetual criticism in Baltimore, mainly because the Ravens had their troubles putting opponents away early throughout the greater portion of the 2010 season.
Baltimore’s first decisive win since Week 11 at Carolina (37-13), came last week in Kansas City—a complete demolition of the Chiefs, 30-7.
The Ravens have won seven of their last eight games, and only lost one home game all year (yes, to Pittsburgh).
It’s not out of the realm of possibility for Baltimore to put the Steelers away during the second half of Saturday’s game if they stay aggressive with their play calling and make Pittsburgh one dimensional on offense.
In fact, the Ravens have done a good job in holding Pittsburgh to a limited number of yards on offense in each meeting this season. On both occasions, RB Rashard Mendenhall was held to under 100 yards rushing, and QB Joe Flacco outplayed Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger in their last matchup.
With turnovers likely playing a key role in Saturday’s playoff game, it’s important that Baltimore carries over the level of physicality from last week’s game against the Chiefs, and puts the Steelers away, before another unfortunate turnover decides this meeting in Pittsburgh’s favor.
Pressure Ben Roethlisberger Relentlessly
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Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger might be the best signal-caller in the NFL at extending plays after initial contact with defenders. However, the Steelers All-Pro quarterback struggles when the Baltimore Ravens effectively disguise their blitz schemes.
We now know Baltimore’s defensive backs are better than advertised, and have recently played exceptionally well in coverage. This is especially true for CB Josh Wilson, who had a career day covering Kansas City’s WR Dwayne Bowe.
If Haloti Ngata and the rest of Baltimore’s defensive line can keep Roethlisberger under pressure, the Ravens secondary shouldn’t have much of a problem staying in coverage with Pittsburgh’s receivers.
Use Ed Reed like a Chess Piece
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Some teams have greater difficulty cracking the code of the Baltimore Ravens defense. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had their fair share of problems deciphering many of the schemes defensive coordinator Greg Mattison has installed in Baltimore.
When healthy, safety Ed Reed plays the biggest role in baiting opposing quarterbacks into ill-advised throws.
In his seven years as an NFL quarterback, Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger is still plagued by Reed and the rest of the Ravens defense. Next to his Week 8 performance against the New Orleans Saints, Roethlisberger posted his lowest quarterback rating of the season (75.9), Week 13 against the Ravens.
Reed has only one interception in nine games against Roethlisberger, but with Reed in mid-season form and playing with a heavy heart, it’s not unreasonable to think Reed will improve his record against Roethlisberger.
Win the Field Position Battle
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In a game that should be decided by a field goal or two, placekicker Billy Cundiff and punter Sam Koch have important jobs in creating the longest possible field for the Pittsburgh Steelers offense.
Cundiff was named to the Pro Bowl a couple weeks earlier, and some might say Koch was snubbed from a Pro Bowl appearance. Oakland punter Shane Lechler got the bid instead.
Cundiff leads the NFL in touchbacks on kickoffs, and Koch remains best in the league in number of punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
With the Ravens defense playing at such a high level in recent weeks, Cundiff and Koch could make it very hard for the Steelers to score points on Saturday if they can pin Pittsburgh deep inside their own territory.
Chances are both kickers will do just that.
John Harbaugh Must Use Challenge Flags Wisely
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In 2009, head coach John Harbaugh was among the most successful coaches at having replay challenges overturned. In 2010, Harbaugh went one for nine in successfully having initial calls on the field overturned.
Nine challenges seem almost insignificant over the course of an NFL season, and it’s difficult to pinpoint the change in Harbaugh’s philosophy when it comes to effectively utilizing the NFL’s replay system.
With the playoffs well underway, Harbaugh must remain cautious, but at the same time, less timid when contemplating if he should toss the challenge flag.
At this point in the season, there’s nothing to lose by choosing to challenge the replay system, especially when you’re coaching in a game that could come down to several inches.
The only things Harbaugh stands to lose are the flags themselves, which go to waste if you don’t use them in the first place.
Ignore the 12th Man
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Surprisingly, this might be one of the easier tasks for the Baltimore Ravens to accomplish on Saturday—although the Ravens have yet to win a playoff game at Heinz Field (zero wins in two attempts).
The Ravens are the best road playoff team in NFL history, holding a 6-3 record going into Pittsburgh this weekend, and this year’s team is built for success on the road.
However, any time a visiting team marches into a city like Pittsburgh, where fans are passionate about their Steelers team, it makes the challenge to the visitor much more difficult when the crowd plays to the strengths of the home team.
The Ravens successfully eliminated the 12th man in their last trip to the Steel City, so there’s no reason to believe the same can’t be done this time around.
Extreme focus is the key for QB Joe Flacco and Co. to come out winners on Saturday. The only thing Flacco should be worried about is pressure coming from the Pittsburgh defense, and not the decibel level inside Heinz Field.
Maybe that’s easier said than done, but only time will tell how well Flacco and the rest of the Ravens squad deals with pressure that is out of their control.
The Conclusion
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It’s very difficult to analyze a game in which two teams so equally matched are set to take battle in.
A good analyst takes everything into consideration when trying to predict the winner of such an historic matchup.
Looking into Saturday’s meeting between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, history from long ago doesn’t have as much weight as recent milestones, and it’s equally important to look at where both teams stand at this point in the season.
Do the Steelers come out flat because of their bye week, or is the team better off, thanks to the first-round bye?
There’s obviously a 50-percent chance of either outcome on Saturday, but the bigger question is, where do the Ravens stand the day before the AFC Divisional round?
Again, accolades that took place in the distant past don’t mean as much as recent accomplishments, and the Ravens continue to grow as a team, in both health and talent, as the Divisional playoffs near.
The Ravens are a battle-tested, road warrior of a team, and they are playing their best football of the 2010 season—not just last week, but for the majority of the regular season.
A 13-4 record speaks volumes about a team and the accomplishments they’ve made throughout the year.
The Baltimore Ravens should come out of Pittsburgh with a 10-point victory in what will undeniably be a very tight game between two highly talented teams.
Todd McGregor is a Baltimore Ravens Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
Follow Todd's work on Twitter! Twitter.com/ravens023
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