Dueling Predictions: Can The Ravens Beat The Tough Pittsburgh Steelers?

Why get just one perspective on a game when you can hear the various points of view from a round-table of folks who might have different outlooks on how a sporting contest will be decided?  The shows on television have multiple analysts, so why not have the same type of display in an article?

That's the line of thinking which brought about the Dueling Predictions articles on my site, GuysNation.com.  Just as we did for the majority of the season, this week we took a look at the various games on the NFL slate, and the result is an interesting read which shares the various perspectives of the authors involved.  The backbone of the article is written by a Philadelphia Eagles fan, so you know he's got his opinion.  Another is a Steelers fan.  The third guy is a Saints fan, and as for me, I like the Washington Redskins.

One of the biggest games this weekend is between AFC North rivals when the Baltimore Ravens have the tough task of traveling to Pittsburgh to try to beat the Steelers and free up the schedules of Terrible Towel waving fans for the rest of Winter 2011 as far as the NFL is concerned.

Here is how the author of the article described this game:

This is the best, most evenly match rivalry in the NFL. These two teams are incredibly familiar with one another. Divisional rivals. Similar styles. If you want high powered flashy offense? You’re gonna be disappointed by what this game resembles… two heavyweights standing toe to toe. Its gonna be violent.

I expect the new NFL crackdown on hitting to line their pockets at the expense of this game. These teams are so evenly matched the cliche’ “big play” will, like it has in so many of their meetings, decide this game.

How Baltimore wins: establish Ray Rice (easier said than done). Running the ball successfully would got a long way to opening up the field. But at the very least get Rice the ball with screens. Defensively they need to stay strong through 4 quarters. Luckily the defense wasn’t on the field all that much last week so they should be rested and ready to go.

How Pittsburgh wins: Establish Rashard Mendenhall (see: Ray Rice comments). Keep Big Ben upright (insert crude bathroom stall joke here). Troy Polomalu is a little dinged up going into this game, but he should play, but how much. If he misses significant time? The Steelers could be in trouble.

MY PICK: Pittsburgh 24-21. Home Team. Bye Week. Roethlisberger is 6-0 in his last six starts against Baltimore. (Baltimore won earlier this year while Ben was suspended)

Another author, known as JMB, described it as such: 

I have to go with Pittsburgh over Baltimore. This is as Suggs suggested “World War III”. We know that no one will run the ball well, so this game will come down to special teams, big defensive plays, and something unbelievable and the way it shakes out to this obviously biased Pittsburgh fans is as follows: I’ll take Big Ben over Joe Flacco any day. Somehow, someway Ben finds a way to make a play to win it.  

Look at prior meetings, and even the biggest stage—the Super Bowl.  With the game on the line and it likely will be in the fourth quarter, I trust him.  Plus, he’s 8-2 against the Ravens having won six straight and one of the losses was his first NFL game. 

Finally, Pittsburgh has Troy Polamalu, the Ravens do not.  You can have Ed Reed as fantastic as he is, but how many times, has Polamalu had an unbelievable athletic play that has changed the entire dynamic of a game.  He’s done it all year long re:  the massive strip sack against Flacco, and with the week rest, I think he has another one in him this week.  Pittsburgh 20 – Baltimore 17

That's only two of the guys making predictions. 

Want to hear how the other two guys picked, one of whom has been a Ravens fan for a while?

Want to share your opinion either through a comment, voting or both? 

Care to check how the other games were analyzed, possibly to share your opinion on that?

Check out the full article over at GuysNation.com!