NFL Scores Week 1: Final Score, Recap and Analysis of Ravens' Rout over Steelers

The AFC North torch has been passed. The Baltimore Ravens didn't just get lucky against the Pittsburgh Steelers; they embarrassed them. They made the Steel Curtain look like wet toilet paper, and Ed Reed walked off the field thinking: Troy who?

Final Score: Baltimore Ravens 35, Pittsburgh Steelers 7

Game Recap

At home, Baltimore slaughtered the Steelers. It was over before the opening coin toss.  Ray Rice and the Ravens offense shot out of a cannon, scoring 14 points in the first quarter.

An Emmanuel Sanders touchdown in the second was the closest Pittsburgh would get to touching the Ravens the rest of the afternoon. 14-7 turned into 28-7 just seconds into the third quarter. And how fitting that Rashard Mendenhall, who defended Osama Bin Laden on Twitter, would cough up the football on 9/11 to give the Ravens an insurmountable lead.

Joe Flacco shut up LaMarr Woodley and all the haters, going 17-29 for 224 yards and three touchdowns. Second-year tight end Ed Dickson emerged as Flacco’s favorite target catching five balls for 54 yards and a touchdown. But enough about the offense; like usual, it was the Ravens defense that led the team to victory.

Baltimore’s playmaking trio of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs was incredible. Lewis recorded an interception and forced fumble, Reed boasted two interceptions and Suggs forced two fumbles. Ben Roethlisberger had no hope.

The Steelers quarterback went just 22-41, throwing one touchdown compared to three interceptions. Mike Wallace had a big game, catching eight balls for 107 yards, but you couldn’t say the same for Mendenhall and Hines Ward. Neither player could make fans forget about their offseason troubles, as each failed to step up.

As one could’ve expected in such a heated rivalry, a brawl was a major headline of the game.  Unsurprisingly, the classless Steelers began a scuffle that the Ravens refused to back down from. The fight resulted in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on Pittsburgh.

Players That Emerged

Rice had the fantasy owners who passed on him kicking themselves after he rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown on just 19 carries. He also added four receptions for 42 yards a touchdown through the air. His backup, Ricky Williams, even smoked the Steelers’ exposed front seven rushing for 63 yards on 12 carries.

Injury News

There weren’t too many major injuries in the game. James Harrison left with a bad knee, but it’s not expected to be serious.

What's Ahead For Teams

The Ravens next three games are against the Tennessee Titans, St. Louis Rams and New York Jets, while the Steelers are set to play the Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans. The next two weeks for each squad should be wins, but the Jets and Texans definitely won’t be easy outs. In Week 4, the AFC North race will either get tighter or wider.

Right now, Baltimore is only one game ahead of the Steelers in the standings, but on the field, it’s not even close.

David Daniels is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow him on Twitter.