NFL Picks Week 9: Ben Roethlisberger Is the X-Factor in Ravens vs. Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger has not forgotten Week 1.

In the Ravens' 34-7 thrashing of his Steelers, Big Ben turned the ball over five times (three INTs, two fumbles). It was one of the worst performances of his career.

In Week 9, he gets his chance for redemption, this time in front of his home crowd. In a game that may very well decide the fate of the AFC North, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs sums up the importance of Sunday night’s affair:

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I’m guaranteeing the NFL, the world will stop for this game, and everybody wants to see it. Like I said, there is the Super Bowl and then there is Ravens-Steelers. Everybody will be watching this game.

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Suggs has owned Roethlisberger. With 15.5 sacks against him in his career, nobody has brought down the burly Big Ben as many times as Suggs.

With a patchwork offensive line, Roethlisberger has to get rid of the ball quickly. He won’t be sitting in the pocket for five or six seconds, waiting for the speedy Mike Wallace to get open. He’ll need to rely on quick slants over the middle and lots of curl routes to the likes of Hines Ward.

On the other side of the ball, the Steelers have some major concerns at linebacker. James Farrior, James Harrison and Lamar Woodley all may miss the game. DE Aaron Smith is out for the year as well.

If the three are sidelined, rookie Chris Carter, second-year man Stevenson Sylvester and Larry Foote will take on bigger roles. Coach Mike Tomlin also didn't rule out going to a four-man defensive line.

QB Joe Flacco will be craving them up over the middle of the field, as will RB Ray Rice.

That’s why everything comes back to Roethlisberger.

With a hobbled running back in Rashard Mendenhall, all of the pressure is on Big Ben. If he can avoid turning the ball over and rely on hot routes and quick reads, he will be able to go point-for-point with Baltimore.

If this is a tight game in the waning moments of the fourth quarter, with the Heinz Field crowd rocking, I expect the Ravens to be the ones to blink first as the Steelers improve their home record to 5-0.

Steelers 31, Ravens 27