Harbaugh: Ravens outplay Steelers most of the time

[hawaiiansteel]

JANUARY 19, 2011

Ravens looking up at 'Gold' standard

Set to play in their 15th AFC championship game – the most by any team since 1970 – and owners of five AFC North titles since the current four-team configuration was finalized for the 2002 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have literally set the “gold” standard for the rest of the division.

Pittsburgh’s success is based on several factors, including making smart choices in the draft (2010 first-round pick Maurkice Pouncey, 2009 third-rounder Mike Wallace, 2008 first-rounder Rashard Mendenhall and 2007 first- and second-rounders Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley – to name a few – are starters), jettisoning veterans who have outgrown their value because of injury or off-field issues (Santonio Holmes, Nate Washington, Willie Parker), and building upon one of the more relentless defenses in the history of the NFL.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh acknowledged that his team has some ground to cover to keep pace with the Steelers.

“I think it has to do with the way they’re built, and they’ve got some veteran guys that have been doing that for a long time,” Harbaugh said Monday. “We’ve got some of that. If you look at a lot of the games we’ve won, it’s been [free safety] Ed Reed and [inside linebacker] Ray Lewis making those kind of plays. I think we’ll continue to build that on the offensive side. They’ve probably got a little more on both sides of the ball right now. I mean, their defense, they’ve got two outside linebackers and a safety that just come up with plays. And they’ve got a quarterback that creates plays. And I think that’s where we’re going. That’s what we’re trying to build, and we’ll get there.”

But Harbaugh also maintained that his club can and will continue to be competitive with Pittsburgh, winners of three of the last four division championships.

“I’ve got some ideas in terms of how we play them, but I think we play them very well,” he said. “We didn’t statistically play them very well on one side of the ball in this game – we had a bad third quarter – but you can’t turn the ball over. And I think the key with the Steelers is, they do a great job of forcing errors and by taking advantage of those forced errors. And you can’t give them the game. And when we’ve won, we haven’t done that, and when we’ve lost, we’ve basically done that. I can’t say that they’ve outplayed us dramatically in any game, and I think we’ve outplayed them most of the time we’ve played them. Yet we’ve won two out of eight because we’ve allowed them to make the plays that have turned the game. And we’re going to have to find a way to get that solved.”

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ ... .html#more (http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/blog/2011/01/ravens_looking_up_at_gold_standard.html#more)

[NW Steeler]

That is an asinine way to look at it. The games have been a push statistically. The Steelers made the big plays, the Rats did not. So the Steelers were the ones that outplayed them.

Oh yeah, Coach Harbaugh, :ratsuck

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Team A Coach attitude check:
" Yeah they made big plays, but we outplayed them for most of the clock time in the games, so that's a good thing".

Team B Coach attitude check:
"What's it like to play like a [insert Team B name here]? Win. That's all".

Predict: Which team will come out on top in head-to-head matchups, till the end of time ("Forever and Ever, Amen" to quote Randy Travis)??

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[anger 82&95]

How magnanimous to “allow” the Steelers to make big plays. If the players aren’t focused or trained well enough to minimize mistakes, then get a better coaching system.

[Crash]

Sounds like Carson Palmer. They can't beat us but somehow they always out play us.

It's amazing!

[Stewie]

It wasn't just the big plays, it was also poor coaching. Flacco's attempted pass when Troy stripped the ball was one of the dumbest calls of all time. All the Ravens had to do was run three times and punt. But nooooooooooo, the Ravens put the steelers in position to make a big play.

[StarSpangledSteeler]

Sounds like Carson Palmer. They can't beat us but somehow they always out play us.

It's amazing!

Hahahahahahaha! That's exactly what i was thinking! He could get beat 45-3 and he still wouldn't admit his opponent was the better team!

[StarSpangledSteeler]

One thing Harbaugh is not taking into account...

His two best defensive leaders are on their last legs. Reed almost retired this year. I give him one more year. Ray-Ray's lack of speed got exposed badly this last game. I give him one, maybe two more years. How's that future looking now?

[ikestops85]

Sounds like Carson Palmer. They can't beat us but somehow they always out play us.

It's amazing!

Hahahahahahaha! That's exactly what i was thinking! He could get beat 45-3 and he still wouldn't admit his opponent was the better team!

I thought that was TJ Whoseyourmama who always said the better team lost after we would kick their butts. :loser

[Crash]

TJ would always cry about the Refs or say they gave it away.

TJ on NFL Game of the Week for that 2005 playoff game was classic.

[Steelgal]

I've never been high on Harbaugh and this doesn't help. He just seems like an arrogant, little p r i c k. Rarely able to admit mistakes or give others credit. I hope he stays in Balty a long time because I don't think he's that great of a coach....

A little off topic, but did you hear their DC, Mattison is now at Michigan? They hired a new guy yesteday, but never heard of him.

[plainnasty]

And when we’ve won, we haven’t done that, and when we’ve lost, we’ve basically done that. I can’t say that they’ve outplayed us dramatically in any game, and I think we’ve outplayed them most of the time we’ve played them.

You won when we had our back-up QB in and/or were resting players for the playoff. You've lost when Ben plays.

[feltdizz]

I actually think he has a point... you can outplay a team and lose. It sure seems like the Ravens do everything but win when they play us. :lol:

I think we outplayed the Ravens in the first game and still lost... we outplayed the Bungles at least 3 times and lost.

The Ravens find ways to lose to us... sure we make the plays but Flacco damn near gives us 2 plays everytime we play them that turns the tide. Fumbling a snap? LOL...

[Chadman]

Steelers-Ravens games are so closely matched it's easy to come up with the belief that one team or the other 'outplays' the opponant.

Truth of it is- they are most likely very evenly matched throughout a season so it's just who goes out & makes the big plays when it counts.

Guess that would be the Steelers then, huh?

[Scarletfire1970]

I don't know how they think they outplayed us in this last playoff game on Saturday.

[papillon]

Sounds like Carson Palmer. They can't beat us but somehow they always out play us.

It's amazing!

It's funny you mention Palmer the more Flacco plays the more I believe his career is going to mirror Palmer's. He'll be a good quarterback, but will never have a lot of success against the Steelers for whatever reason, similar to Pastorini and Sipe in the 70s.

Pappy

[proudpittsburgher]

This whole, "Did team A win the game or did Team B lose it" argument drives me nutz. The Steelers dominated all fo the important stats categories in Saturday's win over the Ravens. The Steelers gave them 7 points on the fumble recovers, and set them up in prime position with another fumble. They were outplayed and lost the game, love with it. They were a classy bunch in the postgame, but they have given that up since then.

[NorthCoast]

I actually think he has a point... you can outplay a team and lose. It sure seems like the Ravens do everything but win when they play us. :lol:

I think we outplayed the Ravens in the first game and still lost... we outplayed the Bungles at least 3 times and lost.

The Ravens find ways to lose to us... sure we make the plays but Flacco damn near gives us 2 plays everytime we play them that turns the tide. Fumbling a snap? LOL...

and that's the point isn't it? The media downplays the two easy scores we gave them in this game (the incompletion for a TD, and Mendy's fumble in our red zone). The point is the Steelers have more guys that make plays when it counts than the Ravens. "Outplayed" us? I don't even know what that means. When you lose a game, you obviously got outplayed in some important part of the game and that can be special teams, running, passing or defense. As Cowher loved to say..."there is a fine line in the NFL....".

[Discipline of Steel]

Sounds like Carson Palmer. They can't beat us but somehow they always out play us.

It's amazing!

Hahahahahahaha! That's exactly what i was thinking! He could get beat 45-3 and he still wouldn't admit his opponent was the better team!

I would never admit it either. Never.

[feltdizz]

I actually think he has a point... you can outplay a team and lose. It sure seems like the Ravens do everything but win when they play us. :lol:

I think we outplayed the Ravens in the first game and still lost... we outplayed the Bungles at least 3 times and lost.

The Ravens find ways to lose to us... sure we make the plays but Flacco damn near gives us 2 plays everytime we play them that turns the tide. Fumbling a snap? LOL...

and that's the point isn't it? The media downplays the two easy scores we gave them in this game (the incompletion for a TD, and Mendy's fumble in our red zone). The point is the Steelers have more guys that make plays when it counts than the Ravens. "Outplayed" us? I don't even know what that means. When you lose a game, you obviously got outplayed in some important part of the game and that can be special teams, running, passing or defense. As Cowher loved to say..."there is a fine line in the NFL....".

I don't think the media downplayed the "easy" TD's... is there such a thing?

I think the Ravens blowing a 14 point lead is the main story. I'm not surprised Harbaugh thinks his team is outplaying us... when the last 7 games have been decided by 4 or less points I think any coach who loses would think they played good enough to win.

Someone has to lose... I'm just glad it's usually them.

[AkronSteel]

John,

When a team continues to make plays that turn games and makes plays that wins games that does not mean that you out performed them. That means they out performed you, that is why you keep getting beat. I hope this a$$hat continues to coach in Baltimore because he obviously has no clue what the heck he is talking about. Harbaugh is a jack-wagon!!!

:2c

[proudpittsburgher]

I don't think the media downplayed the "easy" TD's... is there such a thing?



When a ball is laying on the ground and everyone from the offense turns their back on it, it indeed makes for an easy touchdown.

[snarky]

Scoreboard

[RuthlessBurgher]

Outplayed?

It's not exactly like the game against the Texans in 2002 when we had 422 yards, they had 47 yards, but Tommy Maddox handed the Houston D 3 TD's in a shocking loss.

Against the Ravens, we outplayed them in pretty much every respect.

More first downs (21 vs. 12)

More rushing yards (71 vs. 35)

More passing yards (192 vs. 91)

More total net yards (263 vs. 126)

More takeaways (3 vs. 2)

More time of possession (34:28 vs. 25:32)

Better 3rd down efficiency (7-14 [50%] vs. 5-12 [41%])

Better 4th down efficiency (1-1 [100%] vs. 0-1 [0%])

Better Red Zone efficiency (4-5 [80%] vs. 2-3 [66%])

Better Goal to Go efficiency (3-3 [100%] vs. 1-2 [50%])

And most importantly...

Final score (31 vs. 24)

I'd like to get outplayed like this every week.

[Eich]

Whatever Harbaugh's definition of "outplayed" is, I hope it continues on this path forever!

[fezziwig]

Harbaugh is a tool. I thought he was going to be one of those coaches in the league that, despite he is from a different team you respect the guy for what he brings and means to the game.

Someone better get this dude a bib and diaper because he cries like a baby. This isn't the first time this guy has taken the low road.

Maybe if he ever came to terms the Ravens are just not as good as us, they might actually do something to correct it.

Keep it up loser......your doing fine with outplaying us Steelers.

[feltdizz]

I don't think the media downplayed the "easy" TD's... is there such a thing?



When a ball is laying on the ground and everyone from the offense turns their back on it, it indeed makes for an easy touchdown.

True.. but Suggs made a hell of a play to cause the fumble. I would have lost it if we lost that game by 7.

[ScoreKeeper]

I don't think the media downplayed the "easy" TD's... is there such a thing?



When a ball is laying on the ground and everyone from the offense turns their back on it, it indeed makes for an easy touchdown.

True.. but Suggs made a hell of a play to cause the fumble. I would have lost it if we lost that game by 7.
That should have been a 15 yarder, just like it was on Manning earlier this year.

I don't agree with it being a penelty, but fair is fair. He was hit in the head just like Manning was.

[Crash]

Yeah Suggs made a great play. Two handed blow to Ben's head that, imagine that, wasn't called.

[hawaiiansteel]

Pregame Zone Blitz Part II: The Steelers

by Neal Coolong on Jan 22, 2011 9:17 AM EST

http://cdn0.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/835425/67112_steelers_lions_football.jpg

Big games call for the PZB to step up. We're breaking out the big guns this week. We split this badboy into two parts, focusing on the Steelers' AFC Championship game opponent, the Jets, in Part I, which ran Friday. Today, we focus on the home team.

The Jets franchise hasn't won this game in a while. The Steelers have twice in the last six years.

History doesn't matter, though. Current events are a far stronger indicator of the near future. The Jets got the better of the Steelers in a hard-fought Week 15 victory. Excuses are useless too, but the Steelers are a more dynamic team when SS Troy Polamalu and TE Heath Miller are playing.

The Jets didn't get the Steelers defense or offense at 100 percent. And ultimately, it was a special teams touchdown that brought them to victory.

Are they confident they'll get that difference-making play again? It's more likely they'll get big plays from their receivers, Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards. With the injury of Bryant McFadden (listed as questionable when this was posted), William Gay and Anthony Madison will be thrust into bigger roles.

But are the Jets tougher? Do they have more heart? They're certainly talking like it, and stirring up the Wardnets Nest in the process.

It's about 32 hours to kickoff, and it's gonna be a great one.


Last Game

The second half of the Steelers 31-24 win over rival Baltimore in the AFC Divisional Playoff game in Pittsburgh was easily the most one-sided in these teams past six meetings.

And it shows a fatal flaw in what was perceived to be the Ravens biggest strength. Their personnel strategy.

Baltimore was faced with a 3rd and goal from the Steelers' 6-yard line. Flacco, under duress, locates an open Anquan Boldin, who signed a big contract this off-season (four years, $28 million) to get open in this scenario, in this game.

The ball bounced off his chest, onto the ground, incomplete. K Billy Cundiff did his job, tying the game at 24.

Boldin was front row-center to watch the Steelers, faced with 3rd-and-19, exploit poor positioning by CB LaDarius Webb. He saw rookie (6th round draft choice) Antonio Brown take inside position on Webb (a cardinal sin in that down and distance scenario), and slip behind him. He watched Brown make the catch, pin the ball against his helmet, and basically end the Ravens season.

Mr. 3rd-and-19 (or just "319") wasn't even considered an entry into the conversation of which AFC North rival had the better receiving corps going into the season. The Ravens threw their ducats at the problem, signing Boldin, Seahawks castoff T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Patriots and DMV castoff Donte Stallworth to join veteran Derrick Mason in providing Flacco with some vertical weaponry.

The results of that strategy? Boldin (one catch, -2 yards), Mason (zero catches, zero yards) and Houshmandzadeh (three catches, 38 yards) combined for four catches and 36 yards.

The 319 had 75 yards on three catches, including the one that will live forever in this rivalry.

The Ravens have one of the most respected player personnel and scouting departments, respectively, in the game. The one position that has eluded them throughout the years has been the wide receiver. After Houshmandzadeh's drop on the Ravens final drive - the drop that ended their season - the question of who has the better receiving group was answered.

To Baltimore's credit, they sold out to stop the big play, and for three quarters, 12 minutes and 53 seconds, they held the Steelers big plays in check, yardage wise. Roethlisberger was 18-for-31 for 168 yards to that point. But another key distinction between these teams rests in their abilities to make plays when it counts.

Credit to Ravens DL Cory Redding's heads-up decision to scoop up the Roethlisberger fumble and run it into the end zone, but the Ravens failed time and again to score touchdowns when it counted. Most of that was due to the third time this season Flacco progressively got worse as the game went on, and Roethlisberger's second example of getting better.

Five of the Steelers 10 biggest plays came in the second half. Only two of Baltimore's came in the third and fourth quarters. Four of Pittsburgh's went to rookie receivers.

The dropped passes by Boldin and Houshmandzadeh were good throws, but Flacco let OLB James Harrison chase him out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage (another cardinal sin the Ravens violated) on a 3rd-and-10 play, Pittsburgh up 24-21.

Flacco finished the first half 12-for-18 for 82 yards and a touchdown, only having been sacked once. His second half stat line reads 4-for-12 for 43 yards and one interception. He was sacked five times in the final two quarters.

When the rubber met the road, the Steelers got far more with less heralded receivers. And the Ravens were again disappointed by their quarterback, even with a massive financial investment in its receiving corps.

Us Against The World

How utterly ridiculous is it that James Harrison makes a football act and gets fined $75,000, and Richard Seymour, despite whatever happened to provoke him, slugs a player on national TV in full view of the cameras and knocks him to the ground -- and gets fined $25,000. Weak. Very weak.

Peter King

Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher, in a recent interview with WFAN Radio in New York, seemed to indicate he felt the Jets would win the AFC Championship.

Decide for yourself, but PZB doesn't really think he went as far as to make a prediction. He's doing what most analysts will do when they're offering their opinion to a news outlet outside of their own; toeing the line, and providing vague insight.

I'm assuming Cowher also thought he was going to beat the Patriots in 2001 and 2004.

Or perhaps Cowher's quip with his "new" home city radio station was intentional. He knows full well how to motivate Hines Ward (more on him in a minute). While Cowher's relationship with James Harrison was said to be strained, he saw enough of him to know he, like Ward, plays with an enormous chip on his shoulder.

In other words, Cowher knows how to push the right buttons in order to create the Us Against The World mentality. Ward responded to Cowher's comments by saying "Coach Cowher's not our coach anymore. I guess we'll have to prove him wrong too."

That's a big statement. An obvious one, but the fact he mentioned Cowher's lack of involvement with the current team shows where Ward's head is in regards to the team. All Ward needs is a reason to bust his butt to prove people wrong. Cowher should know that better than anyone.

As for Harrison, he summed it up perfectly when he said, in regards to listening to predictions, "We'd be 8-8 and third in our division."

Steelers Spotlight: WR Hines Ward

Last week, Jets CB Antonio Cromartie expressed his feelings for Patriots QB Tom Brady with a few profane words. Brady didn't do much when the game was still competitive.

Cromartie seems to be taking the same approach this week, now directing his angst at Ward.

In a radio interview, Cromartie said Ward takes shots at people when they aren't looking. That seems to play in the Steelers favor, because if Ward is blocking, he doesn't have the ball. If Cromartie is watching Ward, he's not actively pursuing the ball carrier.

Not that he supports the run very well anyway.

In a transparent effort to rile up their opponents, the Jets defensive coordinator decided to act as if he matters, and threw a shot at Ward as well.

It's another example of the value Ward provides without the ball. Cromartie called him out for something that ultimately affects his team, and he's going to ensure a replication of Ward's battles with Ravens FS Ed Reed last week. Granted, Ward was given a 15 yard penalty for being taken to the ground, but he's going to be gunning for Cromartie now, and until he gets that chance, he's going to be gunning for Revis.

Does anyone have confidence that an offensive player will get a flag over a defensive player?

It's not wise to taunt the one guy who's going to call you out on the field. But Cromartie obviously can't leave well enough alone, so he's forced Ward into a larger position of prominence in this game. The team's most productive receiver is Mike Wallace. The guy who's improved the most is Manny Sanders.

Ward is still the glue that keeps the offense together. Whether it's a big third down reception, or a tough, physically earned touchdown reception in the red zone, or just being the guy who takes the initiative to fire the team up with a post-whistle skirmish, Ward is the heart and soul of an offense that will be physical if they're inspired to do so.

It will start early, expect Ward to block his assignment intensely on the first run, followed by some grappling, some jawing and shoving. After that, watch him do it again.

Then watch the Steelers offense start to ram the ball down the Jets' throat.

All he needs is a reason, so don't be surprised if Steelers fans are thanking Cromartie for his stupidity after the game.

I See You

Like many classic games, it seems easier to point out who PZB did not see.

Was it the previously mentioned 319's enormous 58-yard reception? Was it Roethlisberger's ability to rally the offense to 17 straight points in the second half? Was it Hines Ward's constant battles with Ed Reed, thus reducing a typically focused defense to jelly? Was it the other rookie WR, Manny Sanders, for three big third down chain-moving receptions?

Despite fantastic efforts from these players, this was actually the easiest PZB ever given.

I see you, Ryan Clark. I see you for having, without a doubt, the best game you've ever played. You had two tackles for losses in the first half, and you forced two turnovers (one forced fumble of Ray Rice, one interception of Joe Flacco) on Baltimore's first two possessions of their most disastrous quarter of the season.

Even better, those two interceptions both led to touchdowns in a game where 7 pointers are hard to find.

You're used to playing around all-Planet safety Troy Polamalu, but Saturday, it was you, not him, playing head and shoulders above everyone else. The Ravens averaged 1.9 yards per carry, which isn't too strange considering the Steelers run defense, but the 2.6 yards per pass they managed is amazing, as is the 21-12 first down advantage your team held.

You stepped up, big time, Ryan, and to think, it's only a year since you scuffled with the media in regards to criticism of the Steelers pass defense. We can tell you took that personally, and you brought your best effort for the post season.

Truth be told, I left the bar at halftime, hoping a change of venue would spark you guys, and when the broadcasters on the radio crowed about your interception, I nearly crashed the car. The good news is, now, every time I am about to turn into my street, I can hear Dave Sims of Westwood One Radio (did a great job, incidentally), nearly screaming, "Intercepted by Ryan Clark!"

One of the beautiful aspects of radio is the ability of a good play-by-play guy to capture moments you can't see. But I see you, Ryan, even if I didn't see you.

Key Stats

The Steelers targeted Manny Sanders seven times, as many as Mike Wallace
Only one team in history has beaten the Steelers twice in Pittsburgh (Jacksonville, 2007)
The Jets are 0-3 in the AFC Championship Game since 1982.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2011/1/22/1949787/pregame-zone-blitz-part-ii-the-steelers

[Steelgal]

Across the ticker on the bottom of the ESPN screen, it says extention almost done for Harbaugh raising his salary from $2.5 to $4/million year. Between him getting an extention and Marvin Lewis staying at Cincy, I think that bodes well for the Steelers in the next few years.