Ravens put pressure on Steelers

[fordfixer]

Ravens put pressure on Steelers
By James Walker
[url="http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/22270/ravens-put-playoff-pressure-on-steelers"]http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_ ... n-steelers[/url]

CLEVELAND -- The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers always find a way to make things interesting for each other.

Pittsburgh hoped the Ravens would lose Sunday to the Cleveland Browns so it could clinch the AFC North and a first-round bye. Instead, Baltimore beat the Browns 20-10 in Cleveland, leaving the division up for grabs going into the final weekend of the regular season.

With a better division record, Pittsburgh (11-4) holds the tiebreaker over the Ravens (11-4). If Pittsburgh loses to the Browns in Cleveland in Week 17 and the Ravens beat the Bengals, Baltimore will win the AFC North and be seeded second. Pittsburgh, winners of five of its past six, lost to the Browns in Cleveland last season.

"I know the chances of that probably aren't that great," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of the possibility of the Browns beating the Steelers. "We also know that is a good football team here [the Browns] that we just played."

The Browns (5-10) have lost three straight games: to Baltimore, the Buffalo Bills and Bengals. Cleveland committed four turnovers against Baltimore and is playing its worst football of the season. Browns coach Eric Mangini is on the hot seat, which could be a distraction heading into the final game.

The Steelers face a huge question: Should it play ailing safety Troy Polamalu (Achilles tendon) against Cleveland? He probably won't be 100 percent this week. Polamalu was injured and didn't play against the Browns last season.

Regardless of what happens, the Steelers and Ravens will be dangerous in the playoffs. The Ravens clinched a playoff berth for the third consecutive year under Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco.

[Oviedo]

Re: Ravens put pressure on Steelers

Good. They know what they are playing for. If the players can't get it done then it is on them and we won't be bored with a bye week.

They should have no trouble beating the Browns but if they do then it is unlikely we make a deep run into the play offs anyway.

[Flasteel]

Re: Ravens put pressure on Steelers

Sure I'd rather have the 2 seed locked up, but I also like that the Cleveland game holds some meaning. If we can't rise up to this challenge, then there's no point of worrying about the impact of a bye-week anyway.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Re: Ravens put pressure on Steelers

Ravens got handed this game. On their last TD, Flacco had a big run for a first down when he was about to get sacked. The Ravens tackle grabbed the defender from behind and was literally pulling the guy from behind off Flacco and the refs didn't call crap.

Then, during the entire game the refs let the Ravens WR hand battle with the Browns DB's. But the one Browns WR went up and came down with like a 40 yard pass play which would of put the Browns on about the Ravens 20. Browns WR barely touched the Ravens WR back and they called a pushoff. I mean he litterally barely touched the dude.

Tough 20-10 loss for the Browns.

[Wolfhound45]

Re: Ravens put pressure on Steelers

They should have no trouble beating the Browns but if they do then it is unlikely we make a deep run into the play offs anyway.

And there you have it. Take care of our business.

Nothing more needs to be said.

[Scarletfire1970]

Re: Ravens put pressure on Steelers

I think everyone is forgetting one important factor....the Ravens have to beat the Bengals. The Bengals have their # and seem to be playing well. I think they lose that game.

[Starlifter]

Re: Ravens put pressure on Steelers

personally, I would have preferred going into cleveland with #2 locked up, the steelers relaxed and able to pound the crap out of them. As bad as they are, they should not be underestimated. I think cincy COULD beat the rats but both games are at 1 so we don't have the luxury of wait and see. It's a playoff game on sunday right now. gotta look at it that way. i'm already stoked!

[NorthCoast]

Re: Ravens put pressure on Steelers

Hmmm, a lot of confidence in a Steelers win this week. Just like last December when we laid an egg, huh?

Cleveland is a good football team and our offense is not exactly a juggernaut. McCoy made some mistakes against Bmore, but with lesser safeties playing in our game it is not clear that those plays get made. Plus, we all know that a team that has nothing to play for can be very dangerous. I am actually hoping for some bad weather, then it will be our ground game vs theirs, and I think we win that battle based on defensive lines.

[ikestops85]

Re: Ravens put pressure on Steelers

Hmmm, a lot of confidence in a Steelers win this week. Just like last December when we laid an egg, huh?

Cleveland is a good football team and our offense is not exactly a juggernaut. McCoy made some mistakes against Bmore, but with lesser safeties playing in our game it is not clear that those plays get made. Plus, we all know that a team that has nothing to play for can be very dangerous. I am actually hoping for some bad weather, then it will be our ground game vs theirs, and I think we win that battle based on defensive lines.

You mean weather that has wind gusts over 40 mph and a chill factor near zero? That would mean our ground game is non-existent because BA would call for 50 pass plays.

[Steelerphile]

Re: Ravens put pressure on Steelers

Hmmm, a lot of confidence in a Steelers win this week. Just like last December when we laid an egg, huh?

Cleveland is a good football team and our offense is not exactly a juggernaut. McCoy made some mistakes against Bmore, but with lesser safeties playing in our game it is not clear that those plays get made. Plus, we all know that a team that has nothing to play for can be very dangerous. I am actually hoping for some bad weather, then it will be our ground game vs theirs, and I think we win that battle based on defensive lines.

I don't think this season is comparable to last year. I think this year's team is overall a better team. I'm not big into BA bashing but one of the biggest mistakes he made last year was to pass the ball a lot in the frigid cold. They won't do that this time around. I watched the Baltimore-Cleveland game and I thought that Cleveland gave up after the offside kick to start the second half didn't work. It's the last game of the year and everyone is banged up. Josh Cribbs is hurt. Hillis seems banged up. I don't see Cleveland playing through pain to give some great effort to win this. If they get up on the Steelers they might show a little spirit but that would fade.

Colt McCoy always tries but the picks that Ed Reed made were not his greatest. Mundy could make those. They were lollipops. I am confident that the Steelers will win this game, and I don't usually like to be overconfident.