It's Ravens weeek

[phillyesq]

Re: It's Ravens weeek

I'll share my own familial Steelers/Ravens rivalry.

My sister-in-law is from Maryland, and she's a Ravens fan. Last year, there was a family get together that was rescheduled due to weather, and ended up being set for the day of the Steelers/Ravens playoff game. I attend the gathering only after confirming that we could view the game in its entirety. Generally, the men watched the game in the basement and the ladies watched upstairs.

I kept relatively quiet during the first half, and my sister-in-law didn't do too much trash talking. During the second half, her daughter, and my niece, then about 2.5 years old, came downstairs for a bit. I gave her my Terrible Towel and told her to give it to her Mom. In the midst of the comeback, my niece tears through house -- I heard from others that she absolutely looked like somebody on a mission. She reached her Mom and threw the Terrible Towel in her face. Talk about adding insult to injury.

[ikestops85]

Re: It's Ravens weeek

Ha ! I love the moron comment and the gay/purple. He's actually my wifes cousin and his wife is the worse when it comes to talking trash. Don't get me wrong, I can keep up with the trash talk as much as others.
I just can't understand how someone can sheds their Steeler roots. He even rooted against us in the Super Bowls.

BTW, I watched the Steeler/Greenbay Super Bowl last night on tv and sadly, same outcome lol !

A couple of things I noticed were. Despite all our mistakes we played a good game and was in there to the end.

GreenBay is a good team and I give them credit for getting the job done.

The annoucers seemed to be in GreenBays corner throughout the game. Not that it matters or this and that but, I seemed to notice that the second time around watching the game.

As much as our offense turned over the ball and for what all Harrison pointed out about Ben and Mendenhall, the defense didn't do their part either allowing Greenbay to score on each turnover.

I wish we would get to play GreenBay again in this years Super Bowl. Actually I'll be happy to just get to the Super Bowl this season and I think we will.

I have a brother-in-law who is a big Ravens fan and we have good natured trash talk going back and forth but to switch from being a Steelers fan to a Ratbird fan I don't see how anybody does that.

Does anybody else get sick to their stomach when they see that commercial for "America's Game"? I'm still not over that loss in the SB and probably won't get over it until we win the next one. I guess I'll be feeling bad until February.

[Slapstick]

Re: It's Ravens weeek

I have a brother-in-law who is a big Ravens fan and we have good natured trash talk going back and forth but to switch from being a Steelers fan to a Ratbird fan I don't see how anybody does that.

Does anybody else get sick to their stomach when they see that commercial for "America's Game"? I'm still not over that loss in the SB and probably won't get over it until we win the next one. I guess I'll be feeling bad until February.

Honestly...

When no on else in the house can hear me, I shout "**** You" to the TV when Aaron Rogers says, "It was pretty special."

[fezziwig]

Re: It's Ravens weeek

It bothers me more now, than it did when it happened. Maybe because it was at times like watching a train wreck. I just kept seeing one mistake or mishap after another, yellow flags, turnovers after another and before the game was over I, pretty much conditioned myself to, " fezz, you better get your act together and handle this "

I'm still more upset about the 95 loss than this one and that I can't figure out. Maybe because at the time I didn't think losing a Super Bowl was possible for a Steeler team.

Neal,, I spit on you...blah

[fordfixer]

Re: It's Ravens weeek

[fezziwig]

Re: It's Ravens weeek

That is beautiful man

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: It's Ravens weeek

Mike Tomlin on the rivalry with Baltimore, among the best in the NFL:

"We have two very good football teams with the same intentions, and that is to dominate the AFC North and put themselves in positions to chase the Lombardi Trophy. That is why we will always have issues with these guys because I expect that their goals will be unchanging like ours. So two trains are on the track. See you Sunday."

[url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11250/1172650-66-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_ medium=twitter#ixzz1XEhca700"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11250/11 ... z1XEhca700[/url]

[fordfixer]

Re: It's Ravens weeek

Kovacevic: No reason Steelers shouldn't win
By Dejan Kovacevic, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
[url="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_755432.html"]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 55432.html[/url]

It's Steelers-Ravens week, in case you've been rooming with fugitive Libyan dictators, and the heated/hyperbolic portion of our program gets going Wednesday when the first swarms of cameras and microphones hit the teams' practice facilities.

Better bring backup.

LaMarr Woodley might revisit his summer dig that Baltimore will never win a Super Bowl with Joe Flacco at quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger might recall Haloti Ngata breaking his nose. Hines Ward might demonstrate some end-zone sambas. And over in Owings Mills, Md., expect no less color from the Ravens' Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed.

But before we dive into all that, let me throw this out: For once, I'm not sure the game will rival the hype. I see the Steelers not just as favorites, but as prohibitive favorites.

Here are seven reasons why:

7. No. 7, of course

This one's the easiest.

Roethlisberger is Baltimore's Larry Brown, Francisco Cabrera and David Volek all rolled into one, except that he keeps coming back to drive the stake deeper. Overall, he's 9-2 against the Ravens — 6-0 since John Harbaugh became their coach — and he's done it with a broken nose, with blood on his jersey, and with Suggs wrapped around his ankles.

6. Heap big mistake

The Ravens dumped several veterans after the lockout, notably wide receiver Derrick Mason, running back Willis McGahee and, most inexplicably, tight end Todd Heap, the franchise leader in receiving touchdowns and yards and the one offensive player the Steelers never really have been able to counter. Heap, 31, rejected Baltimore's request to sign at a lower price and went to the Arizona Cardinals.

I brought this up with the Steelers' Heath Miller, Heap's longtime counterpart, and he took the high road.

"Todd's a great player," Miller said. "I'm sure they've got some other talent."

I'm not. Ed Dickson, Heap's replacement, is a second-year man who had to win the job in a camp battle.

5. Formation euphoria

While Baltimore had a duel to turn up just one tight end, the Steelers spent their final preseason game alternating formations between three tight ends and five wide receivers. And in the tight-end set, it was backup David Johnson, not Miller, getting most of the passes, as if to strut the depth.

Good luck scheming for that.

"Our offense can do it any way you want," Johnson told me with a broad grin.

The Ravens still have the great Reed, but their corners are rookie Jimmy Smith and Cary Williams, whose only NFL start came in 2009. The other safety, Tom Zbikowski, has two career interceptions.

4. No secondary concern

For all the angst over the Steelers' corners, their secondary will have to be concerned with Anquan Boldin, Lee Evans and no one else. Baltimore's No. 3 receiver, David Reed, must serve a one-game league suspension for marijuana possession, and the rest are rookies.

And did I mention Heap's gone?

3. The Steelers' defense is old

How is that an advantage?

Well, Mike Tomlin, the only man on either side talking Tuesday, responded this way in his weekly news conference when asked about a defense with eight starters 30 or older: "We are who we are. We're not fighting any stereotypes or darts being thrown our way. We welcome them. They usually provide a positive energy for us. So keep talking about how old they are. I appreciate that. Makes my job easier."

That's how.

This issue has been terribly overblown. It's been all of eight months since the Steelers turned in one of the great defensive seasons in NFL history.

2. Snap 'n sack

Baltimore quarterbacks were sacked 15 times in the preseason, third most in the NFL, and it wasn't a coincidence. Center Matt Birk and left tackle Bryant McKinnie missed the entire preseason to injuries, guard Marshal Yanda has had back spasms, and right tackle Michael Oher is new to that side. This line's first snap together will come shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday.

Woodley, Lawrence Timmons and even a half-healthy James Harrison should feast.

1. Flacco

For all the areas in which Baltimore has tried to out-Steeler the Steelers, the Ravens have failed to find the one element the Steelers can't handle: A quick-strike quarterback.

Flacco shows some of that at times but seldom against the Steelers. He is 0-6 going head-to-head with Roethlisberger and, in those games, has five touchdowns against six interceptions. Just remember his final half of football last season at Heinz Field, when he came up so small that he was intercepted, fumbled a snap, missed a wide-open Heap, overthrew Mason and was sacked.

Here comes more of that.

Steelers 31, Ravens 13.

Read more: Kovacevic: No reason Steelers shouldn't win - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review [url="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_755432.html#ixzz1XGJ1qjfY"]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... z1XGJ1qjfY[/url]

[fordfixer]

Re: It's Ravens weeek

Week 1 NFL story lines: Steelers and Ravens, together again

[url="http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0907-nfl-week-1-20110907,0,3843341.story"]http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-090 ... 3341.story[/url]

Beyond the Packers-Saints opener Thursday, the highlight of the schedule is Sunday's game between the intense AFC North rivals, a rematch of last season's divisional playoff game won by Pittsburgh.


Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown catches a long pass behind Baltimore's Lardarius Webb in the final two minutes the decisive touchdown run and help the Steelers eliminate the Ravens from the playoffs in January. (Gene Sweeney Jr. / Baltimore Sun)


By Lance Pugmire

September 6, 2011, 6:47 p.m.
The last two Super Bowl champions will open the season Thursday in a national-television showcase — a pregame party, fireworks and celebration for everyone spared from a locked-out season when the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints take the field.

Good times don't fuel football players, coaches and fans, however. Heartache and defeat do.

The Pittsburgh Steelers feel the burn, after losing to the Packers in last season's Super Bowl. And the Baltimore Ravens have been stewing even longer, since squandering a lead in an AFC divisional-round playoff game against the Steelers.

Enjoy the Thursday night smiles, then prepare for Sunday morning angst.

The Ravens, who'll play host to their AFC North rivals, are 0-3 in the postseason against the Steelers in the last decade. Last season's 31-24 playoff loss — a long Ben Roethlisberger pass in the final two minutes set up Rashard Mendenhall's decisive touchdown run — was the latest to leave the Ravens muttering . . . and the Steelers gloating.

"It seems like they always have us beat and we always end up beating them," Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this week. "That's what makes it so sweeter."

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, in his fourth year, needs to prove he can handle the biggest tasks after a 16-for-30, 125-yard, one-interception game in the playoff eliminator. The Ravens added former Buffalo receiver Lee Evans last month to complement Anquan Boldin.

Roethlisberger took a subtle shot at his rivals this week, telling reporters, "If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. We consider them one of the best."

Other games to watch:

Indianapolis at Houston: Peyton Manning is doubtful because of neck/back problems — which probably means he's out — as the Colts start their AFC South title defense on the road against the rival Texans, who are still in pursuit of their first postseason appearance. Houston beat Indianapolis in last season's opener.

Divisional supremacy could come down to which body part heals faster: Manning's neck or Arian Foster's hamstring. Foster, who rushed for a league-best 1,616 yards last season, jogged on the sideline Monday as the Texans ran a walk-through practice. No word whether Foster will participate in the next practice Wednesday.

Atlanta at Chicago: These teams had the NFC's top two regular-season records last season. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has a full arsenal at his disposal, including first-round pick Julio Jones at wide receiver. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler could use a strong performance to quell some hometown derision over his debated second-half injury disappearance in last season's NFC championship game.

Minnesota at San Diego: Like the Chargers to play the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl this season, but that tout goes right in the trash can if San Diego loses as a nine-point favorite in its home opener for the second time in four years.

Dallas at New York Jets: Jets Coach Rex Ryan will match wits against his brother, Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, and father Buddy Ryan expects to attend after delaying cancer treatment.

Rex said "the significance" of coaching a New York team at home on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is daunting. "I feel more pressure on this game than any game I've ever coached," Ryan told reporters Monday.

[email="lance.pugmire@latimes.com"]lance.pugmire@latimes.com[/email]

[Jooser]

Re: It's Ravens weeek

[Jooser]

Re: It's Ravens weeek

[Jooser]

Re: It's Ravens weeek

[Jooser]

Re: It's Ravens weeek



Caption this!

I'll start: "THIS IS BULLSH!T !!!!"

[Jooser]

Re: It's Ravens weeek

[JAR]

Re: It's Ravens weeek