NFL Breakdown - Steelers Offense vs Ravens Defense

Its Ravens vs Steelers - Enough Said

Well it took me longer than I wanted, but its finally time to get down to some analysis of the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers who are set to tee things off on Sunday Night Football.  Obviously, with the absence of Ben Roethlisberger and Ray Lewis this matchup doesn't seem to have the glamour of the usual rivalry.  However, this game should be a good one.  Time to break down the Steelers offense vs the Ravens defense, and the top 5 Story Lines...

- Take Advantage of Ravens Weaknesses - In my opinion, Toddy Haley had been doing a masterful job with play calling until the Chiefs game.  The game plan of throwing the ball repeatedly against a defense that was allowing tons of rushing yards had me scratching my head.  The biggest issue I had was the fact that the play calling never allowed the offensive line a chance to get into a groove.  Most importantly when playing the Ravens, the Steelers need to avoid being predictable.  They are playing a very suspect defense in the Baltimore Ravens...something the Steelers aren't used to.  However, its been a long time since the Steelers have been able to take advantage of an opposing defense's weakness (especially in the running game).  The Ravens run defense is allowing 132 yds/game and is ranked 26th overall in the NFL.  THAT is a statistic that screams for the Steelers to get Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer going early and often against a porous run D.

- Attack the Ravens Secondary - Speaking of defensive weaknesses, the Ravens don't just have a very poor run defense, they also have a poor pass defense.  The Baltimore pass defense is allowing 258yds/game, and that too is ranked 26th overall in the NFL.  The Steelers have some lethal options in their passing attack even without Antonio Brown.  I am not ruling Brown playing this Sunday, but all signs are pointing to Friday as the day that he will have to practice in some capacity if he is going to play.  Nonetheless, between Wallace, Sanders, Cotchery, and Miller the Steelers have some very reliable pass catchers that can make plays.  The Steelers should take some shots downfield with Wallace to take advantage of Leftwich's arm, as well as force the Ravens secondary to back off the line of scrimmage.  Again, its up to the Steelers to take advantage of the Ravens weaknesses.

- Keep 3rd Down Manageable - Something that is overlooked with Roethlisberger in the lineup, is the fact that too many times the Steelers put themselves into 3rd and long situations.  With Big Ben behind center that isn't an issue because he can convert 3rd and 21 if needed, but with Byron in the lineup they will need to play it smarter in terms of getting a manageable 3rd down conversion.  If the Steelers are able to rush for 3, rush for 3 and have a 3rd and 4...that keeps the Ravens guessing as to whether or not the Steelers will run or pass, and that is what the Steelers need to be successful and move the chains on a consistent basis.  The Steelers vs Ravens series is constantly marred with punts, and that isn't always a bad thing, but if the Steelers go with high percentage plays there is a good chance they will at least give themselves manageable third down conversions.

- Control the Time Of Possession - I have always believed that the best defense is a time consuming offense.  The Steelers have done a tremendous job with this so far this season, but the biggest question mark will be if they can continue with Byron Leftwich at the helm.  If the Steelers want to win, they need to control the clock and keep Baltimore's high powered offense on the sideline watching.  Wearing out the Ravens defense will only increase their chances of victory.  Look at the victories against the Bengals, Redskins, and Giants and you will see a team that ran the ball and eventually wore down the opposing defensive line.  The same needs to happen on Sunday night.

- Convert Points Whenever Possible - Mike Tomlin has known to be a gambling man from time to time (ex - the fake punt against the Giants) but in games like this one coming up on Sunday, points very well could be at a premium.  With that said, if the Steelers are in a particularly tough spot with a 4th and 1, don't turn away points.  The Cleveland Browns nearly beat the Ravens with nothing but field goals, but that doesn't mean the Steelers should rely solely on FGs.  TDs will win this game, and the team that can get into the endzone instead of settling for FGs will ultimately win this game.  I'm a huge Tomlin supporter, and I love how he gambles in games.  Going for it on 4th and short on several occasions....he has guts and I love that about his as a coach.  However, I expect Tomlin to realize the competition on Sunday and not gamble quite as much when it comes to points being put on the board.

This should be a HUGE matchup between two AFC / AFC North powerhouses.  A game that even without marquee names like Roethlisberger, Polamalu, Lewis, and Brown will still be a very competitive game...after all there have only been 2 games in the past 3-4 years that hasn't been decided by a TD or less.