discussing the team’s health status with our head lawyer over here. My point: Steelers are hitting this stretch with their aches and pains behind them and the Ravens come into the game limping. It certainly doesn’t guarantee victory, but it helps. While always mindful of the fact that animals are most dangerous when wounded, the Steelers are a “+” in this regard.

The ravens do have it rough. Their “bye” week got moved to week 2 because of a hurricane and they are the wildcard. If they look tired there is definitely a reason – they’ve had a really rough time this season and have had to play almost as hard a schedule as we did.

I’ll be happy if that’s what gives us the edge in the AFC championship of course.

I had the feeling going into the first 2 games that they could go either way, and they could have. This week I have the feeling that we have the advantage because we’re well rested (but not flat) and healthy, while the Ravens have been playing tough games every week since week 3. Guys like Woodley and Hampton looked to be wearing down at the end of the season, but they got to sit a week and looked much better against the Chargers.

Being favored doesn’t matter very much, but I like our chances. Maybe we’ll even be able to run a little bit.

tired too if you had to haul Casey Hampton around the tarmac like he does [:o)].

The Raven’s should be concerned about this game. Obviously they’ve got injuries they’re dealing with, but I think the main reason to be concerned is their QB. Of course injuries play into this, but assuming his “Best football” can actually beat the steelers, Flacco will need to play his best football to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Do I think he can overcome the adversity and lead his team to a victory at Heinz Field during an AFC Championship game? Hell no. I will enjoy watching the rookie fold. We all know it happens, and I’m a big believer in this. Experience is the key in these types of games. Anyone can put up a fluke win during the regular season, but this is the AFC Championship. Throw out Flacco’s playing ability when deciding who is going to come out on top in this one. The game will not be a Disney movie, this is the AFC Championship, the Steelers and the Ravens, it’s in Pittsburgh, for all the marbles. I will be very surprised to see the rookie come out on top against our number one defense.

the kid has shown any propensity for folding yet. Could he fold? Sure. Will he fold? Chances are probably 50% or better that he won’t fold. The Steelers D may make him appear ineffective, but the kid has fight in him and he won’t fold. As you say, this is for half the chips left on the table.

before WWII aka game in Bmore

Claimed a Steeler tried to elbow him the nads – wouldn’t give a name of course. Then claimed upon calling out Steeler out, that the Steeler said he would spit in his face. He then said the Steeler backed down. Interesting…

The host of course went on about the Ravens getting “jobbed” or “hosed” in the last game in Bmore. Unreal, so sick of hearing about that crap.

As a Ravens fan, I did think our D looked tired in the second half Saturday. They could not get off the field on third down. Granted, they were on 6 days rest (we’ve got 8 days rest this week) but it is a fact. They just looked a little slow. Not making excuses, but just something to think about…worries me a little bit. I can admit that.

Flacco hasn’t shown any signs of backing down under pressure. The dude makes fantastic throws when necessary (TD to Mason). He was asked to win the game the other day. With 4 minutes left in a tie game, we needed to score or else the Titans would have gone right down the field and scored. Our D was tired and I feel they could have marched down the field and gotten into field goal range (maybe they would have fumbled first though, haha). My point is, this guy can play. It’s going to be a big challenge, but a lot of you steeler fans will be surprised Sunday!

I think Flacco is a really good young QB who is playing smart. That said, Pittsburgh should not lose to him. The Steelers need to shut down the run without giving up more than a few big plays in the passing game – in other words no TD passes longer than 25 yards.

If Bmore drives the ball and scores a few times that is fine. No cheap TDs and no big turnovers by the offense should lead to victory.

Read he has a strained calf and that is probably why he was ineffective last weekend. Hopefully all will be well for this weekend.

T RatBirds had t luck of beat t Miami Dolphs D, because in the definitive step they as Rodney Harrison pointed out: … Miami lost this game ´cause didn´t pressure enough Flacco, they giving up putting press on him and they let them (stole) t game"…

 Finally as Kara Herderson recall in NFL´s Totall Access: …“the OL took confidence of training against their top D” … (That happend with 1, yes ONE week of work, WT hell in t world was BA thinking, but at least it delivers in t PS). But I suppose or it happends that t X factor right now is just that the OL confidence, and coincidentally it looks for most of US that at least by this time the part that “apparently” wons t game feel like was a little bit more t O side of t ball, so in that line of thinking, it will give a boost for their cappacity of take care of the business, at least an inch more, & help to balance the load a little bit, that today is the most important thing, take a little of weight of t D to let them be even more aggresive than they up to date have been, it will help us put in more plays Debo with Woodley & Timmons also I would like to see more of DIXON, even as a RB in options or as a WR, I got t feelling He could be in some next time at t very least a + in t O & ST.

though the steelers are the better team right now-
they are healthier and have had more rest
they are coming off a better game
they have greater playoff experience
the defense is playing better
and it’s a home game
as for flacco, he’s been pretty poor against the steelers in both games

its only tuesday and i’m nervous as as a freshman asking for a date. i waver from absolute confidence and assurance to complete doubt and anxiety! what the heck is wrong with me? i wish today was sunday…

I think the fans are more nervous than the players for this one.

For the fans of both teams, Sunday night is going to be amazing, or infuriating.

Never the outspoken interviewee, when the network had a Jets player (can’t remember who it was) interview Harrison after the game and asked him who the ‘tougher defense’ is between Baltimore and us, he snapped his head up and gave the look of death to him.

and of course calmly said that the Steelers defense is tougher.

Let me also remind you that it was a “tired and depleated defense” that booted Dallas (which beat the Giants twice during the regular season) out of the playoffs last year. They ran the table tired and depleated. Hey, don’t sweat it though. It is what it is. This is playoff time. To be the man you gotta beat the man. And we going allllllllllll the way to space mountain baby!!!! WWooooooooooo!! Sorry had a flash back.

we might be better off with a beat up backfield…we won’t rely on it thus making Joe pass down field-which he is good at. we didn’t utilize the pass enough againtst you before. this makes us. joe will make up for the lost 100 running yards with 6-7 more completions. are you better against the pass or run? i say run. so we attck your secondary. injured rbs not too upsetting to me.

not much more to say…it will come down to 2 4th quarter 3rd and longs. Who makes them wins.

I have assembled some stats from Baltimore’s last two games. Isolating on third-down performance, which is critical for a team and especially a quarterback, here are all third downs from the Miami game:

3rd & 1 at Mia37 Joe Flacco up the Middle to Mia35 for 2 yards
3rd & 5 at Mia5 Joe Flacco Pass Incomplete to Todd Heap
3rd & 10 at Bal36 Joe Flacco Pass to Derrick Mason to Bal47 for 11 yards
3rd & 9 at Bal48 Joe Flacco Pass Incomplete to Mark Clayton
3rd & 4 at Mia39 Troy Smith up the Middle to Mia37 for 2 yards
3rd & 6 at Mia13 Joe Flacco Pass Incomplete to Derrick Mason
3rd & 7 at Mia36 Joe Flacco Pass Incomplete to Mark Clayton
3rd & 5 at Mia14 Joe Flacco Pass to Mark Clayton to Mia8 for 6 yards
3rd & 5 at Bal25 Willis McGahee Off Left Guard to Bal28 for 3 yards
3rd & 6 at Bal24 Joe Flacco Pass Incomplete to Mark Clayton
3rd & 1 at Bal38 Joe Flacco Pass to Lorenzo Neal to Bal46 for 8 yards
3rd & 5 at Mia5 Joe Flacco up the Middle for 5 yards for a TOUCHDOWN

Overall, against a mediocre defense, the Ravens are 5 for 12 on third down, only 3 for 10 before the final, garbage-time drive. For the game, Flacco is 3 of 8 for only 27 yards on third down. But of course, no picks, no sacks for Mr. Mistake-Free.

Here is the Titans playoff game:

3rd & 8 at Bal22 Willis McGahee up the Middle to Bal25 for 3 yards
3rd & 14 at Bal16 Willis McGahee up the Middle to Bal20 for 4 yards
3rd & 1 at Bal29 Joe Flacco up the Middle to Bal32 for 3 yards
3rd & 13 at Ten48 Joe Flacco Pass to Derrick Mason for 48 yards for a TOUCHDOWN
3rd & 7 at Ten42 Joe Flacco Pass Incomplete to Yamon Figurs
3rd & 10 at Bal12 Joe Flacco Pass Incomplete to Derrick Mason
3rd & 11 at Bal20 Joe Flacco Pass Incomplete to Todd Heap
3rd & 11 at Bal40 Joe Flacco Pass to Daniel Wilcox to Bal44 for 4 yards
3rd & 5 at Ten45 Joe Flacco Pass Incomplete to Derrick Mason
3rd & 7 at Ten7 Joe Flacco Pass to Willis McGahee to Ten3 for 4 yards
3rd & 10 at Bal1 Joe Flacco Pass Incomplete to Mark Clayton
3rd & 2 at Bal32 Joe Flacco Pass to Todd Heap to Ten45 for 23 yards
3rd & 9 at Ten33 Joe Flacco Pass to Mark Clayton to Ten25 for 8 yards

Against a stout Titans defense, the Ravens are just 3 for 13 on third down. Flacco completes 5 of 10 passes but only gains 2 first downs passing. Both conversions were huge, however: the 48-yard TD to Mason and the 23-yarder to Heap on the winning drive.

Combining the two games, on third-down Flacco is 8 of 18 passing, gaining 5 first downs and 114 yards. No picks, no sacks, and one TD. For comparison, I did Ben’s third down stats combining two games: last Sunday vs. Chargers and Week 15 at Ravens. In those two playoff-like games, on third-down Ben is 15 of 20 passing, gaining 11 first downs out of 24 chances and 150 yards. No picks and one TD. Oh, right, also four sacks (oops). But other than giving up a bit of field position, a sack on third down is no different from an incompletion.

In summary, Ben completes an incredible 75% of third-down passes versus 44% for Flacco. Ben converts 46% of third downs passing versus 28% for Flacco, even counting the four sacks against Ben. No picks, one TD, yards per attempt are similar for both. There is no doubt that Flacco is far ahead of most rookie QBs ever, but he has not shown that he can consistently complete passes and sustain drives in pressure situations. Ben has and does.

McClain is actually the key to the game. If they play 10 times, Baltimore wins 3 if McClain has a great day. Flacco is doing well but that’s relative. Take away a hobbled McClain and then LeBeau can start squeezing the young man.

Mason is the big play guy, then Clayton. Interestingly, Heap does not seem to be his first choice, but then he was hurt for awhile. Normally, a rookie QB is throwing the hots if he can find them and short routes to the backs and TE more than the wideouts. One achilles heel for the Ravens is their backs in the passing game – none of the top 3 backs is really a good receiver out of the backfield. Compare that with Moore who has shown he can do it all, even Davis gets a few looks.

Does anyone have a link to good Steeler Talk Radio that broadcasts on the interwebs?

espn radio pittsburgh

fox sports radio pittsburgh