Steelers/NFL
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) @ Baltimore Ravens (8-3)
Game Time: NBC (8:20 PM ET): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Andrea Kremer (Field reporter).
Odds: Ravens are 3 point favorites.
Series Notes
*Pittsburgh leads the all-time series 17-12
*Pittsburgh has won 3 of the past 5 but Baltimore has won 6 of the last 7 at home.
*Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is 5-3 all-time against Baltimore. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is 2-4 all-time against Pittsburgh.
*Baltimore leads 2010 season series 1-0, defeating the Steelers 17-14 in a week 4 matchup in Pittsburgh. The win is regarded as a stepping stone for Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco who came from behind in completing a game-winning 18 yard touchdown pass to T.J. Houshmandzadeh with 32 seconds remaining in 4th quarter to stun the Steelers.
Team-by-Team Notes
Pittsburgh
*Winners of two straight games
*5-1 on the road
*6-2 Conference Record
*16th overall in Total Offense:| 23rd in passing offense | 9th in rushing offense |
*3rd Overall in Total Defense: | 21st in passing defense | 1st in rushing defense |
*Allowing league low 64 rushing yards per game
*Winners of two straight games against Baltimore in month of December
Baltimore Ravens
*Winners of two straight games
*5-0 home record
*6-2 Conference Record
*17th Overall in Total Offense: | 16th in passing offense | 14th in rushing offense |
*5th Overall in Total Defense: | 8th in passing defense | 10th in rushing defense
Steelers Player Notes
QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER is 7-2 all-time against Baltimore including a 4-0 record against the Ravens during the John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco era.
In 9 career games, Roethlisberger has…
14 TDs – 8 INTs and an 84.0 passer rating against Baltimore.
In 2010, Roethlisberger has thrown 12 TD’s – 4 INT’s for 1,825 yards.
Roethlisberger leads the NFL with 122.2 4th-quarter passer rating this season. 5th in the NFL with a 99.1 passer rating, 7th in the NFL with 260.1 passing yards per game, 3rd in the NFL averaging 8.3 yards per attempt, 2nd in the NFL averaging 13.3 yards per completion.
RB RASHARD MENDENHALL has rushed for 962 yards and 9 touchdowns in 11 games. Mendenhall needs 38 rushing yards to reach 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons and needs one rushing TD to become the 5th running back in Steelers history to have 10+ rush TDs in single season. Tied career-high with 2 rushing Touchdowns in the Steelers last game vs. Baltimore on Week 4.
WR HINES WARD posted his 3rd 100-yard receiving game of season last week (107) against the Buffalo Bills. Ward leads the Steelers with 40 receptions on the season.
Since ’09, Pittsburgh has a 7-1 record when Ward has 100+ recieving yards.
WR MIKE WALLACE averages 21.4 yards per catch vs. Ravens, 5 receptions for 107 recieving yards in 3 career games against Baltimore. Wallace leads the NFL in averaging 22 yards per reception. His 8 touchowns rank 8th in the NFL.
LB LAWRENCE TIMMONS leads the Steelers with 97 tackles.
S TROY POLAMALU is eyeing a 3rd straight game with an interception. Polamalu leads the Steelers with 4 INT’s and the Steelers have a 20-3 record (.870) when Polamalu has INT.
LB JAMES HARRISON (10) is 1st Steeler to have 3 consecutive seasons with 10+ sacks and is having an MVP type season.
Baltimore Ravens Player Notes
At home in 2010, QB JOE FLACCO has 10 TDs – 1 INT and an impressive 111.2 passer rating. Flacco is 2-4 all-time vs the Pittsburgh Steelers and 0-4 against Ben Roethlisberger.
Flacco has thrown for 18 touchdowns – 8 INT’s and 2,722 yards this season.
3rd year pro RB RAY RICE has averaged 113 All-Purpose yards in 3 career starts against Pittsburgh.
Rice needs 3 receptions to surpass JAMAL LEWIS (160) for the most career receptions by a Ravens RB in franchise history. Rice has rushed for 818 yards this season and ranks 2nd in the AFC among RBs with 47 catches this season. Rice averages 90.6 rush yards per game at home.
WR ANQUAN BOLDIN had 7 receptions for 68 yards against the Steelers in week 4. Boldin has 51 receptions for 656 yards and 6 touchdowns this season. Boldin has just two 100+ yard receiving games this year and has only collected 30+ receiving yards once in his last 4 games.
WR DERRICK MASON led team with 80 reception yards in last game vs. Pitttsburgh. Since 2008, in 6 games against Pittsburgh, Mason has collected 34 receptions for 420 yards and 1 touchdown.
WR T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH caught game-winning 18-yard TD pass in last game vs. Steelers.
TE TODD HEAP has touchdown receptions in 2 of past 3 games for Baltimore as he’s starting to get more involved in the passing game.
Including postseason, LB TERRELL SUGGS has 11 career sacks against Steelers. Suggs leads the Ravens with 7.5 sacks this season.
LB RAY LEWIS leads the Ravens with 95 tackles.
All-pro Safety ED REED has played in 5 games this season and has a team-high 4 interceptions.
