Roger Goodell Needs To Drop Hammer On Ray Rice, Jim Irsay

written by Jayden Matthews

So Ike Turner, Phil Spector and Ray Rice walk into a bar... Stop me if you've heard this one. 

Roger, Roger, Roger...why must we have these conversations? Oh, I know why. It's because you're a hypocrite. 

Many, including myself, are wondering when you are going to address the situation regarding the Baltimore Ravens' Ray Rice assault. You say that you will not tolerate any stain on your precious shield. Well, isn't dragging his unconscious fiancée, whom he conveniently married as soon as charges were filed, out of an elevator and then kicking her a stain? - http://tinyurl.com/pbs3lxk

Do you not realize, Roger, that every nine seconds a woman is assaulted at the hands of domestic violence, and it is the leading cause of injury to women? Do you also not realize that a lot of those women are fans of the NFL? 

by Matt Vargo

What kind of message would you be sending if you let Rice off with nothing? If some form of punishment is not handed down, it would be a slap to the face of the women that have suffered from this type of action and you would indirectly be an accomplice to their assaults. Ask any victim or families of victims of domestic violence, such as myself or William Gay, and we will assure you that any other reaction would be the wrong message. - http://youtu.be/dMZw8JIkOd8

The legal issues have played out in the courts and Rice agreed to an intervention program to avoid jail time. I hope this gives him the help he needs. He and his new wife Janay Palmer held a press conference on Friday, along with the usual apologies. But, basically it was a dog and pony show to show they're a happy couple now, with their "no relationship is perfect" comments. - http://t.co/qxo2eIk6o3

Intervention programs and press conferences notwithstanding, it still does not take away from the fact, Mr. Goodell, that there was video of him dragging her caveman-style out of that elevator in Atlantic City after knocking her out. He committed an act of violence against a woman. You do realize, don't you, that young men look up to these players? What kind of message is being sent to these young men? That it is OK to hit your lady and drag her around like a caveman? Really? 

In 2010, you said you did not need an arrest to hand down a punishment. Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, found that out first hand, being suspended for six games and later being reduced to four. Ben was never charged with any crime, never arrested, never had any videos of his actions, nothing. But Big Ben was made an example of because, as you put it, he put a "stain" on the beloved shield of the NFL. 

Since Big Ben’s suspension, there have been several NFL players arrested for drunk driving, domestic battery, having guns in airports and even an alleged serial killer that is now in jail. But the one thread that connects all of them is the lack of punishment handed down. None of them were stains, then?

The best one by far just might be Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, who was arrested in March for alleged intoxication and operating a vehicle, he also had in his possession bottles of prescription drugs that were not his. Irsay was at the owners meeting and was seen on TV. Now if that isn't a big old glaring stain, then I don’t know what is. 

An NFL owner in possession of controlled substances that weren't even his? Oh, that’s right, you’re playing the wait-and-see and game. Well, you didn't with Big Ben. Even if he is suspended, you made it clear before anything was announced he would be punished and punished he was. - http://tinyurl.com/nr7zj3y

Ryan Clark, former Steelers' safety said it best on ESPN's First Take: “So here we have Jim Irsay, a guy, an owner, who has history of substance abuse, who's found in a car with over $29K and prescription drugs that weren't in his name, pulled over for driving under the influence, and now we're saying we need more information? What more information do we need than these aren't your prescription pills? You're obviously under the influence. You have $29K. There would be no questions asked if this was a player." -  http://tinyurl.com/papv46t

I fully agree with Clark. But what else is new when it comes to Roger Goodell and his handling of punishments? Which gets me to my point. Roger, you need to stop being all Stay-Puff-Marshmallow-Man soft and squishy and afraid of any repercussions from NFLPA, and start acting like Thor and bring the proverbial hammer down and bring it down swiftly. 

Start sending messages to these overgrown frat boys that enough is enough and that this type of behavior has no place in the NFL. If they want to do the crime, then they must do the time. Not slaps on the wrists, either - both Rice and Irsay need to be suspended. 

Because if you don’t start sending the appropriate messages, to find the biggest stain on the shield of the NFL, all you will have to do is look in the mirror. 

Roethlisberger, Polamalu and Coaches Alike Key in Steelers Surge, Beating Ravens

"It's not how you drive, it's how you arrive." Outside linebacker Jarvis Jones

The NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint. The coaches knew that. They even tried to tell us that. The typical fan, though, lives very much in the now. So much so that Steelers fans have called for more heads than the Queen of Hearts.

After an ignominious start to the season - 11 turnovers, zero forced turnovers and 15 sacks allowed in four losses - the Steelers are actually looking like a team to be reckoned with down the stretch. Somewhat sparked by a recent loss, all of the above numbers have been turned in their favor.

The coaches and coordinators had taken a lot of abuse during that period, even having much-loved defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's job being questioned. If It Ain't Steel even suggested as much. But it was based on the team's direction at the time - a direction that has been navigated back to a winning one.

One thing that was made clear, however, was that the players needed to execute. During the recent win streak, players on both sides of the ball are doing just that.

First four weeks:
11 offensive turnovers
15 sacks allowed
0 defensive forced turnovers
4 defensive sacks
17.25 points per game

Last three weeks:
1 offensive turnover
5 sacks allowed
8 defensive forced turnovers
10 defensive sacks
29 points per game

In the previous three weeks, Big Ben has only been sacked five times, while not getting dirty once last Sunday against the Cleveland Browns top 10 defense. It a unified effort between coaching, players finally getting comfortable and Big Ben's presence in the no-huddle.

"When you have different people you are plugging in that haven't been exposed to [the no-huddle] quite as much as some of the others, that causes you some speed bumps....I think that is why you are seeing a little more efficient operation, and it's obviously a weapon," said offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

"Ben is an elite quarterback as I've said," Haley said further of the AFC's Offensive Player of the Month. "I think he is preparing, a big part of that is his preparation and being ready for the opponent, because when he is out there, he obviously has to make some decisions that we all have to trust and count on him. He's done a very good job of it." - http://tinyurl.com/owfddns

It's that kind of play against the Baltimore Ravens, reflecting his 7-2 record against Ravens' QB Joe Flacco, including a 3-1 mark at Baltimore since '08, which will be needed this week, especially with such an emphasis on the pass.

Not that running back Le'Veon Bell isn't adequate, having not yet had a 100-yard game, because he is very versatile back with a high upside. In fact, it is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield that makes him a valuable cog in the Steelers offense. - http://tinyurl.com/phosh4y

But the Steelers offense has joined the NFL's pass-happy mentality. The Todd Haley offense, basically a West Coast Offense, has the passing game ranked eighth in the NFL. Not only because of the short passes, slants and bubble screens, but because of splash plays, also, as Big Ben leads all quarterbacks in deep throws/completions on (20+ yards down field) with 23, and is tied for the lead in completions that result in 20 yards or more with 47.

One main reason is that his No. 1 wide receiver and target, Antonio Brown, is also the No. 1 receiver (receptions) in the NFL. Though many thought this would be a problem this season with the departure of a receiver now playing with the Miami Dolphins, AB continually proves them all wrong as he has racked up 1,044 yards and six touchdowns on a league-best 80 receptions.

Speaking of no-huddle offenses...

"[The Ravens] no-huddle, but the thing that they have is the balance on the outside," said LeBeau. "They've got not two, but three very adept deep receivers on the outside. I would say any able bodied defensive back would be very welcomed against those guys because they've got a great deep passing quarterback with guys with a lot of speed."

This will be a test for LeBeau's defense. Flacco likes to go deep and will do so to Torrey Smith (859 receiving yards) and the potentially dangerous Marlon Brown (five touchdowns in only 28 receptions).

Having a complete secondary ready to execute will be imperative. Which means Ike Taylor can't take the second half off like he did Sunday, and rookie Shamarko Thomas will need to cause a "Headache" or two once again.

The running game, should still be respected because of Ray Rice being "one of the best backs that ever played," per LeBeau. "As long as he's in there, they're going to have a good run game." With nose tackle Steve McLendon being out Thursday, Hebron Fangupo and Al Woods must step in his absence. It is also important once again to have the front seven to, not only shut the running game down and make them one-dimensional.

They will also need to cause confusion and to get to Flacco who can be rattled. LaMarr Woodley and Troy Polamalu have had memorable moments in getting to him in the past, although Woodley is likely out this week.

If so, the disruption caused by the hybrid linebacker may just be essential. Last Sunday, Polamalu totaled four tackles, one sack, knocked down a pass, forced a pair of fumbles and recovered another fumble en route to this week's AFC Defensive Player of the Week award.

The Ravens have been very inconsistent, but one thing that hasn't been is that when they tie or lose the turnover battle, they lose the game. The recent head-to-head matchups have produced similar results. And since we've established that the Steelers surge has been in part because of the lack of turnovers, this is yet again essential.

One last important statistic: In the last four games between the two teams, the team winning the third-down conversion battle won the game.

In the previous two wins by the Ravens, they were at a 48.5% conversion rate to the Steelers' 41%. In the last two Steelers wins over the Ravens, they were at 48% to the Ravens 40%.

Do those things and the Steelers will "arrive" at .500 and in the driver's seat for the final playoff spot.

~

TIDBITS: Steelers Injury Report: McLendon out; Woodley doubtful; Gilbert, Keisel, Miller, Polamalu, Sylvester and Thomas probable.

Ravens injury report. Safety Bryden Trawick (ankle) didn't practice and DE Chris Canty (shoulder) limited.

~

According to the American Brain Tumor Association, there are nearly 700,000 people living with a brain tumor (diagnosis). How many people love in Baltimore, Md? Nearly 700,000. Coincidence?

Steelers Look For 2nd Win In "Grudge Match" Against Ravens

via steelers.com

“It’s a grudge match. It really is. It always seems to be close." - Brett Keisel on rivalry with Ravens.

Whether it could be labeled a "grudge match," a blood bath or the 'best rivalry in the NFL' (to which it is often referred), one thing is very certain - these teams just don't like each other.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers and the defending world champion Baltimore Ravens take the field Sunday afternoon, one player new to the rivalry may not be able to get himself acquainted.

Outside linebacker Jarvis Jones was diagnosed with a concussion early this week and is listed as questionable for the game Sunday. He practiced fully on Friday but must still pass a concussion test.

If he is unavailable, fellow outside linebacker Jason Worilds will start in his stead. Something with which defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is just fine.

"If you look at the video and, really, the team record," said LeBeau, "you will see that Jason {Worilds} played pretty dag gone well last year....Jason has always been excellent at {the point of attack}. He is a good, growing young player. We are glad we got him."

Be it Jones or Worilds, they will need to get to quarterback Joe Flacco and to stop running back Ray Rice. While Bernard Pierce has been a valuable compliment to him, Rice is still the main man to stop.

Since the start of 2011, when Rice gets 20 or more touches (carries and receptions) in a game, the Ravens have a 22-2 record. However, when Rice gets fewer than 20 touches the Ravens are only 7-11.

Rice's value is undeniable. The Steelers run defense, unfortunately is ranked 22nd in the league, giving up 114.8 yards per game. What helps is that Rice is only averaging 2.8 yards per carry this season providing a dynamic that might lean in the Steelers favor.

While the Steelers still must contain Ray Rice if they expect to win, it doesn't end there. As LeBeau also said, they have "a good corps of wide receivers that can go deep. They kind of live on that big play..." Point blank, the Ravens have the weapons to hurt the Steelers by going deep.

They are led by wideout Torrey Smith who is fourth in the NFL in receiving yards with 568, including a 20.3 yard per catch average. Another player to watch out for is rookie Marlon Brown. His three receiving touchdowns are already fourth most by a rookie in team history.

The Steelers secondary would seem to be up to the task as it is ranked fourth best in the NFL allowing just 196 yards per game.

Speaking of wide receivers, the Steelers have their own who's leading the league in receiving categories.

Antonio Brown has been targeted 53 times by Ben Roethlisberger this season resulting in 41 catches and 498 yards. He is second in the NFL in receptions, behind Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans - who haven't had their bye yet. AB average 12.1 yards per catch and 99.6 per game. He is also second amongst all wide receivers, again minus Houston's Johnson, with 27 receptions for first downs.

“...He's our No. 1 guy,” offensive coordinator Todd Haley said on Thursday. “When Mike {Wallace} left, {AB} knew he had an opportunity to step into that role. He's embraced it, he's worked hard and he's making plays. That's tough to do when you're ‘the' guy because that's the guy that generally sees double coverage.” - http://tinyurl.com/k9myxhv

Truth. Case in point was the play that led the Steelers' lone touchdown scored against the Jets last Sunday.

On the 55-yard strike to Emmanuel Sanders last Sunday, the Jets were in the old "46 defense" with strong safety Dawan Landry cheating over to Antonio Brown's side, while free safety Antonio Allen was in the box for a blitz or hot read. i.e. AB was doubled covered which allowed Manny to take Antonio Cromartie one-on-one.

Teammates have even said that AB is even better and that he isn't taking any downs off. Manny had previously been the better route-runner of the two (especially three), but AB has been running his routes with greater precision than ever before, leading to possible record-breaking numbers.

AB is currently on pace for 131 receptions and 1,593 yards, which would decimate his previous career highs of 69 catches for 1,108 yards (in 2011), and would rearview mirror Hines Ward's team record of 112 catches in a season and Yancey Thigpen's team record of 1,398 yards.

With all that said, two things still need to be considered going up against the Ravens Sunday: the fact that, as successful as they were with them last week against the Jets, don't expect the Steelers to run as many screens against Baltimore, and Le'Veon Bell must continue to get better.

While Bell has battled injuries, after making his debut he’s become the clear top option for the Steelers. Though having a slow start as a runner, averaging only 2.84 YPC, he has shown promise and has done a very nice job as a receiver catching all seven of the passes targeted his way for 100 yards. He has also shown his blocking skills with no pressure being surrendered on his 16 pass-block snaps.

Yet, Bell is capable of offering more to this offense. With the ZBS and outside-run blocking, if he trusts himself and his teammates and displays a little more patience, he can be very good for this team for a very long time.

The Steelers will be up to the task regardless, though, as linebacker Terrell Suggs knows all too well.

"This is a team," Suggs told NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala, "they're never going to say die."

A team facing its bitterest rival. And it all resumes Sunday afternoon.

~

TIDBITS: Jarvis Jones (concussion) practice participation was adjusted to "limited" Friday; listed as questionable for Sunday. Still must pass concussion test.
The rest of the Injury Report is as follows: Keisel, Gilbert, Heath all probable; Wheaton, Gordon both out

Ravens: ILB Josh Bynes (hand), Out; NT Ngata (elbow), OLB Upshaw (foot), CB Webb (thigh) all limited on Friday and all listed Questionable.

The Ravens have added linebacker Jameel McClain to their roster, the club said Saturday.

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"@MarkKaboly_Trib: Did you know that the OL the #Steelers put out for the 2nd half of the season opener last year is 100% different than it is right now"

Will Another Running Quarterback Lead 49ers To A Super Bowl Victory?

(Hey! Didja know that two brothers were facing each other in the Super Bowl? Really! I'm serious. We figured that we'd better tell ya since NEITHER ESPN NOR NFL NETWORK HAS MENTIONED IT AT ALL. And now that you know...)

When you're at least 6'2" and in excess of 220 pounds, athletic enough to play multiple positions (and sports) and set NCAA records at a respected west coast university, you're expected to do well in the NFL....and that's just what Steve Young did.

The current version of the San Francisco 49ers multi-threat quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, had almost an impressive of a résumé, and is just a touch bigger (he's 6'4" 230lbs) than Young. Add to that, Young is "jealous" of what Kaepernick has going for him so early in his career. Attributes and assets that have him in Super Bowl XLVII against the Baltimore Ravens in what will be his ninth start.

“He’s got a lot of great weapons with the best offensive line maybe since the 2000 Rams, and maybe then since the ’92 or ’93 Cowboys,” Young said, via Pro Football Talk and Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I mean, this offensive line is well ahead of most everybody else. That dictates terms...for Colin Kaepernick....I’m actually really jealous about the pistol. I think it’s such a cool thing.” - http://tinyurl.com/awqndzh

The Pistol is a hybrid of the Shotgun formation where the quarterback lines up four yards behind the center rather than the normal shotgun seven yards. It has the advantages of being able to be utilized as a read-option offense, and allows an athletic quarterback such as Kaepernick to be a dangerous X-factor.

Young had maybe the most iconic touchdown run in NFL playoffs history when he ran 49 yards while breaking five tackles on his way to a score. That was from under center. Imagine if he would have had an offense like the Pistol/read option. No wonder he said he's jealous.

As Young admitted, though and as the article made lucid, the 49ers are doing their best to keep him out of harm's way to best utilize his skills. Because a running-styled quarterback opens himself up to being hit more often. He's potentially in greater danger to injury.

How the Ravens attack this will determine their success. They had a look at a very similar offense earlier this season when they faced Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins. They didn't fair so well in that one, losing 31-28.

In that game RGIII passed for 242 yards a touchdown and 34 rushing yards, while running back Alfred Morris ran for 129 yards on 23 carries (a 5.6 YPC average). The Ravens had no answer early on, but adjusted as the game progressed. Still, they eventually succumbed to the combination of the multi-threat read-option QB and the bruising runner.

Exactly what they'll face in Kaepernick and Frank Gore on Super Sunday.

But the 49ers are far more than an option team. Kaepernick won't let the bright lights affect him, either. His first ever collegiate start was in hostile territory, the blue turf of Boise State, and all he did was pass for 243 yards and three touchdowns and to run for 177 yards and two more touchdowns.

That said, there are two main ways the Ravens can handle a Pistol/read-option offense: play back and adjust to what they hive you, which is much what they did against the Redskins, or attack with a form of controlled fury where your unblocked defender attacks from the outside to contain. Points which Greg Cosell breaks down very well here: http://tinyurl.com/b63to3v

Team defense is absolutely necessary against a QB with Kaepernick's skill set. They must hit him and hit him often. As said a few paragraphs earlier, a running-styled QB opens himself up to being hit more often. He's potentially in greater danger to injury. Something that Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Bernard Pollard are more than willing to do. - http://tinyurl.com/a5wnzns

It's that defense that has led the Ravens to winning the last three meetings with 49ers by combined score of 69-19, with the last game being a 16-6 win on Thursday Night Football on November 24, 2011.

But what of their offense? The Ravens have a QB who bears a bit of a resemblance to Steve Young also. Not only Young, but also Joe Montana.

Ravens QB Joe Flacco can join Young and Montana as the only QBs to finish a postseason with nine touchdown passes and no interceptions if he throws at least one touchdown and no interceptions. He’ll tie Young at that point. Less likely is his throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions to tie Montana.

Nonetheless, leading his team to four losses in their last five regular-season games and having the two lowest QB Ratings in recent years, Flacco has turned things around in the postseason. He has passed for an average of 276 yards a game to go along with the absence of interceptions.

On top of that, running back Ray Rice is controlling the ground game. With a balanced offense of Flacco, Rice and Anquan Boldin, the Ravens are a force and at times even surgical. - http://tinyurl.com/alzfuxd

However, one reason for that is the lack of pressure on the quarterback. Knowing the Ravens the way we do, Flacco can be rattled when hit. Not grazed, not glancing blows...HIT.

The 49ers defense can and will do just that. With Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, Aldon Smith and the rest of the NFL's third-ranked defense, they will look to do some purple-people eating. Aldon Smith alone had 19.5 sacks on the season and is likely salivating over the only 20th-ranked Ravens offensive line that allowed 38 QB sacks and 69 QB hits.

But this still comes back to the X-factor: Kaepernick. Gore and LaMichael James can be key for the Ravens to contain, but the amount of physicality the Ravens bring to Kaepernick that will be needed to limit him, intimidate him or even stop him is what will win or lose this game.

If the Ravens can do that, win. But I don't think they will be able to do it enough to get the win. I picked the 49ers in If It Ain't Steel's postseason prediction blog at the end of the regular season, and I'm not coming off of that. Take the 49ers with another multi-threat QB to win the Super Bowl over the Ratbirds. (I just had to...)

Steelers Get Their Revenge; Beat Ravens Without Roethlisberger, 23-20

726 straight days, 15 games in a row at home and the last 12 games in the AFC North. The Ravens streak now reads zero.

And on the 727th day, the Steelers rested.

More important for the fans may have been the fact that the Baltimore Ravens (9-3) were 5-0 when the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) were without Ben Roethlisberger. Thanks to Charlie Batch, James Harrison and Heath Miller, that's no longer an issue.

After they did all the heavy lifting, wunderkind Shaun "Sushi" Suisham batted clean up and sent one through the uprights to bring the Steelers a hard-fought 23-20 victory over their hated rivals. - http://tinyurl.com/c2lx4pt

Uncle Charlie Batch, 38 on Wednesday, was 25-36 passing for 276 yards and was the Steelers Digest Player of the Week. It was the most yards that Uncle Charlie has thrown for as a Steelers quarterback. And it was certainly his biggest victory as a Steelers starter.

He also threw a touchdown pass to Heath Miller for the tying score. It was Miller's 38th career touchdown, passing Elbie Nickel for the most touchdowns for a tight end in Steelers franchise history. He had five catches total for 97 yards.

Harrison's strip sack, recovered by Ziggy Hood, late in the game led to the touchdown in question as the Silverback welcomed Michael Oher (more commonly know to Steelers fans as "Deebo's b**ch) back to the blind side. He finished with seven tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.

Then kicker Shaun "Sushi" Suisham drove home a 42-yard field goal as time expired to cement the win, his 7th career game-winning field goal.

Running back Jonathan Dwyer rushed for 49 yards and scored the other touchdown - the first of his career.

The Steelers rebounded from last week’s disaster-ridden, turnover-laden game and "only" gave it away three times. Even those shouldn't have happened, and the Steelers paid for them early.

A trick play of a fake end-around from wide receiver Antonio Brown across the field to Jonathan Dwyer was intercepted by Ravens cornerback Corey Graham. Four plays later, Flacco hit Anquan Boldin for a 28-yard touchdown.

Emmanuel Sanders inexplicably lost handle of the ball as he tried to secure it by switching hands. Instead of tucking the ball away, he coughed it up and lost his second fumble in as many games. It was the ninth lost fumble for the Steelers as a whole in the last four games.

What's worse is that he so open that there was nothing in front of him but grass. With his speed it would easily have been a touchdown.

Six plays after Sanders' fumble, Ray Rice scored on a 34-yard run. Rice had only 34 yards rushing up to that point. He finished with 78 yards on the ground.

The other was an ill-advised throw over the middle that was intercepted by (who else?) Ed Reed. Uncle Charlie is 15-year veteran. He should know that you never throw it late over the middle. Especially when Reed is playing centerfield. Bad decision. Bad throw. Bad results.

Earlier in the game Uncle Charlie had actually overthrown Mike Wallace who was wide open in the back of the end zone as a result of a mix-up in coverage. A play similar to what happened with Wallace against the Oakland Raiders earlier in the year. Big Ben hit Wallace on that play for the touchdown. Uncle Charlie's pass hit someone's Terrible Towel in the first row.

Ultimately, though, that last gaff didn't matter because the Steelers bounced back as they had all game. Mainly by way of the Harrison forced fumble and sack.

After Reed picked Batch in the end zone, the Silverback made his biggest play of the season. That led to a 7-yard touchdown pass to Miller who scored by stretching forward and, keeping his foot from stepping out of bounds, hitting the pylon with the ball.

Then the Steelers defense, the No. 1 unit in the NFL, got the ball back for the Steelers and Uncle Charlie completed all five passes on the final drive for 45 yards to get the Steelers in field-goal range. - http://tinyurl.com/bqkqkrr

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who is usually better at home, was streaky throughout, finishing 16 of 34 for 188 (177 minus the sacks) yards, one interception and the fumble.

This was a telling game for the Ravens. They might just be third best team in AFC North at present. They have a big lead, yes, but the Steelers were the better team in both games against them. Baltimore actually should have lost to Leftwich too. Now they go to Washington and could lose there next week with the threats the Redskins have. If so, watch out.

Think about it: Could they have gone into Pittsburgh and beaten the Steelers and Big Ben with their back up quarterback, let alone their third stringer? Not. A. Chance. The next four weeks will be telling.

Maybe another streak has already started.

~

TIDBITS: In his post-game press conference, Mike Tomlin said Emmanuel Sanders suffered a shoulder joint sprain, but he did return and should be fine for next week.

Fullback Will Johnson may have suffered a concussion. More on him later.

Tomlin said Ike Taylor needs an MRI after suffering an ankle/lower leg injury. Per Pro Football Talk, league source says Ike has fibula injury; fears are that it could be significant, 2-6 weeks absence. More will be learned on Monday via MRI and will be disclosed by Tomlin at his Tuesday press conference. - http://tinyurl.com/csl9v5j

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Paul Kruger on his roughing the passer penalty: "It was a big mistake on my part. I just can't believe I put my teammates in that situation."

~

Ray Rice: "This game is not going to make or break our season. Give credit where it's due. They made the plays we've been making over the last few times. They were the last team to beat us here. I guess they're on their playoff run right now. They deserve it. The flip of the coin didn't go our way this game. We'll live to fight another day."

~

Speaking of Ray Rice, remember his quotes last week? We put them in our pre-game blog. They were all warm and cozy, weren't they? Well, did anyone see the exchange between the head coaches Tomlin and John Harbaugh? Heh...

Harbaugh says congrats and Tomlin had zero time for him. Harbaugh pulled him back and Tomlin acted as if he'd said all he needed to say. Here's the video of the Mike Tomlin-John Harbaugh "handshake." - http://tinyurl.com/d8zsjep

~

Then...
Ed Reed takes pot shot at Charlie Batch: http://tinyurl.com/bsomke6

So much for warm and cozy. But, it's all good, we hate you too. See ya in the playoffs, Ratbirds.

Steelers Ravens Week: Still Going to be a Good Game

Yes, the week that most Steelers and Ravens fans have been waiting for is upon us: Steelers-Ravens week!

As always, the AFC North is up for grabs with the Ravens on top right now with a record of 7-2 and the Steelers in second-place, being one game back with a 6-3 record. But, this year the game that is arguably the best in the NFL bar none has lost some of its luster. The Steelers and Ravens have had their fair share of injuries this year.

The Steelers are going into this game without two of their biggest stars: Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu. Big Ben is sidelined with an SC sprain and rib injury and it is still up in the air as to when he will return. Troy is still dealing with a calf injury that has had him sidelined for several games. The Steelers are dealing with other injuries as well.

The Ravens aren't quite the MASH unit the Steelers are, but they are dinged up as well. They will be without, among others, their leader and biggest star, Ray Lewis. They also have some of their other big stars playing injured. While the Steelers are hurting all over, the Ravens are hurting mainly on the defensive side of the ball.

This will mark the first time since Big Ben was drafted that the best game in football will be without him, Lewis, Troy and Hines Ward, who retired during the offseason. But, the show must go on and so will this blog. So, let’s get to the matchup, shall we?

First up, the Steelers will be starting veteran back-up quarterback Byron Leftwich, who hasn’t started/won a game with the Steelers. He went into the game Monday night after Big Ben went down and got the win (if this were baseball, we'd say he got the save) for the Steelers. A lot of people think that with Leftwich starting, the Steelers are at a disadvantage. I beg to differ, however, and think offensive coordinator Todd Haley will cater to his quarterback's strentghs. So, BLeft (BLove, Lefty...pick a nickname) will be well prepared for Sunday night.

The Ravens may be sitting at 7-2, but they are hardly the Ravens of old. Granted, the Steelers have had their struggles as well, but the Ravens defense, which is usually ranked in the top five every year, is sitting at No. 28 in the NFL. Their run defense has struggled, No. 26 in the league, which is not Ravens football, and their pass rush has basically been non-existent. They received a boost to their pass rush with the return of Terrell Suggs, but it still has not gotten it going like I know John Harbaugh would like and is used to seeing. Haloti Ngata, the anchor of the defensive line, is also playing hurt with a knee and shoulder injury.

Their secondary has been banged up all season. They first lost arguably their best cornerback Lardarius Webb for the season, and now they have lost his counterpart, Jimmy Smith, for some time due to a groin injury. Ed Reed, who is arguably the NFL's best free safety, is playing through a shoulder issue that has causing his play to be diminished.

The offense has been the star this season, but it has had its issues as well. Joe Flacco has played lights out at home with a passer rating of 108.3. He is 115/173 for 1,612 yards and a completion percentage of 66.5, averaging 9.32 yards and has 10 TDs to just three interceptions. This game is played at Heinz Field, though, not at M&T Bank Stadium, and Flacco’s numbers drop off in key categories on the road. He is 71/136 for 719 yards with a completion percentage of 52.2 and is averaging 5.29 yards and a quarterback rating of 62.7. He has thrown three TDs on the road to four interceptions. At home he has only been sacked eight times compared to 11 times on the road. Flacco also has two rushing TDs, but those are at home as well. He will also be facing the No. 1 pass defense and No. 1 overall defense in the NFL in the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So, this will be the tale of the tape for Flacco on how the Ravens season is going to go. They have what could be considered a murderer's row of a schedule left in front of them, with most of those games being on the road. This game could set the tone for them moving forward.

The Ravens are stocked at the wide receiver position with Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones and Anquan Boldin. These guys can really hurt you if given space. Then you have to account for Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson. Pitta ranks second on the team with 37 receptions, third with 376 receiving yards and second with three touchdown catches. Dickson has added 12 receptions for 144 yards.

They also have one of the best running backs in the NFL in Ray Rice, though he has been underutilized to this point in the season. He is also very dangerous in the passing game if given the chance. But I look for that to change. I look for Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to try to give the Steelers a healthy dose of Rice, who has the best average on the ground against the Steelers, to open up the pass attack. So they have an offense that can put points up, but they haven’t done that so far on the road this year. Not saying that won’t change, though, because I look for Flacco to come out with all guns blazing and to try to test the Steelers defense early.

The experts are already giving this game to the Ravens, but they say it will be a close game, and we believe it will be as well. The Steelers are riding a 4-game winning streak, but that was with Big Ben. Big Ben has been ruled out, so now Byron Leftwich gets the nod. We don’t really have the big stats for Leftwich like we do Flacco, because he hasn’t played. Still, what can be said is that people are making a big deal about his windup, the fact that he hasn’t played for a long time and that he had issues in Jacksonville and Tampa Bay.

Looking at the bigger picture of his time in Tampa Bay, though, he did not have the weapons around him like he does in Pittsburgh. So, that can be pushed to the side. There has also been talk about him not knowing Todd Haley’s offense, but, even though he hasn't played, he has been practicing and studying this offense. Letwich is a very savvy veteran and there is a reason the Steelers have kept him around. Leftwich still has a very strong arm that can hurt you if he gets a receiver open. He'll be ready and the Steelers trust in BLeft is warranted. We Steelers fans have been giving him our full support because it has been the “Next Man Up” all season, so we are used to it.

Yes, granted his windup could set him up for more sacks, because let’s face it, Suggs is in this game and he always brings the heat, the offensive line is going to have to account for him. Period. Then it gets me to the weapons we have on offense. Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders will be taking the field for the Steelers as Antonio Brown is most likely to miss his second straight game with an ankle injury. Jerricho Cotchery will be filling in as third receiver. These three have been quite effective on the field as of late because you never know which one is going to get open and break for that big play and Leftwich has an arm that can get the ball to them. Wallace has had some issues with dropped passes this season but that could change at any time.

The Steelers may be getting a boost to their run game this week with the possible return of Mendenhall, but if Mendy is unable to go, and then we will see the twosome of Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman, who have proven they can pound the rock in his absence. The Ravens are also going to have to make account for Redman in the pass game as well as he has shown as of late he can be just as dangerous as Rice. Then you have what is arguably the most underrated tight end in football in Heath Miller, who is having a great season. The offensive line has been playing better than they showed Monday night, and I look for them to get it back together for this Sunday. They have been run blocking well all season.

The key to this game in our opinion is 'Who is going to hiccup and hurt their team?' It is a known fact, injured or not, the Ravens defense is going to be as ready for us as we are for them. I do not look for this to be a high scoring game. I look for this to actually be the Ravens-Steelers matchup we are used to seeing: an ugly, defensive battle. Both teams are coming in to this game with 19 sacks and both teams are looking to add to those numbers. Paul Kruger in Sunday’s game had two sacks against the Raiders, and Brett Keisel had two sacks in the game against the Chiefs. That is something both teams have not been doing a good job of as of late is getting pressure on the quarterbacks. Look for that to be one of the keys Sunday.

Our prediction on this game is that if both defenses show up and play like we know they can play, this game could very well come down to the last minutes as is usual. With the AFC North up for grabs, expect both defenses to play hard and for it to be very close. If the Steelers get pressure on Flacco and get him confused, Steelers can win. If the Ravens get pressure on Leftwich and get in his head, they could win this.

Going to be a good game regardless of who is on the field, starters or backups.

~

TIDBIT: I know this is not the usually stat laden blog our loyal readers are used to, but my partner in crime is in the hospital. I know he would want something put out there given that it is Ravens week. It's been a rough week for us at If It Ain’t Steel and I ask that all our readers please keep Jason in your prayers.

The Baltimore Ravens: Rough Times Ahead?

If you are a Baltimore Ravens fan, you may not like what you're about to read. We have been debating whether to write this or not, and have decided that now is the time to do so.

We at If It Ain't Steel look at the game as football fans first, not just as Pittsburgh Steeler fans, and we have given the Ravens their due on more than one occasion. Check back through our posts if you don't believe. The most recent being the paying homage to Ray Lewis: http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2012/10/showing-respect-for-villain-known-as.html

But, I personally have been seeing something that has me scratching my head. I have been watching the Baltimore Ravens and have to ask what the heck happened to their team? Yes, I am well aware the purple and black has become black and blue with key injuries as of late, but I was asking this before the injuries.

This is a team that has been historically known to have a stout defense. Opposing quarterbacks had to look across the field at men like Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, Jarrett Johnson and so on. If seeing those men did not put fear in you nothing would. They were fierce! Just ask Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. They were so fierce that Big Ben’s nose had its own Twitter (@BigBensNose) account for a while due to a hit taken from Ngata that turned his nose sideways on his face in 2010. The offense never had to score a lot of points because when your defense is only allowing opposing teams 14-17 points a game, you do not need a dominant offense. The only thing the offense had to do was not screw up.

The 2012 Ravens defense has not been that Ravens defense. I'm not the only one seeing this. - http://tinyurl.com/9lf333v

After the win over the Cowboys two weeks ago, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said of his offense that "there have been many, many times our defense carried a heavy, heavy burden over the years. For our offense....and our special teams to carry some of that burden is a great thing."

"I’m quite sure," he went on to say, "(the defense) is going to be doing the same through the course of the season. I have a lot of confidence in those guys. We are going to play really good defense.”

Really?

The Ravens are giving up an uncharacteristically high amount of rushing yards. In seven games this season they have allowed an average of 23 points per game (PPG). From 2008 to 2011, they were third in the league each year in points allowed with an average of 16.25 PPG. Even if you take away the Houston Texans butt-whipping, they still gave up nearly 20 PPG (19.7) in the previous six games to teams with a combined record of 15-24. That's 161 points allowed by a defense that had only allowed 266 all of last season.

Another example of this is that they have already allowed 1,000 yards rushing against them, an astonishing 142.6 yards per game (YPG). In the last three games alone, they have given up 622 yards rushing. That's 207 YPG, including a franchise-record 227 yards to a Dallas Cowboys team led by Demarco Murray. Not Don Perkins, not Tony Dorsett, not Emmitt Smith...Demarco Murray. Don't blame the injuries there either, because they gave 214 rushing yards to the mighty Kansas City Chiefs. As a contrast, last season the Ravens only surrendered 92.6 YPG.

The passing defense is just as bad this season. They have already given up 1888 yards through the air, which is 269.7 YPG passing. Last season they allowed only 193.6 YPG to opposing passers. Those numbers were also put up with their best corner, Lardarius Webb, in the lineup. How much will the Ravens miss Webb? He was their best cornerback in the last season and a half, stealing nine passes (incl. playoffs), tied for most in the NFL.

The Ravens were given a boost last Sunday with the return of Terrell Suggs, and he played surprisingly well, but it was not enough to stop the Texans, to whom this defense allowed to score a franchise-record 43 points.

All offseason the Ravens talked about the new high-powered, no-huddle offense that they were working on, led by their "elite" quarterback Joe Flacco. Both looked good in the first game against the Bengals, but have been a wildly inconsistent and enigmatic since. Being the NFL's most penalized team hasn't helped any. - http://tinyurl.com/8ep94g9

Last Sunday, Flacco had an ESPN QBR of 0.2, the lowest for any QB in that rating system since 2008. Against Dallas, he had just an NFL QBR of 76.3. His two best games were a decisive win against the Cincinnati Bengals where he had a QBR of 95.1, and a one-point win against the New England Patriots when he had a rating of 93.2. He has thrown for 9 TD passes and 6 interceptions, with a completion percentage of 59.5% and an overall ESPN QBR of 53.9 (100 is best) and an 84.0 in the NFL QBR system (153.8 is perfect...both of which are nebulous systems, by the way). Hardly, what I would call an "elite" quarterback. But, what I have seen with this new "high-powered" offense is that they have taken their true star out of the game.

The star I am talking about is Ray Rice. I know that Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has good intentions and wants Flacco to look as good as they say he is, but why take out your main offensive weapon in process? Since the start of 2011, when Ray Rice gets 20 or more touches (carries and receptions) in a game the Ravens are 14-0, when he gets fewer than 20 touches, they're only 4-6. So, why not utilize that weapon? Oh, that’s right, it doesn’t look as pretty when Rice is grinding for all those yards and controlling the clock and giving your defense a break. All those long balls look prettier. And chicks dig the long ball, right?

Point blank, while the Ravens certainly should avoid targeting their star player too heavily, sage advice for any team as it's akin to putting too many eggs in one basket, there's no denying Rice's value to that offense.

Yes, I know they are sitting at 5-2 going into the bye. Trust me, their fans are all-too gung ho to remind us of this on a regular basis. And I'm well aware that the Steelers have their own injury and defense-related issues sitting at 3-3. But, what a lot of those fans are not realizing is that the reality of this is a potential downhill spiral that could get much worse.

From the free agent releases and player-losses in the offseason, to the injuries to the team this year, to the inconsistent offense, to the upcoming five Pro Bowl QBs, one QB who was a Rookie of the Year runner-up and one Rookie of the Year QB in-waiting, the "ball so hard" crew could fall so hard if they don't do something soon.