City of Champions
Fansided

Pittsburgh Steelers Vs. Baltimore Ravens GameDay, Odds, TV/Radio, And Preview

By Larry Snyder

facebooktwitterreddit

One of the National Football League’s toughest rivalries is back along the North Shore as the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) open the playoffs on Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens.

For the Black and Gold, it will be their eighth appearance in an NFL Wild Card playoff contest. They are 4-3 in Wild Card matchups.

This meeting marks the fourth time that these two teams have met in the postseason and the first time in the Wild Card round. For the coaches overall, John Harbaugh is 7-9 against Pittsburgh while Mike Tomlin is 10-8 when facing Baltimore.

More from Ben Roethlisberger

The AFC North antagonists split their two-game regular season series. The Ravens downed the Steelers 26-9 on Thursday, Sept. 11 at M&T Bank Stadium, while Pittsburgh took the rematch 43-23 at Heinz Field on Sunday, Nov. 2 when Ben Roethlisberger threw for 340 yards and a franchise record six touchdowns.

The Steelers closed out the regular season with a 27-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, which gave them the AFC North title and the No. 3 seed in the AFC, while the Ravens (10-6) clinched a wild card slot at home with their 20-10 win over the Cleveland Browns.

When: Saturday, Jan. 3

Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET (Gates to open at 6:15 p.m.)

Where: Heinz Field

Playing Surface: Natural Grass

Series History: Began in 1996

Overall Regular Season: Steelers lead 21-17

At Pittsburgh: Steelers lead 12-7

At Baltimore: Ravens lead 10-9

Streak: Steelers have won three of the last five

Last Regular Season Meeting: Nov. 2, 2014 in Pittsburgh (Steelers 43, Ravens 23)

Neutral Sites: N/A

Post Season Record: Steelers lead 3-0

Last Post Season Meeting: AFC Divisional Playoff on Jan. 15, 2011 in Pittsburgh (Steelers 31, Ravens 24)

Television: NBC

Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth

Local Radio: WDVE 102.5 FM / WBGG 970 AM – Steelers Radio Network

Announcers: Bill Hillgrove and Tunch Ilkin with Craig Wolfley on the sideline

Sirius XM Satellite Radio: XM Channel 85, XM Channel 824

Spanish Radio: Available on Steelers.com/espanol

Live Stream: NFL Sunday Ticket

Odds: Steelers -3 per the Bovada Online Sportsbook with the Over/Under at 45.

Weather Channel Online Forecast: Cloudy with a low of 44. There is a 100 percent chance of rain. Winds out of the south at 10 to 20 mph.

Three Questions For Pittsburgh: With Le’Veon Bell down for the count, can the Steelers establish a ground game with Dri Archer, Josh Harris or Ben Tate to help open the passing lanes? Who holds the key to gaining yards on the ground against Baltimore?

Instead of throwing to Bell coming out of the backfield, could Heath Miller become the central target for Roethlisberger when the protection starts to collapse?

Jamison Hensley of ESPN points out that four of Pittsburgh’s losses have been when they have surrendered 120 yards rushing. Will Dick LeBeau’s defense be able to keep the Ravens in check when they have gone over that mark 10 times this season?

Injuries for the Steelers: Listed As Out: Running back Le’Veon Bell. Probable: Offensive tackle Mike Adams, linebacker James Harrison, quarterback Landry Jones, nose tackle Steve McLendon, tight end Heath Miller, tight end Michael Palmer, safety Troy Polamalu, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and cornerback Ike Taylor.

Three Questions For Baltimore: Can Baltimore’s pass defense, which is ranked 23rd in the league, be able to contain Antonio Brown, who burned them with 11 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown in their last meeting?

Last week, running back Justin Forsett gained 119 rushing yards for the Ravens against the Browns. However, he contributed 56 yards against the Steelers in Week 2, and just 38 yards in Week 9. With the weather forecast calling for bad weather, will the 5-foot-8, 197-pound 29-year-old rusher be able to get it going this week?

Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata could hold the key as he is back from a four-game suspension for using an illegal substance. Two of his career five interceptions have come against the Steelers and six of his 25.5 career sacks have come against Pittsburgh. Will it be a case of fresh legs or will there be a little bit of ring rust on the veteran defender?

Injuries for the Ravens: Listed As Out: Linebacker Arthur Brown, defensive tackle Tim Jerrigan, and offensive tackle Eugene Monroe. Probable: defensive lineman Chris Canty and tight end Owen Daniels.

Game Notes To Consider: It could be another low-scoring meeting. Since 2008, Baltimore has averaged 18.4 points over its last seven games at Heinz Field, and has held the Black and Gold to 20.4 points in those contests.

However, it should also be noted the Ravens are not the Road Warriors that they have been known to be in the past as Baltimore has not posted a winning record on the road since 2010.

My Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers 24 and Baltimore Ravens 21

Up Next: If the Black and Gold defeats Baltimore, they would travel to Denver on Sunday, Jan. 11 to take on the Broncos (12-4) at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4:40 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on CBS.

Next: Pittsburgh Steelers: Troy Polamalu And James Harrison Keys To Defeat Baltimore Ravens?

Home/Ben Roethlisberger