Opponent Profile: Ravens Look To Contain Ben Roethlisberger
By Samuel Njoku
The Ravens will move from one division rival to another when they head to Pittsburgh to battle the rival Steelers. While Baltimore is coming off of a tough loss to the Bengals, Pittsburgh is riding high after upsetting the Colts in stellar fashion. If the Ravens want to prevent a second straight loss, they’ll need to shut down a Steelers team that is currently bursting with confidence.
Steelers on Offense:
Not many teams can claim that they have a 2 time Super Bowl winning quarterback under center. Unfortunately for the Ravens, Pittsburgh is one of those teams. When Baltimore meets the Steelers on Sunday night, the defense will have one objective in mind: Stop Ben Roethlisberger. They’ll have to attempt this task days after Roethlisberger gave one of the greatest performances ever by a starting QB. He threw for over 522 yards and 6 touchdowns in stellar fashion against one of the best teams in the NFL. The Ravens will attempt to stop what the Colts could barely contain when Big Ben hits the field. This isn’t Baltimore’s first stint against the Steelers. They know the best way to stop Pittsburgh is by getting pressure on the quarterback and limiting the big plays to star receiver Antonio Brown. The Ravens will need to do a good job of keeping their arms around Ben so that he doesn’t escape tackles and extend plays. That’s how Pittsburgh gets the most out of their offense. If they follow the gameplan, they’ll limit Pittsburgh’s offensive output.
Steelers on Defense:
This isn’t your grandfathers Steelers defense. The Pittsburgh defense that is routinely ranked in the top 5 is gone. So far this season, the Steelers rank 24th in the league in total defense. That’s not going to cut it against the Ravens offense. Baltimore will try to take advantage of their porous defense by getting Torrey Smith and Steve Smith involved early. If the Ravens defense fails to contain Big Ben, they may rely on Justin Forsett more to keep the time of possession in their favor. Even though Troy Polamalu isn’t nearly the player he once was, he still possesses great instincts and can shift the momentum of the game in a hurry with a big play.
Steelers Coaching:
Mike Tomlin is in his seventh year as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach. He won his first and only Super Bowl in 2009 against the Arizona Cardinals. The Steelers currently lead the All-Time series against the Ravens 20-16.
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Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. Samuel Njoku is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.
