NFL Week 9: Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers preview

Fresh off his record-setting performance against the Colts, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger welcomes the hated-rival Baltimore Ravens for a key division matchup.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3) take on the Baltimore Ravens (5-3) on Sunday Night Football in a key divisional matchup between AFC North rivals.

The Steelers are coming off a 51-34 win over the Indianapolis Colts in which QB “Big Ben” Roethlisberger threw for over 500 yards – becoming the first QB in NFL history to throw that many yards in multiple games.  With a loss to the Ravens already this season, the Steelers desperately need this win in order to have any legitimate shot at the AFC North title, especially with a brutal December schedule that includes both of their games against the Bengals.  For what it’s worth, the Steelers have won 3 of their last 4 with a 31-10 loss to Cleveland being the main outlier – a game that will come back to haunt them if they fail to beat the Ravens.

Baltimore is coming off a 3-point loss to the Bengals – their second loss to them this season – and with a win over both the Steelers and Browns already, the Ravens need to beat the Steelers to get some key tiebreakers in what could be a chase for the wild card. QB Joe Flacco has played much better for the team this year than last year, and with 14 TDs and on pace for a career high in the category, he is also leading the Ravens to high-scoring wins over teams like the Panthers and the Falcons.  The Ravens have already outscored 4 opponents by 20 points or more.

Prediction: Ravens – With that offense and Joe Flacco playing some of his best football ever, it’s hard to bet against them. Their offense is faster and more explosive, whereas the Steelers are more of a grind-it-out team.  Ultimately the big plays are what will do in the Steelers and give Baltimore the win on the road.