Steelreign : Steelers Make Statement In Beat Down Of Ravens

After coming off of a blowout of the Colts, In which the Steelers put up 51 points on the strength of 522 yards and 6 touchdown passes by Ben Roethlisberger, the big question was could the Steelers build off of that breakout performance from the offense. After a slow first quarter against the Ravens in tonight's game at Heinz Field, the answer was a resounding yes, as the Steelers overcame an early 7-0 deficit to throttle the Baltimore Ravens 43-23 in front of loud and raucous crowd that is always ready for prime time in this heated rivalry.
Early on, it looked like it just might be a repeat of the first meeting, when the Steelers couldn't get much of anything going in their 26-6 loss at M&T Bank Stadium. The Steelers didn't get their initial first down tonight until there was 1:27 left in the first quarter. From that moment on the Steelers took over control of the game and outscored the Ravens 43-16 and kicked them into last place in the AFC North. For the second consecutive game, Big Ben tossed 6 touchdown passes ( an NFL record), the last seeming to be a big "F" you to Baltimore from Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley, as Ben hit Matt Spaeth with his final touchdown pass to put an exclamation point on their Sunday night beat down in this heated rivalry.

With tonight's dispatching of the Ravens, the Steelers made a statement, that they are on the way back and that they are going to have their say in the AFC North and the playoff picture. The biggest things about this game that stood out were, not that the Steelers came back from a lethargic first quarter, but the fashion in which they did, and that they never took their foot off the gas pedal. All night, Roethlisberger had a swift and immediate response when Baltimore put points on the board. The general concensus at the beginning of the year was that the offense was going to have to pick up the defense until they started to gel as a unit, but tonight, the defense rose to the occasion, keeping the Steelers in it until Big Ben could start to crank it up. It was only appropriate that James Harrison was the guy to lead the defense and that Joe Flacco was never the same after Harrison drove him into the turf after a very hurried throw late in the second quarter.
Ben Roethlisberger, on the other hand, seemed to come to life after being sacked on three consecutive plays and nearly having his jaw broken on another. His 47 yard touchdown pass to Markus Wheaton seemed to be a message to the Baltimore defense that said, I took your best shot, now get ready for mine.
The fact that this team didn't wilt after such a slow start, in the biggest game of the season to this point, that they were able to score from the red zone with ease, against the second best red zone defense in the league, suggests that Todd Haley's offense is ready to roll. The fact that the defense came up big despite injuries to Ryan Shazier and Troy Polamalu, to shut down Flacco and the Ravens running game is bad news for the AFC North and the rest of the league, especially when guys like Harrison and Keisel are performing like Pro Bowlers instead of the role players they were brought back to be.
The Steelers took a big step tonight in a game that they had to win, which might have been the most complete team win of the season. It's certainly a win that will build their confidence and set the stage for a playoff run. With a favorable schedule and two games yet with Cincinnati, the Steelers are in a position to where they control their own destiny, which is a long way from where they were three weeks ago, after coming off embarrassing losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Cleveland Browns.

I couldn't agree more.....Just keep the pedal to the metal from here on out! I was pleasantly surprised how well the Secondary played after Troy left the game....In some ways, I believe that they played better. Maybe it was all the pressure up front that helped as well, but we may just have a good Defense again. I hope they don't have a letdown this week against the Jets.....