If Ben is injured that badly, there is no other decision than to sit him and let him rest so he is in great shape for the playoffs, which they will be in this year. While this makes beating the Ravens a tougher road this weekend, no reason to think they won’t beat them. I expect the team to really around Byron, try to get a punishing running game going, and harrass the heck out of Flacco into making mistakes. It is time for Harrison, Woodley and Timmons to wreak havoc, and the OL to open some gaping holes.

And while ALREADY some posters are talking about the Steelers making excuses because so many key players won’t play (and which the team NEVER makes any excuses so I don’t know what these people are talking about), let’s see what excuses the Ravens will use when the Steelers win after being underdogs without so many key players including their most important player, Ben.
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If he misses the rest of the season, or even the next five games, they WILL NOT be in the playoffs.

Kirby Wilson, Steelers RB’s coach stated in an interview a few weeks ago that Mendenhall is the lead horse. Redman #2, Dwyer #3 on the depth chart. Redman and Dwyer also stated in interviews that the starting role is Mendenhalls.

Antonio Brown is #1 on the depth chart, was signed to a multi-year multi-million dollar contract while Wallace only signed a one year tender.

Hey, you forgot to list all the Ravens offensive starters that will not play on Sunday. I wonder why ?

Meanwhile the Ravens are missing their #1CB, who is also a top 5 in the NFL, their #1 D-Lineman in Ngata, and their #1 ILB in Lewis.

You’re move sherlock.

As for the stadium on Monday night, the Steelers provide a standing pavillion that can shelter abour 10,000 fans all with a great view of the game, which we take advantage of when its raining. Way to show you have no idea what youre talking about.

Steelers fans arent making excuses, but what will Ravens fans say when their team loses to a backup QB?

And the Ravens fans trying to tell the Steeler fans “don’t complain that your without Roethlisberger and Polamalu because we are without Lewis and Webb.” – that just doesn’t even make any sense. Playing without those 2 Steeler players is going to be much, much more difficult than the Ravens playing without Lewis and Webb. That would be like the old school Lakers telling the Celtics, “Don’t whine that Larry Bird is hurt, we are going to be without Kurt Rambis!”

i.e. Leftwich has to at best just keep them honest.

This is obviously a game the Steelers can win at home with running and defense alone, if they play it right.

It’s also obviously a game where they could go down early and have no chance

It’s not like the Steelers 4 game win streak has been any more impressive than some of these Ravens wins

Why is it necessary to “set foot” in Pittsburgh to see that the stadium was half empty? With any decent camera angle it was plain to see.

I guess a half empty stadium when the game was still in question “explains what it means to be a Steeler fan.”

Love the comments from people who’ve never set foot in Pittsburgh talking about the stadium being “empty”. Yinz just don’t get what it means to be a Steeler fan, there’s no such thing as “fair weather fans” here, we bleed black and gold and will support our team no matter what, NO EXCEPTIONS.
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Um, the stadium WAS empty on Sunday night. Everyone saw it. Halfway through the second half that stadium couldn’t have been more than 50% full. It was pathetic.

The Steelers fanbase is probably the most overrated in all of sports.

Rick Reilly wants credit for this!
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HA! Tip of the hat for the comment of the day.

No, they’re going to commit to the run.

Who can’t stop the run anymore, any guesses?

If you want to find an idiot, look in the mirror.

SMH.

I wish the media would stop listing Polamalu as a key player. He’s missed more time than he’s played the last two seasons, and isn’t particularly effective when he does attempt to play.

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Polamalu played in all 16 games last year, and 14 of 16 the year before. He had 91 tackles last year, his highest total since 2005, including 7 “stuffs” the highest of his career.

The year prior he was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Queue the excuses Steeler fans. The Ravens have plenty of injuries too…
Ray Lewis, Lardarius Webb, Haloti Ngata, Jimmy Smith just to name a few.
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Hardly the same. The game would have been on even keel had Ben played considering. Troy, A. Brown, Gilbert etc…. are not playing. I wounder how Balt. would fare with tyrod taylor vs. Ben. That being said this game is like arm wresteling your little sister. If you win….well you are supposed to. But lose and you are a laughing stock. Looking at baltimore, with their pathetic D, (which was pathetic even before lewis and webb were hurt) they are already a laughing stock.

Ravens twice, Browns twice, San Diego, Dallas and Cincy.

Even losing to the Ravens twice, assuming that happens, that leaves the Steelers needing to win five games against sub .500 teams to be 11-5. That says playoff team to me, even if we can’t win the division. If sitting Ben for two weeks gets him back healthy to play, and we split the series, the Ravens have to get past a couple late season games against the Broncos and the Giants to keep a division lead.

It is a little early to be calling the season done, folks.

We are without Ray Lewis and Webb. Plus Ngata is not 100%.

Ravens/Steelers is not about personalities and star name like other rivalries are. Example, Colts/Pats mean nothing now that Peyton is gone from Indy and…well..sucks.

Regardless of the players, Ravens/Steelers will always be real man’s football. And the Steelers will be exposed for the old slow overrated team they are.

It’s the RAVENS and the rest of the AFCN.

What does that mean? Torn muscle?