PITTSBURGH — Aiming for their third straight regular-season victory at Heinz Field, the Ravens take on the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 33nd time in the regular season in the history of the franchise.

Baltimore can create a stranglehold on the AFC North with a victory as it already owns a one-game advantage in the division with a second meeting still to come in two weeks in Baltimore. The Ravens are 6-10 all-time in Pittsburgh in the regular season as quarterback Joe Flacco has orchestrated game-winning drives in the closing seconds in each of the last two regular-season meetings at Heinz Field.

In addition to starting cornerback Jimmy Smith (sports hernia surgery), the Ravens will be without nose tackle Terrence Cody and defensive end Pernell McPhee, who suffered a setback during practice this week after declaring himself 100 percent recovered from knee and thigh injuries on Thursday.

The injuries on the defensive line coupled with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata still being less than 100 percent could spell trouble for the Ravens against a Pittsburgh offense that figures to focus on its running attack against the 26th-ranked rush defense in the NFL. Pittsburgh running back Rashard Mendenhall returns from an Achilles tendon injury to form a three-headed monster with Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer.

Perhaps the biggest surprise among the Ravens’ inactives is veteran guard Bobbie Williams, meaning second-year lineman Jah Reid will start at left guard against the Steelers. Backup lineman Ramon Harewood is also inactive, which leaves rookie Gino Gradkowski as the only reserve interior lineman available in case of an injury. Of course, veteran tackle Bryant McKinnie will serve as an additional reserve along the offensive line.

Newly-signed veteran cornerback Chris Johnson and just-promoted safety Anthony Levine are both active. Rookie safety Christian Thompson was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury on Saturday, making room for the Ravens to promote Levine from the practice squad.

Of course, the Steelers are hurting just as badly as the Ravens as starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is out and will be replaced by veteran Byron Leftwich. Pittsburgh is also without safety Troy Polamalu and starting wide receiver Antonio Brown for Sunday night’s game.

Injured inside linebacker Ray Lewis is in Pittsburgh and will be on the sideline for Sunday night’s game.

The Ravens will wear white jerseys with black pants while Pittsburgh will wear their throwback jerseys that, well, you just have to see to believe.

Here are the inactives for Sunday night …

BALTIMORE
CB Jimmy Smith
CB Asa Jackson
DT Terrence Cody
G Bobbie Williams
G Ramon Harewood
WR Deonte Thompson
DE Pernell McPhee

PITTSBURGH
QB Ben Roethlisberger
CB DeMarcus Van Dyke
S Troy Polamalu
LB Stevenson Sylvester
LB Adrian Robinson
OT Marcus Gilbert
WR Antonio Brown

Follow WNST on Twitter throughout the day as Nestor Aparicio and I bring live updates and analysis from Heinz Field.

Some of the luster has been lost in this one with the absence of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, but the Ravens look to win their third straight regular-season contest at Heinz Field and seize overwhelming control in the AFC North.

Here’s what to expect as the Ravens try to improve to 15-18 all-time against Pittsburgh in the regular season …

1. The tight ends will play a major role for both teams. The reemergence of Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson in last week’s 55-20 win over Oakland couldn’t have come at a better time as the Ravens play five of their final seven games against 2011 playoff teams. The Steelers have relied a great deal on blitzes from inside linebackers Larry Foote and Lawrence Timmons to pressure the quarterback, which could leave the middle of the field open for Pitta and Dickson on third down. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s Byron Leftwich will depend on Heath Miller to help move the chains with short passes, and Ravens linebackers haven’t done a great job covering tight ends this season.

2. The Steelers will have the edge in time of possession with the more effective running game on Sunday night. Pittsburgh’s running game has been inconsistent, but the return of Rashard Mendenhall gives the Steelers a three-headed attack against the Ravens’ 26th-ranked run defense. The Baltimore defensive line has a banged-up Haloti Ngata and could be without both Pernell McPhee (doubtful) and Terrence Cody (questionable). Pittsburgh may not run all over the Ravens, but the Steelers will be successful enough to control the clock and limit the number of possessions for Baltimore. The Ravens will also avoid stacking the box in fear of Leftwich taking a deep shot with Mike Wallace or Emmanuel Sanders with no safety help. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron will run often enough with Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce to keep the Steelers defense honest, but Pittsburgh is sixth against the run and limited Rice’s yards in last season’s game in Pittsburgh.

3. Justin Tucker won’t blink in his first trip to Heinz Field. The rookie has been terrific all season — going 17-for-18 — but faces his biggest challenge to date kicking in Pittsburgh where the winds swirl in the open end of the stadium. The 22-year-old hasn’t been fazed by pressure all season, and his straight kicks won’t be affected by wind as opposed to kickers who use draw or fade approaches. The forecast for Sunday night appears to be favorable (low 40s and minimal wind), so weather shouldn’t be too much of a factor for either kicker. If the game comes down to a late attempt, Tucker has shown no reason for Ravens fans to be concerned. He’ll make a big second-half field goal to finish off a scoring drive.

4. The team that wins the battle on third down will prevail in this one. In their two meetings last season, the Ravens went a combined 21-for-37 on third down while Pittsburgh was only 10-for-21. Baltimore won both games after winning the battle on third down in each contest. The Steelers will use their running game to set up third-and-short opportunities with a rusty Leftwich while the Ravens need third-and-manageable situations to utilize wide receiver Anquan Boldin and their tight ends. The Steelers possess the top-ranked third-down offense in the NFL, but you can throw that number out the window with the absence of Roethlisberger’s talents and improvisation. The Ravens have converted only 36.1 percent of third-down opportunities this season (20th in the league) and will need to be better in that department if they’re to come away with another win in Pittsburgh.

5. Joe Flacco will be the difference as the Ravens collect a narrow 20-17 victory at Heinz Field. Flacco has been the difference-maker in each of the Ravens’ last two regular-season wins in Pittsburgh as he’s orchestrated last-second touchdown drives for comeback victories. The fifth-year quarterback doesn’t need to have a perfect game, but he needs to step up his play on the road after modest progress against Cleveland in his last start away from M&T Bank Stadium. The criticism could be at an all-time high should he play poorly in Pittsburgh and the Ravens lose on Sunday night, and a good portion of it would be justified. Flacco said after last week’s win that he and the Ravens have played well on the road when they’ve needed to in the past, and this week certainly qualifies for that category. I’ll take him at his word to get the job done with an overmatched Leftwich on the opposing side. A touchdown pass, 200 yards, and turnover-free football should be enough from Flacco for the Ravens to win a third straight regular-season game against the Steelers for only the second time in franchise history. However, it won’t be easy going up against the league’s top-ranked defense in yards allowed.

In the same way fans immediately look to see when the Ravens are taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers upon the schedule being released in late April, local media always look forward to the two — sometimes, three — weeks a year in which Baltimore takes on its biggest rival.

The press conferences are well-attended, the sound bytes more colorful, and the story lines sexier in anticipation of the best rivalry in the NFL. One of the reasons the play on the field has always felt so intense is the off-field buildup reminding you of a main event in professional wrestling.

However, this year’s opening edition of Ravens-Steelers week has lacked its normal bite with the early announcement of Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger being out with shoulder and rib injuries. The quotes have been innocuous and filled with respect for the opposing side, which will make head coaches John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin happy but doesn’t exactly make for interesting pre-game coverage. The comments have gradually shifted in this direction over the last couple years, but it was never more apparent than this week.

Frankly, the week had been rather boring considering the stakes for which these sides play regularly.

That finally changed Friday with a pair of Steelers adding fuel to the fire and Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith using what else but social media to add some spice from the Baltimore side.

First, it was five-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton offering his thoughts to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on why the Ravens hate Pittsburgh so much. The 35-year-old is in his 12th season with the Steelers and vividly remembers the days of Plaxico Burress and Lee Flowers exchanging venomous barbs with Chris McAlister and Shannon Sharpe.

“You know ‘hate’ is a terrible word to say,” Hampton said. “I think they hate us, though. Probably because we knock them out of the playoffs all the time. Isn’t that what they say? I’d hate us, too.”

Of course, the defensive lineman is right about the Steelers owning a 3-0 record against Baltimore in the postseason, but the manner in which he delivered the history lesson won’t sit well in the Ravens locker room.

Even more inflammatory may have been the comments made by Steelers cornerback Keenan Lewis to The Baltimore Sun about second-year receiver Torrey Smith, who caught the game-winning touchdown in Pittsburgh last season. And, yes, this is a Pittsburgh defensive back who’s in his first year as a starter and has never played a meaningful role in a game against the Ravens.

“Honestly, he’s a real fast guy, but he’s not Mike Wallace,” Lewis told The Sun. “We’ve got the fastest guy in the league. Period. Every day. So when you have a guy like that you practice with, especially me in the summer time then every day in practice, I’m feeling pretty comfortable about guarding him.”

Lewis is having a strong year for the Steelers’ top-ranked pass defense, but those types of comments will make a coach cringe after remembering what Smith did in the closing seconds in Pittsburgh last November.

Whether he had been made aware of Lewis’ comments or not, Smith took to social media to offer the following tweet, which surely fired up fans from both sides.

“Oh momma I’m in fear for my life from the long arm of the law.”

Of course, those lyrics come from the song Renegade, which is played at Heinz Field to send Steelers fans into an absolute frenzy in what is one of the most exciting scenes in professional sports. Smith posted again roughly an hour later to clarify his previous post.

“That place goes nuts when they play that song….gotta love big games in great football environments.”

It’s a far cry from the days of the Ravens labeling Burress “Plexiglass” and Sharpe pretending he didn’t even know who Flowers was, but we finally have a little something to add to the best rivalry in the NFL when it’s renewed on Sunday night.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — While the news on defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was favorable in terms of his availability for Sunday, the Ravens were hurting elsewhere on the defensive line as they made final preparations for the Steelers on Friday.

Ngata was listed as probable for Sunday night’s game, but defensive end Pernell McPhee did not practice and was listed as doubtful a day after declaring himself to be 100 percent. McPhee missed the Ravens’ last two games while nursing thigh and knee injuries.

Nose tackle Terrence Cody was also absent from Friday’s practice as he’s dealing with an arm injury. The third-year defensive lineman was added to Thursday’s injury report as a limited participant, an indication that he may have suffered an injury during practice.

After sitting out during the Ravens’ 55-20 win over the Oakland Raiders last week, Ngata practiced all week on a limited basis and declared he was feeling better after Friday’s practice. The seventh-year defensive lineman was active against Oakland, but coach John Harbaugh elected to rest the three-time Pro Bowl selection.

“I was able to practice all week and I feel good,” Ngata said. “It helped a lot. I didn’t re-tweak it or anything and I feel good.”

Right guard Marshal Yanda (knee/ankle) was listed as probable despite missing practice on Wednesday.

Harbaugh confirmed cornerback Jimmy Smith underwent sports hernia surgery in Philadelphia and expressed optimism that the 2011 first-round draft pick would be able to return to action before the end of the season.

Pittsburgh ruled out four players on Friday, including standout wide receiver Antonio Brown, safety Troy Polamalu, offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Roethlisberger and Polamalu were no surprises, but the Steelers will be without Brown, who has caught 42 passes for 499 yards and a touchdown this season. Reports from Pittsburgh had expressed doubt all week about his ability as the 24-year-old sat out practice all week with a high ankle sprain.

After missing the Steelers’ last four games with an Achilles tendon injury, running back Rashard Mendenhall is expected to start, but he will undoubtedly share carries with Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer.

BALTIMORE
OUT: CB Jimmy Smith (abs)
DOUBTFUL: DE Pernell McPhee (thigh)
QUESTIONABLE: DT Terrence Cody (arm), S Christian Thompson (thigh)
PROBABLE: S Sean Considine (knee/chest), LB Dannell Ellerbe (finger), WR Jacoby Jones (ankle), DT Haloti Ngata (shoulder), S Bernard Pollard (chest), S Ed Reed (shoulder/leg/neck), RB Ray Rice (toe), WR Torrey Smith (chest), LB Terrell Suggs (ankle), LB Courtney Upshaw (shoulder), G Bobbie Williams (ankle), G Marshal Yanda (ankle)

PITTSBURGH:
OUT: WR Antonio Brown (ankle), T Marcus Gilbert (ankle), S Troy Polamalu (calf), QB Ben Roethlisberger (right shoulder)
QUESTIONABLE: LB Stevenson Sylvester (hamstring)
PROBABLE: CB Curtis Brown (quad), S Ryan Clark (concussion), DE Brett Keisel (shoulder), RB Rashard Mendenhall (achilles), T Max Starks (ankle), CB Ivan Taylor (illness)

Here are this weekend’s picks as The Morning Reaction will pick every NFL game as well as local college football contests this season.

Drew Forrester finished 9-5 last week while Luke Jones was 8-6 in Week 10. Forrester is 98-46 through 10 weeks and Jones is 94-50 overall. Official standings are only kept based on the NFL picks.

(Editor’s note: Drew and Luke each correctly picked Buffalo to beat Miami on Thursday night.)

To hear their full explanations, click HERE.

Ravens at Steelers: Baltimore 26-13 (Drew), Baltimore 20-17 (Luke)
Eagles at Redskins: Washington 28-9 (Drew), Washington 27-19 (Luke)
Packers at Lions: Detroit 23-20 (Drew), Green Bay 27-21 (Luke)
Cardinals at Falcons: Atlanta 27-20 (Drew), Atlanta 25-14 (Luke)
Buccaneers at Panthers: Carolina 19-17 (Drew), Tampa Bay 24-21 (Luke)
Browns at Cowboys: Dallas 31-13 (Drew), Dallas 27-10 (Luke)
Jets at Rams: St. Louis 20-10 (Drew), St. Louis 21-14 (Luke)
Colts at Patriots: Indianapolis 24-21 OT (Drew), New England 31-17 (Luke)
Jaguars at Texans: Houston 38-10 (Drew), Houston 27-3 (Luke)
Bengals at Chiefs: Cincinnati 27-10 (Drew), Cincinnati 16-13 (Luke)
Saints at Raiders: New Orleans 33-27 (Drew), New Orleans 31-21 (Luke)
Chargers at Broncos: Denver 30-17 (Drew), Denver 27-16 (Luke)
Bears at 49ers: Chicago 17-13 (Drew), San Francisco 16-14 (Luke)
Florida State at Maryland: Seminoles 51-10 (Drew), Seminoles 47-3 (Luke)
Towson at New Hampshire: Tigers 29-25 (Drew), Tigers 31-27 (Luke)
Texas State at Navy: Midshipmen 23-10 (Drew), Midshipmen 27-14 (Luke)
Hampton at Morgan State: Bears 24-7 (Drew), Bears 17-14 (Luke)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Moving beyond the news of cornerback Jimmy Smith undergoing groin surgery on Thursday, the Ravens received good news as Pro Bowl right guard returned to practice and defensive linemen Haloti Ngata and Pernell McPhee practiced for the second straight day.

Yanda missed Wednesday’s workout as he continues to deal with minor knee and ankle injuries while Ngata and McPhee continue to work their way back from knee injuries. All three players worked on a limited basis during Thursday’s practice.

Ngata didn’t play in Sunday’s win over Oakland, and McPhee has missed the last two games with knee and thigh injuries.

“I feel like I’m ready,” McPhee said before Thursday’s practice. “I feel like I’m 100 percent. [Time off] helped me out a lot. The first time I went out to practice yesterday, I didn’t have on the knee brace and I felt very comfortable going out running the drills, doing one-on-one drills, doing individual drills. I feel pretty good.”

Held to only 1/2 sack in seven games this season, a healthy McPhee would be a welcome addition to the Baltimore pass rush that will try to make Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich as uncomfortable as possible in the pocket. McPhee has been hampered since organized team activities after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in the spring.

Third-year defensive end Arthur Jones and rookie DeAngelo Tyson have seen most of the action in McPhee’s place after the 2011 fifth-round pick failed to show the same explosiveness that allowed him to collect six sacks in his rookie season.

“We can’t wait to have him back,” defensive coordinator Dean Pees said. “When that’s going to happen, that’s up to the trainers and John [Harbaugh] and higher powers than me. We don’t want any of those guys out, but we would love to get him back.”

Nose tackle Terrence Cody (arm) and safety Christian Thompson (thigh) were added to Thursday’s report as limited participants.

For the Steelers, safety Ryan Clark (concussion), defensive end Brett Keisel (shoulder), and offensive tackle Max Starks were upgraded to being full participants after sitting out on Wednesday.

Safety Troy Polamalu (calf) and wide receiver Antonio Brown (ankle) missed practice once again as it’s looking more unlikely that either will be available for Sunday night’s game.

BALTIMORE
OUT: CB Jimmy Smith (abs)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: G Marshal Yanda (ankle), WR Jacoby Jones (ankle), DE Pernell McPhee (thigh), DT Haloti Ngata (shoulder), WR Torrey Smith (chest), G Bobbie Williams (ankle), DT Terrence Cody (arm), S Christian Thompson (thigh)
FULL PARTICIPATION: S Sean Considine (knee/chest), LB Dannell Ellerbe (finger), S Bernard Pollard (chest), RB Ray Rice (toe), S Ed Reed (shoulder/leg/neck), LB Terrell Suggs (ankle), LB Courtney Upshaw (shoulder)

PITTSBURGH
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: WR Antonio Brown (ankle), T Marcus Gilbert (ankle), S Troy Polamalu (calf), QB Ben Roethlisberger (right shoulder)
FULL PARTICIPATION: CB Curtis Brown (quad), S Ryan Clark (concussion), CB Ivan Taylor (illness), DE Brett Keisel (shoulder), RB Rashad Mendenhall (achilles), LB Stevenson Sylvester (hamstring), T Max Starks (ankle)

Both the Ravens and the Steelers are saying all the polite things about Pittsburgh’s new starting quarterback Byron Leftwich, who is one of the classiest individuals you’ll find in the NFL.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh even went as far as describing Leftwich as having been a “premier” quarterback early in his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but we all know better. The numbers don’t lie as Leftwich makes his first NFL start since 2009 and possesses a 79.5 passer rating over the course of a disappointing career for the seventh overall pick of the 2003 draft.

If Pittsburgh is to have a chance to beat the Ravens on Sunday night, it’s going to be because Leftwich doesn’t lose the game and the Steelers’ other facets are able to pick up the slack for the depleted passing game. Instead of the frequent throwing seen from Ben Roethlisberger in recent years, the Baltimore defense will likely deal with a ball-control attack from the league’s 21st-ranked run offense.

“We are just doing the best we can with the guys that we have that are healthy,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “The quarterback situation is the quarterback situation. The guys that play running back are going to do that, and nothing is going to change in terms of what is expected from them.”

Despite underwhelming averages of 103.8 rushing yards per game and a 3.8 yards per carry, the Steelers’ by-committee approach — based largely on injuries — has improved in recent weeks as running backs have turned in 100-yard performances in three of their last four games. The key to their improvement has been the offensive line, which is still far from an elite unit but is playing better than it has in recent seasons.

In contrast, the Ravens defense ranks 26th against the run and has struggled throughout the season to slow teams using a run-heavy approach, including Kansas City, Dallas, and Houston.

“First of all, it starts with the offensive line,” Harbaugh said. “Their offensive line is a big, physical offensive line. They maul you. That’s their whole thing. The backs are downhill backs. Both [Jonathan] Dwyer and [Isaac] Redman are hard-running guys — very difficult to tackle. You have to wrap them and take them to the ground. You’ve got to gang-tackle, those kinds of things.”

As Pittsburgh has dealt with various injuries at the running back position, the Ravens’ front seven has been decimated with the long-term loss of Ray Lewis, the decreased production from an injured Haloti Ngata, and the early-season absence of Terrell Suggs. Until recently, defensive coordinator Dean Pees had received little from younger players, but the likes of defensive lineman DeAngelo Tyson and linebackers Courtney Upshaw and Paul Kruger have emerged since the bye week to contribute to an improved defensive attack up front.

The yardage totals against Cleveland and Oakland weren’t overly impressive, but the Ravens’ 27th-ranked defense ranks first in the league in red-zone defense with opponents scoring touchdowns in only 36.1 percent of their trips inside the Baltimore 20-yard line. The Browns and Raiders went a combined 0-for-8 in trying to score touchdowns inside the red zone as the “bend but don’t break” mantra becomes more popular in the second half of the season.

Even with the big-play threat of wide receiver Mike Wallace on the outside, Leftwich’s limitations make it unlikely that Pittsburgh can strike quickly, meaning the Steelers will need to sustain drives and move the ball with modest gains. The Ravens will simply try to continue the trend started in recent weeks by clamping down inside the 20 should the Steelers be able to move the ball on the ground.

“You don’t want to do something one week and then not do it the next,” Suggs said. “We fared pretty well the last two weeks, and we’re just trying to keep it going. It’s nothing to be happy about. We’re just going to keep trying to get better around here.”

The Ravens’ preparation doesn’t change with Leftwich at the helm instead of Roethlisberger, but outsiders’ expectations have been altered dramatically for the type of offensive attack the Steelers will have on display. The Pittsburgh of yesteryear will return with a mentality of “three yards and a cloud of dust” with its running game instead of the passing game being on full display.

In past seasons, that would have played perfectly into the hands of the Ravens defense, but that unit will need to prove it can slow the run in order to set up the offense with good field position against an imposing defense on the opposing side.

The names have changed — along with strengths and strategies in the various phases — but the Ravens are expecting another fight in Pittsburgh, even with Roethlisberger on the sideline.

And they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“As soon as we walk in their stadium, they’re going to lock the gates,” Suggs said. “But that’s what we want. We definitely want them to lock the gates behind us so we can get in there and we can have it out. When the clock reads 0:00, we’ll just see what happens. We’ll see how it goes.”

Glenn Clark’s Rankings…

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (31)

I had a funny feeling they’d end up back here.

31. Kansas City Chiefs (32)

In my heart of hearts, their defense is better than the Jags’.

30. Cleveland Browns (26)

The entire state is too concerned with the Buckeyes’ pursuit of an undefeated season to notice.

29. Carolina Panthers (28)

Oh right. They stink. Sorry I forgot that.

28. Oakland Raiders (24)

Just an absolutely piss poor effort. Which I appreciated.

27. New York Jets (25)

Rex is popular enough that he’ll survive this.

26. St. Louis Rams (30)

They deserved to lose and stole a tie.

25. Arizona Cardinals (23)

Welcome back from the bye. Enjoy Atlanta.

24. Buffalo Bills (27)

That was pretty respectable.

23. Philadelphia Eagles (21)

There are too many good players to be this bad.

22. Washington Redskins (22)

This is a big stretch here after the bye for Mike Shanahan.

21. Tennessee Titans (29)

Where the hell did that come from?

20. San Diego Chargers (18)

And yet…do any of you feel comfortable about the Ravens’ trip to San Diego next week?

19. Miami Dolphins (14)

This is a crucial test for them on Thursday Night Football.

18. Dallas Cowboys (19)

They don’t go away, do they?

17. Detroit Lions (12)

That could end up being a brutal loss to their playoff hopes.

(16-1 on Page 2…)

The Ravens/Steelers rivalry is arguably the best in sports and is definitely the best in football.  It has produced some great games and with that comes great memories and moments.  Of the 35 meetings between these two franchises, Pittsburgh owns the all time series by a 21-14 margin.  This has been an extremely close rivalry in the last few years especially.  Five of the last six regular season meetings between these two teams have been decided by three points.  Sunday night should be another memorable contest even if the Ravens don’t have to face Ben Roethlisberger.

Here are my most memorable games from the rivalry:

November 4^th, 2001 – The Ravens shut out the Steelers in the second half and held running back Jerome Bettis to under 100 yards for the 6^th straight time up to that point.  Matt Stover was able to connect on a go-ahead field goal in swirling winds while Steelers kicker, Kris Brown, miss a game tying field goal to give the Ravens the victory and hand the Steelers their first lost at Heinz Field.  How fitting is was against the Ravens, right?

December 28^th, 2003 – Jamal Lewis came into this game (the final game of the season) 148 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record.  It came down to the last drive but Lewis was not able to surpass Dickerson and finished just 39 yards shy of the record.  The Ravens kicked a game winning field to finish the season 10-6 and the Steelers finished 6-10.  Steelers linebacker Joey Porter said after the game “we wasn’t going to let him get the overall record. He got some yards, but he didn’t get the record.” Just like a Steeler not to use proper English.

November 29^th, 2009 – Pittsburgh came into the game with a one game lead over the Ravens in the division.  In a hard hitting contest it was only fitting that it would take overtime to settle it.  The Steelers received the ball to start but it didn’t take long for then rookie Paul Kruger to intercept Dennis Dixon and set up the Ravens for a game winning by Billy Cundiff.  Joe Flacco said after the game “It feels good. It’s what we needed. Against these guys, it’s even bigger.

October 3^rd, 2010 – Pittsburgh took the lead 14-10 midway through the fourth quarter and stood the Ravens up on the goal line in the final minutes after Joe Flacco threw an incomplete pass on fourth down.  All seemed lost until the defense was able to force the Steelers to punt and a crucial holding penalty gave Baltimore the ball on Pittsburgh’s 40 yard line.  Flacco then connected with T.J. Houshmandzadeh on an 18 yard strike to put the Ravens up for good with the help of a Ray Lewis interception to seal the deal.

November 6^th, 2011 – Another close game came down to the wire.  Torrey Smith dropped a wide open pass in the endzone only to come back and make an even better catch to give the Ravens the lead with mere seconds remaining.  This was also the game Terrell Suggs had a leaping interception of Ben Roethlisberger stealing points off the board from Pittsburgh.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — In the first official practice of the week in preparation for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens were only missing two players as right guard Marshal Yanda and cornerback Jimmy Smith were absent from the workout.

Yanda continues to nurse tweaks to his ankle and knee, but the Pro Bowl lineman is expected to be ready to play on Sunday night after he made it through a full workload against the Oakland Raiders in Week 11. The 28-year-old was injured two weeks ago in Cleveland and missed two days of practice last week before playing last Sunday.

The status of Smith remains more concerning as the second-year cornerback continues to deal with a groin injury that kept him out of last Sunday’s win over Oakland. Listed as active before the game, Smith was unable to loosen up during pre-game warmups and ultimately failed to play a snap in the 55-20 victory.

Perhaps the most telling sign of the Ravens’ concern was their decision to sign veteran cornerback Chris Johnson on Tuesday to add depth to their secondary. The 33-year-old Johnson participated in his first practice with the Ravens on Wednesday after impressing enough in Tuesday’s tryout to earn a contract.

“You can’t have enough corners,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We all know that. And, Jimmy’s got the groin issue. We are going to have to take that day by day and just see where we are at, but it helps to have Chris Johnson here.”

Meanwhile, the Ravens received good news in the form of defensive linemen Haloti Ngata (knee/shoulder) and Pernell McPhee returning to the practice field. Ngata was held out of Sunday’s win over Oakland while McPhee has missed the Ravens’ last two games as he recovers from nagging knee and thigh injuries.

Harbaugh didn’t offer much in terms of McPhee’s progress and how soon he’ll be ready to return to game action.

“He’s getting closer,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see how he does this week.”

For Pittsburgh, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (right shoulder/rib) has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game as the Steelers will now wonder if their starting signal-caller will even be available for the second bout against the Ravens in Baltimore in Week 13. Roethlisberger told Pittsburgh reporters he is also dealing with a dislocated rib that could cut into his aorta unless he gives it proper time to heal.

Even with the prognosis of Roethlisberger being out indefinitely, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs wasn’t ready to accept the Pittsburgh quarterback’s fate for Sunday, citing past instances when he played with other ailments.

“Until the ball is snapped, I’m still preparing as if he’s playing,” Suggs said. “Like I said, I saw the guy play with a broken ankle. He came down here, and I believe broke his nose, and the guy continued to play. And if you all recall, it didn’t pan out too good for us at the end of that game.”

Standout wide receiver Antonio Brown (ankle), defensive end Brett Keisel (shoulder), offensive tackle Max Starks (ankle), and safety Troy Polamalu (calf) were also among those not to practice for Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Polamalu is considered highly unlikely to return to action Sunday while several reports out of Pittsburgh suggest Brown’s ankle will now be healed enough for him to play against the Ravens.

BALTIMORE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: CB Jimmy Smith (abs), G Marshal Yanda (ankle)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: WR Jacoby Jones (ankle), DE Pernell McPhee (thigh), DT Haloti Ngata (shoulder), WR Torrey Smith (chest), G Bobbie Williams (ankle)
FULL PARTICIPATION: S Sean Considine (knee/chest), LB Dannell Ellerbe (finger), S Bernard Pollard (chest), RB Ray Rice (toe), S Ed Reed (shoulder/leg/neck), LB Terrell Suggs (ankle), LB Courtney Upshaw (shoulder)

PITTSBURGH
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: WR Antonio Brown (ankle), LB Chris Carter (abdomen), T Marcus Gilbert (ankle), DE Brett Keisel (shoulder), S Troy Polamalu (calf), QB Ben Roethlisberger (right shoulder), T Max Starks (ankle)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: CB Curtis Brown (quad), S Ryan Clark (concussion), CB Ivan Taylor (illness)
FULL PARTICIPATION: RB Rashad Mendenhall (achilles), LB Stevenson Sylvester (hamstring)