The AFC Wild Card game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers is live on Saturday night and the game is on the radio from Westwood One and on TV from NBC at 8:15 pm ET as Big Ben and Joe Flacco matchup in an AFC north battle from Heinz Field in the postseason and this comes after the Panthers and Cardinals played earlier.
The Steelers had a very impressive season and now return to the playoffs once again with Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin. The team went 11-5 and one of the most prolific passing offenses in the league. Antonio Brown had an amazing season with over 120 catches and 1600 yards, while Ben tossed for 4900 yards this season. The Steelers ranked in the top five in passing yards per game and the Ravens defense was not great against the pass, giving Pitt a nice advantage coming in.
The Steelers won over the Cincinnati Bengals in their final game this season and they ended up winning four in a row to end things. The team lost against the Saints at the end of November, but they were perfect in December over four games and now they are hoping to stay that way in January. The Steelers come in ranked 16th in rushing yards per game and they will not have Le'Veon Bell and that is a huge loss for the team.
Ben Tate comes in to start after being signed this past week and the Steelers are hoping that missing Bell won't cost the team the game. Bell was one of the most productive players in the NFL this season, going for over 1300 yards on the ground while also adding 83 catches out of the backfield. Brown was amazing with 129 catches for nearly 1700 yards and he also was electric returning the ball on punts.
The AFC North has shown that it's the best division in football, as they have three teams in the playoffs this season. Roethlisberger has had one of the best seasons of his career and he has been a strong player through the playoffs in his career and he has experience winning against the Ravens. The Steelers won over Baltimore in Pittsburgh with a big offensive performance earlier this season and to do it again they will have to win without Bell.
Bell comes in after putting up over 2000 total yards this season along with 11 touchdowns and that is a major loss for the team. Roethlisberger had six touchdowns in that game and they have the advantage with this being a home game. Brown will be the main focus for the Steelers with Bell out and he comes in after putting up video game numbers and he will be zeroed in by the Ravens defense. The Ravens ranked fourth in rushing yards allowed this season and 23rd in passing yards per game.
The Ravens finished the season 3-1 down the stretch and they won once over the Steelers in dominating fashion, but that was in Baltimore to open the year. Justin Forsett had a strong season for the Ravens after they lost Ray Rice and he ended up with over 1200 yards on the year. The Ravens know that they need to put up some points and that will be the key matchup with the Steelers defense.
Check here for the AFC Wild Card game coverage between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.
