News and Notes

Steelers Battle Ravens For 2008 AFC Crown

1/14/2009
Michael J. Kotts

In a weekend of road team upsets, the Steelers were the sole home team to win in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, sending them to their 14th AFC championship game since 1974. This time around they face their AFC north divisional rival the Baltimore Ravens, or the "Old Cleveland Browns" depending upon your perspective. This will be the third time this season both teams have met. In previous seasons when the Steelers have played teams three times they are 7-0 in that third game, yet the Steelers have lost their last two AFC championship games played at home. So, how this game ends will be anybody's guess. Yet, one thing that is certain this game will probably be an old fashioned nasty street fight, for the most part because both teams have no love for each other.

Compounded with the lack of brotherly love between both teams, this game will help settle some “grudges” left unsettled in the previous two meetings (and probably create new ones to be settled next year) such as the potential bounty on Rashard Mendenhall by the Ravens and the Ravens wanting revenge for the questionable touchdown scored in the last minute of the game in their last meeting giving Pittsburgh the go ahead score. You can also be assured that Ray Lewis, Baltimore linebacker, will undoubtedly be running his mouth up through game time which will add additional wrinkles to this match up. It kind of makes you wish the Steelers still had Joey Porter. Probably the most fascinating angle of the entire match up is that it has the dynamics of the irresistible force vs the immovable object. The immovable object would no doubt be the Pittsburgh Steelers and their number one defense, while the irresistible force would be the Ravens and rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, who now has the distinction of being the first rookie to win two playoff games.

Although they started slow, slowly they built momentum which carried them into the playoffs, and now many pundits are comparing this years Baltimore to the team that won the Superbowl a few years back. Everyone is hopping on the Joe Flacco bandwagon, like he is the next NFL superstar (much like the scenario with Ben Roethlisberger in 2004). Someone needs to remind the Ravens that rookies do not generally win AFC championship games, let alone lead teams to Superbowls . Ben Roethlisberger learned that the hard way when his season ended at the hands of the New England Patriots in 2004. Sure neither team is going to go down easy, yet when all is said and done the pressure will be on Joe Flacco to beat the Steelers. The bulk of the Steelers team played in Superbowl XL, they know what it takes to win the big game, Joe Flacco has not been there yet.

Hence, it is more likely he will choke in the big game. His undoing may be his teams over confidence in him Sure he played a good season, sure he upset the Titans, a team which was probably going to lose in the playoffs if not due to the curse of having the bye week, then because the Steelers would have been looking for revenge for Lendale White dragging a terrible towel through the mud on the sidelines, acting like they just won a Superbowl, when the post season had not even started yet. Right now they are expecting to beat the Steelers in the third game. Heck I would not be surprised if they already booked their plane tickets to Tampa. Denver had the same attitude in 2005 AFC championship game, and well we all know what happened there. Add the fact this will be a nasty street fight. Smash mouth football pure and simple. While fairy tales upsets do occur in the NFL on occasions, it will not happen on Sunday and not with Joe Flacco. In games of this magnitude, and ones which will be this nasty, the rookie can usually be found dragging himself off of the turf wondering what went wrong. Furthermore, most are expecting another low scoring game like 14-7 or something in that range.

Don't be surprised if you see the Steelers light up the scoreboard or you have an offensive shoot out. In this game you can expect the unexpected the unexpected to happen, heck and even perhaps a slough of injuries as well, just do not expect Joe Flacco to be starting in the Superbowl XLIII. Final Score Pittsburgh 32-Ravens 10!

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