Steelers/Baltimore II � WAR
The Steelers roll into Baltimore Sunday with a real opportunity to establish themselves as a playoff team. The Ravens, on the other hand are reeling from two straight loses and an offense that has not scored a TD in 4 games. They are also trying to establish themselves as a true playoff contender and one of the league�s elite. One team will reign supreme, the other will remain a huddle mass of futility.
This means War!
Sunday�s game should be one of the most aggressive, mean and nasty games we�ve seen in quite some time. Both teams rely on a tough, physical style of play � not finesse football but smash-mouth football.
Establishing the run for either team may be a remote impossibility, but this is wear the war will begin.
In the trenches, we have the offensive line of the Steelers facing the Raven front-seven. This has been a losing battle for several seasons now and does not look like a good match-up for Pittsburgh. However, The Raven offensive line did have some success against an embattled Steeler defensive line in week one.
Advantage � Pittsburgh.
Here�s why � The Steelers are thriving right now on solid defense and an offense that can at least move the ball. They have opted for Kordell at QB - the troops will be much more mobile and give the Raven defense something to think about and may even halt their overaggressive play.
The Ravens have opted to put in Trent Dilfer � well, they might as well wave a white flag!
Dilfer couldn�t beat out Shawn King and then couldn�t beat out Tony Banks in training camp. Still, the Ravens are looking for some kind of "Spark" from a Trent Dilfer lead offense that has been missing the past four weeks.
Again � the white flag.
Very simply, these two teams have swapped positions from the early football season. Pittsburgh is on it�s way up and Baltimore on it�s way down. The Steelers have seemed to resolve their QB problem for the time being, but the Rqvens are just now getting started. Both teams have the defense � but both teams realize the futility of trying to make it in this league with a mediocre quarterback.
Oddly enough and maybe for the only time this year � Kordell Stewart is clearly the best QB in Sunday�s game. Coupled with an aggressive defense � this should spell victory this weekend in Baltimore.
Still, this is a must win for Pittsburgh and should they not reign supreme this Sunday � they might as well wave a white flag themselves. The season will be over.
This is War.
Steel Tank