Steelers ready for second straight physical brawl
PITTSBURGH 鈥� The Steelers expect a physical brawl with their rival Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, a week after encountering a physical brawl with their other rival last Sunday.
Might that be a bit much?
鈥淲hen you have everything on the line, nothing else matters,鈥� said right tackle Marcus Gilbert. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to get the championship of the AFC North and they鈥檙e trying to do the same. I don鈥檛 think any of those variables matter. The most physical team is going to win this game, hands down.鈥�
But can the Steelers be at their physical best so soon after a knock-down-drag-out with the Cincinnati Bengals?
鈥淎t the end of the day, it鈥檚 the end of the year,鈥� said center Maurkice Pouncey. 鈥淚t鈥檚 that time of the year. It鈥檚 crunch time. It鈥檚 December football. If you鈥檙e not ready to play in every single game, I don鈥檛 care if it鈥檚 division or anything back-to-back, you shouldn鈥檛 be in this locker room right now. I know the guys are excited and the practice looked great today, man, so we鈥檒l see how things turn out.鈥�
Practice went so well, in fact, that Mike Tomlin gave the team a rare early whistle, some 15 minutes before the scheduled finish.
鈥淲e did all the same exact reps, it was just a shorter practice today,鈥� Pouncey said. 鈥淚 guess Coach was satisfied. He blew the horn and everybody broke it down. Today was great, but we gotta be better tomorrow.鈥�
Tomlin walked around the locker room prior to practice and talked to individuals about a crisp, clean, smart practice. But Pouncey said nothing needed to be said.
鈥淚f that stuff has to be mentioned then we鈥檙e not the organization that we think we are,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have a lot of older guys and we鈥檝e played together a long time now. We know the ins and outs. We know the consequences of this game.鈥�
Playoff scenarios
If the Steelers beat the Ravens on Sunday, they鈥檙e in the playoffs as the AFC North champions.
If the Steelers lose, and then beat the Cleveland Browns at home the following week, here are the best (but not all) of the scenarios in which they can still make the playoffs:
n Bengals beat the Ravens in Week 17.
n Bills and Patriots beat the Dolphins in Weeks 16 and 17.
n Bills beat Dolphins and Broncos beat Chiefs in Week 16, and Broncos beat Raiders in Week 17.
n Dolphins beat Bills and Broncos beat Chiefs in Week 16, and Patriots beat Dolphins, Broncos beat Raiders in Week 17.
Success through the air
The Ravens have beaten the Steelers four straight times and six of the last seven. The one Steelers win, though, was a rout. On Nov. 2, 2014 at Heinz Field, the Steelers beat the Ravens, 43-23.
Ben Roethlisberger had a field day. He completed 25 of 37 for 340 yards without an interception, and threw touchdowns passes to Bell, Martavis Bryant (2), Markus Wheaton, Antonio Brown and Matt Spaeth.
鈥淲e were clicking,鈥� said Le鈥橵eon Bell. 鈥淲e were on the details. We played a good game, we played everything right, we were making plays. That game two years ago versus the game we just played was the total opposite. Last game we played, we didn鈥檛 make any plays, not until, really, eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. We didn鈥檛 run the ball well, we didn鈥檛 make plays downfield, on the sideline, we were dropping balls, we were hurting ourselves with penalties, turnovers. We didn鈥檛 play nearly our game.鈥�
Roethlisberger was barely healthy for the last game between the teams. He received minimal reps during the practice week and the Steelers came in with a game plan to run the ball and keep the hounds off Roethlisberger鈥檚 heels. But the Ravens had leads of 10-0 at halftime, 13-0 after three quarters and 21-0 before the Steelers tried to rally.
But Roethlisberger鈥檚 healthy now and the offense should be much better.
鈥淵ou gotta respect the things he can do down the field,鈥� Bell said. 鈥淗e can make every throw and we鈥檝e got playmakers. A.B. automatically demands coverage, double teams all the time, and that opens up things for the other wideouts and our tight ends and guys like Eli (Rogers) over the middle. Even guys like myself go one-on-one with linebackers. I just think when Ben鈥檚 healthy, he鈥檚 clicking, he鈥檚 rolling, there are not too many people you could argue are better than him.鈥�
Injury report
Missing for a second consecutive day were TE Ladarius Green (concussion), DE Stephon Tuitt (knee) and reserve safety Shamarko Thomas (concussion). Missing his first practice of the week was reserve CB Justin Gilbert (illness).
Limited on Thursday were WR Sammie Coates (hamstring), WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (foot), DE Ricardo Mathews (ankle) and reserve OLB Anthony Chickillo (ankle).
Coates tweaked his hamstring at Wednesday鈥檚 practice but had returned that day.
Heyward-Bey said it鈥檚 still possible he could play, but didn鈥檛 sound optimistic.
鈥淗e鈥檚 keeping the door open for me so that鈥檚 good. That鈥檚 always positive,鈥� said Heyward-Bey. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good thing I鈥檓 out there getting some work in to see if I can go and see if I can be a help to the team, so I鈥檓 glad he鈥檚 keeping the door open and we鈥檒l see what happens.鈥�
Quotable
n Bell on how the run game has improved since last playing the Ravens:
鈥淎 lot of times there are multiple plays called in the huddle. I think lately we鈥檝e just been calling it and running it. We鈥檇 call a run play, line up and run it. Rather than have the indecision of what they鈥檙e in, we just call it and run it.鈥�
n Keith Butler on whether James Harrison has been playing inside linebacker:
鈥淚nside linebacker? I don鈥檛 know if we asked him to play inside. He might鈥檝e moved around like he was playing inside and acted like he was playing inside. He plays what we call the rover position on third down, so he moves around a little bit as the fourth rusher sometimes and sometimes as a dropper.鈥�
n Todd Haley on Ladarius Green:
鈥淚f Ladarius doesn鈥檛 play, I think it means our other tight ends 鈥� Jesse James, Xavier Grimble and David Johnson 鈥� have to step up and do 鈥榣ike鈥� things. And they have done them throughout the season. We鈥檝e talked a lot about Ladarius lately 鈥� but I think those guys have continued to grow as players and grow within the offense. If Ladarius doesn鈥檛 play, I think they are all ready to step up and do the job.鈥�