As October turned into November last year, Ben Roethlisberger was on the kind of hot streak few quarterbacks ever see. In back-to-back games against the Colts and Ravens, Pittsburghs franchise quarterback threw 12 total touchdown passes, six in each game, setting a record that might never be broken. Saturdays wild-card game was the first time since their 43-23 Week 9 loss to the Steelers that Baltimore had a chance for revenge, as one of the NFLs most compelling recent rivalries renewed itself. And this time, with a spot in the divisional round on the line, the Ravens completely flipped the script with their outstanding front seven and a pass defense that surprised just about everyone, allowing 310 passing yards from Roethlisberger but picking him off twice, and severely limiting his options when it was time to score. In the end, Baltimore checkmated Pittsburghs one-dimensional offense to the tune of a 30-17 wild-card win. The Ravens featured the leagues best red zone defense in 2014, allowing just 43 percent of drives to be converted, and registering a -42.4% DVOA in that regard, per Football Outsiders opponent-adjusted metrics. But in that Week 9 loss, Baltimore allowed the Steelers to convert all three of their red zone opportunities for touchdowns. This time around, it was the Ravens who put things back in place, limiting Pittsburgh to three field goals in the first half, and just one touchdown overall. Baltimore needed help in Week 17 just to get in the tournament, but they appear to be peaking at the right time. -The Raven Chronicles
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 05:19:02 +0000
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