Monday, November 03, 2014

On a roll

So the Ravens are comfortable playing at Heinz Field, eh?

The Steelers took inspiration from Joe Greene Sunday night and rolled past the butt-ugly Ravens, 43-23 at Heinz Field. The Black n' Gold could not lose that game on the night Greene's number was retired, and they won in style.

That's the way to do it. Now the Steelers have evened the score with the Ravens on the season. Each team won on its home field, and each won by 20 points. It's better to have the second win.  Now, the Steelers are even in the division (2-2), with two games vs. the Bengals remaining. Now, happily, the Ravens sit in last place in the division standings, the only team in the AFC North with four losses. Good.

The Chief greeting Joe Greene after a win.
After Joe Greene, the story of the night was the Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown show. Roethlisberger is now the only quarterback in NFL history to throw six touchdowns in consecutive games. Brown caught 11 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown.

On defense, James Harrison is playing like the legendary James Harrison and, against the Ravens, he played as if he would have fit right in on one of Joe Greene's teams of the 1970s. Fierce and intense once again, Harrison brought it last night with seven tackles, two sacks and four hits on Joe Flacco. Pretty good for a 36-year-old man.

"We're very comfortable in that stadium," John Harbaugh said of Heinz Field earlier in the week. "We understand what it takes to win there. We've won there."

Joe Greene, shaking hands with Fats Holmes
Not on Sunday night. Now, the Ravens are on a two-game losing streak, thanks largely to Roethlisberger (25-for-37, 340 yards, six touchdowns, three sacks, 136.3 rating). The Ravens have a fairly easy schedule the rest of the way, though, so it's too soon to write them off. They have the Titans at home next Sunday, and then a bye week. Then, it will be the Saints, Dolphins, Chargers, Jaguars, Texans, Browns.

The Steelers go on the road for their next two games against the Jets and Titans; and then their bye week. After the bye, it gets tougher: Saints at home; at Cincinnati; at Atlanta; and the Chiefs and Bengals at Heinz Field.