Final Reports: Ravens vs. Steelers
Tomorrow at 1pm, the regular season begins for the Steelers when they face off against their heated rival the Baltimore Ravens. The final reports are in from the week’s practice.
Injury Report
The Steelers’ roster is fairly healthy going into week 1 – at least where it really counts. All starters are ready to go. Ike Taylor seems to have a cast on his hand that will work well for him and still protect that thumb. Rookie tackle Marcus Gilbert is listed as the backup tackle for the game but has yet to have a game status posted. The same goes for Jerricho Cotchery who had an MRI done on his hamstring and did not practice on Thursday. Backup LB Chris Carter also did not practice this week with a hamstring injury. More than likely, Arnaz Battle will fill in as the fifth wide out in place of Cotchery should he not play.
The Ravens’ roster is very healthy with only one player, LB Jason Phillips, listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.
Coach’s Thoughts
The biggest unfamiliarity with the Ravens right now is their new acquisitions on offense. Tomlin admitted it will take some time to get familiarized with all the new players on the Ravens and how they fit into the greater scheme. He is not worried about the age of his own defense stating that he doesn’t see age but only a defense that is performing on an incredibly high level, and they play at the standard that is set for them. The Steelers will be ready for a very ‘salty’ Ravens team.
John Harbaugh feels that CB Cary Williams has become a much better corner over the offseason and during this preseason. He also expects rookie CB Jimmy Smith to play very well on Sunday.
"He’s got all the attention to detail and he knows the defense. So, I expect him to play very, very well. But again, it’s corner, so the thing for me is with a corner, it’s the bounce back play. Make the bounce back play, and I think he’ll do that. He’s got a great mindset."
Harbaugh and the media have been fairly quiet when talking about their preparation for this week’s game. Many of the media transcripts after practices this week focus mainly on individual players but not on their opponent.
Other News
The players at least are always willing to talk about the other team. The Ravens feel they have their hands full with the Steelers’ emerging receiving core. This morning in the Baltimore Sun, Ed Lee reports that the Raven’s secondary is wary of the Steelers’ receivers. They recognize that they are very fast – Wallace 4.3 in the 40, Sanders a 4.4, and Brown a 4.47. They argue that they are also fast with their own impressive 40’s. However, they also acknowledge that those three are very good route runners.
I think this will be the story of the game. For all the talk about two strong defenses and historically low scoring tight games, I have a good feeling about the Steelers’ receivers against a newer secondary. We could see big production out of Wallace, Brown, Sanders and Ward, which equals a big day for Big Ben too.
The feeling from Baltimore is that this is a huge game. I’m not downplaying the game at all (any game against Baltimore is a big one), but I don’t think it’s as critical as those in Baltimore are perceiving it. The Steelers split the series with Baltimore last year and still ended up in the Super Bowl. I think those in Baltimore are starting to feel the full weight of playing the Steelers 2-3 times a season and Joe Flacco not being able to deliver key wins against Roethlisberger.
I haven’t had my dish installed yet, so it’s off to BW’s with my laptop to consume wings and beer. Join me on Sunday with a live chat via Livefyre comments during the game. Should be a great matchup as usual between these to. Expect the Steelers to exert their will on the Ravens as the game wears on leading to a Steelers’ victory. As always, Go Steelers!
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