After a decisive Sunday night showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the seeding for the AFC playoffs is finalized and two AFC North teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs.
The AFC North champion Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field Saturday, January 3, at 8:15 p.m. ET. NBC has the telecast.
Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers finished with an 11-5 record earning the third seed in the AFC, while the Bengals fell to the five seed finishing with a 10-5-1 record after Sunday night’s loss. The Bengals will play the Colts in Indianapolis Sunday at 1:05 p.m. ET.
Baltimore earned a chance to compete in the playoffs after scoring 17 in the fourth quarter and rallying against Cleveland in a 20-10 victory. The Ravens received help to earn their playoff berth from the Kansas City Chiefs as they defeated the San Diego Chargers, 19-7, eliminating San Diego and securing the final playoff spot for Baltimore.
According to Vegas Insider, the Steelers open as a 3.5-point favorite over the Ravens for Saturday’s contest.
These two teams split the season series in blowout fashion, Baltimore winning at home, 26-6, on Sept. 11, and Pittsburgh winning at home, 43-23, on Nov. 2. This winner-take-all rubber match between rivals will be an intense matchup for a chance to advance into the divisional round.
The Basics
Who:
Ravens vs. Steelers
When:
Saturday, 8 p.m. Eastern
Channel:
NBC
Where:
Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Line:
Steelers by 3 1/2
Last Meeting:
Steelers 43, Ravens 23 on November 2 in Pittsburgh
Scouting Baltimore
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Torrey Smith has complaints when it comes to the playing surface at Heinz Field, and heavy rain is expected for Saturday’s game, only hampering the field further. This, paired with the possibility of Joe Flacco having a Week 16-like performance, could spell disaster for the team.
The Baltimore defense will have to hope Bell can’t go and get to the quarterback to steal a road win. If they can get to Big Ben and keep him from being able to pass, this game should be a sure win.
Scouting Pittsburgh
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Much of Pittsburgh’s success will depend on Le’Veon Bell’s status. Bell did not practice on Thursday and his status for Saturday is in question after hyperextending his knee. He finished the season second in rushing yards, behind only DeMarco Murray.
If Bell does not play in this game, the offense will rely heavily on Ben Roethlisberger’s arm. Last week, Roethlisberger played despite dealing with an upset stomach. He finished the season with 4,952 yards, just missing becoming the first quarterback in franchise history to hit the 5,000 mark, and 32 touchdowns with nine interceptions.
The defense will be getting back two big name players this week in Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor. Both sat out Week 17.
Heavy’s Pick
Ravens 23, Steelers 17
If the Steelers are without Bell, the Ravens’ defense will be able to shut down the one-dimensional Steelers.
The Ravens offense will have to be clicking as much as their defense though. Flacco has to play like he did last week, and the receivers have to be ready for it.
