Steelers Team Report

INSIDE SLANT

The AFC North often is up for grabs when Pittsburgh and Baltimore play, only this time it’s a more desperate situation for both.

The Super Bowl champs got there on the backs of the Ravens last season, sweeping them in three close games, the finale in the AFC Championship at Heinz Field. The Steelers now limp into Baltimore on Sunday with a 6-4 record; the Ravens are in worse shape at 5-5.

The Cincinnati Bengals tantalized both by losing in Oakland last week to hang onto first place at 7-3 and leaving the door open for both the Ravens and Steelers, but some do not think the door will remain ajar for long for Sunday’s loser.

“This is it right here,” Steelers linebacker and co-captain James Farrior(notes) said. “This is probably our playoff time right now. We need to go into the rest of these games and treat them like playoff games because we got to win them all anyway in order to do what we want to do.”

The Steelers are reeling from two losses and injuries to starters Troy Polamalu(notes) and Chris Kemoeatu(notes), the loss of backup quarterback Charlie Batch(notes) and the head injury to Ben Roethlisberger(notes).

Roethlisberger practiced Wednesday and will start after he received a mild concussion Sunday in Kansas City. Dennis Dixon(notes), who has thrown one NFL pass in his two seasons, will back him up and they will go without a third quarterback.

The Steelers have given Dixon plenty of snaps in practice to get him ready if needed.

“It’s a test, you always have to be ready,” Dixon said. “If somebody needs me to take that test come Sunday, I got to be willing to answer the questions and go on from there.”

The issues for the Steelers have become turnovers and kickoff returns. Their offense ranks sixth in the NFL and their defense No. 1, which should equate into a better record than 6-4. But the Steelers rank tied for 25th in the NFL in net turnovers at minus-five, they’ve allowed eight returns against them for touchdowns, including four kickoff returns in the past five games, and they have dropped interceptions as if they were nuclear waste. Their cornerbacks have none.

Even Dick LeBeau can’t say why his defense has only eight interceptions to go with six fumble returns.

“I wish I knew or I’d damn sure have our numbers higher,” LeBeau said. “But we need to have more turnovers. Right now that’s an area we must do better in.”

Another area would be in running the ball. They rank only 17th in the NFL and while that is higher than the 23rd they finished last season, it’s not Pittsburgh-like. They also are running only 41.1 percent of the time, which would be their lowest percentage of runs in 40 years if it continues. They did not have a 100-yard game in any of the three they played last season against Baltimore, which ranks fifth in the NFL against the run this season.

“You have to kind of change it up because they’re very stout in the middle, just like we are,” offensive tackle Max Starks(notes) said. “They have big, big D-linemen and fast linebackers, same as us. So it’s tough to run in the middle against them.”

Series History:   27th regular-season meeting. Steelers lead series 16-10. Pittsburgh is 7-6 in Baltimore. The Steelers are 2-0 vs. the Ravens in the postseason, including last year’s AFC Championship, 23-14 at Heinz Field. The Steelers swept the series last season. However, they are 1-5 over the past six years in Baltimore.

NOTES, QUOTES

—The last time halfback Rashard Mendenhall(notes) played against Baltimore, Ray Lewis(notes) hit him into the next season with a blow that broke his shoulder. That was in the fourth game of Mendenhall’s rookie season of 2008. He said the rematch holds no special meaning for him.

“Not really. It’s another game against a division opponent, a tough opponent, a rival,” Mendenhall said.

• Mike Tomlin defended the play-call Sunday that may have cost the Steelers a victory in their 27-24 overtime loss in Kansas City. With third-and-2 at the Chiefs 35-yard line in overtime, backup quarterback Charlie Batch pitched the ball deep and wide right to third-down back Mewelde Moore(notes). He was tackled for a 3-yard loss and the Steelers punted rather than try a longer field goal to win it.

“Mewelde’s done some nice things for us,” Tomlin said. “I’d do it again.”

• Linebacker James Harrison(notes) raised the question of team unity after that loss in Kansas City.

“I just think we need to start playing team ball, whatever needs to be done for the team.” He added that has not been happening.

• Elias Sports Bureau removed one sack from Ben Roethlisberger’s total on Sunday, ruling it a non-play because of a holding penalty. Roethlisberger thus was sacked twice not three times by the Chiefs and 29 times this season.

By The Numbers:   12-1—Coach Mike Tomlin’s record in prime time games with a 14th coming Sunday night.

Quote To Note:   “Redemption Sunday, if you will, is coming for us in the form of the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football.”—Coach Mike Tomlin after his team lost its past two games.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

The Steelers signed former Ravens cornerback Corey Ivy(notes) on Tuesday along with veteran linebacker Rocky Boiman(notes). They released linebacker Donovan Woods(notes) and veteran cornerback Keiwan Ratliff(notes). They released running back Justin Vincent(notes) from their practice squad and replaced him with offensive lineman Jonathan Palmer(notes). They signed QB Tyler Palko(notes) to the practice squad after he cleared the 48-hour CFL waivers.

Player Notes  

• SS Troy Polamalu did not practice on Wednesday and while he is not officially out, he will not play in Baltimore. This will be the second game Polamalu has missed with a sprained PCL and the sixth he has missed this season.

• G Ramon Foster(notes), an undrafted rookie from Tennessee, will make his first NFL start for injured Chris Kemoeatu a left guard. Foster has been ahead of third-round draft pick Kraig Urbik(notes) since training camp. Urbik has not dressed for a game.

• LB Keyaron Fox(notes) has a wide lead in special teams tackles with 19. Fox also has started three games for Lawrence Timmons(notes) at ILB.

• RB Mewelde Moore likely would be the emergency QB if both quarterbacks were hurt on Sunday. Moore completed his only pass for a 6-yard TD this season.

• DE Travis Kirschke(notes) went through a limited practice on Wednesday and could return to play after missing the past three games with a torn calf muscle.

Game Plan:   The Steelers would love to run against Baltimore to keep Ben Roethlisberger out of harm’s way as much as they can, but that may not be possible. The Ravens have the fifth-best run defense in the NFL and in three games last season the Steelers managed no more than 91 yards with an average of 71 yards per game. On defense, they will play it pretty straight because of the Ravens’ ability to run. They also will play plenty of cover two because of Joe Flacco’s(notes) arm and Troy Polamalu’s absence.

Matchups To Watch:   Ravens rookie RT Michael Oher(notes) vs. Steelers LOLB LaMarr Woodley(notes). In three games, Woodley had 3.5 sacks against the Ravens last season.

Ravens LOLB Jarret Johnson(notes) vs. Steelers RT Willie Colon(notes). Johnson leads the Ravens with six sacks and Colon allowed a pressure that caused Ben Roethlisberger to throw an interception from the 10 last Sunday.

Injury Impact:   Starting left guard Chris Kemoeatu is out with a sprained MCL and backup quarterback Charlie Batch is out with a broken left wrist. Undrafted rookie Ramon Foster will start at left guard and No. 3 QB Dennis Dixon moves up to No. 2. The Steelers will go with just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster with Tyler Palko added to the practice squad. Troy Polamalu will miss his second straight game with a sprained PCL and Tyrone Carter(notes) again will replace him.