Found December 11, 2008 on Blogimore Ravens:
Here's a little post I wrote for the good folks at Mondesi's House. That's a Pittsburgh blog. Don't go there unless you want to get cuties. They'll be posting the below content over there, and I've promised them some real estate here on Blogimore tomorrow. Enjoy.



WE HATE YOU: Actually, we hate the idea of you. I'm sure that personally many of you are great people. But that doesn't mean we're going to pull punches. Even so, there will be plenty of black and gold at this weekend's game. Baltimore has a solid home-field advantage but maybe not as much as Pittsburgh does at home.

RAY RICE WON'T PLAY: Sources close to the team have said privately that Rice's shin injury will most likely keep him out of action. Willis McGahee has been a non-factor for most of the season. That leaves an awful lot in the hands of FB-turned-RB Le'Ron McClain and rookie QB Joe Flacco. I'm not sure that will be enough against Pittsburgh's D.

FORTUNATELY YOUR OFFENSE SUCKS: Maybe that's a stretch, but it's not a stretch to say that Pittsburgh relies on its D more than Baltimore does. How's that for irony. For the first time probably ever, Baltimore's team is more balanced.

SPECIAL-TEAMS ADVANTAGE: Despite the fact that Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has special teams in his blood, the Steelers have the decided advantage here. I say that without having watched too many of your games. Why? Because Matt Stover has been frighteningly unreliable this season. Fortunately for Baltimore, it looks as though weather won't be a factor in the kicking game; unfortunately, this helps both teams.

SURPRISNGLY THIS GAME ISN'T ALL THAT IMPORTANT: No matter what happens on Sunday, both teams will control their own destiny regardless. If the Steelers lose on Sunday but win their final two games, they will still win the division. If the Ravens lose on Sunday and win their final two games, they will still get a wild-card berth, which is what they're likely to get even with a win on Sunday.

8 OUT OF 10 STEELERS FANS ARE TERRIBLE: True story.
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