First place in the AFC North is up for grabs when one of the NFL’s hottest rivalries resumes in 2016. The Steelers will head east to face the Ravens in Week 9 and leave with either a rock solid lead over the rest of the division or wind up in second place.
Steelers vs. Ravens 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Pittsburgh and Baltimore will clash with a spot atop the AFC North on the line.
At 4-3, Pittsburgh’s lead atop the north is a precarious one. A Baltimore win on Sunday would put two .500 teams atop the division’s standings with 3-4-1 Cincinnati just a half-game behind. That may be easier said than done for the Ravens, however. Joe Flacco’s team has lost four straight games after a sterling 3-0 start to its season.
Despite the recent swoon, the Ravens are still a three-point favorite to defend their home turf.
That’s because there’s question about the health of Steelers star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who tore the meniscus in his left knee in Week 6. He will start the game, but Pittsburgh only decided he was ready in the final hours before kickoff and head coach Mike Tomlin wouldn’t give a concrete answer about Roethlisberger’s status in the days leading up to Sunday’s showdown. Terrell Suggs, who has squared off against Pittsburgh several times in his 14-year career and tallied 17.5 sacks against the burly QB never fell for it, though, and said he fully expected to see Big Ben’s “big ass” in Baltimore.
But even with Roethlisberger playing, the health and readiness of the quarterback still remains to be seen and this AFC North matchup will be one of Week 9’s most anticipated games.
How to Watch Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens on Sunday
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
TV: CBS
Announcers: Ian Eagle, Rich Gannon, and Evan Washburn
Online: Sunday Ticket
Three big things to know:
1. Ben Roethlisberger playing isn’t good news for the Ravens. Baltimore is 6-1 when it faces the Steelers and their Pro Bowl quarterback isn’t in the lineup. With Big Ben on the field, the Ravens are just 8-9. A win on Sunday would also extend Baltimore’s recent dominance over their mid-Atlantic rivals. The Ravens have won five of the last six meetings between these teams.
2. The Ravens will look to extend Le’Veon Bell’s end zone drought. The former All-Pro has yet to score a touchdown in 2016, continuing a dry spell that’s lasted seven games dating back to 2015. The dynamic tailback was a freshman at Michigan State the last time he went this long without reaching the promised land. If Roethlisberger can’t play on Sunday, Pittsburgh will need him to halt this streak before it hits eight games and sets a new, ignominious career high.
3. The Ravens have running game problems of their own. Baltimore ranks just 25th in the league in average yards per carry (3.8) and 26th in yards per game (86.3). At no point were its struggles more evident than in a Week 7 loss to the Jets. Against New York’s stout defensive line, the Ravens were limited to 11 yards on 11 carries, led by featured back Terrance West’s 10-yard day. West will have a chance to improve his fortunes when he faces a Pittsburgh defense that’s allowed almost 5 yards per rush this fall. If he can’t move the sticks on Sunday, the Ravens may wish they still had Justin Forsett in the backfield.
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