NFL 2016 Game of the Week Preview, Week 16: Steelers vs Ravens

(photo credit: observer-reporter.com)

The Baltimore Ravens travel to Pittsburgh to take on their division rival, the Steelers, on Sunday evening in a matchup full of playoff implications.

Pittsburgh (9-5) currently leads the AFC North division, taking that spot in the midst of a five-game winning streak, tied with the New England Patriots for the longest current streak. Baltimore (8-6) is just one game behind. A Baltimore win would put both teams at 9-6, with Baltimore holding the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage. If Pittsburgh were to win, they would claim the division crown and the #3 seed heading into the playoffs. In that scenario, Baltimore losing coupled with a Miami Dolphins win would eliminate the Ravens from the playoffs.

In their first meeting this season, in Baltimore, the Ravens prevailed 21-14. In that game, Baltimore took a 21-0 lead with a 95-yard receiving touchdown by Mike Wallace, two Justin Tucker field goals, and a blocked punt return for touchdown. In the last nine minutes of the game, Pittsburgh managed two scores to make the final look more reasonable, but Baltimore's defense controlled the Steeler offense most of the game.

Of Pittsburgh's 277 yards of offense, 205 of them came in the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh had 12 possessions through the first three quarters and the start of the fourth. Eight of them ended in three-and-outs, one came at the end of the first half, one ended in an interception on the first play of the drive, and another resulted in the blocked punt. 

Fighting for their playoff lives, the Ravens will have to put up an equally-stellar defensive effort if they want to end the Steelers' winning streak. Pittsburgh's 4-2 record at home isn't notable exceptional, but for the fact that the two losses are to the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots, the two best teams in the league.