With Ben Roethlisberger sitting out, many people were writing off the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens (6-5).  Third-string quarterback Dennis Dixon got the start and he played relatively well for the Steelers.  He kept the Steelers in the game and they were able to take the game into overtime.  Dixon finished with 145 yards and a touchdown on 12/26 attempts, but his inexperience caught up with him, as it was his overtime interception that led to the Ravens game-winning field goal.  He also showed off some athleticism, running the ball three times for 27 yards and a touchdown.  The Steelers running game is what kept them in this one, getting 153 yards as a team with Rashard Mendenhall leading the way with 95 yards on 24 carries.

The Steelers got a very good game out of their defense and they put a lot of pressure on Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco.  They sacked Flacco 5 times, with Lawrence Timmons accounting for 2 sacks.  They also force Flacco into two fumbles, but only recovered one.  They also forced and recovered a fumble from Mark Clayton, winning the turnover battle 2-0.  They let Flacco throw for 289 yards and a touchdown though and they also gave up too many yards on the ground.  They rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries as a team.  It was a great effort by the Steelers without their leader, but they need to step it up if they want to make the playoffs.

The Steelers have released 28-year old WR Shaun McDonald.  McDonald did not play in any games this season for the Steelers who have much better receivers than him.  They won’t likely miss him too much.  This move was needed as the Steelers have signed former Pitt Panther QB Tyler Palko off the practice squad.  He will be the Steelers’ #2 QB tomorrow when they play the Ravens in Baltimore.  His weak left throwing arm would hurt the Steelers’ offense if he is forced into the football game.

Ben Roethlisberger is out for tomorrow’s game against the division rival Baltimore Ravens.  He is still having issues with the concussion he suffered last week against the Chiefs.  Roethlisberger has played in all 10 games for the Steelers this season and he has completed 237 of 344 passes (68.9%) for 2,867 yards with 17 TD passes and 10 INTs (98.6 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 26 times for 42 yards (1.6 ypc) with 2 TDs this year.  The Steelers will be forced to start 24-year old Dennis Dixon at QB.  Dixon has played in 1 game in his NFL career and he has completed his only pass attempt for 3 yards.  He also has 2 carries for -3 yards (-1.5 ypc) this year.  Under ordinary circumstances the Steelers would likely just run the ball more with Rashard Mendenhall.  But, two factors will make that hard to do.  First up is the Ravens’ D which is allowing only 92.1 yards rushing per game and 3.5 yards per carry.  Secondly, Rashard Mendenhall ran his mouth last season before the Steelers played the Ravens and they broke his shoulder ending his rookie year.  This is a big, big loss for the Steelers and they better hope his concussion like syndrome doesn’t linger too long or the Steelers will be watching the playoffs on T.V.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) may be in trouble Sunday against the Balitmore Ravens (5-5), as it looks like quarterback Ben Roethlisberger may not play.  Roethlisberger suffered a concussion last week, and although earlier in the week Big Ben was listed as probable and expected to play, he told head coach Mike Tomlin Friday that he might sit out “as a precaution” and is listed as questionable.  Now he still might play, but I don’t think that would be a good idea, especially with what they know about concussions in this day and age.  You don’t want one game of football to cause brain damage later in life.  I don’t think there should be any question that Roethlisberger sits this one out, but unfortunately for the Steelers that means Dennis Dixon will be the starter and it will probably cost them the game.  Dixon has only thrown one pass in his career and there is no way he is ready to take on a Ray Lewis led Ravens’ defense.  That means Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall will have to have big games, along with the defense, if the Steelers want a chance.

The Steelers defense has been doing a great job shutting down the run this season, so Ray Rice and Willis McGahee should not be too much of a problem for them.  If they can contain Joe Flacco and the Ravens’ passing game they have a shot in this one.  Flacco has been struggling lately and has not thrown a touchdown pass since week 8, so the defense may very well win this game for the Steelers.  Flacco is still a good quarterback though, and with such an inexperienced quarterback on the Steelers’ side I am favoring the Ravens in this game.  If it so happens that Roethlisberger plays, which he very well might do, it could be a whole different story.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:  Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Baltimore Ravens 20

The Steelers finally have decided to make 27-year old TE Heath Miller a big part of the offense.  With Miller going over the middle and making the tough catches it has freed up Hines Ward to run deeper routes making the offense more effective overall.  Miller has played in all 10 games for the Steelers this season and he has caught 54 passes (career high) for 492 yards (9.1 avg) with 5 TD grabs.  His yards per catch average is so low because he has been one of Ben Roethlisberger’s top targets in the red zone when the field gets shorter.  He has now played in 72 games in his five years with the Steelers and he has caught 222 passes for 2,424 yards (10.9 avg) with 26 TD grabs.  It’s about time that the Steelers started using Miller as a bigger part of the offense.