It’s Ravens-Steelers week in Baltimore and as we get ready for one of the greatest rivalries in sports there is still the reality that no matter how vicious this bloodbath is, by Sunday night one of these teams will be in first place while the other sits in last.
More often than not the Ravens have managed to come up short in these matchups as the Black and Gold have gotten the better of Baltimore when it counts. Two of the past three years Baltimore has been sent home early during the playoffs, courtesy of the Steelers, both times at Heinz Field.
It always boils down to one or two key plays throughout the game. Whether it is a late interception, a strip- sack-fumble recovery, or the one that has plagued the Ravens the most – the deep ball for a quick score, Pittsburgh’s ability to go vertical coupled with Big Bens ability to extend the play has wreaked havoc on opposing defenses, especially those that are weak at the corner back position like Baltimore.
This is where Lee Evans plays into things. Evans can stretch the field; he can go long and catch the 30 or 40 yard bomb from Joe Flacco and blowup a corner for a quick 6 points. The Ravens have not had a true burner in some time and although the Steeler’s cornerbacks are no better than the Ravens, by not having to honor the deep ball presence they have an easier time defending intermediate routes and possession receivers such as Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason, and TJ Houshmandzadeh, The Ravens top 3 wideouts last season.
Lee Evans can be the homerun hitter the Ravens need in order to expose a secondary that, aside from Troy Polamalu, is fairly weak. The Steelers have not had a great corner since Rod Woodson. What they have had is multiple decent cornerbacks paired with a great pass rush to hold down pass happy offenses.
If the chemistry we have heard about so far with Flacco and Evans can project to the field on game day, Evans could be the X Factor that keeps the Ravens from starting the season 0-1.