The Baltimore Ravens have yet to win a division game. The Browns and Bengals took it to the ‘Birds, and now it’s the Steelers turn to look for revenge for the shellacking they took last year.

The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time: the Ravens needed to get healthy and work on overcoming their fear of the Red Zone. Hopefully both problems will be ironed out and we can see a well played, injury free game.

“When you consider training camp, four preseason games and seven in the regular season, our bye came at a good time. We’ve been beat up, but there’s a chance that most, if not all of our injured players who have missed games, could be back by the time we get to Pittsburgh. And, what a great opportunity for the midpoint of the season. We’re playing for first place in our division, and it’s on a national stage… We’ll get two extra practices this week (Monday and Tuesday) before we gear up for the Steelers on Thursday.”

- Ravens head coach Brian Billick

The Quotable Bart Scott

On the atmosphere in a game between the Ravens and Steelers:
“It’s like going to a heavyweight fight. You’re going to get your money’s worth because both teams are going to stand in the middle of the ring and go toe to toe. We’re not carbon copies of each other, but we’re built the same and we have the same philosophy. We try to impose our physical will on each other. Whoever is left standing at the end, after all the power blows, is usually the team that wins.”

How did you get the nickname “Mad Backer?”
“The origin is Terrell Suggs. When I first started out, he would see me on special teams. I would always be coming off the field exchanging some words with somebody. He was like, ‘Why are you so mean? Why are you always mad? Man, you’re the Mac Backer.’ it kind of game off of the ‘Mad Rapper’ skits on the Bad Boy albums.”

Who is the toughest quarterback to bring down?
“Daunte [Culpepper] is pretty elusive and he’s pretty strong. I’ve watched guys hang on the top of him and he was still standing up. But, Ben [Roethlisberger] is hard, too. He’s big, he has long arms, and he’s a little nifty in the pocket. He’ll fight to stand up. I remember my first game on Monday Night Football, Halloween [in 2005]. I cam through and he kind of stiff-armed me and got the ball off anyway.”

Reasons for Optimism

• The Ravens have won 5 consecutive games following their bye week, and have a 6-2 record under coach Billick after the bye. The 5-straight games? @ New Orleans (2006, 52-22), New York Jets (2005, 13-3), Buffalo Bills (2004, 20-6), @ Arizona (2003, 26-18) and Denver (2002, 34-23).
• Baltimore has won 3 straight vs. the Steelers and 5 of the last 7 games played.
• Last season, the Ravens dismantled the Steelers in the two games played with a combined score of 58-7.
• 

Reasons for concern

• The Ravens are 4-4 on Monday Night Football, with a 0-1 record this season. Traditionally, Super Bowl XIV season aside, the Ravens have not fared too well on nationally televised games. If the forecast calls for rain, you can kiss this one good bye.
• The Steelers hold the 5th best home record in the NFL since 2000 (41-17-1, .695 winning percentage). The Ravens own a better mark - 45-14, .763 winning percentage - good for 1st in the NFL during the same time span.

Steelers Killers

• As pointed out numerous times by Neal over at Die Hard Steel, QB Steve McNair is Steelers kryptonite. In 15 games against the Black and Gold, McNair owns an 11-4 record. He is 237-of-382 passing for 2,849 yards with 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The 21 touchdowns are tied for the most (Cincinnati) against a team in his career. Good to have him in the division, eh?
• TE Todd Heap has faced Pittsburgh 12 times, posting 47 receptions for 500 yards (10.6 average) and 2 touchdowns. Let’s hope he’s healthy enough to play — we don’t need TE Quinn Sypniewski dropping balls, do we?
• WR Derrick Mason has faced the Steelers 16 times, and has 55 receptions for 706 yards, good for the 3rd most against any team in the NFL.
• K Matt Stover bails out the Ravens more than any other player in the history of the organization. In 32 career games against Pittsburgh, he is 83.3% accurate (45 of 54) in FG attempts. The icing on the cake is that he’s perfect 55-of-55 in kicking PATs.
• LB Ray Lewis has played the Beams 18 times and has notched 226 tackles (12.5 average). He has 13 or more tackles in 10 games played. In addition to the tackles, he has 10 PD, 5.5 sacks (good for -30.5 yards) and an Interception.

Really odd stats

• The Ravens have posted at least 1 touchdown return in 4 of the last 5 contests after the bye week. In 2006, Ronnie Prude and Dawan Landry each returned an interception 12 yards for a touchdown against the Saints. In 2004, Deion Sanders (remember him?) returned a 48 yard interception for a touchdown against the Bills. In 2003, Chris McAlister returned an 83-yard interception for a touchdown against the Cardinals. Finally, in 2002, C-Mac busted out a 107-yard FG return for a touchdown on Monday Night Football against the Broncos.
• RB Willis McGahee has out-rushed every opposing running back the Ravens have faced. He is currently 3rd in the NFL with 639 yards heading into week 9. Willie Parker, on the other hand, is a helluva back and will provide quite the challenge for the Ravens. It’s a good thing the Ravens run defense is so suffocating!

The Ravens Touchdown Take

This will be the best game that nobody will know about outside of Baltimore and Pittsburgh. When the Patriots and Colts square off… everything else takes a back seat.

I’ll be watching the Monday Night Football game at the Caesar’s Palace Sports Book with my black Ed Reed alternate jersey and Ravens cap. I’ll have a drink in one hand and a fist full of tickets in the other.

Life is good.