You’ll have to forgive the brevity of this game preview. Today is my birthday and I’m still recovering a little from last night’s pre-birthday festivities. I’ll be recovering from tonight’s birthday festivities tomorrow and then New Year’s Eve festivities on Tuesday. If anyone knows how to bump your name up on the liver replacement list, I’m all ears.

We kind of suck

Let’s face it: the Ravens are probably going to lose their 10th straight decision today. In case you missed the last 9 games, we kind of suck. It’s so bad that loyal season ticket holders are selling tickets to the terrible towel-toting tools in Black and Gold. And let me tell you — there’s nothing I hate more than seeing those f*cking towels waving in our house.

All pleasantries aside, if the Steelers jump out to an early lead, it’ll turn into a home game for them as Ravens fans head for the turnstiles.

What’s at stake

For one team, a complete sweep of the division. For another, a complete shut-out by division foes.

For one team, the possibility of the #3 seed in the AFC (with a Steelers win and a Chargers loss). For another team, pride.

For me, I just want to see an entertaining game. Today is my birthday and I would like to at least see the Ravens put up a fight. However, something tells me that the team was done by week 10 and are just going through the motions. We’ll see.

Calling off the dogs

The Steelers will be rolling in to town with some notables missing. According to Die Hard Steel, the worthy Steelers blog counterpart on the Sports Cartel Blog Network, QB Ben Roethlisberger will sit and QB Charlie Batch will start, LT Marvel Smith is out with back surgery and T Max Starks will start in Smith’s stead. It’s also looking like SS Troy Polamalu and QB Blower-Upper/Steelers’ team MVP LB James “Silverback” Harrison will be watching form the sidelines, too. Pro Bowl RB Willie Parker will also sit, as I’m sure he can’t put much weight on his foot.

Thank the deity of your choosing that James Harrison won’t be starting on Sunday. In week 9, on Monday Night Football, Harrison destroyed the Steve McNair/Kyle Boller fumble factory like the firebombing of Dresden in WWII. In one of the most dominant defensive performances I’ve ever seen, Harrison recorded 9 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 1 interception.

Roethlisberger is also sitting. In the same salt-in-wound Monday Night Football game, Roethlisberger threw for 5 scores in the first half, spotting the Steelers to a 35-7 halftime lead. Against the Rams in week 16, Roethlisberger had his 3rd career perfect passer rating game (158.3). I like to bag on Big Ben, but it’s looking like I’ll have to eat a hot plate of crow: he’s *gulp* having a monster season and deserves all the accolades.

The Ravens, on the other hand, will be without a lot of notables due to injury. QB Kyle Boller (head), TE Todd Heap (thigh), RB Willis McGahee (chest), S Gerome Sapp (thigh), TE Quinn Sypniewski (head), TE Daniel Wilcox (thigh) and WR Demetrius Williams (ankle) are listed as Out on the team injury report. RB Mike Anderson (thigh), WR Mark Clayton (back) LB Ray Lewis (back) are listed as Questionable. LB Edgar Jones (foot) and T Jonathan Ogden (thigh) as Probable.

Without our top 3 tight ends, it looks like it’s up to Lee Vickers. Did I just type that?

Prediction

We’ll see more of the same as the Ravens stumble, fumble and flail our way to our 10th straight loss. Garbage time continues to be our friend, as we score the only meaningful points of the game late in the 4th quarter.

We’ve now gone 76 games since the last Ravens victory.  Bring on the draft!