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Ravens-Steelers has, for many years, been typified by a smashmouth football game with much at stake for both teams. This year, only the Steelers are in the playoff mix, and they're doing it with one of the league's most explosive offenses. This week's five stats that stand out focus heavily on the Steelers' passing game, the Ravens' ability to stop them, and of course, the injuries that have hampered the Ravens this season but haven't slowed Pittsburgh.
2,162: In 10 games with Ben Roethlisberger this season, Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown has 99 catches for 1,351 yards. That puts him on a 16-game pace of 158 catches and 2,162 yards. Both would be NFL records for a single season by a wide margin. In total this year, including games started by Mike Vick and Landry Jones, Brown has an impressive 1,586 yards, propelled by last week's 16-catch, 189-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Denver Broncos. The Ravens will have their hands full with Brown and the Steelers receiving corps, but none more so than Brown, who caught five passes for 42 yards last time he played coordinator Dean Pees' defense.
9: The Ravens have seven rushing touchdowns as a team this season, and nine players in the NFL have as many or more on their own so far — Jeremy Hill (Cincinnati Bengals, 10), Devonta Freeman (Atlanta Falcons, 10), DeAngelo Williams (Pittsburgh Steelers, nine), Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings, nine), Todd Gurley (St. Louis Rams, nine), Chris Ivory (New York Jets, seven), Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers, seven), Lamar Miller (Miami Dolphins, seven) and David Johnson (Arizona Cardinals, seven). Such have been the Ravens' struggles running the ball. Of their nine touchdowns from inside the 5-yard line, five have been through the air.
19: Pittsburgh far-and-away leads the NFL in passing plays of 40 yards or longer, with 19 this season. No other team has more than 13. Brown has eight of those catches, with one going for a touchdown. Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton have five and four, respectively, with two deep touchdowns apiece. Ravens coach John Harbaugh joked that the Steelers don't try to sustain drives — they just throw deep. They'll do the same Sunday against a Ravens defense tied for 12th in the NFL in that category (10) and that might be more susceptible to such passing plays with Jimmy Smith hobbled by a thigh injury.
63: For all the talk of the Ravens' 54 games lost by starters on injured reserve this season, the Steelers have lost 61 games from starters because of injuries or suspensions, with 11 of their 22 starters missing at least one game . Center Mike Pouncey hasn't played all season, while cornerback Cortez Allen has played only once. Among others to miss time are running back Le'Veon Bell (eight games), Roethlisberger (four), and inside linebacker Ryan Shazier (four). Coach Mike Tomlin said a team with playoff aspirations needs to persevere through injuries without missing a beat. Only one, the 9-5 Steelers, has done so this year.
345: The Ravens' early-season interception drought stretched 69 drives and 378 opponent plays between the Week 3 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and the Week 10 loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars before Lardarius Webb snapped the streak in that game. The current stretch is nearly as long, spanning 65 drives and 345 plays since then. Harbaugh has talked a lot about putting the defensive backs in better positions, but that will be tough Sunday.