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How a bunch of 'Garbage Men' saved Big Ben

by Alex Marvez Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com. He's covered the NFL for 14 seasons as a beat writer and is the president of the Pro Football Writers of America. PITTSBURGH - To understand how far the Steelers' offensive line has come entering Sunday's AFC championship game against Baltimore, let's revisit its postgame celebration after an overtime victory against the Ravens in late September. There was none. Pittsburgh's running game could only muster 69 yards with a 2.5-yard average. Ben Roethlisberger was sacked three times and repeatedly hammered by Ravens defenders, leaving the Steelers quarterback steaming even though his team had just posted a 23-20 win. "Ben came in and wrang our butts," said Steelers right tackle Willie Colon, whose unit had surrendered nine sacks the previous game against Philadelphia. "We deserved that. He probably should have called us more names because we weren't playing good at all." No need. There were already enough darts being thrown by Steelers fans and media that believed a leaky line was going to get Roethlisberger injured and sink the team's Super Bowl chances. "They definitely heard the criticism whether they wanted to or not," said Pittsburgh fullback Carey Davis, whose locker at Steelers headquarters is alongside the linemen's. "Some guys might have gotten down but they said, 'The hell with it. We're going to get together and be the best offensive line we can be.' " That "best" isn't half bad.

Even as the Ravens return to Pittsburgh with the same vicious defense, Roethlisberger has far less reason to fear for his well-being. A revamped Steelers line can no longer be considered a liability, not after a season of gradual improvement that continued with last Sunday's 35-24 playoff thumping of San Diego. The unit paved the way for a 146-yard, two touchdown rushing performance by Willie Parker and kept Roethlisberger's jersey almost spotless by allowing just one sack in 27 pass attempts. That protection was especially important with Roethlisberger coming off a spinal concussion suffered in the regular-season finale against Cleveland. The line's upswing began when the current first- teamers -- left tackle Max Starks, left guard Chris Kemoeatu, center Justin Hartwig, right guard Darnell Stapleton and Colon -- started playing together. In the final 11 regular-season games, Pittsburgh averaged 324.8 yards with Roethlisberger being sacked a modest 28 times. In the first five contests, Roethlisberger went down 18 times and the Steelers averaged roughly 40 fewer yards. "They're working better together," Ravens defensive tackle Justin Bannan said. "I noticed that the last time we played them (in December). They've changed a few things and done a good job with that." On paper, that shouldn't have happened after the Steelers lost both of their best linemen. Right guard Kendall Simmons tore his Achilles'

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tendon in the Week 4 win against Baltimore. The next game, left tackle Marvel Smith suffered a back injury that ended his season. This left a group that no cell phone user -- especially Roethlisberger -- would want in their Fab Five. Roethlisberger already was sacked 99 times the previous two seasons combined, the result of shaky protection and his penchant for holding onto the football too long while seeking open receivers. It seemed like Big Ben might fall that many times in 2008 alone, especially after suffering a shoulder injury in the season-opener against Houston. Kemoeatu wasn't the same caliber guard as Alan Faneca, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection who joined the New York Jets as a free agent in the offseason. Before replacing Simmons, Stapleton had appeared in just one NFL game since signing with Pittsburgh as an undrafted college free agent in 2007. Hartwig was a free-agent upgrade at center but he isn't the second coming of Mike Webster. Colon was considered a solid starter and nothing more. The lack of all-stars fits with the "Garbage Men" nickname Starks has given the group. Of course, that makes Starks the equivalent of Oscar the Grouch. Starks became the most well known of Pittsburgh's linemen after Faneca's departure but for the wrong reason. The fifth-year veteran symbolized the unit's underachieving performance, failing to crack the starting lineup despite having signed a one-year, $6.9 million contract as Pittsburgh's transition-tag player. Starks was instead used on special teams and as a third tight end until being tabbed to replace the injured Smith. Since then, Starks has done surprisingly well protecting Roethlisberger's blindside. "A lot of people came to me with that (criticism) and I didn't listen to it," Starks said. "Anything I was asked to do, I did it with a smile. I wanted to contribute and help my team be successful. When I had the opportunity to play left tackle, I really relished it and now feel really comfortable over there." Such comfort didn't just come from practice repetitions. The entire Steelers line began spending just as much time building chemistry off the field. "We pretty much do everything together — eat, watch film, the whole nine yards," Stapleton said. "We're

young. Most of us don't have families so we have time we can spend together. "It's a group that loves one another. We're like brothers. If one person needs something, the other person is more than willing to help." Hartwig, the senior member of the group, began taking on more of a leadership role. Roethlisberger even pitched in, taking the entire line on a November trip to Chicago to celebrate Hartwig's 30th birthday. "It's a bunch of guys leaning on each other," said Colon, who is in his second year as a starter. "We understand we were in deep water as a unit. Every time you watched (TV), you saw Ben getting sacked or something bad happening. Guys would say, 'What the hell is the line doing?' "We take that and wear it. We don't like to wear it but we do." That same line will be wearing Super Bowl rings if the Steelers keep rolling. But even should Pittsburgh fall short, these "Garbage Men" have proven they aren't trash. "It really feels good for all five of us to have become one," Starks said.

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SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL

Steelers Playoff Xtra: Steelers, Ravens a monster rivalryFriday, January 16, 2009

Nothing spells showdown like Sunday's clash between the Steelers and Ravens for the AFC Championship and a trip to Super Bowl XLIII. View larger version

Page 1 of 2Steelers Playoff Xtra: Steelers, Ravens a monster rivalry

1/16/2009http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09016/942152-66.stm

First published on January 16, 2009 at 12:00 am

Our pregame coverage of Sunday's AFC Championship game at Heinz Field leading off with a look at some of the Steelers' legendary foes and feuds as they prepare to take the field against the archrival Baltimore Ravens to decide which team will advance to Super Bowl XLIII.

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2008 season in photos.Online features

Steelers fan photos Steelers fan forum Blog 'N' Gold Chat: Tuesday & Thursday Daily Steelers Q&A Steeler Nation page PG video: Steelers Report Video: Terrell Suggs | Ray Lewis (Baltimore Sun) Cheer cards

Steelers vs. Ravens latest in a long tradition offootball feuds It is not easy to find a rivalry in the National Football League to compare to the combustible one between the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, a modern-day clash of titans that could amp to another contentious level when the two teams from the AFC North meet at 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the AFC Championship game at Heinz Field.

A roster of red hot rivalries Ron Cook: Mentioning Ward heats up rivalry Gene Collier: Turnovers equal disaster when

you play Ravens Bull's-eye on Santonio Holmes? James Farrior: The Quiet Riot Steelers Notebook: Seriously, Troy Polamalu's

calf feeling just fine Ray Lewis: The heart and soul of Baltimore Head to Head: Ravens LT Jared Gaither vs.

Steelers LB James Harrison Matchup: Steelers vs. Ravens View from Baltimore: Ravens need to keep all

LBs Baltimore and Pittsburgh -- Tale of two cities

reveals a lot in common Pittsburgh, Baltimore butt heads on film, TV Avoid the chill, walk underground to Steeler

Nation rally Viewer's Guide: Cowher the CBS analyst speaks

from experience NFC Championship: Western Pennsylvania

shaped the Cardinals' Breaston, Wells NFC Championship: Getting in synch with a

powerful defense is key for Eagles' offensive unit

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Page 2 of 2Steelers Playoff Xtra: Steelers, Ravens a monster rivalry



Cover story: Steelers vs. Ravens latest in a long tradition of football feudsFriday, January 16, 2009 By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Defensive end Aaron Smith stands over top of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco after a sack Dec. 14 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

No lawsuits have emanated from the series, legal discord being a good barometer of the enmity between two rivals. No tight end has been clubbed over the head by the local police on the eve of this AFC playoff game.

There have been no forearm shivers to the head, no charges of a criminal element, no bull's-eye superimposed on the star receiver in a newspaper, no greased jerseys or claims or deflated footballs with cryptic messages scribbled on them, no accusations of torn, frozen tarps and icy fields, not even a public relations person tackling a TV cameraman at the team hotel.

Heck, the closest thing the series has to the Immaculate Reception is a debatable 4-yard touchdown pass last month that either did or did not break the plane of the goal line, depending on your rooting interest. The Immaculate Perception?

It is not easy to find a rivalry in the National Football League to compare to the combustible one between the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, a modern-day tete-a-tete that could amp to another contentious level when the two teams from the AFC North meet at 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the AFC Championship game at Heinz Field.

"Pure hatred for one another," Hines Ward said earlier this week, describing the feelings.

But, in the next breath, Ward uttered a more succinct clarification of the temperature that, real or imagined, permeates the rivalry.

"It's not like we're going to go outside the stadium and fight each other," said the four-time Pro Bowl receiver who has been involved in 20 of these meetings with the Ravens, only once before in the playoffs. "It's not going to be any of that."

No, they already did that.

Back in 2003, an injured Joey Porter, upset that some of the Ravens' players mocked his trademark "boot kick" while he was on the sideline nursing a gunshot wound, went to the Ravens' team bus and challenged their top dog, Ray Lewis, to get off and fight.

A year earlier, wide receiver Plaxico Burress and Ravens cornerback James Trapp were ejected from a game in Baltimore when Burress took exception to an aggressive play by Trapp. The play? Trapp stomped on his head while Burress was on the ground.

Make no mistake, Sarah Palin likes Katie Couric a whole lot more than the Steelers like the Ravens.

Page 1 of 4Cover story: Steelers vs. Ravens latest in a long tradition of football feuds


"It's the nature of the two football teams," said quarterback Byron Leftwich, a veteran of six NFL seasons but in his first with the Steelers. "You watch the way we play and watch the way they play, and you just say, man if those two teams ever play each other that will be a very violent football game. And that's what you have.

"When you think of the Steelers and you think of Baltimore, the first thing that comes into your head is violence."

Fans or not, Leftwich said, "at 6:30, if they're not at this game, they're going to be watching. I don't care where they are, evenWyoming or North Dakota."

But, even at its nasty epicenter, the tension between the Steelers and Ravens -- "Me and Ray Lewis won't go out to eat after the games, you can count on that," Ward said -- can't even begin to touch the bitterness that framed maybe the most rancorous rivalry of all: The Steelers and Oakland Raiders of the 1970s, a five-year cage match that made Steelers-Ravens look like a neighborhood spat on "Desperate Housewives."

"Not even in the same league," said Steelers chairman Dan Rooney, one of the few people to experience both.

Love-hate relationship

The Steelers have had several memorable rivalries in their storied lifetime, maybe none more captivating than the one with Bum Phillips and the Houston Oilers.

No matter how hard they tried, the Oilers just couldn't kick down the imaginary door their folksy, southern-fried coach thrust in front of them -- the one that ran through Pittsburgh and led to the Super Bowl.

"We didn't hate them," Phillips said the other day from his Texas ranch. "We respected them and loved them. It was more like, 'If we didn't win, I hope you win.' That's the way we felt about them."

When the Steelers won the Super Bowl in 1978 and 1979, they defeated the Oilers, their division rival, each time in the AFCchampionship game at Three Rivers Stadium. Each time, the Oilers had beaten the Steelers once in the regular season.

"We split with them, but we didn't split with them in the big game when all the marbles were on the table," Phillips said.

Two decades later, along came the New England Patriots, and the roles were reversed. They kicked down the door twice -- both times at Heinz Field -- standing in the way of the Steelers making trips to the Super Bowl in 2001 and again in 2004, despite being heavy favorites.

"I just remember seeing those guys, the captains at the coin toss -- [Patriots linebacker] Bryan Cox and Joey Porter, going back and forth," said former Patriots receiver Troy Brown, who had a monumental role in the outcome of the 2001 AFC championship game, won by New England, 24-17. "It was one of those games, just a lot of talking going on, a lot of hype going on. And we weren't expected to come in there and win."

The Patriots already had a little playoff history with the Steelers, beating them 28-3 in the divisional playoff round in 1996, a game remembered for a heavy fog hovering above the field in Foxborough, Mass. But, to do it in 2001, and then do it again three years later in another conference championship game at Heinz Field, quickly turned the Patriots into the Steelers' kryptonite.

"2001, yeah â€¦ That was probably my favorite one," Brown said. "I hated the Steelers growing up. I was a Cowboys fan. They would beat the heck out of the Cowboys every time they faced 'em."

Not so with the Patriots.

Brown made sure of that in 2001. He returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown, one play after the Steelers were forced to punt again because of a penalty against receiver Troy Edwards. He also picked up a blocked 34-yard field-goal attempt by Kris Brown and lateralled to linebacker Antwaan Harris for a 49-yard touchdown return. On top of that, he caught eight passes for 121 yards.

"A lot of get-back for beating my Cowboys like they did," Brown said.

Still, none of that compared to the Steelers-Raiders.

Raiders rivalry

Beginning with the Immaculate Reception game in 1972 and lasting to 1976, the Steelers and Raiders, non-division



opponents, met nine times -- five of those in the playoffs.

And it wasn't even Franco Harris' improbable touchdown that set the tone.

The night before the game, Raiders tight end Bob Moore was trying to work his way through a crowd of people to get back inside the Downtown Hilton, where the Raiders were staying. But, in a case of mistaken identity, Moore got into a dispute and ended up being clubbed over the head by Pittsburgh police.

"That was the beginning of the Steelers-Raiders rivalry," Moore was quoted as saying years later. "That set the tempo."

The Steelers were 5-4, including 3-2 in playoff games, in that five-year period against the Raiders. They beat them back-to-back years in the AFC championship game (1974-75), then lost to the Raiders in the conference championship in 1976, a game in which the Steelers were without both their 1,000-yard running backs, Harris and Rocky Bleier, because of injuries.

But, for all the acridity that hung over the series like a storm cloud, former Steelers linebacker Andy Russell said the team never let the emotion interfere with the task at hand: Beat the Raiders.

"You can't allow your emotion to get you too charged up," Russell said. "Every time I got too emotional I made mistakes. You have to get the emotion out of the game and use your brain. Every time you want to hit someone harder, you miss the tackle, you over-extend."

Nonetheless, when a rivalry can escalate to a lawsuit, that, perhaps, is the ultimate indicator that a series harbors significant resentment.

In 1976, a day following the season-opening game in which Raiders cornerback George Atkinson delivered a forearm to the head of receiver Lynn Swann, giving him a concussion, former coach Chuck Noll referred to a "criminal element" in the league and said players such as Atkinson, who hit Swann while he was running a pattern, should be "kicked out of the league." Rooney even referred to Atkinson's blow to the head as "a cowardly act" and sent film clips to commissioner Pete Rozelle showing how the Raiders committed "premeditated" attacks on Swann. Atkinson sued Noll and the Steelers for defamation, but lost in a jury trial.

"I've never seen anything comparable to the Steelers-Raiders," said former Steelers publicist Joe Gordon, who even got himself involved in the tension of the rivalry. "It was intense as any in the NFL."

So was the PR guy.

Before the 1976 AFC championship game in Oakland, Gordon got into an altercation with a Bay Area TV cameraman who wanted to interview Swann when the Steelers arrived at the team hotel. Even though he was irritated that a local newspaper ran a picture that week of Swann with a bull's-eye superimposed over the wide receiver, Gordon said he would try to arrange the interview.

But, when an exchange of words ensued, Gordon grabbed the cameraman and tackled him to the ground. The next day, Nollwas asked at a news conference if his two injured backs, Harris and Bleier, were ready for the game.

"I don't know about Rocky and Franco," Noll said. "But Joe's ready."

The Ravens chapter

"I'd say that [Steelers-Raiders] rivalry might have been nastier because the rules were different," cornerback Bryant McFadden said.

McFadden, 27, was born in 1981, five years after the Steelers-Raiders rivalry reached its zenith. But he is something of an NFL historian, a player who knows, and embraces, much of the league's storied past.

"Those guys used forearms and clothesline tackles and used to hit with their heads and everything like that," he said. "There was a lot more bodily danger then."

Don't tell that to rookie running back Rashard Mendenhall, who suffered a fractured scapula -- an injury more closely associated with car accidents -- after a hit by Lewis Sept. 29 at Heinz Field. Or Ward, whom Ravens linebacker Bart Scott threatened to "kill" following a vicious block by Ward in a game at Heinz Field last year. Ward also was the target of a supposed public "bounty" placed on him by linebacker Terrell Suggs.

"You run a little harder, you hit a little harder, you play a little nastier in this game," inside linebacker Larry Foote said.



"Now, cheap shots, there's nothing like that, nothing dirty. But when you got an opportunity to hit someone, you don't miss it in this game. Other games, you might go, 'Oh, man, I should have de-cleated him.' This game, you don't hear too many guys say Oh-I-should-have. It's good on good."

And sometimes bad on bad.



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Bull's-eye on Holmes? His disputed game-winning touchdown reception against Ravens was one of his many big plays this season Friday, January 16, 2009 By Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

Santonio Holmes returns a punt back for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Chargers Sunday.

Santonio Holmes still hasn't crossed that line. No, not that goal-line. Officials in M&T Bank Stadium declared him over that plane Dec. 14, even if the Ravens and Baltimore fans aren't over his game-winning touchdown reception with the clock showing :43 -- which just so happens to be the upcoming Super Bowl's designation.

Rather, he by all accounts still hasn't crossed that boundary -- there aren't any reports of the Ravens having a bounty on Holmes.

Rather, by all accounts, he hasn't crossed the line that might prompt the Ravens to put a bounty on him. Early in the season Baltimore's Terrell Suggs bragged that the Ravens put bounties on Hines Ward and rookie running back Rashard Mendenhall during Pittsburgh's 23-20 overtime win at Heinz Field on Sept. 29. During that game, Ray Lewis' hard hit gave Mendenhall a season-ending shoulder injury. Mendenhall had angered the Ravens by saying beforehand he anticipated having a big game.

"No, I doubt that," Holmes, the Steelers' second-leading receiver said, yesterday about the Ravens possibly targeting him. "I've been asked interview questions over the phone. They've asked me where do I think I stand against this defense on having a bounty out. They said I'm probably one of the last guys that [the Ravens] worry about. No one in particular said it, but that was just the quote."

So you heard it here first. Sort of.

After all, the 5-foot-11, 189-pound, third-year receiver known as Tone made that catch in the final minute of Game 14 an indisputable point. The rest, about whether he actually broke the plane on that 4-yarder and capped the 12-play, 92-yard, last-ditch drive in what became a 13-9 Steelers victory, Ravens folks may argue.

Holmes won't.

Yes, he reiterated, he did know at the time where he stood, on the precipice of the end zone. He made the reception moving forward for a reason, too.

"I felt as if [had] I caught the ball and fell backwards, one of those guys probably would have hit me in the back and jarred the ball loose," Holmes explained. "So I tried to stay away from them, avoid contact."

Page 1 of 2Bull's-eye on Holmes?


Asked (by a Baltimore reporter, for the record) if he thought his hands were on the goal-line when they cradled the football, Holmes said, "I didn't really pay attention. I kind of felt that I was close enough to the line. But once I tucked the ball in, I'm pretty sure that's when the refs gave me the touchdown."

Of his three catches that evening, of his 55 this season for 821 yards and five touchdowns (all second to Ward) plus a team-best 14.9 yards per catch, that one figures to get replayed a few trillion times this weekend. And that's just Baltimore television and YouTube.com watchers alone.

Holmes certainly has flashed into the public consciousness this season, either by the hot spotlight of big plays or by the glare of a pre-Halloween police matter.

On Oct. 23, Pittsburgh police pulled over Holmes' sport utility vehicle near Mellon Arena and found inside three marijuana-filled blunt cigars. He admitted to police he smoked marijuana in the SUV a day earlier. Coach Mike Tomlin deactivated himfrom the game that weekend against the defending world-champion New York Giants.

The next week, Holmes caught four passes, including the game-closing touchdown at Washington. In fact, he caught a minimum of four in each of the next four games.

Last Sunday, he sparked the Steelers from a 7-0 deficit with a 67-yard punt return that set a club playoff record. He added two catches for 25 yards in a 35-24 triumph over San Diego. Now comes Baltimore (13-5) again, 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Heinz Field.

"This is the road to the Super Bowl," added Holmes.

"It comes down to who wants it more, who's going to play harder, who's going to play longer, who's going to finish the gameout, who's going to score points on who's whose defense.

"We want to try to come out and score touchdowns early in the game so we don't have to worry about, you know, when it comes down to the fourth quarter."



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Page 2 of 2Bull's-eye on Holmes?



Matchup: Steelers vs. RavensFriday, January 16, 2009 By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

Mike Tomlin jumps into the celebration as teammates mob Jeff Reed after he kicked a winning field goal in overtime against the Ravens Sept. 29.

Game plan

What the Steelers will do: The return to form of RB Willie Parker and the impact he has on the offense is not to be discounted. Parker had 146 yards against the Chargers and scored on runs of 3 and 16 yards. And the Ravens had trouble with Tennessee's Chris Johnson, a back similar to Parker, allowing him 72 yards rushing on 11 carries before he was injured last week. With a renewed running game, QB Ben Roethlisberger will not be afraid to take chances downfield against Ravens CBs Fabian Washington or Samari Rolle, especially in single coverage.

What the Ravens will do: As calm and poised as QB Joe Flacco looked in the first meeting against the Steelers, that's how confused and ineffective he was in the rematch in Baltimore, passing for 115 yards with two interceptions and a passer ratingof 22.2. Flacco has completed 44.4 percent of his passes and thrown only one touchdown in the postseason, but he has not thrown an interception and made big throws in key situations. A big question is the health of RB Le'Ron McClain (sprained ankle). McClain has rushed for 150 yards in two games against the Steelers.

Keep an eye on ...

S Ed Reed: In a game featuring two All-Pro safeties, Reed might be the best big-play safety in NFL history. After intercepting a league-high nine passes in the regular season, including six in the final four games, he has two more picks in the postseason, one for a 64-yard touchdown return against the Miami Dolphins. It was Reed's third interception return for touchdown this season.

Data

Game: Baltimore Ravens (13-5) at Steelers (13-4).

When: 6:30 p.m.

Where: Heinz Field.

TV: KDKA.

Radio: WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970).

Intangibles

The Ravens have won 11 of their past 13 games and are 7-3 on the road this season, including 2-0 in playoffs. But they lost both meetings against the Steelers this season and have lost seven of eight games at Heinz Field, including a 2001 playoff game. The Steelers are 1-4 in their past AFC championship games at home, including 0-2 at Heinz Field.

Page 1 of 2Matchup: Steelers vs. Ravens


Keys to victory

To win, the Ravens must ...

1. Have Flacco be no ordinary Joe. The rookie QB will have to make plays in the passing game if the Ravens are to beat their rival.

2. Watch out for the James Gang. The Ravens will have to account for Steelers linebackers James Harrison and James Farrior.

3. Feed off Reed. Despite leading the league in picks, Reed doesn't have an interception in his past five games against the Steelers.

To win, the Steelers must ...

1. Be Raven-ous with the run.The Steelers haven't rushed for more than 100 yards against the Ravens since October 2005

2. Chain McClain. The Steelers led the NFL in yards per rush attempt, and they held the Chargers to a franchise postseason-record 15 yards rushing.

3. Keep the nose clean. NT Haloti Ngata can dominate opposing centers and leads the Ravens' defensive linemen with 77 tackles.




Page 2 of 2Matchup: Steelers vs. Ravens



James Farrior: The Quiet RiotSteelers linebacker James Farrior doesn't have Baltimore star Ray Lewis' flamboyance, but he's every bit the competitor Friday, January 16, 2009 By Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

James Farrior stops the Bengals' Cedric Benson for no gain Nov. 20.

You see him preening. You see him thumping his chest. You see him ranting and raving and raising his Baltimore team. All skullcap and stare and roiling passion, Ray Lewis is an image seared into the NFL consciousness, a freeze frame of the game's most menacing middle linebacker.

Now picture the Steelers' James Farrior.

You know, the guy they call Potsie.

Never saw him dance or gesticulate or do much more than quietly, efficiently steer the league's leading defense. Never saw him hoist his unit, his team, with an overt display of emotion, though teammates maintain they wouldn't be as sturdy without their restrained inside linebacker. Never saw him gain the same wide-eyed attention as Lewis, either.

"I got to work on my dance moves," Farrior joked earlier this week, his Steelers preparing to confront Lewis and the Ravens Sunday for the AFC championship and a ticket to the Super Bowl. The joke lasted, oh, five seconds. "That's not me. That's not me."

"Complete opposite," added defensive end Aaron Smith, whose locker is next door. "Potsie's very reserved and laid back."

"He's not as animated as Ray Lewis," continued Larry Foote, Farrior's inside-linebacker sidekick for the past five seasons. "But, you know, that's just their personalities. Farrior's a quiet, consistent guy. And he's been leading this defense since I've been here."

Since 2002, when Foote arrived in the draft and Farrior via free agency after five seasons with the New York Jets, the Steelers' defense has been called, conducted and controlled by the same man in the middle. He has topped the team in tackles four of the past five years, the other being 2005 when he missed two starts to injury -- and still finished second.

He has topped the acclaimed Lewis three of the past four years in tackles and sacks and surpassed him three of the past five years in forced fumbles and fumbles recovered. But Farrior's number of Pro Bowls? Counting this year's, two, compared to Lewis' 10 in 13 seasons. Farrior's number of Defensive Player of the Year Awards? He finished No. 2 to Lewis' Ravens teammate Ed Reed in 2004, compared to Lewis' two first places.

Not that Lewis is undeserving. Not that Farrior is under-heralded, if not unheralded. It's just that some Steelers believe there shouldn't exist such a gulf in perception between them.

"Aw, ain't no doubt about it," Foote began. "I mean, I'm a little better than [Farrior], but people don't see it that way." The joke lasted, oh, two seconds. "But he's definitely one of the top linebackers, right along with Ray Lewis."

Page 1 of 2James Farrior: The Quiet Riot


Farrior, who owns 931 career regular-season tackles to Lewis' 911 in one less season, places Lewis on a considerably higher pedestal. And, to him, there's good reason.

"No doubt about it. He's kept that team intact for the past so many years," Farrior said of the 13-year veteran drafted in the first round in 1996. "He's always been the leader of that team. Offensively, defensively, he's the guy. The work that he's put in is pretty remarkable. He's a Hall of Fame player. I really admire his game. I think he's one of the best middle linebackers to ever play the game."

Here they are, confronting one another Sunday through their respective first- and second-ranked defenses in the NFL to see which gets the opportunity to play in a second Super Bowl. Lewis is 33. Farrior turned 34 last week.

"Both of them are old," said Foote, 27. "I always sort of modeled myself after [Farrior], that's how long I want to play. But I don't know if I want to go quite as long as he's going.

"That's why he got that [five-year, $18.2-million] contract at that age," Foote added of Farrior's extension in August. "Because he ain't slowed down yet. You got to slow down before the negotiation table starts to go against you."

It's something Farrior admittedly learned at his advanced inside-linebacker age.

"It's hard, it's hard. But you got to do a better job in the offseason taking care of your body," he said. "You know, that's one of the things I've done over the years, taking great care of my body and trying to get in the best shape I could in the offseason. That's probably been a key for me." And you see that No. 51, in turn, has been a key to the Steelers' drive.

"[No.] 52 and his crazy dancing?" tackle Max Starks joked of Lewis. "I'd just like to see some different moves. It's kind of stale."

Chuck Finder can be reached at [email protected].




Page 2 of 2James Farrior: The Quiet Riot



Steelers Notebook: Seriously, Polamalu's calf feeling just fine Steelers select Woodson, Dawson for honorary roles Friday, January 16, 2009 By Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

After practice yesterday, Troy Polamalu's first response was: The calf was killing him. Didn't know if he could play Sunday.

Now the real story.

"It felt good out there," the Steelers' Pro Bowl safety said, returning to his customary serious, straightforward approach. "I practiced normally."

Polamalu hurt the calf in pregame warmups Sunday, but played well enough to make three tackles and show no ill affects from the injury. He was listed as fully participating in practice yesterday and is expected to remain in the starting lineup for the AFC championship game against Baltimore at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Heinz Field.

Center Justin Hartwig said he expects to be in the lineup, although he still hasn't returned to full practice. He was listed as limited after working lightly yesterday, with right guard Darnell Stapleton working at center and backup Trai Essex replacing Stapleton.

"I'm sure I'll practice a little [Friday]," Hartwig said after practice yesterday.

Meanwhile, the banged-up Ravens -- who haven't had an off week since the season's second week -- continued to have key players limited in practice, with standout outside linebacker Terrell Suggs noticeably absent.

Suggs, who sustained a sprained his right shoulder in recording his 10th sack of the regular season and playoffs Saturday, missed practice yesterday and is wearing a sling.

Besides Suggs, missing a second consecutive day of Ravens practice were cornerback Samari Rolle (thigh), receivers Mark Clayton (thigh) and Derrick Mason (knee) and defensive tackle Justin Bannan (foot). Listed as participating in a limited fashion yesterday were linebacker Ray Lewis (shoulder), safety Ed Reed (knee), tight end Todd Heap (back), fullback Le'Ron McClain (ankle), fullback Lorenzo Neal (shoulder) and linebacker Jarret Johnson (calf).

Honorary captains

The Steelers already stole one from the Ravens. Rod Woodson, who started out and starred with them from 1987-96, but earned a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens, will serve as one of the Steelers' honorary co-captains Sunday. He will be joined by former teammate Dermontti Dawson. The two former Steelers greats are among the 15 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists.

While at work as an NFL Network analyst Wednesday, Woodson joked on the air that the Steelers personally invited him, but he could yet hear from Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti.

Troy admires Ed

This may be a heated rivalry, but Polamalu has nothing but respect to his Ravens counterpart, Reed.

"I've told him many times, 'You're the greatest safety to play the game,' " Polamalu said of Reed. "I've told him that to his face.

"We all learn from each other. And I think we learn more from him. He makes big plays. Whenever you see him have a one-interception game, it's disappointing. 'He only got one? He must be injured.' "

Tough go for Parker

Willie Parker has been one of the NFL's young, emerging running backs â€" but not against the Ravens. In six career

Page 1 of 2Steelers Notebook: Seriously, Polamalu's calf feeling just fine


meetings against the Ravens, Parker is averaging just 43.7 yards per game and has never gained more than 63 yards nor scored a rushing touchdown.

His ability to run against the Ravens Sunday could determine whether the Ravens or the Steelers will represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla., next month.

Reed said the Ravens' run defense's success is grounded in the unit's defensive linemen and linebackers.

"The front seven [is] doing a great job," he said. "It's not just with Willie Parker, it's just with running backs in general. We take pride in stopping the run, but it's a totally different game now. Willie Parker is looking a lot healthier. He's running the ball a lot tougher, a lot harder. So, we've definitely got to step our game up."

Parker looked good Sunday, powering his way to 146 yards and two touchdowns in the Steelers' 35-24 victory against the San Diego Chargers.

Parker has caught the attention of Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who said,

"You saw in that San Diego game, he hit that corner and got around it. That's what we have to do -- we have to set our edges and make sure that we can keep him in and box him in."

Parker recognizes the difficulty of facing a Ravens run defense that has not surrendered 100 yards to an opposing running back in the last 36 games.

"They're stingy," Parker said. "The thing about the Ravens is they are going to fight like we are going to fight."

Those guys again?

Ravens defensive end Trevor Pryce will be playing in his fourth AFC championship game, and for the third time, the opponent is Pittsburgh.

"That's really bizarre to me," said Pryce, who played for the Denver Broncos when they beat the Steelers in 1998 and lost to them in 2005.

"I guess I'm always looking at them every time I see the schedule, and I'm like, 'Here we go again.'"

Staff writers Ed Bouchette, Bob Dvorchak and the Baltimore Sun contributed to this report.




Page 2 of 2Steelers Notebook: Seriously, Polamalu's calf feeling just fine



Head to Head: Ravens LT Jared Gaither vs. Steelers LB James HarrisonA closer look at the game within the game Friday, January 16, 2009

In a struggling economy where finding the best deal has become a daily obsession, the Steelers have uncovered a blue-light special with double coupons.

His name is James Harrison, and he's the best value in the NFL.

In two years as a starter at right outside linebacker, Harrison has already been selected to two Pro Bowls, was named to the All-Pro first team and selected as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year after setting a club record for sacks on the NFL's No. 1 defense.

And he's doing it while playing on a four-year, $5.5 million contract he signed in 2006 when he was a backup to Joey Porter,a deal that will pay him $1.2 million this season and $1.4 million in 2009. Modest, if not cheap, numbers for one of the dominating defensive players in the league.

Especially when two other linebackers in the AFC championship game -- Baltimore's Terrell Suggs ($8 million) and Ray Lewis ($7.8 million) -- will make more than six times the amount Harrison will be paid this season.

"Ain't that a shame?" inside linebacker Larry Foote said when told of the disparity. "But [the money] will be there."

Harrison has one year left on his contract, and extending his deal will be a priority in the offseason. Sunday, he will be a top priority for the Ravens, too, but for another reason:

They haven't found a way to stop him in two years.

"He plays well against everyone, but he's had some huge games against Baltimore," defensive end Brett Keisel said.

In the past two home games against the Ravens, Harrison has 6 sacks, 17 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery and 1interception.

Ravens left tackle Jared Gaither gets to rediscover what he and the rest of the NFL already know: Blocking Harrison is like trying to block the tropical sun with SPF 15 lotion.

"I think it's because they cut him," Foote said. "They didn't give him a shot. But that's probably why he's so crazy and hard on people around here. We cut him three or four times. He's mad at the world."

The Ravens likely aren't laughing. They signed Harrison in 2002, allocated him to the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe, then cut him six months later without giving him a look in training camp.

The Steelers were more fortunate. After cutting him three times, they re-signed Harrison in July 2004 when Clark Haggans broke his hand lifting weights before training camp. Harrison never left, and the return on the Steelers' investment has been incalculable.

"I don't really think that has anything to do with it," said inside linebacker James Farrior. "I know that would make for a good story -- he got cut by them and now he's trying to pay them back -- but I don't even think that enters his mind. He was only there a couple weeks. Maybe it's just the circumstances that it's just been happening that way."

Whatever the circumstance, Harrison turned in one of the greatest defensive performances in Steelers history last year against the Ravens at Heinz Field. He had 3Â 1/2 sacks, 9 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery and 1 interception in a lopsided 35-7 victory.

This year, in a 23-20 overtime victory Sept. 29 at home, Harrison had 2 1/2 sacks, eight tackles and forced a fumble against the Ravens. Sunday, the stage, the stakes, are even bigger.

Page 1 of 2Head to Head: Ravens LT Jared Gaither vs. Steelers LB James Harrison


Revenge?

"Nah," Harrison said. "I try to do that every time, every game."



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Page 2 of 2Head to Head: Ravens LT Jared Gaither vs. Steelers LB James Harrison



Ray Lewis: The heart and soul of BaltimoreIn 13th season, Lewis still devotes time, energy to lead Ravens' defense Friday, January 16, 2009 By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Gail Burton/Associated Press

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, center, leads the team off the field after practice yesterday in Owings Mills, Md.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- There is one overwhelming reason why Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is certain to become an NFL head coach, perhaps as early as next week with the New York Jets or St. Louis Rams.

Ray Lewis.

You know Ray-Ray, right? No. 52 in the purple-and-white uniform. One of the great middle linebackers in NFL history. A 10-time Pro Bowler, two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and MVP of Super Bowl XXXV. "A shining star of a leader," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.

The kind of player who makes his coaches seem awfully smart. "He's a once-in-a-lifetime guy," Ryan said.

When last seen on a football field Saturday in Tennessee, Lewis, 33 and in his 13th NFL season, showed Polamalu-like quickness to get to the sideline and Lambert-like ferocity to send Titans fullback Ahmard Hall flying one way and his helmet another. When last seen on Heinz Field in September, Lewis put such a lick on Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall that he broke Mendenhall's shoulder.

"If he's slowing down, I can't see it," Ryan said. "He still has range. He's still hitting. He's still the top middle linebacker in the game."

Heinz Fields fans won't have any trouble finding Lewis when the Ravens and Steelers meet Sunday in the AFC championship game for the right to go to Super Bowl XLIII. Right from the start, when the Ravens leave the tunnel from their locker room to take the frozen lawn, Lewis will be front and center, dancing and preening, the ultimate look-at-me player of his time.

Silly? Sure, his little routine looks silly. The home crowd will hiss and boo. But the Ravens will love it. They love everything about the passionate Lewis, their emotional leader. Much like when Joey Porter was with the Steelers, Lewis' value to the squad goes far beyond what he does on the field.

Lewis had a total of 20 tackles -- including 17 solo stops -- in the Ravens' playoff wins against Tennessee and Miami the past two weeks. During the regular season, he had a team-high 160 tackles, three interceptions, 31/2 sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Page 1 of 2Ray Lewis: The heart and soul of Baltimore


Those close to Lewis, as well as the man himself, will tell you none of it happens by accident. "He doesn't just show up on Sundays," said Pitt offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh, who was on the Ravens' staff when they won the Super Bowl after the 2000 season and Lewis was the MVP. As Ravens offensive tackle Willie Anderson put it, "When your best player is your hardest worker, good things happen for your team."

Lewis' game preparation is legendary at Ravens headquarters. "Football never changes. It's whatever you put into it," Lewis said.

Ryan called him "such a student of the game," adding, "The practices and meetings we have are only part of it. If you want to be great, you've got to study the tapes yourself. Ray probably puts in as many hours as most coaches do."

Lewis' teammates are convinced his hours of video study and ability to recognize an opponent's formations and tendencies give them a sizable advantage. "With Ray, no one is going to know an offense better than we do," linebacker Jarret Johnson said.

Then there's Lewis' intensity.

"What you see on Sunday, you get every day at every practice," Cavanaugh said. "He takes every play, whether it's during the season or at fall camp or at mini-camp, as a challenge. He's got the same focus all week long. It becomes infectious for the rest of the team."

Case in point: All-Pro safety Ed Reed.

Like Lewis, Reed played at the University of Miami. Again like Lewis, Reed is adored by his teammates because of the preparatory work he puts in each week.

"I know Ray took that young kid Ed under his wing," Cavanaugh said. " 'This is how we do it here. This is the only way we do it.' "

The result has been lights-out defense, year after year, during the Lewis era. The Ravens ranked second against the pass this season, third against the run and third overall, right behind the Steelers' defense in each category. The Ravens certainly are capable of leaving Heinz Field Sunday night with that prized Super Bowl trip.

Lewis said it's all about chemistry. "The togetherness and the brotherhood we have is kind of more overwhelming than anything."

Chemistry and accountability.

"Play for the man beside you, bottom line," Lewis told the Baltimore media earlier this season. "When the ball is snapped, find it. Don't ever get caught loafing. ... You won't have to answer to the coaches; you've got to answer to us."

Would you want to have to answer to Ray-Ray?

Didn't think so.

There's a concern in the Baltimore organization that the Ravens' defensive dominance will end soon. It's not just because Ryan could be leaving for that head job. Lewis and fellow linebackers and noted Hines Ward fans Terrell Suggs and Bart Scott all will be free agents after the Super Bowl. Although it's hard to imagine Lewis playing elsewhere -- of course, it was hard to imagine Hall of Famers Franco Harris and Mike Webster leaving the Steelers, wasn't it? -- the Ravens aren't likely to keep all three. Scott seems the most likely to move on.

Ravens fans aren't the only ones hoping Lewis sticks around for a few more seasons. A Steelers-Ravens game just wouldn't be the same without him.

Ron Cook can be reached at [email protected].



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Page 2 of 2Ray Lewis: The heart and soul of Baltimore



A Steelers' roster of red hot rivalriesFriday, January 16, 2009

AP archive

Franco Harris gives a goodbye look to an Oakland Raiders defender as he streaks down the sidelines for the winning touchdown after his "Immaculate Reception" in the AFC playoffs.

Throughout the championship history of the Steelers, it often has been a bitter rival that has stood in the way of a trip to the Super Bowl. Here's a look at six battles against three of those teams:

The Immaculate Reception

• Round: Divisional playoff.

• Date: Dec. 23, 1972.

• Where:Three Rivers Stadium.

Raiders 0 0 0 7 -- 7 Steelers 0 0 3 10 -- 13

• The skinny: With only seconds remaining, Steelers rookie running back Franco Harris pulled in a broken pass from Terry Bradshaw that had been deflected off Frenchy Fuqua and raced 42 yards to the end zone for the winning score. "Whatever it takes ... that's the story of this team, isn't it?" coach Chuck Noll said. The matchup was the first of five consecutive playoff games against Oakland.

First championship

• Round: AFC championship.

• Date: Dec. 29, 1974.

• Where: Oakland Coliseum.

Steelers 0 3 0 21 -- 24 Raiders 3 0 7 3 -- 13

• The skinny: After losing to the Raiders the year before in the divisional round, Jack Ham came up with two big interceptions, the second of which erased the last of two Oakland leads and led to the killing touchdown that put the Steelers on top to stay. The win gave Pittsburgh its first AFC title, which the Steelers turned into their first of five NFL

Page 1 of 3A Steelers' roster of red hot rivalries


championships at Super Bowl IX against Minnesota.

Ice Bowl


• Date: Jan. 7, 1979.


Oilers 0 3 2 0 -- 5 Steelers 14 17 3 0 -- 34

• The skinny: 49,917 Steelers fans braved terrible weather and sat through nearly four hours of freezing rain to watch Terry Bradshaw and company win their third trip to the Super Bowl in five years. Despite the ice that was a factor in an NFL-record 12 fumbles in the game, Bradshaw threw for 200 yards and two scores and the stingy Steelers defense held Oilers great Earl Campbell to 62 yards rushing.

End of a dynasty


• Date: Jan. 6, 1980.


Oilers 7 3 0 3 -- 13 Steelers 3 14 0 10 -- 27

• The skinny: For the second consecutive year, the Steelers faced the Oilers in the AFC title game. Terry Bradshaw's two touchdown passes set an NFL record for scoring completions in the postseason (26) and the Steelers held Earl Campbell to 15 yards rushing. The win sent Pittsburgh to the Super Bowl for a fourth time in six seasons. It was, however, the end of an era. They would not return until 1995.

Special defects


• Date: Jan. 27, 2002.

• Where: Heinz Field.

Patriots 7 7 7 3 -- 24 Steelers 0 3 14 0 -- 17

• The skinny: From 1996 to 2004, the Steelers faced the Patriots in four of five trips to the playoffs, two games of which were AFC championships. This season, the Steelers were the No. 1 seed and allowed touchdowns on a blocked field goal and a punt return as the Patriots earned their first of four trips to the Super Bowl in the decade. Steelers QB Kordell Stewart threw three interceptions.

Nightmare at home


• Date: Jan. 23, 2005.



• Where: Heinz Field.

Patriots 10 14 7 10 -- 41 Steelers 3 0 14 10 -- 27

• The skinny: Losing became commonplace at Heinz Field in the AFC title game. For the second time in four seasons, the Patriots won the AFC title in Pittsburgh, and it was the Steelers' fourth loss in five such games in 11 years. Riding a 15-game winning streak, rookie Ben Roethlisberger couldn't keep the dream alive, throwing three interceptions. on 14 of 24 passing for 226 yards.






NFL's top two defenses play Sunday By John Harris TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, January 16, 2009

They are more alike than different, maybe more similar than either team would care to admit.

The two best defenses featuring the two best sets of linebackers in the NFL will resume arguably the league's saltiest rivalry in Sunday's AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field.

Only 23.9 yards separated the Steelers' top-ranked defense (237.2 yards per game) from the No. 2-ranked Ravens (261.1). The Steelers allowed 22.8 fewer yards than the Ravens in pass defense to finish No. 1 in that category. The Steelers (80.2) and Ravens (81.4) ranked second and third in run defense.

"I respect their defense," said Steelers outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley. "We (are) similar. If you watch them play, and you watch the Pittsburgh Steelers play, I feel that's how teams across the league should play defense.''

Both defenses are strong up front and in the secondary with matching Pro Bowl safeties, Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed. But they're led by a host of Pro Bowl linebackers - NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison and James Farrior for the Steelers, and Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Bart Scott, a second Pro Bowl alternate, for Baltimore.

"We have the No. 1 and No. 2 defenses, and that comes with a certain mentality," said Lewis, who led Baltimore with 160 tackles. "The rivalry kind of heats up from there. They have a lot of the same type of personalities we have. You have ultimate competitors on both teams.''

Veteran inside linebackers Farrior and Lewis are the leaders on defense. Both excel in their ability to make plays and direct their teammates on the field.

"We've got mirror teams,'' said Farrior, who led the Steelers with 146 tackles. "Both teams have the same formula. That's control the ball, manage the clock and play great defense. That's what both teams are going to try to do this weekend. Whoever does that the best is going to win the game.''

When asked to describe the best feature of his defense, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin praised his unit's ability to perform at a high level over the entire season.

"I'd probably say the level of consistency,'' Tomlin said. "It's not necessarily your ceiling that defines you as a player, as a unit, as a football team. It's your

Page 1 of 2NFL's top two defenses meet - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

1/16/2009http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/print_607398.html

floor. What I mean by that is we're very consistent week in and week out with how we play, very little ups and downs. We've had a few great games, but for the most part, we're solid every week. To me, that's as important as what you're capable of doing.''

Baltimore's specialty on defense is scoring touchdowns. The Ravens scored six defensive touchdowns in the regular season. Dating to 1996, the Ravens have scored 40 defensive touchdowns.

"We really work on that in practice,'' Lewis said. "We work on pitching the ball, we work on setting the wall for each other. We don't take that lightly. We like getting into the end zone.''

John Harris can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.

Images and text copyright © 2009 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.

Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com

Page 2 of 2NFL's top two defenses meet - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Baltimore fans purple with Ravens fever By By Ben Waldron FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, January 16, 2009

BALTIMORE -- Inside Bert's Bar and Grille near Johns Hopkins University, a larger-than-life poster of Ravens star linebacker Ray Lewis dominates the back wall, just as he dominates the field on Sundays.

Outside, on a smoke break, bartender Alana Carter, 22, is wearing a purple Ravens T-shirt and feeling good about the Ravens' chances against the Steelers in Sunday's AFC Championship game at Heinz Field.

"Oh, I'm really confident," Carter says. "The Ravens are going to the Super Bowl."

So it goes across a city in the throes of serious Ravens fever, and it's all the more satisfying because the opponent is the reviled Steelers.

Whether it's purple car flags, purple-bathed buildings or old-fashioned smack talk around the bar, Baltimore fans are relishing the match-up for a spot in Super Bowl XLIII -- despite the fact that two meetings between the teams this season ended badly.

The game is overshadowing almost everything else, which is saying a lot.

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon was indicted late last week on 12 corruption charges, and President-elect Barack Obama will visit town Saturday on his way to his inauguration in Washington.

But football remains the main event, and the city is in a state of extended gridiron nirvana, having just celebrated the 50th anniversary of The Greatest Game Ever Played: the Colts' victory over the New York Giants at Yankee Stadium for the NFL championship.

This year's run reminds fans of the Ravens' only Super Bowl run eight years ago, when the team had to survive a three-game gauntlet to reach the final game, played in Tampa, as it will be on Feb. 1.

Across town, purple flags flutter from car tops, usually more than one per vehicle. City Hall and other

downtown buildings bask in a purple glow at night.

Page 1 of 3Baltimore fans purple with Ravens fever - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Even some students at the Maryland Institute College of Art, a school with no varsity sports teams, have contracted playoff fever. A few large windows of the school's newest building are rigged with the most aesthetically pleasing purple lighting in the city.

Vendors sell shirts and hats on downtown corners, and Ravens garb is available everywhere.

Near the University of Maryland Medical Center downtown, a nurse in purple scrubs walks next to a man in a wheelchair who sports a Ravens beanie. A store in the Hampden neighborhood offers purple bandanas and shirts that boast "Wacco for Flacco," in reference to Baltimore's overachieving rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco.

At Pub Dog, a canine-friendly establishment in the bar-heavy Federal Hill neighborhood, rabid fans talk smack with gusto. Late one night this week, Adam Gottlieb, a Baltimore resident who attends the University of Tampa, offered a challenge to Steelers fans.

"I would like to offer an open threat to any Steelers," Gottlieb says. "You mess with our defense, bad things will come your way." His drinking buddies hoist their glasses in raucous approval.

The details of the Ravens' two narrow losses to Pittsburgh this year are etched in fans' minds -- an overtime field goal in Round 1, and a controversial Santonio Holmes touchdown that sealed Round 2.

Fans are counting on the third time to be the charm. In a Charles Village bar, grocery store manager Lee Freeman Jr. exudes cool confidence as he sips a beer and watches ESPN talking heads debate the match-up.

"I don't think that the Steelers pose that much of a threat to us," says the Baltimore native. "We've played pretty evenly both times. There were some questionable calls but, you know, there are always questionable calls, so I'm not crying about that.

"They beat us twice; it's our turn."

Tommy Fitzgerald, another bartender at Bert's, views the Ravens' losses as a possible advantage.

"It's really tough to beat somebody three times," says Fitzgerald, 21. "It's really hard, and I'd say nobody wants to play Baltimore right now." At the same time, he concedes, "Of course, I'd rather see the Chargers."

He's not alone in his uncertainty.

"I'm confident that the game will take place," jokes Greg Novik, who has run Greg's Bagels in North Baltimore for more than 20 years. "I'm not confident that the Ravens will win -- I want them to win, I hope they win, (but) if they win, I'll be



surprised."

If the Ravens do win, Novik plans to serve purple bagels as he did for the Super Bowl run in 2001. Proving just how hungry Ravens fans were for playoff glory, the bagel was a top seller.

News media have abandoned any pretense of neutrality. The Baltimore Sun runs a regular feature, "Why Ravens Fans Hate Pittsburgh." The reasons range from the chaotically overstuffed Primanti Brothers sandwiches to the more humorous aspects of Pittsburghese. No matter how "yinz" might feel about Ravens fans, they certainly do not like "yunz."

A Sun food writer instructed fans using food coloring to turn beer purple ("five drops from the red vial and two drops from the blue vial"), a trick that some bars utilized throughout the playoffs.

The Ravens love extends across Maryland, until it runs into Redskins country in the Washington suburbs. Even Gov. Martin O'Malley's Web page added images of ravens flying ominously over the statehouse dome in Annapolis, as if grouping for an attack on Pittsburgh and Mayor Luke Raven-- er, Steelerstahl.

Despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that the Steelers won two earlier wars and are a solid betting favorite, Baltimore, a city that embraces its underdog status at every opportunity, is brimming with Ray Lewis-style intensity.

"I have to say the team will be very satisfied in the locker room holding up the trophy, giving the Steelers a dose of some bitter medicine," Freeman, the grocery manager, says with a smile.

"It's a rivalry. Some of the fans say it isn't, but it is, and I think I get as much pleasure from winning as I do from seeing the Steelers lose."





Prisuta: Keep it simple, win the game By Mike Prisuta TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, January 16, 2009

Although he wound up inspiring his offensive linemen, it was really information Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was seeking when he began the Steelers' playoff opener against San Diego with three scripted running plays.

That's how it works sometimes in the playoffs.

As much as anything else, Arians wanted to get a handle on the Chargers' substitution patterns. But his offensive linemen took what they saw when the 15-play script was unveiled Saturday night as a collective challenge.

The line responded, the Steelers ran for 22 yards on their first three snaps and 165 overall and the Chargers were conquered.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was looking to inspire his troops, at least in part, when he dialed up a fake punt on fourth-and-1 from the Steelers' 48-yard line with just more than 5 minutes left in the first half of a 7-7 game.

The play backfired, putting San Diego in position to move a short distance and boot a 42-yard field goal for its second and, as it turned out, last lead of the day.

It works out that way in the playoffs sometimes.

"I wanted to get our guys going and let our guys know we were playing to win," Tomlin said.

Hopefully, the Steelers will be aware of such details well in advance of Sunday's AFC Championship Game.

Knowing the Ravens as they do, they ought to have a handle on what Baltimore is capable of.

And if a shot at the Super Bowl against a hated rival at home isn't enough to get the Steelers going, will another fake punt or some such gimmick really alter their emotional state enough to make a difference?

Sunday shouldn't be about such things.

Sunday should be about determination rather than inspiration or trickery.

Page 1 of 2Prisuta: Keep it simple - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


The Steelers can beat the Ravens, as they've proven twice already.

But to do it again, they're going to have to outslug the Ravens, and they're going to have to ensure that they don't somehow beat themselves.

The blueprint for success is pretty simple. But the execution of the required game plan will demand patience, perseverance and pain.

The script on offense can be whittled down to this: When running the ball, don't fumble it. And when passing, don't throw the ball to Ed Reed.

The rest is just details.

That's atypical, but then again, that's Steelers-Ravens, as Steelers safety Troy Polamalu has come to realize.

"In other games, against the Indianapolis Colts, a 4- or 5-yard gain is nothing," Polamalu said. "But a 5-yard gain in this game is like a 30-yard reception for the Indianapolis Colts.

"It means so much more because the style of the game is played so much differently."

That being the case, the idea isn't so much to beat the Ravens as it is to outlast them.

Concede nothing.

Risk nothing.

Wait them out.

Let them make the first mistake and pounce upon it.

And this week, don't gamble on surrendering a cheap three points or passing three up in the name of aggressiveness, because this week, that might get you beat, 10-7.

The game itself need not be especially artistic or inspirational.

A score of 10-7 in the Steelers favor still gets them to Tampa, Fla.

Mike Prisuta can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7923.



Page 2 of 2Prisuta: Keep it simple - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Rookie QB leads Ravens to AFC Championship Game By Bill Beckner Jr. VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH Friday, January 16, 2009

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- After watching San Diego's Philip Rivers throw for 308 yards in about three quarters last week, and with the knowledge that Troy Polamalu won't be at 100 percent for Sunday's game with a sore calf muscle, Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Flacco said he is ready to test the Steelers' secondary.

Forget the hostile environment and Terrible Towels. Flacco likes a challenge, and this one could be huge when the Ravens (13-5) play the Steelers (13-4) for the AFC championship Sunday night at Heinz Field.

"We wouldn't want it any other way (than to play the Steelers in the AFC Championship)," Flacco said. "This will be a lot of fun to go up there and play them for the third time this season."

Fun?

"How much more fun does it get?" Flacco said. "You're in the AFC Championship Game. Yeah, they're a good defense, but we've faced a lot of good defenses all year, and it's just another challenge for us."

Odds are the Steelers will contain the Ravens' running backs, which means Baltimore's fate could lie in Flacco and the passing game.

"You can't go out there on the field and say, 'Wow, what am I doing here?' " Flacco said. "You've go to act like you're supposed to be here. You act like you're going to get the job done, and you know that you're going to get the job done."

Flacco, who starred at Delaware, is comparable to Ben Roethlisberger (Miami of Ohio) in that both rose from small colleges to take charge of pro teams almost immediately.

Flacco began his college career at Pitt, playing behind Tyler Palko. Flacco redshirted at Pitt in 2003 and saw limited playing time in 2004 before transferring.

Former Pitt coach Walt Harris recruited Flacco out of Audubon High School in New Jersey.

Harris remembers how hard Flacco threw the ball.

Page 1 of 3Rookie QB leads Ravens - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


"I have the RPMs on my foot to prove it," said Harris, a former quarterbacks coach with the New York Jets. "We were doing a drill one day in practice where the quarterbacks were throwing out patterns, and one of his passes came low, toward me. I didn't want to put my hands out and get my fingers broken, so I stuck out my foot.

"To this day, if I hit my foot wrong, I can feel it, and I think of Joe Flacco. It wasn't broken, but it was black and blue for a long time."

Now, the first rookie quarterback in the NFL to win his first two playoff games is one win away from the Super Bowl.

"I'm going to go out there, and we're going to do our best to come through," Flacco said. "That's what we expect to do, and we're going to do. But you can't be afraid to fail."

Not that Flacco has burned the Steelers before. In a 23-20 overtime loss on a Monday night in Week 4, Flacco was just 16-of-31 for 192 yards and a touchdown. That was his first road start and first at Heinz Field.

In a 13-9 loss in Week 15, he was worse -- 11-of-28, 115 yards and two interceptions.

His rating against the Steelers: 53.2.

Still, in a sense, Flacco has been getting attention for what he hasn't done in the playoffs. He hasn't been sacked, fumbled or been intercepted.

Flacco has been referred to as a game manager, rather than a playmaker, which is probably where the Roethlisberger comparisons end.

Roethlisberger has been accused of holding on to the ball longer than most quarterbacks. And that tendency has led to an array or results -- from drive-advancing plays to sacks or turnovers.

Flacco admits taking a sack isn't always a bad thing.

"I'm going to try to make as (many) plays as I can," Flacco said. "If it's not there, I'm not going to be dumb enough to try to take the play anyway. I'm going to do what I can to make sure it's a safe play.

"I'm looking to hit the play over the top, and if it's not there, I'm going to shut it down."

Ravens coach John Harbaugh isn't ready to compare Flacco to anyone just yet. But he has faith that many of the Ravens' veterans can continue to help Flacco mature into a leader.

"I think everybody's (style) is unique," Harbaugh said. "Maybe at some point we'll compare Joe to somebody else. We just haven't had time to think about



that stuff."

Bill Beckner Jr. can be reached at [email protected] or 724-224-2696.





Steelers fans feeling confident By Chris Togneri TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, January 16, 2009

Ruth Bobel took a drag off her cigarette before eagerly offering a prediction.

"The Steelers are going to kick the Ravens' (butts)!" said Bobel, 55, of Bloomfield, as she walked down Forbes Avenue Thursday. "I'm not scared of them at all. And neither are the Steelers.

"The Ravens ain't got a chance."

Sure, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is the first rookie in National Football League history to win two playoff games on the road; safety Ed Reed was the only player unanimously selected to the All-Pro team; and linebacker Ray Lewis just might be the meanest, baddest man in the league, if not the world.

And, yes, Baltimore fans have high hopes the Ravens will avenge two regular-season losses to the hated Steelers and win Sunday's AFC Championship game at Heinz Field.

But if fans Downtown are any indication, Steeler Nation is hardly impressed.

"Position by position, we just have better players, and that's it," said Jason Trunick, 31, of Brighton Heights as he waited for a bus in front of the Renaissance Hotel. "This Flacco kid is good, but he's due for a bad game. They had a great year. But it's over for them."

At Kashi Jewelers on Fifth Avenue, John Vasquez set up a stand selling Steelers merchandise. He compared the game to a Rocky movie, predicting the "hungrier team" will triumph.

Jack Dabush, 49, general manager of Kashi, listened from behind the counter and cautioned that the underdog Ravens are dangerous. "They're a great team. Don't disrespect Baltimore. I hate them with a passion, but don't disrespect your enemy."

Vasquez predicted a 13-10 Steelers win. Dabush put the final score at 17-14, Steelers.

If they lost, how would Steeler Nation respond to the unthinkable? With severe depression, say some fans.

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"I don't know why I'm so involved. I don't understand why they dictate my moods like they do, but they do," said Chris Griffin, 41, of McKees Rocks as he walked through Market Square. "I wish they wouldn't, because it ruins my day. If they lose, I'll pout like a little kid."

If Griffin's reaction sounds crazy, it shouldn't.

Responding to a Steelers loss with depression is "age-appropriate" behavior, said Dr. Paul Friday, head of clinical psychology at UPMC Shadyside, who explained that people in their early 20s to mid-40s become more emotionally involved in sporting events than people in other age brackets.

"They'll have the most joy and the most pain," he said. "We psychologically tie in to the sport, and (the players) become us. ... What this guy is doing, he's saying, 'If I lose, that's it. The sun will not rise.' Well, as a therapist, I'd say, 'The sun always rises. And if it doesn't, don't worry because you won't be here.' "

He'd also remind fans that "the whole purpose is entertainment."

Tell that to Dabush, who warned Ravens fans to stay out of Pittsburgh on Sunday.

"You're welcome to come visit us, every day except Sunday," he said. "Don't come here. You're not welcome."

Chris Togneri can be reached at [email protected] or 412-380-5632.



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Baltimore linebacker's status questionable By Bill Beckner Jr. VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH Friday, January 16, 2009

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker Terrell Suggs said he won't know until Sunday if he will be ready to play against the Steelers in the AFC Championship.

Suggs wore a sling on his right arm as he spoke to reporters Thursday at the Ravens' practice facility.

He said the shoulder is "very painful" and cited possible "major" ligament damage.

"I have never missed a game, and I definitely don't want to start with the AFC Championship," said Suggs, who is in his sixth NFL season. "I'm optimistic."

Suggs, who leads the Ravens this season with 10 sacks, said he might be more of a hindrance than a help if he plays short of 100 percent.

He injured the shoulder in the first half of last week's 13-10 win over Tennessee and did not return.

"In the past, I have been known to be pretty durable," Suggs said. "I thought I might be able to go in the second half (against the Titans). At the end of the game, before I saw the MRI, I was very optimistic. (I thought:) 'It's just a little bruise.' But the MRI said something different."

Suggs' replacement could be Edgar Jones, Jameel McClain or Marques Douglas. Jones is a converted tight end.

Ravens safety Ed Reed doesn't think Suggs will miss the game.

"You'd have to strap him down," Reed said. "It's just like with (Steelers safety Troy Polamalu) and his calf. They're both going to be out there."

Suggs still can't believe the injury, which didn't seem so bad, could potentially keep him on the sideline.

"It's the freakiest thing," he said. "I looked at the tape, and it didn't look like there was anything tragic there. I am not a doctor. But if there is something magical that they can stop me from using my shoulder to tackle somebody ... it's not like food poisoning. It's my shoulder, and I don't want to mess it up

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worse than it already is.

"It would be unfair for me to tell y'all one thing now and do another. We'll have to wait until Sunday."

Bill Beckner Jr. can be reached at [email protected] or 724-224-2696.



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FRIDAY JANUARY 16, 2009 :: Last modified: Friday, January 16, 2009 12:50 AM EST

Bires: McHugh rescued from Motor City mess By Mike Bires Times Sports Staff

PITTSBURGH— Sean McHugh probably won’t play a significant role in the AFC Championship game. But he’ll be there, and that in itself is one of the luckiest rags-to-riches stories in the NFL this season. A tight end who also plays fullback, McHugh has literally gone from the outhouse to penthouse.

When the season started, he was employed by the hapless Detroit Lions. But just before the season opener, management decided that McHugh couldn’t help them turn things around. So after working out with the Lions throughout the off-season and training camp, McHugh was cut on Aug. 31. Imagine that. Axed by a team what would go 0-16. He wasn’t wanted by the worst team in NFL history. But as fate would have it, McHugh wasn’t unemployed very long. He experienced a career-changing event when signed Sept. 3 by the Steelers. “What a turn of events,” he said in wonder Thursday before practice. “To go from a team that would become the worst in the NFL to playing in the AFC Championship game and perhaps the big show, it’s just incredible. It’s hard to put into words how I feel right now.” Several times during the season, McHugh called some of his former teammates in Detroit, encouraging them to keep the faith. He had spent close to four years in the Motor City. He felt bad for them as the losses, and ridicule, mounted. In McHugh’s three years seasons with the Lions, including last year when he started 12 games at tight end, the Lions went 2-14, 3-13 and 7-9. There was hope this would be the year things changed for the better. They didn’t. Loss after loss after loss, the Lions bumbled their way into the record books and established a new low for futility. As McHugh kept track of the hapless Lions, he was playing a supporting role in Pittsburgh as the Steelers kept winning and winning. They take a 13-4 record into Sunday’s AFC Championship against the Ravens.

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“You go from the lowest lows to the highest high in only a few short months,” said McHugh, a former Penn State fullback. “I’m sitting there upset when the Lions released me. But the next thing you know it’s the middle of January and I have a chance to go to the Super Bowl. This is a dream come true.” McHugh has not started a game for the Steelers. But he’s played in every game, either as an extra tight end or at fullback. Even though the Steelers don’t use their fullback a lot, it’s McHugh who’s now considered the first-string fullback, not Carey Davis. McHugh has touched the ball only three times this year and probably won’t get any touches Sunday. But it’s mid-January, and he’s still playing games that matter most. Four months ago, he never could have imagined he’d be in this position.


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FRIDAY JANUARY 16, 2009 :: Last modified: Thursday, January 15, 2009 11:49 PM EST

Ravens: Humble Heap accepts lighter load By David Ginsburg AP Sports Writer

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — It’s been a difficult season for Baltimore Ravens tight end Todd Heap, whose 35 catches were by far the fewest he’s ever had during a season in which he played all 16 games. Heap led the Ravens in receptions in three of his first seven NFL seasons, but now he’s being used primarily as a blocker in Cam Cameron’s offense. It’s a role that took some adjustment, and Heap never complained.

Heap still has a knack for making a clutch grab, however, and that trait was displayed last Saturday in the AFC divisional playoff game against Tennessee. With time running out and the outcome hanging in the balance, Heap hauled in a pass from Joe Flacco for a 23-yard gain. Soon after that, Matt Stover kicked the game-winning field goal. “It came at a point when we needed it. That was the biggest thing for me,” Heap said this week. But wasn’t there a feeling of redemption? “As a team we’re doing the things we want to do, and now we’re in the AFC championship game,” he said. “I can’t be too worried about myself right now.” Heap has been playing with a sore back over the past month. He’s handled it in the same fashion as his lack of action in the passing game — without a disparaging word. “The last few weeks I’ve played through quite a bit of pain, and it’s all been worth it to get to this point,” he said. “It’s been progressively getting better, which is good, and I’ll be ready to go again this week.” REX CAN WAIT As soon as Baltimore’s playoff run is over, defensive coordinator Rex Ryan can formally field offers from NFL teams looking for a new head coach. Ryan interviewed with the New York Jets and St. Louis Rams last Sunday, and he’s made no secret about his desire to have a team to call his own. But he wouldn’t mind waiting another few weeks for the opportunity. “I’m excited about the interviews and things like that,” he said Thursday. “But again, I’m excited about coaching right now. Hopefully, if the thing goes on, if there is another day to interview or whatever next week, that would be great. But I just want to get to a Super Bowl and help coach this

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team.” WELCOME HOME PLANS After their wins in Miami and Tennessee, the Ravens were met upon their return by fans at Baltimore-Washington International Airport and at the team’s training complex. The plan will be different on Sunday. Because of safety issues and at the request of authorities at BWI Airport and the Baltimore County police, the team will deplane and board buses on the tarmac before heading to Owings Mills Mall, which is located about mile from the training facility. Regardless of whether the Ravens win or lose in Pittsburgh, the buses are expected to arrive at the mall between 12:30 and 1 a.m.


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FRIDAY JANUARY 16, 2009 :: Last modified: Thursday, January 15, 2009 11:49 PM EST

Notebook: Ravens ride own Bus By Mike Bires Times Sports Staff

PITTSBURGH — The Baltimore Ravens have something the Steelers don’t. That’s a big, bruising running back in the mold of Jerome Bettis. He’s Le’Ron McClain, a 6-foot, 260-pounder who began the season as the Ravens’ starting fullback. But now he’s playing halfback, and playing it well. A second-year pro out of Alabama, McClain ranked 20th in the NFL this year with 902 rushing yards.

“He reminds me of Jerome,” said Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. “I don’t think you should put that (Bettis comparison) on McClain in his first year (as a starter). But I remember Jerome’s first year when he played for the (Los Angeles) Rams. He had just come out of Notre Dame.” As a rookie in 1993, Bettis helped the Rams blank the Steelers 27-0 by rushing for 76 yards, a 29-yard touchdown run included. Three years later, the Steelers traded for the 5-11, 255-pound Bettis, who became the best big back of his generation. Bettis, who retired after the Steelers won Super Bowl XL three seasons ago, ranks fifth on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 13,662 yards. “I see some of the same things in McClain,” LeBeau said. “A big, thick, strong, hard-running back with quick feet. Jerome is probably the best big back in making cut adjustments going into a hole. I see some of that in McClain.” In two games against the Steelers this season, McCalin rushed for 63 and 87 yards. POLAMALU PRACTICES Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu returned to practice Thursday and showed no ill effects from a calf strain he suffered in pre-game warm-ups prior to last week’s playoff game against San Diego. Even though he was hurt, Polamalu played the entire game in a 35-24 win over the Chargers. He’s expected to play again Sunday against the Ravens. Meanwhile, center Justin Hartwig missed his second straight practice due to a slightly sprained knee. Hartwig was injured in the second quarter against the Chargers but didn’t leave the game although he was fitted with a knee brace. Hartwig will practice today and expects to play with the brace. MY CAPTAINS A pair of former Steeler greats — center Dermontti Dawson and cornerback Rod Woodson — will

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serve as honorary co-captains for the AFC Championship Game. Both Dawson and Woodson are finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s induction class of 2009. McBRIDE TO SING Country singer Martina McBride will sing the national anthem before the Ravens and Steelers meet in the AFC Championship Game. McBride has sung The Star-Spangled Banner 31 times so far, with the home team winning 26 times. Does that improve the Steelers chances of winning? Not necessarily. Last week, McBride sang the national anthem at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn., home of the Tennessee Titans. But the Ravens upset the Titans, 13-10. Country singer Hank Williams Jr. will also perform prior to the game.


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Veteran presence gives Steelers confidence By Dale Lolley, Staff writer

[email protected]

PITTSBURGH - According to those who have done so, the thrill of winning a conference championship is never forgotten.

The sting of losing one is equally unforgettable.

The Steelers will play in their fourth AFC Championship game this decade Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Playing in these kind of high-stakes games has become what's expected every season.

"This organization is a prestigious organization. They're used to winning ballgames. They're used to being in the championship game with a chance to play in the Super Bowl," said wide receiver Hines Ward. "When you're going out there, you're representing your family, yourself, all the players who came before you, this organization, this city. No disrespect to the Pirates or Penguins, but the expectation for us is to win a Super Bowl every year. You recognize that as a player. Anything less than a Super Bowl is not acceptable."

The current players who were with the Steelers in 2005 - when the Steelers defeated the Broncos in Denver to advance to the Super Bowl - know all about the emotional high that comes with winning a game of that magnitude.

The handful who were with Pittsburgh in 2001 and 2004 - when the Steelers were beaten by the New England Patriots at Heinz Field - know all about the pain that losing a championship game brings.

"I think that will stay with me the rest of my life," said defensive end Aaron Smith. "No matter how many Super Bowls we win, you don't forget those games that you lose."

Smith, Ward and cornerback Deshea Townsend are the only remaining players from the team that was upset in the AFC Championship by the Patriots, 24-17, in 2001. They also were key members of the team that was defeated 41-27 by the Patriots again in 2004 at Heinz Field.

Though the Patriots had by then established themselves as perennial Super Bowl contenders, the Steelers put a lot of pressure on themselves to win in 2004 because they had gone 15-1 in the regular season.

"I think guys are more relaxed," linebacker James Farrior said. "Being 15-1 that year, we had a lot of expectations put on us. That was a big factor in how we felt. When you're 15-1, nobody expects you to lose. You're expected to go to the Super Bowl. You're expected to win it all. Anything less is not acceptable.

"We went into that game thinking we've got to win this game, not thinking about beating the Patriots. ... We didn't focus on beating the Patriots."

That calm confidence is something the veterans hope rubs off on their teammates, particularly the ones who haven't participated in a game of this magnitude.

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"Some of the younger guys might be a little nervous," Farrior said. "But a lot of guys have been in this type of game before. We kind of know what to expect."

Despite the confidence, which was gained in part by beating Baltimore twice during the regular season, the Steelers also know they have to play with a sense of urgency. There are, after all, only so many opportunities to win a Super Bowl.

"I think the young guys have to understand it's not easy to get this far," said Smith. "The older you get, you don't know how many more chances you're going to get."

Odds and end zones

Safety Troy Polamalu (calf) returned to practice Thursday after sitting out Wednesday. ... Center Justin Hartwig (knee) practiced on a limited basis. ... For Baltimore, running back Le'Ron McClain (ankle) returned to practice but linebacker Terrell Suggs (shoulder), wide receivers Derrick Mason (knee) and Mark Clayton (thigh) and cornerback Samari Rolle (groin) were among those who missed their second consecutive practice.

Copyright Observer Publishing Co.

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01/16/2009

Steelers-Ravens: Newest, nastiest rivalry in the NFL By Alan Robinson , AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH - The Raiders-Steelers rivalry was so filled with enmity and emotion, hatred and hostility during the 1970s that a football field couldn't hold it. About all that's missing from the NFL's newest and nastiest rivalry, the Baltimore Ravens vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, is a player suing the opposing coach in federal court for labeling him part of football's criminal element, as Oakland's George Atkinson once did former Steelers coach Chuck Noll. That the two relatively close-by teams are playing Sunday for the AFC championship, barely a month since they last met, in only ratcheting up the hard feelings. So far, the talk has been respectful between teams that are eerily alike in personality and performance but, at least in Pittsburgh, the expectations are the bad mouthing has only begun. Wait until Sunday night, and the back-and-forth exchanges between the Ravens and Steelers will be real, will be ugly and won't be suitable for showing on Nickelodeon. "I knew this was a big rivalry when I came into the league (in 2001) and I remember Ray Lewis and Jerome Bettis really getting after it, talking trash, hitting each other," Steelers defensive lineman Chris Hoke said. "It was unbelievable, some of the talking and some of the hits. They'd hit each other, then they'd talk to each other." Neither the talking nor the hitting has stopped. In the last few years: - The Ravens' Bart Scott, so angry with big hits that Hines Ward put on him and safety Ed Reed, threatened to kill Ward the next time they played. "I'm still here," said Ward, who epitomizes the physical way these teams play - a wide receiver not afraid to take on some of the league's biggest hitters. - Terrell Suggs bragged the Ravens put bounties on Ward and rookie running back Rashard Mendenhall during Pittsburgh's 23-20 overtime win at Heinz Field on Sept. 29, when Lewis' hard hit gave Mendenhall a season-ending shoulder injury. Mendenhall angered the Ravens by saying beforehand he anticipated having a big game. The NFL investigated but apparently took no action, and it is uncertain if Suggs' bounty talk was braggadocio or fact. But Mendenhall has been seen only irregularly at the Steelers' practice complex since. "You feel a lot worse on Monday after a (Ravens-Steelers) game," Ravens safety Jim Leonhard said. "It's a physical game. It's everything you think it would be." - Ward has been called the most hated man in Baltimore because of how he hits, then smiles about it. "They don't like it that I'm happy all the time," Ward said. "If the city of Baltimore is mad at me for doing that, I'm sorry to the city of Baltimore." There's no love for Lewis or safety Ed Reed in Pittsburgh either, though, Reed said, "Man, I think we're bad guys, regardless (not just in Pittsburgh)." - Here's how much the Ravens are disliked in Pittsburgh: Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (note the first six letters in his last name) changed the name on his office door this week to Steelerstahl. - Mitch Berger - the punter! - alleged the Ravens' Frank Walker spit on him during a last-minute 13-9 win in Baltimore on Dec. 14 that clinched the AFC North title for Pittsburgh. Walker said it was, ahem, unintentional. Talk about two teams that are spitting images of each other. - Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel finds it impossible to root for the Ravens under any circumstances. He wanted Tennessee to win last weekend's divisional game, despite the fact a Baltimore victory means the AFC championship game will be played in Pittsburgh, not Nashville.

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"There's a lot of extracurricular stuff that goes on in these games," Keisel said. "It's just two teams that play basically the same way: physical football, in-your-face football." Ward said the defenses are so good, with Pittsburgh No. 1 in the league and Baltimore No. 2, that it is the only game the Steelers play all season in which only a single touchdown is expected. - Before leaving for the Giants, former Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress had his head stomped on by Baltimore's James Trapp during a midfield altercation, and Shannon Sharpe ridiculed Burress by calling him "Plexiglas." This is the fifth-Ravens Steelers game in 15 months, and familiarly breeds contempt between teams that have combined to win six of the last seven AFC North titles. "It never gets old," Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith said. "I'd play them every other week if they let us. These are games you play all season for. I think it's probably going to be the highest intensity level we've seen to this point this year." For the first time since the Steelers eliminated the reigning Super Bowl champion Ravens in a divisional game in January 2002, one team's season is guaranteed of ending in a Baltimore-Pittsburgh game. The Steelers haven't played a divisional rival for the AFC title since defeating the Houston Oilers (now the Titans) during the 1978 and '79 seasons. "It's not like we're going to go outside the stadium and fight each other," Ward said. "But it's genuine hate when we go out and play each other. There's no helping each other up, there's going to be a lot of talking." It wouldn't be Ravens vs. Steelers if there wasn't. "That's what's nice about this game," Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said, invoking a word not commonly used to describe Ravens-Steelers matchups. "You can never lose focus on the Super Bowl when it's such a big rivalry." Copyright Associated Press 2009

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01/16/2009

Hartwig says he'll be ready for Sunday By Jim Wexell , For the Herald-Standard

PITTSBURGH - Center Justin Hartwig practiced on a limited basis Thursday, but the glue to the Steelers' offensive line doesn't expect the knee injury to keep him out of Sunday's AFC Championship Game. "I know I'll be able to play with my injury," said Hartwig. "I'll be able to go out there and play. I did a fairly decent job in the last game working with what I had. I'm confident I'll be all right on Sunday." Hartwig hurt his knee in the first half last Sunday, but came back to play the second half. His work on San Diego nose tackle Jamal Williams went a long way in helping Willie Parker rush for 146 yards. "We have to keep running the ball if we're going to keep winning in the playoffs," Hartwig said. "It's been inconsistent during the year, but hopefully we get those runs dialed up this week and hopefully get some push and move the pile a little bit." Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin said Hartwig will practice today. "We're trying to put him in the best physical shape we can get him in, but at the same time be prepared to play," Tomlin said. "The physical reps he gets (Friday) hopefully will be enough for him." The Steelers' only other injury concern is strong safety Troy Polamalu, who hurt his calf Sunday in pre-game warm-ups. "He wasn't limited in any way," Tomlin said of Polamalu's Thursday practice. "He had a pretty good day." RAVENS' INJURY WOES The Baltimore Ravens have played 17 consecutive weeks and their injuries are mounting. The most serious is blindside pass-rusher Terrell Suggs, who injured his shoulder last week and could miss the first game of his six-year career. "It's really painful," he told Baltimore reporters. "But, you know, sometimes you've got to play through pain." The expectation from teammates is that Suggs will play, but as Suggs continued talking to reporters his optimism waned. "If they've got something that can magically stop me from using my shoulder to tackle somebody," he said. "But up until then, I don't know." Could the injury worsen by playing? "There is a big chance that it could get worse, especially in a smash-mouth game," he said. "We're not playing Indy. We're not playing a finesse team here. We're playing a team that's got the exact identity as us, so it's going to be a physical game." Suggs underwent an MRI, but wouldn't reveal the result. "I can't remember," he said. "I was just so distraught when they told me. It's not good. It's not good. It could be major ligament damage. We just have to wait and see." Suggs' backup, Antwan Barnes, has already been ruled out of the game. The Ravens could also be without starting cornerback Samari Rolle with a groin injury. Also missing Thursday's practice for the Ravens were DT Justin Bannan (foot), WR Mark Clayton (thigh), and WR Derrick Mason (knee). QUOTABLE - Ryan Clark on this week's Steelers practices: "Coach Tomlin has been wanting us to stay loose, not get tight, not over-analyze because it's a championship week, so it's been normal." - Tomlin on whether he has a heightened sense of what this game means to Steelers fans: "I don't. I live kind of an isolated life here in Pittsburgh. I go to work and go home. Not that I don't appreciate it. I just don't get an opportunity to witness it first-hand."

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01/16/2009

LeBeau, defense know what to expect from McClain By Jim Wexell , For the Herald-Standard

PITTSBURGH - Dick LeBeau answered every possible question about the great and unbelievable and brilliant Joe Flacco - the rookie quarterback who's drawing comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger these days. But then the Steelers' defensive coordinator was asked if running back Le'Ron McClain might actually be the Baltimore Ravens' biggest surprise this season. "Yeah, I think that he probably has been," LeBeau said. "But he's no surprise to the guys that go against him now. He has done it and he is a special guy. He's going to do it for a while." McClain was drafted out of Alabama two years ago in the fourth round, an abnormally high round for a fullback. He carried only eight times as a rookie, but came back as a 260-pounder and, because of an injury to Willis McGahee, was moved to tailback. He rushed for 86 yards in this season's opener against Cincinnati, and two games later was starting against the Steelers. McClain announced his presence with a 2-yard touchdown run in which he pulverized linebacker Lawrence Timmons. He rushed for 63 yards in that game, and in the second meeting McClain rushed for 87 yards and was voted to the Pro Bowl that week. In two games against the Steelers, McClain rushed 39 times for 150 yards, a better total than the other divisional backs, Jamal Lewis (42-132) and Cedric Benson (31-87). "There is nothing accidental about the way he runs and his success," LeBeau said. "He has vision. He has power. It doesn't take him long to get running north and south, yet he has that innate ability to find the soft spot. I am a fan of (number) 33 because he is a good player and he will be for a while. We are going to have to wrestle with him for a while." LeBeau was asked to compare McClain to any other running back. "He reminds me of Jerome," LeBeau said of Jerome Bettis. "I don't think that you should put that on him right now, but I remember when Jerome first came out of Notre Dame and we went out to play the Rams his first season. We had an awful time with him." Of course, the Steelers traded for Bettis in 1996. Before the deal was made, LeBeau was asked to give his opinion. "By all means, bring him on our side of the field," LeBeau said. "Jerome is probably, in my opinion, the best big back for making cut adjustments into the holes. I see some of that in this guy." McClain finished this season with 902 yards (3.9 avg.) and added 75 in the first round of the playoffs. But a sore ankle slowed him last week against Tennessee and McClain rushed for only 12 yards on 12 carries. He missed the Ravens' first practice this week, and returned Thursday on a limited basis. "The ankle is doing good," McClain told Baltimore reporters. "I got a little more work today, so I'll see how it feels in the morning." McClain is expected to play, and that would fulfill his own prophecy. When he left the field after the second loss to the Steelers, he told his rivals he'd see them again. "And here we go," he said yesterday. McClain admitted to having great respect for the Steelers' defense, but also admitted to a great deal of self-confidence. "Hopefully, I can be wearing the guys through the first, second and third (quarters) and they won't want to tackle me in the fourth," McClain said. "I'm looking forward to it."

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baltimoresun.com Roethlisberger, Flacco stand tall

QBs for Steelers, Ravens both made huge strides as rookies

By Ken Murray | [email protected]

January 16, 2009

They share uncommon rookie success, powerful right arms and a proclivity for staying cool in the most intense moments. Joe Flacco has taken the January journey that made Ben Roethlisberger famous as a rookie in 2004, turning heads and defenses along the way. Heading into Sunday's AFC championship game in Pittsburgh, some have even portrayed Flacco, the Ravens' quarterbacking prodigy, as the second coming of Roethlisberger, the pulse of the Steelers' offense and their unquestioned leader. Does the comparison fit? Not really. They might be kindred spirits, but they are not Xerox copies. Any similarity is based on first-year success, not freeze-frame replication. Roethlisberger, 26 and nearly three years Flacco's senior, does some of his best throwing when he's on the move. Witness the play he made Dec.14 to beat the Ravens here, scrambling left, reversing direction, then throwing a bullet to Santonio Holmes on the goal line. Flacco often gets into trouble when he's out of the pocket. Most of his interceptions have come on sprints to the right, when he throws across his body. He is better running in that situation than throwing. Roethlisberger, who has won a Super Bowl and gone to the Pro Bowl, sometimes holds on to the ball too long waiting for a play to develop, a trait that adds to his sack total. Flacco has been trained well to read, react and dump, if necessary. Since training camp, he has made great strides in getting the ball out faster and protecting it better. His sack total reflects that trend. "The Ravens have done a great job with Flacco," said Gil Brandt, a longtime personnel evaluator who works for NFL.com. "They don't ask him to do something he can't do. They don't ask him to take chances."

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But does Flacco resemble Roethlisberger? "Both have tremendously strong arms, and both are big guys who move a lot better than you think they would," Brandt said. "Other than that, Roethlisberger didn't play quarterback in high school until his senior year because the coach's son was the quarterback, and this kid [Flacco] couldn't beat out the left-hander [Tyler Palko] at Pitt. My question is, where are those [other] guys now?" For this season's two AFC finalists, the similarity is the road seldom traveled. Roethlisberger, who came out of Miami of Ohio in 2004, won his first 14 starts his rookie season after taking over for the injured Tommy Maddox in Week3. His first loss was in the AFC championship game to the New England Patriots. Flacco won his first two starts in the NFL, is 13-5 overall and last week became the first rookie quarterback to win his first two playoff games. Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman went 0-11 as a rookie with the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 and remembers how difficult that debut was. "I think it's harder to come in today and play quarterback and have success than any other time, certainly than when I came in and when I left," Aikman, a Fox analyst, said on a conference call this week. "Yet we're seeing more and more young quarterbacks coming in and have varying degrees of success." What impresses Aikman about Flacco is how he came to a veteran team, won over the locker room and emerged in his own right. "I know the makeup of that team," Aikman said. "It's not an easy group to impress. And he's done that. When you're able to earn the respect of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, that tells me he belongs." Joe Douglas and Hue Jackson, two men who were influential in finding and then coaching Flacco, saw premonitions of that when they first met the quarterback from Delaware in what was formerly known as NCAA Division I-AA. Douglas, the Ravens' East area scout, got the first tip on Flacco in the summer of 2007 from Mark Azevedo, a player personnel assistant assigned to cover the Colonial Athletic Association, in which Delaware plays. Douglas watched Flacco play once on television, then made the trip from Owings Mills to Newark, Del., to meet him and see a practice. The meeting was as memorable as the practice. "My first impression [was], 'This guy's definitely calm,'" Douglas said. "There's a certain confidence he has in his eyes that's hard to explain. He carries himself very confidently, but not arrogantly or cocky." The practice? "He seemed to make every single throw, and you can see the ball jump out of his hand, the sheer velocity that he throws with," Douglas said. "I was trying not to seem excited, especially when I was standing next to another team's scout. It was definitely an eye-opening experience."



Douglas' next step was to bring Flacco to the attention of Ozzie Newsome, the team's general manager and personnel boss. From there, nearly every scout in the department watched Flacco and filed similar reports. "The way the Ravens do things, all the credit goes to Ozzie because he trusts his scouts," Douglas said. "And I think we were fortunate to have some great offensive coaches who are able to harness his ability and bring Joe along. It's been kind of a perfect storm for Joe as far as coming to the right team." Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, along with Jackson, the quarterbacks coach, nurtured Flacco through a difficult training camp period when he was sluggish in the pocket and slow to make decisions. When Flacco was forced to start, the coaches took a step-by-step, game-by-game approach and allowed him to evolve at his own speed. The progress has been remarkable. After throwing seven interceptions in his first five games, Flacco has thrown only five the rest of the way - none in the past four contests. Jackson credits Flacco's intelligence for his assimilation of the ever-expanding offense. "He's like a sponge," Jackson said. "If you tell him something, he has the ability to switch his thinking and move on to the next step. A lot of guys can't do that. He's a guy that can process information very quickly, recalculate it in his mind and then go and make the proper decision." There have been bumps along the way. In the 13-9 home loss to Pittsburgh in December, Flacco completed only 11 of 28 throws for 115 yards with two interceptions. His passes were often high. Jackson doesn't worry about that game's impact this weekend. "If you look closely, [the high passes were] because he was getting hit," the coach said. "There was different type of pressure around him and different type of things going on. But in saying that, those are the throws he's got to make to take the next step. There are some plays he's got to make. I'm very comfortable and confident he'll make those. And he'll make them more times than he misses them." big ben vs. joe cool

Age

26 (March 2, 1982) 24 (Jan. 16, 1985) Height, weight

6-5, 241 pounds 6-6, 230 pounds Drafted

11th overall, 2004 18th overall, 2008 College

Miami (Ohio) Delaware Record as rookie 13-0 (regular season) 11-5 (regular season) Playoffs as rookie

1-1 (lost in AFC championship) 2-0 (reached AFC championship) Rookie stats (regular season)



Copyright © 2009, The Baltimore Sun

196-for-295, 2,621 yards, 17 TDs, 11 INTs 257-for-428, 2,971 yards, 14 TDs, 12 INTs

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baltimoresun.com The picks: Ravens at Steelers

Baltimore Sun staff picks for the AFC championship game

January 15, 2009

The Baltimore Sun staff picks Each week, Sun columnists and NFL reporters will pick NFL games (not against the spread).

Jamison Hensley Ravens writer Steelers, 23-13 The Ravens are too banged up for this heavyweight fight.

David Steele Sports columnist Ravens, 20-17 Since the two near-misses against Pittsburgh, the Ravens have improved on both sides of the ball. And this time, destiny and luck will be on their side.

Edward Lee Ravens writer Steelers, 24-17 Kerry Collins gave the Steelers a blueprint on how to make yards against the Ravens' defense.

Peter Schmuck Sports columnist Ravens, 16-13 This comes down to karma. The Steelers got the last break in each of the two regular-season games. The Ravens are due for a little celestial payback.

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Ken Murray NFL writer Steelers, 24-20 The Steelers made Joe Flacco look like a rookie last time out.

Mike Preston Sports columnist Ravens, 14-10 Logic suggests a Steelers victory, but there has been nothing logical about the 2008 season.

Rick Maese Sports columnist Ravens, 19-13 The Ravens have won two playoff games and still haven't played as full a game on both sides of the ball as they are capable of.


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www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-sp.suggs16jan16,0,2152551.story

baltimoresun.com Suggs' playing status up in the air

He 'can't honestly' say whether he'll go vs. Steelers

By Jamison Hensley | [email protected]

January 16, 2009

There is no doubt that Terrell Suggs is hurting. But the extent of his shoulder injury remains a mystery. With his right arm in a sling, the Ravens' linebacker was noncommittal whether he would play in Sunday's AFC championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. "I really can't honestly answer the question," he said. "It would be really unfair to tell you guys one thing right now and do another on Sunday." Suggs said his availability would be a game-time decision. "I have never missed a game here," said Suggs, who has played in 100 straight games (including the postseason), the longest current streak for a Ravens position player. "So, I definitely don't want to start with the AFC championship. Come Sunday, we'll see." Questions remain about Suggs' injury even after he fielded about a dozen of them from reporters. He wore a sling in front of the television cameras, but he didn't wear one after coming off the practice field (he didn't participate in workouts for the second straight day). He couldn't give details of the injury or the magnetic resonance imaging. It's uncertain whether Suggs is in tremendous pain or whether this is a ploy to throw off the Steelers. While Suggs is unsure whether he'll play, his teammates are not. "You would have to strap him down for him not to play in this game," Ravens free safety Ed Reed said. Suggs, who was selected to his third Pro Bowl, led the Ravens with eight sacks and finished third on the team with a career-high 102 tackles. He injured his shoulder in the first half of Saturday's divisional playoff game while tackling quarterback Kerry Collins. After landing on top of Collins, Suggs immediately grabbed toward his right collarbone.

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The injury sidelined him the entire second half. Suggs said he has been rehabilitating the shoulder four to five times a day and it is feeling better. On Wednesday, he seemed to be in discomfort when taking off his shirt, using only his left arm. His right arm hung to the side. There is a chance Suggs will not start and will play only in passing situations. Jameel McClain and Edgar Jones could fill in for Suggs as a linebacker in their 3-4 alignment, and Marques Douglas could play defensive end in a 4-3 front. Suggs will likely wear a harness - as former Ravens pass rusher Peter Boulware did - that would stabilize his shoulder (and help it from slipping out of joint) but also limit his movement. Suggs seemed skeptical of the harness. "If they have something that can magically stop me from using my shoulder to tackle somebody ... up until then, I don't know," he said. Asked to describe the injury, Suggs said he isn't a doctor. "I messed it up," he said. "They have never seen anything like that." Asked about the results of the MRI, he said: "I can't remember. I was so distraught when they told me. It's not good. It could be major ligament damage. We just have to wait and see." Suggs said there is a possibility he might need surgery after the season. He also said the injury could worsen if he continues to play. "It's a big chance that it could get worse, especially in this smash-mouth game," said Suggs, who could be a free agent at the end of the season if he isn't again designated a franchise player by the Ravens. "We're not playing Indy; we're not playing a finesse team. We're playing a team with the exact identity as us." Suggs, however, seems more concerned about how this injury could affect his team than about the injury itself. "If I feel like me being out there will hinder us and that we would be playing with 10 [players], the decision is obvious - I can't go," Suggs said. In his six seasons with the Ravens, Suggs has built a reputation as being one of the more laid-back players on the team. He will sometimes sneak into the media room to steal pizza. He is always showing movies on a television screen in his locker, giving out popcorn to teammates at times. But Suggs was visibly distraught when talking about his injury yesterday. "You see his personality, and maybe you don't think there is a serious side to him," defensive coordinator Rex Ryan said. "On Sundays, he's all business. In the NFL, durability is just as important as athletic ability. He's got both of those traits." Suggs acknowledged that he would prefer to be talking about cheap shots from Hines Ward and so-



called bounties. "This game is bigger than all of that nonsense," Suggs said. "This game is that important. It's so important that I would actually consider sitting out to win it." video online


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January 16, 2009

Not Just a Title Game, It’s a Grudge Match

By JUDY BATTISTA

PITTSBURGH — The memory of Jan. 23, 2005, the day the Pittsburgh Steelers last lost an A.F.C.

championship game, remains vivid for Troy Polamalu, even though the Steelers won the Super Bowl the next

season.

“The sorrow in this town was so material that you could see it in the air,” Polamalu, a Steelers safety, said

Thursday. “It was depressing. I looked at the sky and, like it normally is, it was gray and dark.”

In a city that so venerates its football team that a statue of Franco Harris stands beside one of George

Washington in the airport, losing to the New England Patriots was bad. But losing on Sunday to the

Baltimore Ravens would be worse.

“It’s more of a chess match with the Patriots,” Polamalu said. “This is more of a grudge match.”

The relationship between the Steelers and the Ravens is steeped in familiarity and contempt, dating to when

the Ravens played as the Cleveland Browns. It weaved through Marvin Lewis’s departure from the Steelers’

staff in 1996 to create a Ravens defense in Pittsburgh’s image and continued when two recently departed

coaches — Bill Cowher of Pittsburgh and Brian Billick of Baltimore — verbally sparred over whose team had

more success on which home field. Throw in trash-talking, bounties and spittle, mix well, and the N.F.L. has

one of its most animated rivalries.

In recent years, the animosity has heightened because, with only sporadic threats from the Bengals and the

Browns, the Steelers and the Ravens have jostled for supremacy in the American Football Conference North

by playing strikingly similar football, grounded in superior defense and, often, stay-out-of-the-way offense.

The rivalry reached its zenith this season. The Ravens lost two excruciating games — the first in overtime, 23-

20, the second by 13-9 on a controversial late touchdown in which Santonio Holmes might (or might not)

have caught the ball over the goal line. Adding fuel to an already combustible mix, Ravens cornerback Frank

Walker hit Steelers kicker Jeff Reed low on the extra-point attempt. Reed’s holder, Mitch Berger, accused

Walker of spitting at him. Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark said that Walker, a good friend of his, denied doing it.

Upon this foundation, a trip to the Super Bowl will be decided.

Back in Week 5, after the Ravens had lost consecutive games to the Steelers and the Titans to fall to 2-3, the

defensive coordinator Rex Ryan gave his players a prescient pep talk.

“He said, ‘If we do this, this and this, we’ll end up playing Tennessee and end up playing Pittsburgh for the

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A.F.C. championship,’ ” recalled Chuck Pagano, the Ravens’ defensive backs coach. “Now he looks like

Nostradamus.”

Be careful what you wish for. N.F.L. lore holds that it is difficult to beat a team three times in a season. But

since 1970, 18 teams have beaten an opponent twice in the regular season, only to meet again in the playoffs.

The winner of the first two games won the third game 11 times. Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin called the

significance of the earlier games “hocus-pocus.”

The Ravens looked unusually vulnerable in their victory over the Titans last weekend. Baltimore, the league’s

third-best defense against the run, missed tackles and gave up 72 yards to the rookie Chris Johnson in the

first half. Johnson got hurt and did not play in the second half, a break for a Ravens defense that has played

17 consecutive weeks after a Week 2 bye.

Linebacker Terrell Suggs (shoulder) and cornerback Samari Rolle (groin) were injured, and they have not

practiced this week. Suggs has never missed a game in his six-year career, and the Steelers expect him to

play. But his frailty could indicate a greater problem for the Ravens: they may be worn down just when the

Steelers are at their healthiest.

“I could see where we’d be worn down, but I’d hate it to be that noticeable,” Ravens linebacker Jarrett

Johnson said earlier this week. “Anybody at this point is worn down. It’s a long season and people take a lot

of hits. Just about everybody is playing with an injury.”

Steelers running back Willie Parker was hurt when the teams played in September and he, like almost every

other running back in the N.F.L., has had little success against the Ravens. But after struggling with injuries

throughout the season, he had renewed spring in his legs against San Diego last Sunday, rushing for 146

yards. Parker was encouraged by Johnson’s breakout half.

“But you know how Baltimore is with us, they are definitely going to be stingy,” Parker said.

After all these years, not much has changed.

“I told Ed Reed walking off the field after the last game, ‘We’ll see you guys again,’ ” Clark said. “He said, ‘I

know, man, but it’s going to be really cold.’ ”

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By Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Circus catches, electrifying runs and crucial turnovers make the best highlights. But football players who make a living in the trenches will never underestimate the importance of third-and-short.

Sometimes the difference is a yard.

"It's just 3 feet," Baltimore Ravens defensive end Trevor Pryce said as he left work Thursday. "But on a football field, it's everything. There is no greater play than third-and-1. For both sides. Games are won or lost by a yard."

THE HUDDLE: Ravens coach pouring salt in Titans' wounds RAVENS-STEELERS PREVIEW: Who has the better matchups? PLAYOFF PICKS: Our analysts' projections

That theme resonates as the Ravens prepare for a physical test of wills against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday's AFC title game. Baltimore is among the best in converting on third-and-short and conversely adept in preventing conversions when pressed into such tight quarters.

Running backs Le'Ron McClain and Willis McGahee and quarterback Joe Flacco converted on 91% of their third-and-1 rushes (20 of 22) during the regular season; the Ravens defense that allowed a franchise-record-low four rushing touchdowns led the league in three-and-outs and in goal-to-go success, allowing nine TDs on 17 chances (52.9%).

"It's pretty hard to stop an NFL player from getting a yard," Pryce says. "A quarterback who's 6-3 should be able to fall down and convert that. But if you stop that, you're a hero. It can be a pretty big momentum shift."

SUGGS INJURY: Staying off the field hurts Ravens LB

The Steelers offense had trouble finding a reliable short-yardage option for much of the season and realized the risk in using hefty quarterback Ben Roethlisberger when he reinjured his shoulder on a sneak in a midseason game at the Washington Redskins.

The Steelers have settled on Gary Russell, a thick, 215-pounder, as the short-yardage sub for Willie Parker. Russell converted six of his eight third-and-short runs in the regular season and pounded for a 1-yard TD in Sunday's playoff win vs. the San Diego Chargers.

Russell realizes that sometimes it's about getting as little as a foot, rather than a yard.

"I'm pretty confident I can get the foot," he says. "It fits my personality."

When Pittsburgh won 13-9 at Baltimore in Week 15, the game ended in controversy after referee Walt Coleman reversed the on-the-field call and ruled that Santonio Holmes broke the plane of the goal line on a 4-yard reception with 43 seconds remaining. The play was confusing as Holmes' momentum carried him out of the end zone.

No wonder Holmes said this week, "The offense has to gain every inch that we can."

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Ravens-Steelers feud

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Holmes' catch wasn't the only pivotal close call in the last meeting. The Ravens challenged the spot — and conversion — on a third-and-1 run by Russell that led to a second-quarter field goal.

"I know he didn't get across that line," Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata recalled. "But I guess he reached out and got that first down. You've got to live with it and move on."

Asked if he can envision similar pivotal situations this weekend, Ngata said, "No doubt."

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin once posted a sign in his meeting room when he was defensive coordinator in Minnesota. It read: "Defend Every Blade of Grass."

"I brought that to this group, and I say it often," Tomlin said this week. "You've got to have that mentality. So many games come down to inches."

Says Ravens fullback Lorenzo Neal: "Ask the Giants. If they convert, it's a different ballgame."

Neal was referring to the New York Giants' 23-11 loss Sunday, when the Philadelphia Eagles stuffed the Giants on fourth downs on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter. He also pointed to the Indianapolis Colts' opening-round loss at San Diego, when Peyton Manning was sacked on third-and-2 with 2:30 on the clock. At the time, the Colts led and the Chargers were out of timeouts.

"Changed the whole momentum of that game," Neal said. "That's why it's so huge, if you can impose your will and consistently convert. Not only does it keep your defense off the field and allow you to win field position, it's a game-changer."

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By Sean Leahy, USA TODAY

How did the NFL's final four teams get to the conference championship games? USA TODAY identifies the turning points that changed each team's season and propelled them to this weekend's semifinals:

Advertisement Turning points: Where the season went right

for the NFL's final four

ARIZONA CARDINALS

Week 17: The Cardinals, who clinched in Week 14, had lost four of the previous five games and had been walloped 47-7 in New England the previous week. They weren't considered a threat entering the playoffs, as they were 3-7 outside of the NFC West. But in Week 17, the Cardinals' 32nd-ranked rushing offense re-emerged as Edgerrin James, displaced as starter earlier in the season, rushed for 100 yards (the third such performance of the season for Arizona). Two playoff wins later, the Cardinals are playing with confidence and without memories of their late-season swoon dogging them. More Cardinals: Results | Team report | Depth chart

By Mark J. Rebilas, US Presswire

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Week 12: Drubbed 30-10 by the Giants the previous week, the Ravens started a stretch of five wins (all of which they needed) in the final six games with a 36-7 victory against Philadelphia. The Ravens took advantage of the Eagles' instability (coach Andy Reid benched QB Donovan McNabb at halftime) to score 26 points in the final 22 minutes. Safety Ed Reed had two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), which started his string of 10 interceptions in seven games. More Ravens : Results | Team report | Depth chart

By Rob Carr, AP

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Week 13: After a demoralizing tie at Cincinnati and the humiliation of QB Donovan McNabb's benching in a 36-7 loss at Baltimore the week before, the Eagles seemed on life support when the Cardinals arrived on Thanksgiving night. There were calls to run both coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb out of town. But McNabb and running back Brian Westbrook each had a hand in four touchdowns as Philadelphia resurrected its season with a 48-20 win. It was the first of four wins in the final five games, a stretch that (with some Week 17 help from Oakland and Houston) sent the Eagles to the playoffs. More Eagles: Results | Team report | Depth chart

By Nick Laham, Getty Images

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Week 11: The 6-3 Steelers had lost two consecutive home games when the Chargers arrived in Pittsburgh. Thirteen Steelers penalties kept San Diego in the game, but Jeff Reed's field goal with 11 seconds left gave Pittsburgh an 11-10 win, the first of five consecutive victories. The Steelers would go on to beat playoff contenders New England, Dallas in the next few weeks before defeating Baltimore in Week 15 to clinch the AFC North.

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More Steelers: Results | Team report | Depth chart

By Gregory Shamus, Getty Images

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Thursday, January 15, 2009 Updated: January 16, 8:20 AM ET

Want nasty? Check out Ravens-Steelers

By Greg Garber ESPN.com The most recent volley in the ongoing 13-year war between the Ravens and Steelers came from the mouth of Baltimore backup cornerback Frank Walker.

Walker and Steelers punter Mitch Berger were jawing late in their Dec. 14 game. Berger, the holder for extra points, was angry that, in his view, Walker had tried to injure kicker Jeff Reed

"I had my mouth right open and was about to say something when he spit right on me," Berger told reporters. "It wasn't something that happens by accident. There was the full noise. He made the spitting noise."

Walker, for his part, admitted he had slimed Berger -- "It was just a slobber moment," he said -- although he denied it was intentional.

Replays were inconclusive (you think we're kidding), and Walker was not disciplined by the league. Berger, however, might have been scarred for life.

"I kept spitting for 24 hours," he said. "I kept brushing my teeth. To have another man spit in your mouth like that -- it was gross."

Walker said he didn't care whether the Steelers believed him.

"I hate Pittsburgh," he said.

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Steelers receiver Hines Ward has been a thorn in the Ravens' side since he came into the league in 1998.

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Welcome to the Ravens-Steelers rivalry, arguably the nastiest in all of sports. If a punter and a little-used cornerback can create this kind of smear and loathing, what happens when you throw the irresistible force that is Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward and the immovable object that is Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis onto the same field?

Breathtaking hits, some of them late. Woofing. Pathos. Chaos. And maybe even some more phlegm. It is not the longest rivalry in the history of the NFL, but it is the most intense. The teams meet for the 28th time Sunday in the AFC Championship Game.

"What else would you expect -- us and the Ravens," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Sunday after the Steelers handled the Chargers 35-24. "It would be a big game if it was a scrimmage. It just happens to be the AFC Championship Game."

Familiarity between these two AFC North teams breeds, well, something beyond contempt. There have been alleged late hits, reported bounties and even not-so-veiled death threats.

"Every block, every tackle -- none of them are done casually," said Steelers radio broadcaster Tunch Ilkin, who played in Pittsburgh from 1980 to 1992. "They're all done with full intensity and malicious intent. If you have a chance to rub a guy's face in the dirt on a tackle, you do. If you can put a knee in a guy's back to help yourself get up, you do it.

"Not to sound like a football snob, but if you're a purist, you love this. You can't wait for this game."

Kevin Byrne, the Ravens' senior vice president of public and community relations, has been with the franchise for 28 years, all the way back to when it was based in Cleveland.

"These games have been played by two teams who have the same belief: If you are more physical than the guys on the other side, you will win," Byrne said. "The meek may inherit the earth, but it won't be a Raven or a Steeler.

"I've been on the sidelines late in games. It's thunderous. You're not even on the field and your adrenaline gets going because of the intensity. … There's a deep respect, too."

This season, appropriately, the Ravens and Steelers have the league's top-ranked defenses in terms of points and yards allowed. The Steelers lead the series 17-10 -- including a divisional-round playoff victory at the end of the 2001 season -- and won both previous games this season, one in overtime, by a total of seven points.

The Ravens, though, have had their moments. In 2006, they won both games and sacked quarterback Ben Roethlisberger 16 times. One of them was a brutal shot by Ravens linebacker Bart Scott.

"That's the cleanest tackle I've had in my life," Scott said later. "It felt good to hear the air leave his body."

If it doesn't kill you

"Every block, every tackle -- none of them are done casually," says former Steelers Tunch Ilkin of the Baltimore-Pittsburgh rivalry.



It is a fact of life: Competition makes you stronger.

Coke versus Pepsi. Hilton versus Sheraton. Republicans versus Democrats. Ford versus Chevy --- OK, bad example.

The Ravens and Steelers have driven each other since the Ravens left Cleveland after the 1995 season and settled in Baltimore. The Ravens and Steelers have won two of the eight Super Bowls contested since the turn of the century. One of them will play for a second.

NFC East rivals the Giants, Redskins and Cowboys helped elevate one another to a total of seven Super Bowl victories between 1986 to 1995.

If it's a rivalry, there's some shared emotional history that almost certainly serves as a backstory. The Ravens-Steelers rivalry goes back to when the Ravens were the Cleveland Browns. Those teams really disliked each other, captured by the unforgettable image of Steelers defensive tackle Mean Joe Greene kicking Browns lineman Bob McKay repeatedly in the groin at the end of a blowout -- for Pittsburgh -- in 1975.

Ilkin, the former Steelers offensive tackle, said he was punched, kicked, clawed and even had a ball spiked off his head by the Browns.

"In the old days, it was nastier, guys kicking each other in the head," Ilkin said. "I remember when [Steelers linebacker Jack] Lambert tackled [Browns quarterback] Brian Sipe on the sideline. If you're the Steelers, it was close to the sideline, Jack just playing football. If you're the Browns, he's 3 yards out of bounds, and Jack cheap-shotted him.

"After the game, Chuck Noll explained it by saying the Browns were kicking Jack in a place where a young man should not be kicked. Man, those were the days."

The longest ongoing rivalry in the NFL belongs to the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. The first game was in 1921 and went to the Chicago Staleys, 20-0. But the Houston Texans, born in 2002, have played the Rams, Cardinals, Seahawks and 49ers only once each. That oversight will be solved in the 2009 season, the NFL's 90th, when the AFC South plays the NFC West.

Ravens linebacker Bart Scott described this 2006 sack of Ben Roethlisberger as "the cleanest tackle I've had in my life. It felt good to hear the air leave his body."



The Cowboys-Redskins overheated rivalry began even before the first game in 1960. When Washington owner George Preston Marshall opposed Dallas' expansion proposal, the prospective ownership group bought the rights to "Hail to the Redskins" and threatened to hold the team's fight song hostage. Marshall acquiesced, and the Cowboys were born. Dallas holds a 57-37-2 edge in the regular season, but the Redskins are 2-0 in the playoffs.

The Raiders-Broncos games in the old AFL were wild and woolly, but after head coach Mike Shanahan was fired four games into the 1989 season by Raiders owner Al Davis, the rivalry was rekindled. During Shanahan's 14-season tenure in Denver, his record against the Raiders was 21-7.

The Browns and Bengals share an uneasy history -- and a man named Paul Brown. He was the head coach in Cleveland and won three NFL and four All-America Football Conference titles there before. Brown coached the fledgling Bengals from 1968 to 1975, and his family still owns the franchise.

Cincinnati head coach Sam Wyche fired a shot at Cleveland during a December 1989 game against Seattle. Taking the public address microphone after Bengals fans started throwing debris on the field in reaction to what they thought was an official's bad call, Wyche asked them to stop, adding, "You don't live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati."

Passion play

Only one man has played in all 27 Ravens-Steelers games: Matt Stover.

The 40-year-old Baltimore kicker described the rivalry this way Thursday:

"Intensity. It's about the passion that we've brought forth, the team we've gathered together. We understand emotionally what it's going to take. They got the best of us the last two times.

"I'm excited because our guys are ready."

Stover has been playing against the Steelers since 1991, when he broke in with the Browns. One thing that charged the matchup, he said, is that when the Colts left Baltimore after the 1983 season, some of their fans became Steelers fans. With about a five-hour drive between the cities, visiting fans are always well represented.

But, really, it comes down to mutual dislike.

"Our [teams'] linebackers don't like each other," Stover said. "Ray Lewis, his passion is unmatched by anybody I ever played with in 19 years. If no one can match it, then nobody can stop us."

Ward, naturally, begs to differ.

"I definitely don't want to have Baltimore celebrating on our field," he said this week. "I don't know how long [it takes] to be able to get over that. So we're going to make sure that doesn't happen this Sunday."

The very first game of the series, in 1996, went to the Steelers 31-17 in Pittsburgh. Three months later, the Ravens won by the same score in Baltimore. The real fireworks began, not coincidentally, with the arrival of Lewis in 1996 and Ward in Pittsburgh in 1998. They are the souls of their respective teams and, appropriately, have each played in 22 games of this rivalry.



In 2001, Ward cracked Ravens safety Rod Woodson, a former Steeler, in the face, bloodying his nose. A year later, Ravens cornerback James Trapp intercepted a pass and was tossed out of bounds by Pittsburgh receiver Antwaan Randle El. In the ensuing melee, Trapp jumped (with both feet) on the stomach of Steelers wideout Plaxico Burress and tore off his helmet. Both were ejected.

The Ravens were executing a spike play to kill time off the clock in 2004 when Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter slammed to the ground Ravens tight end Todd Heap, who had limped to the line. Heap did not return to the game, and afterward, the Ravens accused Porter of a cheap shot.

In November 2007, Ward delivered crushing (but unflagged) blocks on the Ravens' Scott and safety Ed Reed in 2007. Scott threatened to "kill" Ward, but the feisty Steelers receiver sat out the December rematch because the Steelers had already clinched a playoff spot. Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs suggested in a radio interview earlier this season that the Ravens had placed bounties on Ward and rookie running back Rashard Mendenhall, who was hit by Lewis and knocked out for the season with an injured shoulder Sept. 29.

This season, Ward had Scott lined up for another shot on a Roethlisberger scramble, only to miss him.

"They put a bounty on me," Ward said, "and then he ducks."

According to Ilkin, the former Steelers tackle, the intensity began building on Wednesday, when the teams started breaking down film.

"You'll see a cheap shot and you start keeping score," Ilkin said. "You go into this game with your head on a swivel. You're thinking, 'Don't let them get to the quarterback, don't let them get a shot on the ball carrier when they're peeling off the pile.'

"They're probably saying the same thing. That's what makes it so exciting."

Stover knows how this grinding, gruesome game will go.

"It will definitely come down to the team that has the passion going in the right direction," he said. "Who has enough guys charged up and ready to go?"

And then he laughed.

"Of course, the kicker may have to come in and win the game," he added. "I'm prepared to do that."

Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

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Kicker Matt Stover has played in all 27 Ravens-Steelers games. "We understand emotionally what it's going to take," he says of Sunday's AFC title game.



Glades Central grad Santonio Holmes makes name for himself with Pittsburgh Steelers

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By BRIAN BIGGANE

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Thursday, January 15, 2009

As preparations for Sunday's AFC Championship Game wound down Thursday, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and Belle Glade native Santonio Holmes was thinking back to another playoff game, this one seven years ago between Glades Central and Jupiter.

"I didn't catch a pass, but I did have seven pancake blocks," Holmes recalled by phone from the Steelers' locker room in Pittsburgh.

"It's a game that stands out," said Willie Bueno, who coached Holmes and the Raiders but has since moved on to American Heritage. "He was the leading receiver in the county that year. He didn't have a catch, but he was just as excited about making those blocks.

"I saw then he was an unselfish guy, one who would do whatever the team needed to win."

The receiver Bueno called "as good as anybody I've ever seen" went on to star for three years at Ohio State before becoming the Steelers' first-round pick in 2006. Last Sunday he set a record for the longest punt return in franchise playoff history, going 67 yards to tie the game in the first quarter as Pittsburgh rolled to a 35-24 divisional playoff win over San Diego.

After breaking out in his second NFL season in 2007, Holmes, 25, played more of a secondary role behind veteran Hines Ward this year. But Holmes had his moments as Pittsburgh won the AFC North title and advanced to Sunday's third showdown against division rival Baltimore for a shot at the Steelers' second Super Bowl appearance in four years.

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"Week in and week out, I've been making at least one splash play the team recognizes," Holmes said.

Holmes, who totaled six catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns in two wins against the Ravens this season, said the Steelers are confident about pulling off the trifecta.

"We've played pretty good against Baltimore so far," he said. "We've done enough to win those two games, but we also know 'doing just enough' is not going to be enough this time."

Milton Watson, who coached Holmes as a sophomore at Glades Central, recalled his first big splash late that season against Fort Lauderdale-Dillard.

"It was 0-0 at the half, and I think the first play afterward we threw to him and he went for a TD," Watson said. "He caught three or four balls for touchdowns and just broke the game open.

"He was great running the slant (pattern)," Watson added. "You didn't have to throw deep to him. He'd just catch it and take off. That's what separated him from a lot of receivers."

Bueno said in his last two seasons, Holmes became a go-to guy for off-the-field matters, as well.

"He was a captain for us, and always a leader,'' Bueno said. "Coaches need top players they can go to when they need to get a message across to the team. He was good that way. And he always had positive things to say around the team."

Then-Florida coach Ron Zook wasn't recruiting the Glades area when Holmes in school, so he chose Ohio State, where his receiving corps also included the Dolphins' Ted Ginn Jr. and Indianapolis' Anthony Gonzalez.

"He had a lot of raw talent when he got here," Buckeyes receivers coach Darrell Hazell said. "But he always worked and listened, and got better day by day. He'd do a lot of the little things you want to see in a receiver: creating separation, keeping his hips up the field, running sound routes."

Hazell said he had no second thoughts when Holmes entered the NFL Draft after his junior year.

"He was one of the best of that class. He knew enough mentally to handle it, and he's as physically gifted as I've seen."

Hazell said Holmes, a 5-foot-11, 189-pounder, has the "complete game.''

"He's great on the slant pattern, and you have to be tough to go inside like that and catch it in traffic,'' Hazell said. "He's also got the speed to go by guys. And he's the best blocker I've seen by far since I've been coaching

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receivers."

After debuting with 49 catches for 824 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie, Holmes led the Steelers in receiving yards (942) and touchdowns (8) while averaging a league-best 18.7 yards per catch in 2007.

This year's numbers, while solid, are less impressive: 55 catches, 821 yards, five scores and a 14.9 average.

"My season has been up and down," Holmes said. "But I'm a strong-minded guy, and I know anything is still possible."

Watson recalls Holmes being a student-athlete who "never got in trouble, and was good in the classroom, as well.''

But Holmes has found trouble since joining the Steelers. He's been arrested three times, including a disorderly conduct charge in Miami Beach in May 2006, a domestic violence charge a month later, and a marijuana possession charge last October that resulted in him sitting out a loss to the New York Giants.

No charges have been filed in any of the instances.

"That's something I won't even think about right now," he said. "I've got bigger and better things to worry about, like winning this AFC

Championship Game."

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Steelers' Parker Is Back On Run

By Mark Viera Special to The Washington Post Friday, January 16, 2009; E01

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 15 -- On the top shelf of his locker, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Willie Parker keeps a placard that reads, "Perseverance." He had it made earlier this season, he said, when he was stressed and battling injuries. He looks at the sign every day.

In college, he learned perseverance after spending time on the bench. Last weekend, he showed perseverance against the San Diego Chargers. And this weekend, he will surely need perseverance against the Baltimore Ravens.

By rushing for 146 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-24 win last Sunday against the Chargers, Parker outran the injuries and inconsistencies that have nagged him this season. But the afterglow of his performance against the Chargers has not lasted as the Steelers prepare to face the Ravens in the AFC championship on Sunday.

Finally healthy, Parker could play a pivotal role against the Ravens' engulfing defense. The Steelers defeated the Ravens twice this season, by a total of seven points, and the third act should similarly feature dominating defense and plodding, grind-it-out offenses.

"It's going to be a war out there," Parker said. "We just got to go out and fight."

Parker had little or no role in the two previous games. On Sept. 29, he did not play because of a knee injury. On Dec. 14, Parker was limited to 47 yards on 14 carries. Now, with Parker healthy, the Steelers are hoping his performance will be different.

"Willie has that type of personality that when he feels good he has a bounce in his step and it permeates throughout a football team," Coach Mike Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday. "Him feeling good physically and mentally may be rubbing off on a lot of people. Hopefully it is."

Before Parker was in the spotlight in Pittsburgh, he was on the bench at the University of North Carolina. Parker clashed with the coaching staff when John Bunting took over for Carl Torbush after Parker's freshman year. He only played a limited amount for the Tar Heels.

"Obviously there was more we could have gotten out of him," André Powell, the former North Carolina running backs coach, said Thursday in a telephone interview. "That goes both ways. That was some of us, that was some of Willie. For whatever reason, we were not able to connect."

Powell, who currently coaches Clemson's running backs, added: "He learned to hold on to his dreams. That obviously shows. Based on what's happened, a lesser man would have given up."

Parker came to Pittsburgh as an undrafted rookie in 2004, but he quickly became a revered figure among

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Steelers fans. In his second season, he took over the starting role from Jerome Bettis, who was in his 10th season with Pittsburgh. (Bettis retired after the 2005 season.)

In that season, Parker helped jolt Pittsburgh to a 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL. His 75-yard touchdown run, the longest in Super Bowl history, has become his signature moment in a Steelers uniform. The scintillating play, along with his reported time of 4.23 seconds in the 40-yard dash, helped cement the prefix "Fast" to his name.

But this year, after three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, Parker has been slowed by a knee injury that sidelined him for five games. The Steelers' run-dominant offense has been replaced by one that, until last week, favored passing the ball.

As a consequence of his injuries -- in addition to the thin depth on the offense line, which lost two starters to injury and guard Alan Faneca to the New York Jets in the offseason -- Parker rushed for only 791 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season. He had four 100-yard games.

In Parker's absence, the Steelers relied on Mewelde Moore and Gary Russell, both of whom are downhill, between-the-tackles runners. But Parker has recently started to resemble his old self, and Pittsburgh has benefited.

"I think it helps our confidence," tackle Max Starks said of having Parker healthy, "plus it helps our versatility as an offense because he provides a different dimension in his running style. Willie can run between the tackles but he can also bounce it outside."

In the Steelers' regular season finale, Dec. 28 against the Cleveland Browns, Parker rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown to help lift Pittsburgh to a 31-0 win.

Before the playoff game against the Chargers, Parker talked about earning back respect for Pittsburgh's ground game. Appearing to be healthy, he helped to do that on 27 carries. Parker ran simple zone running plays, often pounding through the heart of San Diego's line.

"When he's not healthy, you can tell that he's not running as fast or running as hard," Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata told reporters on Wednesday. "You saw in that San Diego game, he hit that corner and got around it."

The Ravens will pose a daunting challenge up front. With a 3-4 defense Starks described as "exotic," Baltimore can bring a heavy blitz and cause mismatches in protection by switching fronts.

"They say they run a 3-4 defense but it's a very loose term of the word 3-4," Starks said. "They have three defensive linemen in there and they have four linebackers but they can line up anywhere on the field. That presents the challenge of trying to declare and put a guy on a guy."

Asked about the AFC championship, Parker said: "I've got a lot of confidence going into the game. I definitely feel I can make plays and help this offense out."

Baltimore struggled early last Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. In a 13-10 win, the Ravens allowed running back Chris Johnson to roll up 72 yards on 11 carries in the first half before he exited with an ankle injury. The Ravens' rush defense was ranked third in the NFL in the regular season.

The Ravens, a wild-card team, have played 17 straight games without a weekend off and there have



been questions about whether they are starting to wear down. Such questions have vanished from the Steelers' locker room, especially in the back corner where Parker wore a bright smile on Thursday afternoon.

"I was out there struggling, trying to play, make plays and stuff," Parker said. "Now it's kind of coming along; everything's working out for the best. I'm back to full speed and back running, and having fun."

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Lions turn to Schwartz as coach

ESPN.com news services DETROIT -- The Detroit Lions agreed on a four-year deal Thursday with Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to be their coach.

Schwartz will attempt to lead a turnaround for the NFL's first 0-16 team. The Lions fired Rod Marinelli two weeks ago and interviewed several candidates, including Dolphins assistant head coach Todd Bowles.

Schwartz will be introduced at a news conference Friday at Ford Field, the home of the Lions. The 42-year-old Schwartz just finished his eighth season as the Titans' defensive coordinator and his 10th on their staff. He interviewed for a second time with the Lions on Monday.

"After an extensive search that included several highly qualified coaches, we are thrilled that Jim Schwartz will become our team's head coach," team president Tom Lewand said in a statement. "[General manager] Martin [Mayhew] and I believe that Jim's qualifications and vision will lead this organization on the field toward our goal of becoming a championship football team."

ESPN first reported the hiring.

The chance to lead an infamous team only seemed to motivate Schwartz to get the job. "I don't shy away from a challenge," he said during a news conference earlier this week.

Detroit interviewed Schwartz after the regular season and had to wait for Tennessee to be eliminated from the playoffs to speak with him again. The Titans lost to Baltimore on Saturday.

The Lions also showed some interest in Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera.

Before being hired by Tennessee, Schwartz spent three years on the Baltimore Ravens' staff. He also was a college and pro scout for the Cleveland Browns and that experience might be valuable in Detroit.

Schwartz's preferred candidates for offensive coordinator are Jeremy Bates of the Denver Broncos and Brian Schottenheimer of the New York Jets, sources told ESPN. Bates signed a three-year contract extension with the Broncos before Mike Shanahan was fired and new coach Josh McDaniels, who will run the offense in Denver, likely would grant Bates his release.

Schottenheimer remains a strong candidate for the Jets head coaching position and may ask out of his contract if he is bypassed for the job in favor of Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan or Giants

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defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. However, the Jets are not obligated to release Schottenheimer and sources say they would prefer that Ryan or Spagnuolo, if hired, retain much of the offensive staff.

The Lions have the No. 1 pick in April, along with first- and third-round picks from the Dallas Cowboys, and need to find players to spark a turnaround.

Schwartz had an idea of what to do with the first pick.

"It's probably time to find a replacement for Bobby Layne," Schwartz said Monday, showing he knows at least a little about the history of perhaps the NFL's worst franchise.

Lewand doubled over, then composed himself enough to avoid bursting out with laughter.

What isn't a joke, though, is how bad Detroit has been and how often it has failed to draft or acquire a viable, long-term option at quarterback.

Since winning a title in 1957 with Layne under center, the Lions have the same number of playoff victories as Pro Bowl QBs: one.

Detroit will count on Schwartz to use his background to come up with ways to improve a defense that ranked last in the league and gave up 517 points -- threatening the NFL record for points allowed (533) in a season set by the 1981 Baltimore Colts.

"There's no better feeling than turning a situation around," he has said.

Schwartz played linebacker at Georgetown, where he earned a degree in economics. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Maryland in 1989, later had the same position at Minnesota and went on to become a secondary coach for North Carolina Central and linebackers coach at Colgate. The Baltimore native became a candidate to be a head coach because of what he's done in Tennessee. His resume and style led to interviews in previous years with Miami, Atlanta, Washington and San Francisco.

The Titans ranked in the top seven in yards allowed each of the past two seasons and finished second in points allowed per game at 14.6 in 2008. His 2003 defense ranked first in the NFL in rushing defense and led the league in third down defense at 27.7 -- the lowest since the 1998 Oakland Raiders.

The avid chess player analyzes football-related statistics, looking for tendencies, then has the ability to relay what he has learned to players.

The leading candidate for Schwartz's defensive coordinator post is the Chiefs' Gunther Cunningham. The two coaches once worked together with the Titans.

Senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Page 2 of 2ESPN.com - Lions turn to Schwartz as coach



Harris could be Browns' backup plan Associated Press CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns interviewed James "Shack" Harris, Jacksonville's former vice president of player personnel, on Thursday for their general manager opening.

Harris met with Browns owner Randy Lerner and team officials in the New York area. He is the fourth candidate to interview for the GM spot, left open when Phil Savage was fired last month.

George Kokinis, Baltimore's director of player personnel, remains the front-runner to join the Browns. He's a longtime friend of Cleveland coach Eric Mangini, who recommended him to Lerner during his interview. Kokinis is expected to meet with the Browns next week. The Ravens will play at Pittsburgh in Sunday's AFC Championship.

During his search, Lerner also met with former New England vice president Scott Pioli, who landed the Kansas City GM job this week, and Browns director of player personnel T.J. McCreight.

Harris, the first black quarterback in NFL history to start a season opener, left his position with the Jaguars before their season finale at Baltimore. Jacksonville finished a disappointing 5-11, and while not all the club's offseason moves were Harris' decisions, he took the fall for their failures.

Two moves may have sealed his fate. He signed free agent wide receiver Jerry Porter and cornerback Drayton Florence to contracts that included $23 million in guaranteed money.

Porter missed all of training camp and the preseason following surgery to repair a torn hamstring. He started six games, finished the season on injured reserve and with just 11 catches for 181 yards. Florence struggled in zone coverage and was relegated mostly to playing in nickel and dime situations.

Harris also had a run of questionable first-round draft picks, and although he never had the GM title, he was blamed for personnel decisions even though coach Jack Del Rio played a role in every roster move.

Harris could be a backup plan in case they are spurned by Kokinis. Harris was the Ravens' pro personnel director for six seasons and helped Baltimore win the 2001 Super Bowl.

The Browns do not have any further interviews planned at this time.

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