Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) vs. Baltimore Ravens (5-2)Date: Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011Kickoff: 8:20 p.m., ETSite: Heinz Field (65,500) • Pittsburgh, Pa.Playing Surface: GrassTV Coverage: NBC (locally WPXI-TV, channel 11)Announcers: Al Michaels (play-by-play)*Cris Collinsworth (color analyst) Michele Tafoya (sideline)Local Radio: Steelers Radio Network WDVE-FM (102.5)/WBGG-AM (970)Announcers: Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play) Tunch Ilkin (color analyst) Craig Wolfley (sideline)National Radio: Westwood OneAnnouncers: Dave Sims (play-by-play) James Lofton (color analyst) Scott Kaplan (sideline)Spanish Radio: Grupo Imagen - Destrito Federal (Mexico City) *XEDA-FM 90.5
THE COACHES
Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike TomlinOverall regular-season record: 49-23 (.681)/fifth seasonRegular-season record at Pittsburgh: 49-23 (.681)/fifth seasonPlayoff Record/Years: 5-2/three yearsBaltimore Ravens Head Coach John HarbaughOverall regular-season record: 37-18 (.673)/fourth seasonRegular-season record at Baltimore: 37-18 (.673)/fourth seasonPlayoff Record/Years: 4-3/three years
SERIES HISTORYSeries History: Series began in 1996Overall: Pittsburgh leads 18-13At Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh leads 10-5At Baltimore: Tied at 8-8Neutral Sites: n/aLast Regular-Season Meeting: Sept. 11, 2011 (in Baltimore)*Baltimore 35, Pittsburgh 7Postseason Series: Pittsburgh leads 3-0Last Postseason Meeting: Jan. 15, 2011 (in Pittsburgh) Pittsburgh 31, Baltimore 24 (AFC Divisional Playoff)(postseason record not included in overall series record)Pittsburgh is 18-13 in the regular season and 3-0 all-time in the postseason against the Ravens, including a 31-24 win in last year's Divisional Playoff Game at Heinz Field...the Steelers defeated the Ravens three times in 2008, including a 23-14 victory in the AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field...the teams split the regular season meetings in 2010, with each team winning on the road...the Steelers have swept the season series four times (1997,1998, 2002, 2008)...the Ravens swept the 2006 season series, marking the only time Pittsburgh had been swept in the *series.
PITTSBURGH-NEW ENGLAND CONNECTIONSLOCAL CONNECTIONS
• Ravens QB Joe Flaccoplayed for the University of Pittsburgh*from 2003-2004 before transferring to the University of Delaware.
• Ravens Head CoachJohn Harbaugh coached tight ends for the University of Pittsburgh in 1987.
• Ravens secondary coachTeryl Austin was born in Sharon, Pa. and played collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh from 1984-1987.• Ravens wide receivers coachJim Hostler was born in Pittsburgh and played collegiately for Indiana (Pa.) from 1986-1989. He coached at his alma mater from 1990-1992, 1994-1999 and at nearby Juniata (Pa.) in 1993.• RavensTE Kris Wilson played for the University of Pittsburgh from 2000-2003. Wilson was born in Harrisburg, Pa. and moved to Lancaster, Pa. to attend high school.
*PRO CONNECTIONS
• Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lakeplayed for the*Ravens in his final season in 2001.• Steelers Head CoachMike Tomlin was the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings in 2006. RavensOT Bryant McKinnie andC Matt Birk played for the Vikings in Tomlin's only season with Minnesota. During that time, SteelersRB Mewelde Moore (2004-07) also played for Minnesota.• Steelers offensive coordinatorBruce Arians, Ravens special teams coordinator/asst. head coachJerry Rosburg and Ravens defensive coordinatorChuck Pagano were on the Cleveland Browns' coaching staff together from 2001-2003. Steelers linebackers coachKeith Butler was on that same staff from 2001-2002.• Steelers special teams coachAl Everest and Ravens wide receivers coachJim Hostler both coached for the New Orleans Saints from 2000-2002.• SteelersK Shaun Suisham was teammates with RavensK Billy Cundiff (2005) andC Andre Gurode (2005-06, '09) with the Dallas Cowboys in 2005.• SteelersCB Bryant McFadden and RavensWR Anquan Boldin were teammates with the Arizona Cardinals in 2009.• Steelers offensive line coachSean Kugler was on the Buffalo Bills' coaching staff from 2007-2009 when RavensWR Lee Evans played for the Bills.• SteelersLB James Harrison spent time on the Ravens' practice squad early in his career before being added to the Steelers' active roster. • Steelers offensive assistantJerry Olsavsky played his final *NFL season with the Ravens in 1998.
COLLEGE CONNECTIONS
• Steelers LB LaMarr Woodleyand Ravens LB Prescott Burgesswere teammates at the University of Michigan from 2003-2006.*They were both drafted in 2007. Woodley went to the Steelers in the second round (46th overall), and Burgess went to the Ravens in the sixth round (207th overall).• SteelersWR Emmanuel Sanders and RavensCB Bryan McCann were teammates at Southern Methodist University from 2006-2009.• SteelersRB Jonathan Dwyer and RavensRB Anthony Allen were teammates at Georgia Tech from 2008-2009. Allen was also teammates at the University of Louisville with SteelersCB William Gay in 2006.• SteelersLB James Harrison played for the Kent State Golden Flashes from 1999-2001 when Ravens linebackers coachDean Pees was the Head Coach of the Flashes.• Steelers assistant head coach/defensive lineJohn Mitchell was the defensive line coach for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 1974-1976 when Ravens general manager and executive vice president Ozzie Newsome played for the Crimson Tide.• SteelersQB Dennis Dixon and RavensNT Haloti Ngata were teammates at the University of Oregon in 2005.• SteelersWR Mike Wallace and RavensOT Michael Oher were teammates at the University of Mississippi from 2005-2008.• SteelersNT Casey Hampton and RavensRB Ricky Williams were teammates at the University of Texas from 1996-1998.Hampton was also teammates with RavensDE Cory Redding at Texas from 1999-2000.• SteelersOT Chris Scott was teammates with RavensLS Morgan Cox at the University of Tennessee from 2006-2009. Scott and Cox were also teammates with SteelersOG Ramon Foster from 2006-2008.• Steelers rookieCB Curtis Brown and RavensCB Chykie Brown (no relation) were teammates at the University of Texas from 2007- 2010. Both were drafted in the 2011 NFL Draft. Curtis Brown went to the Steelers in the third round (95th overall) and Chykie Brown went to the Ravens in the fifth round (164th overall). They were also teammates with RavensOLB Sergio Kindle at Texas from 2007-2009.• SteelersLB Stevenson Sylvester was teammates at the University of Utah with RavensWR David Reed from 2006-2009. Sylvester and Reed were also teammates at Utah with Ravens LB Paul Kruger from 2007-2008.• SteelersLB Jason Worilds and Ravens rookieQB Tyrod Taylor *were teammates at Virginia Tech from 2007-2009.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
PITTSBURGH TEAM NOTES • The Steelers look to improve to 329-207 all-time against AFC*opponents.• Pittsburgh looks to open the season 5-0 at Heinz Field for the first time since 2007 when they started 7-0 at home.
• Including the regular and postseason, Pittsburgh is looking for eighth consecutive win at home, which marks longest home winning streak since winning 10 in row in 2008-09.• Pittsburgh looks to earn its seventh victory in the last eight games.• The Steelers defense looks to allow less than 150 passing yards for the fifth time in the last eight games.
• Pittsburgh's defense will look to hold their eighth straight opponent to 20 points or less (0, 20, 17, 17, 13, 20, 17).• Looking for fifth consecutive win, the longest win streak since *winning six in a row from 2009-10.
PITTSBURGH INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Head Coach Mike Tomlin•Looks to improve to 8-4 against Baltimore including 6-1 at home*during the regular season and postseason.
*• *Will look to improve to 50-23 overall and 29-8 at home during the regular season.• Looks to become the fourth head coach in Steelers history to reach 50 regular season wins (Chuck Noll-209, Bill Cowher-161, Raymond Parker-51).• Looks to win the first five home games of the season for the second time in five years (2007).QB Ben Roethlisberger• Looks to become the first Steelers' quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards in three consecutive games. Would mark the 19th 300-yard passing performance of Roethlisberger's career.• Needs 196 passing yards to reach 25,000 for his career.• Will look to record his 17th consecutive game with at least 200 yards passing.• Looks for fourth 100.0 rating of the season and 45th of his career.• Will look to improve to 76-31 as a starter. • Looks to improve to 30-8 versus AFC North opponents.• Including the postseason, looking to improve record to 10-3 against the Ravens as a starter.WR Hines Ward• Needs 40 receiving yards to reach 12,000 for his career. He would be 19th player in NFL history to reach the mark and the first in Steelers' history. Ward will become the third player in NFL history *to reach 12,000 career receiving yards and win multiple Super Bowls (Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Art Monk).
TE Heath Miller• Is 58 yards shy of passing Yancey Thigpen (3,651) for 11th place*on the Steelers all-time receiving yards list.RB Rashard Mendenhall• Needs one rushing touchdown to tie Willie Parker (24) for the eighth-most in team history.• Is 83 yards away from passing Frenchy Fuqua (2,942) for the 12th most career rushing yards in franchise history.WR Mike Wallace• With 100 yards receiving will record his 13th 100-yard receiving game of his career and the fifth of this season.
• If Wallace records at least 100 yards receiving it will be his eighth 100 yard receiving game in the last 12 regular-season games. Below is the numbers from Wallace's last 11 regular-season games:WR Antonio Brown• After registering seven receptions for a career-best 102 yards at Arizona in Week 7 and then a career-high nine receptions for 67 yards versus New England in Week 8, will look to register at least seven receptions for the third straight game.SS Troy Polamalu• After returning a fumble 16 yards for the second fumble returned for a touchdown of his career vs. Indianapolis (Week 3), is one away from tying Jason Gildon (3) for the most fumbles returned for touchdowns in franchise history.
• Needs one touchdown to move into a tie for the second-most defensive touchdowns in Steelers history:
• One interception shy of tying Jack Lambert (28) for the ninth-most *in Steelers' history.
• Needs one interception return for a touchdown to tie Carnell Lake, Dwayne Woodruff, Deshea Townsend and Tony Campagno (3) for the third-most in franchise history.
• Needs 41 yards to surpass Chad Scott (368) for the ninth-most interception return yards in a career in Steelers' history.
LB LaMarr Woodley
• After recording more than one sack for the 16th time in his career during the regular season last week versus New England (2.0), looks to register at least 1.5 sacks in five consecutive regular season games for the first time in his career. It will also mark the first time an NFL player has recorded at least 1.5 sacks in five straight games since Simeon Rice in 2002.
• Needs one sack to reach 10.0 on the season, marking the fourth consecutive year Woodley has registered at least 10.0 sacks (2010- 10.0, 2009 - 13.5, 2008 - 11.5).
DE Brett Keisel
• Will look to record a sack in back-to-back games for the fifth time in his career.
• One sack would give him four sacks over the last four games.
LB James Harrison
• Needs 2.5 sacks to tie Greg Lloyd (53.5) for the sixth-highest career total in team history.
