Let's see what you can do....

Well, unfortunately after thinking Ben would play this week we are upset to find out that he will not. Ben is out this week after diving fearlessly into the KC defense last week and suffering a head injury. Hopefully he'll recover fully by next week, but I'm sure he'll think twice about diving head first again. It won't hurt anyone if you slide feet first Ben. If it's the Super Bowl or the AFC championship game, go for it Ben. Otherwise, feet first will do.

To make the game interesting Charlie Batch injured his wrist too. So, Dennis Dixon the former number 3 quarterback out of Oregon will be inserted as the starter. Dixon was in the running for the Heisman his last year at Oregon and could have easily won it had he not torn up his knee and entered the draft. Dixon played well in Spring Training and the Steelers put him on the roster as the number 3 man. He could end up as the number 2 if he performs well in this audition. This could be Charlie Batch's last seas as number 2 for the same reason. Also, Charlie has not provided his money's worth the last 2 seasons. Last year Byron Leftwich had to be signed due to an injury to Charlie in the preseason. I like Charlie, but it would be nice to have a healthy quarterback to depend on.

The Ravens haven't exactly been consistent this year, but if you look at the records the Ravens trail the Steelers by only 1 game, so I guess you can say the Steelers aren't the most consistent either. They did have the advantage with the Super Bowl quarterback, but not this week. They still have the coach with a Super Bowl win and most of the team has at least 1 ring.

The gameplan:
Run left, run right run up the middle. With an inexperienced quarterback playing the best plan is to play the way they did when Ben was a rookie. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Bruce Arians likes to pass and sometimes looks to pass first and run second. The Steelers can have a good running game with Rashard Mendenhall, Willie Parker, and Mewelde Moore. This injury to Ben can help them to lean on the running game a little more and help them to find out how effective it can be. I think they have a weapon that they've been reluctant to use. Let's see if B.A. thinks so too. If he doesn't and he thinks D.D. can pass 30 times and the Steelers win, it could be a long afternoon. The defense might have to win this one. Also, a tall task if, as expected Troy Polamalu is out. If the special teams let's the Ravens return one this is over before it starts.

Prediction:
Steelers 17 Ravens 13