Ravens Hotter then Sun In Pittsburgh

By George Bruce

(PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA) The sun was hot in Pittsburgh, and the Ravens were hotter. The Ravens defense completely shut the Steelers offense down allowing only one first down in the first quarter.
    Their goal line stand that was second to none. They actually gave the Steelers seven plays (courtesy of a penalty) to score, but they couldn't. As the local post game show said, the entire Ravens defense manhandled the Steelers from beginning to end. The announcers were in awe of our black birds. So were the fans although they wouldn't admit it, and I have the photos showing their disgust.
     However, it is still taking the offense time to gel. Hopefully, it will gel by 2001 or it's going to be a long year. Until it does, it's so long Billick ball and hello to whatever works at the time. Banks is still off his game although his throwing arm was slightly injured, which could have influenced his ineffectiveness in the second half and why he went to a running game. Priest Holmes gained 119 yards on 27 carries. He seems to save his best games for the Steelers.
    Still, Banks missed two open receivers that would have added another 14 points. Any win on the road is a keepsake, especially in Pittsburgh, which was a nightmare for Modell's teams until last December. Yesterday's win was our second in a row in Three Rivers Stadium.
     Something tells me we're going to need more than one touchdown to beat Jacksonville even if they are limping into town. The Ravens have never beaten them. The offense needs to improve to keep the defense off the field. The defense was on the field too long and was hot and tired during the Steelers long drive in the fourth quarter. Yet, they still made that magnificent goal line stand.
    The offensive line, previously called the weak link by this writer, dominated the Steelers line all day, especially on left side with Jonathan Ogden and Ed Mulitalo leading the way. On one play, it looked like they knocked the defensive line back 15 yards.
    The kicking game was fantastic. Richardson's punts started the Steelers deep in their territory all day, and Stover consistently hit the uprights for three field goals and boomed his kickoffs into the end zone like a man possessed.
    The big downside of the game was the injury report. Banks continued to play after his injury but was off. Center Jeff Mitchell hurt his knee as Mike Flynn proved his versatility by switching from right guard to center. The line just doesn't have the depth to sustain injuries.
    Next up, Jacksonville. A 2-0 start could propel the Ravens straight to the playoffs. At the very least, they will have a margin for error with 5 of 7 road games in a row.
     All in all, it was a hot day in Pittsburgh. The sun was hot, the Ravens were hot and their numerous fans were hot.