Stats to know from the Ravens’ 26-14 win over the Steelers

Stats to know from the Ravens’ 26-14 win over the Steelers The Ravens are now on their first winning streak of the 2018 season www.baltimoreravensteamauthentic.com , as they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-14 on Sunday Night Football. This win not only improved their overall record to 3-1 but their divisional record to 1-1. They are currently in a tie with the Bengals for first place, but due to tiebreakers, the Bengals hold the top spot. With 12 games remaining, and another matchup with Cincinnati looming, a lot can change. In Week 4, the Ravens were impressive in all three phases. They were able to shutdown a highly ranked offense, while also dominating a poor defense. By the numbers, how were they so successful? 2: The Steelers only recorded two sacks, and quarterback Joe Flacco had plenty of time to throw against a weak secondary. Pittsburgh’s defense has been atrocious this season, but they are among the league leaders in sacks. The Ravens’ much-maligned offensive line limited a potent pass-rush.47.1%: Baltimore’s offense nearly converted 50% of their third down attempts, which aided their defense. They were able to use trick plays, play action and power runs among other concepts to convert on third down. For comparison, the Colts are currently the league’s best third down offense, as they have converted 51.6% of the time. Baltimore now ranks sixth in the league.25% (not including final drive): The Ravens’ offense was operating a league-high 12-for-12 in the red zone heading into Week 4. That streak reached 13-for-13 before ending with an Alex Collins fumble, and then two red zone trips ended in a field goal. This effort was enough to propel the Ravens to victory this week, but it will be a stat they will look to improve upon next week. The official stat book will count Baltimore’s final drive, which started at Pittsburgh’s 16-yard line.8.64: Joe Flacco’s 8.64 yards per attempt was his highest total in a regular season game since Week 12 of the 2014 season against the New Orleans Saints — 10.96. For perspective, Flacco’s 5.72 yards per attempt last season was the worst in the league.35:03: Pittsburgh only possessed the ball for 24:57, which is a testament to Baltimore’s stout defense. They were able to limit the Steelers’ dynamic offense and get them off the field, while also forcing two turnovers. 4.8: The Ravens held Pittsburgh’s high-octane offense to only 4.8 yards per play. This is an incredible feat considering Baltimore was without both Jimmy Smith and Willie Henry. This defense continues to put the heat on opposing offenses when it matters most. 9: Baltimore’s defense has only allowed nine points in the second half this season. They have not allowed a single touchdown in the second half through four games, and Pittsburgh was scoreless in the final two quarters in Week 4.1.7: The Ravens limited the Steelers to 19 rushing yards on 11 attempts, which averages to 1.7 yards per rush. Baltimore’s run defense is fifth best in the league, and they have faced the 24th, 22nd, fourth and 28th best rushing attacks thus far. 71: John Brown’s 71-yard reception was not only the longest offensive play of Baltimore’s season Baltimore Ravens T-Shirt , but it was the most yards gained on a single play since Mike Wallace’s 95-yard touchdown reception against the Steelers in Week 9 of the 2016 season. 1,352: Brown is on pace to finish the 2018 season with 1,352 yards, which would be the most by any Ravens’ receiver in a single-season. Michael Jackson currently holds the record as he posted 1,201 yards in the 1996 season. In each of the last two years, the Baltimore Ravens have been eliminated from playoff contention with late-season losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers.For the first time since 2014, these AFC North rivals will wrap up the season series before December. That doesn't mean Sunday's game is any less important to the skidding Ravens (4-4)."You know you have eight games left, and 4-4 is not where you want to be, obviously," cornerback Jimmy Smith said. "Doesn't mean your season is over, it just means that every game now is so much more critical."Baltimore is only one game behind the first-place Steelers (4-2-1), who have won three straight since losing to the Ravens on Sept. 30. But the last thing the Ravens need now is to drop under .500 with a third successive defeat."If you do math, and you've been through these playoff things, it gets sticky if you're 9-7," Smith said. "It gets sticky if you're 10-6, so you know that you really want to go in there and win 11 games, at least. Being 12-4 is really the goal."Unless the Ravens run the table, a highly unlikely occurrence, they're at least going to have to perform much better than they have lately to end a run of three consecutive seasons without a playoff berth. Coming off a 36-21 loss at Carolina, Baltimore can jump into contention with its first sweep of the Steelers since 2015."The sky is not falling," safety Eric Weddle said. "It's great that we get to go against Pittsburgh, a divisional opponent, knowing we have to play at a high level."The Steelers would love nothing more than to pad their lead in the AFC North, and at the same time make it that much tougher for the Ravens to reach the postseason."It's a big game for us. It's a division game. It's a road game. It's Baltimore. Pick one, or all of the above Baltimore Ravens Hats ," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. "We have respect for this rivalry and our participation in it, and we're preparing with that in mind."More things to know about the Steelers-Ravens matchup:CRUISING CONNERThe Steelers are getting along just fine without wayward running back Le'Veon Bell, thanks in large part to second-year back James Conner .Conner is averaging 175.3 yards of total offense during Pittsburgh's winning streak, a surge that started after Conner carried the ball just three times in the second half against Baltimore."I'm just doing what I love to do," Conner said.CLOSE SHAVERavens quarterback Joe Flacco showed up at practice this week without the beard he's worn for the first eight weeks of the season."I've been thinking about cutting it about every night for two weeks," Flacco said. "It's not like we've been winning with it. So, we've all got a little bit of superstition in us, I guess."Perhaps he should have cut it a week ago. Flacco had his worst game of the season against the Panthers, going 22 for 39 for 192 yards, with one TD pass and two interceptions.BROWN DELIVERSNo active player has more catches (94) and yards receiving (1,149) against the Ravens in the regular season than Steelers wideout Antonio Brown.Covering Brown will serve as a litmus test for Smith, who began the season serving a four-game suspension and hasn't quite gotten his A-game going yet."Every game you're going to go against somebody's best," Smith said, "but when you go against one of the guys they name as top in the league, it's a chance to show what you've got and kind of peg yourself for where you're at."Surprisingly, Brown has only four career TDs against the Ravens.BURNED BURNSTime may be running out for Pittsburgh cornerback Artie Burns. The former first-round pick is enduring an uneven season and was benched last week for missing a walkthroughBurns might have to play out of necessity if Coty Sensabaugh's toe injury continues to linger. Burns shrugged off his issues, but Tomlin offered a stern rebuke of the 23-year-old's tardiness."He was late, and we wanted to be focused with the guys who were wired-in appropriately where they needed to be in the hours leading up to kickoff," Tomlin said. "And so, he suffered the consequences of that."Pittsburgh's secondary in general needs to play better than it did in the first meeting, when Flacco passed for 363 yards and two TDs.HELLO, NOVEMBERThe Ravens went 1-3 in October, but have cause for optimism because they're 30-12 in November since coach John Harbaugh took over in 2008."Don't jinx it," Flacco said when told of the stat.Then he might not want to know the Ravens are 7-0 at home in November against the AFC North under Harbaugh.AP Sports Writer Will Graves in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.