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Game Info: 1:00 pm EST Sun Nov 26, 2006
TV: CBS
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The Pittsburgh Steelers won eight straight games last season to win the Super Bowl. This season, they'll need to win that many in a row just to have a shot at making the playoffs.
The Steelers try to win their third straight and remain on the outskirts of the playoff hunt when they visit AFC North Division rival Baltimore on Sunday.
A terrible start to the season has Pittsburgh (4-6) trying to avoid becoming the first defending Super Bowl champion to miss the playoffs since Tampa Bay in 2003.
"Right now, we have no margin for error," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. "This is a big game for us, as I know it is for Baltimore. This will be a measuring stick to see where we are. There are a lot of challenges."
It will certainly be a challenge facing the first-place Ravens (8-2), who have defeated the Steelers in their last two meetings in Baltimore. A loss would put Pittsburgh five games behind Baltimore in the division with five to play, and at least two games back in the AFC wild-card race.
The Steelers needed three touchdowns in the final 10 minutes to win their first road game of the season, 24-20 at Cleveland last Sunday.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger shoveled a 4-yard touchdown pass to Willie Parker with 32 seconds left to cap the comeback.
Roethlisberger, who leads the NFL with 17 interceptions, threw three picks in the first half, but recovered to throw for 224 of his 272 yards in the fourth quarter.
"People put us down and out, but we're not going to quit," said Roethlisberger, who also had a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes and finished the day 25-for-44. "We stayed together and came back to win."
Parker, who rushed for a career-high 213 yards on 22 carries in the Steelers' 38-31 win over New Orleans on Nov. 12, was held to 46 yards on 16 carries last Sunday, but scored twice in the fourth quarter.
Despite winning two straight for the first time this season, Pittsburgh still has concerns. The Steelers have turned the ball over 13 times in their last three games and lead the league with 27 giveaways.
Pro-Bowl wide receiver Hines Ward is questionable for Sunday's game with a hyperextended knee. He leads the team with 53 receptions for 753 yards and six touchdowns.
Pittsburgh will be looking to win for the eighth time in its last 11 games against Baltimore, but the first time on the road since a 31-18 win on Oct. 27, 2002.
"This is one of the premier teams in the AFC. They have no weaknesses," Cowher said. "They're playing with a lot of confidence. We're going to have to play at a very high level and play our best game to even have a chance to compete with this team."
While the Steelers are just hoping to reach the playoffs, the streaking Ravens are already thinking bigger. Baltimore, which appears likely to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2003, is looking for its fifth straight win.
The Ravens have not won five in a row since their Super Bowl season of 2000. If they keep winning, a first-round playoff bye is possible. Baltimore is tied with San Diego for the second-best record in the AFC behind 9-1 Indianapolis.
"If we're going to the Super Bowl, we have to do what we did (last Sunday) -- get contributions from everyone," center Mike Flynn said after Baltimore defeated Atlanta 24-10 last Sunday.
The Ravens beat the Falcons even without star linebacker Ray Lewis, who was sidelined with a back injury for the second straight game. He is listed as questionable this week.
Jamal Lewis rushed for all three Ravens touchdowns, and gained 91 yards on 22 carries overall. That was more than enough for a Baltimore defense which held the Falcons to 186 total yards and sacked quarterback Michael Vick five times.
The Ravens rank second behind the Chicago Bears in the NFL in total defense, allowing 274.3 yards per game. They are limiting opponents to 14.7 points per game -- fifth-fewest in the league.
Their once struggling offense also continues to improve, scoring 20 points or more in each of its last five games. Despite the recent success, Ravens coach Brian Billick doesn't want his team looking too far ahead.
"We certainly have put ourselves in a position where there is potential (to make the playoffs) and that's exciting," Billick told baltimoreravens.com. "But, we haven't done any of that yet. Regardless of how well we play, it will take until the last game of the season for virtually everybody for the playoff picture to be set.
"That's a long, long way for us."
This is the first of two meetings within a month between the Steelers and Ravens, who will play again Dec. 24 at Pittsburgh.
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