Hi Kevin,

Your opening hypothesis would have merit if Rothliesberger were 100% and played. However, as I said on another blog in this section, down through time NFL quarterbacks coming off concussions have not played well in games immediately following the concussions.

Therefore if Rothliesberger was really injured{as Hines Ward is questioning} he may actually have hurt the Steelers more by playing.

I object to the premise in your first paragraph. I'm an honest Ravens fan, and I admit that if Rothlesberger and Polamalu had played against the Ravens team that took the field on Sunday we would have had some trouble (although can you really imagine Rothlisberger running for a touchdown like Dixon?). But you're not playing fair. If you're going to assume that the Ravens had played against the Steeler's best players, you have to assume we had our best players too (particularly Suggs). On that basis, I don't think it's nearly so clear that the heatly Ravens would have lost to the healty Steelers.

Had Roethlisberger played last night, chances are he could have been lost for the season and the Steelers would have lost anyway. Not to mention Dixon did a pretty good job, probably better then a concussed Big Ben would have. Lets not forget we were without our best, and perhaps only, pass rusher. I'm happy with the win and I think everyone in Baltimore should be too. I don't think anyone in Pittsburgh had a problem with winning the AFC Championship game while half of our starters were on injured reserve.

Stop the (what if’s….) they go both ways…if Suggs plays does he get fooled on bootleg….if McClain doesn’t get hurt does he punch it in instead of settle for a game tying field goal….Who cares the Ravens won and they ran the ball on a team that is the best at stopping the run. That’s why they won!

And what if the refs don't blow the obvious pass interference in the endzone on Derrick Mason by Ike Taylor? What ifs don't mean squat.

Firstly, the fans were well aware that Ben wanted to play, but the coaching staff was advised by the doctor to sit him out. Therefore, I don't think anyone on the team was questioning Ben's toughness but more likely questioning the doctor's advise since Ben practiced all week with the team. Whether Ben would have made a difference in the outcome is not as important as making sure he is 100% ready to return. That said; I think that Polamalu being sidelined had a much greater impact on the outcome of the game. Dixon played well enough to get a win, but the Steelers secondary looked lost without Troy on the field. I think most people underestimated Troy's impact in the secondary. With Troy in the lineup the Steelers have a great defense. Without him, the secondary is decent at best and unable to capialize on the pass rush up front and create turnovers.
Lastly, Bruce Arians kept the training wheels on Dixon in most 3rd and long situations, opting to concede the down with a short run and then punting the ball away. I understand that Arians didn't want to put too much pressure on his young quarterback, but this is the NFL. At least call a pass play and let Dixon get used to seeing how the defense lines up and covers the receivers either in zone or blitz packages. It the receivers aren't open then run with it or throw it away, but give Dixon a chance to make a play. Ultimately, when it went to overtime Dixon was asked to pass in situations that Arians avoided him facing throughout the game. Had Doxon seen or been allowed to pass on more 3rd downs during the first 4 quarters, he might have been more prepeared for what he was going to see in overtime.
This loss is on the Steelres secondary and Bruce Arians for his training wheels offense. Congrats to Baltimore for getting it done.

P.S. Herm Edwards needs to call Bruce Arians and let him know you play to win the game.

I hate the "if this person played BS." If Suggs, Rolle, Washington played and Flacco & Ngata had 100% ankles maybe the Raven's steamroll them. It's bogus, good teams win regardless so no excuses for the Squeelers. Ravens/Squeelers is always a tough game and it will be at the end of December.

"All honest Ravens fans -- and is there any other type? -- have to admit that if QB Ben Roethlisberger and S Troy Polamalu were in the Steelers' lineup, Pittsburgh probably would have beaten the Ravens Sunday night."

Perhaps. But in previous meetings, the Steelers needed help from the refs to beat the Ravens WITH Roethlisberger and Polamalu.

Monday was Paul KRUGER's night.

Your comment on how tough the Dec. 27th game will be assumes that both teams will still have something left to play for. One more loss for either team will pretty much eliminate them from playoff contention. Once they are out of the running players tend to go into self preservation mode. Too many if's and maybes for me. The only thing that matters is wins and losses.

"Honest Ravens Fans"? Let's see...
Gil: Not sure Ben would have hurt the Steelers had he played. Alot of fans would rather have a 75% or 80% Ben rather than a 3rd year QB who's only thrown 1 NFL pass in a game situation, especially in a game of this magnitude. But I have no problems with Tomlin making the call to bench him.
Charles: "Had Roethlisberger played last night, chances are he could have been lost for the season and the Steelers would have lost anyway."
A. I'd say there's a chance (not chances) that Ben could have been lost.
B. Just one question: How you do you know for sure "Steelers would have lost anyway"? Zero honesty there.
Ken: I'll address his comments later in this post.
Jeff: Of course, blame the refs. Amazing that James Harrison never got held once the entire night, dont you think?
Travis: We'll get to his post later as well.
Jim: Save the best for last
Nope, can't say I see an honest Ravens fan here, at least based on these responses.
Being an 'honest Steelers fan', I'd have to give Lee the closest rating. But then he gets into the "what if Suggs played' (like so many others do here) aspect of things...which, of course, is a valid argument. Let's be realistic....
While I'll admit that Suggs is a standout linebacker, anyone who knows football would be foolish to think that he brings as much to the defensive table for the Ravens as Polamalu does for the Steelers. Let's put that another way...do you really think that the offensive coordinators and/or quarterbacks of the teams that play the Ravens worry about where Suggs is on the field at all times? Chances are no. (I'd have to say Ray Lewis still lays claim to that one, even at this stage of his career. If you don't think so, just ask Norv Turner).
The same can't be said regarding Polamalu, being that coaches and quarterbacks alike have made it clear through interviews, press conferences, etc...that they have to know where Troy is pretty much at all times, much like Lewis. Polamalu brings an 'x-factor' to the Steelers defense that just isn't there when he's not out there on the field. Here's another thought..Does Ray Rice run like he did if Troy is playing? Hard to say, but one could argue definitely no, since Troy has great closing speed in the running lanes and is one of the more 'surefire' tacklers in the league. But then there's the argument that Dixon doesn't make that run around the end if Suggs is in there. Only problem with that is that the Ravens were on an all out blitz, so there's a good chance Suggs wouldn't have been able to make that play either. It was a great call at the perfect time and it fooled the Ravens defense. Getting back to Ray Rice possibly not being able to run the ball, does that mean Flacco has to throw it more? If that's the case, does 5 sacks turn into more? More lost fumbles? Does the offense ever really get into a 'rhythm' if they can't run the ball? Or does Flacco continue to pick apart the questionable Steelers secondary and move the ball right down the field? If Troy is in there, does he pick Flacco and return one the distance?
After all the smoke clears and all the dust settles, does any of it matter...the answers to all these hypothetical "what if" questions? When push comes to shove, the fact of the matter is this:
Ravens win, Steelers lose. Pretty cut and dry, yes?
Maybe some of these questions (and many more just like them) will be answered later this month in Pittsburgh. Only time will tell....

P.S.: Jim, you might want to check your computer keyboard. Seems you have a 'Q' where the 'T' should be. That is, unless of course, you just can't spell "Steelers"