What: Week 11
When: Sunday, Nov. 29, 8:20 p.m.
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
2009 records: Steelers, 6-4; Ravens, 5-5
TV: WBAL-TV, Channel 11 (Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, booth; Andrea Kremer, sidelines)
Radio: WIYY-FM, 97.9 (Gerry Sandusky, Rob Burnett, Stan White)

ABOUT THE STEELERS
- In the 14-year history of the Ravens-Steelers intra-divisional rivalry, this game is the latest by date the teams will have played their first meeting of the season.

- This game is the team's first meeting since the 2008 AFC Championship Game. That contest marked the first time two teams from the same division met in a conference title game since 1999, when Tennessee beat Jacksonville.

- When the first of the annual meetings is played in Baltimore, the Steelers are 4-2, including a 1998 win in the first regular-season game at what is now M&T Bank Stadium. Overall, the Steelers are 7-6 in Baltimore and 18-10 lifetime against the Ravens (including a 2001 wild-card game and the 2008 AFC Championship Game).

- The Steelers have swept the Ravens four times: 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008. The Ravens swept Pittsburgh in their division-winning 2006 campaign.

- Since the AFC North was formed in 2002, the Steelers have won it four times, more than any other team in the division (2002, 2004, 2007, 2008). The Ravens won it in 2003 and 2006 with Cincinnati taking honors in 2005.

- All told, the Steelers have won 19 division titles, the fourth-highest total in NFL history, and have played in seven Super Bowls, second only to the Dallas Cowboys (8). Their six Super Bowl wins is a record, one more than Dallas and the San Francisco 49ers (five each).

- Since the start of the 1999 season, the Steelers have won 100 games, second only to Indianapolis and New England. This year, they won five straight after a 1-2 start, but if they lose to the Ravens, it would mean their first three-game losing streak since 2006.

- At the season's halfway point the Steelers are one of only four teams ranked in the league's top 10 in both offense and defense. Green Bay, New England and the New York Giants are the others.

- Third-year head coach Mike Tomlin, the youngest to ever win a Super Bowl (36 years, 323 days old), is 31-15 with the Steelers. He is the 16th head coach in team history but only the third since 1969, following Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher.

- The Steelers' offense is ranked sixth overall (17th rushing, fifth passing, tied for 14th scoring). Defensively, Pittsburgh has the league's top-ranked unit (first vs. rush at 69.2 yards allowed per game, 17th vs. pass, eighth scoring at 18.4 points per game allowed). But before last week's game at Kansas City, the Steelers had gone 85:50 without a touchdown.

- Pittsburgh has one of the NFL's best time-of-possession averages at 33:05 thanks in part to an offense that gains just over 34 yards per possession, fourth in the league.

- The loss to the Chiefs saw the Steelers commit a season-high eight penalties. They had no more than six in any game before then.

- Unlike the Ravens, Pittsburgh knows how to get off to fast starts, outscoring their opposition 129-60 in the first half. However, the Steelers are getting outscored in the fourth quarter, 75-54.

- Once again, QB Ben Roethlisberger is getting sacked a lot; he has gone down 30 times in 10 games (third-most in the league), including an active streak of seven straight games with at least three sacks. He has completed 68.9 percent of his passes with 17 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions.

- Last week at Kansas City, Roethlisberger suffered his fourth concussion since 2006. But he also has four straight wins against the Ravens.

- As expected, the receiving corps is led by Hines Ward (63 catches, 12.7 per catch, five TDs), Santonio Holmes (50, 15.3, one) and tight end Heath Miller (54, 9.1, five). However, right behind them is rookie third-round pick Mike Wallace (28, 17.9, three). Holmes has at least one touchdown in five straight games against Baltimore

- After suffering a season-ending broken shoulder blade against the Ravens last year, second-year running back Rashard Mendenhall is averaging 5.1 yards per carry with 689 yards and four touchdowns. Veteran Willie Parker has been slowed by injuries and has 218 yards through 10 games. Change-of-pace back Mewelde Moore has 111 rushing yards and 16 catches.

- Backup quarterback Charlie Batch (wrist) is likely done for the year. Undrafted rookie free agent Ramon Foster will start at left guard in light of the knee injury suffered by starter Chris Kemoeatu, brother of ex-Ravens defensive tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu.

- The Steelers have had three troublesome defensive injuries: LB Lawrence Timmons (ankle), defensive end Travis Kirschke (calf) and S Ryan Clark (blood disorder). DE Aaron Smith (torn rotator cuff) is already out for the season and S Troy Polamalu (knee) is out for this game.

- Nine different Steelers have at least one of the team's 30 quarterback sacks, led by ex-Ravens training camp linebacker James Harrison (10, third in the league), who also has four forced fumbles, just ahead of Timmons (three). The leading tackler is ex-Virginia standout James Farrior (80).

- Polamalu has three of the Steelers' eight interceptions. Tyrone Carter and Keyaron Fox each have interception returns for touchdowns.

- The Steelers are proficient in breaking up passes. Cornerback William Gay leads the team with 12 and teammate Ike Taylor is next with 11. Clark is next with seven and Timmons has six, with three forced fumbles to boot.

- Former Canadian Football League standout Stefan Logan is averaging 25.9 per kickoff return and over nine yards on punt runbacks.

- Kicker Jeff Reed is 14-for-17 on field goals this season with an active streak of 10 in a row. Punter Daniel Sepulveda, who missed all of last year with a knee injury, is averaging nearly 44 yards per punt with a net of nearly 40. He has put 17 of his first 42 kicks in the coffin corner with just two touchbacks.

- The Steelers' coverage teams were among the NFL's best in 2008, but they have allowed four kick return touchdowns in the team's last five games. All told, Pittsburgh has yielded a return score of some kind (interception, fumble, kick, punt) in each of its last eight games.

PREDICTION

The AFC North Division made its name on matchups like this. The desperate Ravens make a stand.
Ravens 23
Steelers 20