The  Baltimore Ravens packed with new additions dominated the Steelers with a 35-7 win. Quarterback Joe Flacco won his first meeting in seven tries against Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The last time these two teams met was in the divisional round last year when the Ravens ruined a 21-7 lead at halftime. The Ravens wanted redemption from the last meeting and got it as they forced seven turnovers.

The Ravens offense looked very good with QB Joe Flacco under center. Flacco finished the game with 224 yards, 3 touchdowns, and had an NFL rating of 117.6. The Ravens gave Flacco new targets to throw to, including: Wide Receiver Lee Evans (played for the Buffalo Bills) and Wide Receiver Torey Smith (drafted in the second round out of Maryland). Flacco was not the only one on offense to have a good game though. Running Back Ray Rice ran for 107 yards on 19 carries and had a touchdown. Ray Rice’s 36 yards in the first half was the most number of yards he ever had against the Steelers. WR Anquan Boldin had a good game as he caught for 74 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens offense took a lot of heat after the off-season when they let go of Joe Flacco’s primary targets, WR Derrick Mason and TE Todd Heap. This offense proved that they could be successful even without them.

The Ravens defense held the Steelers all day, and prevented them from scoring touchdowns. The Ravens defense wanted to make a statement against this offense after they gave up a 21-7 lead at halftime in the divisional playoff loss. The Ravens caused three turnovers in the second half bringing the heat to Roethlisberger. Safety Ed Reed played a big role in the win as he picked off Roethlisberger twice. Defensive Tackles Haloti Ngata and Cory Redding and rookie Defensive End Pernell McPhee caused the Steelers offense to fumble. This game proved that the Ravens’ defense could dominate their opponents even with new additions.