The Baltimore Ravens are the AFC North champions, having won the division by two games over their bitter rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Those same Steelers will face the Ravens on Saturday for the third time this season in an AFC Wild Card round game.
As the No. 3 seed, the Ravens will host the No. 6 seed Steelers in a postseason clash where they will have the advantage of momentum in addition to home field.
Pittsburgh enters the meeting having lost their last four, while Baltimore heads in, winning their last four and seven of their last nine.
However, Steel City has the upper hand in postseason history between these two teams, with a 3-1 advantage in the series.
Let’s briefly revisit the series, which has been staged entirely in Pittsburgh until now. Saturday will be the first postseason meeting in Charm City.
1/20/2002, AFC Divisional: Pittsburgh 27, Baltimore 10
This was the end of the Ravens’ first Super Bowl title defense. The game also reminded you how they won that first championship.
It wasn’t via the offense, which was a total no-show here. Baltimore gained only 150 yards and had just seven first downs. They also turned it over four times.
1/18/2009, AFC Title Game: Pittsburgh 23, Baltimore 14
The 2008 edition was your prototypical defense-comes-first Ravens squad. And while they said some prowess on offense at times throughout the season, the unit was woefully incompetent in this game.
The Steel Curtain D held Baltimore to 184 yards of total offense and forced five turnovers in this one.
1/15/2011, AFC Divisional: Pittsburgh 31, Baltimore 24
The Ravens had just 124 yards of total offense in this one. Are you sensing a theme here? When you consider that stat, plus the fact they turned the ball over three times, it’s astonishing they put up 24 points and kept it close.
1/3/2015, AFC Wild Card: Baltimore 30, Pittsburgh 17
Finally, the tide turned, as Joe Flacco and his 259 passing yards led the way to victory. Despite losing both the yardage and time of possession battle, Baltimore won decisively.