Nine things you need to know from Steelers-Raven
Baltimore's win over the on Thursday night provided a brief reprieve from the drama surrounding and a more complete look at the ' -led offense we were promised all offseason.Coming off a disastrous lo s that saw attempt an outrageous 62 pa ses against the , Baltimore's quarterback kept drives alive against the with a heavy dose of high-percentage, play-action pa ses that repeatedly caught Pittsburgh's defense off balance. Kubiak's scheme doesn't set the imagination on fire, but -- when it's working -- it does milk the most of Flacco's gifts.Baltimore remains an imperfect beast -- especially in a Rice-free backfield -- but Thursday brought better rhythm in the pa sing game and a clock-chewing approach that kept the ball out of Pittsburgh's hands down the stretch. players can't be asked to solve the problems swirling around this organization off the field. Their job is clear-cut and far le s vague -- and they handled Thursday night' Andy Pettitte Jersey s task with poise.We discu sed . Here's what else you need to know from Thursday night's action:Flacco was precise out of the gate, completing his first eight pa ses to five separate targets. He mowed through the first-half clock with two straight scoring drives that featured plenty of and on the ground with a smattering of safe throws from Flacco. Gregg Rosenthal charted the quarterback and didn't see him to s a single poor pa s in the first half.The gave Pierce the start just days after his benching against the . He led the way with 96 yards off 22 attempts -- Forsett had 56 yards off eight totes -- but neither back feels like a long-term solution. Baltimore is primed to overhaul this backfield in the offseason.The didn't employ their no-huddle offense until deep into the second quarter. It's a mystery why they don't use it more, as it helped spring for his biggest run of the night, a pretty 21-yard jaunt down the sideline. One play later, hit Bell on a shovel pa s to the Baltimore 14 to set up an eventual field goal. The two plays showed off Bell's versatility as a lighter, faster runner this season -- and a true threat in the pa s game. He's more fluid getting to the edge and dodging would-be tacklers, one reason he came into Thursday as the NFL's most elusive back, per Pro Football Focus. is . has my vote for the offseason's top free-agent signing. Capably filling the void left by , the former Carolina Panther came into the game leading the NFL with 15 targets after Week 1. Coming off his 118-yard showing in the season opener, Smith's 10 targets were more than double the next closest Raven. He looks reborn in this offense. linebacker remains a Rookie of the Year candidate, but he's enduring natural growing pains. We saw him react well to the run and show his speed in pa s coverage, but the first-rounder also got smoked on a Flacco pa s to . Of the two, rookie linebacker made a bigger impact with his of tight end .After his vanishing act during the game, regained his form in Week 2. Looking like he knew the snap count, the edge rusher put a multicolored clown suit on tackle to dial up a seven-yard sack of Roethlisberger. With a pair of sacks and three quarterback hits on , Baltimore's pa s rush is off life support.The ' banged-up secondary erased for most of the second half. Unable to find his top wideout, Roethlisberger was forced into an unusual number of wayward throws down the stretch. We saw at least three ill-conceived pa ses that ended drives. It wasn't a clean night for the veteran arm. is no ball of excitement, but Pittsburgh paid the price for ignoring him in the red zone. The former tight end scurried free for a pair of quick-strike touchdowns from inside the 2-yard line:Feel like Owen Daniels has scored 500 touchdowns on that play in his career. Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) The latest recaps the - game and in Week 2. Josh Reddick Jersey
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