This Thursday night the Steelers head down to Baltimore in a clash of bitter AFC North rivals. Pittsburgh will try to take advantage of a team that has been on a downward spiral since winning the Super Bowl and has been embroiled in controversy this past week. Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown will try to exploit a Ravens’ defense that appears to be a shell of its former self. The Ravens may have something to say about that. Baltimore has no intentions of going quietly in to the night. There will be no love lost when these two teams face off.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Key Players

QB Ben Roethlisberger
Big Ben came out in Week 1 slinging the ball around just like he did last season. Although he has a relatively unknown receiving corps, he also has one of the best WRs in the game in Brown. He put up 365 yards a TD last week against a much tougher Browns’ secondary. He could be in for a big game, especially if Ravens’ top corner back Lardarius Webb can’t go.
Verdict: Start Roethlisberger. Ed Reed and Ray Lewis aren’t walking down that tunnel. That defense is not what it used to be. Their young defense has potential, but they’re not there yet. Expect the veteran QB to expose them.

RB Le’Veon Bell
After rumors of Bell losing touches all preseason, he ran with a purpose in Week 1. Bell tallied 109 yards on 5.2 YPC and punched in a TD. Bell also contributed in the passing game, catching six passes for 88 yards. With rookie RB Dri Archer sidelined, Bell is likely to get almost every passing target out of the backfield. LeGarrette Blount only received four carries last week. Bell is clearly the top weapon in the Pittsburgh rushing attack.
Verdict: Start Bell. Bell is now a must start every week unless something drastically changes. The Ravens are not a dominant front by any means.

WR Antonio Brown
Brown showed that last year was no fluke in Week 1. He totaled five receptions for 116 yards and a TD. He also Liu Kang flying kicked a punter in the face on a punt return. It may have been the greatest moment in punter history. At least since Sean Taylor’s infamous hit on the punter in the Pro Bowl.
Verdict: Start Brown. He is an elite WR1 and should be started every single week, no matter what the matchup is. This includes Richard Sherman, Patrick Peterson and Darrelle Revis.

WR Markus Wheaton
Wheaton had a nice game Week 1 in his debut as a WR2. He caught six passes for 97 yards against the Browns. Whether he continues that kind of production is yet to be seen.
Verdict: Sit Wheaton. Yes, he got off to a nice start, but I’d like to see a little more out of him before I’m ready to plug him in to my starting lineup.

TE Heath Miller
Miller did very little last week. Expect that to change on Thursday. With a short week to prepare, Big Ben will rely heavily on his most veteran target. Aside from Brown, all other pass-catchers are brand new.
Verdict: Start Miller. Martavis Bryant and Lance Moore may not be able to suit up again Thursday night leaving very few alternative options for Big Ben. The big bodied TE will bounce back in Week 2.

Baltimore Ravens: Key Players

QB Joe Flacco
Flacco is coming off a terrible 2013 season. He actually wasn’t awful last week throwing for 345 yards a TD and a pick. Still, he is a very hard QB to rely on.
Verdict: Sit Flacco. There are just too many good QBs in the league right now to start him, regardless of the matchup.

RB Justin Forsett
Forsett, somewhat surprisingly, emerged as the top back in Baltimore last week. Bernard Pierce was ineffective. Forsett rushed for 70 yards and a TD on 11 attempts. It looks like he’ll lead the way for the Ravens’ backfield for the foreseeable future.
Verdict: Start Forsett. This one is very close, and no one would blame you if you benched him. Nonetheless, he has a pretty good matchup, and the Ravens may rely heavily on the rushing-attack coming off a short week.

WR Torrey Smith
Smith was quiet last week catching only three passes for 50 yards. He is the Ravens WR1 but has struggled with consistency in the past. He’s always been a boom-or-bust kind of player.
Verdict: Start Smith. He should bounce back against the Steelers and catch a long TD pass. He will show why he’s the top guy in Baltimore.

WR Steve Smith
On the other end of the spectrum from T. Smith, S. Smith had a monster game last week. He managed to catch seven passes for 118 yards and a TD. The furious WR came out with a point to prove and he proved it.
Verdict: Sit S. Smith. It’s hard to expect the 35-year-old WR who had already been in a decline to play this well with any sort of consistency. He’s an all-time great and could very well prove his doubters wrong, but right now it’s hard to feel comfortable with him in your starting lineup.

TE Dennis Pitta
Pitta is Flacco’s safety blanket. He caught 10 passes last week on 15 targets. This is pretty much what I expect for Pitta all season.
Verdict: Start Pitta. Pitta is going to see a ton of targets this season. He will probably end the season very close to being a top five TE.

Predictions

Final Score
Pittsburgh: 34
Baltimore: 23

Best Play
Steelers: Antonio Brown
Ravens: Dennis Pitta

Sleeper
Heath Miller