Nov 1, 2014 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – When the Steelers honor Hall of Fame defensive tackle Joe Greene by retiring his number at halftime of tonight’s game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field, they might have to give him a little refresher course on the new NFL.

Greene, the cornerstone of the Steelers’ Steel Curtain defense, might not recognize what he’s seeing.

After all, the Steelers (5-3) are coming off a 51-34 victory over the Indianapolis Colts last week in a game in which quarterback Ben Roethlisberger set team records for passing yards (522), completions (40) and touchdown passes (6) while becoming the first player in NFL history to have two 500-yard passing games.

That game left the Steelers averaging nearly 34 points per game at home, a hefty total in any era. The defense, however, is giving up just under 28 points per game, a total that is more reminiscent of a shower curtain defense than its Steel Curtain predecessor.

With Greene, who spent parts six decades as a player, assistant coach and scout with the Steelers before retiring in 2013, on hand, Pittsburgh expects to get a boost from his presence.

“It’s Joe Greene,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “We all feel a little better when we see Joe even though he’s not playing. I know the fans have a level of appreciation for him and what he means to this organization and what he meant to this organization and this city and football in general. I expect it to be a really positive thing and one that we can hopefully find a source of energy from that can help us perform in the game.”

That positive energy was definitely missing from the previous meeting with the Ravens (5-3) in Week 2.

A fumble deep in Baltimore territory on Pittsburgh’s opening possession by wide receiver Justin Brown squandered the Steelers’ best scoring chance of the game and the Ravens scored 16 unanswered points in the second half for a 26-6 win.

After winning their past two games and scoring 81 points in the process, the Steelers have a much different look than the team that played in Baltimore in September.

Brown was replaced in the lineup by a combination of veteran Lance Moore and rookie Martavis Bryant and Darrius Heyward Bey.

That trio combined to catch five touchdown passes in the past three games, giving the Steelers options other than star receiver Antonio Brown.

“You can’t put all your attention on (Brown),” said Baltimore defensive coordinator Dean Pees. “If you have one good guy, you can usually find a way to get that guy taken out of it as long as you can hold up on the other guys. But all of a sudden, when other guys are showing up and making plays, it’s hard.”

It could be even more difficult today as the Ravens will be without their best cornerback, Jimmy Smith, who is out with a sprained foot.

The Steelers, meanwhile, are getting healthier than they’ve been in a month.

Inside linebacker Ryan Shazier returned last week after missing a month with a knee sprain, while nose tackle Steve McLendon (shoulder) and right tackle Marcus Gilbert (concussion) will be back in the lineup today after being out all or most of the past two games.

With all of the teams in the AFC North currently holding winning records, all healthy hands on deck will be needed the rest of this season.

And if Cleveland defeats Tampa Bay today, the loser of this game will find itself in last place in the division.

“We understand what this game means without even knowing the specifics,” said Steelers linebacker Jason Worilds. “We know the implications of what it means this year because it’s every year between the Steelers and Ravens. We’re approaching it with that mindset.”

The past five regular season games between the Ravens and Steelers at Heinz Field have been decided by three points. … Brown can match an NFL record by Michael Irvin (1995) with a ninth consecutive game of at least five receptions and 80 yards to begin a season. … Roethlisberger is 22-6 at Heinz Field in his career against AFC North opponents. … Cortez Allen, a starter at cornerback to start the season, is expected to be replaced as the nickel cornerback today by Antwon Blake.