The Pittsburgh Steelers have an opportunity to create | Forum

AFC North.To do that Bud Dupree Jersey , they will have to beat the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday, a venue where the Steelers have found it difficult to win and generate offense at times in the past.“We just focus on this opportunity ahead of us,” Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown said. “We don’t focus on the magnitude of the division. We know if we take care of our business, things will work out for themselves. It’s another opportunity this week to do what we desire to do.”The first-place Steelers (4-2-1) have won three straight after a 1-2-1 start. Their last loss came Sept. 30 against the Ravens at Heinz Field, as the Steelers converted 2-of-12 third downs and rushed for just 19 yards in that game.“I don’t think there would be any player that would say they felt like they played their best game,” Steelers’ offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said. “And when we had a chance to look back through it, we were pretty critical of what we did and what we didn’t do. It was a pretty good eye-opener.”The Steelers offense has found its stride since then, while Baltimore (4-4) has lost three of four. But the Ravens have experienced past success against the Steelers in Baltimore.The Steelers beat the Ravens 26-9 last season in Baltimore. But prior to last season’s win, the Steelers lost the previous four games and five of their last six road games against the Ravens dating back to September 2011.Brown has just 40 receptions for 427 yards and one touchdown in eight games at Baltimore. That’s an average of five catches and 53 yards per game for the four-time All-Pro.Brown, who leads the league this season with eight touchdowns, has never had a 100-yard game against the Ravens in Baltimore.“It’s a tough place to play,” Fichtner said. “There’s great fan support and it’s loud. They get excited playing in their crowd. Snap-count is always an issue. We’ve had some big games there in my past 12 years here. It’s an exciting place to play.”Roethlisberger owns a career completion percentage of 64 percent, but he’s completed just 57 percent of his passes in Baltimore.Roethlisberger, who ranks sixth in the league in passing yards this season David DeCastro Jersey , has never had a 300-yard game in Baltimore. He’s thrown nine touchdowns to 13 interceptions at M&T Bank Stadium, and has been sacked 29 times in 10 games, including eight in the last four contests.The Steelers are 3-6 in games Roethlisberger has started in Baltimore. Roethlisberger enters Sunday’s game against the Ravens with a broken index finger on his non-throwing hand. He sustained the injury at some point in Pittsburgh’s home win against Cleveland last Sunday.Roethlisberger fully practiced Thursday and Friday.“Ben’s a tough guy, and he’s been through a lot,” Brown said. “He’s one of the toughest ever to do it. You don’t see him complaining. This guy’s a warrior.”Brown hopes the Steelers can pick up an important victory on Sunday at a place where wins and yards have been hard to come by.“It’s a hostile environment with fiery fans,” Brown said. “It’s one of those environments you love to excel in. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to go out and compete this weekend.”NOTES: Steelers CBs Coty Sensabaugh (toe) and Artie Burns (ankle) are both questionable for Sunday’s game, while OT Marcus Gilbert (knee) is doubtful. Sensabaugh fully practiced on Friday, while Burns left practice early with his ankle injury. Matt Feiler will start at right tackle for the second straight week if Gilbert cannot play. The Pittsburgh Steelers are considered underdogs not just in the AFC, but in the AFC North."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Latest NewsSteelers Film Room2018 NFL Draft AnalysisLatest NewsLatest NewsSteelers are fine with the rare role of underdog entering the 2019 seasonNew,7commentsThe Pittsburgh Steelers are considered underdogs not just in the AFC, but in the AFC North. EDTShareTweetShareShareSteelers are fine with the rare role of underdog entering the 2019 seasonCharles LeClaire-USA TODAY SportsTo me, the 2008 season comes to mind. The season when the Pittsburgh Steelers had the toughest regular season schedule among all 32 NFL teams, and when everyone left them for dead, they rose up.While the 2019 Steelers schedule isn’t nearly as difficult as their 2008 counterparts had to endure Darrius Heyward-Bey Jersey , the attitude surrounding the team certainly seems similar. An ‘us against the world’ mentality has been resonating from the UPMC Rooney Practice Facility throughout the first week of Organized Team Activities (OTAs). A focus solely on what lies ahead, and leaving behind an immense amount of drama and disappointment.The attitudes seem to have been adjusted, but there is another variable here, and it is how NFL experts, like NBC Sports’ Peter King, don’t just have Steelers as a middle-of-the-road team this year, but finishing 3rd in the AFC North. Yes, behind both the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens.Some might view this as disrespect, considering the Steelers have won the AFC North two out of the last three seasons, but you won’t hear that coming from Steelers players. Instead, they are embracing the role of underdogs. “Just having that chip on our shoulder and having people doubting us, I think it’s something we can use to our advantage,” Haden told Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review after OTAs this week. “Just come out here and grind.”For many players who don the black-and-gold every week, they might not be used to having people doubt them. Having people pick against them. Having people view them as lesser than. But Haden knows all about that after spending the first seven years of his career in Cleveland with the Browns.“This team Jordan Berry Jersey , I feel like they’ve not really been underdogs,” Haden said of the Steelers. “Ever since I’ve been playing against the Steelers for seven years, they were never an underdog.“You hear the outside noise,” Haden said moments earlier. “Usually, Pittsburgh, (outsiders are) always, ‘Aw, they’re going to be in the playoffs.’ They just basically put us in the playoffs. Now to hear people not talk as highly of us has kind of put a chip on our shoulder.“I think that’s a great thing. We’ve got something to really work for.”Some teams can cling to this underdog mentality and ride the wave of momentum all the way to the Super Bowl. Just ask the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles who donned dog masks throughout the playoffs when no one thought they could win in the postseason with Nick Foles filling in for the injured Carson Wentz.Then there are teams who listen to the outside noise too much, and start to doubt their own ability. There are a ton of examples of this happening in the NFL, but you have to wonder which side of the fence the 2019 Steelers will reside.They are being doubted, but how they respond will be the true story this year...