Steelers backup quarterback Byron Leftwich said that the broken arm he suffered against the Falcons was the worst pain he has ever experienced and that he has refused to watch the replay of the injury. Leftwich said he went into survival mode right after it happened and that it hasn’t completely sunk in yet that he will be out for the season.
Outside of the Leftwich injury it appears the Steelers are a fairly healthy team entering week 1 against the Ravens as cornerbacks Ike Taylor and Bryant McFadden should be ready to play barring any setbacks. Taylor is scheduled to have the pin removed from his broken thumb today and will likely wear some sort of cast for the time being. James Harrison said he is not worried about his back heading into the season.
As far as the Ravens go, wide receiver Lee Evans returned to practice on Monday and said that his injured left ankle is much improved. Evans injured the ankle against the Redskins and has not played since.
The Ravens offensive line has undergone a big change this offseason and looks like it will be left tackle Bryant McKinnie, left guard Ben Grubbs, center Matt Birk, right guard Marshal Yanda and right tackle Michael Oher against the Steelers.
Casey Hampton did not mince his words when asked about the upcoming game and pretty much said he does not see the rivalry as a balanced one since he has been there.
As far as the Steelers Ravens rivalry goes, big plays and turnovers will of course play a big role in the game and I broke down the last 25 meetings between the two teams using the Fox Tox rating system that uses explosive plays and turnover differential.
