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Baltimore Ravens: 3 players vital to beating Steelers.

By Dustin Cox

PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 25: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers talks with Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens at the conclusion of the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-27 win over the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on December 25, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 25: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers talks with Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens at the conclusion of the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-27 win over the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on December 25, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 24: Alex Collins of Baltimore Ravens goes past Peyton Thompson of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the NFL International Series match between Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium on September 24, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 24: Alex Collins of Baltimore Ravens goes past Peyton Thompson of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the NFL International Series match between Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium on September 24, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) /

After a shocking and disappointing blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week in London, the Baltimore Ravens return home to face their arch nemesis The Pittsburgh Steelers.

This game has more implications for the Baltimore Ravens than most week 4 battles. With a challenging trip to Oakland in week 5 and first place in the division on the line, this is a must win.

The Ravens have been hit with injury after injury so far. To overcome these and defeat the Steelers these 3 players need to play well in Sunday’s game.

Alex Collins

This is a player that excites me. After coming up from the practice squad in week 2, Alex Collins has been the most explosive running back for the Ravens. To be fair most of his runs have come in “garbage time” when the opposing defense was either gassed or playing backups. This doesn’t change the fact that he has run the ball very well so far, aside from a fumble late in his first game against the Browns.

Collins has a legitimate shot of taking the starting running back role  if he continues his strong play. The Ravens need a big play running back, and while West and Allen have been very solid, neither have broken off many big plays.

Related Story: Ravens vs. Steelers: 3 big things to think about

Alex Collins runs with a fierce determination and doesn’t go down easily. I have a good feeling about him. I see something in his style of play that gives me a reason to believe he could become the bell cow RB the Ravens would love to have.

It’s premature and I try to avoid hyping up players this early, but I really like what I see. We need one of our running backs to have a good game against Pittsburgh. The Chicago Bears upset the Steelers last week effectively running the ball. The Ravens won their first two games through great defensive play and effectively running the ball. See where I’m going with this? The Ravens must rely heavily on the ground game again and limit the number of times Flacco has to throw.

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