Baltimore @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 3, 2015 ) Baltimore 30, Pittsburgh 17

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be facing a desperate team that happens to be their most bitter rival, and they'll have to do so without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger when they host the winless Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night in an AFC North matchup. Roethlisberger suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee on Sunday and is expected to be sidelined a minimum of four weeks.

Roethlisberger's absence will put the onus on Michael Vick, who was signed late in training camp after struggling in a backup role with the New York Jets last season. "It’s definitely going to change a lot of things because the offense is really run through (Roethlisberger)," said Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell, who returned to the lineup last week after serving a two-game suspension to open the season. The Ravens have concerns of their own, becoming the last team in NFL history to open a season 0-3 and putting Thursday's matchup in the must-win category. "We're going to find a way out," Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. "We will come out of this the other way."

TV: 8:25 p.m. ET, CBS, NFLN. LINE: Ravens -2.5. O/U: 43.5

ABOUT THE RAVENS (0-3): Baltimore has lost its three games by a combined 16 points, including a 28-24 setback to division rival Cincinnati in which it blew a pair of leads in the final seven minutes. Joe Flacco threw for 362 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Steve Smith, who may have been premature in announcing his retirement after hauling in 13 catches for 186 yards - his second straight game of at least 150 yards. Justin Forsett and the ground game have been unable to get untracked while the defense has struggled since pass-rushing linebacker Terrell Suggs suffering a season-ending injury to his Achilles tendon in Week 1.

ABOUT THE STEELERS (2-1): Vick has been plagued by turnovers in the past few seasons, but he has the luxury of leaning on Bell and wideout Antonio Brown, who already has 29 receptions and is second in the league with 436 receiving yards. Bell, who rushed for 62 yards and a TD and caught seven passes for 70 yards in last week's 12-6 victory over St. Louis, was held in check in both regular-season matchups against the Ravens a year ago, managing only 79 yards rushing. The 35-year-old Vick, who was 5-of-6 for 38 yards in relief of Roethlisberger, had eight TD passes versus five interceptions in the last two seasons but fumbled nine times, losing four.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Brown has at least five catches and 50 yards receiving in 35 straight games and at least seven receptions in 14 consecutive contests - the longest streak in history.

2. Flacco has thrown for 1,194 yards with seven TDs and one interception in the last five meetings with the Steelers, including playoffs.

3. The teams traded 20-point victories last season, ending a string of five straight matchups that were decided by three points or fewer.

PREDICTION: Ravens 24, Steelers 23