Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker
BALTIMORE -- We have another defensive battle as the Ravens lead the Pittsburgh Steelers, 6-3, at intermission.
Here are some halftime observations:
- Baltimore rookie quarterback Joe Flacco is slowly getting acclimated to the game. Flacco looked shaky for much of the first half but led the Ravens on two second-quarter scoring drives. He is 6-of-15 passing for 68 yards with an interception. Flacco's best two throws were of 24 yards to tight end Todd Heap and 17 yards on the run to Mark Clayton that led to two field goals.
- The pass protection for Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been very good thus far. Baltimore is getting little pressure with just four defenders and has to bring five or six to get to the quarterback. Roethlisberger also is taking advantage of open running lanes and has rushed for 16 yards on a pair of broken plays.
- Baltimore set a franchise attendance record for this game with 71,502 fans, and it is loud here when the Ravens are on defense. The Ravens have perhaps the most underrated home-field advantage in the NFL and already it's caused Pittsburgh trouble with two false-start penalties.
- There's also an unusual amount of drops from both teams early. Tailbacks Le'Ron McClain and Willis McGahee both had drops for Baltimore, while receivers Nate Washington and Santonio Holmes drop balls for Pittsburgh.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
James Walker
Walker joined ESPN.com in 2008 after three seasons covering the Cleveland Browns for the Columbus Dispatch. He also covered the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Cavaliers at the Dispatch. Walker grew up in Hyattsville, Md., before attending Temple University, graduating in 2001 with a B.A. in communications and mass media. He resides in the Cleveland area.