NFL PREVIEW \ Ravens at Steelers

BALTIMORE (2-4) at PITTSBURGH (4-2) TV/RADIO: 9 p.m., ABC Channels 33, 5, 4; WBBG-FM 106.1 OPENING LINE -- Steelers by 8 1/2. RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Ravens 2-4; Steelers 4-2. SERIES RECORD -- Steelers lead 13-6. LAST MEETING -- Steelers 20, Ravens 7, Dec. 26, 2004 at Pittsburgh. LAST WEEK -- Ravens lost to Bears 10-6. Steelers beat Bengals 27-13. RAVENS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (25), RUSH (20), PASS (20) RAVENS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (2), RUSH (9), PASS (1) STEELERS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (20), RUSH (7), PASS (24) STEELERS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (8), RUSH (6), PASS (18) KEY MATCHUP -- Baltimore vs. road. Ravens are winless (0-3) on road. Last-place club will likely be without linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed at Heinz Field. Baltimore lost its sixth straight road game last week, despite holding Bears to 276 yards on offense. Two field goals were all it could muster, and Ravens ventured inside Chicago 20 just once. Steelers have lost three of last four at home, counting losses to New England in AFC title game in January and again on Sept. 25. However, their last home loss came with Ben Roethlisberger on bench with knee injury. Roethlisberger, NFL's leading passer (120.7), threw two touchdown passes in his return in Cincinnati as Steelers used their proven formula -- run and play defense -- to grind out victory. STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES -- Baltimore leads AFC in defense, allowing 251.7 yards per game. ... Baltimore is averaging NFL-worst 11.5 points per game, and has yet to score 20 points in game. ... Ravens are averaging nearly 11 penalties a game and defense has forced just six turnovers. ... Ravens gave Steelers their only regular season loss last year. ... Former 2,000-yard rusher Jamal Lewis, still slowed by offseason ankle surgery, managed just 34 yards on 15 attempts last week. He has averaged 116 yards in club's last seven prime-time games. ... Pittsburgh has won 10 straight Monday Night Football home games. ... Last week, RB Willie Parker gained 131 yards and Jerome Bettis again played key role with 13 carries for 56 yards. Associated Press Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.