Ravens are set to rush Steelers

Baltimore uses a blitz by a linebacker called a layup to sack quarterbacks.
THE BALTIMORE SUN
When the Ravens bring their vaunted pass rush to Pittsburgh today, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will have to worry about Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant.
Those are the alter egos of the sack-hungry Ravens linebackers, who use deception and aggression to deliver a play that jacks up a quarterback like no other.
It's called a layup, a blitz designed to let a linebacker go unblocked and get a free shot at the quarterback.
"Nobody sees you on offense: not the offensive line, not the running back and not even the quarterback," linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "It's a straight path from your starting point to the quarterback. It's easy like a layup. You just go to the hole."
The Ravens estimate they have recorded about a dozen layups this season, including Bart Scott's vicious hit of Roethlisberger a month ago. It has happened so often that each linebacker has adopted his own NBA nickname.
Scott is Dwayne Wade because both are breakthrough players. Suggs is Kobe Bryant because both produce even when the other team's attention is directed at them. Adalius Thomas is LeBron James because both are rising playmakers. And Ray Lewis is Michael Jordan because both are considered premier players of their sport.
No one remembers how it all started this year, although most believe it came up during meetings while watching film.
The end result
But everyone knows the end result of the layup.
"There's a difference between getting hit and seeing it and getting hit and not seeing it," Thomas said. "Now, you're like: 'I thought my protection was there the last time and it wasn't. Am I going to get hit while throwing the ball or after I throw it? Maybe when we start to get close, he starts tensing up a little bit."'
The Ravens' pass rush, which has 52 sacks this season (second most in the NFL), tests an offense mentally and physically.
By stacking the line with seven players, the Ravens create confusion for the offensive line.
Which linebacker will blitz? Which one will drop back in coverage? Which defender will take one step back into coverage before coming on a delayed blitz?
The Ravens are banking that at some point they'll have a player who goes unblocked and can quickly slam down the quarterback.
"It's a chess match," Scott said. "They prepare for what we did last week and we change it up. You have to be creative and you have to have a lot of blitzes in your repertoire."
There are other times when it's more of a power play than a chess match.
The strategy
The Ravens will overload a side with four defenders, knowing the offense can only get three blockers to that area. That means someone will have a free run at the quarterback.
"Offenses have got to be prepared for everything," defensive coordinator Rex Ryan said. "We figure if we can get it down in training camp, you've got one week to prepare for it."
Most of the players credit the layups to Ryan's scheme because they aren't the ones who cause offenses to fail to block them.
But Ryan returns the compliment, saying he couldn't run his defense the same way without players who have the ability to rush and cover -- a key component in disguising their blitzes.
Layups often are regarded as the best and worst thing that can happen for a blitzer.
When the players watch a teammate crush a quarterback during film review, it draws some of the loudest cheers. But when a player misses a layup, it can be one of the most embarrassing points of the season.
The Ravens' linebackers have combined for 311/2 sacks. Along with defensive end Trevor Pryce (12 sacks) and Thomas (101/2), the Ravens could become the first team to have four players with double-digit sacks if Scott (91/2) and Suggs (eight) continue to reach the quarterback.
Based on how the season has gone for the Ravens, setting the NFL record seems like a layup.
"As a player, you'll remember because it's history," Thomas said. "It's never been done before and it'll be hard to do again."