The 10-3 Steelers have not won at Baltimore in their past five visits and the Ravens at 9-4 are right on their tails. A Pittsburgh loss Sunday would leave the division in a deadlock heading into the final two games of the season.

For that reason alone, this is one huge game. The Steelers, nagged by injuries to some key people all season, would love to enter the final two games having secured a bye in the playoffs.

"Playing one less game is important," linebacker Larry Foote said. "You never know what can happen in the first round. You get some rest, get fresh."

The Steelers feel that way even though they won their last Super Bowl after the 2005 season by playing three playoff games on the road to get there. It's almost become the in thing to do after the Giants copied that path last season.

"Even though we won the Super Bowl playing all three games, it's definitely important getting a bye week, get off our feet and hopefully the team we play gets banged up.

"You don't want to pick that route. You want to have the least amount of games as possible."

On the other hand, many question the Steelers' ability to make a run deep into the playoffs because they no longer run the way they used to. Among those people is their halfback, Willie Parker. He led the Steelers with more than 1,200 yards rushing in each of the past three seasons. Injuries to him and others have taken a toll on the Steelers running game, but Parker also thinks it's a change in philosophy.

"I just don't think we should give up that quick," Parker said. "We're the Pittsburgh Steelers; everyone knows we're going to run the ball -- or they used to think we'd run the ball. We pass the ball a lot now. We go away from Steelers football, Steelers mentality."

Parker has missed five games with a torn MCL and a tear in his shoulder. He leads the Steelers with 597 yards rushing, but was hurt after a fast start. He scored three of his four touchdowns in the season opener. Mewelde Moore is second with 521 yards. But the Steelers rank 23rd in the NFL with 1,350 yards rushing, which would be the second-lowest ranking for the team since it joined the AFC in 1970 with the NFL merger.

"It's definitely a concern," Parker said. "I definitely think about it all the time -- why can't we run the ball? What's the difference between now and two years ago? So it's definitely being a concern, me being a running back."

Parker said de-emphasizing the fullback hurt the running game.

"We get into two tights now, it's like without a fullback, they definitely know what's coming and they know where it's going," Parker said of NFL defenses. "I don't know what it is but it's not being effective."

SERIES HISTORY: 26th regular-season meeting. Steelers lead the series 15-10, but after early success in Baltimore, Pittsburgh has lost five straight there, where the series is now tied 6-6. Pittsburgh has won nine of the past 15 games overall, including their past meeting in Heinz Field, 23-20 in overtime.