"I imagine points are going to be at a premium this week," Steelers linebacker James Farrior said. "A touchdown's going to really be crucial. I don't think there will be many touchdowns."

--Coach Mike Tomlin talked about there being mutual respect between the two teams. His players thought otherwise.

"They're all hated," Hines Ward said. "Everybody in purple is hated. There's a respect level. We respect them as football players, they have a great team, they have a great defense but there's no love for them."

--The Steelers have a better record on the road (5-1) than they do in Heinz Field (5-2).

"I know it's one of the things we talked about in the offseason," Tomlin said. "If we wanted to be one of those kind of teams that are vying for the Lombardi, we had to be capable of winning in all environments, different circumstances, game times, etc."

BY THE NUMBERS: 13 -- Games the Steelers have gone without allowing a 300-yard offense against them to start a season. The 1973 Rams hold the NFL record at 14.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We'll count on our defense to play great like they always do and we'll try to put some points on the board." -- QB Ben Roethlisberger, on how to beat the Ravens.