Grading the Baltimore Ravens in their 26-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night:
Quarterback: This was one of the most efficient games of Joe Flacco's career. He completed 72.4 percent of his throws (21 of 29). Not forcing the deep pass, Flacco showed patience and accuracy in hitting his targets on the short to intermediate passes. His improved play-action fakes led to both touchdown throws near the goal line. Flacco also extended two drives by converting on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 with sneaks. Grade: B-plus.
Running backs: It was slow going early on, but the Ravens' running game was the reason why the team finished off the Steelers so decisively. Bernard Pierce and Justin Forsett combined for 95 yards in the fourth quarter. Pierce, who started after being benched Sunday, ran with determination. Forsett is dangerous when he gets to the edges. Has anyone seen Kyle Juszczyk this season? Grade: B.
Wide receivers/tight ends: It was a big night for the tight ends. Owen Daniels caught two touchdown passes on goal-line plays. Dennis Pitta kept both of those touchdown drives alive by converting a third down on each one. Even though Flacco talked about Torrey Smith being a 100-catch receiver, he was more focused on wide receiver Steve Smith for a second consecutive week. Steve Smith was targeted on over one-third of Flacco's passes, catching six of them for 71 yards. Grade: B-plus.
Offensive line: The reason why the Ravens beat the Steelers by 20 points starts with the domination up front. Flacco was barely touched. The Ravens didn't allow a sack or hit, and they pushed the Steelers back on run plays. Left tackle Eugene Monroe had one of his best games as a Raven. Center Jeremy Zuttah knocked the Steelers' interior back, which allowed Flacco to easily convert both of his quarterback sneaks. Grade: A.
Defensive line: Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata showed his athleticism in the fourth quarter when he batted a pass and intercepted it. Nose tackle Brandon Williams recorded two tackles and got some pressure on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Backup DeAngelo Tyson recovered a fumble deep in Ravens territory. Grade: B-minus.
Linebackers: Inside linebackers Daryl Smith and C.J. Mosley again struggled against a speedy back and had trouble chasing down Le'Veon Bell. Mosley had two missed tackles. But Smith and Mosley came up with big stops with each forcing a fumble. Terrell Suggs got caught crashing inside and the Steelers made him pay on reverses. Elvis Dumervil had two sacks. On one of them, he ran through tackle Marcus Gilbert before taking down Roethlisberger. Grade: C-plus.
Secondary: Jimmy Smith did a good job keeping wide receiver Antonio Brown in check. Safety Matt Elam was around the ball for a second straight week, leading the team with 10 tackles. Pass coverage, though, still isn't one of his strengths (he gave up five receptions). Chykie Brown was removed from the starting lineup but was forced back in after Asa Jackson suffered a concussion. But Brown only allowed one catch. Grade: B.
Special teams: Justin Tucker converted four field goals: 30, 23, 22 and 20 yards. He also had six touchbacks on kickoffs. Sam Koch netted an impressive 48.5 yards on two punts. Jacoby Jones was a nonfactor until he returned a punt 33 yards in the fourth quarter. Grade: B-plus.