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Steelers, Ravens greeted by rain at Heinz Field

PITTSBURGH -- It's three hours until game time, and it's raining. That being said, all hope is not lost for the Steelers.

An immediate, and possible overreaction to the current weather would suggest that both teams are going to be forced to the ground, and Pittsburgh is without their star running back, Le'Veon Bell.

But a quick look at Weather.com, the National Weather Service and a few other sites suggest we should see an end to any precipitation around 6 p.m. ET, with no severe rain expected again until after 11 p.m.

Basically, Pittsburgh should be able to run their offense, whatever that might look like.

The last time they faced the Ravens back on Nov. 2, the equilibrium they created with Bell, Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and Heath Miller was difficult to replicate.

Bryant forced the Ravens to lean on the pass. By an unofficial count, they had seven or more defenders in the box on less than half of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps. That also allowed them the chance to free up Bell should Roethlisberger need to check to a run or hit him on an outlet pass. The matchups afforded Bell a chance to match up on Baltimore linebacker C.J. Mosley frequently.

Now, all that changes. Bell, their best distraction, is out and Josh Harris is the next man up.

Based on the current weather patterns, though, the Steelers won't need to rely on him exclusively.

The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews this weekend's four Wild-Card matchups and predicts who will advance. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.