Ravens Defense Reaching Stride at Perfect Time, Fuels Win over Steelers

The Baltimore Ravens are headed to Gillette Stadium to take on the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the NFLplayoffs.

Fueled by a fantastic defensive performance and the welcomed return of "playoff" Joe Flacco, the Ravens look like a team hitting their stride at just the right time.

That 30-17 win over their division rivals—the Pittsburgh Steelers—was big on all fronts. Not only did it push the team into the next round, but it also marked the first time in franchise history the Ravens were able to take down their nemesis in the postseason.

Without having to worry about the Steelers' dual-threat running backLe'Veon Bell, defensive coordinator Dean Pees called a near flawless game and his players responded beautifully.

Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervilturned their productive 2014 seasons into a monstrous playoff debut together. By ESPN's count,Dumervil was credited with two sacks, while Suggs finished his night with six total tackles and a game-clinching, remarkable interception.

There isn't a number total right now for the amount of pressure each of these men brought off the edge, but watching the game, they were both constantly muddying up the pocket and making life miserable for Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

For Suggs, this isn't anything new. As Turron Davenport ofThe Baltimore Times mentioned, he has quite the history when it comes to getting after the Steelers: