PITTSBURGH (AP) -- As usual, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are headed in opposite directions late in the NFL season. The only surprise is which team is going the wrong way.

The Ravens and Steelers both are 5-7 but, in recent weeks, have been polar opposites in terms of statistics, mindset and performance.

The Steelers have lost four in a row going into Sunday's game at Three Rivers Stadium, where they are 1-4 this season and 1-6 since last December. They don't even resemble the team that made the playoffs every season from 1992-97.

Conversely, the Ravens -- who have never won in Pittsburgh in three tries since moving to Baltimore in 1996 -- have won three of five and are coming off their biggest win of the season, a 41-14 rout of Tennessee.

Were those really the Ravens -- 4-12, 6-9-1 and 6-10 the last three seasons -- manhandling a playoff-bound team in December?

"We wanted to know, `Where are we at, guys?' Have we really improved?" Ravens coach Brian Billick said.

The answer was an emphatic yes. Tony Banks, who didn't play when the Steelers beat the Ravens 23-20 on Sept. 19, threw for 332 yards and four touchdowns, and wide receivers Qadry Ismail (113 yards) and Jermaine Lewis (two touchdowns) had big games.

Banks' effort represents about a month's worth of production for a Steelers quarterback. Until two weeks ago, that was Kordell Stewart but, for at least one more Sunday, it will be 37-year-old Mike Tomczak.

Tomczak will make only his second start since 1996, but if it isn't much better than he was in last week's 20-6 loss at Jacksonville, this may well be his last NFL start.

The Steelers have lost four in a row during their second late-season slump in as many years, a meltdown kindled by consecutive home-field losses to, of all teams, the Browns and Bengals.

This is the first time since Bill Cowher was hired as coach in 1992 the Steelers have been out of playoff contention with four games to go, and he says it's not an experience he wants to repeat.

"He's coming into meetings cussing, and he's got his chin out," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "He's not very happy."

And for good reason. The Steelers lack big plays and playmakers, and are so desperate for production that Stewart, who had started 43 consecutive games at quarterback, moved to wide receiver against Jacksonville. Stewart made three catches for 21 yards and, Cowher said, will play a bigger role in the offense this week.

But Stewart prefers to play quarterback, which might happen next week at Kansas City.

"We'll look at it week by week," Cowher said.

Stewart is looking at it minute by minute.

"In order to become successful at quarterback in this offense, you're going to have to spend some time in it," said Stewart, who had thrown six touchdown passes in 11 games before being benched. "I'm not the guy with all the answers, but if it were up to me, I'd be out there at quarterback having some fun."

Fun isn't a word used to describe the Steelers these days. Cowher said some players are playing for their jobs, and he won't look at a lot of younger players because "we need to win some games. I'm not looking to 2000."

Just as the Ravens aren't looking for a letdown. Their defense is fourth overall in the NFL and their offense has improved significantly since Banks took over six weeks ago. Now, Billick wants to see if they can sustain success.

"From our perspective, we're thrilled we had a big win against Tennessee, and we have shown some signs of improvement, but we can't look at Pittsburgh as being up or down right now," he said. "For us to capitalize on what we've done the last 3-4 weeks, we've got to go in and come away with a win, or it's all for naught."

The downside for the Ravens: since moving to Baltimore, they are 5-14 the week after winning, with two victories in their last nine attempts. The upside: their next three games are against losing teams.

"If we indeed are to take the next step and we're good enough to be a playoff team," Billick said, "and then after that we can win an AFC championship and go to the Super Bowl, I promise you a lot of lessons are going to be learned in these next four weeks."

BALTIMORE Season schedule and results

PITTSBURGH Season schedule and results

September 12 @St. Louis L 10-27 September 19 Pittsburgh L 20-23 September 26 Cleveland W 17-10 October 3 @Atlanta W 19-13 October 10 @Tennessee L 11-14 October 21 Kansas City L 8-35 October 31 Buffalo L 10-13 November 7 @Cleveland W 41-9 November 14 @Jacksonville L 3-6 November 21 @Cincinnati W 34-31 November 28 Jacksonville L 23-30 December 5 Tennessee W 41-14 December 12 @Pittsburgh 1:00pm ET December 19 New Orleans 1:00pm ET December 26 Cincinnati 1:00pm ET January 2 @New England 1:00pm ET

September 12 @Cleveland W 43-0 September 19 @Baltimore W 23-20 September 26 Seattle L 10-29 October 3 Jacksonville L 3-17 October 10 @Buffalo L 21-24 October 17 @Cincinnati W 17-3 October 25 Atlanta W 13-9 November 7 @San Francisco W 27-6 November 14 Cleveland L 15-16 November 21 @Tennessee L 10-16 November 28 Cincinnati L 20-27 December 2 @Jacksonville L 6-20 December 12 Baltimore 1:00pm ET December 18 @Kansas City 12:40pm ET December 26 Carolina 1:00pm ET January 2 Tennessee 4:15pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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