The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Baltimore on Sunday for a Week 18 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens that holds playoff implications. Additionally, unless the Steelers are able to earn a playoff berth, this will likely be the final game of Ben Roethlisberger's storied career in the Black and Gold.

Big Ben has put the Steelers on his shoulders and led his team to victory on numerous occasions throughout his career, but throughout the past two seasons there have been clear signs of decline in his play as Father Time catches up to him.

Roethlisberger is simply not the same quarterback that he used to be, from losing accuracy and velocity on his deep passes to not being able to make throws over the middle to the intermediate areas of the field. And, perhaps most significantly, his lack of mobility has robbed him of his trademark ability to extend plays and make something out of nothing. At this point in his career, that's okay.

What the Steelers need from Roethlisberger is for him to be more of a game manager type of player. Early in Roethlisberger's career, he was surrounded by an excellent running game and an elite defense. He only really needed to throw the ball to keep the defense honest so that they wouldn't stack the box against the running game, and also to make timely completions and move the chains whenever the Steelers faced a third-and-medium or a third-and-long.

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Steelers' X-Factor for Week 18 vs. Ravens: Najee Harris

If Ben can find that early-career version of himself once again, the Steelers will be in excellent shape to come away with a victory. However, that is precisely why Roethlisberger is not the X-Factor for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18. That designation goes to Najee Harris, with a shoutout to Pittsburgh's offensive line as well.

Led by T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers have an elite defense. It wouldn't be be surprising to see them hold Baltimore in check during this game, especially with Lamar Jackson out again. The real question will be: Can Pittsburgh's offense do enough to score points, all while keeping the defense from getting gassed?

While the Steelers have an elite defense, if they throw the ball early and often, that could lead to short possessions. This will force their defense to be on the field more, which can wear them down. If that happens, we could see Baltimore take over in the fourth quarter and win the game.

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If nothing else, Pittsburgh needs to run the ball to eat up clock and allow its defense to get some much-needed rest.

Now, the Steelers don't have quite as dominant a running game now as they did during Big Ben's early days with the team. While they have an excellent young back in Najee Harris, their offensive line can generously be described as a work in progress. However, they have put together some nice games as of late, and Harris is elite at an underrated skill for running backs: Falling forward.

We almost never see him lose yardage, even when he gets hit in the backfield. Harris is almost always able to at least fall forward and at least get back to the line of scrimmage,. If he gets hit at or just beyond the line of scrimmage, he is usually able to still fall forward and gain at least a small positive gain, if not 3-4 yards, which is what most offenses consider adequate to be a successful play.

While Harris doesn't always make the electrifying 50-yard touchdown runs, he is consistent in gaining positive yardage. He also consistently punishes defenders, finishing runs strong by lowering his shoulder and delivering contact. This wears down defenses over the course of a game. If Harris is able to deliver contact consistently, this should pay dividends late in the game. As Baltimore's defense wears down, you will likely see 5-yard runs turn into 10-yard runs and 10-yard runs turn into 15-yard runs.

Pittsburgh will be able to control the clock late in the game. This will allow them to eat away the time if they are winning. It could also let Mike Tomlin's team set themselves up for a last-second game-winning field goal with no time left if necessary.

If Harris receives at least 25 carries and is able to average 3.5 yards per carry (over 87 total yards for the game), Pittsburgh will walk away with a victory. That is why Najee Harris is the X-Factor for the Pittsburgh Steelers here in Week 18.