PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers believe they are a much better team today than the one that lost at Baltimore 26-6 in the second game of the season. The offense is better and the defense is improving and starting to get heat on the quarterback, something that did not happen much early in the season.

It’s a good time for it too because both teams enter with 5-3 records, percentage points behind 4-2-1 Cincinnati in the AFC North Division. The Ravens lost both of their games against the Bengals, a team the Steelers have not yet played.

“It’s an opportunity to put ourselves in a better position in our division,” said linebacker James Harrison, who did not sign back with the team until the fourth week of the season. “That’s how I look at it. They’re very intense games, usually close games.”

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his offense more than came into its own last Sunday when he threw for 522 yards, six touchdowns and the Steelers beat the Indianapolis Colts 51-34. The Ravens have the 22nd-rated pass defense, so there’s a chance he will come out throwing again Sunday night.

The Steelers have an unusual rotation of receivers going as they try to find some consistency after Antonio Brown, the NFL’s leading pass-catcher. They often will pair starter Markus Wheaton with slot man Lance Moore and Brown in one group, and then send out rookie Martavis Bryant with Darrius Heyward-Bey and move Brown into the slot with that group.

“It works pretty well,” Roethlisberger said. “I don’t think it’s a first group, second group. It just depends on what personnel and what plays we want to run.”

That group has changed, especially since they played the Ravens Sept. 11. Lance Moore and rookie Bryant did not play in that game. Justin Brown was the slot receiver, and he fumbled at the Baltimore 15 after catching a pass on the game’s first drive. Justin Brown hasn’t suited up the past two games after losing his job to Moore.

Bryant has played only in the past two games but caught three touchdown passes, including two against the Colts, and has earned himself more opportunities. At 6-4, he is their tallest wide receiver.

“We will continue to maybe expand some of the things that he does as he shows that he is capable of handling what it is that we ask him to do,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “No question he did in this last game, and we asked him to do more in this last game than we did in his first outing. We will continue on with that process and hopefully continue to get good and positive contributions from him.”

The Steelers believe they have their most balanced passing game in years. Their second- and third-leading receivers are halfback Le’Veon Bell, who has 42 receptions, and tight end Heath Miller, who has 34. Five receivers have caught at least 12 passes and 13 have caught at least one.

SERIES HISTORY: 38th regular-season meeting, Steelers lead the series 20-17, including 11-7 in Pittsburgh. The Steelers also are 3-0 against the Ravens in the postseason. The Ravens stomped them on Thursday night Sept. 11 in Baltimore, 26-6, an unusual runaway in this series. Baltimore has won five of the past seven overall and two of the past three at Heinz Field.

MEDICAL WATCH: OT Marcus Gilbert, who missed last Sunday’s game with a concussion from the previous game, went through a full practice Wednesday, passed all the tests and will return to start at right tackle. … NT Steve McLendon, who missed the past two games with a sprained shoulder, went through a full practice and should return to start on Sunday. … S Shamarko Thomas, who missed the past three games with a hamstring injury, went through full practice and should be available for special teams duty and as a backup.

GAME PLAN: As they did last week, the Steelers could come out throwing against the No. 22 pass defense, especially with cornerback Jimmy Smith out for this one. On defense, they will try to stop a running game that piled up 157 yards on them on Sept. 11 in Baltimore and try to make Joe Flacco’s passing game one-dimensional.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Steelers RT Marcus Gilbert, who missed last week’s game with a concussion, vs. Ravens OLB Elvis Dumervil, who had two sacks over Gilbert in the second game of the season. … Steelers WR Antonio Brown, who leads the league with 60 catches, vs. Ravens CB Lardarius Webb, who was hurt anddid not play in their first meeting of the year.