The Steelers are 7-2 after winning a crazy game against the Commanders on Sunday. A big step towards winning the division comes this week as Pittsburgh hosts the 7-3 Ravens.
The Steelers were down 24-14 in the second half. This would have been a huge problem for the Steelers in recent years with Kenny Pickett, or whoever happened to be under center since Ben Roethlisberger left. With Russell Wilson Pittsburgh was able to make the comeback and edge out a win against a good team.
It’s especially satisfying seeing newly acquired receiver Mike Williams from the Jets make the game winning touchdown catch. Another new addition Preston Smith got a sack in his first game. The best thing is that the Steelers made key mistakes and lost the turnover battle but still came out on the winning end.
Even with a 7-2 record and division lead, it would be foolish to get too comfortable. The Ravens are only a half game behind, and Pittsburgh is still in contention to get the coveted #1 seed first round bye in the playoffs.
The Ravens are a team that has looked amazing at times, but they aren’t as good against the AFC North or the Steelers. From 2021-2024 the Ravens are 9-12 against the AFC North and are 29-11 against the rest of the league.
Against the Steelers, they are 1-7 in their last 8 matchups. One thing that has contributed to the lack of success against Pittsburgh is that Lamar Jackson doesn’t usually play them. Since becoming the Ravens full time starter in 2019 Jackson has only played in 4 of the 10 games against Pittsburgh with a 1-3 record.
Part of the reason is due to two end of season games in 2019 and 2023 where the Ravens already clinched home field advantage in the playoffs, so they rested Lamar in the last game of the season. The other four games he missed were due to injury, with Tyler Huntley filling in for him.
The clear trend is that the division knows how to play the Ravens better than the rest of the league. There is some evidence of that this season with the 2-7 Browns getting a 29-24 win against Baltimore on October 27.
The Ravens lead the league in yards per game by far with 440.2. No offense has finished with that number of yards per game since Peyton Manning led the Broncos in 2013.
Lamar is second in the NFL with 2,669 yards passing and 24 touchdowns to only 2 interceptions. He also has 538 rushing yards which is first among quarterbacks. Zay Flowers is his favorite target with 50 receptions and is fifth in the NFL in receiving yards with 688.
Derrick Henry hasn’t slowed down a bit since turning 30, proving that he is still an elite running back after leaving the Titans in the offseason. Henry leads the NFL in rushing, rushing touchdowns, and yards per carry with 1,120 yards and 12 touchdowns on 6.1 yards per carry. Tight end Mark Andrews is also a threat with 357 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns.
The Ravens have really struggled defensively though. They are 27th overall in yards per game with being dead last in passing defense, but they are still 1st against the run.
Linebacker Roquan Smith is among the NFL tackling leaders with 97 while cornerback Marlon Humphrey has 4 interceptions. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy has 7 sacks with 9 tackles for loss.
With the Ravens so poor against the pass, the Steelers should look to rack up yards throwing downfield. Pittsburgh shouldn’t abandon the run game though because that is still their biggest strength on offense.
These Steelers-Ravens matchups are always so intense and fun. With division supremacy on the line, it will only make it that more meaningful.
