Behind the Steel Curtain
The Ravens and Steelers are each 6-6 entering Week 14, and the vibes surrounding both franchises aren’t exactly great. Each team lost big in Week 13, and yet this week’s matchup will determine who rises to first place in the AFC North – and a playoff spot, for the time being.
Ahead of the big game, what should Steeler fans expect from this iteration of their divisional rival?
Rushing YPG: 136.8 (5th)
Passing YPG: 180.5 (28th)
PPG: 24.1 (12th)
RB: Something is off with the Ravens.
Even after correcting from a 1-5 start to 6-6 entering Week 14, Baltimore hasn’t looked like the super team that was promised entering the season. And in their Thanksgiving loss to the Bengals, the Ravens proved their early-season woes still aren’t solely in the rearview mirror.
To be fair, the answer to a lot of the Ravens’ current offensive issues (still the NFL’s 12th-best in scoring) can be at least partly explained due to health.
Baltimore’s offensive powerhouse, quarterback Lamar Jackson, has been a fixture of the injury report through much of the year, missing three games and still looking below 100% when he’s been on the field as of late.
He’s dealt with a bevy of lower-body injuries, and while his speed is still giving defenses issues, he’s been a lot less adventurous and shifty as a runner. In 2024, he averaged 53.8 rushing yards per game; so far this season, his mark sits at 29.3.
Similarly, he’s been sacked three times per game this season, compared to just 1.4 last season.
The injuries seem to have affected his abilities as a passer, as well. Jackson’s completion percentage has dropped noticeably since entering November – he’s fallen well under 60% in every game after being above 70% in all but one of his first five matchups of the year.
He had some rough misses against the Bengals in Week 13. By the second half, it was in problem territory.
But even when Jackson was on target, his receiving core wasn’t always doing him favors. Baltimore’s 29th-ranked passing game bears some resemblances to past Steelers offenses, lacking a high-end WR1 in Zay Flowers, who has playmaking ability but lacks consistency.
Still, Flowers is far and away Baltimore’s top receiving target this season with 767 yards.
Rashod Bateman (197 receiving yards) has had a quiet season for Baltimore despite signing a three-year, $36.75 million extension this summer, while the ghost of DeAndre Hopkins has provided a respectable 257 yards, still having moments that remind you of his elite past.
Outside of Flowers, however, the main names in the passing game have been tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.
Andrews is the more complete of the two and a longtime favorite target of Jackson’s, but he’s lost some explosiveness and reliability in recent seasons. Likely has served as more of the big-play threat as a jumbo wide receiver type.
Baltimore’s passing game uses a lot of condensed...
