Behind the Steel Curtain
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are both limping into Week 14 at 6-6, with each respective offense in the midst of a slump. The Steelers rank 27th in EPA per play since Week 8, while the Ravens lot in at 19th. Something has to give, though. Will the Ravens win their third straight against Pittsburgh? Or will the Steelers bare-knuckle box their way to a seventh win? Our staff weighs in.
Austin Bechtold: I don’t see this being good at all for the Steelers. For years, the Steelers did well at containing Lamar Jackson and not letting him beat them with his legs. Things changed last season with the Ravens answering questions in the final two matchups. Even though Lamar is hurt, the Ravens’ weapons are too much for a discombobulated Steelers defense to handle.
Derrick Henry is going to rush for 150 yards. Derrick Harmon’s absence was noticeable, especially with Keeanu Benton and Yahya Back being pushed downfield on nearly every running play. And I haven’t even gotten to the offense yet. I was a big advocate for Aaron Rodgers to be here, especially for games like this. But it seems Rodgers is skittish in the pocket and isn’t the same player he was four weeks ago. DK Metcalf and Pat Freiermuth need to have big games. It would help if Freiermuth were on the field. The Ravens will win it and be in the driver’s seat to represent the AFC North in the playoffs again. Ravens 27, Steelers 14
Ryan Parish: Lamar Jackson returned to practice on Friday, so the Steelers will not get the advantage of playing Baltimore’s backup this Sunday. Jackson hasn’t been playing like a former two-time MVP lately, as he’s clearly been beat up, so if the Pittsburgh defense can have a bounce-back game, the Steelers should hang around.
The offense, though, gives me little hope. Once again, the Ravens have made some tweaks to their defense mid-season and rounded back into form. Baltimore’s pass rush is almost nonexistent, and they don’t turn it over often, but they haven’t allowed a ton of points since October. I think the Steelers once again take a slim lead into halftime and melt in the second half. Ravens 27, Steelers 17
Mike Nicastro: I don’t think it’s a stretch to say this is the biggest regular season game of Mike Tomlin’s career to date. Not only is a potential AFC North title on the line, but he’s also at risk of losing an entire fanbase and finishing under .500 for the first time.
The task is steep. The Steelers are absolutely reeling, and although they’ve held Lamar Jackson in check in the past, they were crushed twice in Baltimore last year. It’s not Jackson who worries me. It’s Derrick Henry, who should have a field day against a defensive line that just got gashed for the most rushing yards in history by an opponent in Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers will keep it close because the Ravens...
