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The Ravens and Diontae Johnson saga has taken another twist. Three days after Baltimore parted ways with the disgruntled wide receiver, the Houston Texas claimed the 28-year-old veteran off waivers. The Ravens play the Texans in Houston on Christmas Day. It marks the fourth team for Johnson since March after he was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Carolina Panthers, where he spent the first seven games this season before being dealt to the Ravens a week before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. Houston’s wide receiver corps has been decimated, with Tank Dell the latest to suffer a significant injury after he dislocated his knee and tore his ACL on Sunday in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Houston is already without receiver and former Maryland star Stefon Diggs, whose season is over after suffering a torn ACL in late October, and John Metchie has been dealing with a shoulder injury this week, though he told reporters Monday that he is “ready to go” for the Christmas tilt against the Ravens. Veteran Robert Woods is the Texans’ next-best receiver with 16 catches for 143 yards. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Who’s most excited to see Beyoncé? Perhaps Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens are more than Lamar Jackson. Here are this year’s unsung heroes. Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: Which Baltimore athlete had the best 2024? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens, Orioles have Baltimore sports in their playoff era Baltimore Ravens | Will Netflix’s streaming issues doom Ravens vs. Texans on Christmas Day? Johnson’s stint with the Ravens was as short as it was an abject disaster. He appeared in just four games for Baltimore, refused to go into a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, according to a statement from general manager Eric DeCosta, and was suspended for their game against the New York Giants. He was excused from team activities after his suspension before being waived last week. Johnson played just 39 offensive snaps for the Ravens and had one catch for 6 yards. He is set to be a free agent this offseason. Meanwhile, the Ravens claimed former Texans receiver Steven Sims off waivers. He appeared in seven games for Houston this season and played 63 snaps on special teams and just 10 on offense, failing to catch a pass. Ravens fans will remember Sims. He returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown in last season’s divisional round playoff game that Baltimore went on to win, 34-10. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The past year was full of dramatic moments and high-level performances, particularly from three standout Baltimore athletes: Lamar Jackson, Angel Reese and Gunnar Henderson. We want to hear from you. Who had the best 2024? After you vote, tell us what you think by clicking the comments button and we might publish your take in The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To read the results of previous reader polls, click here. View the full article

The holiday spirit has officially hit the Ravens’ locker room. John Harbaugh began his postgame news conference Saturday with a message he had shared with his players only minutes before, one apt for a team that had just clinched a spot in the playoffs. “Rejoice.” Harbaugh has been here before. The Ravens have made the postseason six of the past seven years and 12 of 18 overall with him at the helm. Though he might “rejoice in the fact that we made the playoffs,” Harbaugh sees Saturday’s 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers as a couple of boxes crossed off on the checklist of goals the Ravens have for their season. But Saturday also marked a historic moment for Baltimore sports as a whole. While the Ravens have been perennial contenders since drafting Lamar Jackson in 2018, the Orioles spent six years hovering around the American League East basement before emerging from their rebuild to reach the playoffs each of the last two seasons. The Ravens’ win Saturday ensured Baltimore’s football and baseball teams would reach the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1970 and 1971, when the Orioles and Colts each made the postseason, and only the second time overall. “It means a lot,” Jackson said of the Ravens extending their season. “We been bustin’ our behind all season long, had ups and downs this whole season. But to clinch a playoff against a great team like that, that’s great. It means we’re moving in the right direction.” That sentiment is permeable for both franchises. The Ravens are tied to Jackson and the Super Bowl-winning upside the two-time Most Valuable Player Award winner provides for at least the next three seasons. The Orioles have assembled one of baseball’s most enviable young cores centered around All-Stars Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg. So far, neither team has been able to translate its regular season success into a championship. The Ravens have yet to make it past the AFC championship game with Jackson under center and the Orioles haven’t won a playoff game since 2014. For all the promise they’ve shown, players from both sides of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard hope it’s only the beginning. “We have a really good team,” Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle said after the club was knocked out of the playoffs in October. “It shows in our record during the year. Unfortunately, the last two years, just haven’t been able to put it together in the playoffs. Hopefully, next year we can make it and try and make a run. That’s all you can do.” The late 1960s and early ’70s were a true golden era for Baltimore sports. The Orioles won two World Series and reached two more, anchored by Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell, Frank Robinson and Jim Palmer. Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas, in the twilight of his Hall of Fame career, helped guide Baltimore to two Super Bowls in three years, winning it all in 1970. Baltimore’s current teams have a long way to go before their era merits serious comparisons with the days of Brooks and Unitas. Yet fans are in the midst of what has been a rare period of local sports history with both teams fielding competitive rosters. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Will Netflix’s streaming issues doom Ravens vs. Texans on Christmas Day? Baltimore Ravens | NFL playoff picture: Ravens are in. What’s still at stake in AFC? Baltimore Ravens | How a popular Netflix miniseries sparked a Ravens obsession Baltimore Ravens | Zay Flowers, Daniel Faalele among Ravens missing from walk-through Sunday Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Time for Ravens to stop messing around and run the ball | COMMENTARY When the Orioles reached two World Series in five years from 1979 to 1983, the Colts were enduring the bulk of the six-year playoff drought that ultimately preceded the organization’s move to Indianapolis. The Ravens’ quick ascension to Super Bowl winners in 2000 under coach Brian Billick and early success with Harbaugh helped bridge the Orioles’ 14 straight October-less seasons. That did culminate with a magical 2012 when the Ravens won the Super Bowl and the Orioles finally ended their skid with a 93-win campaign, but the Ravens hovered around .500 for the next five years while the Orioles made a couple of deep playoff runs that ended short of the Fall Classic. Only once have both teams won their division, and that came just last season. However, it was that mid-2010s period of struggle that led to the Ravens landing Jackson. And the Orioles’ ensuing rebuild produced the stable of young talent that has them in position to contend in the American League East for the next half-decade. Where this era of Baltimore sports proves to stand among history is still unwritten, but the potential for fans to rejoice for the playoff success of both sides in 2025 is as great as it’s been in decades. ’Tis the season. Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich. The Orioles celebrate after clinching a playoff berth in September. Baltimore has plenty to celebrate with the Ravens also in the playoffs. (Jim McIsaac/Getty) View the full article

All Netflix wants for Christmas is to avoid another sports livestream disaster. The Ravens are slotted in the second game of the popular streaming platform’s Christmas Day doubleheader, playing the Texans in Houston at 4:30 p.m. after the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 p.m. Both games mark the first of a three-year agreement to broadcast Christmas Day games on Netflix. The primary way to watch the Ravens’ penultimate regular-season game, which will help decide their playoff standing, requires a Netflix subscription. All account plans include access to the games, which will appear on the site’s homepage. But fear not, Baltimoreans. Both games will also be broadcast locally on CBS in each team’s market. Netflix has made more of a push toward streaming live events in recent years to expand its reach. It hasn’t gone especially well. Some might remember “The Roast of Tom Brady” in May, which went off without a hitch. The Netflix Cup, a Formula 1 and golf crossover event, yielded modest results. Netflix is in line to broadcast the next two FIFA Women’s World Cups, in 2027 and 2031. But recency bias might make viewers cringe at the thought of Netflix hosting two high-profile Christmas Day NFL games, which draw massive audiences. That’s because of how difficult it was to watch the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul on Nov. 15. Not for the faux spectacle, but for the technical breakdown caked with glitches and buffers trying to keep up with 38 million concurrent streams in the United States. Netflix was pelted with similar backlash last year during the live “Love Is Blind” season 4 reunion special that was delayed more than an hour because of engineering issues. Vice President of Nonfiction Series and Sports Brandon Riegg spoke with the Associated Press about Netflix’s recent live-show issues ahead of Wednesday’s games. “The only way to test something of that magnitude is to have something of that magnitude,” Neftlix’s Vice President of Nonfiction Series and Sports Brandon Riegg told the Associated Press. “The good news is they stress-tested the system to such a degree that there’s a lot of these fixes and improvements that they realized that they could make, and they’re applying all that stuff.” Netflix is pushing its chips in on the holiday festivities. They’ll have a prerecorded Mariah Carey performance of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” before the Chiefs vs. Steelers. Then at halftime of Ravens vs. Texans, Houston native and the most-decorated artist in Grammys history, Beyoncé, will perform live. Netflix brought in an all-star coverage cast as well. NBC Sports’ Noah Eagle has play-by-play duties at NRG Stadium with Kirk Olsen, from Fox Sports, as his color commentator. The sideline reporters will be NFL Network’s Jamie Erdahl and Sam Wyche. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens, Orioles have Baltimore sports in their playoff era Baltimore Ravens | NFL playoff picture: Ravens are in. What’s still at stake in AFC? Baltimore Ravens | How a popular Netflix miniseries sparked a Ravens obsession Baltimore Ravens | Zay Flowers, Daniel Faalele among Ravens missing from walk-through Sunday Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Time for Ravens to stop messing around and run the ball | COMMENTARY The 11 a.m. pregame show will feature former NFL quarterbacks Drew Brees and Robert Griffin III; Mina Kimes and Laura Rutledge, from ESPN; and Kay Adams, anchor and host of Up & Adams, among others. Bert Kreischer will act as tailgate correspondent and fellow comedian Nate Bargatze will have additional guest commentary. Global interest in the NFL has grown tremendously in recent years as the league continues to schedule games on foreign soil. This season, teams played in London and São Paulo. For Wednesday’s game, Netflix is making streams available worldwide, according to a release, available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and German. Brees and NFL Redzone host Scott Hanson will handle additional commentary outside the U.S., according to Netflix. Baltimore’s Week 16 game is vital in its chase for the AFC North division title. Netflix’s reputation for livestreaming such events will be on the line, too. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

The Ravens are officially back in the playoffs. While Baltimore has long been a virtual lock to make the seven-team field, the Ravens clinched their spot Saturday with a 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The home victory also kept Baltimore’s hopes alive for the AFC North title, putting the archrivals in a tie for first place with two games remaining in the regular season. Both teams now face a quick turnaround. On Christmas Day, the Ravens (10-5) hit the road to take on the Texans, while the Steelers (10-5) host the Chiefs in a first-of-its-kind streaming doubleheader on Netflix. The four playoff-bound teams are all finishing a stretch of three games in 11 days, as Kansas City secured a 27-19 win over Houston earlier Saturday. While five of the seven AFC playoff teams are secured and three of the four division champions are crowned, there are still a few loose ends to tie up before the postseason begins. Here’s what’s still at stake: No. 1 seed It’s going to take more than an ankle injury to stop Patrick Mahomes. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player rushed for 33 yards and a touchdown and passed for 260 yards and a score to lead Kansas City to a victory over Houston that puts the Chiefs on the brink of the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Chiefs (14-1) can clinch the first-round bye and home-field advantage by beating Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Also, if the Bills (12-3) fail to win either of their remaining two games, the Chiefs would get the top seed. While the Chiefs’ lead appears insurmountable, Buffalo owns the crucial head-to-head tiebreaker thanks to its 30-21 win over Kansas City in Week 11 and faces an easier schedule down the stretch. While the Chiefs play the Steelers and Broncos — two teams still chasing important playoff positioning — the Bills finish against the lowly Patriots (3-12) and Jets (4-11). If the Bills and Chiefs both finish 14-3, the AFC playoffs run through Buffalo. AFC North title Christmas Day could end up deciding the division title. A Ravens win over the Texans and a Steelers loss to the Chiefs would give Baltimore a one-game lead entering the regular-season finale. Then all the Ravens would need is a victory over the hapless Cleveland Browns (3-12) to wrap up their second straight AFC North crown and a home wild-card game the following weekend. If the Ravens and Steelers both lose Wednesday, Pittsburgh finishes its regular season against a much tougher opponent in the Cincinnati Bengals (7-8), who are not mathematically eliminated from postseason contention yet and could be playing for a chance to claim the final wild-card spot. A Ravens win over Cleveland and a Steelers loss to Cincinnati would give Baltimore the title. Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce, left, sacks Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson in front of Brent Urban in the first quarter on Saturday. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) If both teams go 2-0 down the stretch and finish 12-5, it would come down to tiebreakers. In that scenario, the head-to-head record would be tied 1-1 and the division record would be tied 4-2, so it would come down to the best record against common opponents. The Steelers, with a hypothetical win over a Chiefs team that beat Baltimore in Week 1, would take the division title by virtue of a 9-3 vs. 8-4 edge. If both teams somehow go 0-2 to finish the regular season and end up 10-7, Pittsburgh would win the division because of a superior record against conference opponents (7-5 vs. 6-6). Final wild-card spots It’s very likely that the two AFC West teams that met Thursday night — the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers — will be the No. 6 and No. 7 seeds, in some order. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens, Orioles have Baltimore sports in their playoff era Baltimore Ravens | Will Netflix’s streaming issues doom Ravens vs. Texans on Christmas Day? Baltimore Ravens | How a popular Netflix miniseries sparked a Ravens obsession Baltimore Ravens | Zay Flowers, Daniel Faalele among Ravens missing from walk-through Sunday Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Time for Ravens to stop messing around and run the ball | COMMENTARY The Broncos and Chargers are both 9-6 after Los Angeles’ 34-27 win over Denver at SoFi Stadium. The Broncos have a 78% chance to reach the postseason, while the Chargers are at 95%, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. The three other teams still in the hunt for those last two spots are the Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati, which are all 7-8 after winning Sunday. The Colts have the best odds to crack the field at 12%, followed by the Dolphins (7%) and Bengals (5%). Denver can clinch its first postseason berth since 2015 with a win over Cincinnati on Saturday, while Los Angeles can secure its spot with a victory over New England. A loss or tie by Indianapolis, Miami or Cincinnati over the next two weeks would also eliminate them from postseason contention. Here’s what the wild-card matchups would be if the season ended Saturday: No. 1 Kansas City (1st AFC West) — bye No. 7 Denver (3rd AFC West) at No. 2 Buffalo (1st AFC East) No. 6 L.A. Chargers (2nd AFC West) at No. 3 Pittsburgh (1st AFC North) No. 5 Ravens (2nd AFC North) at No. 4 Houston (1st AFC South) Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

Four years ago, “The Queen’s Gambit” — a Netflix miniseries and coming-of-age drama about protagonist and orphan Beth Harmon’s obsession to become the best chess player in the world — shot to popularity for, among other things, its escapist entertainment that explored personal struggle and triumph. It also ended up sparking what has become something of an obsession within the Ravens’ locker room. Which is why, on any given day, left guard Patrick Mekari can be heard disseminating various strategies to left tackle Ronnie Stanley that have nothing to do with the practice they just finished or the next game on their schedule. “Ronnie was definitely the worst for a while, but he’s gotten better,” said Mekari, whose looks are more bearded bouncer than Garry Kasparov. “The chess levels are insane, so I would not consider myself a good chess player, but I’m probably the best amongst the guys in here.” Mekari’s lockermate, Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, overhearing the conversation, nods affirmatively, though he quickly points out that he beat Mekari the first time the two played. “Once I saw the show, I downloaded the [Chess.com] app and I think I’ve played every day since,” Mekari continues. “I would watch shows on chess on YouTube religiously. I don’t do that as much anymore, but I find myself here and there watching a chess tutorial — how do you play this opening, how do you defend this opening, what’s the best move here. “In the show, it was intriguing how much thought and how much work goes into a simple board game. Each move matters within the millions of moves there are, and there is one right move. There is a correct move, which is cool to try to find. Chess is different.” It has also bonded — the games are a way to get away from The Game and they elicit plenty of conversation, too, with Mekari the ringleader. Ravens offensive lineman Patrick Mekari shows off his Chess.com app that he uses to play against his teammates and staff members. (Courtesy) In addition to the sixth-year veteran, Stanley and Linderbaum, tight end Charlie Kolar and linebacker Chris Board, along with a few staff members, have taken to playing against one another daily using the Chess.com app on their phones. The games last anywhere from a few minutes — Mekari’s preference because it allows him to play more games which in turn allows him to become more familiar with formations and strategies — to all day, which allows more deliberate thinkers plenty of time to counter an opponent’s move. “I’ve only been playing since training camp,” Stanley says. “I knew how the pieces moved, but I never looked at the different openings. I like just how far you can think ahead. There’s different ways of attacking, so many different variables and ways to go about it. Every game is different.” Of course, he also could have been talking about football since the correlations between the two are obvious if not omnipresent. There are patterns, offensive moves and defensive moves. The goal in both is to understand what the other is trying to do before they do it. And even some of chess’ strategies — absolute pin, X-ray, desperado, diagonal battery, interference, flagging — could be swapped in for footballs. “It’s not just a game that rots your brain,” Linderbaum said. “There’s strategy to it, critical thinking, you’re trying to see one, two, three moves ahead. Just like sports. “The other team’s defense is trying to find the best matchup and we’re trying to find the best match-up in terms of plays. You can find some similarities with the offensive coordinator vs. the defensive coordinator, too. Like football, you’re trying to figure out what they’re trying to accomplish.” As a unit this season, the Ravens’ offensive line, which has three new starters, including Mekari playing left guard for the first time, rookie Roger Rosengarten at right tackle and tackle-turned-right-guard Daniel Faalele, has had their moments. Though they struggled in a loss earlier this month to the Philadelphia Eagles, the group has made strides from its early-season struggles. In pass blocking, Pro Football Focus grades the Ravens’ offensive line the ninth-best in the NFL. In run blocking, they’ve slipped to 20th in recent weeks, but PFF rates them the eighth-best overall line in the league. Linberbaum, coming off a Pro Bowl season in what was just his second year, has been perhaps the unit’s best and most consistent performer, with a 79.4 grade from PFF, fourth-best among all centers. Stanley, an All-Pro in 2019 who has battled injuries every year since until this one, is finally healthy and, in a contract year, has been a tour de force, not allowing a sack until recently giving up two after surrendering a career-high five last season. Mekari had easily his worst game of the year against the Eagles’ talented defensive tackles with nine pressures allowed to draw a frightening 11.3 pass blocking grade from PFF, but has graded out at 64.5 or higher in 11 other contests (though his run blocking has rated slightly worse). Faalele, meanwhile, has graded similarly to Mekari, with Rosengarten slightly better, particularly in pass sets. Behind them, Baltimore has produced the NFL’s top offense with 423.7 yards per game and is No. 3 in scoring at 30.1 points per game, which is perhaps why coach John Harbaugh is resolute about not shaking up the offensive line as he did earlier in the year. “I think we’re pretty well set there,” he said. “I’m not down on anybody on the offensive line.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens, Orioles have Baltimore sports in their playoff era Baltimore Ravens | Will Netflix’s streaming issues doom Ravens vs. Texans on Christmas Day? Baltimore Ravens | NFL playoff picture: Ravens are in. What’s still at stake in AFC? Baltimore Ravens | Zay Flowers, Daniel Faalele among Ravens missing from walk-through Sunday Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Time for Ravens to stop messing around and run the ball | COMMENTARY Meanwhile, the chess games continue, during breaks, after practice and whenever there’s free time. “I’m happy to say that after the show, millions of people bought chess sets,” actor Anya Taylor-Joy, who played Harmon in “The Queen’s Gambit,” cracked on “Saturday Night Live” a few years ago following the show’s enormous rise. “And dozens of them actually learned how to play.” At least a few reside in Baltimore’s locker room. “It gets you thinking,” Mekari said. “We compete so much physically; that’s what we’ve always known. But in chess, it’s, ‘Can I just understand the position and be better than you at something not physical,’ which is kind of cool.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers and starting offensive linemen Tyler Linderbaum and Daniel Faalele were among the players listed as not participating in practice Sunday as the team began preparations for its Christmas game against the Houston Texans. The Ravens’ injury report was only an estimation based on a late-afternoon walk-through. Flowers was listed with a shoulder injury a day after he played 87% of the team’s offensive snaps and caught five passes for 100 yards in the Ravens’ 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Faalele was absent with a knee injury after playing all 62 offensive snaps against Pittsburgh. He also appeared on the injury report last week. Linderbaum was listed with a back injury after he also played every snap in the win over the Steelers, but he was in his jersey at the portion of the walk-through open to reporters. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Time for Ravens to stop messing around and run the ball | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens prove they can win with defense vs. Steelers: ‘Return that favor’ Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 34-17 win over Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens clinch playoff spot, keep AFC North title hopes alive with 34-17 win over Steelers Running back Justice Hill was missing as expected after he left Saturday’s game with a concussion suffered on a scary crash to the ground. The short turnaround to the Houston game makes it unlikely Hill will have time to clear the league’s head injury protocol. If he can’t go, Rasheen Ali and Keaton Mitchell will likely back up Derrick Henry. Wide receiver Nelson Agholor remained absent because of the concussion that kept him out of Saturday’s game. Cornerbacks Tre’Davious White (shoulder) and Jalyn Armour-Davis (hamstring) were also missing. Safety Beau Brade was present but limited by a shoulder injury. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Childs Walker at daviwalker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6893 and x.com/ChildsWalker. View the full article

It was late during the 2000 season when former Ravens coach Brian Billick started moving over to what he called “the dark side,” which meant he was going to rely more on running back Jamal Lewis than quarterback Trent Dilfer. I’m starting to move over to the “dark side” as well. This time, that means star running back Derrick Henry instead of quarterback Lamar Jackson. The preference here is balance with the run-pass ratio. In fact, I’ve preached it for years. But as the Ravens enter the last two games of the regular season against Houston and Cleveland, the “dark side” has more light, so to speak, at the end of the tunnel. Jackson is different from Dilfer, who couldn’t hit the ground if he dropped the ball. But in big games, it’s just more logical to stick with a back who has rushed for more than 11,000 yards since entering the league in 2016 instead of a player who is 2-4 in the postseason. Henry’s age of 30 is no longer a factor. The Ravens have basically kept him fresh all season. Before Saturday’s 34-17 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium, Henry had rushed for 1,474 yards and 13 touchdowns on 254 carries, which is about 18 attempts per game. That’s pretty modest for a player who has more than 2,000 career rushing attempts. Then came Saturday. The 6-foot-3, 247-pound Henry rushed 24 times for 162 yards and caught two swing passes for 27 yards. He had a 44-yard run on a toss around the left end down to Pittsburgh’s 11-yard line with 14:11 left in the game and the Ravens ahead, 24-17. On the next play, Jackson attempted a short pass over the middle and into the right flat, which was picked off by Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. As Fitzpatrick returned it 25 yards to the Pittsburgh 33, there were several thoughts that crossed my mind, none of them positive. The TV cameras showed Ravens coach John Harbaugh shaking his head in disbelief. Why? If Henry was tired, just hand the ball off to another runner. Heck, bring Lewis out of retirement, but at least stick to the ground game. Fortunately, Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson threw a pass behind tight end MyCole Pruitt, which cornerback Marlon Humphrey intercepted and returned 37 yards for a touchdown. Then there was nothing else to think about because it’s time to turn The King loose. It’s time for some ground-and-pound. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin got the message. “We didn’t do what we needed to do to secure victory today. So, I congratulate the Ravens on their performance in the victory,” he said. “Specifically, we didn’t control the run game. We never did. When you don’t, you’ve got to do some splash plays or win the turnover battle in a significant way, and we didn’t do that either. We had opportunities of some balls on the ground that we didn’t get. Then obviously, we turned the ball over going in. It took seven points off the board, and they had a pick-six. The rest is history, as they say. “You’ve got to control the run, the line of scrimmage. The turnover game is always significant in matchups like this. We failed in both areas. So, when you do that, you should expect to lose. When you’re not controlling the run game, you’re not going to have a sense of comfort in terms of the flow of it. That was the case.” That’s not saying the Ravens have to ignore the passing game or Jackson. In reality, opposing teams are going to stack the line of scrimmage and force Jackson to beat them throwing the ball downfield. That’s been the strategy since the Ravens drafted him in the first round seven years ago. That’s understandable, but the Ravens should come into every game with a run-first mentality. That’s when they are at their best, when they can run and then mix in the play-action passing game with some run-pass option (RPO) plays. But there have been times this season when the Ravens seem intent on tossing the ball around, and that’s not always a good thing for this team, especially in the postseason or against really good teams. We’ve seen that in the past against Tennessee when Henry was a Titan, or against Kansas City the last couple of years when the Ravens forgot that running the ball was their strength. Against Pittsburgh on Saturday, they rushed for 220 yards on 38 carries and pushed around tackles Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton, who had led a defense that entered ranked No. 4 in rushing yards allowed per game (94.4). Of course, the Ravens entered ranked No. 2 in rushing, averaging 178.4 yards per game, so it just makes sense to keep wearing the opposition down. “I think they were controlling the line of scrimmage,” Pittsburgh outside linebacker Alex Highsmith said. “We didn’t do a good job controlling the line of scrimmage today. Embarrassing to say the least, how they ran, the way they ran the ball against us.” The Ravens don’t have to commit to the running game like they did during their 2000 championship season. That team had some weapons, but not a strong-armed quarterback. They had Lewis, whose style was different then Henry (who runs up upright like former great Eric Dickerson) but just as punishing. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens prove they can win with defense vs. Steelers: ‘Return that favor’ Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 34-17 win over Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens clinch playoff spot, keep AFC North title hopes alive with 34-17 win over Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 34-17 win over Pittsburgh Steelers Like Lewis, once Henry gets to the edge and his shoulder pads square, opposing safeties and cornerbacks fear him. The Ravens have many more weapons compared with that 2000 team. They have speed on the outside in receiver Zay Flowers and two tight ends who might be the best duo in the league in Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews. They also have a complementary runner in backup Justice Hill, who is an effective pass catcher out of the backfield. And then there is Jackson, who is the best running quarterback in the history of the NFL. He has improved dramatically as a passer, especially inside the red zone. But against teams such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, he has missed wide-open receivers several times. Zone defenses cause him problems, whether it’s holding the ball too long or uncertainty about when to run. That’s not to say Jackson has a major deficiency in any area. But the forte of this offensive line has and remains run blocking. That’s what they do best. And if that’s a strength, stick with it. It should be, especially with Henry. The postseason is almost upon us. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

With clutch defensive plays and a brutally efficient running game, the Ravens finally achieved a sound victory, 34-17, over their archrivals from Pittsburgh. Here are five things we learned from the game. The Ravens stood up to tense moments against the foe that rattles them like none other It was not easy, no matter what cozy story the final score told. When Lamar Jackson’s pass fell into the hands of Pittsburgh safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, erasing a tantalizing chance for the Ravens to go up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, all the ghosts of Steelers’ losses past danced right back into M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens had spent their week of preparation refusing to acknowledge any accumulated pathos from having lost eight of their previous nine to the Steelers. But if there was a moment for all that resilient talk to evaporate into another maddening defeat, this was it. And then Marlon Humphrey, his brain still foggy days after he witnessed the birth of his son, Duke, swooped in front of his man to snatch Russell Wilson’s pass in the flat. Thirty-seven elated yards later, Humphrey had sent those meddlesome spirits packing. The Ravens would finally beat their archnemesis and not by a little. Practically, that meant they were a playoff team for the sixth time in seven seasons with a chance to win the AFC North after they spotted Pittsburgh a two-game lead. But this was about more than playoff positioning or even bragging rights in a rivalry. The Ravens had to stare down their deepest fears, their oft-repeated sense that they, more than any opponent, are their own worst enemy. “I felt that this team has had our number over the years,” Humphrey said. “I felt like the performance we put on, it wasn’t perfect, but that’s what we were supposed to do. Not beat ourselves, which I feel like has been the result of the last couple games.” The postgame hugs were sweeter because this was the victory that fulfilled the Ravens’ vision of what they could be. They were the better-rested team two weeks after their bye and six days after they easily spanked the New York Giants. None of the players who popped up on their injury report midweek — most notably wide receiver Rashod Bateman — were inactive. The Steelers, meanwhile, went to battle without their most deadly pass catcher in George Pickens, their hardest hitting safety in DeShon Elliott and two other starters in defensive end Larry Ogunjobi and cornerback Donte Jackson. They played most of the game without their other starting cornerback, Joey Porter Jr., who injured his calf early. In other words, the Ravens had no excuses for a dud performance. And still, it was not easy. There were the usual Ravens-Steelers oddities — a shanked punt by Jordan Stout that did not end up costing the Ravens and a shanked kickoff by Pittsburgh that did set up a Ravens touchdown drive. When Pittsburgh pulled even at 17-17 midway through the third quarter, it would have been difficult to find a wholly confident soul in the stands at M&T Bank Stadium. But the Ravens fell back on a mantra they’ve repeated to one another for weeks. “Just don’t flinch. Can’t flinch,” center Tyler Linderbaum said. “I tell the O-line that when we’re sitting there, all the time. Just don’t flinch no matter what happens, good or bad.” They did not flinch. There was much else to celebrate in this win, from Derrick Henry’s galloping thunder to Lamar Jackson’s scalpel throws against tight coverage to the defense’s heated pursuit of Wilson. But it was their stout spirit in the face of difficulty that defined the day. The Ravens outscored the Steelers 17-0 after the teams were tied at 17. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Lamar Jackson wasn’t satisfied, but he too stood up to his past with Pittsburgh Coach John Harbaugh buried his face in his hand. Jackson, his franchise quarterback, raged as he trotted to the sideline. Neither could believe Jackson had just given the ball back to Pittsburgh when the Ravens were a few precious yards from a potentially decisive touchdown. He appeared to think Rashod Bateman was going to keep running. Instead, Bateman stopped, and Fitzpatrick stepped into the breach, becoming just the fourth defender to intercept a Jackson pass this season. All week, the national football commentariat had predicted a defining performance, for better or worse, from the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player. The Steelers’ defense was the only one Jackson had never mastered. If he could do it, perhaps he’d be right back in the 2024 MVP race with anointed favorite Josh Allen. If not, well, Jackson would spend another week hearing undercooked criticism of his performance in big games. He had the Ravens up 24-17 going into the fourth quarter. At that point, he had set a Ravens season record for touchdown passes and a personal record for most passing yards in a season. But that interception threatened to blow it all up. “That one turnover could have been the difference,” Jackson said afterward, still “hot” over his miscue. Humphrey quickly pulled Jackson’s out of his world of regret. Wilson’s interception, not his, would be definitive. Jackson put his own exclamation point on the win the next time he had the ball, firing his best pass of the day, 49 yards to Zay Flowers in stride on third-and-5. It was a throw to remind us that Jackson is no incomplete player who rattles under stress, a throw to crush an opponent’s fleeting hopes. “Clutch throws, especially against man [and] tight coverage,” Harbaugh said. “Guys running [and Lamar] dotting people on the run in man coverage. I thought Lamar was fantastic, and that’s no little bit of pressure.” No, it wasn’t his best game of the season, but a 115.4 passer rating, three touchdown passes and 6.7 yards per play for his offense were plenty good enough. if Jackson didn’t catch Allen with his performance, he at least made a fool of anyone who dismissed his MVP claim with three weeks to go. As they have for weeks, Ar’Darius Washington and Kyle Hamilton saved the defense The purple sea parted, and Wilson sprinted toward the promised land of a go-ahead touchdown. Before he could reach it, a 5-foot-8, perpetually underestimated safety named Ar’Darius Washington bolted over and not only hit the famous quarterback but knocked the ball free. The Ravens scooped it up and proceeded to drive 96 yards the other way to go up, 14-7. It was the sort of play that has generally gone against the Ravens in recent chapters of this brutal, often bizarre rivalry. Sometimes, we forget how much luck plays into takeaways. Jackson was stripped by Alex Highsmith in the first quarter; the Ravens recovered. Desmond King II fumbled on a punt return, and they not only picked up the ball but gained an extra 12 yards on the roll. But that takes nothing away from Washington, perhaps the unlikeliest savior for a defense that has transformed over the last six weeks. “I think AD’s probably had one of the hardest roles; he’s had to make the team every year in training camp,” Humphrey said. “To come in and replace a great player like Marcus Williams, his leash was very short on mistakes, if he were to make them. But he’s really showed up.” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton has been a stabilizing force for the team’s once-struggling defense. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Washington’s safety partner, Kyle Hamilton, made another crucial defensive play when he took an aggressive line on Wilson’s fourth-and-6 pass at the start of the fourth quarter and batted away a potential touchdown. At the same time they installed Washington as an every-down starter, the Ravens pulled Hamilton back from the line of scrimmage and asked him to fix the NFL’s leakiest secondary by excelling as a pure safety. He has been as great in this new guise as he was last year playing Swiss Army knife in Mike Macdonald’s schemes. When we look back on this season and diagnose what changed for a defense that was nowhere 10 games in, the story will start with Washington and Hamilton. Now and forever, the Ravens win these high-stakes games on the ground After attempting 19 rushes total in their loss in Pittsburgh, the Ravens ran 19 times in the first half Saturday, with Henry ramming, twisting and punching his way to 75 of their 121 yards. He finished with 162 on 24 carries, a forceful reminder that he is the main difference between this team and the one that fell short at the end of last season. The Ravens ground out 220 yards against an opponent that has built its identity around running and stopping the run. “The best in the business right there,” Harbaugh said, nodding to Henry from the postgame podium. Jackson said the Ravens did not know they would begin the game with so much blunt force. It was their response to the defense in front of them. But they relished the chance. “I think it’s always important in the first half to set that tempo,” Linderbaum said. “You always want to do that. I think a lot of offenses will tell you that’s their goal. It allows you to open up more things. When a team has to stop the run, they’ve got to put more guys in the box.” The Steelers hadn’t allowed more than 157 yards in a game all season. They came in allowing just four yards per carry, fifth best in the league. They could do little to stop the Ravens from eating up ground at 5.8 yards per clip. From the run designs to the blocks to Henry’s absurd blend of speed, stiff-arm ferocity and maneuverability, they trampled a team not used to losing in such fashion. Just as importantly, it’s a formula — one they puzzlingly abandoned in their AFC championship game loss a year ago — that could carry the Ravens through the tense playoff games to come. “December football, January football, it’s being able to run the ball, being able to stop the run, taking care of the football,” Linderbaum said. “It’s going to be important down the stretch. It’s gotta be the emphasis each and every week.” The Ravens defensive line harassed Russell Wilson throughout Saturday’s win over the Steelers. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) The Ravens, not the Steelers, poured on the pressure at telling moments David Ojabo bore in on Wilson, flustering him into the ill-advised throw that Humphrey snared for his pick-six. Ojabo, the Ravens’ 2022 second-round pick, has dealt with plenty of strife in his young football life: injuries that wiped out most of his first season and ended his second prematurely, healthy scratches this year, when he finally felt ready to break out. But there he was, at the heart of the biggest play in the Ravens’ biggest game to date. Humphrey wanted to flip him the ball at the end so he could score the touchdown, but Ojabo didn’t get quite close enough. “Your number’s going to get called at some point,” he said afterward, reflecting on his tortuous path from Michigan to NFL relevance. “Just make the plays that come to you. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Time for Ravens to stop messing around and run the ball | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens prove they can win with defense vs. Steelers: ‘Return that favor’ Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 34-17 win over Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens clinch playoff spot, keep AFC North title hopes alive with 34-17 win over Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 34-17 win over Pittsburgh Steelers Pressure defined much of what we saw Saturday. Pittsburgh derailed the Ravens’ promising opening drive when Alex Highsmith beat Ronnie Stanley for a strip sack (Baltimore recovered) on second down and Jackson had to run for his life on third-and-19. Throughout the first half, Jackson was brilliant when he had ample time to throw, erratic when bodies crashed into his pocket. On the other side, the Ravens kept after Wilson, who made plenty of brilliant throws through the first three quarters but cracked in the face of an oncoming Ojabo. That after he absorbed fearsome hits from the likes of Michael Pierce and Kyle Van Noy. The Ravens finished with 20 total pressures to 11 for Pittsburgh, according to real-time charting by Pro Football Focus. Pittsburgh’s ace interior rusher, Cam Heyward, finished with zero. All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt, playing through an ankle injury, had two. There were many other reasons Baltimore won the game, but that wasn’t a bad place to start. This is not a team with a singular edge rusher in the realm of Watt or Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, but if Ojabo is finally a factor to complement Van Noy and Odafe Oweh on the outside, with Pierce, Travis Jones and Nnamdi Madubuike pushing from the inside, the Ravens might be on to something. Have a news tip? Contact Childs Walker at daviwalker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6893 and x.com/ChildsWalker. View the full article

Momentum is a fickle construct. An offense can spin from looking lifeless, gasping for any positive pickup that might keep fans in purple from sinking further into their seats, to suddenly sharp and decisive, impelled by the defense landing a punch right on the jaw. It has been a savior for the Ravens twice already this season. It happened again Saturday night (twice) in exorcising their Pittsburgh Steelers demons, 34-17. And it’s proven that Baltimore’s defense can win them a rock fight. “Our offense has bailed us out so many times,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “It felt good to be able to return that favor.” Baltimore’s offense opened the second quarter looking completely disjointed with a short-lived drive that included two penalties (one declined) followed by a shanked, 14-yard punt by Jordan Stout. Then four plays moved the Steelers just outside the red zone with a chance to take their first lead. From the 23-yard line, Russell Wilson took off between the hashes, only green grass in front of him, appearing destined for the end zone. Kyle Van Noy called it an “Oh, [crap]” play, admitting he lost track of containing the Steelers quarterback. Safety Ar’Darius Washington cut back and put his shoulder into Wilson’s waist. The ball popped loose short of the goal line and Van Noy crashed down to recover it. The Ravens responded to the tune of an eight-play, 96-yard scoring drive, capped by a go-ahead 14-yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson to Rashod Bateman. A drive that more closely resembled the NFL’s best offense by most metrics after what Humphrey called “the biggest play of the game.” “We preach about it all the time,” Washington said. “The DBs, we bring the energy. If we’re on point, the whole defense is on point. Then it carries over, if the offense is struggling, we can get those guys going too.” That wouldn’t be enough to fully escape their divisional rival. Pittsburgh had previously bested Baltimore in eight of their past nine meetings. These games always swing back and forth. It would take more than one to get the monkey off their back. Up a touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Ravens took over possession near midfield. Derrick Henry turned and burned the first play 44 yards up the sideline. Then Lamar Jackson threw an uncharacteristic interception — only his fourth of the year. It was like twisting the knife in the belly of any Baltimore momentum. The stadium fell solemn. But the defensive back room, as Washington said, prides itself on being the ones to help negate such gaffes. As was the case when Humphrey intercepted Wilson and trotted into the end zone for his first career pick-six. Wide receiver Zay Flowers sang a colorful response: “I said ‘backpack, backpack.’ You know the little ‘Dora [the Explorer’] song? Just telling them to pack it up.” Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey’s interception return for a touchdown gave the Ravens a commanding lead in the fourth quarter. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) It put Baltimore (10-5) up two scores and, as far as momentum goes, was enough to solidify the win this team had longed for, helping clinch a playoff berth and giving them a shot at passing Pittsburgh (10-5) atop the AFC North in the final two weeks of the regular season. This wasn’t Humphrey’s first momentum-shifting highlight along what has been an impressive season for the 28-year-old who welcomed the birth of his son this week. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 34-17 win over Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens clinch playoff spot, keep AFC North title hopes alive with 34-17 win over Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 34-17 win over Pittsburgh Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Justice Hill exits with concussion vs. Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Steelers, December 21, 2024 | PHOTOS Against Tampa Bay, he came up with two crucial interceptions that stopped the bleeding and put the ball back in the hands of the offense to put points on the board. He came up with a timely forced fumble in the second shootout with the Bengals, punching the ball loose from running back Chase Brown. Harbaugh said that night, “We talk a lot about momentum. When you don’t have it, you have to find a way to get it, and when you get it, you have to try to find a way to build on it and extend it. That’s a real thing.” Baltimore’s passing defense was, at one point, ranked last in the NFL. They were the team’s Achilles heel. Humphrey felt they lost the standard of Ravens football. Two shootouts with Cincinnati and a loss in Cleveland were evidence enough of their once poor complementary football. Perhaps no longer. “When you see other guys make plays it makes you wanna go make plays,” wide receiver Tylan Wallace said. “Seeing them go make plays and then giving the ball back to us, like we gotta make something happen.” As good as this Ravens offense is, come the postseason, they may need a few of those defensive knockout punches. Saturday night showed what’s possible. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Here’s how the Ravens (10-5) graded out at every position after a 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5) on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium: Quarterbacks Lamar Jackson made some really good throws and also made some strange and questionable decisions. He missed several open receivers and the interception he threw on the poorly timed route to Rashod Bateman early in the fourth quarter almost cost the Ravens the game. Overall, Jackson completed 15 of 23 passes for 207 yards, but 49 of those came in the fourth quarter after the game had basically been decided. He threw three touchdown passes but also fumbled after being hit from behind early in the game. Grade: C+ Running backs Derrick Henry had what I call a quiet dominance in this matchup. He just kept chomping off big runs early in the game and then controlled the pace in the second half. He finished with 162 yards on 24 carries and wore down a Pittsburgh defense that entered ranked No. 4 in the NFL in run defense, allowing 94.4 yards per game. Henry also had two catches, both screens, for 27 yards. Grade: A Offensive line Offensive tackles Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten had occasional problems with edge rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, but the Ravens crunched the Steelers with a strong running game. The Ravens were consistent with their approach and ran both outside behind the tackles as well as inside behind guards Patrick Mekari and Daniel Faalele and center Tyler Linderbaum. The Ravens handled defensive tackles Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton fairly well. The Ravens rushed for 220 yards on 38 carries. Grade: A Receivers Zay Flowers had a strong game both inside and out, and Pittsburgh had no cornerback to challenge his speed with two starters out of the lineup. Flowers had five catches for 100 yards, going over 1,000 for the season. Pittsburgh was also without starting safety DeShon Elliott, and the Ravens took advantage with tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely catching touchdown passes of 9 and 7 yards respectively. Grade: C+ Defensive line The Ravens were somewhat surprising at this position. Once the team got a lead in the fourth quarter, tackle Nnamdi Madubuike got pressure on quarterback Russell Wilson and pushed him out of the pocket several times. The disappointing part was that the Steelers rushed for 117 yards on 24 carries, and they stuck with the game plan until they got behind in the fourth quarter. Madubuike had a strong presence in the game and finished with seven tackles, two of those for losses. He also had half a sack and one quarterback hurry. Nose guard Michael Pierce even had a sack and one quarterback pressure. Grade: C+ Linebackers Pittsburgh entered the game with a questionable offensive line and the Ravens took advantage of them off the edge, especially Kyle Van Noy. The veteran outside linebacker had five tackles, 1 1/2 sacks and two quarterback pressures. The Ravens also got strong efforts from inside linebackers Roquan Smith (10 tackles) and Chris Board (five). Inside linebacker Malik Harrison also had two tackles. The Ravens, though, still need to improve in coverage in the middle of the field. Grade: B Secondary The Ravens missed a lot of tackles early and sometimes it appeared as if they were taking the wrong angles. Pittsburgh did work the middle of the field well, but cornerback Marlon Humphrey’s 37-yard interception return for a touchdown with 13:06 left in the game sealed the win for Baltimore. Humphrey finished with three tackles. Safety Kyle Hamilton had eight tackles, while fellow safety Ar’Darius Washington had four, including the hit that caused Wilson to fumble near the goal line in the second quarter. Brandon Stephens had four tackles and rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins had three. Overall, the coverage was strong on the outside areas of the field. Grade: B- Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens prove they can win with defense vs. Steelers: ‘Return that favor’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens clinch playoff spot, keep AFC North title hopes alive with 34-17 win over Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 34-17 win over Pittsburgh Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Justice Hill exits with concussion vs. Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Steelers, December 21, 2024 | PHOTOS Special teams The big sigh of relief coming out of M&T Bank Stadium was from the Baltimore fans after Justin Tucker converted on field goal attempts of 51 and 23 yards. Team officials talked up Desmond King as a return specialist last week, but he fumbled two punts Saturday and was fortunate the Ravens recovered both. Jordan Stout averaged 35 yards on three punts, dropping two inside the 20-yard line, but he also shanked a 14-yarder in the second quarter. Grade: C+ Coaching The Ravens finally had as much intensity as Pittsburgh and could have folded several times during the game, but it’s apparent the team has grown tired of hearing how the Steelers had won eight of the past nine meetings. There is still concern about the pass defense and guarding the middle of the field, and offensive coordinator Todd Monken might need to depend more on Henry instead of having Jackson toss the ball around as much. But, overall, it was a strong effort from a team that is about to play its third game in 11 days on Christmas. Grade: B Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey didn’t view the Pittsburgh Steelers as a hump Baltimore needed to get over, even though the AFC North rivals had won eight of nine matchups going into Saturday’s crucial showdown at M&T Bank Stadium. Finally, the Ravens did it anyway. And it was Humphrey who delivered the knockout punch. With Baltimore clinging to a 24-17 lead early in the fourth quarter after Steelers safety Minak Fitzpatrick intercepted Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson at the Steelers’ 11-yard line, the former All-Pro cornerback returned the favor, jumping in front of Russell Wilson’s pass to tight end MyCole Pruitt and racing 37 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. It was his sixth interception of the season — and first career pick-six — and helped deliver a 34-17 win. Baltimore improved to 10-5, clinched a playoff berth for the sixth time in the past seven seasons and pulled into a first-place tie with Pittsburgh (10-5) with two weeks remaining in the regular season, keeping alive their hopes for another AFC North title. Nearly as importantly, it finally marked a shift in the Ravens’ past mistake-filled performances against their archnemesis. In a series that over those previous nine meetings was separated by an average of fewer than four points per game, often one or two plays usually made the difference. That was the case again, but this time the breaks went Baltimore’s way, including one of the night’s biggest hits by the Ravens’ smallest defender. With the ball on Baltimore’s 23-yard line and the game tied at 7 early in the second quarter, the Steelers were driving toward a second straight touchdown. Wilson broke from the pocket and raced toward the end zone for what looked like an easy score, but diminutive safety Ar’Darius Washington came flying out of nowhere and drilled the quarterback, knocking the ball out at the 3. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy recovered it to stanch the momentum, and Jackson and the Ravens made them pay for it. Perhaps buoyed by the stop, the offense resumed moving the ball with ease (and by the chunk) with tight end Isaiah Likely hauling in a 19-yard pass and running back Justice Hill bouncing a 25-yard run around the left side. The latter came at a price, with Hill knocked out of the game with a concussion after landing on his head, but it didn’t slow Baltimore. One play later, Jackson hit Zay Flowers for a 14-yard gain and the play was padded by a 15-yard facemask penalty on Pittsburgh. Three plays later, Rashod Bateman broke to the outside on safety Damontae Kazee, and Jackson hit him for an easy 14-yard touchdown in the back corner of the end zone to cap a 96-yard drive to instead put the Ravens up 14-7. Leading 17-10 at the half, the Ravens kept their offense rolling in the second. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Justice Hill ruled out with concussion vs. Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Steelers, December 21, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Steelers live updates: Baltimore leads 34-17 in 4th quarter Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Steelers comes with big stakes — and something to prove Baltimore Ravens | Ravens waive WR Diontae Johnson, elevate Anthony Miller vs. Steelers with Nelson Agholor out Jackson opened Baltimore’s opening possession of the third quarter with a 16-yard completion to his favorite target, Mark Andrews. He finished it in the same manner five plays later, with the tight end wide-open in the middle of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown. It was the 37th touchdown pass of the season for Jackson, who broke his own franchise record with a throw, fittingly, to his top target over the years. Then with the Steelers facing a fourth-and-6 from the Ravens’ 45 at the start of the fourth quarter, Wilson’s deep pass down the middle of the field was broken up by safety Kyle Hamilton. One play later, running back Derrick Henry broke off a 44-yard run and the Ravens appeared to be poised to score again. Henry finished the game with 162 yards on 24 carries and 27 yards on two catches. But Jackson (15 of 23 passing, 207 yards, three touchdowns) threw behind Bateman and into the arms of Fitzpatrick, briefly giving the Steelers life. That is, until Humphrey snuffed it out moments later. The Ravens now face a quick turnaround with a Christmas Day game Wednesday against the Texans in Houston, while the Steelers will host the AFC’s top team, the Kansas City Chiefs, also on Christmas. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. UP NEXT Week 17 Ravens at Texans Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. TV/Stream: CBS, Netflix Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Saturday’s Week 16 game at M&T Bank Stadium: Brian Wacker, reporter: Ding dong the witch is dead — or at lest the Ravens’ gargantuan struggles against their archnemesis are for now. After losing eight of the past nine matchups, mostly because of self-inflicted wounds, silly mistakes, being out-coached and pushed around physically, the Ravens were on the other end of that spectrum, forcing costly turnovers and watching the Steelers be the ones to shout themselves in the foot. Baltimore also played mostly mistake free and took advantage of momentum plays — notably Ar’Darius Washington’s forced fumble and of course Marlon Humphrey’s game-sealing interception return for a touchdown — to come out on the winning end. Childs Walker, reporter: Finally, the Ravens decisively beat the team that has haunted them like no other. Pittsburgh moved the ball, but the Ravens’ defense made the biggest plays, with Ar’Darius Washington’s forced fumble that wiped out a potential touchdown and Marlon Humphrey’s pick-six to put Baltimore up 31-17 in the fourth quarter. Coordinator Zach Orr had said such plays would be the next step for his improving group. On offense, the Ravens ran as many times in the first half as they did in all of their November loss to the Steelers and surged past 200 yards. Lamar Jackson threw a brutal fourth-quarter interception to go with his three touchdowns, so it wasn’t quite the breakout he’d sought against his AFC North nemesis. But his teammates picked him up in an all-around effort that keeps the Ravens very much in contention to win their division. They rode Derrick Henry on their first scoring drive, taking advantage of excellent field position provided by their defense’s three-and-out deep in Pittsburgh territory. Russell Wilson quickly answered, marching the Steelers to a touchdown after two Ravens defenders let him wiggle away from a would-be sack on third-and-7 at midfield. Wilson was on the verge of adding to the lead when he broke free with the goal line in sight, but Washington knocked the ball free and sent the Ravens driving 96 yards the other way to go up 14-7. That forced fumble was another massive play from Washington, who changed the Baltimore defense when he stepped in for Marcus Williams on the back end. Mike Preston, columnist: The AFC North used to be the best division in football a year ago, but that’s not the case anymore. Regardless, the Ravens beat Pittsburgh on Saturday to pull into a tie for first place. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made some questionable decisions and counterpart John Harbaugh allowed offensive coordinator Todd Monken to gamble on a pass play after a 44-yard gain down to the Pittsburgh 11-yard line early in the fourth quarter on a run by Derrick Henry. Both were ridiculous and mismanaged by both coaches. The Ravens, though, are in good position with two games remaining in the regular season while Pittsburgh might be nearing collapse after losing two straight losses heading into a matchup against Kansas City on Christmas Day. The Ravens are a strange team. You never know which team will show up. Will it be the team that dominated Tampa Bay and Dallas, or the squad which lost to Cleveland and Las Vegas? Despite the up-and-down year, the Ravens are still in a good position to challenge for the AFC title. The Chiefs struggle in pass protection, and they have trouble in coverage. Unfortunately, so do the Ravens, but that’s what the NFL Is all about. It’s about being average, and the Ravens have had their moments of being mediocre and good at times. It’s hard to predict which team will show up. Sam Cohn, reporter: The Ravens spent all week lamenting their last loss to the Steelers — not because Pittsburgh outplayed them, but because they felt they beat themselves. Twelve penalties, three turnovers and two missed field goal attempts all back that argument. So to win on Saturday and keep their hopes of an AFC division title alive, they couldn’t beat themselves. That they didn’t. Baltimore fumbled three times but recovered all three. When Pittsburgh shanked a kickoff, giving the Ravens the ball near midfield, they needed only six plays to score. That put them over 20 points for the first time in their past eight meetings with the Steelers. And when Lamar Jackson threw a rare interception, giving Pittsburgh the ball down a touchdown, it was Marlon Humphrey who swung the game back in their favor with his first career pick-six. In 30-degree December weather, on their home grass, the Ravens were penalized thrice, turned the ball over only once and made both their field goal attempts. And for that, their divisional title hopes remain within reach. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Justice Hill ruled out with concussion vs. Steelers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Steelers, December 21, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Steelers live updates: Baltimore leads 34-17 in 4th quarter Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Steelers comes with big stakes — and something to prove Baltimore Ravens | Ravens waive WR Diontae Johnson, elevate Anthony Miller vs. Steelers with Nelson Agholor out C.J. Doon, editor: Sometimes you just need a little bit of luck. The Ravens recovered two of their own fumbles in the first half, the first after a strip-sack of Lamar Jackson and the second following a punt return by Desmond King II. Then, with Russell Wilson sprinting up the middle for what looked to be an easy touchdown, safety Ar’Darius Washington closed in to make a big hit and jar the ball loose. The Ravens pounced on it and proceeded to march 96 yards on just eight plays to take 14-7 lead. That 14-point swing is huge in a rivalry game like this with so much on the line. And just when it looked like the Ravens were ready to put the game away in the fourth quarter, Jackson threw an interception on a head-scratching throw across the middle after Rashod Bateman unexpectedly stopped his route. But before the frustration could fully set in, cornerback Marlon Humphrey stepped in front of a pass from Wilson and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown for his first career pick-six. It was a dizzying stretch of plays that encapsulated the wonkiness of this Ravens season. This time, it was the defense picking up its two-time Most Valuable Player instead of the other way around. That’s not to disparage Jackson’s performance, either. He was mostly on point, showing nice touch on the opening touchdown pass to Bateman while picking apart the Steelers’ banged-up secondary that lost Joey Porter Jr. early in the game. He now has a career-high 37 touchdown passes and should remain in the MVP conversation with Bills QB Josh Allen. But perhaps the biggest takeaway is how dominant Derrick Henry looked. He’s the ultimate weapon in late December and January and gives the Ravens the closer they have long needed. That clock-killing drive at the end of the game was mighty impressive. Bennett Conlin, editor: In previous meetings with the Steelers, the Ravens made too many mistakes and lacked the big plays needed to vanquish a rival. On Saturday, Baltimore flipped the script. The Ravens recovered their own fumbles on multiple occasions, forced a red-zone turnover, scored on defense and made all their field goal attempts. Outside of one horrid red-zone interception, Lamar Jackson played efficiently and Derrick Henry ran wild. It wasn’t always perfect, but the Ravens showed the required grit, toughness and competence to win the AFC North. They didn’t shy away from the moment — a loss would’ve handed Pittsburgh the division title — instead grabbing the lead and never trailing in a home triumph. This is what the Ravens needed to do in the biggest matchup of their season, as they leaned on Derrick Henry, who rushed for over 100 yards for the first time since Nov. 25. Lamar Jackson and the defense weren’t half bad, either. This version of the Ravens can win a Super Bowl, and they’ll have a chance with Saturday’s win clinching a playoff berth. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

Ravens running back Justice Hill has been ruled out with a concussion for the remainder of Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the second quarter, Hill bounced a 25-yard run to the left before being brought down by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee. Kazee upended Hill, who appeared to land on his head and right shoulder. He was briefly attended to by trainers along the sideline before standing up under his own power and being taken back to the locker room. Hill’s concussion was diagnosed minutes later. The veteran backup had logged 30 yards on two carries to that point. Hill missed practice Wednesday of this week for the birth of his child. He returned a day later. Because of the short turnaround on the Ravens’ schedule, playing the Houston Texans on Wednesday, he will likely be unavailable in Week 17. Third-string running back Rasheen Ali was active for Saturday’s game, but second-year back Keaton Mitchell was not. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Ravens’ Lamar Jackson warms up before game against Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, right, goes back to the locker room after pregame warm up at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens’ Derrick Henry warms up before game against Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) At left, Robert Hudnet of Manchester, who plans to make a showing at the Baltimore VA tomorrow poses with Greg Thompson of Edgewood during pregame, before an NFL football divisional rivalry in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers prepares for the cold weather during pregame, before an NFL football divisional rivalry in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens guard Ben Cleveland during pregame, before an NFL football divisional rivalry in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) At left, Robert Hudnet of Manchester, who plans to make a showing at the Baltimore VA tomorrow and Greg Thompson of Edgewood pose with a happy fan during pregame, before an NFL football divisional rivalry in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Josh Johnson during pregame, before an NFL football divisional rivalry in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article

The Ravens (9-5) host the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) on Saturday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium in a pivotal AFC North showdown. The stakes are clear: With a win, the Steelers clinch the AFC North title, while a Ravens win secures a playoff berth for Baltimore and keeps hopes alive for the division crown. Follow along here for live coverage and analysis. View the full article

Not a hump. That was Marlon Humphrey’s ruling as he considered what’s at stake in the Ravens’ upcoming showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs? They qualify as a mountainous obstacle. But Humphrey wouldn’t ascribe the same difficulty to toppling the Steelers, even though they have defeated the Ravens in eight of nine matchups over the past five seasons. The veteran cornerback said he didn’t realize the recent history of the AFC North’s most enduring rivalry was so lopsided. “Eight out of the last nine — it’s not a good number at all,” Humphrey said. “This means a lot to a lot of people. It means a lot to me being here for a long time, and if you don’t understand, the message will be very clear as the week goes on.” It’s not that Humphrey and his teammates are downplaying the importance of Saturday’s rematch at M&T Bank Stadium. They know the Steelers made them look bad five weeks ago in an 18-16 defeat. They know that if they don’t step up this time, their quest to repeat as AFC North champs will officially end. That alone makes it their most important game of the season to date. But there’s something more existential at stake, a point team leaders are less eager to address. Fair or not, many fans view the Ravens of the Lamar Jackson era as front-runners — brilliant as any team in football when a game unfolds their way but no sure bet to put their best foot forward when a worthy rival punches them in the mouth. The Steelers are always eager to throw that punch, even when they’re overmatched on paper. Under coach Mike Tomlin, they always seem to believe they’ll be the last ones standing at the end of a rugged, messy, one-score game. Thus beating Pittsburgh would say much about the 2024 Ravens’ capacity for standing up to difficulty. Their recent record in the rivalry is particularly vexing because the Ravens have outplayed the Steelers overall since Jackson joined the team in 2018, going 75-38 to Pittsburgh’s 67-44-2 with two more playoff appearances than their nemesis. Again this year they’re darlings of the analytics community — No. 1 in DVOA, 10 spots above Pittsburgh — and the sportsbooks, which opened them as a six-point favorite for Saturday’s game. And still, the head-to-head record says what it says. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, we were just unlucky,'” Humphrey said, reflecting on his team’s losses to the Steelers. “I think Tomlin wants to just keep the game close, keep the game close and then win it at the end, and honestly, that strategy works pretty well when they play us.” He respects that Pittsburgh will come right at the Ravens with a determined running game and a craving for contact. “There’s a lot of teams out there that you can say, ‘They weren’t really tough. They didn’t really bring it,’” Humphrey said. “That’s one thing that I love about the rivalry — there’s not a lot of fair dodging. They’re going do what they’re going to do. They’ll run the ball, take their shots — it’s not really going to be a secret, and they feel that they can do that and be successful, and we’ve got to feel that we can stop it and do the opposite.” Matt Freed/ The Associated Press“Obviously, some games are hyped up, and some games aren’t, but for us, it’s being consistent, week in and week out,” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said of facing the Steelers. (Matt Freed/AP) An honest look in the mirror for a team that will likely have to win an excruciating playoff game or two to achieve its Super Bowl aspirations. The Ravens’ 9-5 record is hardly devoid of quality wins. They blew out AFC No. 2 seed Buffalo at home, hung 41 points on Denver’s No. 1 scoring defense, slapped around the rising Chargers and Buccaneers and survived a pair of wild back-and-forth shootouts with the Bengals. They have rallied from double-digit deficits, ground opponents down with the NFL’s most efficient running attack, made clutch stops in the red zone. But losses to the Steelers, Chiefs and Eagles fed into the notion that they can be knocked off stride against tough-minded opponents on the grandest stages. It’s not a narrative Ravens players care to encourage by portraying this game as a referendum on their grit. “You try to go week by week and just try to focus on each game and doing your job,” tight end Mark Andrews said. “Obviously, some games are hyped up, and some games aren’t, but for us, it’s being consistent, week in and week out.” Andrews is as intense as anyone in the organization, but good luck getting him to ruminate on the stakes of any one game, no matter what he might be thinking or feeling. “Obviously, we’ve lost eight of the last nine, but I don’t think we’re going into this game like, ‘We can’t lose nine out of 10,’” safety Kyle Hamilton said. “We’re just trying to win this one game and take it one week at a time, and I know you all hear that a lot from us, but it’s really true. We have one-week lives, kind of, and last week, we were all about the Giants and got that win. Now, we’re all about the Steelers, and whatever comes next, comes next.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens waive WR Diontae Johnson, elevate Anthony Miller vs. Steelers with Nelson Agholor out Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Steelers staff picks: Who wins Saturday’s game in Baltimore? Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens made changes at linebacker. It’s fueled their defensive turnaround. Baltimore Ravens | NFL playoff scenarios: Ravens have simple path to clinch berth Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Rashod Bateman in walking boot; Steelers WR George Pickens out On the most recent episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” coach John Harbaugh referred to December as “the real season,” his implication being that if the Ravens can get on a roll now, it might carry them all the way through the playoffs. Another AFC North title is on the table if they beat the Steelers and win out to finish 12-5. That would mean home-field advantage in the wild-card round and a likely matchup against the Chargers or Broncos, teams they’ve already defeated soundly. But it’s difficult to get players to rank specific goals for the rest of the regular season. “We want everything,” wide receiver Zay Flowers said. “We want to end it the right way. We want to go out with a bang these last three games, finish the right way going into the playoffs with a little momentum and do what we got to do there.” Unsaid but obvious is that another loss to Pittsburgh would set them back on all those fronts and open them up for two weeks of uncomfortable questioning headed into the postseason. The stakes Saturday could not be higher. Have a news tip? Contact Childs Walker at daviwalker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6893 and x.com/ChildsWalker. View the full article

Wide receiver Anthony Miller will make his Ravens debut and play his first game in three years Saturday in what will also be Baltimore’s biggest game of the season. Miller, 30, is expected to be elevated from the practice squad to the active roster on the eve of Saturday’s showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Baltimore Sun. The move comes on the same day the Ravens ruled out wide receiver Nelson Agholor (concussion) for the huge AFC North showdown. Baltimore was already thin at the position with Diontae Johnson not with the team this week after his one-game suspension last week and Rashod Bateman listed as questionable after he suffered a foot injury during practice earlier this week and was in a walking boot Thursday. Miller, whom the Ravens signed in August, hasn’t played since 2021 when he split time with the Houston Texans and the Steelers. He suffered a season-ending shoulder in Steelers training camp the following August and has bounced around several practice squads since before being released by the Kansas City Chiefs in May. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Steelers staff picks: Who wins Saturday’s game in Baltimore? Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens made changes at linebacker. It’s fueled their defensive turnaround. Baltimore Ravens | NFL playoff scenarios: Ravens have simple path to clinch berth Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Rashod Bateman in walking boot; Steelers WR George Pickens out Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s who fans are picking to win Ravens-Steelers showdown A 2018 second-round draft pick out of Memphis, Miller had 134 catches for 1,564 yards and 11 touchdowns over his first three seasons with the Chicago Bears. While the Ravens could be without as many as three wide receivers, the Steelers are also short-handed at receiver. George Pickens, who leads Pittsburgh in receptions (55) and receiving yards (850) and has three touchdowns, will miss his third straight game with a hamstring injury. If Pittsburgh (10-4) wins Saturday, it would clinch the AFC North title. If Baltimore (9-5) wins — or if the Miami Dolphins lose or tie and the Indianapolis Colts do the same — the Ravens would clinch a playoff berth and pull into a first-place tie in the division with the Steelers with two games remaining in the regular season. View the full article

Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Saturday’s Week 16 game between the Ravens (9-5) and Steelers (10-4) at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: Brian Wacker, reporter Ravens 20, Steelers 17: The last time these two met, Baltimore had a dozen penalties and three turnovers and still only lost by two. That alone is reason to believe the Ravens can finally end their run of misery against the Steelers, who have won eight of the past nine meetings. Pittsburgh is also coming off a short week after getting beat up by the Philadelphia Eagles, while Baltimore had essentially what amounted to a 7-on-7 scrimmage against a borderline NFL-level team in the New York Giants. Steelers star edge rusher T.J. Watt is also banged up and wide receiver George Pickens is out, while Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and the rest of the offense are refreshed. After not scoring 20 points in each of their past eight against Pittsburgh, Baltimore will get there this time — and that will be enough. Childs Walker, reporter Ravens 27, Steelers 20: The Ravens have looked like the better team going into almost every matchup with Pittsburgh over the past five years, but the Steelers have owned them in close game after close game. Picking the Ravens makes you Charlie Brown lining up to kick that next ball. At some point, Lamar Jackson has to break through with a great performance against his AFC North nemesis, and this feels like the occasion. The Ravens can run on Pittsburgh and stop the Steelers’ determined running game. Their offensive upside is far greater. They played perhaps their worst all-around game of the season in the first matchup and still lost by just two. They’ll finally get it done at home with a division title hanging in the balance. Mike Preston, columnist Ravens 21, Steelers 17: This appears to be the perfect time for the Pittsburgh collapse. The Steelers, like the Ravens, were manhandled by the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-13, in the battle of Pennsylvania last week and now they must face Baltimore on the road in a short week. It’s the perfect time for the Ravens to beat Pittsburgh, which has won eight of the past nine matchups. Plus, Pittsburgh has to play Kansas City on Christmas Day. It’s a near-perfect scenario for the Ravens to win the game and capture the AFC North title. In addition, the Steelers aren’t fully healthy, while the Ravens basically had the week off against an undermanned Giants team last week. C.J. Doon, editor Ravens 26, Steelers 16: It’s usually a war of attrition this time of year. George Pickens is out again, robbing Pittsburgh of its most talented playmaker. T.J. Watt is fighting through an ankle injury, perhaps limiting his ability to wreak havoc in Baltimore’s backfield. Defensive backs DeShon Elliott and Donte Jackson might be sidelined, too. Meanwhile, Rashod Bateman is in a walking boot, Nelson Agholor is in concussion protocol and three other Ravens starters are banged up. It would be nice to have Diontae Johnson available this week, wouldn’t it? Maybe his loss is rookie Devontez Walker’s gain. Regardless, Baltimore should win this one so long as it keeps its cool and avoids costly turnovers and penalties. Easier said than done in this rivalry game, especially with the AFC North title at stake, but it feels like Lamar Jackson and company are ready to make a statement and finish the season strong. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens made changes at linebacker. It’s fueled their defensive turnaround. Baltimore Ravens | NFL playoff scenarios: Ravens have simple path to clinch berth Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Rashod Bateman in walking boot; Steelers WR George Pickens out Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s who fans are picking to win Ravens-Steelers showdown Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: What’s needed to beat the Steelers? | COMMENTARY Tim Schwartz, editor Ravens 24, Steelers 21: Is this the Justin Tucker redemption game? It would be a good time for it, that’s for sure. As the others have mentioned, the Ravens played perhaps their worst game of the year in Pittsburgh and nearly won. They almost certainly couldn’t play worse with the talent they have, but these games have a knack for going sideways. I think Baltimore has learned its lesson by now and will fully grasp the importance of playing disciplined and not getting out of sorts. Or maybe I will eat these words Saturday night. A healthy and eager Lamar Jackson will solve the Steelers’ defense at some point, and I think it starts Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium with Tucker making a game-winning kick. Bennett Conlin, editor Ravens 28, Steelers 17: The Ravens rank first in the NFL in DVOA, suggesting they’re more of a Super Bowl contender than their 9-5 record indicates. Baltimore’s last loss to Pittsburgh was defined by errors, with the Ravens racking up 12 penalties, three turnovers and two missed field goal attempts. The Ravens still only lost that game 18-16 on the road. Pittsburgh is exceptional at finding ways to win, but the Steelers aren’t a legitimate Super Bowl contender, as Philadelphia made clear last week in a 27-13 dismantling of Mike Tomlin’s team. Baltimore makes a statement Saturday at home. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

Two hours before the Ravens kicked off against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 12, linebacker Roquan Smith was on the field wearing black shorts and a cutoff T-shirt testing the integrity of his hamstring injury with slim hopes he might still be able to play. His backup, Malik Harrison, had been preparing all week as if he were the starting middle linebacker. And Chris Board, a seven-year veteran with three career starts, studied film like that Monday night might be his fourth. Smith was ruled out, opening the door for Harrison and Board to take over the middle of the defense. Something clicked. The Ravens are now using those two and Trenton Simpson in a rotating platoon at linebacker, shoring up a soft spot on a unit that struggled mightily the first 10 weeks of the season but has since turned a corner. “It’s been kinda crazy, honestly, just with the changing roles,” Board said. “But that’s kind of how the league works. You never know how things will shake out.” Before Week 12, Board had spent most of his time with special teams. He had 11 total defensive snaps in 11 weeks. He’s averaging 31.6 in the three games since. And Harrison jumped from 90 total defensive snaps in 11 weeks, only going over 15 once, to 44.5 on average. “They’re making the most of it,” coach John Harbaugh said. Entering that game against the Chargers, the Ravens were still ranked last in passing defense. Since Week 11, they’ve given up the NFL’s fewest net yards per game (269) and rank atop the league in third-down defense. Smith praised Harrison’s physicality. “The guy will knock your face mask off; it’s pretty crazy,” he said. Even running back Derrick Henry noticed, saying after the win at SoFi Stadium that there were a few hits where “everybody in the crowd went, ‘Oh.’” Harrison stepped into the starting post against Los Angeles. After the Chargers scored handily on the opening drive, he shook off some jitters and had a career day with a team-high 13 tackles. “They go down there the first drive, and we’re trying to figure out what’s going on and how we’re going to play these different things and talked through it, and he didn’t flinch for one second,” Harbaugh said. “I couldn’t be more proud of him.” Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison, left, cornerback Desmond King II, second from right, and linebacker Chris Board, right, tackle Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson in the fourth quarter Sunday. (Frank Franklin II/AP) Against the Giants on Sunday, Harrison played a season-high 79% of defensive snaps and again finished with a team-high eight tackles and a sack. It’s thanks to the evolution of how he prepares during the week. Harrison said he leans on veterans for advice. He’ll text Smith with film questions. Early in his career, there were days he’d practice just to practice. Now, and particularly these last few weeks, Harrison said he treats every day as if he’ll be the most important piece on the chess board come Sunday. “I just prepared my [butt] off all week,” he said. And some of his note-taking style is inspired by the veteran in a similar position. “Chris Board has always been a guy where he’ll get zero reps,” Harrison said, “then you put him somewhere and he’s gonna do it right.” Since taking a larger load on defense the past three games, Board logged 14 tackles and one for loss. That’s the best stretch of his career since 2021. Harbaugh called him an “underrated guy” with a knack for making plays on passing downs. “Heck, maybe we should have had him out there a little bit sooner,” Harbaugh said last month. Nonetheless, he was ready when the time came. “Snap-wise, it’s a toll on your body to play more,” Board said, “but mentally, I’ve been preparing for whenever this moment would come.” Defensive coordinator Zach Orr can relate. The former Ravens linebacker knew he was far down the depth chart as a rookie, “which was fine,” he said. “Honestly, I wasn’t ready.” He learned how to prepare for when the moment finally arrived and made the most of it: Week 13 in 2016 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, sealing the win with an interception in the final seconds. It’s the second mid-to-late season defensive shuffle Orr has pushed his chips in on and seen an immediate return. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | NFL playoff scenarios: Ravens have simple path to clinch berth Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Rashod Bateman in walking boot; Steelers WR George Pickens out Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s who fans are picking to win Ravens-Steelers showdown Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: What’s needed to beat the Steelers? | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens trust LB Tavius Robinson in bigger role: ‘He’s just scratching the surface’ Baltimore’s secondary rotated options next to their All-Pro safety, Kyle Hamilton, until finding a key that fit with Ar’Darius Washington. At linebacker, Simpson was handling duties with Smith, a two-time All-Pro, before Orr conversely leaned into the linebacker platoon on the heels of Smith’s injury. The reason it’s worked is Harrison and Board — two more names Pittsburgh will have on its scouting report whio weren’t there when they played on Nov. 17. “They’re about as different as you can get defensively over the course of a month,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said, days out from traveling to Baltimore for a highly anticipated AFC North matchup Saturday. Consider the age-old cliche: “Get ready so you don’t have to stay ready.” It’s been around as long as backups have had microphones pushed in front of their faces. Teammates say Harrison and Board embody it. “I think those guys are perfect examples of everybody, like, ‘I’m just doing what’s best for the team, and then when my number is called, and I get my opportunity to play more, I’m gonna go out there and play good football,’” Orr said. “And both of those guys are playing good football for us. We’re happy, but it’s not [anything] we’re surprised by, by any means.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. Week 16 Steelers at Ravens Saturday, 4:30 p.m. TV: FOX Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM Line: Ravens by 6 1/2 View the full article

It’s shaping up to be the most important week of the NFL season, and all eyes could be on Ravens vs. Steelers in Baltimore. With the AFC East (Buffalo Bills), AFC South (Houston Texans) and AFC West (Kansas City) champions already crowned, the AFC North is the only division in the conference that remains unsettled heading into the final three weeks of the regular season. Baltimore (9-5) and Pittsburgh (10-4) clash on Saturday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium, and the stakes are clear: The Steelers claim the division title with a win, while a Ravens victory extends the race and secures Baltimore’s spot in the postseason. The Ravens can also clinch a playoff berth if both the Miami Dolphins (6-8) and Indianapolis Colts (6-8) lose or tie against their respective opponents on Sunday. The Dolphins are slight home favorites against the San Francisco 49ers (6-8), while the Colts are 3 1/2-point favorites against the visiting Tennessee Titans (3-11). While the Ravens are all but assured of a playoff berth already, entering Week 16 with a greater than 99% chance of making the seven-team field, their potential seeding is much murkier. According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats playoff probability model, the Ravens are nearly as likely to finish the regular season as the second seed (2.4%) as they are the seventh (3.6%). An AFC North title would likely result in the No. 3 seed and a home wild-card game against either the Denver Broncos or Los Angeles Chargers — both of whom the Ravens beat earlier this season — while a second-place finish would lead to a road wild-card game at Houston in a rematch of a Christmas Day clash as well as last season’s divisional round. The top seed in the AFC could also be decided this weekend. Kansas City (13-1) clinches the lone first-round bye and home-field advantage with a win Saturday over the visiting Texans (9-5) and a Bills loss or tie Sunday against the New England Patriots, or a tie against Houston and a Bills loss. The Chiefs, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes cleared to start after he injured his ankle last week, are 3 1/2-point favorites against the Texans, while Buffalo (11-3) and NFL Most Valuable Player favorite Josh Allen are a whopping 14-point favorite against the visiting Patriots (3-11). If the Ravens win Saturday and finish the regular season with the same record as the Steelers, there are several tiebreakers that could decide the champion, starting with the best record in games played within the division and ending with an unlikely (but possible!) coin toss. Baltimore is a 6 1/2-point favorite against Pittsburgh, which will be without wide receiver George Pickens and potentially two other starters in safety DeShon Elliott and cornerback Donte Jackson. The Ravens, meanwhile, have three starters listed as questionable and will once again be without wide receiver Diontae Johnson after he was excused from team activities following his one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. Here are the full clinching scenarios for the AFC in Week 16: CLINCHED: Buffalo Bills (11-3) — AFC East Houston Texans (9-5) — AFC South Kansas City Chiefs (13-1) — AFC West Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) — playoff berth CHIEFS vs. Texans; Saturday, 1 p.m., NBC Kansas City clinches AFC’s No. 1 seed, lone first-round bye and home-field advantage with: 1. KC win + BUF loss or tie 2. KC tie + BUF loss STEELERS at Ravens; Saturday, 4:30 p.m., FOX Pittsburgh clinches AFC North division title with: 1. PIT win RAVENS vs. Steelers Baltimore clinches a playoff berth with: 1. BAL win or tie 2. MIA loss or tie + IND loss or tie Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Rashod Bateman in walking boot; Steelers WR George Pickens out Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s who fans are picking to win Ravens-Steelers showdown Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: What’s needed to beat the Steelers? | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens trust LB Tavius Robinson in bigger role: ‘He’s just scratching the surface’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens have 4 starters limited at practice; Steelers’ T.J. Watt returns DENVER BRONCOS (9-5) at Los Angeles Chargers (8-6); Thursday, 8:15 p.m., Prime Video Denver clinches a playoff berth with: 1. DEN win or tie 2. MIA loss or tie + CIN loss or tie + IND loss or tie CHARGERS vs. Broncos Los Angeles clinches a playoff berth with: 1. LAC win + MIA loss or tie + IND loss or tie 2. LAC tie + MIA loss + IND loss + CIN loss or tie Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman did not practice Thursday and had a walking boot on his left foot in the locker room. His status for Saturday afternoon’s crucial AFC North showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium is unclear. The injury report is due out later Friday afternoon. Coach John Harbaugh was also non-committal about the fourth-year receiver’s availability. “I really have nothing to report on any of that stuff,” he said. “We’ll be working through all those things the next few hours, few days even.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s who fans are picking to win Ravens-Steelers showdown Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: What’s needed to beat the Steelers? | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens trust LB Tavius Robinson in bigger role: ‘He’s just scratching the surface’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens have 4 starters limited at practice; Steelers’ T.J. Watt returns Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Steelers Week 16 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Bateman is coming off the first multi-touchdown performance of his career after catching three passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns in Baltimore’s 35-14 road win over the New York Giants on Sunday. He’s also having easily the best season of his career with 38 catches for 654 yards and seven touchdowns. But the injury could be cause for concern. The boot was on the same foot that he underwent season-ending Lisfranc surgery on in 2022 and continued to bother him into training camp in 2023. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

We asked readers who will win Saturday’s AFC North showdown between the Ravens and Steelers. Here are the results from our online poll, Instagram and X: Ravens — 1,224 votes (71%) Steelers — 507 votes (29%) Here’s what some fans told us about their pick (answers have been edited for clarity and grammar): The Ravens have been inconsistent all year. They have not been disciplined. Penalties have been the worst in the league. You can’t beat good teams playing this way. I was hoping that they would come back from the bye week and fix that issue. Unfortunately, they didn’t. I feel this is a coaching problem. If the Ravens don’t make it to the Super Bowl (which I don’t believe they will) it’s time to move on from John Harbaugh. He has shown us since the first Super Bowl that he does not want dawgs on his team. I don’t believe he will ever win one without some of those personalities. Just my opinion. — Danny Eight out of nine for the Steelers is plenty. If Justin Tucker makes his field goals in Pittsburgh, the Ravens probably win that game, too. Ravens have to have this in order to win the division. If they can cut down on the stupid penalties, they should take the rematch. — Chris McGloin Steelers have owned Lamar and I have a feeling that won’t change. Ravens won’t be able to run the ball and the Steelers offense will break down a shaky Baltimore defense. Hope I’m wrong. — Tom Speal If Lamar can show his best leadership side, that always brings the rest of the team along. But when he’s too self-absorbed in blaming himself for a poor pass, it seems to leave the others out of the equation. Lamar: Each play is a TEAM play; on the sidelines, confer as needed. Mr. Henry: We sure miss a Ray Lewis. He led by his example of stellar playing AND stellar motivation. All players looked up to his example— you are 95% of the way there. Coach: Please don’t stand on the sidelines with your mouth hanging open. Nothing the players or refs do should surprise you. But, evidently, they sometimes do. Don’t appear so distressed — you got this! — R. de Pontbriand We hired a “smash-mouth” running back for exactly this kind of game, and for the month of December and playoffs. If “King Henry” gets 20-plus touches, the Ravens win. If the coaching staff can’t figure that out then we lose. Just watch the Eagles game if you need convincing. — Thom Schiavone Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Rashod Bateman in walking boot ahead of Steelers showdown Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: What’s needed to beat the Steelers? | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens trust LB Tavius Robinson in bigger role: ‘He’s just scratching the surface’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens have 4 starters limited at practice; Steelers’ T.J. Watt returns Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Steelers Week 16 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds I want to believe in the Ravens. I really do. But coaching has been less than good and we are not a consistently good team right now. Not to mention my daughter told me mercury is in retrograde, which apparently is bad, bad news. Color scheme-wise, we win. Football-wise, I think we lose. Hope I’m wrong. — Bill Spiel The Ravens will win big time. They also will win all of their regular-season games, My Lamar Jackson is ready!!!!! — Ms. Bee It’s a matter of coaching. If offensive coordinator Todd Monken calls another bad game, not having Henry get at least 22 carries and Harbaugh just stands there doing nothing about it, then the Ravens will lose. And if they do lose again to Pittsburgh, goodbye, Harbaugh! — Benny The Ravens will have learned from the previous Steelers game what works and what doesn’t and have had time to address the things that needed improvement. — Rich I think the Ravens can win. They have to get out of their head — they are better than them. Play hard but smart. — Jess The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To see results from previous sports polls, go to baltimoresun.com/sportspoll Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws a pass while Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt tackles him on Nov. 17 in Pittsburgh. (Gene J. Puskar/AP) View the full article

Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will answer fans’ questions in the middle of each week throughout the Ravens’ season. After an easy win over the lowly New York Giants, Baltimore (9-5) hosts the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) in Week 16 of the NFL season. Here’s Preston’s take on a handful of questions from readers: (Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.) Lamar is having an amazing year. But how can he be MVP material if he can’t beat Pittsburgh at least once? — Dan Gainor on X Dan, forget about beating Pittsburgh just once. Jackson has great statistics and is a threat from anywhere on the field. He is the most dangerous running quarterback in NFL history, but the Most Valuable Player of the 2024 season should be Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen over both Jackson and Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. We don’t need to compare numbers, just rosters. Barkley might have the best offensive line in the game, especially tackles Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson. Jackson has weapons in running back Derrick Henry, receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. On defense, the Ravens have middle linebacker Roquan Smith, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Kyle Hamilton, while the Eagles might have the best front four in the NFL. Those are pretty impressive groups. Allen has running back James Cook. That’s pretty much it. The Bills added wide receiver Amari Cooper, but that was well into the season, and he has missed time because of injuries. As for the defense, Buffalo has no defense. In fact, if the Ravens somehow play the Bills in the AFC championship game, the Ravens would destroy them with their running game. It’s the same with the Eagles if they play Buffalo in the Super Bowl. The analysts and so-called experts want to compare numbers and so forth, but without Allen, the Bills are horrible. Without Jackson, the Ravens wouldn’t be as successful, but they could at least hold their own in the mediocre, watered-down NFL. I understand the Jackson “syndrome” in Baltimore, including how some of the local media want to jump on the bandwagon. But let’s not get too carried away, and show some good, old common sense. How do the Ravens beat the Steelers? — James Spragins on X First, eliminate the head games. Pittsburgh has won eight of the past nine matchups against Baltimore, but that will be meaningless Saturday. The Ravens simply need to go out and “out-tough” the Steelers. They’ve beaten the Ravens because they play much more aggressively and attack physically. Second, score touchdowns instead of trading field goals. The Steelers have problems scoring inside the red zone and are content kicking field goals and keeping the score close. That’s been their strategy all season. They rely on defense, winning the field position game and getting enough big plays in their short-passing offense. The Ravens also have to control Pittsburgh edge rushers Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt. Many national critics want to know why Jackson has played so poorly against Pittsburgh in the past. The Steelers are disciplined with their lane integrity, and both Watt and Highsmith can bring the heat from the outside. Not only are they athletic, but they are complete players. Both are sound in every aspect of the game. The Ravens should win the game. A week ago, they played the NFL’s version of the junior varsity beating up on the Giants. Meanwhile, the Steelers were physically beaten up and worn down by the Eagles in the battle of Pennsylvania. This is a short week for the Steelers and Ravens, but the Steelers are at a disadvantage because they are on the road. The Ravens just need to come out with a tough-guy attitude. They have it against a lot of teams, but not Pittsburgh. It’s time for a change. Ravens coach John Harbaugh has struggled in recent meetings against the Steelers. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) It’s now Week 16 and these Ravens have been together as a team (not counting minicamps) for 23 1/2 weeks, approximately 150 practices and 14 regular-season games. Every team in the NFL appears to have flaws, but two of Baltimore’s are frustratingly head-scratching; avoidable penalties and professional defensive backs not being able to turn their heads and look for the ball. At this stage of the season, is it possible to think either of these can be fixed? And if not, why? — Brian Anything can be fixed; players just have to have the right attitude. Some penalties, like holding, can’t be reduced because it essentially happens on every play. Pass interference calls are questionable because they’ve become more subjective than objective. But these penalties for illegal formations on the offense are ridiculous. It’s the same for having a nose guard or defensive tackle jump offside when the ball is right in front of them. I still don’t know why certain cornerbacks don’t turn around and look for the ball. That’s something coach John Harbaugh should have addressed with secondary coach Chris Hewitt by now. There are calls to alert offensive linemen when to release and run down the field, but the Ravens still get a couple of those penalties — although Jackson might be partly to blame. I’ve had people email me and say that a coach can’t be blamed for the penalties because it might hurt the overall play of the team if that player is benched. Big deal. Consistency is a major word in the NFL and the key to greatness. If a player doesn’t perform to that status, then he needs to get benched. This is the NFL. You can always find a replacement. Once the players’ personality or reluctance to change becomes greater than his production, then it’s time to move on. Are there any Ravens you’d characterize as “unsung heroes” for offense and defense? — Grant H. from North East Offensively, it would be running back Justice Hill. He doesn’t get the notoriety of Henry, but he does have 45 carries for 198 yards and a touchdown this season. As a receiver, he is third on the team in catches behind Flowers and Andrews with 42 for 383 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 9.1 yards per reception. Maybe his most impressive trait is being able to block or chip on ends or outside linebackers in pass protection. I think he is a great complement to Henry. Defensively, it would be tackle Travis Jones. His future looks bright and the Ravens are a much better run-stopping group when he is in the game. Jones has 34 tackles this season, including one sack. He has been bothered by an ankle injury since the midway point of the season, but he can also provide pressure up the middle as a pass rusher. What has happened to Brandon Stephens? It seems if he’s isolated on a receiver it’s an automatic pass interference call. — Clarke Fox Opposing teams have zeroed in on Stephens, and that’s been evident since the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. At this point, I’m not sure what else can be done. He either makes the play or he doesn’t. It’s about instincts and awareness. The instincts are there, but I’m not sure about the awareness part. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Rashod Bateman in walking boot ahead of Steelers showdown Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s who fans are picking to win Ravens-Steelers showdown Baltimore Ravens | Ravens trust LB Tavius Robinson in bigger role: ‘He’s just scratching the surface’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens have 4 starters limited at practice; Steelers’ T.J. Watt returns Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Steelers Week 16 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Is possible the Ravens are holding back Keaton Mitchell so they don’t put a lot of tape out on him? Then swing some special packages for him in the playoffs and catch teams off guard? — Rob Kalish What is going on with Keaton Mitchell and why has he been inactive two straight weeks? — timpoole78 on X Honestly, I can’t say what is going on with Mitchell. First of all, who is he going to replace? Both Henry and Hill have played well in their designated roles. Mitchell’s knee injury a year ago was extremely serious, so there really is no need to rush him back onto the field. In addition, there have been a lot of questions surrounding the playing surface at MetLife Stadium, so the Ravens didn’t need him on the field to pummel New York. The Ravens will probably have a couple of new wrinkles with Mitchell for the postseason, but I’m not sure that’s the reason he isn’t on the field. All teams like to have a few aces up their sleeves in the postseason, but it isn’t as if the NFL didn’t get a chance to see Mitchell last season. The kid could flat-out fly, but there is no need to get him on the field at this point. It’s good to be patient. Is it too early to think about what the Ravens will be looking for in April’s NFL draft? — Bob in North Carolina Bob, it’s never too early and I am sure the Ravens have already had preliminary discussions. But the injury bug could hit and alter plans. Right now, there is a need for a pass rusher and a team can never go wrong with an offensive lineman. Another cornerback to complement rookie Nate Wiggins would be an excellent choice as well. Have a question for Mike Preston? Email sports@baltsun.com with “Ravens mailbag” in the subject line and it could be answered in The Baltimore Sun. View the full article

You can’t see it when Ravens outside linebacker Tavius Robinson is on the field, but there’s a good chance he’s smiling underneath his helmet. “He’s always smiling!” fellow linebacker Odafe Oweh exclaims, eyes widening. “He always has good energy. He’s never mad at nobody. If something bad happens, he doesn’t fret. He’s always even-keeled. He’s always smiling, though. I think it’s a Canadian thing.” Defensive end Brent Urban — the only other Canadian on the roster — concurs. “Canadians are generally regarded as nice, polite, friendly,” he says, laughing, of course. “It’s hard to generalize an entire country, but all the Canadians I know are happy-go-lucky.” It’s not the first time this has been pointed out to Robinson, a 2023 fourth-round draft pick out of Ole Miss by way of the University of Guelph. “I’m a happy person,” Robinson grins. “When I’m on the field, I’m not smiling.” Baltimore certainly is these days when it comes to the progress the organization has seen in the rangy 25-year-old, who has ascended to starter status over the past four games — in part out of necessity, but also because of his improvements in his second season. Statistically, Robinson does not particularly impress — he has 26 tackles, including four for loss, 3 1/2 sacks, 13 pressures and one pass breakup — but he has flashed in spurts and has quickly developed into a trustworthy defender. In a blowout win over the Broncos last month, he sacked Denver quarterback Bo Nix twice, one of which came on third down. Against the Steelers two weeks later, he blew up a pulling tight end on one play. Last week against the New York Giants, coach John Harbaugh lauded him for retracing on a draw to make a tackle. It’s plays like those that have resulted in more playing time, with Robinson seeing his snaps per game climb from an average of 22.6 in the first 10 weeks of the season to an average of 43 over the past four games. “He’s always been a really smart player,” Urban said. “Early on, he knew the playbook in and out. He’d always be on top of what’s really going on. He’s become a guy that’s just dependable. “He plays a lot more mature than he is — just being consistent and dependable. You don’t see a lot of young players doing that, to be honest. That’s a really hard thing to do in this league.” Ravens linebacker Tavius Robinson has gained the trust of his teammates and coaches in his second NFL season. (Jason Behnken/AP) To the point, 2022 second-round draft pick David Ojabo, who was beset with injuries his first two seasons, was expected to be a meaningful contributor on the edge this season. It hasn’t worked out that way. He’s been inactive for four games this year, has just four tackles in the 10 he has appeared in and has seen his snap count diminish. Likewise, this year’s third-round pick, outside linebacker Adisa Isaac, has also been injury-prone and has appeared sparingly in just four games. “It’s very significant,” Harbaugh said of Robinson’s role. “He has established himself as a three-down player. He’s gone from a run-down player to a guy that’s out there all the time.” Long and rangy at 6 feet 6 and 262 pounds, Robinson had all the physical attributes to be a stout defender, particularly against the run. In his final season at Ole Miss in 2022, he finally broke through. Robinson tied for second in the FBS with five forced fumbles and had 44 tackles, including eight for loss, with seven sacks in 13 games. As a rookie in Baltimore, though, his lack of pass rush moves was obvious. He was a hard-working but raw prospect who lacked polish. The Ravens, who led the NFL in sacks, takeaways and points allowed last season, could afford to let him continue to develop. The speed of the professional game was also something that took getting accustomed to. “Your brain is so cluttered,” Robinson said. “My rookie year to now, it was more of trying not to make a mistake rather than trying to make plays. Having a year under your belt and another full [training] camp is huge, for sure.” He’s still working on those pass rush moves, but they’re coming along. In college, he studied players such as Las Vegas Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby. When he got to Baltimore, he had the Ravens put together a cut-up of the team’s all-time sack leader, Terrell Suggs. He has also learned to study the tendencies of opposing offensive linemen around the league and what moves work best against them. Teammates have also praised not just his improvements from Year 1 to Year 2, but his work ethic. Veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy describes Robinson as a “weight room junkie” and “gladiator.” Oweh added that he’s learning how to use his strength, specifically when it comes to dipping his shoulder to create space to bend the edge, something Oweh said Robinson didn’t do his first year. And he’s a guy that enjoys mixing it up. Said Oweh: “One thing everybody here knows about him is he’s not afraid of contact.” Perhaps not coincidentally, about the time that Robinson was inserted into the starting lineup is when the Ravens’ defense began to show significant signs of improvement from its struggles earlier in the season. Much of that turnaround can be attributed to changes in the secondary as well as a more simplified scheme, but Robinson has played his part. “I think now that the game has kind of just slowed down for him, and you’re able to see him just play even faster, play more aggressive and play more even more physical, and I think he’s even developed better as a rusher as well,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said. “‘T-Rob’ is one of those guys who [is] a Raven through and through. “[He’s] not talked about a lot, but just does his job consistently. He might not get the praise on the outside, but he gets the praise in our meeting room and our building because he does everything the right way. If he doesn’t do it right, then he’s trying to do it right and he’s going to correct it. … I think he’s only going to continue to grow and get better, and he’s going to be very important for us down in these last four games.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Rashod Bateman in walking boot ahead of Steelers showdown Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s who fans are picking to win Ravens-Steelers showdown Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: What’s needed to beat the Steelers? | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens have 4 starters limited at practice; Steelers’ T.J. Watt returns Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Steelers Week 16 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Off the field, Robinson and the rest of the defense have grown, too. Last season, dinners among teammates were a staple of the schedule. But that had fallen by the wayside earlier this year until more recently, with most if not all of the defense dining together at a local Ruth’s Chris or other restaurants in the area. The camaraderie, he says, has made a difference. “It’s been huge,” Robinson said. “It just makes us closer and that makes us closer on the field. I think it translates, for sure. These guys are like my brothers now.” Now, Robinson is one of them, too. “Where he’s come as a football player, it’s been remarkable,” Harbaugh said. “It’s been really fun to watch, but I think he’s just scratching the surface. I really think he’s going to be even better than he’s been so far.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Week 16 Steelers at Ravens Saturday, 4:30 p.m. TV: FOX Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM Line: Ravens by 6 1/2 View the full article