ExtremeRavens
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A Week 18 game that lacked meaning for the Ravens’ playoff seeding carried weighty implications for Jadeveon Clowney’s wallet.
With the No. 1 seed in the AFC sewn up and little to play for, Baltimore fell at home to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, 17-10. But late in the first half, Clowney registered a sack, bringing his season total to 9 1/2. That tied a career high, but — more importantly from a pocketbook perspective — eclipsed the nine sacks he needed to unlock a $750,000 bonus.
Clowney, an edge rusher drafted No. 1 overall by the Houston Texans in 2014, broke out this season by playing in all 17 games, a career-high. After playing for four teams in five years, he signed a one-year contract with Baltimore this past offseason, reportedly worth $2.5 million in base salary but with $3.5 million of incentives baked in.
Half of those incentives were based upon snaps played, with the other half rooted in sacks. He eclipsed five sacks in Week 10, notching a $500,000 bonus, surpassed $1 million in sack incentives with his seventh sack in Week 12 and then earned $1.75 million Saturday by notching his ninth sack of the season.
“Finally,” Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen said when asked about Clowney’s sack. “Just happy for the guy.”
“He’s been talking about that for like the past two weeks,” said defensive tackle Michael Pierce, smiling.
Complete with a dance and a joyful yell, Clowney and his teammates celebrated on the field for about 30 seconds during a stoppage in play. Defensive end Brent Urban mimed throwing cash onto Clowney as the crowd cheered him on and the ESPN broadcast lauded his bonus.
“That might’ve been a record for longest celebration. We’re happy for [Jadaveon], man, he’s having a career year,” Pierce said.
NFL contracts are generally not fully guaranteed, unlike in MLB and the NBA, and some deals are rife with incentives. If Clowney had played fewer than half of Baltimore’s snaps this year and posted fewer than five sacks, he would’ve earned $2.5 million. Instead, with a strong campaign, he added a sizable chunk.
Ravens wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor weren’t so fortunate. The 31-year-old Beckham missed out on a potential $1.75 million payday by resting for the divisional round, though it would have taken a big performance to hit his incentives. He needed five catches ($500K), 185 yards ($750K) and/or two touchdowns ($500K) Saturday. Agholor, 30, needed 10 catches ($250K) or 58 yards ($250K), but he fell short with five receptions for 39 yards.
Asked what he’d do with the money, Clowney, laughing, noted he had three kids and said he might put it in a safe or the bank.
“I’ll put it with the rest of my money,” he said.
Ravens outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney sacks Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and forces a fumble during the second quarter Saturday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) The sack almost didn’t happen, though. Clowney easily got to Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph — a fellow Rock Hill, South Carolina, native — in the second quarter, but Rudolph tried to get rid of the ball before being hit. The ball popped straight up and, for a moment, it appeared it might be ruled an incompletion. Instead, Clowney was credited with a sack and a forced fumble (the Steelers recovered).
“I didn’t even know it was a sack,” Clowney said. “I looked back, they [were] like, ‘I think you got it.’ I was like, ‘I needed it.’ I was excited about it. That was my goal coming into this game, try to get on the board.”
Of the celebration, he said, “I had a good time with it.”
Paced by Justin Madubuike’s 13 and with plenty of help from veterans like Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, the Ravens lead the NFL in sacks.
“Job not done,” Clowney said. “I gotta continue to do it throughout these playoffs.”
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Here’s how the Ravens (13-4) graded out at each position after a 17-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) in Sunday’s Week 18 game at M&T Bank Stadium:
Quarterback
Because of the steady rain, it was hard to throw the ball, but backup Tyler Huntley was misfiring even when he had receivers wide-open. He couldn’t even complete short passes in the flat. The Ravens also didn’t give Huntley a lot of time to throw as he was under pressure most of the game. He completed 15 of 28 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown, but he wasn’t effective filling in for starter Lamar Jackson. Grade: D
Receivers
The Ravens had receivers open, especially the tight ends, but Huntley failed to find them. In all honesty, this wasn’t a game to feature the receivers, but Nelson Agholor and Laquon Treadwell were open several times over the middle. Tight end Isaiah Likely had the only touchdown, a 27-yard catch over the middle, and Agholor led the team in receptions with five for 39 yards. Running back Justice Hill had three catches for 26 yards and tight end Charlie Kolar also had three for 23. Hill was left alone in the flat several times, but Huntley failed to get him the ball because he was inaccurate or didn’t have time. Grade: C
Offensive line
Tackles Morgan Moses and Ronnie Stanley had trouble handling Pittsburgh’s speed off the corners, but Moses had to block T.J. Watt, one of the best outside linebackers in the NFL. The Ravens had 106 rushing yards, including 40 from Huntley on eight carries. They couldn’t get much movement initially from guards John Simpson and Ben Cleveland. The Ravens were without starting right guard Kevin Zeitler (knee/quad/coach’s decision), who has played well most of the year. This group allowed four sacks and six quarterback hits. Grade: D
Running backs
The Ravens never got the running game going, and that was partially because they didn’t use starter Gus Edwards and Hill full time. They even gave snaps to third-stringer Melvin Gordon III. The running backs had only 66 yards on 17 attempts. Edwards was the leader with 48 yards on 10 carries and Gordon had 18 yards on seven attempts. Edwards’ fumble in the fourth quarter led to a crucial Steelers field goal and Gordon also fumbled early in the second quarter before being banished to the bench. On a day when the Ravens needed a running game, they didn’t have one. Grade: D
Defensive line
The Ravens’ lack of a run defense continues to be a problem and it was especially glaring Saturday because the rainy weather forced both teams to run the ball. Pittsburgh had 155 yards on 39 carries and the Ravens had trouble containing halfback Najee Harris, who finished with 112 yards on 26 attempts. The Steelers did a good job trapping Ravens defensive ends Justin Madubuike and Brent Urban and got outside several times on tosses, especially early in the game. The Miami Dolphins also gave the Ravens trouble with toss plays last week. Grade: D
Linebackers
The Ravens rested middle linebacker Roquan Smith, and it was a good move because he is irreplaceable. But his absence revealed that they don’t have a thumper inside. Weakside linebacker Patrick Queen looked lost without Smith, especially early in the game. Queen, though, played better near the end of the half, as did Del’Shawn Phillips, who filled in for Smith. Phillips finished with 13 tackles and Queen had eight. Outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Jadeveon Clowney put a lot of pressure on quarterback Mason Rudolph and each recorded a sack, but the Steelers countered with a lot of quick passes. Pittsburgh also had success running counter plays and were able to get to the inside linebackers. Grade: C
Secondary
The Ravens turned in a solid effort despite playing without cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Kyle Hamilton. Reserve safety Geno Stone also left in the third quarter with a knee injury. This group also got some help from the weather because the Steelers played small ball and stayed with the short passes, but the Ravens will struggle if Rock Ya-Sin stays at cornerback. Starting safety Marcus Williams is also struggling and doesn’t show much speed. He made a poor jump on the ball on that 71-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson over the middle early in the fourth quarter. That was basically the only busted coverage by the Ravens. Grade: B+
Special teams
Jordan Stout was outstanding and might have had his best day as a Raven, averaging 53.9 yards on seven punts, including a long of 66 yards. He consistently pinned the Steelers deep. Justin Tucker converted his only field goal attempt of 36 yards in the fourth quarter, but the Ravens allowed Calvin Austin III to average 18.4 yards on five punt returns, including a long of 34. Rookie linebacker Trenton Simpson had the only two special teams tackles. Grade: B+
Coaching
The Ravens played hard and were in the game most of the time, and that’s pretty much anyone can ask from a team that didn’t play without their starting quarterback and two best defenders. The best news was that the Ravens came out of the game without any major injuries. Still, there were problems with pass protection and the Ravens once again struggled to defend the run. Those are minor things, but they could become big in the postseason. Grade: B
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In the words of Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen, Baltimore had “written a lot of pages in our book” this season that led to being in the enviable and advantageous position of which it is in.
The Ravens are the top seed in the AFC going into the postseason and have the coveted first-round bye and home-field advantage through the conference championship game. The goal, as quarterback Lamar Jackson has said all season, is to deliver the first Super Bowl title of his career and the first for the organization since the 2012 season.
But before beginning that pursuit in earnest in two weeks, there was the matter of finishing off the regular season against a bitter AFC North rival.
With the rain starting before noon and never stopping, it was a bad night to be an oblong-shaped leather ball Saturday night at M&T Bank Stadium. It was a worse one to be a quarterback trying to throw it, or a fan hoping to see an offensive shootout between the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in raw, soaking wet conditions with nothing on the line for the home team.
The Steelers fumbled six times, losing two of them, and the Ravens twice, losing both.
Still, Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph, a third-stringer at the start of the season behind Kenny Pickett and Mitchell Trubisky, has come up big since taking over three weeks ago and did so again, this time against Baltimore.
With both offenses struggling to move the ball and the game tied at 7 on a third-and-4 from his own 29-yard line at the start of the fourth quarter, Rudolph threw a strike to slanting wide receiver Diontae Johnson over the middle and he took it to the house for a 71-yard touchdown. Then, after Pittsburgh recovered a fumble by running back Gus Edwards at the Ravens’ 32-yard line, Chris Boswell added a 25-yard field goal with 3:17 remaining to seal the 17-10 victory.
Though the Steelers (10-7) could’ve made the playoffs with a win or loss, the former makes the path simpler. With a Tennessee Titans victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, or a Miami Dolphins win over the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh is in.
The Ravens (13-4), of course, had already wrapped up all they needed to and were simply playing for pride and hoping to escape any serious injuries.
Which is why Ravens coach John Harbaugh didn’t play his most important starters, particularly Jackson, whose last two seasons were cut short by injuries. A half-dozen others were also inactive, either because they are dealing with an injury or simply trying to avoid one: wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. (rest) and Zay Flowers (calf); safety Kyle Hamilton (knee); cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf); guard Kevin Zeitler (knee/quad/coach’s decision); outside linebacker Malik Harrison (groin); and Daryl Worley (shoulder/ankle).
But the Ravens were also trying to avoid a season sweep at the hands of the Steelers for the second time in the past three seasons and a seventh loss in their past eight meetings.
With Jackson sitting, it provided an opportunity as well for Ravens backup quarterback Tyler Huntley, an unrestricted free agent after this season. It was a struggle, to say the least.
Huntley completed 15 of 28 passes for just 146 yards and a touchdown to tight end Isaiah Likely late in the second quarter after Najee Harris (26 carries, 112 yards) squirted up the middle for a 6-yard touchdown on the Steelers’ second possession of the game.
“I thought we played really hard, thought we played tough,” Harbaugh said. “We didn’t play great by any stretch. We can certainly stop the run better. We gave up the big pass play.
“Offensively, I thought [Huntley] played hard. I thought he made some really good throws.”
Added Huntley: “It [was] slippery out there, throwing to catching. The ball’s wet. You got a lot of elements to work through just to complete passes out there.”
Rudolph, meanwhile, connected on 18 of 20 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown.
But it was Pittsburgh’s ground game that chewed up the Ravens’ defense and the clock. The Steelers had 156 yards rushing, with 69 of them coming on their first-quarter touchdown drive that also ate up 7:32 of clock.
The Ravens, on the other hand, extended their streak of 100-yard rushing games to 34 with 106 yards on the ground but struggled to find any rhythm, and at times to even hold onto the ball with running back Melvin Gordon also coughing it up early in the second quarter.
“When you turn the ball over … we gave them opportunities to score points,” Harbaugh said. “I think we take that into the playoffs, we already know that and understand how to win. But it’s a nice little reminder that you gotta protect the football to win games.”
The regular season is over. The playoffs await. Baltimore will find out who it plays after next weekend’s wild-card games, with a return visit from the Steelers one of many possibilities.
“We’ve got a week to prepare, then find out who we gotta play,” Queen said. “Nobody’s hanging their head or anything. We see those guys again, we’ll be ready.”
AFC divisional round
TBD at Ravens
Jan. 20-21, TBA
TV: TBA
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 17-10 loss to the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers in Saturday’s Week 18 game at M&T Bank Stadium.
Childs Walker: The Ravens will quickly put this loss, which cost them nothing, in the rearview. They prudently rested many key players and seemingly escaped without a catastrophic injury, though safety Geno Stone did limp off with a knee injury in the second half. Now, it’s on to the real business. After a thundering early touchdown drive by the Steelers, the Ravens’ defense, going without its two best players in Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith, answered with a proud performance. The dam did not break until Pittsburgh wide receiver Diontae Johnson got behind a debilitated secondary for a 71-yard touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter. The Ravens’ offense, with Tyler Huntley starting in place of Lamar Jackson, struggled to hold up its end in the swirling wind and drenching rain. Isaiah Likely continues to impress; the second-year tight end caught a rain-slicked ball in traffic and powered through two tacklers for his fifth touchdown in the past five games.
Mike Preston: The Ravens got beat by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but what did you expect? The Ravens didn’t play quarterback Lamar Jackson, middle linebacker Roquan Smith and safety Kyle Hamilton, among others. The Steelers were also in the playoff hunt while the Ravens sealed the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage last week in a big win over the Miami Dolphins. The Ravens played hard and were in the game most of the time, but Pittsburgh had a stronger running game, more intensity and a sense of urgency. Regardless of the outcome, Pittsburgh won’t go far in the postseason and the Ravens have a good chance of playing in the Super Bowl. The Steelers have a lot of porblems and a quarterback in Mason Rudolph who has no presence. The Ravens played the entire season to earn the right to rest players and get a bye at the end of the season, and it turned out that way. It was nothing gained, nothing lost for the Ravens.
Hayes Gardner: It was wet, it was sloppy and, at least for the Ravens, it was meaningless. Despite a loss to their biggest rival — in an unappetizing game featuring 13 punts and eight total fumbles — the AFC North champions left M&T Bank Stadium the same way they entered it: as the No. 1 seed in the conference.
C.J. Doon: You have to take this result with a huge grain of salt considering the driving rain and how many key players the Ravens rested, but it’s at least a little concerning, right? Not having the presumptive NFL Most Valuable Player at quarterback would hurt any offense, but the Ravens could only muster 3.9 yards per play. The defense once again struggled against the run and gave up a 71-yard touchdown pass when starting safety Marcus Williams made a poor break on the ball over the middle (after he dropped an easy interception in the first quarter). Running back Gus Edwards, who is supposed to be the Ravens’ closer, fumbled in the fourth quarter and gave the Steelers the chance to salt the game away. Linebacker Patrick Queen and running back Justice Hill might have been banged up, and safety Geno Stone exited with a knee injury. If you’re looking for bright spots, rookie Trenton Simpson looks like a worthy successor to Queen, who probably priced himself out of Baltimore with a Pro Bowl season. There’s no reason to panic, but for fans out there looking to see a well-oiled machine heading into the postseason, Saturday was a disappointment. In two weeks, we’ll see if the Ravens are better prepared to defend home field than they were 2019.
Tim Schwartz: Can I just say … who cares? This game was meaningless from Baltimore’s perspective and should have been. Risking injury to beat the Steelers wouldn’t have been a good idea, and it wasn’t as if this game decided Pittsburgh’s fate anyway. The only thing that mattered in this one was avoiding any serious injuries, and assuming linebacker Patrick Queen is OK, mission accomplished. Time to focus on the divisional round and chasing a ring.
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With the Ravens having wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the AFC, the first-round bye in the playoffs and home-field advantage through the conference championship game, Baltimore (13-3) used the opportunity to rest a handful of starters for Saturday’s regular-season finale against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers.
As such, four starters were ruled out Friday and are inactive for the AFC North showdown: quarterback and NFL Most Valuable Player favorite Lamar Jackson (rest/coach’s decision), wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (rest/coach’s decision), cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf) and guard Kevin Zeitler (knee/quad/coach’s decision).
Outside linebacker Malik Harrison (groin), who was also ruled out Friday, and rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers (calf), who didn’t practice all week and was doubtful, are inactive as well.
Safety Kyle Hamilton, who sat out last week’s game against the Miami Dolphins with a knee injury, is also inactive, while safety Daryl Worley (shoulder/ankle) was ruled out Friday.
Cornerbacks Brandon Stephens (ankle), Arthur Maulet (hip) and Ronald Darby (illness), safety Ar’Darius Washington (pectoral) and reserve wideout and punt returner Tylan Wallace (knee), who were listed as questionable, are active.
With several starters sitting out, there is an opportunity for players lower on the depth chart to step up. Cornerback Damarion “Pepe” Williams is expected to make his season debut, while fullback Ben Mason and offensive lineman Sala Aumavae-Laulu could both receive their first NFL snaps. Quarterback Malik Cunningham, who coach John Harbaugh said could be involved at wide receiver and special teams, could also make his Ravens debut after being signed off the New England Patriots’ practice squad last month.
The Steelers (9-7), meanwhile, can still make the playoffs win or lose, though a victory makes the path easier. A win and a Tennessee Titans victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, or a Dolphins win over the Buffalo Bills, or a tie between the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts would get them in.
But Pittsburgh will again be without their top two safeties with Minkah Fitzpatrick and Trenton Thompson both inactive. Both have missed the past two games. That means veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson will likely play safety.
Others inactive for Pittsburgh are: offensive tackle Dylan Cook, cornerback Darius Rush, inside linebacker Blake Martinez, defensive end DeMarvin Leal and quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who is the team’s emergency quarterback. Mason Rudolph, who started the season as the third-string quarterback behind Kenny Pickett and Trubisky, will start.
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Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce is staying in Baltimore a little longer.
Pierce and the Ravens have agreed on a two-year, $7.5 million extension, ESPN reported Saturday. The seven-year veteran was due to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Pierce, 31, has started all 16 games this season for the Ravens, who have allowed the fewest points (16.4) and fourth-fewest yards (302.1) per game in the NFL this season.
He had signed a three-year, $16.5 million deal with Baltimore in 2022 but restructured it in March, making him a free agent later this year.
Pierce, who has spent all but one season in Baltimore, has 36 tackles, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, two passes defended and one sack this year. He’s third on the team in run-stop win rate (36.9%) and second among Ravens defensive linemen with 19 pass-rush wins.
He has also been reliable, playing in double-digit games for the first time since the 2019 season.
Extending Pierce helps shore up a defense that will have several free agents after this season. Baltimore has nearly two dozen players set to hit the open market, notably inside linebacker Patrick Queen and defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, who leads all NFL interior linemen with 13 sacks.
The Ravens (13-3), who clinched the AFC’s top seed, the first-round bye and home-field advantage through the conference championship game, host the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) on Saturday afternoon in the regular-season finale.
This story might be updated.
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Baltimore Sun staff writers pick every game of the NFL season. Here’s who they have winning in Week 18:
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (Saturday, 8:15 p.m.)
Brian Wacker (161-95 season; 12-4 last week): Colts
Childs Walker (163-93 season; 13-3 last week): Colts
Mike Preston (154-102 season; 12-4 last week): Colts
C.J. Doon (169-87 season; 12-4 last week): Texans
Tim Schwartz (152-104 season; 9-7 last week): Texans
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
Wacker: Saints
Walker: Saints
Preston: Falcons
Doon: Saints
Schwartz: Saints
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
Wacker: Bengals
Walker: Bengals
Preston: Browns
Doon: Bengals
Schwartz: Bengals
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
Wacker: Jaguars
Walker: Jaguars
Preston: Jaguars
Doon: Jaguars
Schwartz: Jaguars
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
Wacker: Lions
Walker: Lions
Preston: Lions
Doon: Lions
Schwartz: Lions
New York Jets at New England Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
Wacker: Patriots
Walker: Patriots
Preston: Patriots
Doon: Patriots
Schwartz: Patriots
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
Wacker: Buccaneers
Walker: Buccaneers
Preston: Buccaneers
Doon: Buccaneers
Schwartz: Buccaneers
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.)
Wacker: Bears
Walker: Bears
Preston: Packers
Doon: Packers
Schwartz: Packers
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.)
Wacker: Cowboys
Walker: Cowboys
Preston: Cowboys
Doon: Cowboys
Schwartz: Cowboys
Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.)
Wacker: Raiders
Walker: Raiders
Preston: Raiders
Doon: Raiders
Schwartz: Raiders
Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.)
Wacker: Chiefs
Walker: Chargers
Preston: Chiefs
Doon: Chargers
Schwartz: Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.)
Wacker: 49ers
Walker: 49ers
Preston: 49ers
Doon: Rams
Schwartz: 49ers
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.)
Wacker: Eagles
Walker: Eagles
Preston: Eagles
Doon: Eagles
Schwartz: Eagles
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.)
Wacker: Seahawks
Walker: Seahawks
Preston: Seahawks
Doon: Seahawks
Schwartz: Seahawks
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins (Sunday, 8:20 p.m.)
Wacker: Dolphins
Walker: Bills
Preston: Bills
Doon: Bills
Schwartz: Bills
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No matter who wins Saturday’s showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the owners of one craft brewery are going to be eating well.
Baltimore’s Pickett Brewing Co. and Pittsburgh’s Allegheny City Brewing have a bet riding on the game: If the Ravens win, Allegheny City staff will have to send Pickett’s staff a batch of pierogies. If the Steelers win, on the other hand, Pickett will be shipping a crabcake feast to Pittsburgh.
The two craft breweries first struck up their friendly competition last October, when the Ravens played the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Pickett Brewing had already taken to ribbing the Steelers on social media since the brewery shares a name with Pittsburgh’s quarterback, Kenny Pickett.
“We have a little bit of friendly social media banter going,” said Kate Conway, Pickett Brewing Co.’s owner. “This year, we decided to pick it up, so we reached out to Allegheny City, which is pretty similar to Pickett in a lot of ways.”
The breweries are similarly sized and both are located near their city’s football stadiums: Pickett’s Pigtown taproom is a few blocks away from M&T Bank Stadium, and Allegheny City is about a half-mile from the Steelers’ Acrisure Stadium.
Pickett Brewing Co. opened in Pigtown in 2022. Matthew Yurkovich, who owns Allegheny City Brewing with his sister Amy Yurkovich and business partner Al Grasso, was game for the challenge.
“The Ravens-Steelers rivalry is something different from anything else,” he said. “It’s just always been a game that’s circled on the calendar. It’s always something to look forward to.”
The bet worked out in Pittsburgh’s favor last fall, with the Steelers defeating the Ravens, 17-10. Conway sent a box of jumbo lump crabcakes from Koco’s Pub to the Allegheny City crew.
The crabcakes, Yurkovich said, “were definitely the best we’ve ever had. I couldn’t believe the size. We made three and couldn’t finish them all until the next day.”
On Saturday, the teams will meet again in Baltimore, but neither Pickett nor the Ravens’ star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, will be starting.
Still, Conway is feeling confident about the Ravens’ prospects. The team clinched a division title and the AFC’s top seed last weekend with a commanding win over the Miami Dolphins. Seven Ravens players are headed to the Pro Bowl in February.
“I think we’re going to be eating pierogies,” she said.
There’s a free beer waiting for Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett in the Pickett Brewing Co. taproom, purchased by an enthusiastic Steelers fan. If the Ravens win, Yurkovich said he plans to send a mix of homemade and store-bought pierogies to Baltimore. His Polish family has a holiday tradition of making dozens of pierogies to eat and share.
The friendly competition has drummed up some visibility and business for both local breweries, Conway and Yurkovich said. Pickett Brewing Co. opened in 2022 and has marketed itself as a spot for pre- and post-game beers. The brewery also recently launched a bluegrass series and is planning other events as a member of the South Baltimore Brewery District, a collaboration with neighbors Checkerspot Brewing Co. and Wico Street Beer Co.
Conway hopes the Ravens’ winning streak continues well into the postseason, boosting spirits and sales. “The energy in the city is electric right now,” she said.
She’s also hoping Kenny Pickett will check out the brewery while he’s in town with the team. There’s a free beer waiting for him in the Pickett Brewing taproom, purchased by an enthusiastic Steelers fan.
As Conway pointed out: “He probably doesn’t have anything else to do.”
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Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday’s Week 18 game between the Ravens (13-3) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) at M&T Bank Stadium.
Brian Wacker, reporter
Ravens 17, Steelers 14: No Lamar Jackson, along with some other key starters sitting, means this one will be close. The Steelers need to win to keep their postseason hopes alive, and quarterback Mason Rudolph has been solid the past two weeks, but the weather figures to be sloppy and Baltimore still has enough juice on both sides of the ball to end their division rival’s season after losing to them in October.
Mike Preston, columnist
Steelers, 21, Ravens 18: Despite losing to Pittsburgh, 17-10, earlier this season, the Ravens clearly have the better team, even though the Steelers have won two in a row with Mason Rudolph at quarterback. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he will start back quarterback Tyler Huntley in place of Lamar Jackson, and he might rest several other players as well because Baltimore has already locked up the top seed in the AFC playoffs. The Ravens will play hard and the team has a lot of depth, but they might not have the intensity or sense of urgency of the Steelers, who need a win and some help to get into the postseason. If the Ravens won, that would not be much of a shocker, but Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin is a fighter when his back is against the wall.
Childs Walker, reporter
Steelers 20, Ravens 19: The Ravens would be favored by at least a touchdown if they needed to win this game, but they don’t, and the Steelers will be fired up to keep their season alive. Mason Rudolph has given their offense a jolt, and they’ll move the ball against the Baltimore reserves. The Ravens will keep it close — is it ever not when these teams play? — but won’t sacrifice the greater good to chase victory.
C.J. Doon, editor
Ravens 19, Steelers 17: Tyler Huntley has thrown nine passes this year. Four resulted in a first down, and two of them went for touchdowns. Sure, that came in garbage time of blowout wins, but how many teams can claim a Pro Bowl quarterback under 30 as their backup? The Steelers can with Mitch Trubisky, but Mason Rudolph is starting Saturday after leading the offense to a combined 64 points against the Seahawks and Bengals. The league’s best defense will offer a tougher challenge, even with several top players expected to sit out. In a kicker’s duel between Justin Tucker and Chris Boswell, the Ravens pull the upset.
Tim Schwartz, editor
Steelers 18, Ravens 16: This won’t feel like a usual rivalry game with Lamar Jackson resting and several other Ravens likely to follow suit, but these teams would play a close game on the moon. Mason Rudolph has kept Pittsburgh’s season alive with two stellar starts, but even an undermanned Ravens defense is going to cause problems. The Steelers are playing to win; the Ravens are playing to stay sharp and healthy. That’s too big of a gap in mindsets to pick Baltimore, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Ravens pull out a close one. Pride matters, and sending the Steelers off to Cancun’s golf courses has got to be enticing.
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The Ravens have the best team in the NFL, the first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, but getting to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas will not be easy.
They have the NFL’s hottest quarterback in Lamar Jackson and the league’s No. 1 running game, averaging 159.7 yards per game. They are the most complete and balanced team, ranked No. 4 in both total offense and defense, and have dominated top teams such as the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions.
There are some matchups, though, that could cause problems, especially if the Ravens have to play AFC North rivals.
Because of the first-round bye, the Ravens have virtually three weeks to rest players such as receiver Zay Flowers, safety Kyle Hamilton, guard Kevin Zeitler, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and linebacker Patrick Queen. The long layoff will create some rust, but that can disappear quickly. The Ravens were in a similar situation in 2019 with the No. 1 seed, and they lost in the divisional round to the Tennessee Titans, 28-12.
“No, that’s not in my mind this season. Like I said, my mindset was a lot different [in 2019],” Jackson said Wednesday. “Just knowing how the NFL is — we said this a few weeks ago — ‘It’s any given Sunday, it’s any whatever day you have to play on.’
“Hopefully, we just try to be on the right side of any given day.”
That’s why the journey to the Super Bowl won’t be easy. Most of the teams that earn a playoff appearance are good, but two of the most dangerous are the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. Why? Because the AFC North is a physical division and both teams understand what is needed to beat the Ravens in Baltimore.
Divisional games are always physical and the grind can carry over to the next week. Plus, the Browns are now led by former Ravens quarterback and former Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Joe Flacco, who has led Cleveland to four straight victories.
Flacco was replaced by Jackson during the latter’s rookie season in 2018 and the Ravens went 6-1 down the stretch before losing in the wild-card round. That matchup would create some great storylines and provide both teams with more motivation. Cleveland has the No. 11 ranked offense and No. 1 defense.
That’s almost as balanced as the Ravens.
Flacco, 38, is a great story and was the missing ingredient for the Browns, who have started four quarterbacks this season. He has completed 123 of 204 passes for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns, and some of those throws have been incredible. But Flacco just chucks it up, and while that can work in the regular season, it won’t against a more disciplined team like the Ravens.
Pittsburgh, another divisional foe, also causes concern. The Steelers have won six of the past seven games against the Ravens, including a 17-10 victory at home Oct. 8.
Like Cleveland, Pittsburgh has a new quarterback in Mason Rudolph, who has completed 35 of 51 passes for 564 yards and two touchdowns in back-to-back wins. Rudolph has put the vertical passing game back in the offense, and the Steelers match up well against the Ravens because they have two strong running backs in Najee Harris (801 rushing yards) and Jaylen Warren (751).
Pittsburgh’s No. 22 ranked defense isn’t great, but the Steelers have enough playmakers in defensive end T.J. Watt and tackle Cameron Heyward. However, to get into the playoffs, Pittsburgh has to beat the Ravens on Saturday and then count on one of the following: Tennessee win or tie against the Jacksonville Jaguars; Miami win over the Buffalo Bills; or a tie between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans.
The situation seems dire, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has a way of resurrecting his teams.
“Any time you can send somebody home, that’s one reason why you play the game,” Queen said Wednesday. “Like I said, at the end of the day, it’s a rivalry game, so you have to treat that game like you would treat any other rivalry game. With those guys, like I said, they come out [and] try to punch you in the mouth.
“That’s just the type of game I like, so when you have a team like that, it’s a fun football game. It’s a great football game against two teams who have a ton of respect for each other, but still want to get down and ground them.”
Now, imagine if it were playoff time. That’s the AFC North. Familiarity has its pluses and minuses on both sides.
Both Kansas City and Buffalo are concerns, but neither is playing up to the level they’ve shown in recent years. The Chiefs still have Patrick Mahomes, the best quarterback in the NFL, but his receivers can’t catch, having dropped 42 passes entering last week’s 25-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Mahomes is either lost or has given up throwing downfield, and he has doesn’t have a strong running game to help him. Defensively, the Chiefs can win against most teams but are No. 17 against the run, which wouldn’t fare well against the Ravens.
There is speculation that the Washington Commanders will fire coach Ron Rivera shortly after the regular season ends Sunday and that his offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, could return to the Chiefs just before the playoffs begin. Bieniemy spent 10 seasons as both Kansas City’s running backs coach and the offensive coordinator before moving to Washington at the end of last season.
That sounds more like wishful thinking than reality, but maybe the defending champion Chiefs have a hidden switch they can turn on in the postseason.
John Munson/APBills quarterback Josh Allen, right, talks with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson after a game in Orchard Park, New York, on Dec. 8, 2019. (AP Photo/John Munson)If they get in, the Bills might approach the postseason with a chip on their shoulders. Weeks ago, it looked as if they wouldn’t make the playoffs, but they could end up winning the AFC East title.
With Buffalo, you never know which team will show up because quarterback Josh Allen is so inconsistent. One game he might throw five touchdown passes, and the next he might throw five interceptions. When he is on, he can carry a team.
The Bills, though, had the same problem as the Ravens did earlier this season: They turn the ball over too much. Allen has completed 355 of 541 passes for 3,947 yards with 27 touchdowns, but he has also thrown 16 interceptions. The Bills have lost nine of 16 fumbles.
Regardless, they feel “disrespected,” a big word among the younger generation. Several weeks ago, the Ravens said the same thing before they dismantled the 49ers, 33-19.
The Ravens, though, have played with that type of attitude most of the season. They struggled early with ball security but have rebounded with an offense that is still evolving and a defense that has carried them.
Now, they head into the postseason as favorites to win it all, but coach John Habruagh knows that isn’t good enough.
On any given day, as Jackson says, the Ravens need to be on the right side of that day.
The journey continues.
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Patrick Queen spoke to his mother, Mary Sue, about a week and a half before the NFL announced its Pro Bowl teams for this season.
If he did not make it this time, the Ravens linebacker told his most loyal supporter, he would not know how to make sense of it, because, “I did everything I needed to.”
When that recognition came Wednesday — the culmination of a four-year rise from lambasted first-round draft pick to stalwart in one of the NFL’s finest defenses — Queen was overcome. He said he had never felt more accomplished as a football player, even when he helped LSU win a national championship at the end of his final college season.
“Finally,” he said as Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta pulled him in for a long embrace after informing him he’d made it. He and his running mate, Roquan Smith, claimed the two inside linebacker spots on the AFC’s roster. Three other teammates — center Tyler Linderbaum, safety Kyle Hamilton and defensive tackle Justin Madubuike — joined him as first-time honorees.
“So much work, so much dedication, so many sacrifices go into it,” Queen reflected Thursday. “For people around the league to respect my game and give a nod to me, it’s incredible.”
“I remember last year, when he found out he didn’t make it, he took it hard,” said Queen’s friend and locker room neighbor, safety Geno Stone. “I just feel like he deserved that moment. He had worked for it all his life. We talk all the time, especially having come in together, about how you always dream of stuff like that.”
Tears welled in Queen’s eyes as he processed how far he’d come over four seasons.
He had just turned 21 when he debuted, not ready for the “next Ray Lewis” mantle fans and writers were so eager to place on him. When his erratic play led to backlash from that same chorus, he took it personally and placed more pressure on himself.
“My first two years were definitely rough, for me and the fan base,” he said. “But I knew what type of person I am. I don’t run from a fight. There was so much work I had to put in, understanding that I came into the league raw, young, without much experience under my belt. I didn’t expect it to be that hard.”
Teammates recognized his growing pains.
“He took a lot of criticism along the way, and he’s a guy who shows his emotions a a lot, sometimes on social media,” Stone said. “It takes time in the league to find yourself.”
The Queen of today bears little resemblance to that self-flagellating rookie. He was one of the first Ravens to proclaim how special this year’s team could become, and he’s among the first to spit verbal fire at opponents.
“We play a brand of football that people don’t want to play,” he said after the Ravens thumped the San Francisco 49ers on Christmas night. “Everybody wants to be out here [being] cute, playing basketball on grass and stuff, and we [are not] with all that. You can do all that stuff; we’re just going to hit you in the mouth every play, honestly.”
He has backed those fierce words with fierce play, reaching a career-high 125 tackles and earning the best Pro Football Focus grade of his four-year tenure with the Ravens despite playing through a shoulder injury that flared up again in the Ravens’ 56-19 blowout of the Miami Dolphins last Sunday.
2023 NFL: Seattle Seahawks at Baltimore Ravens
Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore SunRavens linebacker Patrick Queen, right, celebrates after dropping Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III for a loss Nov. 5. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)In typically gritty fashion, Queen said he does not plan to rest his shoulder Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, despite the fact the Ravens have nothing to gain by winning. He figures it will be his kind of game, and he loathes the idea of losing to a rival twice in the same season.
“I could use the rest, but at the same time, I do want to play; it’s Pittsburgh,” he said. “Those guys come out fierce, try to do their thing. [They] try to come out, punch you in the mouth and stuff, so that’s my type of game. It isn’t going to be no treat or anything. They’re just coming out, they’re lined up, and they say, ‘Can you stop us?’ So that’s something that you respect [about] a team, and that’s why I am kind of excited to play.”
Queen feels he can only “get overwhelmed by stuff” if he looks past the next opponent to the Ravens’ playoff opener on the third weekend of January. That same live-in-the-moment ethic applies when the topic turns to where Queen might play next season.
The Ravens did not pick up his fifth-year option, meaning he’s headed for free agency. Though the decision stung initially, Queen quickly shifted to viewing it as a “blessing in disguise.” He wants to stay in Baltimore but has pumped up his market value this season, meaning the Ravens, with a raft of free agents hitting the market, might not be able to afford him, especially with Smith slated to make $91 million over the next four years.
That speculation doesn’t interest him much at the moment.
“It comes up every now and then, but at the end of the day, I’m happy where I’m at right now,” he said. “We’ve still got a lot of games left to play, with that one goal that we all want. If we achieve that, I think everything else will take care of itself.”
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CINCINNATI — Two seasons ago, the playoff-bound Cincinnati Bengals rested most of their starters in a meaningless regular-season finale at Cleveland against the also-ran Browns, who were wrapping up a disappointing season.
The scenario will be flipped on Sunday.
Cleveland (11-5), looking ahead to a playoff game next weekend, will finish the regular season in Cincinnati against the Bengals (8-8), who’ve got no place to go but home.
The Browns will hold out many of their core players against Cincinnati, including soon-to-be 39-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco, who came off his couch to win four games in December and push the Browns into the playoffs for just the third time since 1999.
Flacco, who led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl title after the 2012 season, has normally fatalistic Cleveland fans believing this could be a special season after throwing for 1,616 yards in five starts since he was signed on Nov. 20.
Flacco is playing only because the Browns lost $230 million franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson to a season-ending shoulder injury in November, and rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson went down with a hip injury late in December.
After plugging holes and maneuvering lineups all season, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski isn’t taking any chances and will rest as many players as he can.
“I feel like we’ve earned that opportunity with how we took care of business the previous week,” Stefanski said.
Cleveland will face Cincinnati using its fifth quarterback as Jeff Driskel, signed off Arizona’s practice squad last week, is slated to start.
The Browns are just the eighth team since 1950 to win with four QBs in the same season, and they can join the 1987 New England Patriots as the only teams to win a game with five starting quarterbacks.
Looking ahead
The Browns are the No. 5 seed and will open the playoffs next weekend against the AFC South champion. That could be Jacksonville, which would clinch the division with a win over Tennessee. If the Jaguars lose, the Indianapolis-Houston winner would win the division.
Won’t back down
The Bengals want to finish on a positive note — and above the .500 mark — in a season that saw franchise quarterback Joe Burrow miss training camp because of a strained calf muscle and then suffer a season-ending wrist injury.
“We expected to be here playing for the playoffs,” said defensive end Sam Hubbard, who plans to play even though he’ll need postseason surgery for an unspecified injury. “That’s not how it worked out. With Joe going down early in training camp, all types of stuff happening. Crazy. But that’s life in the NFL. Every year will not go how you draw it up.”
(Un)welcome to the jungle
Given his record against them, Flacco didn’t seem all that upset about not facing the Bengals — especially on the road.
“Yeah, I hate going to Cincinnati,” he said. “They’ve always played us tough.”
Forgive Flacco. By “us” he means the Ravens, his team for 11 seasons. He’s still getting used to being in Cleveland.
Flacco is 9-12 in his career against the Bengals, quite a contrast to his 18-3 record against the Browns.
Last impression
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett will likely join Flacco on the sideline, missing a chance to pad his stats or boost his Defensive Player of the Year resume.
He’s never won the award, and a strong finish might help him gain a few more votes with ballots from the national media due Monday.
As far as Stefanski’s concerned, Garrett, who was named a Pro Bowler for the fifth time, has done more than enough during his most dominant season.
“I don’t know that Myles needs to do anything more on a football field to convince anyone how important he’s been to our football team,” Stefanski said. “Said it before, I’ll say it again, he’s the best player on the best defense in the National Football League. That counts for something.”
So close
The Bengals were still in the playoff picture until a 25-17 loss at Kansas City last Sunday in which the Chiefs rallied to win with six straight field goals.
Quarterback Jake Browning was outstanding at times in leading Cincinnati to a 3-3 record after Burrow went down on Nov. 16, but the Bengals self-destructed with mistakes all over the field the last two weeks.
Cincinnati won the AFC North the past two seasons, advancing to the Super Bowl after the 2021 campaign, and to the AFC championship game last season.
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To say the Ravens clinching the top seed in the AFC and the first-round bye in the playoffs with its blowout of the Miami Dolphins on Sunday couldn’t have come at a better time would be an understatement.
Baltimore has ruled out six players, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, for Saturday afternoon’s regular-season finale against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, while another six are questionable. Some of those moves were the decision of coach John Harbaugh, given that the outcome of Saturday’s game is meaningless for the Ravens, who will start backup quarterback Tyler Huntley and rest Jackson for the divisional round.
Of note, five players listed as questionable are defensive backs: cornerbacks Brandon Stephens (ankle), Arthur Maulet (hip) and Ronald Darby (illness) and safeties Kyle Hamilton (knee) and Ar’Darius Washington (pectoral).
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf), safety Daryl Worley (shoulder/ankle) and outside linebacker Malik Harrison (groin) will not play, likely leaving cornerbacks Rock Ya-Sin and Damarion “Pepe” Williams and safeties Marcus Williams and Geno Stone to lead a shorthanded secondary.
On offense, the Ravens will be without wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (rest/coach’s decision). Rookie receiver Zay Flowers (calf) is doubtful, while special teams standout and reserve wideout Tylan Wallace (knee) is questionable. Right guard Kevin Zeitler (knee/quad/coach’s decision) is out.
Flowers did not practice all week, while Wallace was limited.
For the Steelers, safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) and Trenton Thompson (neck) are questionable, as is linebacker Elandon Roberts (pectoral), though Roberts told reporters Thursday that he would play. All three players practiced on a limited basis this week.
Also limited Thursday were outside linebacker T.J. Watt (rest) and defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (groin), though neither has an injury designation and both are expected to play. Linebacker Myles Jack (personal) and left guard Isaac Seumalo (shoulder) missed practice Thursday but both are also expected to suit up.
While the Ravens have nothing to play for but pride, the Steelers are still fighting for a playoff berth. Pittsburgh clinches a spot with the following scenarios:
Steelers win + Bills loss OR
Steelers win + Jaguars loss or tie OR
Steelers win + Texans-Colts tie OR
Steelers tie + Jaguars loss + Texans-Colts doesn’t end in tie OR
Jaguars loss + Broncos win + Texans-Colts doesn’t end in tie -
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The Ravens’ backfield got a potential boost a little more than two weeks before the team begins its quest for a Super Bowl title.
Free agent running back Dalvin Cook is signing with the Ravens’ practice squad, his agent confirmed to The Baltimore Sun on Thursday. The move comes after Cook parted ways with the Jets on Tuesday following less than a year in New York and went unclaimed on waivers Thursday.
Baltimore was one of at least two teams interested in the four-time Pro Bowl selection, including the Dallas Cowboys.
The signing comes after the Ravens (13-3) lost running back J.K. Dobbins to a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in Week 1 and rookie Keaton Mitchell to a torn ACL last month. ESPN was first to report the move.
Gus Edwards (762 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns) and Justice Hill (387 yards, 3 TDs) have received the bulk of the carries in recent weeks behind quarterback and NFL Most Valuable Player Award favorite Lamar Jackson, the team’s leading rusher with 821 yards and five scores. Melvin Gordon III (63 yards on 19 carries), a two-time Pro Bowl selection, also had six carries for 10 yards and a touchdown after being promoted from the practice squad in Sunday’s 56-19 win over the Miami Dolphins that clinched the top seed in the AFC, the first-round bye and home-field advantage through the conference championship game.
Cook, 28, signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Jets this summer after the arrival of future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers as something of an insurance policy for Breece Hall, who was coming off a torn ACL. But Hall ended up being largely healthy, playing in 16 games, and Cook, a 2017 second-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings, never got his footing in New York, rushing for just 214 yards on 67 carries with no touchdowns.
With the Jets, Cook averaged just under 4.8 carries per game and 3.2 yards per carry, easily the lowest mark of his career, and played only 202 snaps on offense, his lowest tally since his injury-shortened rookie year.
Week 1 was the only time that he received double-digit carries in New York, and after playing 50% of the offensive snaps in the opener, he played no more than 36% the rest of the way. That eventually led to Cook saying a lack of touches was “frustrating” and that he would speak to general manager Joe Douglas about a potential trade, though no deal materialized before the Oct. 31 deadline.
Before signing with the Jets, Cook spent the first six years of his career with Minnesota, where he rushed for 6,165 yards and 49 touchdowns in the regular season and playoffs and topped the 1,000-yard mark four straight seasons from 2019 to 2022.
His best season came in 2020, when he ran for 1,557 yards and 16 touchdowns during the regular season, both career highs. He is also an adept receiver out of the backfield, with 251 catches for 1,926 yards and five touchdowns in his career, including the postseason.
Cook will forfeit the remaining guaranteed money on his contract for the move to take place, according to multiple reports. His deal called for a guaranteed $5.8 million salary this year, per Over The Cap.
The Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) in Saturday afternoon’s regular-season finale.
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After Michigan’s dramatic, come-from-behind 27-20 overtime win over Alabama in Monday’s Rose Bowl, which sent the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff national championship game, the parents of winning coach Jim Harbaugh were there to take it all in.
It’s not uncommon for family members to share in the revelry of such a crowning achievement. It was, after all, Michigan’s first playoff win, a breakthrough moment for a program that hasn’t won a national title since 1997 and was engulfed in a sign-stealing scandal this season that led to the suspension of its coach, a settlement with the Big Ten Conference and an impassioned defense from Harbaugh’s older brother.
So when Jackie Harbaugh was asked for her reaction by WXYZ Detroit’s Brad Galli after seeing her 60-year-old son win the most important game of his nine seasons at the helm at his alma mater, she said what every Wolverines fan was probably thinking.
“Are you kidding me?! They won! What’s better than that?!”
If that wasn’t enough, Jack Harbaugh led a rousing rendition of a rallying cry he said has been used in the family for a long time (and will sound familiar to Michigan and Ravens fans alike): “Who’s got it better than us? Nobody!”
The one-minute interview received close to 6 million views on X, formerly known as Twitter, shining a spotlight on perhaps the most famous coaching family in football. (Ravens coach John Harbaugh earned plenty of attention himself this week for dancing in the locker room and smearing blood on his forehead after Sunday’s big win over the Miami Dolphins.)
“It’s been amazing. I just couldn’t be happier,” Harbaugh, Jim’s older brother by one year, said after practice Wednesday in Owings Mills. “I was really happy for my mom and dad.”
Harbaugh said he wasn’t surprised to hear his parents superstitiously decided to switch seats before the Wolverines’ game-tying touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. Nor was he shocked to see his mother have such a strong reaction.
“That is so classic of them,” Harbaugh said. “Actually, thinking [about it], it probably did make the difference.
“My mom — you put a microphone in front of her face, or you hang out with her for a couple of minutes, you don’t even have to ask her what she thinks, she’s going to tell you what she thinks — I think [Galli] figured that out pretty quick, so it was fun to watch.”
He was happy to point out, too, that Michigan running back Blake Corum, who rushed for 83 yards, caught a touchdown pass and scored the eventual game-winning touchdown in overtime, played high school football at Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy.
While the Ravens are still playing, this time of year is perhaps not as busy — nor as stressful — for Harbaugh as it is most seasons. The Ravens clinched the top seed in the AFC with a dominant 56-19 win over the Dolphins on Sunday, so Saturday afternoon’s regular-season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers does not have any playoff implications for Baltimore. Harbaugh said Wednesday that star quarterback and likely NFL Most Valuable Player Award winner Lamar Jackson will not play, and several other starters are expected to join him on the bench.
So will Harbaugh attend the national championship game Monday at NRG Stadium in Houston to see No. 1 Michigan take on No. 2 Washington? You bet.
“I’m going to go to the game [and] take [my wife] Ingrid [Harbaugh], and we’re going to enjoy that,” he said.
Perhaps Jim will return the favor next month. The Ravens have the second-best odds to win the Super Bowl, which kicks off Feb. 11 in Las Vegas. And it could very well be the Ravens against the San Francisco 49ers, the same matchup that pitted brother against brother for the first time in Super Bowl history in February 2013.
If they’re lucky, maybe the Harbaugh family will have two championships to celebrate this year.
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Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will answer fans’ questions throughout the Ravens season. Coming off Baltimore’s 56-19 win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 17, plenty of questions remain heading into the regular-season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Here’s Preston’s take:
(Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.)
Outside of the stellar play by the players this season, I feel like the coaching has really helped Ravens become a juggernaut too. From top to bottom, do you think this is probably John Harbaugh’s best overall coaching staff that he’s assembled? — Paul in Orlando
That’s a hard question and I really don’t know the answer. With Harbaugh, he has reached a level of success in which his teams are expected to make the playoffs every year, and that’s a great standard. He has had to deal with a lot of injuries, but so has every other coach in the NFL. I am not in the meetings or on the field once the regular season starts, so it’s hard to say this was his best coaching staff. I think he has two really good coordinators in Todd Monken (offense) and Mike Macdonald (defense) and Harbaugh selected both.
Monken has come in and taught Lamar Jackson to become a better passer and more complete quarterback. Jackson had his best game against Miami last week as far as accuracy and being able to throw the long ball. Can he do it again? We’ll find out, but that’s the most important piece of the offense entering the postseason. Jackson couldn’t do that in his first five seasons in Baltimore.
With Macdonald, this is his second season as coordinator and the players are used to being in his system and have worked out a lot of the communication problems. The players like and respect Macdonald, and that’s been a major part of their success. The acquisition of middle linebacker Roquan Smith last season was a major piece of putting this defense together.
There has been a lot of criticism of Harbaugh through the years, but his strengths significantly outweigh his weaknesses, especially his organization and work ethic.
Since becoming coach in 2008, Harbaugh has worked hard to improve his relationship with “high maintenance” players and it has paid off. This might not be his best coaching job, but this is his most balanced and complete team, and it’s a reflection of him and his staff.
The Ravens won’t be able to retain all of their free agents because of the salary cap. Would it make sense in the Steelers game to give playing time to some current backups to see if they could start next year? — Harris Levy on X
It might make sense, but that certainly isn’t the main objective. These guys are professionals and they want to compete and win. Harbaugh has already said that Jackson won’t play and I suspect he’ll hold out other stars such as Smith and injured players such as safety Kyle Hamilton and rookie receiver Zay Flowers.
Players such as Smith and Jackson are irreplaceable and Hamilton and Flowers are major weapons. Harbaugh won’t reveal the other players who will be held out because he wants to keep Steelers coach Mike Tomlin guessing, which is a sound strategy.
But the reserves will come out and play hard. The NFL is all about opportunity, and for some of them it’s a chance of a lifetime. There are some who think players won’t give 100% because the game is virtually meaningless, but none of the Ravens want to walk into that film room Monday and see themselves getting beat.
Besides being professionals, there is also a pride factor. No player, regardless of which team he plays for, wants to get embarrassed on game day.
Which team is the worst matchup for the Ravens in the playoffs? — Mike VH on X
The Ravens probably would prefer not to play AFC North rivals Pittsburgh or Cleveland. Both of those teams are familiar with the Ravens and know their strengths and weaknesses better than Buffalo or Kansas City, who haven’t played Baltimore this season.
The Steelers and Browns have played in Baltimore through the years and know what it takes to be physical and win here. Cleveland beat the Ravens, 33-31, at M&T Bank Stadium on Nov. 12 and Pittsburgh beat the Ravens, 17-10, Oct. 8 at home. The Steelers have won six of the past seven meetings.
Members of the Ravens’ front office staff weren’t happy Pittsburgh kept its playoff hopes alive last week by beating the Seattle Seahawks, 30-23.
Looking at the progression of Justin Madubuike, do you see potential similar growth for Travis Jones? Both were third-round picks. The Ravens seem to have a strong history of developing mid-round lineman like Art Jones, Brandon Williams, Brent Urban etc. — Josh
There are some comparisons to be made. When Madubuike first got to Baltimore, he had some baby fat on him but has worked hard to build up his body. He is a specimen now with great quickness and a great “get off” at the snap, which allows him to penetrate and disrupt plays in the backfield.
Jones, at 6 feet 4 and 338 pounds, is bigger than Madubuike was when he was younger and has worked hard to transform his body as well. It’s clearly noticeable and he has played well the past couple of games. Jones doesn’t have Madubuke’s quickness, but he does have more bulk and might be stronger. If he has another strong offseason, he could become a force in his third season.
Now that the regular season is coming to a close, the annual influx of mock drafts is appearing. Other than “best player available,” what do you think the Ravens will be looking for in the 2024 NFL draft? — Bob in NC
Bob, they need offensive tackles. They’ve been rotating at the position for the past two games and that’s extremely unusual. Neither starters Ronnie Stanley nor Morgan Moses are probably happy, but the rotation with Patrick Mekari and sometimes Daniel Faalele has worked well. Both Stanley and Moses have been solid the past two weeks, and the extra rest from the first-round bye will help.
But the Ravens have to get younger and better on the outside, and they might have to find two guards as well because both starters, John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler, are free agents at the end of the season.
With Madubuike and nose tackle Michael Pierce on the free agent market as well, the Ravens might have to build on both interior lines.
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The Ravens thrashed the Miami Dolphins, 56-19, to clinch the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. The Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive with a 30-23 road win over the Seattle Seahawks. Who will have the edge when these rivals meet in Saturday’s regular-season finale at M&T Bank Stadium?
Ravens passing game vs. Steelers pass defense
Lamar Jackson played perhaps the best game of his career in the blowout over the Dolphins, likely securing his second NFL Most Valuable Player trophy and ensuring he will be inactive against Pittsburgh. With three other quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, the Ravens have options for covering Jackson’s snaps. Tyler Huntley will start, with third-stringer Josh Johnson as his backup. The Ravens could also use the second half to look at Malik Cunningham, whom they signed off the New England Patriots’ practice squad to compete for their backup job next summer. Cunningham also took practice reps at wide receiver Wednesday. Huntley is 3-5 as a starter in his career and has completed 65.6% of his passes, but the team’s offense will be less explosive, with wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers also candidates to rest for most or all of Saturday’s game. That could lead to increased opportunities for wide receivers Rashod Bateman (four catches, 54 yards against the Dolphins) and Nelson Agholor and tight end Charlie Kolar. Offensive line starters Morgan Moses, Ronnie Stanley and Kevin Zeitler might be active against Pittsburgh, but don’t expect significant workloads for them either.
The Ravens could be in for a difficult afternoon against the Steelers’ talented pass defense, which ranks seventh in DVOA and ninth in pressures per dropback. Pittsburgh blitzes frequently and features two of the league’s best edge rushers in T.J. Watt (17 sacks, 34 quarterback hits, eight passes defended) and Alex Highsmith (seven sacks, 18 quarterback hits). Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is usually in the same class but has struggled with a groin injury that sidelined him for six games. Rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has flashed considerable potential and made his lone interception in the Steelers’ Oct. 8 win over the Ravens. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, normally the top playmaker in Pittsburgh’s secondary, is working through a knee injury and was limited in practice Wednesday.
EDGE: Steelers
Steelers passing game vs. Ravens pass defense
The Steelers have sprung to life over the last two weeks with Mason Rudolph at quarterback and his positional coach, Mike Sullivan, calling the plays. Rudolph began the season third on the depth chart behind Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky, but Pittsburgh has scored more than 30 points in both of his starts after failing to reach even 20 in the previous five games. He has completed 68.5% of his passes with no interceptions, and the team’s most dynamic receiver, George Pickens, has exploded for 326 yards over the past two games. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson and tight end Pat Freiermuth, neither of whom played against the Ravens in October, are also back in the mix as significant targets. Starting tackles Broderick Jones and Dan Moore Jr. don’t grade as good pass blockers, according to Pro Football Focus, but the Steelers have allowed just 33 sacks this season.
They will take on a Ravens defense that ranks No. 1 in DVOA against the pass after holding Miami’s fast-paced aerial attack in check. They did it largely without starting cornerbacks Brandon Stephens and Marlon Humphrey and without do-it-all safety Kyle Hamilton. Expect those three to play little, if at all, against the Steelers, meaning cornerbacks Rock Ya-Sin, Ronald Darby and Arthur Maulet will again have to step up. Coordinator Mike Macdonald eschewed blitzes and trickery at the line of scrimmage in a successful second half against Miami, and it will be interesting to see if he goes vanilla against the Steelers given the low stakes. The Ravens lead the league in sacks, and veterans Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy are shooting to reach double digits, but they, along with top interior pass rusher Justin Madubuike, could rest more than usual.
EDGE: Ravens
Ravens running game vs. Steelers run defense
The Ravens lead the league in rushing and added 160 yards on 32 attempts against the Dolphins despite missing speedy rookie Keaton Mitchell, who’s out for the season. They will probably look quite different against the Steelers without Jackson drawing defensive attention and with top running backs Gus Edwards and Justice Hill seeing limited work. It could be a big day for veteran Melvin Gordon III, who bided his time on the practice squad most of the season but churned for a 7-yard score when he got in against Miami. The Ravens could also call up Owen Wright to take some carries.
They’ll take on a decent Pittsburgh run defense that has allowed 4.3 yards per carry but has held opponents under 100 yards three of the past four weeks. The Steelers’ top tackler, linebacker Elandon Roberts, is dealing with a pectoral injury that limited him in practice Wednesday. Watt and Highsmith are excellent run defenders on the edges, while Heyward is still sturdy in the middle.
EDGE: Even
Steelers running game vs. Ravens run defense
Pittsburgh continues to split carries between Jaylen Warren, who averages 5.4 yards per attempt, and Najee Harris, who’s coming off his best game of the season in Seattle. The pair combined for 197 yards on 40 carries against the Seahawks, though Harris did not practice Wednesday because of a knee injury. The Steelers weren’t a dynamic running team early in the season but have ground out at least 150 yards in five of their past nine games.
They will test a Ravens defense that has often conceded running room this season by going with lighter boxes. Miami’s De’Von Achane attacked them on the edge with 107 yards on 14 carries, knocking Macdonald’s defense down to 27th in yards per attempt allowed. Linebacker Roquan Smith is nursing a pectoral injury while his partner, Patrick Queen, aggravated a shoulder injury against the Dolphins, so the Ravens might rest their top two tacklers, though Queen said he plans to play. Malik Harrison, one of the team’s top edge setters, did not practice Wednesday because of a groin injury.
EDGE: Steelers
The Ravens will have the edge in special teams for Saturday’s game against the Steelers, thanks in part of Justin Tucker, left. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens special teams vs. Steelers special teams
The Ravens have vaulted all the way to No. 2 in special teams DVOA thanks to a return game that has only grown more dynamic with Tylan Wallace fielding punts and Hill taking kickoffs. Hill’s 78-yard kickoff return to start the second half helped bury the Dolphins. Justin Tucker has made 31 of 36 field goal attempts, though coach John Harbaugh chose to go for it on fourth-and-7 rather than ask Tucker to kick from beyond 50 yards into the wind against Miami.
The Steelers rank 18th in special teams, with kicker Chris Boswell’s excellent work (28 of 30 on field goal attempts, including 6 of 7 from 50 yards and beyond) mitigating below-average performance on punt coverage and punt returns.
EDGE: Ravens
Ravens intangibles vs. Steelers intangibles
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin faced unusually bitter criticism this year for sticking with offensive coordinator Matt Canada until late November, but he has his team in position to steal another playoff berth with a win over the Ravens and a bit of help. Like Harbaugh, Tomlin never seems to lose his grip on a season, and his team will certainly be motivated to keep its postseason chances alive. Pittsburgh has won six of its past seven against the Ravens, none by more than a touchdown and many of them with late rallies.
The Ravens could not be riding higher coming off demolitions of the Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers, but they earned the right to rest Jackson and their many banged-up starters in a game they have little incentive to win.
EDGE: Steelers
Prediction
The Ravens would be favored by at least a touchdown if they needed to win this game, but they don’t, and the Steelers will be fired up to keep their season alive. Rudolph has given their offense a jolt, and they’ll move the ball against the Baltimore reserves. The Ravens will keep it close — is it ever not when these teams play? — but won’t sacrifice the greater good to chase victory. Steelers 20, Ravens 19
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Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, safety Kyle Hamilton, inside linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen, defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, center Tyler Linderbaum and kicker Justin Tucker were named to the AFC’s Pro Bowl roster Wednesday night.
Hamilton, Smith, and Tucker were named starters in the Feb. 4 event in Orlando, Florida, the weekend before the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, which will consist of a flag football game and skills competition.
Only the San Francisco 49ers (nine) had more players selected than the Ravens, who have the NFL’s best record and locked up the top seed in the AFC with Sunday’s blowout of the Miami Dolphins. The Dallas Cowboys also had seven players chosen.
This marks the third time Jackson has been selected after also being chosen in 2019 and 2021. It also figures to be the first of several awards for the 26-year-old quarterback, who is the favorite to be named NFL Most Valuable Player for a second time after being the unanimous choice in 2019.
Jackson, who won’t play in Saturday’s regular season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers, threw for a career-high 3,678 yards along with 24 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 16 games. He also completed a career-best 67.2% of his passes and rushed for 821 yards and five scores. Sunday, he torched the Dolphins with 321 yards and five touchdowns on 18 of 21 passing to finish with a perfect passer rating (158.3) a week after throwing for 252 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-19 Christmas night romp over the 49ers.
For Hamilton, it’s his first Pro Bowl selection. The second-year, do-it-all safety out of Notre Dame has 81 tackles, 13 passes defended, four interceptions (one of which he returned for a touchdown), three sacks and has been the linchpin to the league’s best defense with the Ravens leading the NFL in points allowed (16.4), sacks (57) and takeaways (29).
“It’s kind of surreal,” Hamilton said in a statement. “I don’t think it has settled in yet. Honestly, growing up, watching the Pro Bowl every year, it’s cool to have the opportunity to play in it. Obviously, we want to be playing in the Super Bowl.”
It is also the first Pro Bowl selection for Madubuike, who has had a breakout year in his fourth season. The 26-year-old, who is in the final year of his rookie contract with Baltimore, has career highs in sacks (13), quarterback hits (32) and pressures (33).
Queen was likewise a first-time selection. His 125 tackles are a career-high and he matched a career high with six passes defensed while adding 3 1/2 sacks, nine tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
“The way we play, I think everyone on our defense should have made it, honestly,” Queen said. “The guys that didn’t make it, it’s a shoutout to them for how much time and effort and dedication that goes into us playing well as a unit. You could easily fall off at any point, and for our team to just be steady, be on the uphill climb and prove themselves every day, it means a lot for everyone.”
For Smith, it’s his second straight Pro Bowl selection. A two-time All Pro, he has the fifth-most tackles in the NFL this season with 158 along with one interception, which he snagged with one hand against the Dolphins. His 39 consecutive games with at least five tackles also marks the NFL’s longest active streak.
On offense, Linderbaum joins Hamilton in his making the Pro Bowl in his second year in the league. He also anchored a line that helped produce the conference’s second-best offense in yards (379.5) and points (29.6) per game. Baltimore also averages the AFC’s second-most yards per play (6) and third-most explosive plays (122) and allowed the group’s fewest plays of zero or negative yards, including incompletions (289). Linderbaum is one of five AFC centers with at least 800 snaps with fewer than four penalties this season.
Tucker, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, has converted on 31 of 36 field goal attempts so far and has missed just one kick inside 50 yards. His 143 total points are second-most in the NFL this season and it’s his seventh selection after also being chosen in 2013, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
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Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will not play in Saturday’s regular-season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers as coach John Harbaugh aims to keep his franchise player heathy going into the divisional round of the playoffs.
Backup Tyler Huntley will start, with Josh Johnson as his backup and Malik Cunningham also available to play. Harbaugh said Jackson will be inactive.
“Just all things considered, it seems to be the right thing to do,” Harbaugh said. “I had conversations with Lamar and others and made the decision.”
Jackson did not object.
“I’m cool with it,” he said. “Me and coach talked about it. I felt like it was best suitable to sit me and stuff like that for this round.”
He said he won’t feel any anguish watching his teammates try to eliminate the Steelers from playoff contention, because, “I believe ‘Snoop’ [Huntley] can get it done. I’ve got all the faith in my team.”
The decision closed out Jackson’s regular season, which is expected to land him a second NFL Most Valuable Player award. He started the Ravens’ first 16 games, completing 66.7% of his passes for a career-high 3,678 yards, with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He leads all quarterbacks with 821 rushing yards.
He finished with a flourish, leading back-to-back blowouts over the San Francisco 49ers and Dolphins to secure the AFC’s top seed. He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week on Wednesday after throwing five touchdown passes and recording a perfect passer rating against Miami.
The Ravens (13-3) clinched a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the conference championship game with that 56-19 win over the Dolphins on Sunday. Pittsburgh (9-7), on the other hand, needs a win over Baltimore and some help to secure a playoff berth. The Steelers were four-point favorites as of Wednesday evening with the Ravens expected to rest several starters.
In 2019, when Jackson became the second unanimous NFL MVP, he also sat out the regular-season finale against the Steelers with Baltimore having already clinched the AFC’s top seed.
Huntley, who signed as an undrafted free agent out of Utah in 2020, is 3-5 as a starter in four seasons with the Ravens. He earned a Pro Bowl selection last season as an injury replacement after throwing for 658 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions and rushing for 137 yards in six games (four starts) during the regular season as Jackson sat out with a sprained PCL in his knee.
With Jackson sidelined, Huntley also started the Ravens’ wild-card playoff game against the host Cincinnati Bengals. He nearly led a stunning upset before fumbling at the goal line on a quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter, and the ball was returned 98 yards for the decisive touchdown in a 24-17 loss.
The decision on Jackson is the most obvious manifestation of a broader puzzle the Ravens are attempting to solve: How do they offer rest and recuperation time to key players who need it while maintaining their competitive edge ahead of their playoff opener on the third weekend in January?
“We have a two-fold thought process right now,” Harbaugh said.
Jackson said he will “keep my body moving around, just keep being locked in like we’ve been all season and treat it as a bye week.”
Ravens vs. Texans
Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore SunFrom left, Ravens quarterbacks Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley and Josh Johnson warm up before a game. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)He and his teammates believe they’ve succeeded by not looking past any opponent, and practice or even any individual play. They vowed to maintain that granular focus, even as some of them sit out or play less than usual against the Steelers.
“Even though I’m not playing, our guys got the Steelers, so we’re going to focus on the Steelers, and then we’re going to focus on the following week,” Jackson said.
Linebacker Patrick Queen said he plans to play, even though he’s nursing a shoulder injury, and made it clear he does not want to lose to the Steelers, who rallied to upset the Ravens in October.
“I can use the rest, but at the same time, I do want to play — it’s Pittsburgh,” he said. “Those guys come out fierce, try to punch you in the mouth and stuff, so that’s my type of game. There ain’t going to be no tricks or disguises, any of that kind of stuff. They line up and say, ‘Can you stop us?’ That’s something you respect, and that’s why I am kind of excited to play.”
He doesn’t see much value in looking past the Steelers to the playoffs. “I think if you look too much to the future, you kind of get overwhelmed by stuff,” he said. “You start focusing on the wrong things and not the right things. For me, it’s just, I’m in the moment right now.”
The Ravens did not achieve the desired result in 2019, when they rested Jackson and other key players such as left tackle Ronnie Stanley and tight end Mark Andrews in the regular-season finale only to come out flat two weeks later in their 28-12 divisional round loss to the Tennessee Titans.
The Ravens faced a similar scenario four years ago, against the same opponent no less. They had won 11 straight and had clinched home-field advantage and a first-round bye going into the final weekend of the regular season. They had little incentive to beat the Steelers, who still had a chance to make the playoffs with a victory.
The Ravens, with Griffin starting at quarterback, continued their roll that day, overpowering Pittsburgh, 28-10, behind dominant defense and 223 rushing yards.
Though Harbaugh was cautious, the snap counts from that game illustrate a point he reiterated this week: NFL teams can’t rest all their key players because they only have 48 spots to work with. “It’s a little bit overstated just because you just … it’s not like the preseason where you have a bunch of guys,” he said.
In that 2019 finale, starting cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters played 98% and 94% of the team’s defensive snaps, respectively. On offense, linemen Orlando Brown Jr., Bradley Bozeman and Patrick Mekari played every snap, while starting wide receivers Willie Snead IV and Marquise Brown played more than half.
Other than Jackson, the only player Harbaugh ruled out for Saturday’s game was defensive back Daryl Worley. He acknowledged he and his staff will need to be creative.
“It’s like a puzzle except the puzzle pieces are constantly morphing into different shapes day by day,” he said, alluding to the injuries various starters, including safety Kyle Hamilton, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and right guard Kevin Zeitler, are dealing with.
“The guys who are in the game are going to give everything they’ve got,” he said.
Week 18
Steelers at Ravens
Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
TV: ABC, ESPN
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
Line: Steelers by 4
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Lamar Jackson “played a perfect football game in terms of the passing game,” as Ravens coach John Harbaugh put it Sunday after Baltimore’s 56-19 blowout of the Miami Dolphins to wrap up the top seed in the AFC.
Jackson finished with a perfect passer rating of 158.3 after completing 18 of 21 passes for 321 yards and five touchdowns. It was the third time in his career he’s done so, and for the performance he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, the NFL announced Wednesday.
It is the second time this season Jackson has received the honor; the other came after he threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another in a Week 7 rout of the Detroit Lions.
Jackson, who could sit in Saturday’s regular-season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers, is the favorite to win his second NFL Most Valuable Player Award.
“He is a warrior, busting his tail day in and day out,” Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith said of Jackson’s performance against the Dolphins. “He came out here — we’re at ‘The Bank’ – [and] he knows we have to protect ‘The Bank’ by any means necessary, and he did just that. Look where we are; we go through him. So, I’m just proud to be on his team and not going against him.”
With one game left in the regular season, Jackson has thrown for a career-high 3,678 yards along with 24 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. He has also completed a career-best 67.2% of his passes and rushed for 821 yards and five scores.
This is the 10th time Jackson has been named AFC Offensive Player of the Week in his career, including five times in 2019 when he was the unanimous NFL MVP.
Ravens Insider: Mike Preston: Ravens’ loss is John Harbaugh’s gain in preparation for playoff run | COMMENTARY
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The Ravens lost, but they also won.
It’s just not because they came away from a 17-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Saturday’s regular-season finale without any major injuries, but the setback will serve as a major learning tool for coach John Harbaugh.
Harbaugh was already in teaching mode immediately after the loss before an announced crowd of 70,355 at M&T Bank Stadium.
“I thought we played really hard. I thought we played tough,” he said. “We didn’t play great by any stretch. We can certainly stop the run better, [and] we gave up the big pass play. I thought the pass rush was really good, and the coverage was good for the most part except for one play.
“Offensively, I thought we fought. I thought ‘Snoop’ [quarterback Tyler Huntley] out there fought and played hard and the circumstances — the rain and the stuff like that and the wind — I thought he made some really good throws. We ran the ball OK.”
And those two fumbles?
“We turned the ball over a couple of times and just gave them opportunities to score points, that was it,” he said. “We take that into the playoffs. We already know that, and we understand how to win, but it’s a nice little reminder that you have to protect the football to win games.”
Agreed.
That’s been the story of the Ravens (13-4) whenever they have lost this season. It’s the case for just about every team in the NFL, but few teams can dominate opponents the way the Ravens do. They physically mauled the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins.
Even when they lose, they control the action. That happened in a 22-19 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3, as well as another 17-10 defeat to the Steelers in Week 5 when they dropped seven passes, including three in the end zone.
So while they could have beaten rival Pittsburgh (10-7) on Saturday in a game that would have all but knocked the Steelers out of playoff contention, the loss allowed them to refocus and regain an edge.
The Ravens needed this. They had won six games in a row and 10 of their past 11. They had outscored their previous three opponents 112-45 following a 37-31 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 10.
The Ravens weren’t in a sour mood in the locker room after the game, but they’ve gotten the message. They gave up a 71-yard touchdown pass from Mason Rudolph to Diontae Johnson on the first play of the fourth quarter that gave the Steelers a 14-7 lead. Then running back Gus Edwards fumbled at the Ravens’ 27-yard line with 7:19 left and Pittsburgh recovered.
Nine plays and 25 yards later, Chris Boswell kicked a 25-yard field goal with 3:13 remaining and that was virtually the end of the game.
“ can’t dwell on it, even though you wanted to go out there and send [the Steelers] home,” Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen said. “Now, they have a chance to be in the playoffs, so it definitely stings a little bit. At the end of the day, we’ve written a lot of pages in our book right now that settles up pretty good right now.
“We have a week to prepare. Then, [we] find out who we have to play [in the playoffs], and then we go into that. So, nobody is hanging their head or anything. If we see those guys again, we’ll be ready.”
That’s the important part of Saturday’s result. The Ravens were clearly the better team, but they played without starting quarterback Lamar Jackson and other starters such as middle linebacker Roquan Smith, safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
It was virtually the junior varsity.
The Ravens stayed in the game for most of the contest but they didn’t have Pittsburgh’s running game, intensity or sense of urgency. The Steelers needed the win, and that was their driving force.
The Ravens wanted to win and push their nemesis out of the playoff race, but that was secondary. They earned the right to gain home-field advantage in the playoffs, get a first-round bye and rest players until the divisional round.
Mission accomplished.
Even if the Steelers get into the postseason, they aren’t going far. Their quarterback has no pocket awareness, and they’ve lost star outside linebacker T.J. Watt for some time because of a reported mild knee sprain.
The Ravens, though, do have some weaknesses. Their offensive tackles, Morgan Moses and Ronnie Stanley, were beaten badly Saturday. The run defense was soft again as the Steelers, led by running back Najee Harris, had 155 yards on 39 carries.
Safety Marcus Williams looks slow and out of place again, but at least the Ravens have two weeks to prepare. They’ll be rested and everyone should be healthy for the playoffs.
Unlike in 2019, when the Ravens had the AFC’s No. 1 seed and lost to the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round, Jackson has four more years of experience and the Ravens have veterans such as receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor and outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who have won Super Bowl titles with other teams.
And now, the Ravens probably got their edge back.
If not, Harbaugh will remind them.
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