ExtremeRavens Posted January 8 Posted January 8 The Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers will face tough weather conditions when they meet in an AFC wild-card game Saturday night at M&T Bank Stadium. Fox Weather meteorologist Ian Oliver predicts about 1 to 2 inches of snow before the game, but that might not be the worst of it. The skies could be clear for the 8 p.m. kickoff, but frigid conditions are expected when temperatures are predicted to fall to 26 degrees with wind chills in the teens. The wind gusts could reach 15 miles per hour, affecting how well the teams can throw the ball and impact kicks. “It’s a matchup that has AFC North written all over it, obviously, but the snow itself looks to be in and out before the kick,” said Oliver, who also hosts a podcast called Storming the Field where two meteorologists discuss the risk of weather impacts on NFL games. “It doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the most pleasant tailgate of all time, but it’s nothing these two teams don’t know all about.” Despite the tough conditions, Oliver expects the players to embrace the challenge because it is a playoff game and the stakes are so high. “In the postseason, it’s a whole different bag of worms,” Oliver said. “The cold and the breeze will have more of an impact than the snow at this point. That’s what the forecast trends are leaning toward.” The Ravens and Steelers split the regular season meetings. Pittsburgh won 18-16 at Acrisure Stadium on Nov. 17. The Ravens won the most previous matchup 34-17 at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 21 when temperatures dipped below freezing. Jason La Canfora, a longtime NFL journalist and the co-host of Inside Access on 105.7 FM, contends the brutal weather conditions could favor the Steelers. The Ravens’ top wide receiver, Zay Flowers, is dealing with a knee injury and his status is uncertain. “The Ravens should be able to move the ball on Pittsburgh a multitude of ways, so any intense wind or snow would be to their detriment making them potentially more dimensional and predictable than they would otherwise be,” La Canfora said. “The Steelers passing game had already shriveled up and in the last meeting. Short and intermediate passes to the middle of the field worked best for them – running back Jaylen Warren caught all five of his targets mostly wide open for nearly 50 yards – so I don’t think it would limit them nearly as much. “And if Zay Flowers is out, too, it might further constrict the scope of an offense that was historic in its balance in the regular season.” Oliver said the “X” factor will be the Ravens’ 6-foot-3, 247-pound running back Derrick Henry, whose bruising style of play will be difficult for the Steelers to contain, especially late in the game. “That’s why Derrick Henry is in Baltimore … he wanted a [Super Bowl] ring,” Oliver said. “I would say advantage Ravens.” Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@baltsun.com or on X as @ToddKarpovich. View the full article Quote
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