ExtremeRavens Posted 17 hours ago Posted 17 hours ago Surprisingly, this is a new one. For the first time in their storied, decades-old rivalry, the Ravens and Steelers (9-7) will meet for a winner-take-all regular season finale. There are hats and T-shirts on the line. Baltimore (8-8) could be a playoff team by the end of the weekend. Who will have the advantage Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium? Ravens passing game vs. Steelers pass defense The Steelers have been a thorn in Lamar Jackson’s side, perhaps more than any other team over his eight-year career. He’s started eight games against Pittsburgh and lost five. Jackson’s touchdown-to-interception ratio is a putrid 11 to 10. He’s rushed for only one touchdown and coughed up three fumbles. So even though the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player is healthy, returning from a back injury suffered in Week 16, there’s something about this division rival that tempers expectations for the kind of game-changing, quarterback mastery he’s capable of. Whether defensive lineman T.J. Watt can play will have major implications on Baltimore’s ability to stay on schedule. He can muck up an opposing run game, and in 17 career games against the Ravens, he has 17 sacks. “You just have to be calm,” said Jackson, who enjoyed a full week of practice for the first time in nearly two months. “You have to be calm in the storm. So, that’s my approach. And I feel like that’s the team’s approach.” EDGE: Steelers Steelers passing game vs. Ravens pass defense Last time these teams met, Aaron Rodgers had no issues picking apart the Ravens’ secondary to the tune of season-high 284 yards and a touchdown. Anyone who watched the Steelers lose in Cleveland last weekend — particularly the final two minutes — knows why this rematch might look a bit different. Rodgers didn’t have his favorite target, DK Metcalf, who’s serving a two-game suspension. It was obvious in that loss. Rodgers passed for 168 yards and never found the end zone. He’ll also be without tight end Darnell Washington, who broke his arm in Cleveland, although he could get some help from speedy Calvin Austin III returning from injury. Another plus for Baltimore: Most of the explosive plays allowed in their first meeting came by Pittsburgh exploiting one-on-one matchups. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he’s noticed that the Ravens secondary stray away from man coverage in favor of zone looks to minimize an opposing team’s air raid. “I think that our fundamentals and technique have to be better and more consistent,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said. “Sometimes they make plays, and it’s a good throw, good catch, and you live with that. But what’s unacceptable is playing with bad eyes, bad fundamentals and not giving yourself a chance.” EDGE: Ravens Ravens running game vs. Steelers run defense Derrick Henry. Need we say more? He’s coming off the best showing of his Ravens career: four touchdowns with 216 yards on 36 carries, all season highs. Henry wasn’t merely a one-dimensional freight train. According to Next Gen Stats, he ran for 100-plus yards between the tackles and another 100-plus out toward the boundary, the fourth such versatile game of his career. No other running back has done that once in the past decade. “It’s gonna be a challenge for us,” former Raven and current Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen said. “But I think we’re built for the challenge. I think every single guy in the locker room is fired up for the challenge.” Pittsburgh’s defense wouldn’t be the first group forced to eat such mid-week confidence. But the Steelers have more ground to stand on as the best run stoppers in the NFL over the past three weeks, allowing the fewest rushing yards per game (52) and per carry (2.9). EDGE: Steelers Steelers running game vs. Ravens run defense An unstoppable force is about to meet an immovable object. The Ravens have an elite run defense; one the best in the NFL. Across the line, Pittsburgh owns the league’s second best rushing attack over the past month (165.3), second only to Baltimore. Harbaugh called Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell “top of the line running backs.” The question here is whether the Ravens’ secondary can hold up enough that the Steelers aren’t able to follow in Green Bay’s footsteps, abandon the run and lean into a pass-heavy offense. EDGE: Ravens Ravens special teams vs. Steelers special teams The Steelers’ special teams unit was once among the most consistent in the NFL. They’ve been shaky lately. Kicker Chris Boswell has a miss in each of the past two weeks. Long snapper Christian Kuntz has had multiple poor snaps lately. A divisional rivalry in murky conditions could feasibly come down to a few innocuous special teams plays, and the Ravens have been the more reliable group. EDGE: Ravens Ravens intangibles vs. Steelers intangibles Calls for heads to roll have grown louder with disappointing seasons in Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The narrative heading into Sunday is that both Harbaugh and Tomlin, whether it’s rooted in fact or not (it’s likely still undecided and both are still under contract), are coaching for their jobs. They’re the two longest-tenured active coaches in the NFL. Each has a Super Bowl ring. Each has been booed by their home fans at some point this season. If one side comes out flat on Sunday, calls for a firing will only grow louder. The other might save themselves — at least from continued discourse — by earning a home playoff game. So the edge here goes ever so slightly to the betting line road favorites. And who knows, maybe both jobs are safe no matter what happens because they’re two of the most consistently successful coaches in the NFL and this has been a weird year across the league. EDGE: Ravens Prediction A few factors that could help determine how this game goes intertwine like a loaf of challah. The Ravens have been much sharper on the road (5-2) than they are at home (3-6). They’ve also played worse in prime-time games compared with the afternoon slate. Both quarterbacks are in line for legacy games: Jackson, a quintessential final test for this bumpy regular season; and Rodgers, 42 years old looking to turn back the clock in what could be his final shot at a playoff run. The upward trend of the Ravens of late compared with the downward arrow in Pittsburgh provides more confidence in Baltimore — by a smidge. It feels like a toss up between two teams unworthy of playoff contention. That all said, no DK Metcalf leaves a gaping hole in the Steelers’ offense. Metcalf torched the Ravens when these teams met a few weeks back. Expect Rodgers to play better than he did in Cleveland, but not by enough to overpower what is still a talented Ravens secondary. Ravens 20, Steelers 17. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. Ravens coach John Harbaugh speaks to the media after practice. Baltimore needs a win over Pittsburgh on Sunday to make the postseason. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) View the full article Quote
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