I do not care who you are if you are a fan of football; all eyes should be glued to the TV this Sunday night when the Baltimore Ravens travel to Heinz Field to take on the rival Pittsburgh Steelers. With all due respect to other rivalries like the Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears or the Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles, nothing compares to the good old fashioned blood bath of a game that will occur on Sunday Night.
When it comes down to it this Sunday, the records will fly out the windows. The statistics will fly out the window. Everything you thought you knew about these two teams will fly out the window. Somehow, someway, when these two teams meet, they turn in their best performances of the season, no matter where they stand in the rankings or polls. Since 2008, these two teams have met 23 times with the Steelers holding the upper hand with a 12-11 record. However, only five of these 23 games have had a score differential at the end that exceeded 7 points. Translation? Buckle up, it is going to be a close one.
Let us take a look at the key storylines that will affect the outcome of this game.
Can the Baltimore Ravens bury the Pittsburgh Steelers Playoff Chances?
Currently, the Ravens are sitting pretty, tied atop of the AFC North with a 2-1 record. All the way down at the bottom are the dreaded Pittsburgh Steelers with a 1-1-1 record. Yes, that additional 1 is because the Steelers tied the Cleveland Browns on opening day.
As it stands now, the Ravens only hold a half game lead over the Steelers, but with a win, the Ravens would sit at the top with a 3-1 record and a much needed divisional win. This would put the Steelers at 1-2-1 and a full 1.5 games behind the Ravens, and while this lead is not insurmountable, starting out the season at 1-2-1 with two divisional games being played is not how the Steelers would like to start their season. It would mean that the Steelers would be continually chasing the Ravens in the standings and hoping for a loss each and every week, making each win that much more crucial to catch.
However, should the Ravens lose, the Ravens would fall to third place in the division and sit 0.5 games behind the Steelers in the rankings. More importantly, though, the Ravens would then have started the season at 0-2 in the division with a crucial third divisional game against the Browns fast approaching the very next week.
The Ravens are seeking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. If they are to do this and attempt to send Ozzie Newsome out on top, this game is a must win to edge into the playoffs over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
Can the Baltimore Ravens Corral the Pittsburgh Steelers Passing Attack?
Does any other Ravens fan remember the good old days when Antonio Brown was the only real receiving threat for the Pittsburgh Steelers at wide receiver? Sure, guys like Emmanuel Sanders and Martavis Byrant were good receivers, but they were just another guy. They did not scare teams in the same way that Antonio Brown did and teams could generally feel pretty good stopping Antonio Brown, even if the others go some yardage because it was not usually back breaking from the other receivers. And the talent at tight end was nearly non-existent in the passing game.
I would love to have those days back because on Sunday night, things could get ugly fast for the Baltimore Ravens pass defense. In addition to Antonio Brown, the Steelers may have found another absolute stud in Juju Smith-Schuster. With all due respect to Tyus Bowser, Smith-Schuster absolutely should have been the second round pick for the Ravens in the 2017 draft, but hindsight is 20-20. What matters now is that Smith-Schuster’s line of 27-356-1 is outpacing Brown’s 24-210-2.
To be fair, having the best receiver in the NFL in Antonio Brown taking coverage away from Smith-Schuster has clearly benefitted Smith-Schuster’s stat line, but that does not take away from the fact that it is increasingly becoming a pick your poison game. While Brown may not have yet gone over 100 yards in his first three games this season, Smith-Schuster has gone over 100 yards each of first three games. If you dedicate attention to Brown, Smith-Schuster will burn your defense. If you dedicate attention to Smith-Schuster, Brown is ready to pop off at the slightest opportunity. It is no longer a game of stop Antonio Brown, stop the Steelers passing game. The Ravens will need monumental, best game of their career games from Marlon Humphrey and Tavon Young.
After suffering a torn ACL in 2017, Young has been slow to recover. He showed his rust in the first divisional game against the Cincinnati Bengals, allowing two touchdowns to AJ Green in the slot. Unfortunately, this game will not be any easier because Smith-Schuster has played roughly 70% his snaps out of the slot. Things will not be any easier on the outside, however, where Marlon Humphrey will likely take on the tall task of covering Antonio Brown. Ravens fans will fondly remember Christmas Day 2016 where Brown’s “Immaculate Stretch” knocked the Ravens out of the playoffs or Brown’s 11-210-9 last year in week 15 to, again, essentially knock the Ravens out of the playoffs (the Ravens also played a part in this with their poor week 17 performance.) If there was ever a game where the Ravens wished they had Jimmy Smith, it is this one.
Can Joe Flacco and the Passing Game Get Online?
If anyone has watched the Steelers play so far this season, one thing stands out heads and shoulders above the rest about their play: the Pittsburgh Steelers passing defense is hot garbage. The Kansas City Chief’s Patrick Mahomes, the odds on early favorite for NFL MVP, completed 80% of his passes for 326 yards and SIX touchdown passes. I cannot imagine a performance like that has to do anything with the MVP odds. The Steelers followed that up with… 411 yards and three touchdowns allowed to Ryan Fitzpatrick. Yeah, that journeyman NFL quarterback who has been with seven NFL teams. To be fair, the Steelers did intercept Fitzpatrick three times in the first half, but Fitzpatrick came back to light up the Steelers defense for two touchdowns and 17 unanswered points in the second half, almost leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a come from behind victory.
One thing is abundantly clear for the Baltimore Ravens this season- they live and die by the arm of Joe Flacco. Despite all the coaches speak of wanting to get the running game pumping and needing Alex Collins to run well, the Ravens have, for three straight weeks, counted on Joe Flacco to carry the game. Against the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos, this worked out incredibly well. Flacco was generally accurate, poised, in command, and made smart decisions with the football. He helped to sustain drives and methodically moved the ball through the air. However, against the Cincinnati Bengals, this plan backfired. The Bengals were able to exploit the Ravens desire to pass with an extremely strong pass rush and forced Flacco into errant throws, two of which were intercepted, and made the veteran look rattled.
The Ravens must do their best to get Flacco into an early rhythm and keep the Steelers pass rush off of the quarterback if the Ravens want to see more of Denver and Buffalo Flacco, not more of Cinci Flacco.
Bonus Quick Take: How Much Influence Will the Referees Have?
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens do not play the game of football to be friends; in fact, you would think they are trying to murder one another on the field. Does anyone remember Haloti Ngata breaking Ben Roethlisberger’s nose on primetime? Roethlisberger was even recently quoted as saying that the post-game feels like “you have been in five or six car wrecks.”
The Ravens and Steelers like to play physical, but the league has placed an ever increasing emphasis on throwing the flag for anything that remotely looks rough in an attempt to increase the scoring output on the field.
Will the referees keep the flags in their pockets or will they dictate the flow and scoring of this pivotal game?
Final Score Prediction:
This game has me incredibly uneasy due to the rise of Juju Smith-Schuster and how the Ravens defense was shredded the last time they faced a competent offense in Cincinnati. Right now, I am not sure the real Ravens have surfaced. They have won two games against inferior teams in the pouring rain, but were embarrassed on Thursday night against a division rival. Which team is going to show up?
The betting odds have the Pittsburgh Steelers winning this game by a field goal, a fair bet for a team that is at home. I am going to be following Vegas in this one.
Baltimore Ravens: 27, Pittsburgh Steelers: 30
When it comes down to it this Sunday, the records will fly out the windows. The statistics will fly out the window. Everything you thought you knew about these two teams will fly out the window. Somehow, someway, when these two teams meet, they turn in their best performances of the season, no matter where they stand in the rankings or polls. Since 2008, these two teams have met 23 times with the Steelers holding the upper hand with a 12-11 record. However, only five of these 23 games have had a score differential at the end that exceeded 7 points. Translation? Buckle up, it is going to be a close one.
Let us take a look at the key storylines that will affect the outcome of this game.
Can the Baltimore Ravens bury the Pittsburgh Steelers Playoff Chances?
Currently, the Ravens are sitting pretty, tied atop of the AFC North with a 2-1 record. All the way down at the bottom are the dreaded Pittsburgh Steelers with a 1-1-1 record. Yes, that additional 1 is because the Steelers tied the Cleveland Browns on opening day.
As it stands now, the Ravens only hold a half game lead over the Steelers, but with a win, the Ravens would sit at the top with a 3-1 record and a much needed divisional win. This would put the Steelers at 1-2-1 and a full 1.5 games behind the Ravens, and while this lead is not insurmountable, starting out the season at 1-2-1 with two divisional games being played is not how the Steelers would like to start their season. It would mean that the Steelers would be continually chasing the Ravens in the standings and hoping for a loss each and every week, making each win that much more crucial to catch.
However, should the Ravens lose, the Ravens would fall to third place in the division and sit 0.5 games behind the Steelers in the rankings. More importantly, though, the Ravens would then have started the season at 0-2 in the division with a crucial third divisional game against the Browns fast approaching the very next week.
The Ravens are seeking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. If they are to do this and attempt to send Ozzie Newsome out on top, this game is a must win to edge into the playoffs over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
Can the Baltimore Ravens Corral the Pittsburgh Steelers Passing Attack?
Does any other Ravens fan remember the good old days when Antonio Brown was the only real receiving threat for the Pittsburgh Steelers at wide receiver? Sure, guys like Emmanuel Sanders and Martavis Byrant were good receivers, but they were just another guy. They did not scare teams in the same way that Antonio Brown did and teams could generally feel pretty good stopping Antonio Brown, even if the others go some yardage because it was not usually back breaking from the other receivers. And the talent at tight end was nearly non-existent in the passing game.
I would love to have those days back because on Sunday night, things could get ugly fast for the Baltimore Ravens pass defense. In addition to Antonio Brown, the Steelers may have found another absolute stud in Juju Smith-Schuster. With all due respect to Tyus Bowser, Smith-Schuster absolutely should have been the second round pick for the Ravens in the 2017 draft, but hindsight is 20-20. What matters now is that Smith-Schuster’s line of 27-356-1 is outpacing Brown’s 24-210-2.
To be fair, having the best receiver in the NFL in Antonio Brown taking coverage away from Smith-Schuster has clearly benefitted Smith-Schuster’s stat line, but that does not take away from the fact that it is increasingly becoming a pick your poison game. While Brown may not have yet gone over 100 yards in his first three games this season, Smith-Schuster has gone over 100 yards each of first three games. If you dedicate attention to Brown, Smith-Schuster will burn your defense. If you dedicate attention to Smith-Schuster, Brown is ready to pop off at the slightest opportunity. It is no longer a game of stop Antonio Brown, stop the Steelers passing game. The Ravens will need monumental, best game of their career games from Marlon Humphrey and Tavon Young.
After suffering a torn ACL in 2017, Young has been slow to recover. He showed his rust in the first divisional game against the Cincinnati Bengals, allowing two touchdowns to AJ Green in the slot. Unfortunately, this game will not be any easier because Smith-Schuster has played roughly 70% his snaps out of the slot. Things will not be any easier on the outside, however, where Marlon Humphrey will likely take on the tall task of covering Antonio Brown. Ravens fans will fondly remember Christmas Day 2016 where Brown’s “Immaculate Stretch” knocked the Ravens out of the playoffs or Brown’s 11-210-9 last year in week 15 to, again, essentially knock the Ravens out of the playoffs (the Ravens also played a part in this with their poor week 17 performance.) If there was ever a game where the Ravens wished they had Jimmy Smith, it is this one.
Can Joe Flacco and the Passing Game Get Online?
If anyone has watched the Steelers play so far this season, one thing stands out heads and shoulders above the rest about their play: the Pittsburgh Steelers passing defense is hot garbage. The Kansas City Chief’s Patrick Mahomes, the odds on early favorite for NFL MVP, completed 80% of his passes for 326 yards and SIX touchdown passes. I cannot imagine a performance like that has to do anything with the MVP odds. The Steelers followed that up with… 411 yards and three touchdowns allowed to Ryan Fitzpatrick. Yeah, that journeyman NFL quarterback who has been with seven NFL teams. To be fair, the Steelers did intercept Fitzpatrick three times in the first half, but Fitzpatrick came back to light up the Steelers defense for two touchdowns and 17 unanswered points in the second half, almost leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a come from behind victory.
One thing is abundantly clear for the Baltimore Ravens this season- they live and die by the arm of Joe Flacco. Despite all the coaches speak of wanting to get the running game pumping and needing Alex Collins to run well, the Ravens have, for three straight weeks, counted on Joe Flacco to carry the game. Against the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos, this worked out incredibly well. Flacco was generally accurate, poised, in command, and made smart decisions with the football. He helped to sustain drives and methodically moved the ball through the air. However, against the Cincinnati Bengals, this plan backfired. The Bengals were able to exploit the Ravens desire to pass with an extremely strong pass rush and forced Flacco into errant throws, two of which were intercepted, and made the veteran look rattled.
The Ravens must do their best to get Flacco into an early rhythm and keep the Steelers pass rush off of the quarterback if the Ravens want to see more of Denver and Buffalo Flacco, not more of Cinci Flacco.
Bonus Quick Take: How Much Influence Will the Referees Have?
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens do not play the game of football to be friends; in fact, you would think they are trying to murder one another on the field. Does anyone remember Haloti Ngata breaking Ben Roethlisberger’s nose on primetime? Roethlisberger was even recently quoted as saying that the post-game feels like “you have been in five or six car wrecks.”
The Ravens and Steelers like to play physical, but the league has placed an ever increasing emphasis on throwing the flag for anything that remotely looks rough in an attempt to increase the scoring output on the field.
Will the referees keep the flags in their pockets or will they dictate the flow and scoring of this pivotal game?
Final Score Prediction:
This game has me incredibly uneasy due to the rise of Juju Smith-Schuster and how the Ravens defense was shredded the last time they faced a competent offense in Cincinnati. Right now, I am not sure the real Ravens have surfaced. They have won two games against inferior teams in the pouring rain, but were embarrassed on Thursday night against a division rival. Which team is going to show up?
The betting odds have the Pittsburgh Steelers winning this game by a field goal, a fair bet for a team that is at home. I am going to be following Vegas in this one.
Baltimore Ravens: 27, Pittsburgh Steelers: 30