Another chapter will be added to one of sports' greatest rivalries on Sunday. Adding to the drama of the latest Steelers-Ravens showdown is the fact that this game will determine which team is in first place in the AFC North through 11 weeks.
Pittsburgh is off to a surprising 7-2 start, largely because of the play of its quarterbacks and a defense that is currently No. 2 in the NFL in points allowed. Russell Wilson has taken the baton from Justin Fields and has run with it. He's 3-0 as Pittsburgh's starting quarterback after throwing the game-winning touchdown pass in last Sunday's upset win over Washington.
Baltimore enters Sunday's game with a 7-3 record. The Ravens have responded to their ugly Week 8 loss to the Browns with impressive wins over the Broncos and Bengals. Baltimore is getting treated to MVP-caliber seasons from Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. Defensively, the Ravens are tops in the league against the run but are last in passing yards allowed.
Where to watch Ravens vs. Steelers
- When: Sunday, Nov. 17 | 1 p.m. ET
- Where: Acrisure Stadium -- Pittsburgh
- TV: CBS
- Live stream: Paramount+ (click here)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Odds: Ravens -3, OU 47.5 (via BetMGM)
When the Ravens have the ball
A lot has rightfully been said about the Lions offense, but the league's highest-scoring unit resides in Baltimore. Baltimore is averaging 31.8 points per game, has scored 41 points in a game three times and has scored at least 30 points on three other occasions.
The catalyst for that success continues to be quarterback Jackson, who once again finds himself in the middle of league MVP talk. Jackson has thrown a league-best 24 touchdowns against just two interceptions. He also leads the NFL in touchdown-to-interception ratio, yards-per-attempt, and passer rating. Jackson also remains the NFL's most dangerous running quarterback, although he doesn't run as much as he used to.
A big change in Baltimore's offense has been the unit's dependency on Jackson. Yes, Jackson is still leaned on heavily, but he no longer has to shoulder the burden of carrying the entire load. That has led to less running and fewer mistakes, which in turn has led to a better offense and possibly the best version of Jackson at this point in his career.
A better, deeper receiving corps, an improved offensive line and the arrival of Henry are the reasons why Jackson no longer has the weight of the world on his shoulders. At age 30, Henry is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. He leads the NFL in carries (184), yards (1,120) and touchdown runs (12) and is on pace to win his third rushing title. If Henry wasn't already a slam dunk future Hall of Famer before this season, he certainly is now.
"We have been really good at running the ball for a long time, but he is different," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of Henry following his team's blowout win over the Broncos. "He's adding a dimension that we have not had before. I don't know, you can go back to Jamal Lewis, maybe? This is different, and I'm excited about it."
On Sunday, Baltimore's offense will go toe to toe with Pittsburgh's second-ranked scoring defense. While they're a pedestrian 19th in the league in passing yards allowed, the Steelers secondary is fifth in the NFL in both interceptions (10) and touchdown passes allowed (8). The Steelers have gotten back to be dominant against the run as they are No. 4 in league in rushing yards allowed as well as average yards-per-carry allowed.
Stalwarts Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick continue to lead the Steelers defense. But the trio has been aided by the play of several newcomers, including two former Ravens in linebacker Patrick Queen and safety DeShon Elliott. Elliott has been a stellar run-stuffer for Pittsburgh. Queen is coming off of possibly his best game since coming to Pittsburgh.
Fellow offseason acquisition, cornerback Donte Jackson, has played extremely well opposite Joey Porter Jr., who has continued to evolve during his second season. Undrafted rookie cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year for October after picking off Aaron Rodgers twice and Daniel Jones once in Pittsburgh's wins over the Jets and Giants.
Pittsburgh recently added to its defense by acquiring veteran pass rusher Preston Smith just before the trade deadline. Smith and and second-year linebacker Nick Herbig (who is coming back from an injury) will fill the void left by Alex Highsmith's recent ankle injury that is expected to sideline him for several weeks. Pittsburgh's pass rush will be a critical element to Sunday's game, led by Watt, who pressured Jackson into an incomplete pass on a 2-point conversion attempt to seal the Steelers' 20-19 win over Baltimore back in 2021.
A key matchup on Sunday will be Zay Flowers against Porter, who was flagged several times this past Sunday as he struggled in his one-on-one matchup against Commanders veteran wideout Terry McLaurin. It'll be interesting to see if Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken gives former Steelers Pro Bowl wideout Diontae Johnson a chance to make a play during his first game against his old team.
When the Steelers have the ball
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is getting Coach of the Year hype, largely because of his decision to change quarterback from Fields to Wilson after six weeks and a 4-2 start. While Fields played well, Wilson has been even better and has made Tomlin's decision age remarkably well.
Wilson doesn't have Fields' mobility, but he can still make the occasional play with his legs. Wilson also still possesses his patented moon ball that was on display during his game-winning touchdown pass to recently acquired wideout Mike Williams in Washington. Wilson also brigs valuable leadership and experience to a young Steelers offense.
Wilson has also helped improve Pittsburgh's efficiency in the red zone, which was one of the main reasons why the Steelers wanted him this past offseason. He threw a pair of red zone scoring strikes (one to George Pickens, the other to tight end Pat Freiermuth) during the recent win over Washington.
Much has been made about Pittsburgh's lack of depth at receiver. The Steelers somewhat remedied that with the acquisition of Williams, a two-time 1,000-yard receiver with the Chargers. Pittsburgh's receivers have also continued to display growth, especially Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson. The speedy Austin scored big touchdowns in wins over the Chargers and Giants. Jefferson was quiet against Washington, but he did catch four passes for 62 yards in Pittsburgh's previous game against the Giants.
It's no secret that Pittsburgh's most explosive offensive player is Pickens, who pulled down the game-winning touchdown the last time these two teams met in Pittsburgh. After years of being underutilized, Pickens is finally getting the targets that befit a No. 1 receiver, and he is making the most of those targets. He'll have his work cut out for him on Sunday against Marlon Humphrey, who has already picked off four passes this season.
Pittsburgh's tight ends will be a key element of Sunday's game, in both the passing and running games. The Steelers offense has embraced multiple tight end looks under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and the result has been a vastly-improved running game, led by four-year veteran Najee Harris. The Steelers running game should be even better now with Jaylen Warren back to his usual form after fighting through injuries during the season's first half.
Another key to Pittsburgh's offensive success has been the play of its offensive line that includes two rookie starters in center Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick. Sunday will be a best test for not only them but for the Steelers' entire offensive line, as Baltimore boasts a formidable front-seven, led by All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith, outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh and defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike.
Prediction
As good as Pittsburgh's defense is (in addition to the Steelers' 3-1 lifetime record vs. Jackson), the Ravens are going to score some points. This game will instead come down to whether or not the Steelers offense can keep pace while taking advantage of Baltimore's 32nd-ranked pass defense.
In order to do that, the Steelers will also have to run the ball, which will be a challenge against Baltimore's stiff run defense. Additionally, Pittsburgh's offensive line (specifically tackles Dan Moore Jr. and Broderick Jones) need to do an adequate job minimizing the impact of Baltimore's formidable pass rush.
In games between similar teams, I often look for two things: the quarterback comparison and whether or not one team has a significant advantage anywhere. The Steelers' offense appears have a significant advantage against Baltimore's 25th ranked scoring defense, but something tells me that Jackson will make a few more plays on Sunday that will put Baltimore over the top.
Score: Ravens 24, Steelers 20