It’s that time of year once again, and once again at Heinz Field. The Baltimore Ravens are playing the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night in one of the greatest rivalries in football. The Steelers come into the matchup as one of four teams in the NFL sitting at 1-1-1. The Ravens come in tied atop the division with the Cincinnati Bengals at 2-1. It’s time to take a closer look at each of the teams as we get closer to Sunday Night for another round of Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers.
Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers Preview
The Ravens are heading to Pittsburgh for game one of this year’s match up. Although Pittsburgh is on a three-game win streak, the Ravens actually lead this decade at 10-8. Going back a bit further, these teams are split at 12-12 over the last 24. The points are close as well, with Baltimore outscoring Pittsburgh 507-490.
Last year’s matchups were two totally different games. In the first one, the Steelers had their way and won by 17. In the second one, it turned into the highest scoring affair between the two teams. The Steelers won 39-38, and Ben Roethlisberger threw 66 times for 506 yards. It was also Big Ben’s eighth comeback win against the Ravens, as they scored 19 in the fourth quarter.
The Ravens
The Ravens come into week four looking like a fairly complete team, leading to another great Ravens-Steelers matchup. They are currently fifth in DVOA, 13th in offense and fifth in defense. Joe Flacco looks more like the quarterback that Ravens fans are used to. He seems to be finding a good rhythm with his receivers. Having real receivers has made an enormous difference, and John Brown has been a great signing. Flacco’s yards per attempt and air yards per attempt are his highest since 2014, showing he is regaining confidence with people to finally throw to.
The defense might have a rough go with it this game, and it could turn into a repeat of last year’s high scoring affair. Brandon Carr and Terrell Suggs are both nursing injuries and are questionable to play. Jimmy Smith is still out as well, serving the fourth and final game of his suspension. If the pass rush fails to get a decent amount of pressure on Big Ben, the secondary is going to need to step up and have a huge game in order to keep it close.
The Steelers
There has been plenty of strife in the Steelers organization this year. James Conner is a downgrade at running back and prevents Ben and the rest of the Steelers from reaching their potential as one of the top offenses in football. Vance McDonald and Jesse James have been a great one-two punch at tight end, almost literally, as in the face of Chris Conte. Ben has been chucking the ball all over, tied for most passes thrown, and second in yards.
The defense and kicking game is another story. Ever since Ryan Shazier went down, they just haven’t been the same. Their linebackers seem to struggle in coverage. The secondary isn’t that strong and will give up plenty of yards through the air. Just ask Patrick Mahomes and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Chris Boswell has been struggling, hitting the right upright twice for missed kicks on Monday Night. The saving grace is their defensive line, as they are a very disruptive group. If they are able to take hold of the trenches, they are going to make it a long night for Flacco.
The Last Word
These teams do not like each other, as is understandable playing two or three times a year. Baltimore comes into Pittsburgh as a three-point underdog, meaning that Vegas sees them as equals. A team normally gets around three points for playing at home. This looks to be a year that is going to herald a lot of change in Pittsburgh, and a loss to Baltimore could institute that a lot sooner. Look for Baltimore to play the more complete game, as they are the more well-rounded team.
Final Score
Baltimore 27 – Pittsburgh 23
