Just two weeks ago, the Steelers’ next home game against the Ravens didn’t seem to matter much beyond being a rivalry game. That’s not the case now, not after the Steelers won their last two games to get back into the AFC playoff draw.
Pittsburgh (5-7) can further cement its status as a legitimate playoff contender if it can defeat Baltimore for a fifth straight time. That’s right, the Ravens haven’t beaten the Steelers this decade. Baltimore’s last win over Pittsburgh came in Week 17 of the 2019 season, when the Steelers offense was quarterbacked by the immortal Devlin “Duck” Hodges.
Baltimore (8-4) will enter Sunday’s game after coming away with a 10-9 win over the visiting Broncos last Sunday. Tyler Huntley, who played the last three quarters after Lamar Jackson suffered a knee injury, provided the winning score with his 2-yard touchdown with 28 seconds left. With the win, the Ravens stay ahead of Cincinnati (8-4) for the top spot in the AFC North thanks to Baltimore’s Week 5 win over defending champions AFC.
Even with Jackson out for Sunday’s game, the Ravens pose a formidable threat. Huntley, who already has a career start against the Steelers, completed 27 of 32 assists last Sunday against one of the NFL’s best defenses. He also ran for 41 yards on 10 carries which included his game-winning run. Baltimore has one of the best tight ends in the league in Mark Andrews as well as a promising receiving corps that includes Devin Duvernay, who threatens to score every time he touches the ball.
The Ravens’ strength is their ninth-ranked defense which is characterized by a ferocious pass rush and a ball-peddling secondary. Timeless wonder Justin Houston leads Baltimore’s pass rush with nine sacks, while defensive backs Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Williams are tied for the team lead with three interceptions apiece.
Needless to say, the Ravens’ roster also includes arguably the greatest kicker in NFL history, Justin Tucker. The five-time All-Pro is enjoying another stellar campaign. He scored a league-high 25 field goals this year and converted all but one of his 29 attempts.
That being said, there’s a reason the Steelers are two-point favorites. For starters, the Steelers have a healthy starting quarterback in Kenny Pickett, whose game has continued to improve in what has been a strong rookie season. In general, the Steelers offense has seen dramatic improvement over the past few weeks, especially on the offensive line. The improved line led to better Pickett’s play as well as vastly improved running play. In fact, Pittsburgh is averaging nearly 158 rushing yards per game since Week 8, fifth-most in the NFL over that span.
Defensively, the Steelers have been bolstered by the return of TJ Watt. Pittsburgh is 3-1 since Watt returned to the lineup after going 0-7 without the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. The Steelers defense also benefited from the emergence of third-year linebacker Alex Highsmith, who recently became the 16th player in franchise history to record at least 10 sacks in a single season. The Pittsburgh secondary continues to be anchored by free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is preparing for another Pro Bowl season.
Sunday’s game is important for both teams. It’s also an important game for several other teams looking to improve their playoff positioning. Let’s take a look at the bigger ramifications for Sunday’s game.
Positioning of the Steelers in the playoffs
Pittsburgh currently sits as the AFC’s 11th team. They will need to get through four teams in the final five weeks of the season in order to grab the final AFC playoff spot for a second straight year.
The Steelers entered this week with the same 5-7 record as the Browns, who they will face in the final month of the Week 18 season. The Rams did the Steelers a big favor with a win over the Raiders on Thursday. evening, dropping Las Vegas at 5-8. They are two games behind the Jets, Patriots and Chargers, who are currently seeded 7-9, respectively. The Patriots’ and Jets’ wins over the Steelers, however, make both teams harder to jump to because Pittsburgh won’t win a tiebreaker with either team.
Pittsburgh’s 2-6 conference record doesn’t do them any favors either. So for the Steelers to really have a chance of making the playoffs, leading the board — which could give them a 10-7 record — is obviously their best bet. A 9-8 record gives them a chance to punch, but that requires a meltdown from the Jets and other teams that fade over time.
The Jets and Chargers are the Steelers’ biggest competition for the seventh seed. New York technically owns a 2.5-game lead over Pittsburgh, while the Chargers are currently one game ahead of the Steelers but hold the major tiebreaker. Los Angeles has just two games left against teams with winning records, so the odds of the Chargers finishing with less than nine wins seem slim.
There’s also the possibility that the Ravens – who currently retain third place in the AFC – will slump at the end of the season for a second year in a row. Remember, Baltimore started 8-3 last year before injuries led to an 0-6 finish. A win over Baltimore on Sunday would put a damper on the Ravens’ playoff hopes while closing the gap between them and Pittsburgh. It would also give the Steelers a well-deserved victory over an AFC team.
AFC North standings
Rest assured Bengals fans will be cheering loudly for the Steelers on Sunday. A Ravens loss and a Bengals win over the Browns would give Cincinnati sole possession of the AFC North’s top spot. After an 0-2 start, the Bengals have won four straight behind a much improved offensive line and quarterback Joe Burrow’s MVP-caliber play.
Victories for the Bengals and Steelers would also move Pittsburgh into sole possession of third place in the AFC North. It would also put them ahead of Cleveland in the AFC standings.
The race for the No. 1 seed impacted
The Ravens can almost say goodbye to their hopes of seeing the only AFC playoffs goodbye if they lose on Sunday. Conversely, a win for the Bengals and a loss for the Ravens would put Cincinnati in a position to steal the bye from Buffalo or Kansas City. Buffalo (9-3) currently holds the edge over Kansas City (9-3) for the coveted bye due to its Week 5 win over the Chiefs.
The Bills host a Jets team on Sunday that upset them in Week 9. Kansas City hosts a Denver team that didn’t beat the Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes at center. If the Jets can upset the Bills again, coupled with wins for the Steelers and Bengals, Cincinnati would be deadlocked with Buffalo for the No. 2 seed. In this scenario, the Steelers would gain ground on the Jets, who seem to fall back to Earth after leaving 5-2.
What does it all mean
Ultimately, the Steelers basically have to win as many games as possible. They also need the Ravens, Jets, Patriots, Chargers, Raiders and Browns to lose as many games as possible. The Ravens, Jets, Browns and Chargers (hosting Miami) are the underdogs for Sunday’s games. If the bettors are correct, the Steelers will gain ground on each of these teams as long as they take care of home business.