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Intriguing Game- NFL, Week 11
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
Ravens: When they play how they did against the Denver Broncos in week nine, they are a scary football team because everything is clicking for them on all cylinders. Their formula to win games is simple and that’s feeding Derrick Henry the football at least 20 times a game, Lamar Jackson does what Lamar Jackson does and the defense is playing mistake and penalty-free football. If they do all of that, they are in line to win a game. The way they looked against the Cincinnati Bengals was shaky at best. Did they come away with the win? Yes, they did, but I still have my concerns about them. Could you all imagine if the Ravens had the defense from last season or even the defenses from back in the day with Ray, Ed Reed and so many other veterans they’ve had over the years and it was paired up with this offense they have this season? This would be the best team in the National Football League and they’d be in the conversation as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. That hasn’t been the case this year for them at all as the offense has been the strength of this team all year long. Lamar is the front-runner to win his third MVP as he’s playing the best football of his career this year. The defense doesn’t scare me as it has in years past which leads me to say they don’t have the punch they’ve had in previous years and that was very evident last Thursday night. All year long, I’ve mentioned their secondary has been awful and that was furthermore on display when they gave up 264 receiving yards to Ja’Marr Chase. If anything will be their downfall come January, it’s coming from the defensive side. This Sunday, it’s rivalry day in Pittsburgh.
Steelers: I’ve watched Mike Tomlin coach for a long time. I’ve seen him win AFC Championships, win a Super Bowl, win division titles, and coach up some big names. This season is his best job yet which may be funny to read considering the man has never had a losing season since taking the job in 2007. Outside of T.J. Watt, there’s no superstar on this team and he simply works with what he has around him. After he decided to start Russell Wilson over Justin Fields, people questioned Mike. I even saw many on social media say that if this didn’t pan out, the Steelers would need to fire him which is the silliest thing someone could say. Here, I’ll give you one even better. I’ve also read that they hope the Steelers lose every game after benching Justin. Let me fast forward to now. Russ has started three games for Pittsburgh and they’ve won each game. Those comments aged horribly. Coach did the right thing because if Justin had played in that game Sunday against the Commanders, that would have been a loss for the Steelers. Now, in no way, shape, or form am I disrespecting Justin, but he isn’t making any of the passes Russ made in the win on Sunday, especially the one to Mike Williams to give them the lead. The veteran has given their offense the spark it needed. They are 7-2 right now and in first place in the AFC North. They return home for a huge divisional showdown on Sunday.
Ravens X-Factor: Mark Andrews– I feel he’s gone under the radar this year. When Isaiah Likely was healthy, Lamar was looking his way a lot more and Zay Flowers has also had a nice season. Don’t forget about Mark Andrews and when he’s healthy, he’s one of the best Tight Ends in the league. This is still a reliable target for the Quarterback and he can help keep defenses open and honest. The Ravens will look his way on third downs and in any goal-line situation.
Steelers X-Factor: DeShon Elliott– When the Steelers signed him, it allowed Minkah Fitzpatrick to pay his natural position which is Free Safety. DeShon is one of those guys that’s either hovering around the Line of Scrimmage, or he’s playing back in coverage. He plays with that same energy that Troy Polamalu did during his tenure with the Steelers. DeShon can hit, force fumbles, and tackle in the open field and when he’s playing back in coverage, he can force a turnover. He adds that physical nature to an already physical football team.
Final Thoughts: These matchups have always been must-see TV. In the mid to late 2000s, these games were always close, competitive, physical, and hard-hitting. It was always a war and the games were usually low-scoring back then. This is a huge game in the AFC North for the top two teams in the division. Both these teams each won their game by one point. The Steelers fought back against the Commanders and Baltimore survived Cincinnati on Thursday night. I’d like to think the Ravens will come out and feed Derrick Henry early. I’ve always said they dominate and win games when he touches the ball 20 or more times. Last week agains the Bengals, he only had 16 carries. I expect a war up front in the trenches from these two ball clubs. If the Ravens can pressure Wilson, throw him off his spot, and create a takeaway or two, they will be in good shape. The Steelers on the other hand have been one of the best defensive teams in the league all year long and they could give Lamar some problems. Mike Williams and George Pickens could have themselves a day against this secondary that’s struggled. One thing I will say is the Steelers did struggle at times with the Commanders offense and the Ravens are ten times better offensively than Washington. Expect this to come down to the fourth quarter. I like the Steelers to keep rolling.
Prediction: Steelers 30, Ravens 27
