(Photo: SB Nation)
AFC Wild Card
(6) Pittsburgh Steelers at (3) Baltimore Ravens
Steelers: At one time, this was a football team that was the talk of the league. It’s a year nobody saw coming from them and most importantly, it’s another year of Mike Tomlin with another winning season and as we speak, still no losing seasons. This team was 10-3 with four games to go and in a prime position to win their first AFC North division title since 2020 when Ben Roethlisberger was still an active player. Things can change rather quickly in our league as they have now lost their last four games. Also, they were sitting at the third seed in the AFC and things were pointing up. The game on Saturday was a summary of their late struggles. The AFC North was out of reach as it was clinched before your game even started that night, but the one issue they continue to have is on the offensive side of the football. Had the Steelers won that game against the Bengals on Saturday night, it would’ve been despite the offense, not because, and if anything, their defense kept them in the game. Unfortunately, they are in the position to operate the vehicle as I said last week. There are too many self-inflicted wounds with this offense such as guys dropping the ball or when they have something going, a penalty occurs. I’ll keep saying it until it happens, get back to your identity and until you do, you’ll be soft to me. The Steelers will face their rivals on Saturday night for the third time this season.
Ravens: From an 0-2 start, to a five-game winning streak, to a few more losses sprinkled in there but, they have won the AFC North for the second consecutive season and for the fifth time under John Harbaugh. When Derrick Henry decided to sign with the Baltimore Ravens, the one thing I mentioned was having a former Offensive Player of the Year and two-time MVP-winning Quarterback in the same backfield which is scary hours. This tandem has been better than expected and they complement one another so well. Derrick showed age is nothing but a number and put together one of the best seasons of his career in his first season with the Ravens and Lamar Jackson… I remember when he won his Heisman Trophy with the Louisville Cardinals and of course, the two MVP awards he’s won in the NFL. This year is the best I have ever seen the Quarterback look. I want to reach out to the person who said he wasn’t “Quarterbacky” enough because he has become more confident as a passer and trusts his ability in the pocket to throw the football more. I know the Ravens have struggled on defense, but as of late, they’ve been turning it around and playing the best I’ve seen them play this year. They were the top seed in the AFC last year and this year, they are the three. This Saturday night, they resume their rivalry with the Steelers.
Steelers X-Factor: Pat Friermuth– When I watch him play, I am reminded of another former Steelers Tight End, Heath Miller. It’s the way he moves and how he’s able to free himself to make that catch to either get yards or help push the football up the field. When targeted, Pat is also a solid contributor in the red zone. I like his skillset as he has great height, a wide catch radius, and just enough wiggle to shift away to make a play. Pat is also a solid run blocker.
Ravens X-Factor: Mark Andrews– When he’s healthy, you see the difference maker he is for the Ravens offense and he is Lamar’s top target for a reason. We’re unsure of the status of Zay Flowers and the Baltimore receiving core can be up and down at times, but they need him more than ever to be at the best version of himself. I’ve always stated he’s one of the best Tight Ends in the league. Mark can find seams and spots down the field and he wins every jump ball. The Ravens had the best red zone offense in the league this year and number 89 was a big reason why.
Final Thoughts: There’s nothing like a rematch in the postseason, especially when it’s division rivals. These two met in week 11 and the Steelers beat them without even scoring a touchdown. On December 21st, the Ravens got their revenge and dominated Pittsburgh to split the regular season series. Now, it’s a win and you advance situation on Saturday night. These are two of the best-run defenses in the league, so I don’t anticipate the ground game being much of a contributing factor here. This Baltimore secondary has been up and down this year and the Steelers must capitalize upon that and take advantage. When these two last met, the Steelers gave up 220 yards rush which is unlike them. I need to see a quick start from the Steelers and I expect them to come into this game with a chip on their shoulder. Baltimore, it’s time to see if Lamar can translate his regular season success into the playoffs and this is where legends are made. If the Ravens can dominate the line of scrimmage and get the Steelers into long-yardage situations, they should cruise. Pittsburgh enters this postseason with zero momentum and I like the Ravens to win this game and to advance.
Prediction: Ravens 30, Steelers 17
