The Ravens and Steelers renew their spirited rivalry Sunday night. Instead of the traditional bone-bruising matchup, this game could be more about offensive fireworks. Tony Lombardi, founder of the Russell Street Report, and I discuss this game in-depth on RSR The Show, Episode 1.
Here are five other things to watch:
1. These teams have veteran quarterbacks in Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger, both of whom are having a solid start to the season. Roethlisberger is second in the league with 1,140 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Flacco is ranked 11th with 889 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. One of the keys to this game will be avoiding turnovers. As a result, both Flacco and Roethlisberger must avoid costly mistakes.
This game could hinge on their performances.
2. The Steelers have given up some big plays downfield and are ranked 28th against the pass. However, they have been adept at pressuring opposing quarterbacks and are tied for second in the league with 11 sacks. Linebacker T.J. Watt leads the team with three sacks.
The Ravens offensive line did a solid job neutralizing Von Miller and the Broncos last week. That unit will have to play as well or better against the Steelers, who are going to try and force Flacco to throw off his back foot and make mistakes.
3. The Ravens have yet to get the running game cranked up and rank just 26th with 86.7 yards per game. Teams are still stacking the line to force Flacco to throw the ball and he has devoured that strategy. Pittsburgh has some holes in the secondary so it can’t afford to leave the back end even more vulnerable.
As a result, running back Alex Collins should have some room to run and he has to take advantage of his opportunities. It’s imperative for the Ravens to set the tone with the running game and dominate possession to keep Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown off the field. Pittsburgh is ranked 25th against the run.
4. The Ravens will catch a break with Le’Veon Bell still holding out. Over nine career games against the Ravens, Bell has run for 720 yards (4.5 yards per carry) with seven touchdowns. James Conner, a third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft from Pitt, has carried most of the load in Bell’s absence. He is ranked seventh in the NFL with 213 yards with three touchdowns.
The Ravens are going to need a bigger game from defensive tackle Brandon Williams, who is having a quiet season so far. Baltimore did get some good news on the injury front. Fellow defensive tackle Michael Pierce (foot) was back at practice this week and said he will play Sunday night.
5. The Steelers were reeling before picking up a key 30-27 road victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Pittsburgh had 413 yards of total offense and forced four turnovers, including a pick-six. The Steelers will be confident heading into this game. The Ravens will need to start fast and avoid costly mistakes. They must also keep the pressure on Roethlisberger, who will strike downfield with Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. He also has a pair of playmaking tight ends in Jesse James and Vance McDonald.
The Ravens need to keep pace. The Steelers will also lean heavily on the home-field advantage and are a 3-point favorite heading into the game. Pittsburgh might emerge with a 34-27 victory.
The Ravens, however, could easily flip the script. They’ve already shown they can win in Pittsburgh and won’t be intimidated by the environment.
