Ravens Flex Their Muscles with a Win Against the Steelers
In the second game of an NFL Saturday doubleheader, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers squared off yet again in their second divisional matchup of the season. Entering the Week 16 tilt, there was a lot at stake for both sides as the two teams battled for AFC North Division supremacy. For the Steelers, sitting at 10-4, a win would have wrapped up the AFC North race, having already won the first matchup between Baltimore and Pittsburgh back in Week 11. Meanwhile, the Ravens, who entered the day at 9-5, had the opportunity to not only clinch a playoff spot but also keep their division hopes alive for another week with a win, preventing the Steelers from celebrating on their home turf. Propelled by their two-headed monster in quarterback Lamar Jackson and veteran running back Derrick Henry, the Ravens controlled the game for the most part and, as a result, drew even with their bitter rivals in a first-place tie atop the division with a 34-17 victory. With that said, there were also some notable takeaways from the Ravens’ playoff-clinching win.
Ravens’ Defense Has Turned Around Their Season
If you watched Ravens football through the first 10 weeks of the season, it was pretty clear that the Ravens’ typically dominant defense from past seasons had become a major liability for Baltimore in their efforts to find success this season, ranking last in the league in passing yards allowed. However, after a fiery team meeting following their Week 10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, where the defense gave up 34 points and over 400 passing yards, defensive leaders such as Marlon Humphrey, Kyle Hamilton, and Roquan Smith made it known that something drastic needed to change for them to evolve into a more cohesive and consistent unit that could support the Ravens’ high-powered offense.
Since then, the Ravens' defense has turned the tide and found answers to the problems they had been struggling to solve earlier in the season. Starting from their first matchup against the Steelers back in mid-November, the defense has buckled down and improved drastically in defending the pass, allowing fewer than 250 passing yards to opposing quarterbacks over their last five games and conceding a maximum of two passing touchdowns in only two of those five games. On top of that, against the Steelers in Week 16, the Ravens’ defense played a key role in shifting momentum multiple times to prevent Pittsburgh from finding their groove. Notably, two plays stand out. First, safety Ar’Darius Washington forced a fumble from Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson near the goal line in the second quarter, giving Baltimore possession, and the Ravens capitalized by scoring a touchdown on the next drive. Then, the game-changing play occurred in the early stages of the fourth quarter. After a Lamar Jackson interception to Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, with the Ravens leading 24-17, the defense came up big on Pittsburgh’s ensuing drive. Two plays later, Marlon Humphrey intercepted Wilson for a 37-yard pick-six touchdown, extending the Ravens' lead to 31-17 and sealing any hope of a Steelers comeback. If the Ravens' defense can continue to build on their second-half success, Baltimore’s chances of reaching the Super Bowl will be even greater.
Special Teams Unit Shows up Big
The special teams performance this season has also been less than stellar, with veteran kicker Justin Tucker enduring his career-worst season to date. Tucker entered the Steelers game with a career-low field goal percentage of 70.4%, significantly lower than his previous worst of 82.5%, set back in 2015. Additionally, punter Jordan Stout has had an up-and-down season, with several instances of less-than-ideal punts in close games, such as in Week Two against the Raiders. Stout also ranks near the bottom of the league in punts downed within the opponent's 20-yard line, with a career-worst 38.6%.
However, despite the struggles, head coach John Harbaugh has remained confident in both Stout and, most importantly, Tucker to deliver when it matters most. Against the Steelers on Saturday night, both players did just that for the most part. After not attempting any field goals in last week’s game against the Giants, Tucker was asked to make two crucial kicks, one from 51 yards out late in the second quarter and another from 23 yards late in the fourth, and the seven-time Pro Bowl kicker nailed both, preventing the Steelers from gaining momentum. Alongside Tucker, despite another shanked punt by Stout, the third-year punter delivered two punts within the Steelers' 20-yard line, helping provide the Ravens with a field-position advantage. The Ravens will be relying on both Tucker and Stout to finish the regular season strong and carry that momentum into the playoffs.
Lamar Jackson Cracks the Kryptonite of the Steelers
For all the talk about the Ravens’ struggles against the Steelers in recent seasons, having lost eight of the last nine matchups and with quarterback Lamar Jackson being 1-4 in his career against Pittsburgh, Jackson was determined from the start of this past week and throughout the game to shake off the team’s struggles and secure a crucial divisional victory. Throughout the game, Jackson donned his Superman cape when needed, though other offensive threats like Derrick Henry, receiver Zay Flowers, and the defense helped alleviate some of the pressure on the two-time MVP. In the win, Jackson completed 15 of his 23 passes for 207 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception while adding 22 rushing yards on nine carries. With his three touchdown passes, Jackson set a new franchise record, breaking the single-season passing touchdown mark with 37 touchdowns, surpassing his rookie record of 36 set in 2019, with two more games left to play. Now leading the league in touchdown passes and having solved the Steelers’ defense, the Ravens will be relying on Jackson to continue his potential third MVP-caliber season as they aim for a deep playoff run.
